How To Activate Fat Burning Hormones In Just 3 Steps

Losing weight is something millions of people are trying to do right now. The process is fairly difficult, but it can be easier if you’re patient and consistent about some things. First things first, you need to put yourself on a healthy diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables. Next, you need to cut the sugar intake and make sure you eat 3 small meals while avoiding eating after 7 pm. Exercising is also important, which is why you need to hit the gym or go running or swimming at least 3 times a week.

Sudden weight gain may be linked to hormonal imbalance, especially if the levels of the stress hormone cortisol are out of order. The main causes of hormonal imbalance are certain foods that we eat every day, but we’ll show you a simple 3-step process that will balance your hormones and activate the fat-burning ones and help you lose weight naturally.

Step 1 – cut out the sugar

Carbs can make your body unable to lose fat. If you’re often consuming cookies, starchy vegetables, alcohol or processed foods will impair your body’s ability to burn fat, so if you want to lose weight, you need to cut the sugar from your diet.

Step 2- consume more vegetables or juice them

Beans and green leafy vegetables are great if you’re trying to lose weight. Consume them steamed or raw in order to start burning fat. Vegetables contain a lot of fiber and are great for your digestion. If you don’t want to consume them, try juicing them as an alternative. People that suffer from diabetes should consume more spinach, parsley, cauliflower and asparagus. Juice some of these veggies and sweeten up the juice with apple or carrot juice to activate your fat-burning hormones and lose weight easier.

Step 3 – a healthy eating schedule

If you want to lose weight, you need to train it not to crave food after 7 pm. You should eat at 4 or 5 pm. at latest. You can eat 3 smaller meals or 2 meals and a light salad in the evening. Stop drinking sugary meals and fruit juices and drink herbal teas or lemon water more often. Don’t skip meals – eat earlier for breakfast and dinner and consume cooked meals more often. Stop when you’re feeling full and chew slowly.

Step 4 (optional) – weight training

In order to lose weight, you need to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Add some light weight exercise to start burning your fat and build new muscles. Try starting with a 10-minute cardio exercise to warm up, then move to weight training. Repeat 2 sets of the exercise and relax 1-2 minutes in between sets. Repeat the exercises until you feel the muscles stretch.

Run Faster With These Resisted Running Gear Tips

No matter the distance we're training for, we all want to be faster. 

Sprint intervals, hill repeats and Fartlek runs are a step in the right direction, but to really put your speed training into overdrive, you may need to use some advanced apparatus.

The Key Benefits of Resisted Running

In the past, resisted running has been mostly limited to the world of short distance sprinting. Research shows that lightweight sled pulls and parachute sprints can effectively improve early-phase acceleration over the first 20 meters of an all-out sprint.  

But there is plenty of research demonstrating that sprint training can be beneficial for long-distance runners as well, largely due to the boost in VO2Max that high-intensity sprint intervals can elicit. Sports scientists have also found that resisted running is actually gentler on runners' joints than all-out sprints and other forms of strength training. The additional load slows the pace and reduces the number of steps without significantly increasing joint strain. Is it possible, then, that resisted pulling or pushing at max effort can net even greater benefits? 

A 2007 study that had a group ofthat required "strong man" Strongman athletes to push a 4,000-plus-pound 4,000+ lb vehicle found that resisted pulling or pushing elicited incredibly high metabolic workloads. Luckily, you don't have to push or pull the family car around to reap the benefits of resisted running--most studies have found that sprinting while towing a weight equal to around 10 percent of your body weight is ideal for improving acceleration and power, while moderately heavier resistance levels may provide other significant performance benefits.

Which Tools Are Best?

For developing early-phase acceleration, sleds and parachutes are both effective training tools. Each device should be attached to a harness more than 30 feet long, in order to allow for unrestricted movement. 

If your aim is to pile on the weight and build strength and aerobic power, then the sled has a clear advantage. That's because the only way to increase the load with a parachute system is to use a larger parachute, or to hook up a complicated network of multiple parachutes. With a sled, all you have to do is add another weight or two. 

If you want to be able to change the resistance level at various points throughout a single repetition--to train yourself to push hard at the end of a race, for example--you'll want to use a heavy-duty bungee and harness system. This option is lightweight, portable, and relatively cost effective--but it will require a workout partner or training coach. 

Gradual Progression, Workout Timing and Recovery

Sprinting of any kind is metabolically taxing, both to the muscles and the central nervous system, and resisted running is no exception. For this reason, it's imperative that you start slow and gradually increase total training volume: load x sets x speed. It's also important to allow your body to fully recover after loaded training days. Even though you may not experience the muscle soreness that a heavy weight workout or plyometric training can produce, you'll only be hurting your performance if you follow up a resisted running day with another demanding workout. 

Because of the high metabolic demands, it's best to incorporate these workouts early in the training season or during the off-season. 

Kyle Williams, an Australian high-altitude endurance athlete and coach, says that he uses sled training in the early, base-building phase of training and sticks with "tried and tested long runs and challenging tempo or interval sessions" later in the training season. He also recommends that runners limit resisted running to one session per week in order to allow for adequate recovery.

While little research has been done on the benefits of resisted running for endurance performance to date, this hot training trend has runners, coaches and exercise physiologists taking a closer look. By starting off slow and testing different training loads, resisted running could kick your speed into the next gear.

Bonus: A Resisted Workout Sample to Get You Started

Australian coach Kyle Williams uses a heavier weighted sled workout to boost strength and power as well as to stimulate the acidosis threshold response. He recommends that runners pull about 40 percent of their bodyweight forward, backward, and laterally right and left in an all-out effort for 15 seconds with a two-minute rest between each direction. For pure acceleration work, however, he unloads the sled and drags it empty for 60-second sprint repeats with two minutes of rest in between.

The Best Snacks to Eat Before Running

Whether you are running for a work out or a competition, choosing the right snack can affect how you feel during your run. A light pre-run snack could help you maintain your energy level and keep hunger at bay. The duration and intensity of your run influences how much you should eat and when.

Pre-workout Meal & Snacking Guidelines

Ideally, you should consume a large meal three to four hours before you run. This will give your body ample time to digest the protein and fats in the food. Eating too much may cause stomach cramping and sluggishness, while eating too little may cause a lack of energy to sustain your run throughout the course. Snacking before exercise can help keep your blood sugar up and prevent hunger pangs, although it is unlikely to give you much of an energy boost.

Whole-grain Bagel, Peanut Butter and Banana

A whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and banana is one snack option. The banana and bagel provide carbs while the peanut butter contains protein and healthy fats. The peanut butter also helps lower the glycemic index of the snack; this means the sugar in it gets slowly released into your bloodstream, which will help you maintain your blood sugar level and energy throughout your run. Keep the snack light by using half a bagel, half a banana and two teaspoons of natural peanut butter.

Greek Yogurt and Blueberries

Greek yogurt is a creamy, tasty treat that packs a nutritional punch. When compared to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt has about twice the protein, less sodium and less sugar. The blueberries, which improve the flavor of the plain yogurt, contain carbs that helps replenish your glycogen stores. Use frozen berries or purchase locally produced fruits.

Fruit Smoothie

A fruit smoothie is a snack that goes down in a few seconds. It’s got carbs, vitamins and other nutrients, plus it is highly digestible if you pick the right fruits. The natural sugar content provides a fast-energy release, which is best for sprints or a short-running course. Blend a mix of lower glycemic index fruits such as strawberries and cherries with higher glycemic index fruits such as banana and watermelon. Accompany the fruit smoothie with a handful of almonds for protein, if desired.

Why Exercising Outdors Is Betters For You Than The Gym

Spring is full of endless sunny days and weather that’s just warm enough to work up a sweat outdoors without feeling like you’re going to suffer from a heat stroke.

Not only does it feel great to work out outside, but there are also tons of other health benefits.

Here’s why you should take your workout outside for the next few months:

1. We work harder.

When we work out indoors, we set our own pace, and we only work out for a limited amount of time.

However, according to one study, people who took their work out outdoors did at least 30 minutes more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week than those who only did it inside.

This allows you to burn more calories throughout the week, which leads to weight loss and muscle building.

The participants who exercised outdoors also reported feeling healthier overall.

By allowing our body to experience various terrains, hills and locations, this strengthens our muscles and joints, causing them to be less susceptible to injuries and keeping them in top-notch shape.

2. Being outside lowers depression.

According to a recent study, people who frequented the park had lower rates of depression and high blood pressure and were more social, compared to those who visited green spaces less frequently.

Being outdoors and interacting with nature can be calming for a lot of people, and exercising in a park could benefit you in more ways than one.

3. It could prevent cancer.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, when we breathe in fresh air, we breathe in phytoncides, airborne chemicals that plants give off to protect themselves from insects.

Phytoncides have antibacterial and antifungal qualities that help plants fight disease.

When people breathe in these chemicals, our bodies respond by increasing the number of white blood cells in our bodies.

These white blood cells kill tumor and virus infected cells.

So, just being outside and simply breathing for a few minutes each day can help protect ourselves against cancer.

4. Nature helps us focus.

Throughout the day, we often have a million things going on that need our attention. Focusing on any one task can be difficult.

However, spending time in nature allows our mind to wander, as we explore plants, water, birds, trees and wildlife.

Doing this allows us to give the cognitive portion of our brain a break, allowing us to focus better when we need to, and it also helps renew our patience.

5. It saves us money.

Spending time outside is free.

All we need is a good pair of shoes, and we’re ready to go.

Step outside your door and go for a run. Head to the nearest park and go for a walk.

Why use precious gas money and drive to an expensive gym just to work out on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike?

Save money by utilizing the great outdoors as your gym. That way, you won’t convince yourself working out can’t fit into your budget.

6. It’s more fun.

Once we take our workout outdoors, the possibilities are endless!

We can go running, road biking, golfing, hiking, mountain biking, swimming and more.

Soaking up beautiful views and refreshing air simply isn’t possible when you’re cooped up inside of a gym.

Not only that, but working out outside is both mentally and physically challenging. So, it utilizes both your mind and body, the ultimate type of workout.

So whether we’re biking, running or taking that workout video to the park, the benefits are astounding.

Utilize the best resource we all have access to: nature. Soak up some Vitamin D to feel happier, healthier and more focused.

What more could we ask for? I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be spending less time inside and more time outside this season.

Your Fitness Level May Determine How Much You Sweat

People in great shape can actually sweat more.

If you’ve ever wondered why you’re always drenched in sweat at the end of a boot camp class while your friend is barely glistening, fret not. Your heavy sweating could be a sign that you’re physically fit.

Research shows that fit individuals, especially those who train for endurance sports like running and cycling, sweat sooner and more profusely than people who rarely get physical.

The primary purpose of sweat is to cool the surface of the skin, which helps to regulate body temperature, explained Dr. Carolyn Dean of the Nutritional Magnesium Association. 

“Sweat is one of the main ways of preventing your core temperature from climbing to dangerous or harmful levels,” she said.

The process goes like this: When you overheat, your body signals its sweat (eccrine) glands to start producing sweat on the surface of the skin. As the sweat droplets heat up, some of the sweat evaporates, effectively dissipating heat and leaving behind cooler liquid sweat.

As we move, the air around us works to cool the remaining water on our skin.

“When you’re fit, you’re able to work harder, generate more power, and sustain that power for longer time periods,” said Dean. “Most of this power output generates heat, [which] means you [can] generate a lot of heat in a very short period of time and for a longer duration.”

In other words, fit people sweat sooner and more because they develop a faster response that reduces their core body temperature as they heat up, said physical therapist and strength trainer William P. Kelley.

“Your body gets better at reacting to the increase in temperature, and [thus] begins cooling you sooner and more efficiently, so you can maintain a greater workload for a greater period of time,” he said.

People who have a low level of fitness, on the other hand, may stay drier during workouts than people with a higher level of fitness because they haven’t trained their bodies to recognize a high energy output and subsequently initiate the proper cooling response.

This isn’t a hard and fast rule, though: How much you sweat during any given workout depends on the amount of energy you’re exerting.

Regardless of your fitness level, if you’re exercising at an intense rate that pushes you close to your VO2 max (or maximal oxygen consumption), “the more heat you’ll create and the more you’ll sweat,” said Dean.

Therefore, someone who is less fit may start sweating sooner than a trained athlete when doing the same workout at the same pace (like running for 20 minutes at 10 minutes per mile). In effect, the less-fit person would have to exert more energy than a trained athlete would to complete the same exercise, and would thus reach their VO2 max much earlier, causing them to sweat more quickly.

If, on the other hand, a fit person and an unfit person are each working out to their individual VO2 max (let’s say that means 8 minutes per mile for the fit person and 10 minutes per mile for the less-fit person), logic follows that the fit person would sweat sooner because their body is more efficient at lowering their core temp. 

Another factor that influences sweating is body mass. Someone with a higher body mass has to work harder to perform the same task as someone with a lower body mass, Kelley explains. The greater energy exertion effectively raises that person’s body temperature and causes them to sweat more.

Dean also said overweight individuals can produce a lot of sweat from very low activity levels, like climbing a flight of stairs or taking a short walk.

“The core temperature of obese people is higher because fat acts as an insulator, so they sweat more to try to cool down,” she said.

Environmental factors also contribute to your sweat level ― anyone who has gone jogging in a humid climate can attest to that. 

“The higher the humidity, the greater the water vapor density already in the air, so more sweating needs to occur in order to get an adequate amount of evaporation for body cooling,” said Kelley.

High temperatures only contribute to the problem, he added, since hot air can’t cool the sweat on your skin as quickly as chilly air can.

A dip in blood sugar level can also lead to greater sweat levels, according to Dean.

“When blood sugar levels drop below normal, your adrenaline and norepinephrine kick in (fight or flight response), which causes sweating while exercising or at rest,” she said.

Fitness, body type and environmental reasons aside, there are myriad other factors that drive sweat rates. Dean says sweating can be a reaction to drinking alcohol or coffee, wearing restrictive synthetic clothing, or taking certain medications that affect your ability to tolerate heat. Other factors might include dehydration, menopausal hot flashes, an overactive thyroid gland, genetics, nerve issues or disorders, and skin diseases.

“[How much you sweat] is an important characteristic to learn about yourself to optimize physical performance and prevent heat illness,” said Dr. Robert Sallis, co-director of the Kaiser Permanente Sports Medicine Fellowship Program at Fontana Medical Center.

The important thing to remember? Replace sweat with water and electrolytes.

You can roughly calculate your sweat rate by weighing yourself before and after you workout (aim for 30 minutes to one hour of high-intensity exercise). A good rule of thumb is to drink 16 ounces of fluid for every hour you exercise if you lose about a pound after a gym session.

If you plan to exercise in hot or humid conditions, Sallis said, you need to know how much water to drink to avoid dehydration. If you can, break your fluid intake into smaller segments (like four ounces every 15 minutes) to stay hydrated early on, advised Sallis.