Equipped For The Season

By Sharon Jane Akinyemi

Waking up on Sunday morning, I discovered a dark cloudy weather, then  I knew it’s finally here… Rainy season!

After many places in Nigeria have had very hot weather, we’re finally starting to see some drizzle and showers. Woohoo! So the weather is warmer now.

For many people this is great news, but for some, not so much. The reason is because warm weather requires shorts, t-shirts and very simple outfits.

Hopefully for you that is not the case. If you have been implementing the strategies we’ve been talking about all year long, you are feeling healthy, strong and confident.

But what if the heat of the hot months got the best of you? What if instead of taking advantage of the hot period to treat yourself to  warm healthy soups and quality food, you resorted to the comforts of the not so good cold or iced “soft drinks” and  fruit juices (and I’m not talking about the healthy kind here).

I see this happen to a lot of people who have engaged in extra eating that comes along with a little extra layer of fat in places we would rather it not be.

This week I’m going to be focusing on the top three strategies to begin using right now to quickly and easily shed off any extra  weight and look younger than expected that may be stopping you from feeling confident in your latest wardrobe.

Countdown

Tip #1 – Go easy on the grains

As many of my Body Confident Diet followers know, I am a big fan of the right kind of grains as part of a healthy eating plan.  Foods like ofada rice,  millet, wheat  and oats can all be included in a healthy eating plan that is a delicious while still enjoying a healthy and toned body.

But when you need to accelerate your results a bit because the weather is getting warmer and rainy by the day, a great strategy to use is to include less of these grains every day.

And when I say eat less of these grains, I am not implying you replace them with the bad ones either.  Foods containing white  flour, refined grains or processed carbs are never a good choice, no matter what the weather or season.

So what can you eat instead?

Replace those grains with delicious vegetables and healthy fats in combination with your protein for a complete and delicious accelerated fat burning meal.

But usually when I give people this very simple and highly effective tip, they’re a bit at a loss because they don’t know how to create meals that are delicious and filling while not including lots of grains.

That’s where I can help.

What if I could give you every meal, already planned for you, using this highly effective strategy. Would that make your life a lot easier?

Actually, I could do even more….

What if I could give you something that would help you to start see a dramatic difference in your body immediately?  It would be “safe” yet incredibly effective at showing you the results you were after WITHOUT requiring a ton of thinking or work.

I could give you…

Completely done for you meal plans that already put together these safe accelerated fat burning methods I have used successfully in the past…the right food combinations, the right ingredients, in the right portion sizes.

Shopping lists and recipes that go along with those meal plans so there is no confusion when its time to shop for or make your next meal.

An exercise programme that is simple, yet effective and is guaranteed to reshape your body in all the right places.

Detailed video explanations of exercise so you know exactly how best to follow the programme.

Tip #2 Concentrate on these

1.Olive Oil – Not only do the monosaturated fats contained in olive oil support healthy arteries and a healthy heart, but olive oil also contains  polyphenols, a potent anti-oxidant that may help prevent a number  of age- related diseases. We recommend organic extra virgin olive oil for the most anti- aging  bang for your buck.

2.Beans – The unique proteins in beans thicken and strengthen  you hair cells, so you can enjoy a full head of hair as you lengthen  your years.

3.Tomatoes – Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which has been shown to support heart health and healthy cholesterol levels as you age. Lycopene also acts as a natural sun block  to keep skin youthful and protected from harmful UV rays.

4.Water melon – It contains important anti-oxidants to help offset inflammation and oxidative stress that  contribute to skin aging and wrinkles. Just one serving of  these fruit contains more anti-antioxidants than some fruit.

5.Organic Eggs– Despitr the bad rap eggs gets because of their cholesterol content, which is based on completely erroneous science, eggs are rich in biotin and iron which help to promote healthy, youthful  skin and hair.

Tip # 3  A simple and effective exercise program to follow…

Ready to lose 10, 20 or even 30

Obtaining your best body ever is easy to do when you have a plan. A well thought out plan of action will keep you focused and help you to see your progress as you move along. There will be two components: combining a 30 day workout plan with a healthy diet. Aim to eat as healthy as possible (anywhere between 1500-1800 calories daily) with plenty of clean foods and minimal refined flours and sugars. When combined with this 30 Day Workout Plan, you can prepare for a body worthy to be desired

Days 1-8:

The easiest way to kick start your plan is to go heavy on the cardiovascular activity. Most people feel like they’re getting more of a workout when they do cardio versus strength training. It’s more of a mental thing than anything else, but it’s good to begin your plan feeling like you’re accomplishing something. Aim to do five 45 minute high intensity cardiovascular workouts during the first seven days, plus an additional 30 minute walk every single day. To accomplish this, plan to do the walk at one end of your day and the workout at the other end. You might find it easier to work out heavily in the morning instead of in the evening (or vice versa). Your high intensity workouts can be anything that really gets your heart going – aerobics class, a run, bike riding, dance  class or anything else you prefer.

Days 9-15:

Now that you’ve kicked your workout into full gear, start adding some strength training sessions. Plan to continue with your 30 minute walk every day and six workout sessions, only this time plan to do only two of the workouts strictly cardio. The other four can be strictly strength training or interval training, where you do a combination of cardiovascular activity and weight lifting. Interval sessions are very effective ways to get in shape quickly. Taking interval classes will give you a great workout. Look for classes like Aerobics, dance and Body Sculpting. If you prefer to do things at home, do some consistent stair climbing or jump rope for 30 minutes Per sessions strictly concentrating on strength training, lift weights  ( get some dumb bells)  repeatedly until you experience muscle failure.

Days 16-22:

When you want to get in shape fast, it’s important to concentrate on building muscle. Therefore, you’ll want to use this time to repeat last week’s workout plan.

Days 23-30

By now you should be seeing some changes in your physique and feeling more energized. It’s time to tailor your workout to your liking. Continue taking daily 30 minute walks. Make sure to do at least three high intensity workouts and three strength training sessions or interval sessions. If there are certain areas you want to target, like your thighs, abdominals  or biceps, lift weights to target muscle tone in those areas.

Let’s connect @  [email protected]  or www.facebook.com/BodyConfidenceFitnessClub