Watch Out for These Fad Diets that DON'T Work

Hello loves! Today I want to touch on the topic of fad diets. If you’re not sure what a fad diet is, it’s basically a way of changing what you’re eating to get fast results. Juice cleanses, the military diet, and the master cleanse are just a few examples.

I get asked all the time what I eat to stay in shape and the truth is, it’s a mixture of different healthy foods. Some people might say that I am doing this diet or that diet, and I don’t usually refer to what I eat as a “diet” and I’ll tell you why.

I think that the word “diet” makes people think that it’s restricting your food intake or only eating certain foods for a short period of time in order to achieve some kind of results. The reality of my life is that it’s a LIFESTYLE CHOICE. I lead a healthy lifestyle and that means I eat healthy foods and workout to stay in shape. 

That’s why I truly believe that these fad diets DON’T work and you should avoid doing them at all costs.

Juice Cleanses

I am all for downing a delicious juiced drink. They’re packed with nutrients and stuff that your body needs in order to function. But I am not all for ONLY drinking juiced fruits and veggies as the only thing you consume in a day – or even as long as a week, which some people do.

Sure, this makes you lose weight, but it does so by basically starving your body of proteins and fats – two things you need in order to function properly. The bottom line is that this diet is short lived because as soon as you finally eat protein and fats again, your body will absorb it like a sponge since it was deprived of it before and you’ll hold onto it more – meaning you’ll gain the weight right back. Don’t do this fad diet.

Grapefruit Diet

I love fruit! Not as much as dark chocolate, but it’s still amazing and really good for you. This fad diet has become popular because grapefruits are known to have a certain enzyme that burns fat. So, whenever someone only eats grapefruits for a few days they think they’re burning all kinds of fats.

The issue with this fad diet is that it’s super low calorie – yet again. Sure, it means you’ll drop some weight, but you’re not doing it in a healthy way and you’ll more than likely gain it all back right away anyways!

The Five-Bite Diet

Can you all please promise me that you’ll never listen to this kind of nonsense diet? This poor excuse for a diet is the idea that you will only eat 5 bites of your food and then be done with it until your next meal.

This is terrible and it’s telling people that they shouldn’t eat – which is SO WRONG! You need food in order to function and I need all of you to eat FULL, well-balanced meals to get in shape instead of harming your body by depriving it of everything it needs by only taking 5 bites.

The Cabbage Soup Diet

Have any of you ever had cabbage soup before? It seems really bland and not very tasteful to me, but for some reason people eat this soup day in and day out for a week at a time. Yes, it’s low calorie, but it also doesn’t contain valuable nutrients.

Your body needs more than cabbage and in order to function and be healthy and that is why this fad diet doesn’t work. It also doesn’t work because it’s just like the juice diet, it’ll make you lose weight – but only in the short term.

The Lemonade Diet

Lemonade is delicious! I’ll be the first person to tell you that, but it is not something that you should ONLY consume in a whole day – especially not for multiple days at a time. This diet is the idea that by drinking lemonade you’re detoxing your body because lemons are powerful detoxifiers. While this is true, you’re starving your body of everything it needs to be healthy and fully functioning. That’s why this fad diet doesn’t work.

What do all of these diets have in common? That’s right! They’re all “quick fixes” that don’t actually fix anything at all. If any of you babes want to lose weight, you have to do it the right way with a healthy BALANCED diet and a great exercise program. But before you even do that, just know that you’re perfect the way you are <3

Stay Fit on the Go With These Easy to Master Full Body Workouts

Hi there all! This is a question I get ALL the time, “Jen, how do I workout when I’m traveling?” It’s been asked so many times that I think it’s really important to answer it in this blog instead of just individually.

I also love this topic because it I can relate to it so much. I travel quite a bit and that means I have to sacrifice my gym time because there just isn’t a gym readily available all the time. So, I’ve come up with some really effective workouts that are really easy to master no matter where you are.

Bench Dips

This is one of the easiest workouts to do because you can do it on just about any chair-like surface – even a bed works! All you have to do is face away from the chair/bench/bed or whatever it is you’re using, put your hands on the seat surface, and lower yourself down and push yourself back up to activate and work those triceps!

Jump Squats

I can’t tell you enough how great jump squats are for engaging not only your glutes, but your whole legs. The explosive power used in jump squats helps to grow your booty, tone your thighs, and chisel those calves! Start off this workout with your feet shoulder width apart (wider if this is uncomfortably too close for you), angle your feet outward just slightly, lower yourself into a squatting position, and jump straight up as high as you can. When you come back down go right into your next jump squat.

Planks

This is another really effective workout that you can literally do anywhere! This exercise is mostly known for working your abs, but it also gives your shoulders, quads, and back a workout, too. There are a few different ways you can do planks and all of them are perfect for staying fit on the go. All you need to do is get on the floor (preferably a soft area), put your feet out behind you and lean on your elbows with your body straight. Hold this for as long as you can and then rest for 30 seconds before doing it again. Do this 3 times and you’ll start to feel the burn! Another way to do this that is a little bit easier for those of you just starting your fitness journey is to move up to your hands instead of your elbows.

Burpees

If you know what a burpee is, then you probably hate it! The reason most people don’t like this workout that’s great for staying fit on the go is because it’s so HARD – which also means it works. All you do is lay flat on the ground on your stomach with your toes against the ground and your hands pushing on the ground just at the side of your stomach. Next, push up with your hands and snap your legs under you so you’re in a squat position and jump straight up into the air. It’s basically like combining a pushup with a jump squat but when you come back down from the jump, you get pack into your push-up stance and start all over.

Push-Ups

This is another fantastic workout that really gets your whole body involved and it’s perfect for staying fit on the go because you can do it just about anywhere, your hotel room, a park, or even in the airport! Get down on the ground laying on your stomach, keep your body in a straight line, and push up off the ground from your sides. When you come back down make sure your elbows get to 90 degrees or less in order to gain the most benefits! If some of you aren’t able to do a full push-up but still want to get a good workout in, just put your knees on the ground and do the same thing. It’s a little bit easier but gets the job done!

Tips for Staying Fit on the Go

Here are just a few additional tips that can help you burn more calories and stay more fit when you’re on vacation, traveling for work, or even to use in your everyday lives.

Take the Stairs

Elevators are great for going up and down floors quickly, but they’re also not nearly as beneficial as taking the stairs. Taking the stairs is just a no-brainer if you want to stay fit on the go because it’s literally a manmade workout that you won’t even notice you’re getting. It makes a big difference if you start using the stairs every day instead of the elevator.

Stand Instead of Sit

If you have a job that makes you sit down a lot, just stand up and do your work instead. It burns more calories and is much better for your back and core. You can also stand and do calf raises if you really want to take your fitness on the go up a notch.

Always Carry a Water Bottle

You should always make sure you’re carrying around a water bottle with you everywhere. Staying hydrated is one of the most important part of staying fit on the go and you’ll always have access to it.

Utilize Your Environment

I’m sure you all have noticed by now that I don’t always use the gym to get a workout in. Sometimes I’m in a park or out on the balcony. You should always look around you and start utilizing your environment as workout equipment no matter where you are!

I understand more than anyone that you can’t always be in the comfort of your own at times. You may have to travel and you still have to be fit no matter where you are. These easy to master workouts are perfect for those of you who want to stay fit on the go!

Let me know which of these workouts are your favorite and why!

This is What You Need if You Want to Stay Motivated

Motivation Monday is here and I think we could all use a little pick me up after the weekend, don’t you think? Mondays are so hard because we just spent the weekend doing whatever we wanted to do and now we have to get back to the daily grind!

It’s really easy to lose your motivation – I know how it feels. One minute you have all the drive in the world and the next it’s like you can’t even remember what you wanted to do in the first place. Or maybe you’re about to do something productive but then suddenly decide that your bed is more important than, well, anything else. Staying motivated is one of the hardest things to do, but if you have this one thing, you’ll learn how to stay motivated.

Weekly Goals

How can you stay motivated to keep going to the gym if you don’t know why you’re doing it? This is a problem that a lot of us face daily. Staying motivated to do anything, really, can be hard if you don’t have one little thing…a goal.

Goals are pretty much the driving force that makes us drag our butts out of bed in the morning, head out into the (sometimes) bitter cold, and face another grueling workout. Why do we do it? Because we have a goal. We want to look a certain way, be a certain weight, or maybe just be a healthier person.

No matter what you’re motivated to do, you’re motivated because of an end goal. Without having a specific goal you will lose your motivation very quickly and you’ll be disappointed in yourself when you realize that you can’t just get up and do it.

Setting Your Goals

The first step to getting motivated is setting up your goal. What is it that you really want to achieve? Do you want to get a bigger butt, lose some weight, sculpt your abs? You have to have an end goal. Got it? Great!! Now take that goal and write it down – ALL OVER!

One thing to remember about setting your goals, though, is that you want to make sure they’re realistic. Start with smaller, more attainable goals, before skipping right to getting a body like Rihanna’s. Set a goal that is realistic FOR YOU.

Sticking to Your Goals

If you have a picture of your goal body, tape it up or save it where you’ll see it every day. Write your goal down on sticky notes and leave them all over your room so you can’t help but be reminded every single day.

These little reminders of your goal will help motivate you in the morning and push you through every single workout you have. When you’re not motivated, it’s usually because you’ve lost sight of your goals. Just remind yourself of what you want to accomplish and you’ll feel that motivation to keep pushing forward like I know you can!

Reaching Your Goals

What happens when you’ve reached your goal body, weight, or health status? Most people might throw up their hands and think, “Well, I’m done,” and lose all motivation to do anything else.

Once you’ve reached your goal (CONGRATULATIONS by the way!!), your next step is to make a new one. Never stop making goals, accomplishing them, and being better than you were yesterday. When you do stop making these goals, you’ll lose your motivation.

Sometimes staying motivated can be the hardest thing we all have to face, but if you have a goal in mind and are reminded of that goal daily, you WILL be motivated and you CAN accomplish them!

Tell me what goals you have and how you’re planning to stay motivated to accomplish them in the comments below!

Here’s Why We Should All Participate in National Relaxation Day

Happy National Relaxation Day loves! AKA, one of the best days of the year! In honor of this amazing day, I wanted to write about how relaxation is SO beneficial for your health and that we should all be taking time to participate in this great holiday.

A lot of people work themselves way too hard and don’t take nearly enough time to just relax, breathe, and have time to themselves. These are all of the reasons why relaxing is something we all have to do in order to be healthy…and keep our sanity! :P

Relaxing = Time to Heal

If you’re someone that values a healthy lifestyle, then you probably get to the gym quite a bit. A lot of you tell me about how much you’re going to the gym but just not seeing much of a change. That could because you’re not taking enough time to relax!

Taking a day to relax is extremely important in your fitness journey because you have to give your body and muscles time to heal. If you never take some time off they’ll just be overworked and you’ll have trouble progressing in the gym. So kick off those gym shoes and kick back in a recliner today to celebrate National Relaxation Day!

Reduces Stress Hormones

Everyone has to deal with stress in their lives. Nobody is immune to the feeling or the hormones that get released when you’re stressed out. You might not think much of these stress hormones until I tell you that they cause you to either gain weight or hold onto weight even when you’re trying to lose it.

So if you seem to be plateauing and can’t shed those last few pounds, maybe what you need is to spend a day relaxing instead of spending your day doing cardio. Get rid of those stress hormones that are stressing you out even more!

Improves Your Mood

Have you ever tried to get motivated to do something when you were in a bad mood? I know that for me, it’s nearly impossible. If you never get time to relax you’ll never be able to let go of that pent up anxiety, stress, and exhaustion that bring your mood down.

If you take some time to relax every once in awhile – especially today – then you’ll improve your mood. When you’re in a good mood, it’s SO much easier to get motivated and get hyped up to work hard and push yourself to accomplish your goals.

There’s a reason today is a national holiday! Take a break from the hustle and bustle of your everyday lives and relax. Your body and mind will thank you for it!

Why Stretch?

The benefits of daily exercise are well known, however the benefits of a regular stretching routine are far less known.

I used to avoid stretching. It was the last thing I wanted to do after a hard workout or before. After a busy day I just wanted to get my workout done and would skip stretching to save time. This was a big mistake. A mistake made by many and here is why:

Physical Benefits:

1. a)  Increases blood flow to the muscles; this will bring nutrients to the muscles and therefore speed up recovery of sore muscles.

2. b)  Warms up the muscles causing the muscles to be more flexible and decreasing the risk of soft tissue injury, strains and sprains.

3. c)  Increased flexibility will contribute to better balance and coordination

4. d)  Helps to keep spine in alignment which will increase good posture

5. e)  Allows the organs of the body to work more efficiently

Mental Benefits:
a) Decreases stress. When we are stressed we tense up our muscles that can lead to headaches and back aches. Stretching can alleviate these issues.

1. b)  Calms the mind. Just 10-15 minutes of stretching can help to relax the body and mind

2. c)  Allows the mind to take a break and re-charge, increasing mental focus.

Now you know the importance and benefits of stretching – HOW do you stretch? WHAT do you stretch? There are many options, and it is important to do what fits best into your schedule.

Before Exercise- Do a short warm up to get the heart pumping and blood flowing, such as short jog, or 30 jumping jacks. Follow with 10-15 minutes of stretching starting with your big muscles and joints in your legs and hips. You can use both dynamic and static stretches to maximize your stretches. From there you can move into your shoulders, arms and core.

After Exercise- During your cool down after exercise, compete a short series of stretches 10-15 minutes to prevent the muscles you worked from tightening up too quickly. Use this time to get deeper into the stretch.

Some people set a side 1-2 days a week for an hour session of just stretching. There are several options available. You can do on your own or look for some classes offered at your local gym. I am finally starting to get into yoga!  Whatever you choose to do, make sure to include stretching in your daily routine – your body and mind will thank you!