Motivation

I was reading an article on Figureathlete.com called "More Muscle, Less Fat: Our Best Tips" compiled by Chris Shubert. This article compiles the responses of several female fitness professionals and competitors in their best tips for fat loss and muscle building.

There was one entry that caught my attention, and seemed to be very motivating as well as informative. 

Below are the responses from Krista Schaus, Strength Coach, Drug-Free Bodybuilder and Powerlifter:

Best Tip for Fat Loss

Patience. You must be patient and allow the fat loss process time, as often our most stubborn areas are the last to go. Often we bail out or give up on a method or protocol if we don't see immediate results. Remember that what you see visually on the outside is a reflection of what's going on inside physiologically, so give the process time to work from the inside out.

Also, there's often a "tipping point" when you'll look dramatically different from a fat loss perspective. So from 20 to 16% body fat you may look very similar aesthetically, but BOOM, as soon as you drop down to 15%, you all of a sudden look a lot leaner.

Lastly, be open to experimenting: You won't find a book called "(Your Name Here)'s Best Strategies for Fat Loss." It's very individual. If you're afraid to experiment you'll not learn your best methods.

Best Tip for Building Muscle

Persistance. You must consistently and continually work hard and progressively on all fronts: training, eating, resting, visualizing. Persistence does pay off regarding building strength and muscle. Those who invest in the Iron Game over a long period of time reap the benefits. Those who enjoy the actual work of training and aren't always focused on the outcomes also get better and more impressive results over time.

You must love lifting and know and apply basic muscle building principles in order to grow. Persistently punish your muscles with stimulus: feed them for growth and fuel; give them rest, and never allow negative thoughts and energy to impeded the process!

A Great Beauty Buy!

Having the right tools to work with in your makeup box really make the difference in your application and therefore, appearance. It is critical that I use only the best on the models and other clients I work on but also, on myself for photo shoots and competitions.

One of the primary lines of cosmetics I use is called

N i x' i e

Cosmetics

www.nixiecosmetics.com

Having a professional affiliation with Nix'ie, I am able to offer a 10% discount to my clients/friends on all purchases. Simply go online to their website and upon purchase, make sure to enter my

Artist Promotional ID : 836

By all means, take advantage of this discount if you are looking to stock up on pro quality makeup !

Sesame Ginger Ground Beef/Turkey

This recipe is quick and easy to prepare, and can be applied to Ground Beef or Ground Turkey.

Ingredients

1-1.5 lbs. lean ground beef or turkey (4% fat or less)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Directions

1.Mix all ingredients together and let sit for at least 10-15 minutes to absorb flavors.

2. Heat a non-stick pan on medium-high with cooking spray.

3. Cook meat or turkey while continuously separating with a wooden spoon to create a small, grainy texture (i.e. as you normally would to make ground meat).

4. Should be ready in about 5 minutes...ENJOY!

*Can be eating over brown rice, veggies, or salad :o)

Oat Bran Muffins Recipe

Oat Bran Muffins (makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:

2 cups Oat Bran
2 cups Splenda granular
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup Soy Slender soy milk or any 70-80 Cal soy milk
2 Tbsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light or 1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 c egg whites or 2 egg whites
1/4 c sugar free syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

*Preheat oven to 425 degrees
*Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl and all wet ingredients in a separate bowl
*Combine wet mixture to dry mixture until well blended--do not over stir
*Place batter in a 12 muffin sheet pan and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown, depending on oven and preference
*Remove from oven and let cool


Nutrition Facts (per muffin):

Calories 73

Total Fat 2.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.4 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.6 g

Cholesterol 0 g

Sodium 140 mg

Total Carbohydrate 10 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g

Protein 4 g

25% Fat - 55% Carbs - 22% Protein

CARDIO! Tips That Make a Difference

Ah yes...Cardio...to some degree and context, we all love to hate it!

Performing cardiovascular exercise can be fun and is mentally and physically rewarding in many ways.

However, most people find it a challenge to perform it regularly. Let's be honest...the main reason is because it can be boring, not as mentally stimulating as, say, lifting weights and to some, feel like a complete waste of time. This leads to a lack of motivation and total abandonment of one of the keys to achieving and maintaining a lean body. In addition, when you are dieting to lose weight or to prepare for a competition, it can be very difficult to pull that extra energy to get that cardio session going.

Sure, not everyone needs to perform cardiovascular exercise to stay lean. Some people are born with the "lean gene" and everyone's body composition (proportion of fat to muscle) is different, which reflects their metabolism as well. It is important to remember that every body is different, and no two people will require the same amount and type of cardio to sculpt their body the way they desire.

Nonetheless, no matter how much you can "get away with" little or no cardio exercise to have that lean, rock solid physique, everyone should do it not just for their appearance, but for their heart and overall health.

Below are four basic tips that can really make a difference in your efforts to sticking to that cardio! These are concepts that I live by, and have helped me get through many grueling hours of training.

1. TIMING

Try to separate your cardio sessions from your lifting sessions. If you cannot, always make

sure you perform your cardio AFTER LIFTING. Cardio before lifting can hinder your

strength and therefore, negatively affect your strength training.

*Remember...the first 15-20 minutes of cardio is the hardest because your body is working to generate ample oxygen flow. Once you get past those 15-20, expect a surge of energy and from there, smooth sailing!

2. DIVERSIFY

Always seek to change up your cardio program as much as possible to keep your body

from getting too acclimated -- this can lead to plateauing, just like with a lifting program.

You can do this by changing your cardio modality (treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, bike,

cross country running, sprint training, swimming...), the intensity, duration or the program setting (if on a machine).

3. MUSIC

Having tunes that naturally motivate you and get your blood pumping can really do

wonders for exercise, especially cardio. Some people cannot afford to constantly update

their music, but it can be a great tool and investment in your performance...especially if

it is a challenge for you to get motivated.

*A good trick that I do is that I try to match my pace with the songs I am listening to. This

can help burn extra calories as some songs will have a faster pace than others, which means

you will be performing a sort of interval-style training. In addition, time will seem to go

by faster because of the mental work required to match your body's pace with the beat of

the song.

4. JUST DO IT!

When it comes down to it, you have to quit analyzing the fact that you absolutely HATE

cardio and accept that it just has to get done. There is a quote I came up with years ago in

regards to doing cardio that goes a little something like this...

"If you did it when you first thought about doing it, you'd be done by now."

Don't think about it, just get up, do it and get it over with! You'll feel much better after,

and in the grand scheme of things, it is only a tiny percentage of your entire day.

I hope these tips help you as much as they help me! :o)

NickiC