Diet

Three Things Every Woman Can Learn From Gina Carano’s Workout

Gina Carano’s workout is intense. She’s driven, focused and works hard. No wonder she is one of the top competitors in Womens MMA.

While Gina Carano’s workout plan is one to be marveled at – watching her workout makes me feel like a pansy – its not a realistic workout for every woman who is trying to get a flat stomach. However, watching her train can give you some inspiration for your own workouts, while you can take away something from the way she trains.

Vitamins + Supplements for Women – What are Your Questions?

Everyday you get bombarded by news that you now need “XYZ Vitamin” in your diet to help prevent this and do that. And in order for you to prevent this and do that you want to go get the XYZ Vitamin. However – if you are anything like me you have a million and 5 questions about such vitamin – how to take it – how much – what else will it do – the list goes on…

So, in an effort to avoid some confusion I’m putting together  some important information about vitamins + supplements every woman needs in their diet – what they will do – and how much you should take.

Taking vitamins + supplements will help to prevent various deficiencies that may arise. These deficiencies may be caused by the lack of certain fruits and vegetables, the make up of your body, that time of the month, the fact that you are a woman or family history. Preventing these deficiencies can help prevent other more critical health issues in the future.

If you can do something now to prevent a more serious problem in the future – why not do it?

So in order to help you live a longer healthier life I’m going to give you the 411 (how it helps you lose weight, benefits, how you can get it into your diet, etc) on each XYZ Vitamin that you should be taking – but in order to get this information to you — I need to know where to start!

What are your most pressing questions about Vitamins and supplements? What specific vitamins do you want to know about?

Is this even something you want to know about? I need at least 15 comments and I’ll be back tomorrow with my favorite fat burning workouts!

How to Quit the Clean Plate Club and Start Losing Weight

I can still hear my mothers voice in my head as I sit at the dinner table trying to finish those last few mouthfuls so that I left a clean plate. This mentality of eating was fine when I was little, but now all it causes is an expanding waistline. Its time for us to quit the clean plate club and start losing weight!

Get Rid of that “Bloated Feeling” – Benefits and Healing Power of Digestive Enzymes in Your Flat Stomach Diet

I often get asked about what supplements I recommend and take as there are often arguments as to what supplements a woman should be taking when trying to get a flat stomach. As women, we are all familiar with that monthly ‘bloating’…well one supplement that can help get rid of that feeling and should be a part of every woman’s diet is, digestive enzymes.

Why do I need Digestive Enzymes in my Flat Stomach Diet?

How Would You Describe a Woman Who Goes to the Gym?

Society today tells us we should be ‘skinny’. It tells us that being fat is unhealthy and the only way we should look is ‘skinny’. Well, I agree that being overweight can be unhealthy, I don’t want to be ‘skinny’. In the dictionary, the word ‘skinny’ is associated with emaciated – which puts images like the ones below in my head.

I’m nervous to sneeze around that girl because she might fall over.

To look like the girl in the picture you need to follow a diet of completely no food – well, maybe a grape or two a day. After that you will have absolutely no energy to do anything, so no cardio is required. It may sound appealing, but really – all you will be described at is – skinny.

In an effort to encourage women that being ‘skinny’ isn’t the answer and to try to change our view of what is physically appealing – I asked my friends and followers on Twitter and Facebook to answer a question for me. (You will find their answers below)

What words do you use to describe a woman who goes to the gym and takes care of her body?

Robyn Baldwin – Sexy, Fit, and Healthy

Nancy Santana – Fit, Healthy, Toned, Confident, Motivated, Sexy Powerful

Leah Tully – HOT!

Kristi Kenn – Powerful and of course HOT!

Garrett Jensen – Driven, inspiring and Awesome

Linda Paoletti Muszynski – Empowered…

Christin Cleaver – Responsible

Tanya Horn – Staying Fit for LIFE!!

Maria Wielczopolski-Petryshyn – Responsible, Role Model

Jeanvieve Chirco-Butler – Smart…build your body…build your mind

Tinamarie Guaglianone – SMART WOMAN

Amy Maley – I always think strong and tough…because I want to be a strong and tough girl

Derrick Loftus – Keeper, sexy, smart, fun

@rockroyaltyclubs – Attentive

David Sanders – Intelligent, Smart, Committed, “Can I take you to dinner?”

Scott Stransky – Hot, Awesome, My kind…

Gregg Shanefelt – A winner

Bridget Magnus – Smart and beautiful

@FitGemsNation – Inspiring, Hardworker, Respect

@Tlewis25 – FIERCE!

Gene George  – Smart

Roy Pickering – Bangin’

Diane Carroll-Nunez – Smart, Role Model

For me, any woman who takes time to workout and take care of her body is – INSPIRING…HEALTHY… – they are someone I aspire to be like – for I admire the hardwork and dedication they have to making their body what they want it to be….

Now its YOUR turn to answer the question – how would YOU describe a woman who goes to the gym and takes care of her body?

Simple Carbohydrates vs. Complex Carbohydrates – What Do I Need in my Flat Stomach Diet?

I’m sure you’ve probably heard the term ‘good’ carbohydrates and ‘bad’ carbohydrates or ‘complex’ carbohydrates vs. ‘simple’ carbohydrates, but what exactly does that all mean? Understanding the difference between these two types of carbohydrates is essential to any flat stomach diet.  If you are not aware of good or bad carbohydrates you will continue down the same path, without seeing results. So without getting too technical we’re going to explore the world of carbohydrates here.

A carbohydrate is a macro-nutrient that provides calories and energies to our bodies on a daily basis.  Carbohydrates provide the most energy, of the three major macro-nutrient sources (protein and fat are the other two) and are required for daily activities, as well as the daily function of your body (heartbeat, brain function, digestion).

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates are digested quickly because they are made up of individual sugar molecules. These carbohydrates are ready to be absorbed quickly into the body. The quick absorption of the sugar can either make it readily available as an energy source.

However, when you ingest large amounts of simple carbohydrates, such as the sugar levels found in cookies or cakes, you are ingesting a large amount of energy or sugar. Your body does not need this massive amount of sugar at one time, so instead of using the energy immediately your body will then turn the sugar into glycogen (sugar storage in the cells) or turn it into fat.  Your body does not need large amounts of glycogen, so the majority of the simple carbohydrate foods get stored as fat in your body.

Many sources of simple carbohydrates are bad for you, as you can see from the list below. However, fruit contains simple carbohydrates as well as some fiber.  The fiber in fruit and the low level of sugars in the fruit make it a good source of simple carbohydrates, because it won’t get stored as quickly as fat. Fruit is a recommended source of carbohydrates when compared with the list below.

Examples of Foods with Simple Carbohydrates:

- Soda

- Candy

- Cake

- Fruit Juice

- Foods made with white flour

- Corn Syrup

- Table Sugar

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates, or starches, as the name suggests, are more complex than simple carbohydrates. To get momentarily scientific are sugar molecules that are bonded together into a chain. Since the chains of these carbohydrates are longer, it takes the digestive enzymes in your body longer to break them down into the usable energy of individual sugar molecules.

The slow breakdown and absorption of the individual sugars into the intestines provides us with a steady supply of energy for a longer period of time. Since it takes longer to absorb the complex carbohydrates our body then uses the energy as needed, and less of the sugar is then stored as fat.

Foods that are made up of complex carbohydrates are also made up with fiber, with also help with your digestion process.

Examples of Complex Carbohydrates:

- Green Vegetables (spinach, broccoli, asparagus)

- Whole Wheat foods

- Brown/Whole Grain Rice

- Strawberries

- Yams/Sweet Potatoes

- Oatmeal

- Beans (Lentils, Kidney, Soy, etc)

- Muesli

- Tomatoes

- Eggplant

In order to get the flat stomach of your dreams your flat stomach diet should consist of more complex carbohydrates then simple carbohydrates. This ensures that your body is constantly burning fat, instead of storing simple sugars as fat.  Now that you know the difference between these two carbohydrates – the good vs. the bad – you can make the right decisions at meal time, to ensure you aren’t making it harder for yourself to reach your flat stomach goals.

(Check out a one of my personal favorite Flat Stomach Lunch Recipe: Spinach Salad, to see just how easy it is to include lots of fiber and good for you carbohydrates into your daily diet.)

Three Tips to Help You Stick to Your Flat Stomach Diet and Workout While Traveling

I spent the last week away from home (if you saw my Facebook status you know I was on a school trip with 100 5^th graders – fun).  The trip was fun, but while I was away for those four days I did not have the access to good food or the gym. AHHHH….what to do?

This is a common problem many people face when it comes to vacation or travelling away from home. You don’t always have access to a gym and you don’t always have access to food that you would normally eat on your flat stomach diet.

So instead of freaking out I kept in mind my three tips for traveling away from home….tips that you can keep in mind on your next business trip or vacation and not stray off the path to your flat stomach.

Tip #1 – Take a few days off from the gym

If you don’t travel often and this is just a quick trip away from home then make those few days your rest days.   If you are on vacation – it’s time to relax – not worry about whether or not you can get to the gym. Your body will appreciate the rest when you get home. Your muscles will be recovered and you’ll be ready to go when you get back.

However, if you’re really concerned with your workout routine – go for a walk or a run. Maybe take a hike or rent a bike if you can. Try a different form of exercise than those you are used too. Your body will still be burning calories and you will come home guilt free  because you didn’t miss all of your workouts.

Tip #2 – Watch what you eat

Since you are going to be eating out a lot while out of town – try going for those ‘healthier’ options. Stay away from the French fries if you have the options of veggies with dinner. Try a salad with the dressing on the side and stay away from too much fried food.  Don’t clean your plate either – we all know that restaurant portion sizes are way too much to eat anyways – so enjoy good food, but not a clean plate.

Tip #3 – Pack your meals before you go

If it’s a quick trip and you really don’t want to tempt yourself with the options of going off of your flat stomach diet – then prepare for the trip. Pack some protein powder, peanut butter, oatmeal and some healthy snacks. Maybe even pre-cook some chicken for the road if the travel time isn’t too long and get a fridge to store the food in when you get to the hotel. I’ve done this before when I went away for a quick trip and didn’t want to stray off of my diet.  It worked well and when I got back home I was ready to get back down to business on my flat stomach goals.

So, next time your job or your life takes you away from home – don’t stress out about what’s going to happen with your flat stomach workout.  Instead enjoy the trip by taking a few days off, being extra careful with what you eat or pack your meals so you know what you’re going to eat. But above all – don’t stress about missing a day from your routine, traveling is stressful enough. Instead, enjoy your trip and know in a few days time you’ll be back home and kicking butt on your flat stomach workout.

Five Tips to Help You Reach Your Flat Stomach Goals for the Week

A new week is starting – are your goals ready? Is your “to-do” list set? Are you ready to make it another successful week? I know I am!! Unfortunately for many of us – summer is over – not in my mind – but in reality – the kids are back in school! Whether that means more free time for you or less – or it really has no impact on your life whatsoever – we are all busy doing something. Sometimes those busy somethings can distract us from staying on track to our fitness goals.

So – to make sure that you are ready to make this week a successful week  – here are five quick tips to help you get to Friday while staying on track with your flat stomach goals.

1. Pre-Pack Your Food – Whether its lunch, snacks or dinner – making your meals the night before and packing them in your lunch box can help save you time in the morning and keep you on your flat stomach diet.  Especially if you wake up late – you just have to grab and go.
2. Workout Even if Your Tired – Studies have shown that sweating at the gym can help keep you energized and keep those yawns away.  Increasing your heart rate wakes up your nervous system – naturally giving you more energy. So – when those 3 o’clock yawns come – instead of grabbing a candy bar – try taking a quick walk around the office – get your heart rate up and your be recharged and ready to go.



3. Change Up Your Music – Listening to the same music week after week can make your flat stomach workout seem boring and stale.  Spend a few minutes before the week starts and add some of your new favorite songs – ones your heard on the radio or at the club over the weekend. Changing up the tempo of the music or they type of music or even the artists will help keep your energized throughout your workout.
4. Try a Different Cardio Machine – Is there a piece of cardio equipment that you look at every week but have yet to try? Make this week the week that you try it! Not only will it help spice up your cardio routine but the new/different equipment will target different muscle groups and help kick up the benefits of your cardio workout.



5. Workout at a Different Time – If possible. Our schedules won’t always allow us to work up a sweat at a different time – but if you usually go at night and can wake up a bit early to get your workout in before work – give it a try. You’ll feel great for getting the workout out of the way and give your body great energy to start the day.

Now – go make this week the best week and accomplish your goals!

Healthy Snack Options – Healthy Snacks to Help You Lose Weight

It’s 3 o’clock – you feel like you could asleep – you’re hungry – and that candy bar in the vending machine looks SO good! Instead of grabbing that candy bar (and ruining your flat stomach diet) try one of these healthy snack options to help you lose weight and stay on your way to a flat stomach diet.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8lZHFz4yi8[/youtube]

What Does Your Flat Stomach Look Like?

Are you working towards getting a flat stomach? Awesome – but how will you know when you get there? What does your ideal flat stomach look like?

If you don’t know where you are going how are you going to get there? This doesn’t just apply to driving in a car or exploring a new destination – this also includes your workouts and your fitness goals. If you don’t know what your ideal flat stomach looks like, then you’ll never know if you have reached your goal!

So, I’ve included some pictures to help you figure out what you are working towards and to help figure out what type of flat stomach workout you’ll need to get there.

Flat Stomach #1 – The Six Pack

Getting this type of flat stomach (true defined six pack abs) is a dedicated process. You must make sure that you follow your flat stomach workout meticulously.  Not skipping a workout or cardio session and making sure that you are eating clean with every meal.  A woman with six pack abs like this is not something I see at the beach every weekend. It requires extreme dedication to your flat stomach workout and diet. Is this the flat stomach for you? If not, take a look at Flat Stomach #2.

Flat Stomach #2

Were six pack abs a little too much for you? How about this option – some definition of abs, but not too much.  You will still have to work hard and make the commitment in the gym to get a flat stomach like this.  Making sure that your diet is consistent with a flat stomach diet.

Flat Stomach #3

Don’t want any definition – just want a flat tummy – well then flat stomach #3 is for you.  As in the first two options you still need to be dedicated to your workout and eating habits, but you might not have to do AS many crunches. A flat stomach workout video, to follow along too, is a great place to start to get you closer to your fitness and flat stomach goals.

Which flat stomach are you working towards?