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3 myths you need to know about weight loss before you start

3 myths you need to know about weight loss before you start

Motivation to stay fit, , , , , , , , , , 
Starting a weight loss journey is challenging. Check out what are the noob mistakes that you make after beginning  a weight loss program.

4 steps to healthy life mindset even if you are lazyWhen you start thinking about weight loss while being overweight, you start with an idea in your head about weight loss. You believe that you know exactly what you need to do in order to achieve weight loss. You believe your only problem is starting and sticking to a weight loss program.

So what are the myths that every noob believes at the start of their weight loss program?

Myth #1:

I have to do an hour or more cardio per day for helping my weight loss

Noobs believe that doing hours cardio will burn off that extra pizza slice they had for snack. If you still believe that you can burn off extra calories you’ve eaten, you’re wrong. Here, let me prove this by giving you an example of how many calories you burn with cardio and how many pizza slices you’ve burned off*:

[table caption=”Burn off that pizza slice” width=”500″ colwidth=”20|100|50″ colalign=”left|left|center”]
Exercise type,Calories burned/hour,Pizza slice burned off
yoga,148 kcal,50% of a pizza slice
pilates,148 kcal,50% of a pizza slice
walking,177 kcal,60% of a pizza slice
belly dancing,266 kcal,93% of a pizza slice
aerobics,384 kcal,134% of a pizza slice
spinning,413 kcal,145% of a pizza slice
swimming,413 kcal,145% of a pizza slice
running,472 kcal,166% of a pizza slice
zumba,519 kcal,182% of a pizza slice
elliptical trainer,531 kcal,186% of a pizza slice
[/table]

* used MyFitnessPal’s calculator based on: a pizza slice has 285 kcal, a person has 59kg/130pounds.

So basically you can see that doing belly dancing for an hour will burn off that pizza slice that you had for a snack, but it won’t make you lose weight. Doing hours of cardio won’t help your weight loss.

Don’t get me wrong, cardio is beneficial for you because it can help you build endurance. It has many other benefits as well, as it can stronger your heart and lungs, reduce stress, make you feel more energized, help you increase bone density, reduce the risk of heart attack, make you sleep better and so on.

But relying solely on cardio for weight loss is naive.

Here comes the second myth:

Myth #2:

I must exercise to lose weight.

3 myths you need to know about weight loss before you start
You can sit on that machine for hours and it won’t make you lose a single pound

This is a lie. In reality: weight loss is only 20% gym and 80% kitchen. It means that you can lose weight by changing eating habits, you won’t need to step into a gym at all. However, everyone knows that exercising has many health benefits, so it is always a good idea to exercise. I am the spokesperson of healthy eating, but if your single goal is weight loss, you can always achieve it by eating less calories than you are currently eating.

I am not a fan of different crash-diets, detoxes, cleanses, but these also work for weight loss (even if they are unhealthy and bad for you in the long run) because the require you to eat at a caloric deficit.

You don’t see fat kids starving in Africa. So chances are, if you are twice as heavy as your healthy weight, then you are eating for 2 people. No matter how much you exercise, you can’t outrun your bad diet.

Myth #3:

Doing a bunch of ab exercises will give me defined six pack abs

No amount of ab exercises will give you great six pack abs. I learned this lesson by doing tons of ab exercises daily to loose my belly fat. It was successful until a point, where I could not lose the leftover belly fat from my bottom half no matter how hard I tried.

I had abs of steel, but they were invisible under that layer of body fat. So I seriously considered the truthfulness of the following statement:

Abs are formed in the gym but revealed at the kitchen. [Tweet this!]

3 myths you need to know about weight loss before you start
You can do 1000 crunches a day and still won’t have her abs

So I’ve tweaked my nutrition, and bamm, visible abs! I considered myself a fool for not making the connection between body fat and visible abs, as well as for not thinking about the importance of nutrition as a component of having abs of steel.

Once I made a mistake of telling the girls at my Zumba Fitness Core class that they won’t get abs of steel by attending these classes once a week, but they looked at me in disbelief, like I was crazy.

Sure, they will strengthen their core and sculpt their abs, but they are expecting flat tummies and six pack abs at the end of the 4th week. Well, reality check: if you keep eating that pizza slice for breakfast every morning, no abs of steel for you lady.

 So remember: in order to lose weight, start eating healthy, pick up healthy habits such as regular exercise. You’ll lose that fat in a healthy way for good!

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Downside to losing fat no one is telling you about (Part 2)

Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , , 
Boy, there are a lot of misconceptions among overweight people who are starting to lose weight about how their life will change for the better after weightloss and 4 of those misconceptions were cropped up in last week’s post.

You found out about the psychological issues and wardrobe problems that will arise from getting from fat to fit (see Part 1) and this week you will find out that there are more issues that will freak you out when you hit that desired number on the scale.

Check out the remaining 6 drawbacks from the 2 part series of going from fat to fit that no one will tell you:

5. Cleaning and doing dishes more frequently

If you’ve lost weight the unhealthy way (extreme dieting, drugs and pills, laxatives, enhanced-buzz-1800-1372102705-9smoking, etc. – don’t want to continue the list of giving you bad ideas) then you are not experiencing this one. However, if you’ve lost weight the healthy way by sneaking veggies into your meals to trim fat and traded takeout menus for a cookbook, then chances are you spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Cutting calories and fat with healthy home made meals means more dirty dishes. Let’s admit, it’s tough to want to cook when there is a pile of dishes or pans there already, so you will find yourself cleaning and doing dishes multiple times during the day.

6. Your ribcage freaks you out

Weight loss affects your body as a whole.

There is no such thing as losing fat only from

She really likes bones. Image copyright
She really likes bones. Not like you.
Image copyright

your hips or thighs. You can’t spot reduce fat with diet or exercise.
[Tweet this!]

Fat loss is systematic in your body – if you are female, first you loose fat in the top half of your body. It means that your ribcage will at some point become exposed. Your ribcage becomes smaller when you lose weight because you lose subcutaneous fat, the layer of fat directly below the skin.

It also means that your ribs, collarbones and hipbones will start to show, you’ll notice them in the mirror, and it will alarm you. You’ll be able to touch them, and when you do so, you will be freaked out about it. You are not used to being able to feel your bones like this, so like all the other psychological issues, you will need to face this one too, and it will take some time for you to accept that it is ok to be able to feel your ribs.

 7. Hands will shrink

Loosing weight means that your body will become smaller. You were prepared for getting rid of your excess belly fat when you started an active, healthy lifestyle. But you weren’t prepared that your hands will also shrink! As well as your fingers!

Fingers, just like most areas of your body, can store fat. When you lose weight, your hands and fingers become slimmer along with the rest of your body.  It means that you will have to get rid of all your old rings. However, everyone is different, so it’s impossible to predict in advance how much your ring size will decrease after you lose weight.

Tip: try rings on different fingers, maybe you’ll be able to wear your favorite ring on a different finger if it gets too big.

8. Feeling cold easily

Having body fat has its advantages: your own body fat helps to keep you warm – it’s like an extra layer of clothing under your skin. Scientists found that swimmers with a greater body mass index (BMI) appear to be at much lower risk of getting hypothermia. This means that when you lose fat, you become more vulnerable to the cold – you will feel cold more easily.

This puppy is cold just like you, so he carries with himself a cute sweater. So should you. Image copyright
This puppy is cold just like you, so he got a cute sweater. So should you.
Image copyright

If you feel that your hands and feet are always cold, it may be due to the fact that your calorie intake is too low. You just have to raise your calorie intake by eating more healthy food (the healthy choice is fruits and vegetables) and problem solved! A faster and fashionable fix to this issue is to always take an extra sweater with you everywhere you go, unless it’s too hot outside. Building more muscles may also offer protection against the cold, because muscle tissue generates lots of heat. So basically all this means that people who handle cold easily are either fat or fit.

On the bright side, being fit makes summer weather more bearable.

9. Your weight loss will be all that people around you want to talk about

Be prepared that after you’ve accomplished the goal you thought was unattainable (yes, I mean changing your pudding body to sexy god body), it will draw attention of people around you. It was creeping me out that now after all this time of saying hello and insignificant small talk these people are giving me more attention and telling me how great I look. Makes me wonder if they thought that I was ugly obese before and why none of them ever bothered to bring that to my attention.

Becoming fit also can turn old friends into jealous frenemies. If you come from lalala pink fluffy rainbow land, then this may come as a surprise, but people can get bitter when you accomplish something that they haven’t or can’t. Family included!

So you can expect that everyone around you will be asking to share your weight loss success story whenever they get the opportunity to initiate a conversation with you. Basically, your weight and looks will be the only thing they really want to talk about. You will be asked about how much weight you have lost multiple times during the day. People will bring up their excuses of how they can’t change their bad habits. They will be suspicious of you sustaining your routine and results in the long run.

Tip: when you receive a positive comment about your body, say “Thanks!” and move on to other things. Don’t forget to return the compliment later.  Some people like to compliment straight away, but be very careful that you’re doing this for genuine reasons and not simply as a way of discounting the original compliment made to you.

10. You won’t see your new thin body

People who used to be fat still carry that fat body image in their minds even after they loose the excess weight. Their perception of themselves does not change, and it takes time for their brain to adjust to the new, smaller body size. So basically it means that when you look in the mirror, you’ll see a fit body, but your mind will be unable to connect to it, it will feel unfamiliar, outlandish. For you, that image can’t match you, because you are fat. So when everyone around you starts to notice that you’ve become a smaller sized person, you just stand there, and rationally know that you are smaller, but you won’t see yourself small. You are, and always have been a fatso.

I already addressed this issue in my previous post about the struggles with body image distortion after weight loss, I will just say that nothing can prepare you for the psychological battle that you will need to fight with yourself about self body image in order to accept your new fit body.

Interested in facts about your body after weight loss? Click here to get more tips>>>

Downside to losing fat no one is telling you about (Part 1)

Emotional issues after weight loss, , , , ,

If you are anything like me, you assume that when you finally lose weight everything will change for the better, life will become magical! You will look like a fit model, your life will be rainbows and butterflies, and you’ll find happiness in all areas of your life at the end of your journey.

Never would you think that there are drawbacks of going from fat to fit – but there are. Check out the first 4 drawbacks from the 2 part series of going from fat to fit that no one is telling you:

1. Psychological issues will arise

Image copyright
Image copyright

Experiencing significant fat loss is psychologically complex. Emotional problems you had in your life won’t just disappear when you become thin. If you haven’t dealt with them before, now you will certainly have to face most of your emotional issues.

Any discomfort you may have felt with your body before weight loss is now accompanied by feeling a bit shamed for not being proud that you finally reached your goal – lost weight and became fit. [Tweet this]

This is because you promised yourself a new life, full of instant happiness. Weight loss is a journey, it changes you from the outside, as well as from the inside. Deal with the arising issues by talking to your friends and family, or seek professional help to get the support you need.

2. Purging all your wardrobe

This might seem obvious: losing significant weight means that all of your old plus size clothes will be huge and you won’t be able to wear any of them. You get to keep only your oversize sweater, which is quite fashionable with stretchy jeans at the moment! Everything else will have to be thrown out or donated away.

Also it may come as a surprise for you that you will need several new sizes before settling for a final wardrobe. If you don’t like shopping, this period will be a nightmare. A big problem with getting a fully new wardrobe, besides it being time consuming, is that it’s quite an expensive activity. Not every one of us can afford shopping for new clothes on a weekly basis, especially if it wasn’t planned in the monthly budget in advance.

However, you could shop at thrift stores and browse sales – it will be way cheaper than buying brand new clothes. On the bright side, with the fit body you will be able to shop in new places which you were too fat to try before! You should also see it as an opportunity to reinvent your wardrobe, find your new style and build the perfect wardrobe you always wanted that reflects your personality!

3. New bra

Image copyright
Image copyright

Bad news for women with small breasts: breast tissue is made up of fatty tissue so as you lose fat your breast size decreases. It means that your breast size decreases with weight loss. The bigger issue is the frustrating search for a new bra that will fit your new size. You invest in clothes, hair and makeup, but underwear is always last on your list. However, a properly fitting bra is essential for every woman! When your bra fits, you will instantly look more attractive in all your clothes! Even if you are not at your ideal weight yet, the fastest way to weight loss is to find a bra that fits, because wearing the wrong size or style bra makes you look fatter.

For determining your new bra size you could go to a department store or a lingerie shop to get fitted by a professional bra-fit specialist. Or you can measure yourself at home and calculate your bra size using an online sizing guide.

4. Shoes won’t fit

Shoe problems Image copyright
Shoe problemsImage copyright

When you lose weight, the pounds come off not just from your hips, thighs, tummy, but from your feet as well! It means that your old shoes won’t fit you anymore. So you will need to invest in new, smaller size footwear for yourself. It was a surprise to me when I realized that I need to get smaller shoes for myself after my body hit the normal weight on the body mass index (BMI) chart. This meant getting new sneakers, sandals, flats, pumps, and boots. Yet, again, you should look on the bright side – this is a chance to rethink your shoe choices and get a new pair of comfy shoes that will fit your lifestyle and boost your confidence!

Continue reading tips 5-10 >>>

Interested in facts about your body after weight loss? Click here to get more tips>>>

4 things my personal trainer wishes I didn’t do

Motivation to stay fit, ,
Hang in there girls! You can do it! *They will never be fit*
Hang in there girls! You can do it! *They will never be fit*
Image copyright

Have you ever caught yourself between your sit-ups looking up to your personal trainer and thinking to yourself what it is that they secretly wish you didn’t do but they are not telling you? Well, I treated my personal trainer to a healthy fruit snack after one of our sessions and started an honest conversation about the things she wishes her clients didn’t do.

Here is the top 4 list of things my personal trainer wishes I didn’t do:

1. Make excuses

Making excuses is actually just simple complaining.

An excuse is an invented reason you create in order to defend your behavior, to neglect taking action. You are placing blame on an external condition instead of addressing the internal problem.

When I say: “I didn’t stick to my diet meal plan on the weekend because my sister had a party” or “I’m too tired to do crunches because I stayed up late,” I am just complaining about the workout exercise. What you are actually saying by coming up with an excuse is that the issue at hand is not important enough for you to make an effort. The truth is, your trainer doesn’t care about the “because” part. The thing is, You failed to do it.

Why didn't she tell me that I am an a**hole?
Why didn’t she tell me that I am an a**hole?
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Making excuses is a defense mechanism in which controversial behaviors or feelings are justified and explained in a seemingly rational way to avoid the true explanation. Making excuses is damaging for yourself. It also demotivates you and people around you.

Don’t forget that you hired a personal trainer because you want to change and now you’re saying that you can’t. You are not paying the personal trainer to listen to your excuses, they are there to make you work out. Listening to you making excuses puts your trainer in a hard situation, because you are expecting results, yet it is frustrating that you’re making a minimal effort while getting lunch in a drive-thru!

You have to start taking responsibility for your actions.  If you find yourself making excuses – just stop. Quit making excuses now! [Tweet this!]

2. Wear baggy exercise clothes

Stretchy clothes, stretchy people!
Stretchy clothes, stretchy people!
Image copyright

Wearing baggy clothes can be dangerous: long, baggy pants can catch on stationary bikes or elliptical machines. However, this is not the only reason why you need to start wearing slim-fitting pants and stretchy T-shirts. Your personal trainer needs to see your body to be able to ensure that you are doing every movement in the proper way. If you’re hiding your body under an oversize T-shirt, your trainer can’t adjust your pose: you can’t see anything under a baggy shirt. It may feel comforting to know that you are hiding your oversize body under it, but for your trainer it is crucial to get you to perform an exercise correctly. Fixing the posture is important because you are risking an injury.

Try it, close-fitting exercise clothing is actually more comfortable than the baggy ones! If you are uncomfortable wearing shorts, try slim-fitting long pants or capris. Plus, wearing tight clothes helps you notice the changes on your body more quickly. You can follow closely how those inches melt away from your hips from week to week, and it will help you accept the new fit body more easily!

3. Withhold personal health information

This should be a no-brainer, but your personal trainer needs to know about your medical history in order to prevent injuries. It’s critical that you inform your trainer and ask if they have experience working with them. Share every important medical information about yourself:

  • previous surgeries – don’t forget to mention if you had surgeries involving your joints or muscles,
  • medications that you are currently taking or stopped taking  – because some medications affect heart rate or respiration rate so that is why they need to know what kind of medication you are taking
  • mention any recent muscle aches, strains or pulls too

Exercise can help with symptoms of medical conditions, however, if your trainer is unaware of your problems, working out can make an existing issue worse. Don’t worry, a good trainer will be able to adjust the training technique to match your physical state.

4. Talk too much during exercise

Incessantly talking about your personal issues during training sessions sends your trainer a message that you are confused about what they can do about you. If you notice that your workout is paused by your chat or rant about your significant other, crazy friend or frustrating coworker, then it is an issue that both of you need to address. It may be hard for your trainer to interrupt these stories, especially if they are emotional ones. You may be unaware of this, but this may be frustrating for your personal trainer, because you are risking reaching your fitness goals and their reputation may be on the line. Most people want to see results overnight and if it doesn’t happen, they blame the trainer. You paid for results, however you are yet again finding excuses to slack. Limit your chit-chats to the warm-up and cool-down stretching period.

Want more? Click here to find out more about what Your journey will be after weight loss>>>

How to stay motivated & stick to Your fitness routine

Motivation to stay fit, , , ,

We’ve all had those days when we are more likely to tell ourselves that we are way too tired to go the gym or attend that one hour pilates class. You had a rough day at work, the dog needs a walk, those dishes won’t do themselves… I immediately start to feel depressed and my minimal motivation is gone.

F**k it, I'm just gonna sleep
F**k it, I’m just gonna sleep Image copyright

Slacking would be really easy in these situations. However, consider the fact that skipping can ruin your achievements. Know this: skipping one routine does not ruin your overall progress. But if you do it at the start of your weightloss journey, before you’ve seen results of your dedicated work, then it will set you back in your progress.

Tips to make You stick to a fitness program

You’ve lost all that weight. You made a commitment to change your life around. Came up with a plan, acted according to it and the results are in! Your body is thin and fit! You achieved what everyone – including you – thought was impossible to achieve!

What really mattered and made a difference was not that initial decision – what made you successful is consistency. Coming up with a plan and sticking to it – it is the key to achieving your goal. This consistency in workout routine is where most people fail. They stick to their new fitness routine for awhile and when it becomes harder because it interferes with other parts of their lives or they just get bored, they stop. Then it is all downhill from there. If you miss a pilates class just once because you didn’t feel like/couldn’t make time for exercising, next time you’ll be more likely to skip because there are more important things to do. Your workout routine gets ruined slowly.

Until workout becomes a routine and a habit you must go to that pilates, yoga, aerobic, etc. class according to your plan! [Tweet this!]

Going to the fitness gym when you don’t feel like it or when it feels hard is part of your journey – overcoming those feelings and still going builds character – it builds the new you from the inside. This does not just strengthen your new body, it strengthens the new you: your mind and soul as well.

3 hacks to stay motivated going to the gym when you don’t feel like going

  1. Get dressed first and then decide if You want to go or not

    get dressed first
    Barbie has themost stylish workout outfits everImage copyright

Put on your favorite fitness T-shirt and your greatest workout pants! Aim for an outfit that both looks good and feels comfortable. It is more likely that you attend your workout if you are already dressed for it. Works every time!

  1. The 3 second rule: the more time You think about it the more likely it is that You will not do it

The secret is not to over think it. So when the thought of skipping the daily exercise comes into mind, stop thinking and start acting! Make the first steps towards going: fill up your water bottle, pack your towel, get your running shoes out. Make the first steps – ACT!

  1. Talk to Your supporter/workout partner about skipping Your daily routine

If you have friend who is supporting you or an exercise partner, let them know that you are planning to skip an exercise so they can scold you, so you’ll change your mind about not going. Sounds childish, but stating out loud why you don’t wanna go and hearing it might make you change your mind about it. Plus having someone who supports you, a friend, a significant other, family member, coach is important in keeping your routine.

You had to make sacrifices to get the dream body – so just go and exercise! Next time you’re demotivated to workout just give these hacks a try! Or you can keep yourself motivated by getting more tips:

Interested in facts about your body after weight loss? Click here to find out more>>>