The power of protein… By now we know there is no magic pill, we don’t lose weight overnight and quick fixes won’t work. So what DOES work? Making small but mighty changes in your life in the areas of nutrition and exercise can have a powerful impact on your body, your energy levels and your mood. The key to losing weight and avoiding weight gain as we age is muscle. All tissues in the body are metabolically active (a fancy way of saying that they use energy to survive and perform their function), and it just so happens that muscle burns five times as many calories to function as fat tissue. This is exactly why you must build muscle in order to loose weight, and to keep weight off you need to maintain that muscle. The key to keeping muscle tone is simple: use it or lose it. That means finding a resistance training program that works and sticking to it. All too often women avoid resistance training because they are afraid they will “bulk up.” Let me put that myth to rest right now: women don’t produce enough testosterone to build huge, honking muscles. Muscle is actually more compact tissue than fat; in fact, five pounds of fat is almost twice the size of five pounds of muscle. If you begin resistance training and your clothes start to feel tight, it just means you are still consuming too many empty calories and you need to ramp up the cardiovascular side of your workout. To get a little mommy muscle, start with two resistance sessions per week. Work in three, and you’ll see results faster. Hit all the major muscle groups during each workout - legs, glutes, chest, back, shoulders, biceps and triceps - and never work the same muscles on consecutive days. When you’re ready for the maintenance phase, once a week will help you maintain the results of your hard work. Want one more tip? Here it is: lean protein. Gotta eat it. Without the essential amino acids found in lean protein, we can’t build lean muscle. Protein gives your body long-lasting energy - something every busy mom can use! In my house, we love the 100 percent natural HORMEL® NATURAL CHOICE® line of meats, a variety of flavorful and nutritious options including deli sandwich meats, carved chicken breast, bacon and Canadian bacon. The products have no preservatives, are gluten free and contain no added nitrites and nitrates. Plus, these meats are low in fat and contain zero grams of trans fat - and they really taste great! It’s easy to make a sandwich on whole wheat bread or top of a salad with pre-cut chicken. March is National Nutrition Month, so join you local StollerFit® powered by mommymuscle® for a free event including a StrollerFit® family fitness class and a free post class lunch by HORMEL® NATURAL CHOICE® on Saturday March 15th, 10:00 am at Bullard Park, for more information call 602-647-6447 or visit www.strollerfit.com/goodyear . For more information on HORMEL® NATURAL CHOICE® products, as well as additional healthy living tips from StrollerFit® founder Mary Beth Knight, visit the HORMEL® NATURAL CHOICE® web site at www.hormelnatural.com |
