Daily Fit Tip✿ "Quicker isn't Better"

It’s no surprise that exercise is good for your heart, but research suggests that endurance training is the preferred form for better long-term heart health. Endurance training simply refers to low-intensity, high-duration exercises like walking or swimming. It differs from interval training, which is defined by short periods of high-intensity energy bursts followed by a period of rest.

Studies show that those who perform endurance activities regularly have a reduced chance of heart failure, because these activities can help prevent the heart muscle from stiffening. And as an added benefit, adding endurance activities to your workouts can help you burn more calories and lose weight, which also reduces your risk of heart disease.

Take a long walk in the morning or better yet and nice run to get your body burning right at the start of your day.  Even a morning swim is a good wake up call for your body. Gets your body moving, heart pumping and your metabolism burning throughout the rest of your day.  Also, make sure that you’re eating the right foods and feeding your body throughout the course of you day. It all goes hand in hand for a healthy heart and body! 

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Inspire Me✿ "It's A Way Of Life"

 

 Being fit is a way of life.. Not a destination. Fit4life!   ✿

A Dedication♡ "Rare and Special"

Dedicated to someone very Special♡ to me.. Let Your Inner Beast Shine Bright.. You are as Rare and Beautiful as this black lion. You will always be loved and adored inside and out as you are so very Special♡ and always will be. All of you will always shines bright in my eyes..

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12 Ways To A Better Diet ~ #12 "Set New Goals"

12. Measure Success and Set New Goals: Making successful changes means measuring your progress towards your goals and recognizing your accomplishments. All the goals you set and complete will go towards the big picture. The big pitcher is never ending as it's your fit and healthy lifestyle you're constantly working and striving toward. As you meet short-term goals, you can plan the next steps with more confidence. Constantly re-strategizing your goals takes long-term visualization. That long-term vision needs to be broken down into doable steps. These steps are your path way to being fit, healthy and happy each day living, breathing and being fit for life. Always remember it's the goals we make and accomplish that lead our way each day as we continue to live fit for a lifetime. 

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12 Ways To A Better Diet ~ #11 "Focus"

11. Focus on the journey and not the destination - To live a healthy lifestyle is never easy. It takes an enormous amount of dedication, sacrifice and drive to keep your focus on the big picture. The big picture of being fit and healthy and what it takes to keep yourself this way for the rest of your life.  In order to enjoy this lifestyle with all the ups and downs, we must enjoy the process and the journey on the way to our destination. Once we hit our destination we immediately look to the next mountain top and we either want more, or worst case scenario we think that we have accomplished all we need to and we relax on all of the things that got us there in the first place. Take pride in small victories along the way, they add up. Keep taking pride even when you've reach your destination. Don't ever take it for granted because it can disappear much faster than it took to get there. Embrace it and hold on to it by remembering this is a continued journey just as your life is. Keep growing, changing and keep allowing yourself to become and always be fit for life.

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12 Ways To A Better Diet ~ #10 "Don't Rush"

10. Don’t rush into this - People always start with the best of intentions and will try and do everything at once. They get overwhelmed and quit before they really even started. People also get so discouraged not seeing change right away they just figure what's the point. Starting out small and being consistent is the best way. Small changes add up and can make a huge difference over time. Work on one thing at a time and keep adding to it. Before you know it you will have many healthy habits that incorporate together to make a healthy lifestyle and a healthier and happier you. We all have an extraordinary force within us. Remember that always and know that you got this! #Nevergiveup

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Inspire Me✿ "You're Unstoppable"

The great battle is not physical, but psychological. Push yourself and keep going. Get your head in the right spot and you'll make yourself unstoppable in every endeavor you set out to conquer. Start by making your body unstoppable then keep going! #You'reUnstoppable

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12 Ways to A Better Diet ~ #9 "Give Yourself Praise"

9. Give yourself praise - You are not a dog so don’t reward yourself with treats. Realize that changing your eating habits can be a daunting task for anyone. Just think how long you have had your current habits and know that changing those habits will not happen overnight, but with time. Congratulate yourself on any healthy changes you make, you deserve the praise. Praise yourself each day when you finish your workout and have eaten healthy, you feel great and it shows. Praise builds confidence and makes you feel good about the healthy choices you are making, and in turn help keep you on your path to betterment.

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12 Ways To A Better Diet ~ #8 "Have Fun"

8. Have fun - Eating right takes dedication, commitment and sacrifice. Don’t stress yourself out over small bumps in the road. You have the power to change any negative into a positive, and you have the choice to have a positive outlook regarding any situation you find yourself in. You control exactly what you want to do, so why not have fun with your training and look forward to it rather then dreading it. Find fun ways to keep yourself motivated and inspired. Get friends and family involved. Set challenges at home, with friends, or at work to start eating healthier. Take the time to cook and try new and interesting recipes. You are making change for the better, so why not make it enjoyable.  #HaveFun  

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12 Ways To A Better Diet ~ #7 Stick 2 Your Plan

7. Stick with your plan - It takes time to develop healthy behaviors. After about a month of eating better consistently, you will have developed a habit. It is said that it takes at least 4 weeks, 30 days to develop a habit and to show progress in whatever you are setting out to do. This is where consistency is key in keeping with your set plan in play. Keeping to your plan without feeling discouraged or wanting progress too soon and just giving up. This happens in many cases as most want instant results and gratification with minimal work or being earned. You must put in the time, the work and be dedicated to your plan day in and day out to earn the the results you want.  Being consistent, patient and committed to your plan will bring you to the place you so desire and need to be. You will find that everything you initially may have had a hard time doing becomes more effortless and be a normal part of your day to day life.

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12 Way To A Better Diet ~ #6 "Don't be so hard on yourself"

6. Don’t be so hard on yourself - Nobody is perfect all the time. If you mess up, miss a few meals, or even have a bad couple of days, just pick yourself up and get back on track. Don't just give up because of one bad day or few days. You’re doing this for you, and the added stress of not living up to your own expectations can lead to a total diet derailment. Feeling bad and defeated about having a few bad days going off your scheduled diet plan can lead to more self doubt. Doubt may lead you in to self sabotage adding more bad days which can easily become bad weeks if you let it. Being healthy and eating healthy does not mean you can’t enjoy foods not on your meal plan. So don’t be so hard on yourself. Allow yourself a bad day or even two without feeling defeated or bad about yourself. Just realize it for what it is and know your in control and get yourself back on that right track again. YOU CAN DO IT!   

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12 Ways To A Better Diet ~ #5 "Be Flexible"

5. Be flexible - Of course, even the best plans fall short at times. Life can sometimes get the best of all of us. Sometimes your eating routines need to change to fit changes in your day. When you can, try to plan ahead for these events and have items on hand you can take with you when you’re in a rush or are eating out. Example might be... A bag of almonds, protein bars and shakes, fresh fruit, cut veggies. Also educate yourself on nutrition  through the internet, books, and magazines. You can use this knowledge to help you improvise and find foods that are compatible with your diet, for example if you are out with friends or stuck with no time to cook or  running late and haven't prepared food for the day. Find items that are less time consuming that you can take with you in a pinch. Keeping healthy foods and snacks on hand that need no preparation and easy to just grab and go. Being flexible in a crunch will allow you to stay on the fit and healthy path when life throws you a curve ball that changes your day. Being flexible and ready for any changes will keep your healthy eating schedule on track not matter what happens planned or not so planned. 

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Motivational Note✿ "Fighting 4 it"

Everything worth having is worth fighting for.. Your health, your body and your self worth is all worth the fight. Nothing good in life comes easy and if it did we all would have it. Obtaining that amazing feeling you get from being fit, strong and healthy comes from committing to it daily and keeping up the fight for it without ever giving up. If you're a true fighter and a winner in this life you'll never stop fighting for what you want or ever give it up. #Fight2BeFit  ✿

12 Ways To A Better Diet ~ #4 "Consistency is Key"

4. Consistency is key - Most people respond well to consistency. Make a plan and stick to it. Try to eat at around the same times daily and keep to the same portion size and caloric intake.. Your body will recognize this pattern and in turn keep your metabolism burning and your energy levels will stay high. You will feel better, and get in a healthy routine. It is easy to sabotage yourself by grabbing nasty snacks to meet uncontrolled cravings. If you do find yourself in that predicament of not preparing enough food to last throughout your day don't reach for the junk. There are better choices even in some fast food places so it's important that you keep your consistency on track and choose wisely. Don't go without food either because that's just as detrimental to you're system as eating poorly is. The time you spend on planning and consistency is a true investment that will benefit you for the rest of your life.

LoveYourBody♡

12 Ways To A Better Diet ~ #3 "Be Proactive"

3. Be Proactive - Make a list of healthy foods you enjoy, and what foods you can take with you to work, in the car, school, gym etc. You can create entire menus revolving around where you will be at what time of the day. Never give yourself an excuse to not have something available for you to eat, no matter where you are when you are supposed to have a meal. Always keep healthy foods ready to eat on hand. If you don’t you will probably eat whatever is available at the time whether it be fast food, office treats, etc. We all know that when in a crunch to find food we will go right for the fast food. It always seems to be easier to find unhealthy food choices then healthy ones.  Another really bad choice is not eating at all. This can throw off all the hard work you've put in, your diet plan and get you in the habit of making bad food choices and eat whatever is fast, easy and convenient. Know where you will be at what time of the day, when you are open to cook, to eat, to shop for groceries, and plan accordingly. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

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12 Ways To A Better Diet ~ #2 "Expectations"

2. Have Realistic expectations- Any diet plan needs to work with you and not against you. You need to be realistic when setting up the parameters of your new diet. Your plan needs to work for you and your situation. It needs to fit your schedule and your budget. If you don’t follow your budget, your cooking costs will get too high and you will have to withdraw from the diet you set up. If you don’t cook for your schedule and your eating times you will find yourself without food and scrambling to find a healthy choice.This is what leads to us to making bad food choices when we don't prepare our food ahead for our daily schedule. Poor food choices are all around us and always seem to be much easier, quicker for us to get in a scramble to eat on the go during our busy day. So be realistic with time, and give yourself extra time to prepare food, or have food pre-packed. Also know that obstacles can and will come into your path from time to time to derail you and your progress, so don’t think that everything will be easy and will just happen. This takes work and a commitment to yourself and your body. Just like training your body feeding your body a good, clean diet with consistency will show over time in amazing results you will be able to see in your body.

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12 Ways To A Better Diet ~ #1"Set Goals"

1. Set goals - It starts by having clear and realistic goals. Write a list of things you want to change about your diet. Also incorporate goals that you may have regarding your body and plan your diet around those goals. I recommend setting present goals, short term, and long term goals. If you try and do everything all at once you can be overwhelmed and want to quit. Take it one goal at a time if need be, and one day at a time, this isn’t a race. You may also want to write reasons why you want to make a change in your eating habits. You might share your goals with others who will help you meet them. You can put your goals where others can see them “on the fridge, at work” to motivate you to work harder. This will also get others behind you and involved in your new routine. As you achieve your goals, check them off. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and add excitement leading to your next goal. Keep yourself motivated at much as you possible can!  

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Exercise of the Week♡ "Shrugs"

Dumbbell Shrugs

The dumbbell shrug is a great exercise to strengthen and develop the trapezius muscle. The trapezius muscle is that triangular looking muscle on the upper back that gives body builders that powerful posture.

This is a pretty simple exercise to do. Simply pick up a couple of dumbbells and shrug your shoulders up and down. However, this exercise still has to be done right in order for it to be effective.

You can perform this exercise with dumbbells, barbells, or a universal machine. It's a pretty versatile exercise.When preforming shrugs with a barbell you will grab barbell hands shoulder with apart and raise barbell upwards towards the ears, pausing then lowering weight just as you do if you are using dumbbells.

I really love this exercise and I always enjoy using heavy dumbbells when doing dumbbell shrugs. To me the heavier I go the better it feels. I will go a bit lighter when doing barbell shrugs. I love feeling and seeing all my muscles tighten as I lifted upward holding, squeezing the weight before releasing. For the women out there that think this is only a man's exercise? It's not. It is for us women as well and needed if you want your overall symmetry to be balanced. The taps tie into the upper back and shoulders, and with out the development and strengthening of your trapezoid muscle it will look unbalanced. Symmetry and balance is key to creating the perfect physic. Example: You wouldn't just work out your biceps and not workout your triceps, or your quads and not your hamstrings..would you? Same goes for your traps. All your muscles tie into each other to create beautiful balance.

1. Stand straight with your feet planted firmly with a shoulder width stance. Your knees should be slightly bent.

2. Grasp two dumbbells with your hands spaced shoulder length apart. Keep the weight held at straight arms length with a slight bend in your arms.

Execution of the shrug

1. Raise the dumbbells upwards toward the ears, pause, and lower the weight. Repeat. This exercise can also be performed with a barbell or a universal machine bench press.  
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Inspire Me✿ "Lift Your Life"

Use your pain as fuel to remind you of your strength. Lift your life up as high as you can and live it exactly how you've always wanted and dreamed of living it. Live your life fit, strong, healthy and happy!

#Liftyourlife♡  

No Pain, No Gain?

Do you stick to the old adage “no pain, no gain?” You could be dead wrong. If you’re experiencing pain while you exercise, something isn’t right – period. Contrary to the popular saying, pain doesn’t always give way to fitness gains, and can in fact hamper your ability to perform exercises and lead to injury. You need to know the difference between good pain and this type of bad pain that could be warning you that something seriously wrong.

Pain indicates that an injury is occurring, whether it’s a minimal strain to a muscle or tendon, or a more serious tear. Even when you’re stretching, you should only be feeling mild tension and perhaps a small degree of discomfort, but never pain. Stretches should be held to the point of mild discomfort, not pain, and held for 20-30 seconds.

If you experience a sharp pain while exercising, or if the pain persists, talk to your doctor or at least a personal trainer at your gym who can help you. If you’re from the “no pain, no gain” era, you should also consider consulting with a qualified personal trainer to learn more about why pain is a bad thing and to learn how to exercise properly.  I am all for the No Pain, No Gain, but we need to be careful and learn to listen to our bodies and know when they're telling us when we feel bad pain. It can mean a big difference if a injury is caught early on and prevent more damage that could hinder you from training all together.  #LoveYourBody♡