News, Recipes & Workouts
Fat-Loss Tricks That Actually Work
No matter what type of diet or fitness program you choose, the fact of the matter is you still have to eat less calories than you burn off if you want to lose weight. The truth is you don’t even have to step foot into a gym to lose weight if you follow this rule. Now, trust me – I am not suggesting that you don’t exercise because exercise will keep the weight off. But, I am saying that even when life gets busy and you don’t get into the gym, you will still lose weight if your calories are on track.
You need to know these three numbers if you are serious about burning fat:
- Calories - Multiply your goal weight by 10 = Total calories per day (Example: Your goal weight is 120 pounds; 120 x 10 = 1200 calories per day)
- Carbohydrates need to be kept at 100 grams or less per day to lose weight and reduce body fat.
- Fat - Eat less than 20 grams per day to lose weight and body fat!
How do I do this you ask? Here are five easy ways to push your body into the fat-burning zone before you enter the gym!
- Replace your favorite breakfast with a clean whey protein shake; this will increase your metabolism 25% and keep it burning strong all day. Be sure your shake is under 160 calories, low carb and no fat! Look for 24 grams of protein max.
- Have a large tossed salad with 3 ounces of chicken breast or tuna fish for lunch. Your best bet is to have a shake and a salad (no animal protein) if you really want to lose fast!
- Instead of your favorite snack foods, have a piece of fruit instead to cleanse and detox your body.
- Swap the starch out at dinner for an additional vegetable. This is easier to do than you think! Go for grilled fish with a salad and vegetable – or better yet, have three vegetables!
- Try to eat between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. – not before or after. This is a very easy yet extremely effective way to get your body to burn stored fat for fuel.
Each one of these simple swaps can cause you to lose 1-2 pounds in the first week, the safe and healthy way. Try to follow this cleansing program for 1-2 weeks, depending on how much weight you need to lose. Many professional models and actresses follow this system Monday through Thursday to keep their weight in check and their bodies running clean and healthy! Don’t forget to do 60 minutes of cardio a day to get your fat-burning engines running in high gear!
- Lisa Lynn
- Tags: Diet Metabolism Nutrition Weight loss
Lose Pounds by Valentine's Day
If losing weight is one of your resolutions for 2012, then get ready for a new year and a new you with my Slimmer by Dinner Meal Plan. Following a plan actually makes our lives easier by removing temptations and hard decisions so you’re not thinking about food all day. Anyone can do this anywhere and anytime, and the best part is that it’s guaranteed to work even if you’re severely metabolic resistant or have thyroid problems.
In fact, this plan was created for people with hypothyroidism and have the hardest time losing weight. That means if you’re not hypothyroid, you will lose weight even more quickly. Expect to flatten out your stomach, tighten up jiggly areas, and lose inches – not just weight.
Are you ready to get started? Here are three things you will need to do to lose weight fast:
1. Prep your body to burn fat first thing in the morning and all day long by drinking a protein shake for breakfast, along with:
- 1 cup of black coffee
- At least 700mg of L-Carnitine if you need extra metabolic support
Repeat this for lunch as well for best results.
2. Have two snacks per day! A high-protein bar (must be low-fat and low-carb) and a green apple are snacks that cause weight loss, so don’t skip them! If you’re a frequent snacker, try splitting the protein bar into thirds or at least in half and use it as your “need-to-chew” food that will keep you on track!
3. Eat “green and beige” for dinner. While fish is always best, my favorite recipe when I’m trying to lose weight and I need comfort food is the Turkey Meatball and Salad Soup (which you can find on my website). Remember, any cold salad can be tossed into a pan and heated for a warm, yummy, filling dinner. All I do is add some garlic powder and 2 minutes later, my dinner is done and I feel full and satisfied!
- Lisa Lynn
- Tags: Diet Nutrition Weight loss
5 Ways to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
“I'll start my weight-loss program after the holidays.” So many people say it, but that attitude can kill you. Literally. Every time you indulge in high-fat foods you damage your veins and metabolism, often permanently. For many overweight people the havoc wreaked by a poor diet can take years to correct.
To avoid such lasting problems, employ these 5 tricks to rev up your metabolism and force it to burn fat even when you’re not eating perfectly (say, when you’re surrounded by cookies, cakes and eggnog).
- Lisa Lynn
- Tags: Diet Metabolism Weight loss
Celeb Tips: Holiday Slimdown Secrets
The average person gains 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
It is easy to put on weight, but it’s not so easy to take it off come January. The holidays are not a license to throw your healthy lifestyle out the window. Rather, they should be a time to be even more aware of how you treat your body. Here are the top six ways that stars stay so fit through the holidays.
Plan your eating. Mark all of your holiday parties on a calendar and create a personal eating guideline for each event. Plan to eat lean the days before and after the party. Don’t waste calories on bad food! I always say: Make a plan or plan to fail.
Set a calorie curfew. Write down your calorie total for the day and be sure to stay within these numbers. Then set a curfew and don’t eat after it. A great curfew time is 8 p.m.
Go veggie crazy. If you like to nibble, then veggies are your best friend. It will take you all night to overeat if you’re eating fresh vegetables (without creamy dips); meanwhile, you can easily consume 100-200 calories with an ounce of cheese or a handful of nuts. Be honest with yourself ahead of time and set yourself up for success by bringing the veggie plate!
Stand firm. Don’t be intimidated, persuaded or cajoled into overindulging at a holiday gathering. When the hostess offers you something that isn’t right for you, smile and politely decline. You can say, “No thanks,” “I’m stuffed,” or “I’m allergic.” If all else fails, take a cue from your kids and simply say, “I’m sorry, but I just don’t like that.”
Begin with the end in mind. Winners always do this. Don’t start your day with a latte and bagel. Instead, start your day off with a metabolism-boosting protein shake or egg whites. By preparing, you set the eating tone for your day. The same goes for parties: Go in prepared. Don’t starve yourself and enter a party ravenous. Instead, eat clean and go to the party sated. That way, you can control the food instead of letting it control you.
Don’t forget to exercise. Studies have shown that when people exercise, they tend to eat better. Exercise more when there are lots of parties happening. Add an extra walk or cardio session to what you are already doing. It will not only burn extra calories, but it will keep you out of trouble. Instead of baking, do more cardio. And remember not to set unrealistic goals: Aim for progress, not perfection.
- Lisa Lynn
- Tags: holiday weight loss wellness
Energy Drinks: 3 Natural Alternatives
What would you say if I told you that your energy drink contained a half-cup of sugar, excessive levels of caffeine, unidentified stimulants, red food dye and taurine, among other health-harming ingredients? Many of the most popular energy drinks contain ingredients you wouldn’t put in your car – so why would you put it in your body?
Energy drinks are supposed to provide mental and physical stimulation for a set amount of time and are mainly used during periods of strenuous physical activity and to quench thirst. Unfortunately, energy drinks do not hydrate the body and can actually cause dehydration. Energy drinks can also cause serious health problems, such as increased blood pressure, stomach problems, panic attacks, anxiety, and cardiac arrhythmias. They can even cause tooth erosion.
One of the major concerns of consuming these energy drinks when you’re tired is that it masks the symptoms of fatigue. When we do this, we push our bodies past what they are capable of doing and place dangerous strain on the heart muscle. Even drinking too much coffee can place this strain on our bodies and our hearts. Masking fatigue by using stimulants like energy drinks or drinking strong coffee makes us feel worse in the long run. When we crash, we feel even more tired and weaken our immune system, as well as stressing our adrenal system. Headaches, nausea, as well as severe irritability are a few of the symptoms that can be felt when coming off these types of drinks. This is what makes them highly addictive – the only way to feel better is to drink another one or take more supplements.
So, what should we do when we are tired and not feeling good? We need to step back and assess why we are so tired in the first place. The solution is in the problem! Most people are tired and lack energy due to poor sleep and/or because they aren’t getting enough of the right nutrients that make us feel good and keep our energy levels balanced all day.
3 Things You Can Do to Increase Your Energy
1. Get enough protein. Sixty percent of women do not get enough protein in their diets and that is often the number-one reason for fatigue! Reaching your body’s protein requirements is not easy and it’s a lot of work. Most of us need to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body weight. If you want to weigh 120 pounds, you need to consume 120 grams of protein per day from lean sources such as egg whites, fish, turkey and chicken breast, or non-fat cottage cheese. I suggest that all women drink a high-quality protein shake every day to satisfy their body’s nutrient requirements.
Protein shakes make your life easy. You don’t have to think, plan or cook – just drink and go! Be sure to look for a high-quality whey protein shake that is under 160 calories and has no fat, minimal carbs and under 5 grams of sugar. Make sure the whey protein you choose is geared for health and weight loss and NOT weight gain, so you can add it to oatmeal or make a delicious shake for breakfast.
I also recommend that the shake have at least 2000 mg of glutamine already added to it. Glutamine is an awesome brain booster that can help ease depression and keep you alert for hours without the crashes that come with energy drinks. I adore my chocolate whey drink every morning in a small cup with very little water; I eat it like fudge brownie batter – yet it’s virtually sugar-free, contains no fat, and is absolutely delicious! If I dont want it cold, I make it like “healthy hot chocolate” or add it to my oatmeal. I always struggle with meeting my protein requirements and having a whey protein shake makes reaching my daily numbers do-able because I can add it to my coffee or to baked goods, such as health muffins. Whey has also been known to decrease blood pressure and increase energy, strength, and also ease depression.
2. Sleep more. Plan your life around your sleep schedule to get as much sleep as possible. It’s as simple as planning your activities so that you are home in enough time to relax and get sleepy. There is nothing more powerful as a good night’s sleep! Getting enough rest is the very best way to slow aging and feel great! Aim for 7-8 hours each night and create a sleep pattern so you go to bed at the same time every day and wake up at the same time every day, even on your days off. It will be well worth it – I promise. This step is extra important for anyone who struggles with depression and anxiety. If all else fails and you can’t sleep well due to stress or hormonal changes, take 3 mg of melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime or six drops of oxytocin to ease anxiety and help you sleep deeper. All healing happens when we sleep, so make it your priority!
3. Drink water! We all need to consume a minimum of eight glasses of water daily to hydrate our bodies. If we are even a little dehydrated, our metabolism can slow down up to 3%! Fill a large water pitcher full of cold water, and add slices of lemons, limes or oranges to make it more appealing so you’ll drink more. Not only does it look great, but it’s less expensive than buying bottled water, which helps our Earth at the same time. Get out your favorite glass and leave the pitcher out in front of your face so you’re called to it everytime you walk by.
Taking care of your health is the best way to prevent fatigue so you never need to buy those garbage drinks again!
Exercise Less and Lose More
What’s more frustrating than working out hard and gaining weight? Many people end up larger and heavier because they exercise so intensely that they are ravenous after the workout and wind up binging.
The good news is that there are three proven techniques you can use to boost your results and lose weight faster. These tricks will decrease the amount of time you spend in the gym and push your body to lose weight immediately after your workout.
1. Finish your entire workout in less than 40 minutes.
That’s right. Remove the rest periods and work out with a sense of urgency. A study from the College of New Jersey found that people who exercise harder during the first half of their workouts and ease up a bit in the second half burn up to 23% more fat than people who start out slowly. After you warm up, bump up your workout intensity and give it your all. People who train this way lose three times as much fat as those who do steady, moderate cardio.
2. Lift heavier weights for fewer reps.
Boost your metabolism long after your workout by training with heavy weights. As researchers at the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education have learned, the heavier you lift, the greater the boost to your metabolic rate and the longer that boost will last. The outcome? Increased fat loss. Pick up heavier weights and you’ll see fast results (this goes for women, too). Once you become physically fit, keep it up. The more active you are, the better your body is at burning fat.
3. Eat clean protein before you exercise.
If you need to eat before your workout, stay away from carb-heavy cereal and bread; these foods only cause your body to burn off your previous meal instead of stored fat. Instead, grab a clean protein shake (low-carb, low-fat and lactose free) or egg whites. If you follow this diet, your workouts will be legitimate fat-burning sessions.
- Lisa Lynn
- Tags: fitness weight loss
Holiday Eating: The Day-After Diet Plan
From Thanksgiving onward, do you feel like you have a food hangover from overeating? The average person gains 9-12 pounds from Halloween through New Year’s Day. If you’re not careful, you will not only gain weight but change your metabolism permanently. Once you damage your metabolism, it can change it in a way that is hard to reverse.
Boost your metabolism before the big-eating day. There are five things you can do to keep your metabolism charged so you don’t gain any extra weight this holiday season.
1. Wait 12 hours to eat. If you last ate at 9 p.m., wait until 9 a.m. to eat again. You need to give your body time to metabolize. Set an alarm to remind you when you can begin eating again the following day.
2. Have a whey protein shake for breakfast. Drinking this shake boosts metabolism by 25%. It’s also a good preventive measure if you drink a shake on the big-eating day to help burn things off faster. If you drink one before the big meal, it will keep you feeling full so you don’t overeat.
3. Take six drops of oxytocin. This is the feel-good hormone our bodies naturally produce when we aren’t stressed. A few drops under the tongue will de-stress you and block the release of cortisol that makes us store fat around our waist. When we’re stressed, we make poor food decisions. When relaxed, we think clearly and make smart food choices.
4. Take carb-blocking supplements 30-minutes before your meal. Studies prove that taking supplements that contain white kidney bean extract or raspberry ketones will stop your body from absorbing the carbs and fats from your meal.
5. Exercise before your meal to burn fat – but exercise after your meal to torch calories. There are lots of different ways to exercise, but if you want to burn fat, you need to exercise at a moderate intensity on the big-eating day and kick it up a notch the following day to torch calories. I say to exercise moderately, as you want to prepare your body to burn fat – not store it by exercising too intensely!
- Lisa Lynn
- Tags: Diet Fitness Holidays Nutrition Weight Loss
Hidden Sugar: Top Sources You May Not Know
Think your "diet" food is going to cause you to lose weight? Think again. Can't figure out why you're not losing weight even though you think you're eating right? It could very well be that your "diet" food is stopping your weight loss before it gets started due to the notorious hidden sugars.
Remember, just because it says "no sugar added" doesn't meant it's sugar-free. It just means that no "extra" sugar was added to the contents. Chances are that the product itself may contain enough sugar to slow down your weight loss without you even knowing it.
So, want to lose weight? Know where the top sources of hidden sugar are and stop eating them. When we eat sugar, we hurt our weight-loss efforts in two ways:
- We cause our fat cells to go into storage mode.
- We stop fat-burning. Instead of burning fat while doing cardiovascular exercise, we are simply burning off all of the extra sugar that we consumed.
Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that elevates your blood sugar. Every time you consume sugar, or a product that contains sugar, you’re not only elevating your blood sugar but you’re stopping fat loss. If you’re trying to lose body fat and excess weight, stay away from sugar. This essentially starves the fat cells so that they go away. After all, most of us exercise to burn body fat.
I know how hard it is to avoid sugar. It's extreme to say it, but sugar is one of the most widely used drugs in our country. Sugar is also in part responsible for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cavities. Did you know that sugar, due to its addictive nature, makes your diet plan harder to stick to? Did you know that sugar feeds cancer cells?
The key to overall health and to successful workouts is to cut sugar from your diet. Of course, you’ll need to make sure you’re not unknowingly consuming it. Here are the top hidden sources that you can find sugar in your diet:
Breakfast Cereal
Toasted rice flakes contain 10 grams of sugar per serving. Instant flavored oatmeal often has 16 grams of sugar per serving. Instead, go for sugar-free, high-fiber cereals or plain instant oatmeal that you flavor yourself with blueberries and cinnamon.
Protein Drinks
Popular pre-packaged weight-loss drinks pack 35 grams of sugar per serving. Homemade smoothies made with skim milk can have up to 80 grams of sugar depending on how you make them. One cup of skim milk has 11 grams of sugar. Most soy milk brands have 12 grams of sugar per serving. Once you add in juice and fresh fruit, you’ve made a super-sugary concoction. LynFit's Protein Shakes are very low-sugar, making them the best choice for faster weight loss.
Yogurt and Yogurt Drinks
If your yogurt or yogurt drink isn’t sugar-free, it can have anywhere from 27-60 grams of sugar per serving. Aim for the sugar-free variety.
Dried Fruit
People tend to overeat dried fruit because they think that it’s good for them. But dried fruit is not as nutritious as fresh fruit. A 1.5-ounce box of raisins has 30 grams of sugar! Instead, grab fresh fruit like a green apple.
Fruit Juice
Juice can have anywhere from 30-80 grams of sugar. Many processed juices also lack the fiber whole fruit or fresh juices provide. Drink water instead.
Be sure to read all nutrition labels. Stay away from sugar and sugary products to put your fat loss in the fast lane.
Need more irresistibly delicious recipes that not only steer clear of the hidden sugars, but also boost your metabolism? Make sure to check out 100 of them in my book, The Metabolism Solution, HERE. Your family will love you for it!
- Lisa Lynn
- Tags: Food Addiction Nutrition Weight Loss
