Spin class does not have to be intimidating...

You can do spin!

 You may think that spin is only for the most hardcore exercisers. But, anybody can do spin! People of all fitness levels can take the same class and all get a great workout!

Some may ask, what is spinning?  Well, you will not need a magazine for this like you might on other cardio machines. Spinning classes are a group workout that are done in a health club studio, usually with various lighting, such as the lights dimmed and neon lights on, and pumped up music fills the air to create an energized atmosphere. The bikes are not regular stationary bikes, they are spin bikes with gears which you can adjust with an easy to reach knob to make the pedaling harder or easier. The instructor on the lead bike with a headset calls out commands to guide you through workout phases, which are a warm-up to more challenging phases to a period of peak effort followed by a cool down. These include sprints, climbs, steady cadences (how fast you are pedaling) etc. The instructor will call out phrases like "add gear!" and "come out of the saddle!" (you stand while pedaling) because there is a "big hill coming!" or  you are riding "through the mud!" or "lose gear!" and "sprint!" (pedaling as fast as you can) because you are "riding down hill!" or in a "tail wind!" etc. These phrases get you out of the room and onto the road using visualization. You control the resistance by adding or losing gear on your bike to make the pedaling as easy or hard as you choose. It is your ride!

Just some of the great reasons to give it a spin...Burn more calories! I'm not going to give you a number, but trust me you burn a LOT of calories! Spinning will make you push yourself. Left on your own, you are more likely go easier on yourself. Spinning classes will motivate you to work harder and get a better workout, which means better results and higher calorie burn than on your own. It does not take long for this to show up as weight loss. Shapely Legs! Spinning will make a difference in the shapely appearance of your legs. Low Impact! Spinning is a low-impact cardio exercise, which means it's easier on your joints, including your knees and ankles, than many other forms of cardio. Get the natural endorphin kick! You will feel better throughout the day following a workout and you have more energy. An ab workout too!  In addition to the major leg muscles worked during a spinning routine, the abdominal muscles get a workout, as well. Over time you will feel your entire body begin to tone up, including your abs. Feel connected and have fun! The spin class makes the whole workout experience more fun and helps you feel connected with the people around you, like you're all in it together.  

I hope you go for it! Try a spin class! It's cool! I was hooked after my first time! Make sure you bring water and a towel and be a little early to reserve and adjust your bike. 
Have a great ride! ~Amy

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Clean Eating to Get Healthy and Fit...

"Clean Eating" makes getting thin easy, natural and enjoyable!

  You may have heard about something called "clean eating". This is the way I eat. I am nearing 44 years old and I feel better than I ever have and staying thin is easier than ever before! How I wish I had discovered clean eating even sooner! I believe it is the healthiest way to eat. Clean eating is eating whole foods that are not processed, modified or hydrogenated. Foods are processed for a couple of reasons: to increase shelf life and to mass produce at a lower cost. Our bodies are not meant to process all of those chemicals used. You can begin by reading labels and apply this one basic rule: If you can’t pronounce the names of the ingredients on the label, then you probably shouldn’t put it into your body. It’s that simple! 

Here is a few clean eating tips:

• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Processing them reduces their nutritional value and adds, salt, fat, sugar and chemicals. Choose fruit instead on fruit juice and if you must pick a processed vegetable, frozen is always better than canned.
• Eat lean meats, preferably choose organic or grass fed meats because these are usually clean of pesticides, hormones and additives. Grill, broil, or bake rather than fry.
• Avoid soda and high calorie, sugary drinks. Choose water or tea, or make your own juice with fresh fruits and veggies without added sugars or preservatives. The chemical compounds found in diet foods such as sucralose, aspartame and cyclamate are much harder for your digestive tract to break down. These sweeteners can also be up to 300 times sweeter than natural sugar!
• Trade bad fats for good fats, Removing saturated fats, and eating monounsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats, from foods like nuts or fatty fish.
• Choose low-fat or fat free dairy. Note that some people who live a clean eating lifestyle don't eat dairy products. I have replaced cows milk with almond milk and I really like it, although I do eat cheese and choose the low fat.
• Choose whole grains. I recommend Ezekial bread which is a sprouted grain bread with no preservatives and a complete protein. Tastes great too! You find it in the freezer at select stores.
• Eat several meals to keep blood sugar stable and to avoid overeating. 

If you eat this way you may not ever feel a need to count calories, but instead trust in good quality, healthy food. Instead of stressing the liver out daily with junk, it will recover fast. It rebalances your body chemistry, helps break your sugar addiction, and boosts your metabolism, so getting thin is easy, natural and enjoyable. Your body will become primed for fat burning and building lean muscle. You will balance your hormones and detox your body. It may be a little hard at first, and if you are used to eating foods with a lot of saturated fat or refined sugars, your tastes buds may need to adjust. But you can choose to still have your favorite foods, and just save them for a once a week cheat day, or maybe twice a week cheat day! That's what I do. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes easy! I am working on helping you guys with tasty "clean" food ideas, so keep visiting me on my facebook page Amy.Fit.

I Have a great day!

Amy

Cheat on your diet and lose weight...

 Cheat on Your Diet

to Help You Lose More Fat!

 

 First, stop crash dieting! 

When you lose weight too quickly by cutting calories dramatically your body acts like it is starving. The hormones secreted will make you hungry and have lower energy and want to eat more. You are not doing your body any favors this way! Similar to a bicycle, your metabolism needs momentum to work. To get the most out of your metabolism, you need to eat smaller portions more frequently throughout the day. 

Also once a week cheat!

 Have a nice, high calorie meal. Your body senses the rush of fuel and boosts your metabolism, priming your body for fat loss. This way, as you are losing weight, your body adjusts and realizes that you are not starving. Cheating helps ease your body through these changes happening.

So you can enjoy something delicious and still win!  Enjoy! :) 

 Amy

Leptin, The Hunger OFF Switch...

Leptin, The Hunger OFF Switch...

Leptin is the hormone of satisfaction. Leptin is a protein that is secreted by our own bodies and it controls how full we feel. So, it tells us when to stop eating. Leptin also increases metabolism. 

To control your appetite and hunger you can keep keep your leptin levels high by doing the following.

• Avoid high fructose corn syrup and too much sugar. High fructose corn syrup blocks leptin from letting your brain know that you are done eating. The brain does not recognize fructose as a real food and it makes you keep eating. Sugars make your brain less sensitive to leptin.
• Eat your healthy fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. The healthy fats help boost your leptin levels, so they are more satisfying than saturated fats. Both are also great for you heart and arteries.
• Take zinc. Zinc increases your leptin levels. You can buy zinc in 15mg packets or get it from your multivitamin, which usually contains 12mg 
• Stop crash diets. When you lose a lot of weight quickly from serious calorie restriction, your leptin levels plummet. So you get hungrier, your thyroid decreases output and your metabolic rate drops.
• Eat ONE large meal per week.Your body then senses the rush of fuel and boosts leptin levels, increasing your metablism and priming your body for fat loss. 
• Sleep well. Research has found that shorter sleep periods (6 hours or less) lowers leptin levels, cause an increase in appetite and make people crave carbs and other fattening foods. 
  And remember,  
  the best way to stay healthy is to stay informed.
   Have a great day! Amy

Is Stress Causing You to Gain Weight???...

 

Is Stress Causing You to Gain Weight???

 Neuropeptide Y or called NPY is a stress hormone

that increases with severe or prolonged stress.

The main effect is increased food intake and decreased physical activity. In addition to increasing food intake,

NPY increases the proportion of energy stored as fat.

This may be the reason some people who are chronically under a lot of stress gain weight.

Skipping meals may increase this hormone.
Another good reason not to skip meals!

I hope this helps someone :)

Amy 

When the Gremlin Growls... Do you know what's happening when your stomach is growling?...

Do you know what happens when your stomach growls from hunger?

 Ghrelin is a growth hormone produced in your stomach which tells your brain that your body has to be fed. Ghrelin is what makes your stomach growl, and if you ignore the signals, then your belly sends out more ghrelin... a lot more. At this point you have very little will power and will likely over eat.The secretion of ghrelin also causes weight gain, particularly in the abdominal area.  Once you've started eating, it takes about 30 minutes for ghrelin levels to fall and that full feeling to kick in. But if you eat a 100 calorie snack
(like a handful of nuts or a piece of fruit) 
about a half hour before mealtime, your ghrelin levels will 
already be subsiding by the time you pick up your fork.

So eat a steady supply of food and don't let the gremlin
ggggrowl !!!!

Have a great day!
Amy

Should I exercise my muscles while they are sore?...

 

Should I exercise my muscles 

while they are sore?...

 

 The short answer is no, you should let your muscles rest 2-3 days before working out again. Your muscles actually grow stronger while you rest. You should relax and wait for complete recovery in order to exercise again. A condition known as a delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS is stiffness and pain that you can feel in your muscles due to exercise routines and it is felt within the first 24 - 72 hours after the exercise. You can workout a different muscle group until your sore muscles have fully recovered. 

Some tips to help prevent muscle soreness:

• Warm up before your workout.
• Stay hydrated during your workout.
• Consume a post workout protein drink with in an hour after workout.
• Vitamin C...500 mg of  Vitamin C about an hour before workout.

LEMON WATER... Drinking lots of water with lemon juice will activate the burning of...

LEMON WATER... 

Drinking lots of water with lemon juice will activate 

the burning of stored fat in your body. 

Why? Lemon water is a bile thinner. 

This means it helps bile do a better job of processing fat. Water and lemon juice also prevents cravings and 

with more water in your system, expect to feel 

more energetic and get a clearer complexion. 

Tip: Try waking up in the morning and drink a water along with your coffee. This will hydrate you 

and you can use the restroom before work ;)

Have a great day,

Amy

Sweet Potates: A Natural Weight-Loss Food

Sweet Potatoes, 

A Natural Weight-Loss Food

It's nutritional profile makes the calories worth it, especially since they are fat free.  Its fiber alone is enough to make a sweet potato worth eating. 

If a beta-carotene contest were held, sweet potatoes would tie carrots for first place. That may make them top-notch for fighting chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease, as well as...

To read full article click HERE http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/natural-foods/natural-weight-loss-food-sweet-potatoes-ga.htm