This Will Change Your Life, or at Least Your Body.

Despite still being a little ways away from my goal weight people have really started to reach out to me for help reaching their weight loss goals. April will mark one year since I began my weight loss journey that has so far lost me 65.6 pounds. I am by no means a fitness or diet expert but I have had a great amount of success in the past few months with hard work, research, and discipline. I wanted to share one thing I hesitated within the beginning but I’ve now come to see is crucial to getting your body where you want it…weight training.

When I first started trying to lose weight I thought as long as I counted my calories and did tons of cardio, my body would eventually be what I wanted it to be. Later when I considered that my goal isn’t to be skinny, it’s to be fit and toned I realized that even though cardio can blast calories it wasn’t going to get me the definition in my trouble zones that I desired. That’s what I started doing some research on weight training. For those of you ladies who think lifting weights will make you bulky, you’re not alone but you’re also not right.

Women’s Health Magazine has been a great resource for me (I don’t subscribe but I frequent their website). I was reading through an article they wrote about women and weight training and they gave some great reasons for every women to hit the gym and pump some iron.

You’ll lose 40% more fat. Umm, that right there should be enough right? Fat be gone! Where are my dumbbells?

And I quote: Other research on dieters who don't lift shows that, on average, 75 percent of their weight loss is from fat, while 25 percent is from muscle. Muscle loss may drop your scale weight, but it doesn't improve your reflection in the mirror and it makes you more likely to gain back the flab you lost. However, if you weight train as you diet, you'll protect your hard-earned muscle and burn more fat.

Not sold yet? Well, we’re not finished yet.

Your clothes will fit better. – Again, who doesn’t want that? There’s nothing I hate more than trying on outfit after outfit and nothing making me feel excited to go out. I mean, I always want to buy new clothes but not because I want the ones I own to be ill-fitting and unflattering.

You’ll burn more calories. Calories, calories, calories. See, this one is relatable for anyone. Even if you’re trying to maintain your goal weight, you still want to burn at least as many calories as you’re eating. So this is a win-win situation. For those of us still trying to shed, we know that burning more calories than you eat is the key.

WH says: Lifting gives you a better burn during exercise too: Doing a circuit of eight moves (which takes about eight minutes) can expend 159 to 231 calories. That's about what you'd burn if you ran at a 10-mile-per-hour pace for the same duration.

Research shows that it will Improve your Diet. Bonus. Stay motivated to stay on track.

Stress Relief. No more stress eating, now I lift away my stress.

You'll Be Happier.

You'll Build Stronger Bones.

You'll Get Into Shape Faster. Lord knows, bikini season is upon us. The faster, the better. Getting results keeps you movitated.

Your Heart will be Healthier.

You'll Be More Productive.

You'll Live Longer.

You'll be Smarter.

Full article here.

I've never seen quicker results then adding strength training in an interval form so I strongly encourage this to get you the results you want, faster.

Love,
B