The Perfect Time to Begin your Fat Loss Program

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html

“I’ll Begin When….”
Sound familiar? Waiting for the right time to begin your fat loss program?
I’m wondering something….

What is the magic in waiting?
What do you expect will suddenly be different one week, two weeks, a month from now?

As Busy Moms - there will always be too much to do. And guess what….there is no “perfect time” - except the time that you can take RIGHT NOW - to make a firm decision to begin something that is Overflowing with benefits into your life and the lives of your family.

If I told you that you could…

~ Have more energy
~ Eliminate cravings
~ Dramatically reduce stress
~ Drop a Jean Size
~ Feel good about yourself again

Would you smile, look me in the eye and say….”No thanks, not right now, the time just isn’t right” Huh…?

If not now -to Look and Feel great…. then when? And when that time arrives….what is to prevent you from making the exact same statement? Then you look up to find another year has passed!

So what are you hoping to accomplish by putting off what you deserve to have right now?

It is quite unfortunate that during the holiday season, on the cusp of the New Year where “resolutioners” come out of their sedentary lifestyles for a brief moment as they promise…”This time I will lose weight” - only to find themselves defeated yet again as they quickly revert back to old habits.

It’s pretty obvious that this approach just does not work. Taking the easy route, the route that allows us to stay with unsupportive, familiar habits is giving us nothing in return - in fact it is draining and taking away your 3 sources power … your valuable time, money and energy.

Super Busy Mom, Sarah Z. came to an amazing realization…

“One of the things that has been holding me back was needing to feel like everything was ‘in place’ (more or less) before I took the time to exercise.

I felt like I had to ‘have time’ to exercise.

Nope, I’ve got to make time, I know…but now I know what that really means.

It means making time to do it REGARDLESS OF THE CHAOS around me. I am now starting to visualize a messy house (not too hard a stack of piles waiting for me — and me exercising anyway — and then tacking all that stuff AFTER I’ve exercised.”

This is a brilliant realization and one you need to take to heart, moms.

“Your actions express your priorities”

What statement are you making about what matters most to you if you put it on the back burner?

Moms - It’s Time! Time to make your health and fitness, your ability to reclaim your pre-baby body, your ability to look in the mirror and feel good about what you see a Priority starting today. Fit Yummy Mummy is your solution to putting your priorities into action.

Holly Rigsby, CPT, MAT America’s #1 Fat Loss Expert for Busy Moms and the author of http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html. Holly has worked with over 300 Mom’s to help them lose the stubborn baby fat, get their pre-baby body back and reclaim their yummy-ness.

Busy Moms Burn More Fat with Breakfast!

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html

Breakfast is easily the most overlooked solution than all other fat burning tips combined.

Q: Breakfast.

I always eat breakfast but often don't get to it until about an hour or sometimes two (if I'm up early) after I get up. Is this OK or do I have to eat earlier than this? (I'm busy during the week getting the kids ready and off to school). What's the maximum amount of time I can go from waking to eating brekky?

A: Hooray! You are eating the most important meal of the day!

Many Busy Moms tend to skip this meal for a variety of reasons. However, doing so will only work against your body's ability to lose fat.

Skipping breakfast will only send the message to your body that you're starving - you haven't had food in the last 6-8 hours. This leads your body to SLOW your metabolism for survival purposes. You essentially are choosing to start your day in fat storage mode.

PLUS - if you do not start your day with a supportive breakfast, it is only natural that by the time lunch rolls around - You are STARVING. The best of intentions cannot overcome the cravings that accompany this feeling. Sure, you may start off your "lunch time" snack or meal with something you consider to be quite healthy. Yet, those nagging cravings do not go away and you are compelled to eat more.

To make matters worse, skipping breakfast also leads to eating more later in the day - a big "dinner". Eating more calories during the last meal of the day, when your metabolism is naturally slower during the second half of the day and slower because breakfast was skipped leads your body to store those calories as fat.

In fact, studies show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat four or five times a day. If you skip meals, you tend to feel hungrier later on and you will eat more than you normally would.

To get the Best Benefits of Breakfast - yes, eating within an hour of waking is best. Breakfast will provide you with the energy you need to get through your day. The more energy you have, the more active you’ll be and the more active you are, the more calories you burn.

Favorite Busy Mom Breakfast: Cereal is a MUST. It’s convenient, easy to prepare, easy to eat and full of nutrients – No…”Whole Grain Lucky Charm” does not fall into this category. Choose cereals carefully based on the information on the food label.

Top Breakfast Choices have:
~ 5 grams of Fiber or more
~ 8 grams of Sugar or LESS
~ Sugar is not listed as one of the first 4-5 ingredients.

Holly Rigsby, CPT, MAT America’s #1 Fat Loss Expert for Busy Moms and the author of http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html. Holly has worked with over 300 Mom's to help them lose the stubborn baby fat, get their pre-baby body back and reclaim their yummy-ness.

The Truth about How to Burn Holiday Fat

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html

“Activity is not Achievement”
Does the solution really lie in doing more cardio?
Thanksgiving marked the start of a 6-week period where we are bombarded with strategies to burn off the dreaded holiday weight gain..
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The more active you are, the more calories you burn, right? Sure, but how much time do you have? If “moving more” is THE solution, are you ready to make the time to add in the extra activity?
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Eat a piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream = 450 calories. Misleading Solution - Brisk Walking, to burn 3-5.7 calories per minute. So do you have 80 to 150 extra minutes just to burn this one indulgence off? What about all the other treats you plan to indulge in over the holidays?
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Do you want to Maintain or Achieve?
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"So go ahead and indulge, just plan on some extra time on the treadmill, and you will be back to your pre-holiday weight."
This is a quote that is floating around out there! Yes, there is a difference between maintaining your weight over the holidays vs. not going overboard, gaining weight only to end up working your butt off to get back to where you started - if that.
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Extended periods of cardio offer little return for the precious time you invest. Beating the holiday bulge is more than how many calories you burn during a workout. Rather, the solution lies in increasing and maintaining lean muscle through short burst exercise.
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Cardio does nothing to increase muscle and in come cases actually breaks down your muscle! Unlike traditional cardio, short burst exercise will boost your metabolism and increase the number of calories your burn 24-7, essentially making your body work for you!
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Do not abandon the basic principles of Fat Loss during the holidays. Working longer and harder will not get you faster results. Stop wasting your time with hours of traditional cardio.
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Your Holiday Fat Loss Solution lies in moderation and Short Burst Resistance Training and Intervals. With as little as 90 minutes a week, you can lose up to 2 pounds of fat. Practice a bit of balance and moderation and your results will be even greater! Why wait? Start the New Year at least 10 pounds lighter!
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Holly Rigsby, CPT, MAT America’s #1 Fat Loss Expert for Busy Moms and the author of http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html. Holly has worked with over 300 Mom's to help them lose the stubborn baby fat, get their pre-baby body back and reclaim their yummy-ness.

Two Flat Stomach Secrets For Women

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html

Have you tried everything under the sun to get a flat stomach, only to come up disappointed? Have you fallen prey to all the gimmicks, fad diets and shameless infomercials promising you that elusive flat stomach that you desire?

Well fret no more, I'm going to let you in on the two ‘secrets' that will help you shed unwanted fat and reveal your toned, flat stomach once and for all.

The first secret for a flat stomach is eating supportively. While this doesn't seem like a secret at all, most women get this wrong in spite of their best – but misguided – efforts. Women have fallen prey to low-fat, low-carb, Hollywood, grapefruit, South Beach and every other over hyped diet that marketers can dream up, all in hopes of shedding those unwanted pounds. But eating supportively is isn't about dieting or deprivation; it's about moderation and balance. While cutting carbs or fats out of your nutrition plan might give you a temporary loss of a couple of pounds, it's typically followed by a drop in metabolism and a weight gain of more than you lost in the first place once you go back to your old eating habits.

So what is eating supportively? Eating supportively is having protein and carbohydrates at every meal. It's grazing on 4-6 meals or snack each day instead of missing meals and then gorging yourself. It's enjoying a healthy breakfast and not drinking your calories. But most of all, eating supportively is enjoying the foods you love in moderation instead of in excess.

If eating supportively is the first secret to a flat stomach, then what's the second? The second flat stomach secret is resistance training. Unfortunately, just as fad diets have stood in the path of women achieving the flat stomachs they so desired, so have the myths of spot reduction and cardio being the best method for fat loss. Late night infomercials have long promoted gadgets that promised to spot reduce those trouble spots that women struggle with and sucked us in with testimonials from fitness models that undoubtedly picked up a nifty paycheck for endorsing their wares. But spot reduction is a myth. Think about it – have you ever met someone with a flat stomach and fat arms? Didn't think so. If spot reduction was possible then undoubtedly one of these happy customers would have toned and tightened their stomach, yet kept their flabby arms.

The other myth that has led women astray is the belief that cardio is the best solution for fat loss. Treadmill manufacturers have sold the virtues of the ‘fat burning zone' and led us to believe that we could plod along on a treadmill watching Oprah and before long a flat stomach would be ours. These two myths have diverted us from the path of what really does work – resistance training. Resistance training is a flat stomach's best friend because not only does an effective resistance training session burn plenty of calories while you're doing it, but it keeps you're metabolism revved long after you're done. One recent study showed that you're metabolism would stay elevated for over 36 hours after a resistance training session.

Try to get that out of an aerobics class.

And there's another benefit of resistance training when it comes to getting a flat stomach. The lean muscle that you gain will raise you're resting metabolic rate and help you burn more fat all day long, each and every day.

There you have it, two ‘secrets' that are guaranteed to boost your metabolism and give you that flat stomach you've been longing for. So ditch the diet books and the aerobics classes and start eating supportively and resistance training. Before long that flat stomach will finally be yours.

About the Author

Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy - Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html to get your FREE copy of her special report: "The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism."

The Magic Potion For Fat Loss

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html

If there were ever a magic potion for fat loss – it would be water. Our bodies are comprised of about 70% water. We lose about a liter (34 ounces) of water per day under normal circumstances and when the temperature in our body rises, as during exercise, we lose higher amounts of water through sweat. It only makes sense that we need to continually replenish this supply for water is necessary for nearly every function in our body. Water regulates our temperature, supports and protects our organs, helps with digestion, transports nutrients to our muscles and helps move along waste by products.

Water is, in essence, the key to fat metabolism. Here's why: one of you liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat to be burned for energy. If you are dehydrated, the kidneys cannot function properly and the liver begins to take over – as a result of working overtime, the liver metabolizes LESS fat so MORE fat remains in your body.

Sometimes we mistake mild states of dehydration for hunger. If we don't get enough fluids, our bodies give us indications that are similar to hunger pains. When this occurs, we start eating because we misunderstood what are bodies were telling us. Unnecessary calorie consumption can lead to excessive fat!

Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Drinking lots of water throughout the day helps to keep you feeling full. If your stomach feels full – you are less likely to overeat!

A constant supply of water is vital before, during and after a workout. Dehydration leads to a lack of energy, muscle fatigue and cramping. Even small amounts of water loss can hinder exercise performance.

Remember that alcohol and caffeine are diuretics, making you lose even more water, so be sure to compensate for the additional loss.

How to do it: You can replace the water lost during a typical day by drinking a minimum of 6-8 8 oz. glasses of water a day. Begin by drinking your first big glass of water right when you wake up. Drink a full glass of water with each meal. Keep water with you at all times.

To prevent dehydration, make sure you're drinking adequate amounts of water before, during and after a workout. As a rule of thumb, drink 8-12 ounces of water at least an hour before beginning to exercise, 8 oz during exercise and 8 oz when finished. If you are hungry about an hour after eating, try drinking a glass or two of water- you maybe misreading thirst for hunger. If you are still hungry after 15-20 minutes then proceed with a supportive snack to tide you over until your next meal.

Here's a ‘success strategy' to get you started: Make drinking water more fun by adding a slice of lemon or lime. Drink water out of a frosted mug or colorful glass. Grab-n-go flavor packets add variety to water between meals. Keep a bottle of water in the car at all times. At work, pack an allotted number of bottled water and set a goal to finish the pack by the end of the day.

For those who tend to prefer carbonated beverages to plain water try sparkling water. Not only is it crisp and refreshing, it satisfies the need for carbonation. Just make sure you choose a sparkling water that does not contain sugar or fruit juice to avoid additional calories.

So if your goal is fat loss, combine a total body strength training program, supportive nutrition and some interval training with your magic fat loss potion and you're destined for success!

About the Author

Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy - Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html to get your FREE copy of her special report: "The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism."

Fat Loss, One A Day At A Time

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html

Rome wasn't built in a day and your fat loss won't happen that way either. Don't expect to start eating perfectly and exercising religiously tomorrow. Instead set yourself up for success by implementing at least one supportive habit per week. Make an effort to adopt the premise of "progress, not perfection." By developing awareness that improvement is measured by your daily progress, you can save yourself a lot of grief and frustration from the beginning. Focusing on small, positive steps in everything you do is a vital component to change. It starts you moving in the right direction and the momentum of your amazing, transforming results will soon follow. With time, commitment and a willingness to continue to take those small steps, failure is not an option.

How to do it: Be mindful of the fact that you didn't gain it overnight so you're not going to lose it overnight. A safe and effective fat loss program will yield 1 to 2 pounds of fat loss a week, not 10. As you begin your weight loss journey, aim for 2-3 small improvements each week. Build up to eating more supportively and moving a little more than yesterday. These small changes will add up to big improvements over time.

Beware of supplements and "quick fixes" that promise accelerated fat loss. Instead, plan on losing fat weight slowly. Sure we all want instant results, but it's impossible to undo a years of inactivity and poor nutrition overnight.

Instead of only looking at the big picture, try to break it down into smaller bites. Set one-month goals, three-month goals, six-month goals and even yearly goals. Carry over each previous goal to make sure that you aren't stopping one to achieve another. Make sure goals are achievable and realistic and what you truly want. A half-hearted desire will produce half-hearted results.

Remember, life happens and we must face the challenges. Sometimes that means not getting to exercise or eat properly. The difference is we get it. We make it a point to view each situation, each setback as an opportunity to LEARN and ASK, "What could I do differently next time?" Then it becomes a matter of getting back on track as soon as possible. Leave the excuses and blame behind and forget about beating ourselves up – we're only human. Strive to do a little better today than you did the day before. The key is to stay consistent, focused and take daily action. Make goals meaningful. Our minds cannot differentiate between achieving an enormous goal or a miniscule goal it only perceives success or failure. If you set a goal that is impossible to fail you'll only be setting yourself up for tremendous victory.

Don't be too rigid. Telling your self that you HAVE to workout for a set time to feel a sense of completion is ill fated. If you set out to workout for 30 minutes and you only get in 20, you'll more apt to be disappointed regardless of how hard you worked. If you simply set a goal to go to the gym at least 2-3 days a week and complete your resistance training and cardio you'll perceive yourself as a winner.

An additional goal idea: Have you ever wanted to participate in a race or sport that you've never had the endurance for? Then use that as a goal! When the end justifies the means it's easier to make it through the rough spots. It's a win-win situation if you are able to achieve a want and a need simultaneously!

About the Author

Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy - Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html to get your FREE copy of her special report: "The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism."

Beat Fat With Breakfast

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html

Breakfast is easily the most overlooked solution when it comes to effective fat burning tips. Studies consistently show that people, who regularly eat breakfast, eat fewer calories throughout the day, have better nutritional habits, and weigh less than those who choose to skip breakfast.

When it comes to your fat loss, your goal is to make your body burn more calories. Your metabolism is like a burning fire, how can you make the fire burn stronger without putting something on it to burn? Our bodies are burning fat and calories 24 hours a day, however, calories are burned at the slowest rate while we are sleeping. Without something to jump-start it in the morning, your metabolism may remain in slow motion throughout the day and any extra calories – no matter how healthy - will be stored as fat.

The act of eating and digesting supportive foods frequently, increases your metabolism so you can burn more fat and calories all day long.

How to do it: Eat a supportive meal within an hour of waking. Feel like your always running late? No time to eat? The secret – get up 10-20 minutes earlier and keep it simple. Not only can you increase time spent with your family at the kitchen table, but making time to start your day off with a high protein, high fiber breakfast will boost your metabolism, your energy and your mood. Because breakfast provides you with the energy you need to get through your day, the more energy you have, the more active you'll be and the more active you are, the more calories you burn.

If you are not hungry first thing in the morning, try starting your day with a big glass of water or freshly brewed green tea. Proceed with your morning routine and plan to allow yourself about 10-15 minutes before you walk out the door to eat your breakfast.

If you like to exercise first thing in the morning, eat 30 to 45 minutes before your workout.

Try one of the following options:

1. Eat a light snack – yogurt or a piece of fruit. Eat your regular breakfast 30-45 minutes after your workout.

2. Eat half of your regular breakfast before the workout and the other half about 30-45 minutes after your workout.

3. Drink a meal replacement shake – quick and easy to make and for your body too digest.

Watch out for "Protein/Breakfast Bars". Many of these items seem appealing for they are quick and easy; however the majority of these bars are loaded with sugar and fat. Check the nutrition facts.

Here are some breakfast fat loss favorites: Cereal is a MUST. It's convenient, easy to prepare, easy to eat and full of nutrients – No…"Whole Grain Lucky Charm" does not fall into this category. Be sure to choose your cereals based on the information on the food label.

The top choices should have:

• 5 grams of Fiber or more
• 8 grams of Sugar or LESS
• Sugar not listed among the first 3 ingredients.

For all other breakfast options, be sure to include a protein, complex carbohydrate, and fresh or frozen fruit. These are some of my favorites:

• Oatmeal with natural peanut butter, cinnamon and a side of fresh berries.
• Kashi Go Lean Crunch with skim milk and a banana.
• Scrambled egg whites topped with salsa and shredded cheese wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.
• Meal Replacement Shake with a piece of fruit.

So if you're interested in fat loss, make sure you don't forget – breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

About the Author

Holly Rigsby is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy - Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to http://www.loss-natural-weight.com/burn-baby-fat.html to get your FREE copy of her special report: "The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism."