Does fasting really work to lose weight?

Fasting-is primarily an act of willing abstinence or reduction from certain or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time.

It turns out fasting is an excellent way to boost your metabolism and start burning fat.  I was always under the impression that not eating was extremely unhealthy and dangerous.  Aren't the only people who skip meals models, wrestlers trying to make weight and anorexics?

Alternate day fasting- Consuming a low number of calories on a fasting day and eating whatever you want (obviously a high number of calories) on a non fasting day.  Or complete fasting which is going 24 hours not eating or drinking anything but water then feasting for 24 hours.Health experts believe that not only will it help your drop pounds but it also will make your healthier and help you live longer.


The idea of severely restricting calories every other day – rather than every day – to improve health and life expectancy came in 2003 following laboratory research carried out at the National Institute on Ageing in America.
After 20 weeks, mice who were allowed to eat as much as they wanted on one day but not fed the next day, lived longer and had lower levels of glucose and insulin and improved insulin sensitivity compared to mice that were allowed to eat freely all of the time. But more importantly, these levels matched or were even better than those of mice who ate 40 percent fewer calories than normal every day. The scientists involved in the study concluded that alternate day fasting was just as likely to improve health and life expectancy as a daily calorie restriction.

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/reviews/alternate-day-fasting.htm


 Many people have tried this kind of dieting and have reported pleasing results. The reason so many shave problems with their weight (besides eating processed foods that have been altered from their natural state) is because they're in continuous binge eat mode and rarely ever go without a meal. As a result, their bodies have adapted to burning sugar as its primary fuel, which down regulates the enzymes that utilize and burn stored fat. Fasting is an fantastic way to "reboot" your metabolism so your body can start burning fat as its main fuel, which will help you burn your unwanted fat stores.

I read an article saying that the best kind of fast is an Intermittent fast, which is "scheduled eating".  Basically you choose an 8 hour window to consume all your food.  I was curious how only eating 8 hours a day could help me lose weight.  The way it was explained It seemed the idea was to increase the amount of time your are not eating which makes more time for burning calories.  

Well I started the fast April 1 and so far I have lost 11 pounds so you can make your own conclusions..... stay healthy my friends!

Boxing Mike Tyson training

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SntvdXWOQ2g

My Boxing workout I do.  Try to go as long as you can and the next day try to add one more high intensity interval.  Challenge yourself!!!! See how long you can go

Pitbulls make the best workout partners

Get ripped while having fun with your dog

 Made up this great workout to do while playing with my dog at the same time.  Killing two birds with one stone!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiUMrxAv41M

More workout videos to come...

Do Ab Belts really work?

 Can this really be true?

 Is there really a belt that tones and tightens your abs while you just sit there?

I had to find out for myself because this has to be too good to be true!

EMS belts are belts that send electrical impulses to the muscles underneath in order to get them to contract the same way they would during a normal ab exercise.  EMS (electronic muscle stimulation) belts claim to be very efficient and successful at toning a specific muscle group.

They come with a few sticky pads which attach onto the belt and go directly on your stomach under your shirt.  You then tighten the belt to your waist comfortably and turn on the electronic device which is attached on the front of the belt.  You can adjust the settings for how long you want the impulses to last and the intensity of the impulses.

Top 3 Ab Belts




               1. Flex tone           2. Slendertone Flex       3. Contour Belt

FDA Cleared	Yes	Yes	Yes
Diet Plan	Yes	Yes	Yes
Intensity Levels	0-150	0-99	0 to 75
Guarantee	60 days and 2-year warranty	60 days and 2-year warranty	30 days and 1 year warranty
Price	around $185	$100.00	199.99
User Ratings

Based of the reviews and the price I decided to try the Slendertone Flex and had it delivered a couple weeks ago.  I was so surprised at first at how hard the electric impulses were making muscles contract and flex.  Naturally I put it on the highest intensity it could go so afterwards I felt really sore.  However, the next day I wasnt sore in my stomach like I am after a crucial ab day the day before.  After 2 weeks I wasnt feeling the burn that I did the first couple days and after not seeing any results yet I decided to go back to my normal ab routine but use the slendertone afterwards.  This helped tremendously!!!

To answer the question of will these EMS belts help you lose weight and tone your stomach?

For someone who is not used to working out....Yes
Someone who works out frequently.......Minimal results

Will these products get you a six pack?

By themselves? ......sorry to say but No
With a solid diet and another exercise routine? ..... very possible

Beach work outs

This past weekend when I took a vacation to the beach, I was very disappointed with the gym that the hotel offered.  So instead of using this as an excuse not to workout I sought out other ways to keep my body in shape.

1.  Soft Sand Sprints-  Sprinting is soft sand is one of the best exercises for your legs that you can do.  Studies have shown that running in sand expends 1.5 times the amount of energy you do from running on the road.  Meaning you are giving your legs 1.5 times more of a workout than the road will give you. 

2.  Shallow water Sprints-  Running through shallow water up to your knees or waist is another great lower body work out that is easily done at the beach.  The water gives your legs extra resistance to push through like an added weight.  Pretend you're a lifeguard sprinting in the water as fast as you can after a drowning victim.  When the water reaches your waist turn around and sprint out the water with the same explosiveness. 

3.  Lateral Hops-  Double footed hops have been used by athletes in many different sports to improve lower body strength and power.  One legged side to side jumps have also been used to do the same but also improve balance.  For double footed jumps I start a little bit in the water and hop up the beach to add resistance from the water and difficulty from the incline going up the beach.  For side to side jumps I build a small sand castle and use it to jump over so im held accountable for how high im jumping.

4.  Ocean Swimming-  Swimming is a great full body workout to begin with but swimming in the ocean gives an extra edge.  Swimming against currents and under toe can provide added difficulty.  Your muscles also have to adjust for the swells and waves that the ocean produces.  You will soon see all the extra energy you expend trying to stabilize your body in the moving water.  Just be careful and make sure you are already a strong swimmer so you dont get swept away!

Ab work

One of the biggest myths about ab work is that you should be doing ab work everyday.  This could not be farther from the truth! Abs are a muscle group and just like every other muscle in your body after a workout your abs need a few days of rest.  Exercising breaks down your muscles and tissues so that proteins in your body will repair and rebuild the muscles to make you bigger and stronger.  The process of rebuilding muscles only happens during the days of rest where you are not exercising that specific muscle group.  If you continue to work the same muscle group everyday you are not giving your muscles any time to repair and rebuild.  This will actually have the opposite of your desired affect on the muscle.  One sign that your muscles need rest is if you become sore after a workout.  This is your body's way of telling you, "give this muscle group a break while it grows."  You should never exercise a muscle group that is sore!
To maximize your ab training you want to make sure you hit all the parts of your core muscles.  A strong core is important to developing overall body strength and balance.  Test show that athletes with a strong core are less likely to have injuries.  The core muscle groups are the pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominus(front abs inside the obliques), multifidus(Deep muscles in the back), internal and external obliques(outside abs above hips), rectus abdominus(front ab muscles), erector spinae (sacrospinalis) especially the longissimus thoracis, and the diaphragm.  There are many exercises to work all parts of your core.  Remember to train hard and rest so your muscles will rebuild and become stronger!