Working to get as close to this as possible! Well maybe not that vascular LOL. 

(via trueorfalsefitness)

trueorfalsefitness:

GET YOUR SLEEP IN! CAN’T BUILD WITHOUT RECOVERING PROPERLY! PLUS ITS THE TIME WHEN YOU BURN THE MOST FAT TOO! :D

muffintop-less:

A lot of girls tell me their goal is to lose weight.  

The thing is, I assume most of you girls want to lose FAT, not just weight in general. Losing weight in general would mean also losing muscle. The reason I think you wouldn’t want to do that, is because if you lose muscle, you will wind up ‘skinny fat’ with little to no ‘tone’ and slow your metabolism so that it becomes FAR more likely you will gain back the weight PLUS more.
If you have ever met someone who has yo-yo dieted I’m sure they can vouch for this. Sure the weight comes off fast at first, but the reason for that is because these crash/yoyo/fad/starvation type diets cause a significant loss of water and muscle weight. Then once normal eating is resumed (as it is difficult to stay on those types of diets for a lifetime), the weight comes back.

Less muscle = slower metabolism = less calories burned in a day
More muscle = faster metabolism = more calories burned just by being ALIVE 

If you want to lose FAT, not just WEIGHT, the foods you choose are crucial. You can’t just eat chips and candy all day or you will just lose WEIGHT. Your body does not give up it’s fat stores so easily as they are your body’s safety blanket against starvation. You have to, in essence, TRICK your body into giving up the fat by feeding it the RIGHT foods. If you have noticed yourself losing weight, but that you are not ‘toning up’ this is probably partially the reason. These foods include lean proteins, complex carbs and healthy fats. 

Try to get a serving of lean protein at every meal. Complex carbs digest slowly, keeping insulin stable and giving you energy over a longer period of time. Healthy fats help you LOSE fat. Check out the grocery list and meal plan on my page for an example of these foods!

In addition to clean eating, it’s crucial that you start weight training if you haven’t already. Running will not make you ‘toned’, weight training WILL. And I’m not talking the baby beauty bells… I’m talking real weight that challenges you! =)

For the ladies!

muffintop-less:

I am often asked how to deal with friends and family who don’t understand the desire to eat healthy and exercise. Honestly, it can be rough at first. What you need to keep in mind though is that it’s natural for people to be wary of things they don’t completely understand. When you decide to change your lifestyle to something of a healthier nature, be prepared for people to question and criticize you and perhaps even make fun of you. Some on the other hand will be there to encourage you along your journey.

Here are a few tips I have for those of you going through this:

• Lead by example - make healthy food, eat healthy food, exercise, be positive. By showing people that you enjoy your life and the things you do, they will be more likely to understand.
• Explain when asked - if people don’t get why you’re skipping dessert or choosing grilled over fried, be prepared to explain that you want to put only good things in your body. It’s the only one you have, so you’re treating it well.
• Be patient - it may take your friends and family some time to adjust to this “new you”.. but so long as you give them time and remain patient with them, it’s more likely as time wears on that they will come to accept, and perhaps even join your new, healthy way of living!

Be prepared for some people to never accept this. As hard as it is to hear… you may come to find that some people in your life truly weren’t your friends to begin with. I myself discovered this… When I stopped raging every day and didn’t want to grab Taco Bell and lounge around on the couch all day, there were people who not only made fun of me and criticized me, they virtually disappeared from my life. In the end though, I’m thankful for this. It made it much easier to weed out the ones who were genuinely happy for me and WANTED me to be happy and healthy… and those that just wanted me to keep them entertained and make them feel better about their OWN lives.

Be strong, stay positive <3

WHOA…COOOL

(Source: )

(via zagadalovehealth)

susnshin:

hello, everyone hating on victoria’s secret models needs to take a look at this.

going to try and follow this meal plan for tomorrow!

Share your secrets girls! And, yeah stop with the hate on these women. They work hard for everything they have.

(via fitnesslikeaboss)

muffintop-less:

Just a few reasons to drink water! =)

muffintop-less:

This is what my kitchen looks like a couple times a week (this is literally my kitchen haha). It only takes me about an hour or so…

I cook my meat and veggies in bulk, then separate them into individual meals in tupperware. I freeze half and store the other half in the fridge. That way in the morning when I’m rushing out the door to work, I can grab the number I will need (depending on how long I’m gonna be gone) and GO! No worrying, no hassle! It’s done and ready to go. 
This also gives me absolutely NO excuse to swing into a drive-thru or stop by the vending machine.
In addition to this, I ALWAYS carry an apple, a baggy with a serving of almonds and a packet of tuna in my purse. I’m always prepared in case I get stranded somewhere longer than I expected. 

I often hear people complain that they “don’t have the time” to make healthy food. Sorry to be the one to break it to ya, but I’m not magically gifted with extra hours in the day to get this done! I just make my health and fitness a priority. If I don’t have the time, I MAKE the time by waking up a little earlier. That applies to my workouts as well! I know girls who are full-time college students, have jobs, kids and STILL manage to find time to train, diet AND compete! It’s all about making time for what is important to you!

muffintop-less:

With summer around the corner, it’s a good time to revisit those New Years Resolutions! Some people fall off the wagon or lose motivation and wind up having to start all over again in their weight loss goals. Here are a few things I have found work for ME to get me motivated when I am not feeling like prepping my meals, or working out!

• Write down your goals - from the daily small ones like “drink a gallon of water a day” to the big ones “compete in a bikini competition”
• Start a journal - log your food intake, workouts and how you felt that day in a new notepad! It feels fresh and helps keep me organized!
• Print new workouts and recipes - sometimes having NEW activities and meals can make the task feel less mundane or chore-like!
• Make a motivation board - write down your favorite quotes, print or tear-out pictures of your goal physique… I personally hung my new bikini up in front of my treadmill, next to a picture of a fitness model whom I admire… it makes me want to do that extra mile!
• Have patience and stay positive - it’s not gonna happen overnight. Try your best! Realize that you WILL stumble, you MIGHT mess up… do NOT GIVE UP! 

thespartanwarrior:

It took every ounce of my self-control to not just type, “duh!” as my only comment for this article today.

Normally I would not have posted up an article that I feel is so blatantly obvious, but I truly feel that there are so many people out there that still search for the secret to their weight loss in a pill bottle or through a specific, special diet.

Weight loss is achieved through the creation of an energy deficit. Repeat it. Weight loss is achieved through the creation of an energy deficit. If your body is outputting more energy then it is taking in then you will attain loss of body weight. In the simplest terms this means if you consume less calories then your body uses to produce energy then ta-freaking-da — weight loss!

Alright, we’ve gotten the absolute most important point out of the way, but before I let you jump into the article I want to point out a few other things of importance when it comes to losing weight.

1. Eat a diet that is comprised of a majority of whole/nutrient-dense foods.

2. Consume a caloric amount under what your body uses for energy.

3. Get active. Lift weights. Run. Dance. Do gymnastics. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as what you’re doing is something that you enjoy, can make a habit and gets your heart rate up. — Now, I could go on to mention that some things can be a bit more beneficial and effective than others to maximize weight loss, but that’s breaking into something a little bit more in depth than I’d like to go into for my comment on this article.

That’s it, seriously. Move more and eat less.

The research reviewer, Melinda Manore, does provide some basic tips for beginners at the bottom of the article that I do happen to agree with which is why I’ve left them included. — Oh, but of course I am against ever completely eliminating or scapegoating any specific foods and/or macronutrients from a person’s diet if they provide benefits to the person physically, mentally or emotionally. This seems to be the case with carobhydrates and processed foods for many, myself included.

Just remember, it’s all about moderation with your diet people!

ScienceDaily (Mar. 6, 2012) — An Oregon State University researcher has reviewed the body of evidence around weight loss supplements and has bad news for those trying to find a magic pill to lose weight and keep it off — it doesn’t exist.

Melinda Manore reviewed the evidence surrounding hundreds of weight loss supplements, a $2.4 billion industry in the United States, and said no research evidence exists that any single product results in significant weight loss — and many have detrimental health benefits.

The study is online in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

A few products, including green tea, fiber and low-fat dairy supplements, can have a modest weight loss benefit of 3-4 pounds (2 kilos), but it is important to know that most of these supplements were tested as part of a reduced calorie diet.

“For most people, unless you alter your diet and get daily exercise, no supplement is going to have a big impact,” Manore said.

Manore looked at supplements that fell into four categories: products such as chitosan that block absorption of fat or carbohydrates, stimulants such as caffeine or ephedra that increase metabolism, products such as conjugated linoleic acid that claim to change the body composition by decreasing fat, and appetite suppressants such as soluble fibers.

She found that many products had no randomized clinical trials examining their effectiveness, and most of the research studies did not include exercise. Most of the products showed less than a two-pound weight loss benefit compared to the placebo groups.

“I don’t know how you eliminate exercise from the equation,” Manore said. “The data is very strong that exercise is crucial to not only losing weight and preserving muscle mass, but keeping the weight off.”

Manore, professor of nutrition and exercise sciences at OSU, is on the Science Board for the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. Her research is focused on the interaction of nutrition and exercise on health and performance.

“What people want is to lose weight and maintain or increase lean tissue mass,” Manore said. “There is no evidence that any one supplement does this. And some have side effects ranging from the unpleasant, such as bloating and gas, to very serious issues such as strokes and heart problems.”

As a dietician and researcher, Manore said the key to weight loss is to eat whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean meats, reduce calorie intake of high-fat foods, and to keep moving. Depending on the individual, increasing protein may be beneficial (especially for those trying to not lose lean tissue), but the only way to lose weight is to make a lifestyle change.

“Adding fiber, calcium, protein and drinking green tea can help,” Manore said. “But none of these will have much effect unless you exercise and eat fruits and vegetables.”

Manore’s general guidelines for a healthy lifestyle include:

• Do not leave the house in the morning without having a plan for dinner. Spontaneous eating often results in poorer food choices.
• If you do eat out, start your meal with a large salad with low-calorie dressing or a broth-based soup. You will feel much fuller and are less likely to eat your entire entrée. Better yet: split your entrée with a dining companion or just order an appetizer in addition to your soup or salad.
• Find ways to keep moving, especially if you have a sedentary job. Manore said she tries to put calls on speaker phone so she can walk around while talking. During long meetings, ask if you can stand or pace for periods so you don’t remain seated the entire time
• Put vegetables into every meal possible. Shred vegetables into your pasta sauce, add them into meat or just buy lots of bags of fruits/vegetables for on-the-go eating.
• Increase your fiber. Most Americans don’t get nearly enough fiber. When possible, eat “wet” sources of fiber rather than dry — cooked oatmeal makes you feel fuller than a fiber cracker.
• Make sure to eat whole fruits and vegetables instead of drinking your calories. Eat an apple rather than drink apple juice. Look at items that seem similar and eat the one that physically takes up more space. For example, eating 100 calories of grapes rather than 100 calories of raisins will make you feel fuller.
• Eliminate processed foods. Manore said research increasingly shows that foods that are harder to digest (such as high fiber foods) have a greater “thermic effect” — or the way to boost your metabolism.

Journal Reference:

1. Melinda M. Manore. Dietary Supplements for Improving Body Composition and Reducing Body Weight: Where is the evidence?International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2012 [link]

missmightymouse:

It was a little while ago, and I didn’t want to comment on it while everyone was still all hyper about it, but i still feel the need to put in my two cents.

None of these are THE ABSOLUTE BEST. I’ve tried different ways of eating. I tried ‘clean eating’, ate vegetarian for…

AWESOME!

chubby-chick-2-skinny-chic:

I am too guilty of this too often!

TRUTH!!!

(Source: , via ryanbrow-deactivated20111227)

adnanali:

its a fact :)

(via ryanbrow-deactivated20111227)

thespartanwarrior:

dietmortik0:

I’ve seen that sentence thrown around the tumblr before. Does anyone use this? I’m having issues with food, and I need to eat incredibly better. If anyone knows anything about this, please send me an ask.

(Or give me tips on how to eat better lol)

Thanks!

…

AWESOME! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!!!

This is a really, really simple breakdown and so easy to follow!