The Best Fat Blasting Workout When You’re Short On Time

Archives for February 2014

by

Few of us have the luxury of having plenty of time to exercise every day. While life can often get in the way, not being physically active on a regular basis can cause your energy levels to plummet and your waistline to quickly thicken.

So what do you do if you’re struggling to find the time to work out? Turn to high intensity interval training, otherwise known as HIIT! Just a 10 to 15 minute HIIT workout can help blast fat quickly and improve fitness levels.

Not only is high intensity interval training highly effective, it can help boost fat loss, allowing you to achieve that fit body you’ve always wanted much quicker.  Plus, it’s just a lot more fun than endlessly running on a treadmill!

If it seems too good to be true, consider that low intensity workouts burn calories while you’re participating in the activity. High intensity exercise, on the other hand, raises your metabolism long after your workout has ended – up to 24 hours depending on how intense it was.  Low intensity exercise generally doesn’t help to strengthen or support your existing muscle mass either, which is essential for fat loss as having more muscle helps you to burn more fat.

In addition to saving you time, HIIT offers a number of other advantages including:

  • Increasing your aerobic capacity (the body’s ability to utilize oxygen) faster as compared to working at a lower intensity.
  • Improving insulin sensitivity which may help your body become more efficient at storing glucose in the muscles rather than storing it as fat.
  • You can choose your own exercises and make HIIT part of your running, cycling, jump rope routine or just about any other activity.
  • You don’t need to have any equipment for an HIIT workout. You can raise your knees, perform plyometric exercises like jumping lunges or anything else that gets your heart rate up faster – high intensity exercise is defined as working at about 75 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.

Always keep in mind that in order to get lean and fit, you can never abandon proper diet and nutrition – even when you’re burning more calories through HIIT workouts. It’s essential to avoid junk foods and eat clean no matter what type of exercise you participate in.

Try this beginner routine to get started:

  • Begin with a light warm up for several minutes before transitioning to intense exercise.
  • Exercise for 60 seconds at about 70 percent effort – you should be pushing yourself without becoming overly exhausted.
  • Follow the intense 60 seconds of exercise with two minutes of active rest, or about 50 to 60 percent effort, keeping your heart pumping and your body moving ( a light jog or marching in place should do the trick).
  • Repeat five times and then rest for two minutes.
  • Repeat the entire set two to three more times, for a total of about 10 to 15 minutes.

My five-minute Fat Burning Body Blast (click here to watch) is a great one to try if you need a sample workout that can help you get started right away. It will help tone your glutes, legs, arms and abs while keeping your heart rate going from start to finish!

If you’re a runner, you might change things up by incorporating HIIT workouts.

For example:

  • Warm up for five minutes with a light jog or fast walk.
  • Sprint for 20 seconds followed by a 40 second walk, repeat five times.
  • Sprint for 30 seconds followed by a 30 second walk, repeat five times.
  • Sprint for one minute followed by a 30 second walk, repeating five times.
  • Five minute cool down.

Use your imagination to create your own HIIT workout, the most important thing is to incorporate HIIT into an exercise you enjoy doing and alternate between low and high intensity bursts of exercise.

Yours in health,

Danette May

P.S. If you'd like to get new and fun HIIT workouts from me each week, join my private personal training site here.

by

Fat Burning Cookie Dough

cookie dough

 

Much love,

Danette May

If you like this recipe, see more than 150 of my favorite fat-burning recipes on the next page…

next page

 

by

When most of us think about losing weight and becoming fit, we tend to concentrate on our activity levels and what we eat, and rightly so, but achieving success often involves other factors too. If you’re struggling to lose those unwanted pounds, better breathing may be the missing link in your plan.

About now you might be shaking your head wondering what in the world I’m talking about – I mean of course you know how to breathe, right? But there really is more to it than inhaling and exhaling. If you aren’t breathing properly it can negatively affect your health and well-being, including your ability to lose weight and get into shape.

If you’re like most people, you probably tend to take quick, shallow breaths, especially when you’re under a lot of stress. Breathing this way means that you’re only using the top third of your lungs, and it doesn’t provide the oxygen the body needs to function at its best. Shallow breathing puts stress on the body and can lead to insomnia, fatigue, increased anxiety and even panic attacks.

When the body is under constant stress, levels of the hormone cortisol are increased, which can lead to unwanted weight gain for a number of reasons including increased appetite and cravings for sweets.  It isn’t the stress per se that weakens willpower, it’s the cortisol. When you’re in a high stress situation, do you crave raw veggies or a bag of potato chips? Cortisol results in the body craving the most readily available source of energy, like refined carbs, that it can use quickly which is why we often turn to a chocolate bar or a big plate of pasta when we’re stressed.

Cortisol can even trigger the body to burn calories from carbs and lean muscle instead of fat. It inhibits the body from burning calories from stored body fat, taking you out of the fat burning mode that your body is designed to be in throughout the day, leaving you more stressed and wondering why you’re not losing weight.

One of the best ways to lower your cortisol level and combat the effects of too much stress is to learn to breathe properly, and to take several minutes each day to practice deep breathing techniques. Regular meditation provides these same beneficial effects; in fact, studies have found that people who meditate daily can decrease cortisol levels by an average of 20 percent.

If you just want to know how you can breathe properly to reduce stress and, ultimately, your cortisol level, it’s fairly simple.

The key to proper breathing:

Breathe deeply from the abdomen. Breathing deeply offers immediate positive effects as it fills the body with oxygen, improves circulation and even releases those “happy hormones” known as endorphins, providing a sense of peace and calm.

To practice, lie on your back in a room with dimmed light. Close your eyes and just observe your natural breath as it rises and falls. Is your breath coming from the chest? As you deepen your breath, it should come from the abdomen. Place your hand on the abdominal area and feel your breath. Take a slow, deep breath, while counting to five; hold for a moment and then take a deep exhale while counting to five again.

Taking the time to practice deep breathing can do wonders for your stress level, and your waistline!

Yours in health,

Danette May

P.S. Share your comments below and let me know what other advice you have for breathing techniques or stress relief.

 

by

The Biggest Loser Makes for Great TV Not Real Life Weight Loss Success

When NBC’s popular reality show “The Biggest Loser” crowned their winner last week, a social media firestorm erupted over the controversy surrounding the 24-year-old who set a record for the highest percentage total body weight loss in the show’s history.

Rachel Frederickson dropped nearly 60 percent of her total body weight, from 260 pounds at the show’s first weigh-in to an amazing 105 pounds at the finale. The former high school swimmer said she’d gone from a size 20 to a size 0, looking almost nothing like her former heavy self when she walked out onto the stage.

While “The Biggest Loser” may inspire those who watch to get into shape, unfortunately it makes for better TV than for real life, long term weight loss success. The truth is, most of the show’s past “winners” may have received a nice monetary reward, but they weren’t able to achieve something that’s even more important – fitness and weight loss that can be maintained for life. In fact, as many as three-quarters of the show’s contestants have reportedly gained the weight back that they lost while on the show.

Why?

Too few calories

While cutting back on calories is obviously important for weight loss, eating enough is also essential. Extreme caloric restriction can cause the body to use precious muscle for energy which may initially result in weight loss, but it also slows the metabolism, causing the weight to be regained and then some.

It’s impossible to live on a diet with so few calories over the long haul, and once the contestants return to real life they don’t maintain the same caloric intake or take part in the intense physical activities they were doing on the show.

Extreme workouts

The contestants on the show are forced to work out for four to six hours every day. It’s challenging enough for the average person to squeeze in 30 to 60 minutes of exercise each day. Unless you’re a professional athlete, the routine is way too much to keep up with and can also be very hard on your body, putting you at increased risk for injury as well as illness.

A balanced exercise program of approximately one hour that includes cardio activity and strength training should be enough to help transform your shape and encourage weight loss.

Getting to the root of the problem

Another reason many of the contestants, as well as the average person, continue to struggle with weight problems, is because they don’t get to the root of the issue that caused them to be overweight in the first place. It’s essential to address poor eating habits and change behaviors that may be causing them. For example, if continuous snacking is a nervous habit used to alleviate anxiety, you may need to work on reducing your anxiety levels by practicing meditation or using deep-breathing techniques instead of turning to food for relief.

The bottom line is, while it can be helpful to derive motivation from shows like “The Biggest Loser,” it’s important to embark on a permanent weight loss journey by modifying eating and exercise habits without going to extremes.

If you're ready to end the confusion on exactly what, how much, and when to eat for fast and lasting (and safe) fat loss, go to the next page for over 150 of my favorite fat-burning recipes and meal plans.

next page

by

Who hasn’t tried to battle hunger pangs and lost?

It’s the biggest reason that dieters give up and get off track, losing the will power to achieve their weight loss and fitness goal.  If you’re hungry between meals and only have unhealthy snacks to turn to, it’s almost impossible to resist giving in. Constant hunger is extremely difficult to live with, and it’s not something that you should ever feel you should have to do!

How can you conquer those hunger pangs and win your weight loss battle?

Add more lean protein to your meals!

Protein is essential for repairing and building muscle as well as strengthening your immune system. If you become ill, you won’t be able to work out, which means that ultimate fitness goal has just gotten even further away.

Not only have many successful dieters already discovered this, but research backs it up: eating lean protein at each meal is one of the best ways to keep you feeling fuller longer which helps you to avoid those unwanted temptations. Eating carb-based meals often has the opposite effect. The more you eat, the more you want, leading to a never-ending damaging cycle.

Protein is also important for sustaining high energy levels so that you can take care of your responsibilities and still have energy left for working out. The body digests protein slower than carbs, giving it a continuous supply of energy. It also helps to increase your metabolism by preserving lean muscle as it takes more energy to digest protein as compared to carbs, boosting calorie burning even further.

Of course, you don’t want to get your protein by going to the nearest fast food joint and picking up a burger.

Some of the best choices for healthy high protein foods include:

Nuts and seeds.  Most any seeds and nuts when raw and unsalted, such as almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, are a great way to keep that metabolism burning at its max and conquer those hunger pangs between meals. Sprinkle some walnuts onto your oatmeal or yogurt in the morning to help keep you satisfied and energized longer. Keep in mind that nuts and seeds are also high in calories, so limit the amount you eat to just a handful that fits in the palm of your hand.

Fish. Salmon is packed with protein; just five ounces contains about 38 grams. Other good sources are tuna, with one cup offering 39 grams; six ounces of cod contains 40 grams and five ounces of halibut has over 40 grams.

Chicken breast. A chicken breast contains lean, white meat. Three ounces has less than 150 calories but provides 27 grams of protein.

Quinoa. Quinoa is one of the best sources of protein as it’s packed full with each of the essential amino acids and it’s also very simple to prepare. Just place one cup of quinoa into two cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Eating protein after a workout is also important. Because the muscles experience microscopic trauma during a workout, consuming protein within an hour after the activity helps to repair your muscles and improve strength. Stronger muscles equal a faster metabolism too!

Please share your comments below and let me know if you have any “tricks” for fighting off hunger pangs.

Yours in health,

Danette May

by

If you had to choose just one food to help you lose that stubborn body fat, what would it be?

In my mind, there is no doubt – coconut oil would be it! I’ve got to have a jar in the house at all times. It has so many different uses, but one of the best is to help get rid of that flab.

Even if you’re diligent about working your core, if you have poor eating habits you’ll never get rid of that unsightly fat – on your abs, your butt, your thighs, or anywhere else on your body. About 80 percent of the body’s ability to lose that excess fat is determined by what you eat, with the other 20 percent accounting for physical activity and other lifestyle factors.

So even if you work out all the time, those beautiful muscles will be hidden behind a layer of fat!

Here is how coconut oil can come to the rescue.

Many people think they need to eliminate all fats in order to be fit and trim, but this isn’t true. You do need to stop eating those processed and fast foods filled with unhealthy fats, but getting rid of all fats is one of the worst things you can do.

Eating whole foods that contain healthy fats helps to keep you fuller and more satisfied. One of the biggest reasons for getting off track any weight loss program is hunger pangs, and getting rid of all fatty foods will only result in near constant hunger as well as a slower metabolism.

Foods that are rich in monounsaturated fats like coconut oil will help you burn off that stubborn flab. Extensive research, including one recent study out of Brazil, has found that eating just two tablespoons of coconut oil a day can help shrink that body fat faster than spending hours and hours on the treadmill.

Coconut oil is packed with MCTs, or medium chain triglycerides, which is known to be burned as energy rather than turned into extra flab. Extra virgin, organic coconut oil is rich in lauric acid and caprylic acid which are also known to be utilized for quick energy and they also help to strengthen your immune system to prevent you from becoming ill.

Just make sure you're not eating these so-called “healthy” foods that STOP your body from burning fat.

The study out of Brazil also revealed that those who consumed coconut oil had much better “good,” or HDL, cholesterol levels as compared to those who did not.

In the South Pacific where people naturally eat a lot of coconut oil, most are healthy and trim, even though they are eating a diet that is high in fat. But this is because coconut oil contains natural fat – not polyunsaturated fats which aren’t found in nature. Those types of fat, typically found in processed foods like packaged cakes and cookies are the kind that cause obesity and a wide range of other health problems.

Coconut oil can, and should, be used in place of your of other cooking oils as it can tolerate high heat without being damaged. It can also be a good dairy-free alternative to butter. You can even use it to replace those processed creamers in your coffee.

If you’re serious about wanting to burn that body fat and don’t have a jar of coconut oil, it should really be on the top of your grocery list!

Much love,

Danette May

Embrace Abundance Book

Conquer Fear, Find Hope and Manifest Your Dream Life

with World-Renowned Lifestyle Expert
and Bestselling Author Danette May.

Special offer when you order today!

FREE Manifesting Journal
Order Now
White Logo

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.