Sandra Okeke: My Fitness Journey

Hey babes! Sandra here!

So I've been getting lots of emails and messages from girls and guys who don't know how to begin their fitness journey and need that extra push.

It's normal to hesitate. When I started fitness it wasn't easy. You may not be satisfied with your body, and that is okay. It's okay to want to mold yourself into the body you feel comfortable in. It is normal to want to be better, feel better, and look better.

This is why I am going to share with you all my own fitness journey.

The first time I went to the gym was with my best friend. He had been training for so many years and would take me to the gym with him occasionally. I remember I’d just sit around watching him train and one day he was like 'get up and do some squats.' I looked at him like he was crazy. To me it was a waste of time but I did it anyway and my legs were sore for days! I literally couldn’t climb the stairs for a week and I swore never to go back to the gym. 😧😧

Then, I was drawn to Instagram models who had the perfect abs and the perky booties with well defined legs and I wanted to look like them. I never had much body fat so I knew I wasn’t far off but I knew I had to build my body and that would take a lot of hard work. I knew I had to put in the work so I started taking going to the gym more seriously. That’s when my fitness journey began. 

Because of my frame and fast metabolism, I knew I needed to lift weights to make the changes happen. Trust me when I say I did NOT know everything in the beginning. I researched, I watched videos of how to properly do certain exercises so I could get my form right at all times. I researched the best exercises to build a booty, to get abs, to tone! 

My friend helped create a workout schedule for me so I made sure I was hitting at least two muscle groups a day. It took a lot of mental and physical strength, a lot of consistent training days.  Once I realized the gym was therapy for me, I knew I’d never give up on it. 

After three months, I really saw the work start to pay off. I looked way more toned and when I walked all my muscles were tight. I loved it. I went from a 32-inch glute to a 33-inch glute and was just blown away. 😆😆

I started to put my social media to good use, documenting my journey. People were asking me for help, [so] I made an email account and helped people daily for free by giving out meal plans (which I still do), video guides and tips. 

I was constantly working on myself. It took a while to get the hang of the nutritional aspect because I knew- abs are made in the kitchen. I had to cut out a lot of bad foods. I stopped drinking my calories and that helped a lot. 

I’ve only been training for 8 months and I’ve seen the benefits. I train 7 days a week. No short cuts, no excuses. I fell in love with fitness and It’s become a lifestyle. I want other women to see that being strong is still sexy and lifting weights will not make them look like a man. It actually gives you more curves. I believe that whatever you want to achieve can be achieved if only you focus on the goal. ♡♡♡

Training

I train 6-7 days a week. Yes. Monday to Sunday, no rest days. I know you hear a lot of people say you should have rest days so your muscles can re group and though this is partly true but if you want to see real change, you have to hit the gym maximum 6 days a week!

My training routine for the week starts with Leg Day on Monday. On Mondays I train my legs and shoulders. Tuesday’s are for my biceps and my back. Wednesday’s are my triceps and my biceps then I repeat all the days till Saturday. I squat every day. The parts of my body that I want to see the most definition on - my booty and abs- I work on every day. My training sessions range from 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours maximum and I keep my rest periods relatively low.

The Challenge

My biggest challenge was definitely building my upper body strength. As a woman, we generally have a weak upper body because our frame is smaller than most men and we have smaller bone density. I found squatting very easy and I was able to build stronger legs quicker  than I was able to build my upper body strength. Exercises like push ups, bench presses and pull ups were all impossible for me for a while but I kept pushing and practicing and eventually I was able to get to a point where I could go at least 10 each. I love a challenge.

The number one misconception a lot of females have about training is that they don’t need to do upper body exercises and this is so untrue. Your upper body is just as important as your lower so ladies, the same focus you put on getting your booty,  focus on toning  your arms, back, chest as well!

The Payoff

I weighed under 100 pounds for so long, but through strength training I was able to gain extra pounds of mostly muscle. I’m between 120 to 127 pounds these days, currently I weigh 125 pounds which is an equivalent of 58 kilograms. I’m 5”4 (I haven’t grown since high school), my waist is 26 inches, my glutes are   38 inches and my thighs are 22 inches thick. I have gained 6 inches in my hips entirely from lifting! I built my quads and hamstrings which gave my petite figure a ‘slim thick’ look so yes your body goals are  very achievable if you put in the work!

The Nutrition

When I first started lifting weights, the biggest struggle for me was my nutrition for sure. I used to skip meals to stay lean but after some time I noticed I was not only maintaining my abs but I was losing muscle mass. All the leg gains I had worked hard for was slowly fading. So I started taking more protein. I eat protein with every meal. My go to source of protein is fish - tuna, sardines, as well as eggs and chicken.

I focus on foods that keep me lean because just “eating healthy” can cause me to lose my abs. I will admit that I eat a lot of the same things week to week, for example my diet includes noodles, beans and rice but I change how I cook it so that I don’t get bored. I still have a high metabolism so I make sure to eat extremely often. I eat a lot of carrots as a snack. A lot of people believe that cutting off carbs entirely is what they need to keep fit but this is the opposite. Your body needs carbs for energy but the right kind of carbs.

My Tip:

I train because it makes me feel sexy. I like being in the gym where I’m the only girl who goes hard.

Results take time. Change takes time. Don’t give up! Don’t be hard on yourself if the results aren't happening as fast as you want them to. Don’t be discouraged if you're not ‘there’ yet. There’s no such thing as being ‘there’. Self progress never stops.

The Guide to Losing Baby Weight

Hey, babes! Sandra here again! 

This week I thought to address a question a lot of women have thrown my way. I’ve been approached with the following questions a couple times: 

“How do I lose my baby weight?” 

“I lost that figure-8 after giving birth, how can I go back to that? Is it even possible?” 

“I’ve been working out since I had a baby and I still don’t see any results. What do I do?” 

I know it’s difficult and the truth is it takes a lot of sacrifice. It's more about your mental strength than physical strength. You have to push yourself. It doesn't matter what trainer you have. And it doesn't matter what program you're on. 

You have to be healthy and make the right choices. There are no quick fixes and in a society where we’re promised tons of slimming teas and capsules that will give us quick results in days the truth is there is no such thing, BUT there is hard work and it is very achievable! 

 Just know that having a child or two, or THREE or FOUR should not stop your sexy. It can be stressful taking care of a newborn, adjusting to a new routine and recovering from childbirth. However, it is important to return to a healthy weight after delivery, especially if you plan to become pregnant again in the future. 

What Is “Baby Weight?” 

Let’s understand this. Baby weight is the extra fat remaining in the body postpartum. This fat acts as an energy reserve for the birth and breastfeeding. However, excess weight gain can result in too much fat. This is what people generally refer to as “baby weight,” and it’s very common. 

Nearly half of women gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy. The consequences of keeping this excess weight include: 

• Increased risk of being overweight 
• heightened risk of diabetes and heart disease and 
• greater risk of complications in later pregnancies. 

 If you feel like you can relate to any of these situations, you’re not alone and do not let anyone or anything take away your motivation to change! Give yourself a pat on the back for aspiring to change. I’ll give you a few tips on how to bounce back after a pregnancy. 

1. Be Realistic 

Despite what many social media advertisements and celebrity stories would have you believe, losing weight after pregnancy can take time. Our bodies are different. Some women bounce back quicker than others but it’s not easy nonetheless. When it comes to your workouts, you should engage in more fat burning exercises. Get the most out of your workouts! 

Instead of dwelling on doing hundreds of crunches and sit ups that will NOT burn stomach fat, the concept is that you work several muscle groups at once, doing exercises like reverse lunge presses, dumbbell front squats, and jumping lunges, and HIT (High Intensity) cardio. 

2. Count Your Calories 

Counting calories can help you work out how much you are eating and where any problem areas in your diet may be. This is easier than going on a straight diet when you’re trying to restrict yourself from eating specific foods. Counting your calories can help you ensure you are getting enough calories to provide you with the energy and nutrition you need. You can do this by keeping a food diary or even just taking pictures of your food as a reminder of what you have eaten. 

There are also many helpful mobile apps that allow you to track what you eat throughout the day such as Rise Up, MyFitnessPal, and My Diet Coach.

Using these techniques can help you reduce your portion sizes and choose healthier foods, which helps with weight loss. 

3. Find a diet that works for you!

 How are mega super-stars like Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez able to bounce back right after having a baby? You can take a look at what Beyoncé does to look crispy and toned, even after three kids! 

They do embark on extreme vegan diets and also exercise, targeting their legs and abs. Vegan dieting may sound impossible to my fellow Nigerians, but there are lots of structured, meat-inclusive diets that can work for you. 

4. Avoid Added Sugar and Refined Carbs 

Sugar and refined carbs are high in calories and usually low in nutrients. Accordingly, a high intake of added sugar and refined carbs is associated with an increase in weight, heart disease and some cancers. 

Common sources of sugar include sugary drinks, fruit juice, any type of plain sugar, white flour, sweet spreads, cakes, biscuits, pastries and other baked goods. When you’re choosing food at the grocery store, read the food labels. If sugar is one of the first ingredients on the list, that product is probably better to stay away from. 

It is easy to reduce your sugar intake by avoiding processed foods and sticking to whole foods such as vegetables, legumes, fruits, meats, fish, eggs, nuts and yogurt. 

5. Avoid Alcohol 

Research has shown that small amounts of alcohol, such as a glass of red wine, can confer some health benefits. Basically alcohol has empty calories. However, when it comes to weight loss, alcohol provides extra calories without nutrition. 

Alcohol may be related to weight gain, and may lead to more fat being stored around the organs, also known as belly fat. Furthermore, alcohol can cause a temporary reduction in breast milk volume in mothers who are breastfeeding. Small amounts of alcohol can be passed through breast milk to your baby. 

6. Start Exercising 

Cardio, such as walking, jogging, running, cycling and interval training, helps you burn calories and has numerous health benefits. After delivery, your pelvic and stomach areas need time to heal, especially if you have had a cesarean section birth. How long postpartum you can safely start exercising depends on the mode of delivery, whether there were any complications, how fit you were before and during pregnancy and generally how you feel. 

You may be able to start something gentle like pelvic floor exercises right away, whereas you should wait to take on more intense exercises until your body is fully healed and it is medically safe. Here are three pelvic floor exercises you can do to tighten your core and glutes: 

• Glute bridges using a resistance band (band is optional): Thrust your hips up and down slowly, keeping your thighs tight and hands flat on the ground. This move opens up your pelvis, strengthens your inner thighs and tightens your lower core. 

• Straight leg kick backs : Get down on all fours, slowly move one leg forward and backwards. You tighten your glutes with this exercise. 

• Alternating straight leg raises 

7. Start Resistance Training 

Resistance training like weight lifting will help you lose weight and retain muscle mass. A combination of diet and resistance training has been found to be the most effective method for reducing weight and improving heart health! 

8. Drink Water!!! 

Water has no calories plus our body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because the body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to re-hydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water! So my babes, a healthy diet with daily exercise will help you shed the pounds. These healthy eating tips will help you lose weight safely. Here’s a round up! 

• DO NOT skip meals. With a new baby, many new moms forget to eat. If you do not eat, you will have less energy, and it will not help you lose weight. 

•  Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day with healthy snacks in between (rather than 3 larger meals). We often think that the best way to lose weight is to ‘starve’ ourselves but it’s the opposite way round. The longer you go without food you’re not only losing fat but you’re also slowing down your metabolism and losing muscle tissue. You need a high metabolism to burn calories fast. 

•  Eat breakfast. Even if you do not normally eat in the mornings, get into the habit of having breakfast. It will give you energy to start your day and stop you from feeling tired later. 

•  Choose nonfat or low-fat dairy products. For example Soy milk, skimmed milk and any whole milk are healthier options of milk. 

•  When you reach for a snack try to include foods with fiber and protein to help keep you full (such as carrots with peanut butter, apple slices with peanut butter, or a slice of whole-wheat toast with hard-boiled egg). Drink at least 12 cups of water a day. Keep a water bottle near the spot where you usually feed the baby, that way you'll remember to drink when they do. 

•  Limit drinks like sodas, juices, and other fluids with added sugar and calories. They can add up and keep you from losing weight. 

•  Choose broiled or baked rather than fried foods. 

•  Limit sweets, sugar, saturated fat and trans fats. I hope this helps!! 💕

The Myths and Facts Behind 'Healthy' Sugar Substitutes

Sugar is one of the most controversial compounds in food and health history. People are constantly searching for new ways to hamper down on their sugar intake because of its links to various health issues.

Because of the consistent rise in sugar-packed foods and drinks which you can view here, most health experts are turning to sugar substitutes to lessen the impact of sugar in our bodies.

The pros and cons of refined sugar and its substitutes are a never-ending debate. Some people say the substitutes are healthier, some maintain that they are just as bad...and some are just chilling on a couch, chowing down on any type of sugar that comes their way.

Sugar substitutes are consumed in place of refined sugar because they are believed to be healthier and less risky. But is this really the truth?

The truth about sugar substitutes is that research is still underway to find out what the benefits and risks are. But sugar is sugar, and sugar comes in different molecular forms. Actually, when we say sugar, we don't really know there are many types of sugars in terms of molecular structure. We have the simple sugars- glucose, the most simple sugar which our body absorbs, fructose, found in fruits, and galactose, which is usually found in dairy foods like milk and cheese.

When these simple sugars combine, they form complex sugars, like starch and cellulose, and are present in most of our dietary foods. We need these sugars to survive. But consuming them moderately in their natural forms rather than artificially is the best way to go.

Okay, enough with the chemistry lesson. Let's investigate some well-known sugar substitutes and find out what makes us sweet on them [pun absolutely intended].

Honey

Ahh...the nectar of the gods. Honey is 100% natural... or at least it's supposed to be, depending on where you get it from. Honey is manufactured by honeybees when they consume nectar from plants and flowers. Not only does it seem to be a miracle food and topical medicine, honey also has an eternal shelf-life. Did you know that thousands-of-year-old samples of sealed honey were found in many ancient Egyptian tombs? Honey is acidic and low in moisture and this makes it unsuitable for bacteria to live and thrive in it. Keep it sealed, and you have an everlasting condiment.

As for the health benefits, honey contains lots of vitamins and minerals. The only downside of honey is that it may spike blood sugar levels for those who already have a history of high blood sugar. As long as honey is used as a sweetener, and not a three-course dinner, then you are on the right track. I give it a perfect 10/10.

Date Sugar

Date sugar is another natural sugar substitute. Dates are fruit which come from the date palm which is abundant in Nigeria. For other countries, just visit your supermarket and ask for dates and date sugar. They can be eaten fresh, but are more commonly dried to last longer. They contain high levels of fructose and are a delicious snack. They are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and have a high fiber content, which is great for digestion and slowing down the absorption of fructose. 

Date sugar is just pulverized dates into a powdery form. It is all-natural, and all-delicious. Side effects? You might get hooked on eating dates because of how sweet and tasty they are. So if you are trying to lay off sugar entirely, dates may increase your sweet tooth, but if you are just looking for a sugar substitute, date sugar is an excellent and powerful condiment. Hmmm...let's give it a 10.

Maple Syrup

Maple Syrup is not yet a popular commodity in Nigeria. Real maple syrup is made from the sap from different varieties of the maple tree. The leaf of this tree can be seen on the Canadian flag. The risks of consuming this natural sweetener lies in the fact that some of the maple syrups being sold are actually maple-flavored high fructose corn syrup, which contains a LOT of refined sugar.
Make sure you check the label and know what exactly you are buying.

Maple syrup contains a lot of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It also raises blood sugar much slower than refined sugar, which is a good quality. However, 100 grams of syrup contains about 67 grams of sugar (sucrose) on the average. That is still a lot of sugar. Replacing refined sugar with maple syrup may yield better results overall, but to add it to your diet while still consuming white sugar is just plain wrong. Maple syrup, I love you...but I'm going to have to give you a 6.

Aspartame

Aspartame. The name alone sounds like an intimidating and dangerous chemical. But we do not judge based on names, but facts. 

What is aspartame? I can imagine the question marks above many of your heads. Aspartame is packaged under many names and trademarks- Ajinomoto, NutraSweet, just to name a couple. 
Aspartame is a sweet substance, 180 times sweeter than sucrose, or refined sugar. However, this sweetness is broken down when heated. So if you are thinking of adding it to your hot ginger tea in the morning, you might not get the level of sweetness you want. Also, the quantity of aspartame required a sweet taste is small, so you can get more sweetness for less the amount. This results in aspartame having a lower calorific content than regular sugar. 

Despite many hoaxes and myths of aspartame being carcinogenic, ninety countries have approved the use of aspartame and has been deemed safe by medical and nutritional authorities such as the FDA,  Health Canada and the Food Standards Agency.

Don't rejoice just yet. Excess intake of aspartame by individuals with phenylketonuria can result in dire consequences. This is because the molecular structure of aspartame contains a phenylalanine molecule and people with this disease cannot metabolize this compound. Because of this, foods containing aspartame must indicate the amount it contains.

Also, high phenylalanine levels have been known to cause brain damage. People with liver disease who have high amounts of phenylalanine in their bloodstream should stay away from aspartame as it contains the phenylalanine molecule. Check with your doctor before you make any dietary decision concerning aspartame.

I personally have a problem with aspartame based on the fact that it is a processed substance, unlike the natural sweeteners above. So...I'm going to give it a 5.


So you can see, replacing sugar is not as easy as you may think. The best advice I can give is to do what works best for you. Remember to always consult your doctor or physician before undertaking any new dietary practice if you have a disease or disorder. Your ideal body and health is just right around the corner. I guarantee it!




Live your best life! Toodles!💕

Five Foods/Drinks With Just Too Much Sugar!

Sugar, sugar sugar. Who doesn't love sugar? Cakes, cookies, candies, and sweets - sugar is everywhere!
Sugar is an abundant part of our diet. You can find it even in the unlikeliest of foods.
However, refined white sugar is not at all angelic as it seems. 

Although sugar by itself is not a catastrophic death sentence, it is a source of empty calories which leads to increase in weight which leads to other complications.

Note that refined white sugar does not cause any type of diabetes, like the popular myth goes, but it not only contributes to obesity which can lead to diabetes, it is also a risk factor in heart disease, kidney disease, and, of course, dental cavities.

Other disorders sugar has been linked to? Well, there's acne, cancer, and - hello?- skin aging!

Research scientists have also linked sugar with unhealthy levels of triglycerides, high levels of low-density lipoproteins or LDL, also known as 'bad cholesterol,' low levels of high-density lipoproteins or HDL, also called 'good cholesterol.' Research is still underway to determine if excess sugar causes this directly, but the bottom line is: refined sugar is officially cancelled.

Did you know that the average person consumes 150 pounds of sugar a year? You read that correct. 150 pounds!
You might begin to ask yourself how this is possible. Like I said, sugar crops up in ridiculous amounts in the foods you would never have expected.

1. Ketchup

That tomato-based diabetes-in-a-bottle you drench your fries in? It's basically all sugar. For every tablespoon of ketchup you eat, you get one whole teaspoon of sugar. Think about THAT next time you drown your food in it.

2. Coke

Who doesn't enjoy a refreshing, cold can of the world's most popular beverage on a hot, sunny day? Coca-Cola is one of the most popular and globally-distributed drinks ever. Let's check its sugar content. For every 33cl can of Coke, there are 7 teaspoons of sugar! That's 10 whole cubes of sugar in every can of Coke. So before you go slugging down your next can of Coke, keep in mind just how much sugar it contains.

3. Bread

The almighty bread, a staple breakfast, lunch, and dinner food for people worldwide, especially Nigerians. Most bakeries in Nigeria use more sugar in their recipes, making the bread sweeter. But just how much? Well, that varies. But on an average, a slice of white bread will give you 3 grams of sugar. Also, bread is made from flour which contains naturally occurring sugars. So add that with the added sugar and you'll get a sugar explosion! Better reduce your appetite for bread.

4. Mayonnaise

I know how much my Naija peeps love mayonnaise. Some don't eat bread without it. Some let it rain on their coleslaw. We all know mayo is fattening and generally a bad idea if you are planning on dieting.

Regular mayo contains just a little bit of sugar- 1 gram per tablespoon. However, for those who are trying to lose some weight and opt for low-fat or light mayo, that 1 gram easily rises to over 4 grams per tablespoon! That is one whole cube of sugar per tablespoon! Pair it up with a few slices of the bread up there, and you've got yourself a whopping amount of sugar. So stick to just one or two spoons of mayo and you'll be just fine.

5. Chocolate

This hurts me more than it hurts any of you, trust me. Everyone loves chocolate. I know some people who could kill for a Mars bar any day. Most of the allure of chocolate is in the sugar, aside from the melt-in-your-mouth effect. Let's look at one of my favorite brands, Cadbury Dairy Milk. A 45g bar of Dairy Milk contains a staggering 25g of sugar! That is more than half the weight of the bar!

I know some of you could diet from now until the Apocalypse, but will never let go of chocolate. I am not asking you to. Moderation is key. Don't go shoving a bar of chocolate down your throat at once. Eat a few blocks, stick the rest in the fridge, and save it for later. When I say later, I don't mean two minutes later. I'm talking a longer period, like a couple of days.

Most of us can go out to eat, order a burger and fries, drench them in ketchup, wash it down with Coke, eat four slices of bread with mayo as a snack, and a bar of chocolate just for fun- all in one day!
You won't even think twice about it because you have no idea what is actually in the food you eat. Learn to do some research. Google is not there for show.

Usually, and sometimes involuntarily, I check the back of food products to find the nutritional label. It is more difficult in Nigeria because the practice of detailing the nutritional value of food isn't common, but if you are used to buying and consuming foreign food and drink, you can do this as well.

Once you become conscious of what you eat, you'll make better choices easier. Remember, moderation is key.

Live your best life! Toodles!💕

To Ladies: Lifting Weights Won't Make You Look Manly

Lifting weights is the best thing I’ve ever done for my body. 

The idea that a girl starts looking like a man as soon as she picks up a dumbbell scares a lot of women away from the gym. 

This is probably why I see women perform a 30-minute sprint on the stationary treadmill/ bicycle or an aerobic activity, and call it a day.

99% of my clients are women and the look on their faces when I ask them to do certain weighted exercises is hilarious! One of my female clients told me she wouldn’t do a cable machine lat pull down (back exercise) because it was 'a man’s exercise'. I’d never been so dumbfounded in my life!

Now, let me break it down. The science behind fitness and our bodies makes it almost impossible for a woman to have excessive muscle to the point where she looks like a stereotypical female bodybuilder solely because she lifts weights. Here are the reasons why.

1. Physiology

Both men and women produce testosterone which is essential for hormonal balance and body functionality but males have much higher levels of testosterone than females. 

Testosterone is responsible for the masculine secondary sex characteristics like excess facial hair, deeper voice, and increase in muscle mass. A woman’s body is usually incapable of producing enough testosterone to enable her look like a man. So it will take a lot of years, a LOT of heavy weights, and a lot of steroid-based drugs to push a woman’s body over her natural limit.

2. Resistance Training and Hormonal Adaptations

Because females have less free testosterone than males at rest, any increase is not significant enough to allow for muscle hypertrophy to the extent of a male.

3. Nutrition

Another secret lies within the realm of nutrition. In order to gain substantial amounts of muscle, you need to be eating a substantial amount of food. Because females are typically smaller than males in bone mass, we require less overall calories to meet our energy needs. 

If a male and a female were put in the same nutrition and training regime, the female would most likely gain a large amount of unwanted fat.

4. Weightlifting actually makes your muscles STRONGER, not necessarily BIGGER. If you pump yourself full of testosterone and eat way more calories than you are burning every day, sure, you could get bigger. This is why female body builders exist. They do exactly that: BODY BUILDING. 

However, if you pick up heavy things, and eat caloric-deficit foods, your muscles will get stronger and denser; you will burn the fat on top of your muscle, and you will get that “toned” look that you’re after. 

So, want to look damn good AND be strong? Pick up heavy things. And continually force yourself to pick up heavier and heavier things as you get stronger. 

So, there you have it SOFit squad! Masculinization in females does NOT occur as a result of [heavy] weight training, but rather because of excess androgenic hormones (testosterone) coupled with the correct stimulus for muscle growth (chronic resistance training) and diet directed at muscle growth.

The 'masculine' female bodybuilders usually depicted in media achieve their physique by taking steroids in order to increase their muscle mass and size. The females who are not doing this can lift as hard and as heavy as they want, and will come nowhere close to looking like a man. 

So ladies don’t be afraid of going to the gym to lift weights. You will tone up your body and still look sexy as ever.

Live your best life!

DISCLAIMER !

Please understand the science behind gaining muscle through training and nutrition, why males gain easier than females, and the principles of training go far beyond the surface I have just touched. If you care to find out more, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me, and I will answer to the best of my abilities – I’m ALWAYS open to questions!

Hope this helps! 💕

xoxo 

Sandra 

Sources:

Medically Reviewed by Steven Kim, MD on March 23, 2015 — Written by Alexia Severson and R. Sam Barclay. “Testosterone Levels by Age.”

4 Tips To Lose Belly Fat, Maintain and Build your Abs!

It's super common these days to see men AND women walking around with a pregnant belly, and I'm not talking about having babies.

Having a fat belly makes you feel like you're not your best self, and I totally get that. Most women with big middles feel unattractive and depressed when that cute dress they see on the mannequin just won't fit them right.

Having excess belly fat is not only seen as unattractive, but it also has tons of negative side effects on your health.

Did you know that having excess belly fat increases your risks of having high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and a host of other disorders?

There are many factors which contribute to the accumulation of belly fat. 

Lots of women these days are resorting to extra-tight weight trainers and corsets to forcefully shape their waists and abdomen to what they THINK it should look like.

Please stay away from this.

Waist trainers or cinchers can really do some serious damage to your vital internal organs. They compress your lungs and midsection, limiting blood and oxygen flow. Waist trainers also do not get rid of fat cells. They only push the fat to other parts of the body. This effect endears it to many women, but the long-term effects are not desirable. 

DO NOT hurt yourself looking for an easy way out. If you truly desire to have the stomach of your dreams and still retain your health, then you have come to the right place.

This article is going to give you some solutions to reduce your belly fat in smart and healthy ways.

1. Eat enough protein.

Protein builds lean muscle and as well as burns body fat. Your body burns a lot of calories just by breaking down proteins. Of all the macronutrients we eat (carbs, proteins, fats) protein has the highest thermogenic effect on the body. Eat foods with higher concentration of protein and less carbs like chicken breast, tuna (in water), salmon, and eggs.

2. Eat healthy fats.

Include polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats into your diet. This means an increase in fish oil and olive oil (if you’re going to fry anything). Healthy fats also include avocados and nuts. This will keep your insulin levels low. It's also important if you’re trying to lose belly fat and develop that six pack! 

3. Do the right exercises.

What a lot of people don't know and won't tell you is that exercises like sit-ups and crunches will NOT  burn belly fat! Personally, I think it's completely pointless to waste hours of your time doing hundreds of crunches. You can spend that hour doing exercises that will actually burn stubborn belly fat.

Add weighted compound movement exercises to your routines! Barbell squats, shoulder presses, deadlifts, pull-ups, dumbbell lunges, close-grip bench presses,and the like to your routine. These compound movements promote more total fat loss and a much bigger muscle-building response than crunches and sit-ups ever will.

4.  Find a smarter cardio method.

Don't fret guys! I'm not saying you should do any ab exercises, BUT there is a much better way. I suggest doing interval workouts combined with abdominal exercises. This is what I do.

During the active recovery period of your interval workout, perform an ab exercise. For example, if you are doing interval sprints on a stationary bike or treadmill, run for 30 seconds at your maximum speed (my maximum speed is 15), then hop off the machine and immediately perform a set of 20 of your choice ab exercise. Get back on the machine and crank it back up again. Repeat 5-8 times.

Hope this helps!