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The Weekly Burn

6 Week Summer Fat Loss Challenge – Week 5

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Week 5 Assignment: Get Hydrated!

Here’s a fact that may surprise you. 75 percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Given that hydration is essential to almost every bodily function, that’s pretty serious! One thing that suffers tremendously from dehydration is your metabolism. Your muscles are more than 70% water, so when you’re not adequately hydrated, your metabolism slows down and that means you’re not burning fat.
This week’s challenge assignment is to increase your water intake. Every day this week add at least 8 ounces of water to what you drink. Your total should be about half your body weight in ounces. So if you’re 150 pounds, shoot for 75 ounces of water. Don’t overdo it and drink more than that. While you might think that more is better, drinking too much can strip your body of electrolytes. Be sure to drink your water throughout the day. And, sip it instead of chugging it so that it gets absorbed properly.

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6 Week Summer Fat Loss Challenge – Week 4

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Week 4: Work on Portion Control

We live in a time when the assumption is that bigger is better. Restaurants pride themselves on offering huge plates of food. Beverages come in sizes like “Big Gulp.” It’s enough to throw our idea of how much is too much totally out of whack. That’s why so many struggle with portion distortion. This week’s assignment is to work on eating proper portions.

Here are some tips to keep yourself in check:

  • Use a smaller plate – When you’re home, eat off smaller plates. Your plate will look full, but you’ll be eating less.
  • Make veggies the biggest part of your meal – Fill half of your plate with vegetables and the other half with lean protein and healthy starches such as roasted potatoes or quinoa.
  • Make breakfast your biggest meal of the day – Start each day with a healthy breakfast that combines protein, carbohydrates and healthy fat.
  • Use measuring cups/spoons – Don’t eyeball it. Use measuring cups and spoons for things like cereal, pasta, rice, peanut butter, oil and dressings.
  • Learn to read food labels –

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6 Week Summer Fat Loss Challenge – Week 3

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Week 3: Cut Back on Alcohol and Sugar Consumption

Here we go for week 3 of the 6 Week Summer Fat Loss Challenge! This week’s assignment is to replace two alcoholic drinks or sugary items (such as dessert or soda) with a healthy food or drink.

  • So, if you typically reach for a soda to get your afternoon kick of caffeine, try green tea instead.
  • If you like to follow dinner up with something sweet, have some fruit instead of ice cream or cookies.
  • Also, make it a goal to wait until the end of the week to have an alcoholic drink.
  • Instead of a mixed drink, sangria or beer – all high in calories and carbs – opt for a lower calorie drink like wine or a shot of vodka with soda water.

When you’re trying to lean out and burn fat, it’s best to minimize drinking alcohol. With few exceptions, drinking alcohol is basically putting empty calories into your body. Soda, beer, liquor, candy and desserts are all made up of simple sugars that are high in calories and extremely low in nutrients.

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6 Week Summer Fat Loss Challenge – Week 2

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We’re on to week 2 of the 6 Week Summer Fat Loss Challenge! This week’s assignment is to up your activity level. You can do this by adding in an extra workout at Synergy, incorporating a 30-60 minute walk or run or adding a yoga session to your weekly exercise.
But, extra activity doesn’t have to be in the form of a traditional workout. If you don’t have time for a full workout, you can also choose to do things like this instead:
  • Park farther away from the store so you have to walk more.
  • Take the stairs instead of the elevator at work.
  • Do some yard work – now is a great time!
  • Really walk your dog. You and your dog will benefit!
  • Take your kids to the park and play along with them – climb the jungle gym, swing, push the roundabout.
  • Clean your house. Vacuuming or washing the floor can really get your blood pumping!
  • Make your coffee break a walking break.
  • Stand up and do 10 squats every hour you’re at work.
  • Walk around while you’re on a phone call.

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6 Week Summer Fat Loss Challenge – Week 1 Assignment

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Week 1 Assignment: Start a Food Log
Assessments are done. Goals are set. It’s go time! We are so excited to kick off the 6 Week Fat Loss Challenge this week. Each week you’ll get a new fat loss assignment that will make it easy for you to meet your fat loss goal.
This week’s assignment is to start a food log you’ll use to keep track of everything you eat and drink. You can use an app such as MyPlate or MyFitnessPal or even just a pen and paper. But be sure to record everything including dressing on your salad, cream or sugar in your coffee, condiments on your burger, etc. Make a note of portion sizes and the times of your meals and snacks.
Food logs have been proven to be effective in helping people meet their weight and fat loss goals. In fact, a recent study following 1,800 men and women over a six-month period showed that those who kept a food diary lost 50 percent more than those who did not.
Why is tracking your food so helpful?
  • Awareness: It can be eye opening to see everything you’ve put in your body at the end of the day.

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Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss

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So many people start out on a health and fitness journey with a goal of losing weight. They don’t like the way they look and feel and think that losing weight is the answer. They’re focused exclusively on lowering the number on the scale. I’m here to say forget about losing weight. Instead, focus on losing fat. What’s the difference?
When you go on a calorie restrictive diet and lose weight, you will lose some fat, but most of what you lose is water weight and you will also lose muscle. That works against you. Muscle is what keeps your metabolism burning on high. When you lose it, your metabolism slows down and your body burns fewer calories. That results in storing more of what you eat as fat.
Two people who weigh the same can look dramatically different. To change the shape of your body you need to lose fat and replace it with lean muscle. Doing this will increase your metabolic rate which means your body will burn more calories all day long – even when you’re just sitting on the couch. How do you lose fat? It takes a combination of a healthy and nutritious diet and resistance training.

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Foods that Fight Fat

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All of the foods you eat affect your metabolism in some way. Some will make you feel sluggish and tired and slow things down. Some will spur cravings that are hard to resist. But others can stimulate your metabolism in a good way.
These foods can help your body burn more fat, reduce your appetite and help you avoid cravings.
Coffee – Caffeine increases your metabolism and boosts energy during workouts.
Green Tea – The EGCG antioxidant in green tea boosts your metabolism and helps to curb your appetite.
Broccoli – This veggie is low in calories, high in fiber and high in chromium.
Chili Peppers – The spice capsaicin in these suppresses your appetite.
Fatty Fish – The omega-3’s in fish like salmon are very filling and the iodine assists with metabolic functions.
Eggs – Eggs are very nutrient dense. They are full of protein and healthy fat but low in calories.
Chia Seeds – These seeds are very high in fiber and they turns to a gel-like consistency in your stomach,

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Dieting Kills Your Metabolism

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Most people know that if you want to lose weight, you need to put your body into a calorie deficit. At the most basic level this means you need to burn more calories than you take in. With this in mind, many people make the HUGE mistake of cutting way back on calories so much that it actually lowers their metabolism. I’ve heard of people bringing their calorie intake down to 800 calories a day which frankly is absurd.

While cutting down on calories will work in the short term, in the long term you’re doing more damage than you know. When you deprive your body of the calories and nutrients it needs to function, your brain will eventually kick in to survival mode. It will lower your metabolism in an effort to prevent you from starving to death. The scientific term for this is adaptive thermogenesis which basically means your body adapts to burn fewer calories based on what you’re taking in. And here’s the kicker, once your metabolism slows down, it may not ever be restored to its normal function. A study published in The International Journal of Obesity found that low-calorie diets led to a 15% slow down in metabolism long term.

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What’s Your Why?

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Did you know that 92 percent of people who set goals fail to achieve them? I was floored when I saw that statistic. How could so many people who start out with the best intentions fall short of their goals or flat out fail?  So I did a little reading about the 8 percent who do succeed and what sets them apart. I learned that the people who do succeed always know their why.  They always know the reason why they have the goals they do.

You might be thinking – that’s simple. I know why I want to lose weight. Or I know why I want to get in shape. It’s because I want to look good in a swimsuit. Or it’s because my doctor said I should.  Or it’s because my best friend is getting married and I’m in the wedding. Those reasons are all well and good. But the why I’m talking about is a deeper and more meaningful thing that will compel you to keep trying even when things get challenging.

Do you know your why? Here’s a simple exercise to help you zero in on a crystal clear health and fitness why.

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Smash Your Goals in 2019

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I love this time of year. The Christmas rush is over and we’re on the cusp of a new year. People seem to have a renewed sense of energy and the feeling that anything is possible. One of the things I do to help me get in the right mindset to take on the new year is to spend some time on goal setting. It’s been proven that setting a goal is absolutely critical to being successful regardless of what aspect of your life you’d like to improve.

I’ve seen firsthand how much having a clear set goal impacts people’s health journey. So, whether it has been a while since you started working out or if you’re just beginning, it’s worth your while to take the time to set your objectives. Short term fitness goals you can achieve quickly will help keep you motivated from day-to-day while longer term goals will help you stay focused on your bigger picture objectives.
As with most things, there is a right way and wrong way to approach goal setting. Studies have shown that people who set SMART goals have greater success. Follow these guidelines to steer your goal setting in the right direction.

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