reggie

Abs Challenge-Day 7!

Reggie’s Tip: Core exercises will strengthen your abs, but they won’t eliminate the fat that lies beneath them. To do that, you have to ramp up your overall calorie burn with cardio (running, walking, biking).

Also, Check out the Abs eBook here

Abs Challenge-Day 5! Hit the THUMBS UP …if you are staying consistent!

Reggie’s Tip: Research has also shown that eating more of certain foods can help you burn excess visceral fat and pave the way to a smaller middle.

Day 2 of the 30 Day Abs Challenge.
#Tag your accoutability partner!

Reggie’s Tip: Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking counts, as long as it’s brisk enough that you work up a sweat and breathe harder, with your heart rate faster than usual.

While your overall goal may be to shed 100 pounds or more, simply achieving a 5% to 10% weight loss can reap huge benefits. If you weigh 140 pounds, just losing seven to fourteen pounds can make a difference in your appearance and overall health. Even those with much more weight to lose will benefit from shedding between five to ten percent.

You can lower your blood pressure by shedding between five and ten percent of your weight.

While not all cases of hypertension come from being overweight, between 25 to 30 percent do. When you shed those extra pounds, you’ll also see your blood pressure drop, if you’re part of that 25 to 30 percent. Studies show the average person decreases both the top and lower number of their blood pressure by as much as 5 mm HG. Exercise helps burn off the hormones created by stress, which can also lower your blood pressure. It also replaces them with ones that make you feel good. Adding a healthy diet to the mix, lowers sodium intake, which again lowers your blood pressure.

Losing 5% to 10% of your body weight can help prevent diabetes.

Shedding those extra pounds has been proven to lower the marker Hemoglobin A1C for diabetes by the same amount as medications do. It also helps eliminate insulin resistance. Insulin helps the body to maintain normal levels of blood sugar. Insulin resistance creates high levels of insulin in the blood and that can change hormone levels, hair growth patterns and a number of other problems, as well as being a precursor to diabetes. Losing as little as 5% of your body weight can reverse it.

Reduce the risk of serious diseases caused by inflammation.

Excess fat cells produce substances that result in inflammation of the blood vessels, especially if those cells are on the abdomen. That leads to plaque, clotting and eventually heart attacks and strokes. Losing that 5% to 10% can significantly reduce the amount of inflammatory substances in your blood stream and help protect your cardiovascular system in the process.

You’ll give your joints a vacation with a reduction in your weight. Any weight loss is often noticed in the hips, ankles and knees. Losing one pound reduces the pressure on the knees by four pounds, according to a 2005 study involving obese adults with osteoarthritis.

The first weight you lose tends to be belly fat. This fat puts pressure on internal organs and may even set the course for other serious conditions, such as colon or breast cancer or cardiovascular disease.

Losing weight also involves eating healthier and exercising. Both of these have proven benefits for the body.

You’ll improve your posture if you exercise as part of your weight loss program. Not only will you look better, you’ll feel better too. Everything works better with improved posture.

If all your childhood memories about Thanksgiving involve mountains of food that flow with rivers of gravy and have pie lining the banks of those rivers, you aren’t alone. Thanksgiving is normally a day where people consume enough calories for two to three days of normal eating—note I didn’t say healthier eating but “put the fat on” normal type of eating. A thinner Thanksgiving can mean a number of things from looking thinner to eating healthier. Here are just a few ways of achieving those things.

Start today to achieve a “thinner” you for the Thanksgiving holidays.

It’s never too late to start. Sure you won’t get the full effect of healthy eating and working out like you would if you’ve been doing it for months, but it is a step in the right direction. Not only will you learn more about the foods to select for your Thanksgiving feast, you’ll also end up with more energy and strength to get through the holidays.

Plan healthy alternatives.

If you’re having everyone over, just make sure that your menu is healthy. Have lots of fresh vegetables for snacks and some low calorie tasty dip. It can help keep down the hunger so you won’t be as apt to gobble up everything in front of you or load your plate to the limit. If you’re not doing all the cooking, take a healthy dish. If your family is like mine, normally everyone brings something to the celebration. You probably know most of the foods you’ll have at the feast and identify those lowest in calories, eating more of those and far less of the marshmallow laden sweet potato casserole or rich pecan pie.

Add an activity to the day.

Start your day with exercise. It helps burn off the hormones created by stress, while making you feel refreshed and happy. If the weather permits, plan an outside activity with the family, even if it’s just taking a walk. Most people love the idea of walking off the calories and helping their food to digest. You’ll find your suggestion will also help set a restful tone and avoid some of the high decibel noise level stress that occurs when there are a number of people in an enclosed area.

Go easy on the gravy. You can have a little of everything, even the mashed potatoes, but don’t drown out their delicious taste with a lake of gravy. It adds calories without adding nutrients.

Skip the whipped cream and opt for the lightest possible dessert. If you have a choice between fruit salad and pie, take the fruit salad.

Watch your portions. Keep them small and eat slowly. You’ll find you fill up faster that way. If you want to go back for seconds, wait before you do. Sometimes the brain doesn’t catch on that your body is full immediately.

Enjoy a great conversation and savor every bite. This is the time to be grateful for not just the bounty of food, but the company too. You’ll not only enjoy catching up with friends, you’ll eat slower in the process.