Truth: Ladies. Please get over this myth right now! You do not have the testosterone or growth factor to create huge, hulky muscles. And if you really wanted that bodybuilder look, you would have to seriously focus on achieving THAT. You would have to eat thousands of calories, lift hundreds of pounds of weights, and dedicate every single meal and the timing of it to create that look. I lift 4x a week, attempt to eat my body weight in protein most days, and eat clean every day, and would have to triple that attempt to get anywhere CLOSE to looking “muscular” like those pins and bodybuilding women you see. It is seriously a lifestyle, from 8am-8am to get hulky. So stop worrying, lift heavy, and run hard to get a hot bod.
Myth: Ab machines, crunches, planks, and hanging leg raises will sculpt your abs and give you a flat tummy.
Truth: There is a layer of fat over your abs. No matter how many crunches and planks you do, no matter how hard your work your abs, you will never see them unless you lose that fat covering them. Doing those workouts will not let them show. You must change your diet and reduce your calories and lose the fat. So don’t spend more than 5 minutes on abs! Focus on lifting and HIIT cardio.
Myth: As long as you are sweating, you are losing weight.
Truth: Sweat has nothing to do with intensity! It is your body’s way of getting rid of heat. Fat is oxidized inside your body, and it is not going to vaporize because you’re sweating. You can walk outside on a super hot day and you will start sweating immediately; this doesn’t mean you are losing weight. You can sit in a sauna for 20 minutes, but all you are losing is water weight which you must replace. Your body is 75% water, after all. Your body is just keeping cool. Hard work and a good diet makes you lose weight, not the amount of sweat you pour.
Myth: You can spot reduce your problem areas like lower belly and love handles.
Truth: There is NO SUCH THING as spot-reducing. Your body chooses where to lose fat as it pleases; you can’t make it lose fat in a certain area. You can create muscle in a certain area if only working out that area. For example, if all you did was biceps curls for 6 weeks, you’d only have stronger, bigger biceps, not stronger legs or back.
Myth: Light weights with plenty of reps will give you lean muscle tone.
Truth: Leanness and muscle mass comes from challenging your muscles. If you are lifting a 5-lb purse daily and then hit the gym and use 5-lb dumbbells to work out, you are not challenging your muscles. There will be no tiny tears to rebuild, resulting in “tone.” Tone means building muscle. You will have to lose the fat over the muscle and gain mass to look lean and sculpted. Leanness and muscle come from low body fat and muscle mass development. Muscles do not “grow longer.” The length of your muscles depends on the length of your limbs/torso.
You know what really grinds my gears? Myths. Lies. And Bullshit. I’ve been on a research hunt for the past couple weeks, reading and learning about all the latest studies on fitness, weight loss, and sports nutrition. I’ve come across a lot of claims, a bunch of idiots, and have learned a few great things about fat loss and nutrition. I’ll give you the rundown.
Bull
Some tools believe that an abstract of a small study (n<20) is going to prove their point.
People believe what marketing companies tell them, no matter what facts are shown.
Supplement companies make false claims, or claims made on small, ill-prepared studies.
Things I’ve Learned
Fasted training teaches your body to use fat as a fuel more efficiently.
This means having an empty stomach for at least 15 hours.
Intermittent Fasting can be a very efficient way to lose fat for most people, Type 1 Diabetics excluded.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) can help a body recover faster and decrease soreness if taken before/during/after an intense workout.
A lot of BCAA supplements are sourced from human hair and feathers. (Gross!)
There is only one pure company I found, Ajipure, which makes BCAA’s with fermentation.
Not sure about something you’ve heard? Let me research the claim for you. Comment below with any diet/fitness questions!
What is Kevita? Kevita is a probiotic, functional drink that promotes health and energy. It is handcrafted by a winemaker and holistic health consultant in Southern California. The company has a whole family of delicious flavors, including a new Lemon-Cayenne Daily Cleanse and Mojita.
How is it healthy? Probiotics are the “good bugs” in your body that increase immunity. Did you know that over 80% of your immunity is found in your gut? Your digestive track houses the majority of these beneficial bacteria, which fight off illness and disease. People who indulge in probiotic food, drinks, and supplements have less reported bouts of colds, flus, and infections. Get on the bandwagon now!
Product Review
Flavor
I tasted all the flavors my health food store has. Sadly, they don’t have the new Mojita or Lemon-Cayenne cleanse flavor, which I want to try! If I find them elsewhere, I’ll add them to this review later.
Pomegranate Coconut – The flavor of the pomegranate coconut is light, crisp, and fruity. It has a hint of coconut and sweetness that hits the spot when you’ve got a craving. It tastes more like coconut than pomegranate, so it’s not tart like you’d expect. This is my favorite one because of the mix and it’s also my boyfriend’s favorite.
Pomegranate- The flavor of the pomegranate is reminiscent of mixing pomegranate juice and sparkling water. Once you get a few sips in you really taste the pomegranate and it’s delicious! This would actually be perfect to make a healthy cocktail if mixed with some vodka!
Coconut – The coconut is a refreshing coconut water taste with a very light flavor. This would be perfect to accompany a meal or replenish electrolytes after/during a workout.
Mango Coconut – I like mango and this has a nice mango spark. It’s light enough where if you’re not a huge fan of heavy mango flavor, that you would still enjoy this drink. It’s tropical and refreshing. It would make a great alternative to a mocktail if you’re a fan of those fruity sugary drinks. But this has no heavy sugary/mango taste, so it’s excellent any time.
EnergyAfter drinking a sip, you feel refreshed. After about the half the bottle, you get a kick of light energy and wide-eyed readiness. This must be from the probiotics boosting your digestion.
Replace SodaWhy do I love Kevita so much? It helps fight obesity by supplying us with a tasty, low calorie, sparkling, and healthy beverage. Even their mission statement includes fighting the obesity epidemic! It’s safe for any age and will always make you smile. Soda is a sparkling and refreshing beverage, but is terrible for obesity and the body. Even diet soda tears up your stomach and leeches calcium from your bones, among the many other negative side effects!
Plus the bottom of the bottle has a heart. It shows how much love and positive energy they want to spread in the world.
Giveaway
How do I get some? Click here to start entering the giveaway now! Then email me your address after liking Kevita’s Facebook page. Be sure to comment below with your favorite healthy beverage. Be sure to share this post on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter for extra brownie points.
Have any questions about this drink? See their FAQ‘s. Want to try some right now? Check out their store locator.
I was not paid to write this review. These opinions are solely mine. Product info and the images were taken from their site. I was given coupons for free kevita to try out the product and review it.
Bad Stress creates a physiological response in our bodies that makes us tired, irritable, fat, and weak. More than half of the stress we experience is bad stress. When you say that your stress is killing you, you are right. It is weakening your nervous system, organs, mind, and bones. It’s terrible, and we have to find ways to cope with daily stress accordingly.
Many people choose to eat, drink, smoke, or exercise it away. You can guess which one of those methods is the healthiest.
We know about bad stress. We wish we didn’t, but we do. If you’re like me and want to know all the science behind it click here: Scientific Slide Show. Let me know if you have any questions!
Good stress is the small amount of pressure that makes you get up off your ass in the morning and be productive. It is the mediocre amount of stress you put on yourself that makes you actually do something with your day. It is the tiny shot of cortisol that allows your body to wake up and start functioning.
A common type of good stress is the kind you put on your body during a workout. You end up stronger, faster, and thinner afterward. It’s a great type of stress! Another type is studying or learning. You are stressing your mind, but only for it to grow and become smarter.
When I’m Stressed I tend to do one of two things: sleep or workout. I run until I can run no more. Or, I sit on the couch, lethargic, and waste away. Sometimes I combine the two. I try to run it out, physically and mentally. If you think about it, this makes the most sense: our bodies are in fight or flight mode. So the best tactic is to punch a bag or run! I admit, it’s a temporary fix. When I’m running, sprinting, or hiking up that 15.0 incline, I feel great. But when I put my coat on and drive home, I’m back in my head, stressing out about whatever the current life issue is.
So you may ask,”Did it really make you feel better?” Yes. It did. And it made my body feel better because it used up the cortisol and adrenaline that was being pumped out before I got to the gym. It’s worth it.
Cravings can be your health’s worst enemy when stressed. I crave carbs like sourdough bread, cake, and sugar. Our bodies naturally crave carbohydrates when stressed because they boost our serotonin, which calms us down. The bad part is that our body is already full of released sugar because it’s in fight or flight mode. So we eat a cake donut, and add more sugar to our bloodstream. If we don’t use it up by exercising or playing, it turns into fat.
Healthy Foods help our bodies find homeostasis more quickly. They get us back to feeling energized, happy, and relaxed. They fight adrenal fatigue. (Your adrenals release the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.) When we have exhausted our bodies, eating foods that de-stress us is vital. The Thrive program has these three great videos and handouts to make it easy to deal with stress in a healthy way.
My favorite healthy de-stressing snacks are VegaOne Smoothies, Chia Seed Pudding, and apples or bananas and almond butter. They all tastes like dessert, but they’re healthy. Yay for healthy carbs!
How do you deal with stress? What are your negative and positive reactions to it? What do you crave when your stressed?
Making A Lifestyle You think it’s a diet. You think it’s a cleanse. You think it’s not eating carbs. You think wrong. Health is a lifestyle. It’s a complete way of living. Health is from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed and the hours in between. It’s a 24/7 practice. It’s eating, drinking, breathing, and heart-beating. You can eat whatever you want, you can workout whenever you want, and you can socialize in any way. A healthy lifestyle means doing those things with health in mind.
I eat cookies, pizza, sushi, cake, brownies, and dark chocolate. I take days off from working out. I sit in my pajamas all day on sunday and watch tv. I eat chinese food once a week. Does this sound healthy? Not at all! Here is a health-ifying breakdown:
I eat organic cookies I either bake at home, or buy in small portions.
I eat organic vegan pizzas that are single-serving, or made from home on a pita.
I go to sushi once a month or less.
If I eat cake, it’s a mug cake that I make in the microwave. Again, single serving.
Same goes for brownies. (Why have a huge pan sitting around to devour?)
Dark chocolate is afforded to one small square a day, or in the form of Raw Cacao powder to make hot cocoa or chocolate milk.
Rest days are essential to rebuild and recover. Taking an extra one is always okay.
My chinese food is made from Gardein Mandarin Chick’n and Quinoa.
Sunday is a rest day, so I’m allowed to do what the hell I want!
Have Your Cake and Eat It Too You see? You can have all those things if you just healthify them! I have a major sweet tooth. I am a fat kid in a health nut’s body. I love my sweets, but I always keep health in mind when eating them. If I go overboard, I’ll be sure to make up for it in the gym. Aim for balance.
Your life is important. Your vitality, wellness, vigor, energy, and spirit is important. You deserve the best because you are the best.
I may indulge in all those things, but guess what? It’s OKAY. I’m healthy and you can be too.
Find time, at least an hour a day, to devote to moving. If you can’t get to a gym, do some body exercises during one of your TV shows. Squats, Push-ups, Dips, Mountain Climbers. Those four things will shape you up just fine. They will get your body, digestion, and metabolism moving more efficiently.
I know it’s hard to change your frame of mind. Change is a frightening thing. But if you don’t change how you look at losing weight and gaining health today, then you won’t ever get there. You will continue the same behavioral patterns and end up where you started, or worse, heavier and sicker.
If you need any help, just ask. My mission is to fight obesity and that starts with one person at at time.
If being overweight isn’t your healthy lifestyle issue, what is? Tell me below and inspire the next blog. Thanks for reading.
Let go. Let go of your past. Let go of your anger. Let go of your anxiety. Let your worries float free.
You’ve got to let go to move on. The reason we fail in life is because we are holding onto something that is bringing us down. Would you stay tied to an anchor if it was drowning you?
If you don’t let go of something that is taking up your life, you won’t have room for anything fresh and new.
Cravings, emotions, and attachments can anchor you to that sugary donut, white bread, and want to eat. A love lost, death, departure, and uncertainty can anchor you to not want to eat.
They are making you depressed and pushing you further down into the deep, dark ocean of emotion where you can’t breathe. The past life you lived, the habits that consumed you, and the present issues that are circling in your brain are keeping your mind and body from becoming healthy.
Personal Tidbit. The idea of a perfect body has always been the anchor drowning my ability to have ultimate wellness. The obsession started around age 14 when we all go through that awkward pubescent stage of life. I was in a very rough patch. My parents were going through a divorce that was going on 4 years, I didn’t have a place to call home, and I needed control. The only thing I could control was my diet. I decided I didn’t like everything I was forced to endure, so I stopped the one thing I could: eating.
After many years of nutrition courses, vegetarianism, veganism, and health-nuttiness, I still have issues of wanting the perfect level of health, the perfect body (which is constantly changing), and the perfect life. It’s not healthy, and I try to break this obsession with more health.
My way of dealing and coping with it is to eat the utmost perfect diet: organic, low-fat, full of antioxidants, plant-based, etc. And to be a personal trainer: obligated to having a muscular physique, toned abs, and perfect skin. I’m working on accepting the body I have and letting go of the perfect anchor.
We all have our own issues we need to let go. I have mine, you have yours. But we can’t let them destroy us. We can’t let them drown us.
We must choose to let go of them. It’s no easy feat. It may be a lifelong battle. All we can do is work on letting go: one day at a time, one emotion, one memory, one loss, just one at a time. We can do rituals to make ourselves well, like yoga, meditation, and self-love. We can take medications to block out those obsessive thoughts, but that won’t make our body any healthier. In the end, we must realize, breakthrough, and let go. Untie yourself from the anchor drowning you.
The winners of the VitaminShoppe Giftcard Giveaway are….
Matt E.
And
Daniel C.
Congratulations and thank you all for entering! Send me your address so I can mail you the gift card! Stay tuned for more great giveaways and contests.
Get pumped. Get huge. Look vascular. Bulk up. Bulge out. Get ripped. Gain libido. Unmatched muscle fullness. Get swollen. Jack3d. Explode. C4. Cellucor. Detonate. Supplement. Depth. Massive.
Being the best personal trainer means knowing all the factors that influence someone’s health decisions. I need to be on top of the new packaged foods, commercials, studies, popular supplements, workout DVDS, diet trends, energy drinks, and everything else that hits the market claiming to increase your health. I will test it myself, read others’ reviews, or research the science of the claim. As I traverse my journey to building muscle, I became curious about the supplements that claim to give you pump. I wondered, “What is this pump? Is it real or false? Will it help me get bigger, faster? Does it work on women? Why are only men on the packaging and marketing?”
What’s the Deal? Recently made pre-workout supplements that claim to give you pump contain a form of nitric oxide called Arginine Nitrate, or NO3. This lab-made chemical dilates your veins and blood vessels, allows more blood flow, and gives your veins a visible inflated appearance. This is known as pump. This is what they are selling. But what got me interested was the claim to increase strength by simply downing a watermelon or cherry flavored kool-aid as seen here:
Notice the claim for strength.
I wondered, “If a supplement gives you access to pumped veins before even working out, will it improve your workout? Will it really improve your strength?”
Is it Legit? Turns out, no. Pump is solely an appearance thing. The actual vascularity has no direct relation to strength.
Everyone who takes them will tell you they get a boost of energy and feel stronger. This is due to the amount of caffeine and sugar in them, which will let you run faster and work harder, so that later you are stronger. Having fresh oxygen and hydration in your blood will let you work harder without fatigue. This is true. The false part is that the “pumped up veins” gives you strength.
Fact: The only way to get faster and stronger is to run more and lift heavier.
Supplements themselves do not give you strength, speed, or agility. It is the energy they provide, in carbs, caffeine, and available ATP, that will help you workout longer, push harder, and recover faster. But you know what? Really good organic nutrition that is timed correctly can do the same thing.
Personally, I use things like yerba mate, kombucha, ginseng, ginger, matcha, and other organically found nutrients. I’m not a fan of the synthetic lab-made materials in these supplements, but that’s my individual stance. Plus, the one time I tried a sample of Jack3d, I practically had a panic attack. Below are the nutrients in the pre-workout fuel I take sometimes. It can be found here.
How do I get strong without these powders? You need to push your muscles past the limit they are used to being pushed. If you normally use 10lb dumbbells, you will need to work up to 12’s and then 15’s. This is your strength increasing.
Personally, it has taken me a while to get up to 20lb dumbbells. But once you realize you can do 3 reps, 4, 5, and then 8, you did it! You used a heavier weight and your muscles will respond to that challenge. They will recover by building more muscle fibers so that next time the weight won’t feel so heavy. If you can do more than 12 reps with the weight you are currently using, increase the pounds.
Bottom Line: Those who take supplements but make no changes in the way they train and eat will not see any improvements. Lifting weights 5-6 times a week will increase muscle and strength, not a supplement. Supplements can help give you energy and reduce fatigue, and so can food.
A triathlete who got this way on organic nutrition:
I’m going to make it. I’m putting all my eggs in this Empire City and it better hatch a golden goose! Right now, I’m striving to find an apartment that accepts a young up-and-coming woman and her dog, and boy is it hard. It was easier to send cover letters and resumes throughout the city and get a positive response. This apartment search is stressing me out beyond belief. And running it off is not working this time.
My daddy always says, “All you need is a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food in your belly.” Once you’ve got those, everything else will fall into place. Well, Dad, this roof over my head part is stumping me right now!
Making it. Making it. Are you making it? What is your goal in life? What do you want to become? What legend do you want to leave behind? Are you sitting there idly by, not achieving your greatest dreams? Get honest with yourself. If you’re not growing and learning, you are wasting away. Get up. Get out. Go build your Rome.
Maybe you want a great family.
Maybe you want an amazing career.
I want to dominate the health industry with my passion for fitness, health, and happiness. I write here because I want to share a source of facts about health, so you don’t have to weed through all the bullshit on the web. So many websites and shows (Dr.Oz) just try and sell you on something. And after all is said and done, it’s not true one bit. Those statements and claims have not been evaluated, and you’re stuck spending money on something that isn’t making you any thinner, fitter, or healthier.
Your thoughts are what you become. So if you think you are a fat, dumb, loser, then you are. Change that. Think positive. Tell yourself each day, “I am fit. I am happy. I am healthy.” And you will become that. Don’t say, “I want.” Say, “I am. I will.”
It is your choices that give you the life you live. You decided to eat those 6 cupcakes. You decided to waste away a few years in your parents’ basement. You decided to dedicate your life to vanity. It’s all you. You do it to yourself.
And if you’re not working your damn ass off each minute thinking, planning, writing, drawing- whatever it is, you are diminishing your chance of getting that.
Seriously, what is life if you’re not living it? Right now, I’m working to get into New York City, to land some important interviews, and start making a name for myself. I want people to know my name, know who I am, and exactly how hard I will kick their life into healthy shape.
Do you have passion? Do you have drive? Are you channeling your aggression into the right avenue? Start now. Not later. Not tomorrow. NOW!
I know what it feels like to be wanting more, needing more, and wasting time. I know the feeling of depression due to lack of success. I knew all along (and you probably do too) that underneath my laziness, my excuses, my pooch, I have what it takes to be the greatest. Dig deep. Find your drive. Dig deep. Commit and succeed. Do your best and forget the rest. Just fucking wake up and do it already!
As a personal trainer and lifestyle coach, I have to deal with a lot of set backs. We’re human. We fail. We get back up and try again. This post is about going for your ultimate goal and not letting anything stand in your way. You need to build your Rome, no matter what bridges you must cross or burn. Whatever your Rome may be: losing weight, winning a show, landing a big job, getting a raise, or publishing a novel; You can do it.
Now, of course not everything works out. Let’s not fill ourselves with false hope. Let’s fill ourselves with real commitment, dedication, and control. Challenge yourself to go beyond that tiny comfort zone and do something different. Try something new. If your blueprint for Rome isn’t working, draw up a new plan.
This is not as easy as it seems. As I write this to you, I write this to myself as well. I’m working on my very own Rome, and it is one hell of a project. Life isn’t easy, but when it comes down to making huge decisions, you have to remember the end goal.
When you remember your finished project, you’ll be able to make the right choices to build it. Put things into perspective. It’s easy to lose perspective. It’s not simple to step outside of your current life and analyze it as if it were a picture in a frame. Pick out the “what’s wrong with this picture” parts. Remember that game? Two pictures side by side. One has 15 things wrong in it. Draw up your life in your mind. Pick out those upside down hats, backwards faces, and torn shirts. Get them out of there. Re-arrange your picture so that it’s pretty and organized.
It may hurt a bit. It may hurt a lot. Actually let’s be honest…Emotionally, physically, and mentally, it will hurt. No pain, no gain, right?
No matter what you are doing remember this:
Commit
Commit yourself to your Rome. Make a plan of action and follow through the steps. If you have a setback, realign and forge ahead.
Control
Have control of yourself. Use your will power. Control each situation so that it is the best to build your Rome.
Challenge
This is the difficult one. You must challenge your current life, thoughts, emotions, and physical being to be something better, different, and successful. To challenge yourself means tackling that thing you fear. It’s hard, but it’s worth it.
Credit to Dr. Sal Maddi for teaching me the laws of hardiness and the 3 C’s.
Nixie Dee 
