What are you really craving?

Hi guys,
My apologize for not getting this up earlier we have had some internet problems. At any event I hope everyone is well and ready for the weekend to begin! This week we are talking about what foods your body needs when you get certain cravings. Let's get started.

When you crave Chocolate, what your body needs is Magnesium.

• You can get this from raw nuts and seeds, legumes, and fruits. 

• You can get chromium from Broccoli, grapes, cheese, and liver. 

• Carbon from fresh fruit. 

• Phosphorus from beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, and grains. 

• Sulfur from cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage. 

• Tryptophan from cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, and spinach

If you are craving bread or toast you need Nitrogen.

• Nitrogen can be found in high protein foods such as fish, meat, nuts, beans. 

If you are craving oily snacks or fatty foods you need Calcium.

• You can get Calcium from mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, and sesame. 

Caving Coffee or tea you need Phosphorous, Sulfur, Salt (NaCl), and Iron

• Phosphorous you can get from chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes

• Sulfur is found in egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables

• Salt (NaCl) is found is obviously sea salt, apple cider vinegar
• Iron is found in meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, and black cherries

• Calcium is found in mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

Caving Salty foods, you need Chloride. 

• Chloride can be found in raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt. 

Hope you enjoyed this weeks information! Until next week have a safe and healthy weekend!

Pistols...Out!
xo

Exercises To Eat Away That Muffin Top

Hey all,

Hope everyone is seeing those results that they want! Keep up the good work and just keep going, don't give up. This week we are going to target that unwanted and dreaded muffin top!

This weeks workout is a gym workout.

Give yourself a nice warm-up about 5 minutes on some type of cardio machine (non-sitting, except the rower).

Upper Body Warm-Up- Light dumbbells

• Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 2 x10
• Dumbbell Front Raises: 2x10

Workout: 

Back Extensions: 3x12

• Different Variations Below: 

Bent Over Dumbbell Flyes: 3x10

Standing Side Bend Crunches  4x12 Each Side 

Barbell Deadlifts 4x10

Alternating Superman's 4x10 Each Side 

Bent Over Barbell Underhand grip Rows 3x10

Lying Hamstring Curls 3x10

I hope you enjoy!! Until Thursday

Pistols...Out!

Xo

Why Should I Lift Weights?

Hi everyone!

This week I want to explain why lifting weights is important and the benefits that follow. Most people know that if you want to gain muscle you need to lift weights. What most people do not know is that your muscle is what keeps you lean and mean. It is not the hours you might spend doing cardiovascular work. If you want to look like this...

or if you are a guy like this....

You have to lift your weights. Yes, cardio will help you keep that weight down, and if you are serious about your results you want to do 30-45 minutes of cardio up to 4x week! However, to get that definition you need to pick up those dumbbells! Ok so now that I've drilled it in your head enough here is the answer to the real question why?

The biggest reason, and the one you will like the most is you will lose 40% more fat. Penn State researchers put together a study. They put dieters into three groups no exercise, aerobic exercise only, or aerobic exercise and weight training. All groups lost 21 pounds during the study, but the weight lifters lost an extra 6 pounds of body fat then those who did not lift weights! The others lost fat and muscle. 

There have been other studies done on this topic that have found those who did not lift weights, 75% of  their weight loss is from fat and the other 25% comes from muscle. This may drop the scale weight, but it does not improve your reflections. This will most likely make you gain back the flab you have been trying to lose. 

Another reason to build that lean muscle is that you will burn more calories. Lifting increases the number of calories you burn while your butt is parked at work, in the car, or on the couch. This is because after you lift those weights, your muscles need energy to repair the fibers you have just torn. Your metabolisms is raised for up to 39 hours after you lift and you burn a greater percentage of calories from fat. 

Let's break it down into calories shall we. You can preform a 8 exercise circuit, which will take you about 8 minutes and can burn up to 160-230 calories, or you can run 10 mph for 8 minutes and burn the same amount of calories. Remember though if you run, it will not have the same effects as lifting, and who wants to run at 10 mph for 8 minutes?

Alright, this next one is most important for you ladies. 80% of us are prone to osteoporosis. For those who do not know what it is, it is when your bones begin to deteriorate. That of course is the short version.  You can prevent that by picking up those weights. Research has found that weight training increases bone mineral density by 13% just in a 6 month time span. This with the right amount of calcium can help you in your defense of osteoporosis. 

This next one is a major one for a lot of people. You will reduce your risk of injury, back pain and arthritis. Not only does lifting weights make you stronger, but it also builds connective tissue and increases joint stability. It reinforces the joints and helps prevent injury. A recent study, that lasted 12 years, showed that strengthening the low back muscles had an 80% success rate in eliminating or alleviating low- back pain!

Last, and my personal favorite, you will be HAPPIER!!! People who lift weights 3 x week for 6 months significantly improve their anger and overall mood! 

I know that a lot of women are scared that they will get bulky by lifting heavy weight. I promise you, that you will not! It is extremely difficult for women to gain bulk without the use of supplementations. Try it out for a couple months and see what happens. Look at all these benefits it can only help! 

Do you want to look like this....

Or....

I hope you enjoyed this weeks article! Until next week! 

Pistols..Out!

XO

At Home Total Body Workout (All Body Weight!)

Hi again,

Hope everyone enjoyed there St. Patricks day with lots of green and gold! This weeks workout is a total body at home workout. It also requires no equipment, body weight only! Essentially you can do this workout anywhere. If you are traveling, on the go, waiting for someone! You can repeat this 3-5 times and you can do it anytime you want. Alright lets get started!

30 Jumping Jacks

5 Push-Ups

25 Split Jumps

10 Burpees

20 Lemon Squeezers

10 Burpees

7 Squat Thrusts

1 Minute Squat pulses

10 Burpees

25 Split Jumps

Your challenge is to do this workout at least 3x this week! I wish you luck and I know you can do it! Keep up the good work and enjoy your week! Talk to you on Thursday! 

Much love,

Pistols..Out!

Xo

Stop Those Cravings!

 Hi all!! 
This week I am going to talk about how to avoid those cravings and help yourself stay on track! It seems like it is an on going battle for most people! Below is a list of things that you can do to help yourself!

• Avoid Your Triggers!
• Do not buy cookies and chips if you know you are going to eat the whole box/bag. Even if  its for your kids, husband, roommates, etc. Do not keep it in the house. Your house, your rules. Plus getting your family to eat healthier and teaching them good habits now will only help them later down the road. For those guilty feeling parents, let me share something with you. 
• You get all your fat cells in your adolescence. After that they only grow or shrink, so buy feeding your kids good, nutritious foods you are only helping them.  
• Another way to avoid triggers is to tell yourself and others, that you do not eat that. You don't have to share why, but if they ask and you don't want to share with the world you are changing your eating habits. Simply tell them you are allergic, that is all there is to that! 

• Destroy Temptation
• Lets say that the above does not work for you and/or your families life style. Here is what you do. Lets say you find yourself eating a cupcake by yourself in the kitchen, and you realize half way though that you have given in. The guilt sinks in and you figure you might as well finish it, right? Wrong!!! Pour some water over that bad boy, though it on the floor/ground, ruin that sucker! If you don't ruin it, that cupcake is going straight to those hips you have worked so hard to slim! When you ruin that cupcake/cookie/pizza, whatever it may be, you will feel a sense of accomplishment that you have beaten your binge.

• Eat That Health Fat
• When you are craving sweets, most of the time it is because you are not eating enough healthy fat! Yes, there is such thing as healthy fat, and your body needs it, don't deprive yourself of it. This will only lead you to a down ward spiral of binge eating. 
• Eat an ounce of nuts, 1/2 of an avocado, use olive oil for dressing or when you are cooking, and a tablespoon of just about any nut butter. This will dampen your appetite by changing your body chemistry. 

• Give Yourself Some Energy 
• Try sipping on some coffee (with non-fat milk of course) instead of reaching for something sweet. The coffee may not satisfy your craving, but it can quench your appetite and distract you from those sweets. 

• Don't Let Things Get the Best Of You
• Let it go, stress is a huge trigger for cravings. You need to learn how to deal with it! This can save you hundreds of calories a day! Like all things it will take practice. Try things like deep breathing, going for a run, write it down, or simply find a private area and scream if you must. The important thing is that you let it go.
• Remember, that moment has came and went, it is in the past. There is nothing you can do to go back and change it. Move ahead, learn from it, and move on! 

• Get Your Beauty Sleep
• Make sure you are getting 8 hours of sleep everyday! No more and no less! Your body needs it to run efficiently and effectively. 

• Keep Those Teeth Clean
• When you are craving something thing or cooking in the kitchen and want a little taste. STOP and either brush your teeth or get a piece of gum. You won't want to ruin that fresh breath, and it will taste a little funny too. 
• When I am being super strict with my diet, I have about 5 different types of gum in my purse/car. Anything from mint to apple pie! This really helps curb my cravings and then I don't think about it later. 

• Drink Water, Eat Protein
• Most of the time when we think we are hungry we are actually just dehydrated. Make sure you are drinking about 3 liters a day. Also, if that doesn't help, eat some protein (lean of course). This can also be a cause of hunger! 

• Cheat Meal
• Give yourself a cheat meal, once to twice a week (make sure they are 3 days apart). This will help you get through your week or give you a break in between. Also, it will reset your metabolism and keep it in full gear! 
• Remember a MEAL NOT A DAY!!!! Go nuts though have ice cream on your pizza!! Keep it to one meal though, and just because you are sitting in the same place for several hours does not mean it is the same meal!

• Plan or Avoid
• Change up your routine so you do not pass by your favorite bakery or pizza place. If you know you will be faced with your favorite guilty pleaser because you have an event you are going to, you have a couple options. Eat before you go, take some snacks with you, make sure you have your gum, drink water, or just simply calculate it into your calorie intake for the day. 

There you have it, 10 tips to keep you on track! I hope this helps, stick with it, you can do it! Have a great weekend and enjoy your St. Patrick's Day!!! Until next week!

Pistols...Out! 

Xo

The Sk0step Upper Body Challenge!

Hi guys! It's time for this weeks workout! I am dedicating this workout to Sk0step the new and up coming DJ in San Francisco. If you are looking for some good workout music check him out, he has helped me with some mixes for classes and clients. This one is for him, since he loves doing upper body so much!

Now don't get me wrong, just because I am dedicating this workout to male, doesn't mean you ladies can't do it too! I've done this workout as well, so no excuses!! This is a gym workout, unless you have a place to do pull-ups, a bench, dumbbells, and a straight bar. Alright let's get started! 

• Pull-ups 3xFailure (can be assisted)

• DB Incline press 3x10

• DB Flat press 3x10

• Seated Rows 3x10

• Skull Crushers 3x10

• Reverse Grip Lat Pull downs3x15

• Seated Bicep Curls alternating 3x10

• Seated Single arm Tricep Extensions 3x10

• Seated DB military press 3x10

• Standing Hammer curls 3x10

• BB Push presses 3x10

• Side Delt DB raises 3x10 (straight arms)

• Seated DB Rear Delt raises 3x10

There you have it folks!! Your workout of the week! Go hit it hard and kill it! Also, I am starting a 30 day challenge starting tomorrow. You can sign yourself up on my Facebook page Electricbodyfitness. What do you win you ask?... An AWESOME BODY OF COURSE!! It is to prove to yourself and those around you that you are on a new path to a stronger and healthier you! Fit is the skinny after all! Until Thursday! 

Pistols..Out! 

Xo