Sleep & Weight-Loss

A super common zapper of weight-loss goals is sleep deprivation!!  Our culture glorifies running on little-to-no sleep for some reason.  The truth, however, is that on average, we need 7.5 hours of sleep per night for our bodies to function most efficiently.  Below are a few reasons for the connection between weight-loss and sleep.

1. When you're tired, you are more likely to reach for extra drinks or snacks (CALORIES!!) as an energy boost.  That temporary boost will most likely fade before you make it to the gym, which causes you to skip your workouts.  It's a vicious cycle.


2. Two Hormones play a big role!  Ghrelin tells you when to eat.  Leptin tells you to stop eating.  When you're sleep deprived your body produces more ghrelin and less leptin.  This equation equals Weight Gain.  Bummer.


3. Your metabolism just does not function at an efficient level when you are sleep deprived.  Bottom line.

Sleep quality is another important thing to consider!  You may be sleeping well over 7 hours each night, but if it's not "quality sleep", it has the same effect as no sleep.  Here are some tips for improving your quality of sleep:

1. EXERCISE!! It has been studied and proven over & over again that regular exercise improves sleep quality.  Don't skip out on those workouts! Be consistent!


2. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon.  Even if you are still able to fall asleep at night, the caffeine remaining in your system keeps you in lighter sleep cycles.


3. Eat a healthy meal a couple of hours before bedtime.  Studies have shown that people who choose healthy foods over junk {ex: pizza & beer} were able to fall asleep faster, sleep longer, & sleep more deeply. 


4. Also, avoid sugar at night.  I know this one's tough.  Who doesn't love a good dessert!?  Try either chewing a piece of gum OR brushing your teeth right after dinner to help break your post-dinner-dessert habit!

{If you get plenty of sleep each night, make healthy food choices, and exercise regularly but still wake up tired, talk to your doctor about possible sleep disorders!}

--Peace. Health. RoxyB!!

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Motivation Monday!

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Why Women SHOULD Lift Weights!!

I can't tell you how many females have told me they don't lift weights because they don't want to "bulk up".  Not gonna happen, my friends. The truth of the matter is this: Women NEED to lift weights for many reasons...one being that it helps to SHED fat!

*DID YOU KNOW*  Women who do weight-training 2-3 days/week for 2 months will on average gain 2lb of muscle and lose 3.5lb of fat!

I'll give you 4 reasons that you, as a female, should be participating in resistance training at least 2-3 days a week...and then you can make the decision.

1. Increase Physical Strength: Ladies, we need to be strong for SO many reasons!  A strong body helps prevent injury, allows you to play with your kiddos without fatiguing, and makes daily tasks easier.
2. Help Fight Depression: A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did. Women who strength train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program, all important factors in fighting depression.
3. Burn More Fat: As your lean muscle mass increases, so does your resting metabolic rate, which allows you to burn more calories every single day just by existing!  Um...awesome, right?
4. Decrease Health Risks: NUMEROUS studies have been done to show that Resistance Training decreases women's risk of Heart Disease, Type II Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Lower Back Pain, and more!

Don't put it off any longer, girls.  Add weight-training to your life!  Start with twice a week and go from there.  If you're a first-timer, get the help of a fitness professional to avoid injury, learn the basics, and to make sure you're using proper form!  Don't be discouraged if you gain some weight to start off with...you're turning fat weight into muscle weight, and muscle weighs more than fat!  If you stick with it, your increased metabolism will help you tone up and lose inches!!  Now get to liftin'!!

-Peace. Health. RoxyB!!

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TIP OF THE DAY: Start your day w/ h2o!!

Drink 16 oz of water right when you wake up in order to boost your metabolism by 25% for up to 90 minutes! 

--Peace. Health. RoxyB!

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Which Organics Should You Buy??

Another handy chart for you!  If you would like to stick with organics, but don't want to dish out the extra cash it takes to go exclusively organic, check out this little list below.  The Environmental Working Group {EWG} came up with this list based on an abundance of government pesticide testing.  Look!  Your very own ORGANICS DIRTY DOZEN & CLEAN 15 guide...

**REMEMBER: Always clean {SCRUB} your fruits/veggies before eating/cooking!!

--Peace. Health. RoxyB!!

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SNACK your way to Weight-Loss Success!!

I know what you're thinking. Snacks=calories!  How can that possibly help with weight-loss??  Well, I'm here to tell you, this method is the absolute best way to go.

The idea behind eating every 2-3 hours is this:  By providing frequent doses of nourishment to your body, you train it to use up that batch of calories as they're taken in.  Your body learns to expect a new dose of energy every few hours, so it doesn't have to store much away for later.  Your metabolism is kicked up and continues to work efficiently all day long {meaning more calories burned each day!}

On the other hand, when you skip meals or just go long periods without consuming anything, you are working against your very purpose.  You teach your body that it needs to store away some of the calories because it never knows when it will receive its next dose of energy (cals)! Your metabolism never learns to function at a constant, efficient level! 

Sooo... eat frequently!  Keep the calorie count low, but eat your 5-6 meals a day! You WILL see positive changes if you stick with it.  Yes, you will most likely find yourself getting hungry more frequently (every 2-3 hours), but that's the point.  Be sure you always have a couple of healthy snack options stowed away so that if (WHEN!) you get hungry on the go, you have a healthy option to keep that metabolism pumpin'!

Happy snacking!

--Peace. Health. RoxyB!!

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Tip of the Day: Drink Water!!

*DID YOU KNOW*

People often misinterpret dehydration as hunger??

Next time you feel "hunger pain", try drinking a glass of water!

imagevia

Water is ESSENTIAL to your health is SO many ways!
--Peace.Health.RoxyB!!

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RoxyBbootcamp!!

I will be running a RoxyBbootcamp starting in mid-Feb for my peeps in the North Dallas area!   Please let me know if you are even remotely interested.  Right now it's looking like it will run from mid-Feb to mid-Mar (4 weeks).  We will most likely meet either in Frisco or McKinney.  If enough interest is developed in another area we will def revisit the location issue!  We're looking at an early morning bootcamp, 3 days a week.  Come on... you know you want to!  AND! Because this is my first RoxyBbootcamp of the year, you will EVEN get an insanely awesome price :)  You in?

--Peace. Health. RoxyB!

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Tip of the Day!

Veggies for breakfast anyone?  If you're like me, your immediate response is, "ew."  But hear me out.  IF you like eggs, veggies are an easy addition!  Toss in some spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms to make a quick omelette!  It's healthy AND delicious.

Did you know that the USDA recommends 2.5 cups of veggies EVERY day?! (based on 2000cal diet)  You can hit that mark by starting with a bang at breakfast!! image via

Wishing you Good Health & Happiness!!

--RoxyB

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Squeeze it In!!

I don't know about you guys...but I am in a phase of life where my days are anything BUT regimented.  With 2 babies at home, I have to be flexible to allow for their needs and just kind of go with the flow!  Plans change at the last minute on a very regular basis!  And free time is hard to come by! For this reason, my workout schedule is completely and totally random.  I'm not following a detailed workout plan.  I don't workout at the same time every day.  And, since my baby is too young for the gym's childcare area, I RARELY make it to the gym.  So, I typically work out at home.

Make a commitment to yourself this week!  Dedicate 10-30 minutes of each day to exercising.  Whether you go on a 15-min run (or jog/walk!), work in some squats/lunges/push-ups in front of your fav TV show, or bust out those dusty dumbbells to do a quick upper body routine, just commit to making it happen!  Creating a habit is the hardest part, but you've gotta start somewhere!  Let this week be the week!  You might be surprised how much better it makes you feel!

--Peace. Health. RoxyB!

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