When it comes to burning fat, there is one thing we all have in common: IT’S NEVER EASY. Okay, well maybe it’s easy for a short period of time, but for sustainable fat loss and lean lifestyle it will definitely take some effort.
Or never drinking. Here’s why.
You should have one drink or less so that you can make progress towards your fitness no matter what your age.
If you are making zero progress on your fitness goals the FIRST thing you should do is cut booze.
Research indicates moderate consumption of alcohol may improve cardiovascular health.
If you’re having trouble burning fat and if you’re drinking more than two drinks at a time in any consumption session, then that is the first thing you should drop in order to reach your goals.
Your body weight is related to your entire history of eating including what your mom fed you. It is also related to genetics, but really we can only control our habits if we are diligent and caring of our bodies. It’s not that you can change your genes, it’s that you can optimize your genes.
Seriously, keeping that DNA healthy is Anti-Aging 101 folks.
Step 1. Consume nutrient rich foods.
Step 2. Reduce toxins.
Step 3. Do an INTENSE workout.
Step 4. Recover and repeat with progression.
Check out this infographic:
Feeling better is a pretty cool part of fitness.
A very fit person on most occasion will be between 8-18% body-fat.
For guys, 10% body-fat or less is usually the threshold for a truly aesthetic midsection.
For gals… 12-16% is a great goal to aim for — because it is reserved for only the dedicated.
I’m not saying don’t go out and enjoy some alcohol. We all respond differently to environments and I have known some people who can go to a bar and not even drink alcohol. Personally, I would feel very attracted to a cold beverage in a HOT environment and you know what I mean.
Drinks that have low alcohol or no alcohol:
If you feel amazing with your life and you drink lots of alcohol — then by all means enjoy yourself. I’m not here to tell you what to do with your body, just to share this viewpoint that there are means available in which we can all work towards genuine wellness.
It’s not like I’m on this journey because it ever came easy to me. The struggle is real and for myself it’s personal. I’m not so much the guru as I am the one on the path next to you. Hopefully, it’s me… carrying the heavier load.
Stay tuned.
It matters that I think about food a lot. Even though I still enjoy the pleasures of some foods more than others, consuming balanced nutrition is not easy to do.
One of the best carne asada I have had in the Puget Sound area, but I couldn’t eat like this every day — or could I.
Just look around at the actions of people and you will notice that it really is difficult to keep the healthy eating patterns.
I don’t really have a lot of time in the morning, whether I’m tweaking the playlists or twerking in the shower (not true).
Today, I woke up and mixed a whey protein isolate shake with water. I like that particular brand of powder because it mixes easily and digests well. This gave me some revitalizing and so I got ready to head to the studio.
I also sipped on some pomegranate juice because lately the QFC has had a two-for-one deal on the big POM juices. Even though there is the sugar content, I do feel that some antioxidants like pomegranates are the real pharmacy – you know what I’m saying.
I finished a block of morning work and was able to reach my apartment with ease even though the wind was blowing like crazy. Today’s lunch was around 2:00 PM and included two pieces of baked trout and a pound of asparagus.
With the asparagus, I either steam or satay it so that it finishes before the Steelhead. Once the asparagus finishes, I eat as much as I can because I haven’t had a solid meal since before this and hungry enough to appreciate bitter foods.
I am practical about this meal and realize that I probably won’t be making more vegetables later on, so I’m just going to eat them all. As long as I get enough greens for the day, it really doesn’t matter when.
I’m about halfway through my plate of asparagus when I take the fish out of the oven. It is flaky perfection. The oily goodness and soft textures make this protein delicious as it is fresh out of the oven. I don’t even care about the bones.
Kombucha to top it off and then I don’t eat for a while.
Eggs are a protein source that I used to eat often but haven’t eaten much lately and of course there was a sale on the eggs I like today. Since I had some fresh eggs, I decided to prepare them for my last meal of the day.
I turn on the stove top to medium, get my pan ready and scoop a tablespoon of coconut oil onto the hot pan. The eggs go in, and today I ate eight eggs and make it four whole eggs and four egg whites.
Why today did I decide not to eat all the whole eggs?
Because, avocado. Since the avocados are a great source of healthy fats, I was able to reduce the fat content of my protein by taking out some of the yolks.
Not to mention, with pepper, herbs, and/or seasoning, it is delicious again! Taste my favorite of the senses.
People who drink a lot of water are doing it right. It’s a relatively simple habit and largely possibly thing to do that helps fitness. Make the habit of drinking water over the day and it will help the body head to toe.
Thank you and stay tuned all!
Fitness gains are valuable, we know that healthy activities are meant for the purpose of better life. It all relates to your fitness goals most importantly so set yourself up for something that is meaningful to you. You should choose whatever exercise that gets you excited or passionate — some will always hate it but many still do it.
I ate all the greens first.
We’ll make a short list of some of the gains that a fitness trainee may look forward to experience or already experiences on a regular basis.
I don’t think it’s about just one habit, it’s about as many habits as possible. So many are mental that it all comes down to the thoughts you allow to move around in your head.
If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.
-Lao Tzu
We need to act. Move at will. Guide the body to perform repetitive actions whether it be through weight lifting or sauteing the freshness of a good meal.
For many people, even the thought of going into a gym could be intimidating. Having those habits for working out and eating healthy will help you be more at peace with the experiences.
Allow yourself to truly experience the intensity of resistance training and it will guarantee change your mind and your body.
The hormonal benefits of fitness I believe outweigh even how important fat burn is. In reality, it is the hormones that control whether fat is going to be burned at a significant rate and fitness seems to modulate the expression of hormones in a good way.
Aside from the main male and female hormones, consider the following:
I love to think about how the brain works the body and how the body works as a whole. Muscle tone may have aesthetic which is valued, even though I think more about the neural components of physical training.
It’s the brain we are ultimately supporting the most through exercise as that is the regulating power center of the body. The neurons in the brain and body must synchronize during intense bouts of resistance training and High Intensity Interval Training.
Realistically, it is best to change the way you think about your body versus wanting someone else’s body. Progress is dynamite when you believe in yourself!!
So stay tuned for more and thank you for reading. Post a comment below when something resonates with you.
Getting lean can take weeks, months, years, or even the struggle continues for some. The investments of time are of the most important value that you have. Think about your habits and how important that habit is for your life.
Here are a few ways to invest that time into fitness, fat loss and overall well-being.
In the workouts we do in Orangetheory Fitness Seattle, we take participants through five zone heart rate guided training. The second zone, light-zone which is colored blue is a light zone, one step above resting. You want to be in this light intensity zone throughout the actions of the rest of your life outside of of HIIT workouts, because you will burn more fat during EPOC.
People who look like they walk everywhere probably do.
Moving lightly would be things such as walking, doing chores, light games in the park, etc. Movement of some sort which is not strenuous and not taxing on mental performance as well. The more time you spend in the blue zone during the other hours in the day are near guaranteed health boosters.
Additionally, performing HIIT exercise 4x/week is killer for lasting calorie burn.
People in my classes know about that last part.
We have been exposed to many advertising campaigns about food and what’s healthful and what’s not. Media and popular culture are impossible to escape. Most ads are designed to create a false need.
Shocking for some, people haven’t you seen Food Inc?
Let’s keep this simple. If the company spends TONS of money on advertising campaigns, there’s a significantly greater chance that it is BAD for you. Eating processed foods and sugary foods is like taking on debt in the body — you even have to pay interest since body fat negatively affects the endocrine system. Making it even harder to burn fat.
So once you pay off the debt of eating poorly, then you must invest in eating healthy. The health of your stomach and digestive system are important elements strongly related to fat loss.
We are walking environments and ecosystems. There are ten times more bacteria cells that exist mostly symbiotically with our human cells. This is a good thing because we need these bacteria to protect us with other bacteria of our environment and the things we eat.
Human cells have similarities to the quality of food which you consume
So how do you PROTECT the Gut?
It’s not easy to know what is the best to eat for you so it’s best to be mindful.
IF you aren’t planning for success in your actions, then the outcome of bad habits will resonate. You should plan for success with food and then you can enjoy moving often too.
Good luck stay tuned and thanks for reading!
Dre Fitness 