A true model is healthy & fit, not starving and weak. I hope that all of you find your inspiration from the models who work hard for their health & body! I want to give you all some tips I have learned over the last few years on healthy living. My main advice is to take care of yourself, stay active and eat healthy - these things should lead to a fit body whether your a size 2 or 12. Its not about being skinny, its about being healthy. Make your focal point being healthy, stop stressing about weighing yourself and obsessing over your body.. make healthy living your lifestyle.
Lets start with metabolism. This is a key factor in your figure. There are actually things you can do to speed up your metabolism!! Its extremely easy and makes a huge difference in your body & energy levels. Remember, the older you get the slower your metabolism gets and the harder it is to burn.. so working on this is very important!
1. Start your day off with a good healthy FULL breakfast. This meal is VERY important. I can't tell you how many people skip breakfast or just make due with a coffee. Your first meal jump starts your metabolism. Its best to have proteins or complex carbs.. This is literally adding the fuel to your metabolism to wake it up and say lets get going!! Oatmeal is a good choice, or egg white omelet with some veggies and hot sauce.. whatever it may be, DO NOT skip breakfast!! Try eating first, THEN if your still hungry get your coffee.
2. Drink water!! You should be peeing every 2-3 hours max.. and the more clear the better. Your body can not burn fats without water.. without water your body will store the fats. Not drinking water is much worse then people think.. did you know your body can hold up to 50lbs of water weight?? If your starving yourself from water and being dehydrated, your body stores up the water rather then releasing it. You will start to become swollen and lethargic... being dehydrated is not a good look.
3. Vitamin B-12 or caffeine .. or hell, BOTH! These things both will speed up your metabolism, give you more energy to burn more calories and fat. I like to drink a sugar free energy drink called XS thats loaded with B-12 around 2-3 times a day + at least 1 coffee.
4. SPICES. I love it, add a little chili to your life :) I have a hot sauce that I sprinkle on my foods, or dried chili powder I like to splash on lots of things. Spices also help your digestive system to get things moving.
5. Green Tea. You can drink or take Green Tea Extract pills ( I do both ) .. Tea is amazing for your body, whether its green or black tea, they all do your body good. Stock up on teas, maybe have one every night before bed.. the warmth is very soothing and puts you right to sleep!
6. Iodine. This stimulates the thyroid gland which is responsible for your metabolism. Eat lots of sushi & fishes! Its a much better source of protein then meat and has more health benefits. Salmon being one of the best and its DELISH!
7. Freeze!! hehe not literally, but being cold actually burns more calories and boosts your metabolism. The heat can lower your energy levels, dehydrate you and slow your metabolism. Its good to be a little cold, shiver sometimes!!
8. When your going to eat fruit, choose blueberries or watermelon. Fruits are LOADED with sugar (even though its natural, its still sugar) and sugar turns to fat. If you decide to eat some fruit, eat these... proven to boost your metabolism!!
Now some easy, easy things to steer clear of when choosing what to eat.. remember you ARE what you EAT. Think about it, why would you ever want to eat something that could harm your body, your body is your temple.. you want to preserve it and take care of it. There is nothing wrong with splurging, but there are healthy choices for splurging.
1. Stay away from Fried. If its fried, DONT eat it. Its super simple & easy... stick with the grill.
2. Don't eat fruits too often, no more then once a day. Fruits do have a lot of sugar and although they are natural, if you don't burn them off it turns to fat. There are other ways to get the same nutrients and antioxidants without all the sugar.
3. Don't eat red meats.. (if your going to splurge, this would be a healthier choice) but.. on a regular basis your stomach is not meant to process this, its rough on your digestive system and loaded with fat and calories. Your putting an obese cow into your body... no thanks.
4. Always have healthy food available to you. I carry a bag of carrots, a granola bar, protein bar, etc in my purse at all times so that when I am on the go and get hungry, the convenient food like McDonalds is not an option because I already have food with me. Cut up some veggies and store them in your fridge ready to eat so all you have to do is whip them out, perfect snack!
5. Don't eat out.. no matter what these companies advertise, eating out is never healthy. They add loads of oils, sauces, dressings, etc that pile up the calories. When you cook at home your much safer by knowing what actually goes into your food.
6. Stay clear away from chemicals like MSG in your foods. This is a food additive that intensifies the taste and actually makes you addicted. You will eat more often and have cravings for often, MSG is like the nicotine of food. Be aware!!
7. Avoid emotional or bored eating. Im the worst when I feel bored, I always turn to food. Find something to do to keep you distracted or go hit the gym and reward yourself with something afterwards. You have to have the strength inside yourself to break this habit.
8. If your not hungry don't eat!!! Is your stomach growling? are you hungry? if so, then eat. Always ask yourself before you eat, am I really actually hungry? I don't care what time of the day it is, you should always listen to your body and eat when your tummy is telling you something, but also know when your mind is playing tricks with you - listen to your stomach not your brain in this case!!
Here are the top choices for foods to help with weight loss... stock up your fridge!
- Eggs
- Chick peas (hummus)
- Oatmeal
- Chili Peppers
- Yogurt (fat free)
- Blueberries
- Almonds
Staying active is also key into being healthy. Its different for everyone but I really believe doing different things is the way to go, never get stuck in one routine or just one class.. do a little of everything. I like to get a gym membership that has everything. Do some yoga, some weight training, some cycling, etc.
I recommend:
1. HITS - Get on a treadmill or elliptical machine and do 1-2 minutes of extreme hard level then 5 minutes on lower level, back and forth for 30+ minutes. Did you know anything under 20-25 minutes of cardio is almost worthless. Doing HITS will burn fat & calories with a bit of toning.
2. Squats/lunges - These are classic exercises, but they work the best!
3. Yoga - This is awesome for relaxation, stretching and working on your core, great for women!
4. Plank - This is great for your core which holds your tummy in and helps with posture. I do it every single day for 30 sec - 1 min, on both sides and stomach.
5. Cycling - This is amazing for your legs and burning tons of fat & calories and burning excess water retention. The more you sweat the better your doing and the better your going to look!!
6. Weight lifting - The more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn just to function which means the more food you can eat and burn as energy vs. fat. Replacing your fat with muscle is very helpful. I recommend for women to do a lower weight and lots of reps so that your burning fat as well as building muscle - you don't want to bulk.
I hope this helps!!!! Stay HEALTHY, healthy is the new skinny! BURN BURN BURN, its a struggle we all are working with so lets all help each other with good education and practice and pass it along to our friends. good luck!
