Nobody wants the embarrassment of arm fat that flaps like bat wings! Here are two key movements you can do to shape and tone your arm muscles to keep the flabby arms under control.
Please leave your comments below and let me know what you think of these exercises. I love hearing from you!
Danette
HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotrophin. This is a hormone that supposedly aids in weight loss. The diet was created by Dr. A.T. Simeons, who authored the book, ‘Pounds & Inches”.
The theory behind the HCG diet is that for the first 2 days, you are allowed to eat whatever you wish.
And after that, the ‘fun’ begins. For the next three weeks, you are expected to adhere to a diet that does not exceed 500 calories a day.
Yup! You read it right. Only 500 calories a day. Unlike the paleo diet or Atkins diet, the HCG diet is not so strict.
For the most part you are encouraged to eat healthy organic stuff. Meat, fruit, veggies, etc. Wholesome, single ingredient foods. However, whichever food you decide to eat, the 500 calorie rule applies.
You will be expected to slowly return to a normal diet with the normal recommended caloric intake.
However, theory states that you will not gain weight drastically and you will still keep off the weight lost during your HCG phase.
So, basically the HCG diet has three phases. The loading phase, maintenance phase and the stabilization phase. Once all three phases are completed, you’re expected to have lost weight.
There are also some people who go for HCG injections or use HCG drips. These products are supposed to suppress your appetite so that you can complete the HCG diet successfully.
Common sense should tell us that restricting your calories so drastically is never a good idea. It will shock your body and is very stressful.
When you put your body under stress, it releases a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol leads to fat storage indirectly.
When your calorie intake is so low, your body goes into ‘starvation mode’. That means it holds on to every bit of fat it has for future use. It needs to protect its fat stores because it doesn’t know when it will get food.
Now, it becomes more difficult for a body to burn fat.
Another side effect of a super low calorie diet is decreased metabolism. When your metabolic rate drops, you will burn less calories and this will lead to increased fat storage.
Any weight lost during a HCH diet is probably muscle weight.
Burning fat off requires a caloric deficit of 500 calories. Not a caloric intake of 500. Big difference.
All the hype, HCG diets, drips and drops are highly not recommended. The drops can be costly and many companies produce drops of inferior quality.
You are not only wasting your money but putting your health at risk. To make matter worse, this is not even a good way of losing weight.
The reason anyone would even embark on this mad caper is because they want to shed the pounds ASAP. But then… what is the rush? You did not gain the weight overnight.
It took months and even years to gain the fat. It will take time to burn it.
That is the healthiest way. Exercise and a sensible diet. There are no shortcuts to losing weight successfully. Hard work, sacrifice and most importantly patience, is required.
Yours in Health,
Danette
PS: Please share this with your friends and leave your Comments below.
I see it happen all too often…you eat clean and exercise during the week and when the weekend comes around all bets are off.
A lot of people get caught in the trap of “rewarding” themselves for eating healthy and exercising by going crazy on food and alcohol on the weekend. Now, I'm not saying that you should never enjoy a cheat day, but you just want to make sure you're being sensible about it.
So what's the best way to reward yourself on the weekends? Well, I highly recommend getting outside and doing something active. In this video, my husband and I went on a beautiful 30 mile bike ride through Glenwood Canyon. When you do things like this you'll be more motivated to feed your body clean foods.
Much Love,
Danette
PS – Please leave your comments below. I love hearing from you!
I love to play around with different ingredients in my smoothies and I just made the yummiest Smoothie EVER! Super yummy, like to die for delicious!
One of the reasons I love this smoothie is because all the ingredients will make your skin and organs glow! Ginger is detoxifying, great for clearing blemishes, and helps with inflammation in your gut.
Dark greens are a great liver detox, cleaning the liver makes it easier for the body to release unwanted body fat.
Clove spice: Some say this spice is one of the healthiest in the world. Helps fight environmental toxins and helps with inflammation in your joints.
Cinnamon helps fight bacteria and controls blood sugar-which increases immunity.
Nutmeg is a natural stimulate and pain reliever.
Raw almond butter is a great fat that will help you release stubborn body fat! It will help keep you feeling fuller longer too!
This smoothie tastes like a Christmas treat in my mouth! Don't wait to try it, you will LOVE this drink!!
Yield: 1 serving
1. Blend together and enjoy!
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your friends and leave your comments below.
It may seem that when “that time of the month” is coming around that you start dreading a lot of things. One of the most common issues is wondering how much weight gain is going to take place this time?
While it may seem that you really pack on the pounds, it isn't as much as you think.
Yes, there is a level of discomfort that comes from a bloating feeling, but it doesn't mean that you are putting on ten or twenty pounds. It might feel like it, but you really aren't. The truth is that there is only a difference of about 2-4 pounds.
There are many misconceptions about where this weight gain comes from before menstruation. Many believe that it comes from overeating. After all, you tend to eat more during PMS. The truth behind this is that while there is more eating going on, there is also a rise in metabolism that is just enough to offset the difference.
There might be a mild increase, but not enough to be noticeable.
Another misconception is that it comes from eating more sweets. The fact is you are craving more sweets during pre-menstruation. It isn't clear why that is the case, but it's obvious that it exists and that craving increases as the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome worsen.
While you might think that this would cause a lot of weight to come, you aren't eating enough of an increase in calories to cause very much of an increase in weight.
The weight that you do put on happens to primarily come from water retention. For those who are struggling to control their weight, this can be a very frustrating thing. It seems that no matter how much work you normally do or how good your diet it, you seem to still put on weight and feel bloated.
Don't worry, though. The water that is retained usually all comes off during menstruation.
There are a couple of things that you can do to help limit the amount of water you retain.
1) Limit the amount of sodium you take in.
2) Increase the water you drink.
When you get more sodium (salt) than you need, it tends to sit in the intestines and requires more from the kidneys to flush it out. What happens is that your body starts to need more.
When your body isn't getting the water it needs, it starts retaining more. It notices that it needs more and realizes it isn't going to get more. When your body feels like it isn't getting the water it needs to function properly, it starts to go into conservation mode. It starts using less and keeping more.
When you cut down the amount of salt and sodium you normally eat or drink, your body needs less water to function efficiently. When you know that your body is going to be retaining fluids more anyway because you are approaching your menstrual period, start cutting back on salt.
Also, start increasing the amount of water you drink. In doing this, you will see your body wanting to retain less and you won't be wondering each month how much weight gain is going to take place.
Yours in Health,
Danette
PS: Please share this with your friends and I welcome your Comments below.
There is a lot of high-fat pumpkin temptation in the air this time of year. And if that weren't enough, we're right around the corner from those few weeks of the year when everywhere you go, someone has a bag of candy.
Anyone who has struggled to lose weight knows that this is a high temptation season we are embarking upon.
Make some seasonal tasty treats of your own to have on hand. If you want to indulge in some pumpkin goodness without packing on the pounds, this is the cookie for you.
They are loaded with protein and fiber so they fill you up and you stay satisfied longer. Oh, and your house will smell like a Fall festival!
1. Mix and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes.
2. You can make these into bars and cut them and freeze the remaining bars or make individual round cookie shapes.
For a super protein boost, add 1 scoop Earth Echo Collagen Peptides.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please leave your comments below and let me know what you think of this recipe!
Like this recipe? Click to the next page to see 120+ fat-burning breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack recipes…
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.