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Is Whey Protein Good For Women?
Making sure you are getting enough protein in your diet is important when it comes to reaching your fitness
goal. Yet so many women avoid taking protein to help them get maximum results.
I get it, you tend to see mostly men taking protein shakes and wonder if whey protein is good for women.
Whether it is due to fear, perception or lack of knowledge, adding protein to your diet is key to getting the results you are looking for.
My goal here is to help you conquer whatever fears you may have about taking whey protein, and turn those fears into strength both mentally and physically.
1. Why You Need Protein
Proteins are made up of 20 amino acids in which 9 of them are considered essential. Meaning the body is not able to produce these aminos on their own. So it is important to find other ways to consume these essential proteins, and one of those ways is by taking a whey protein supplement.
I’m sure we can all agree that everyone is different and one method that works for one person, will not always work for the next. So If you are serious about reaching your goals, it is important to understand that by adding protein to your diet, you are helping maximize your results.
Build, Repair and Maintain Muscle
Protein is used by the body to help build, repair and maintain muscle tissue. Every time you workout at the gym, you are breaking down your muscles in the process. Protein helps in repairing those torn muscles so you are able to go back and work on building them back up.
Keep in mind that muscle are not made in the gym, but when you rest. That’s why it is also important to get the proper amount of rest as it is key to reaching your fitness goals. Protein is also important for maintaining muscle tissue as the body is always looking for sources of energy especially when you are sleeping.
If you are able to supply your body with enough protein, instead of feeding on muscle tissue, the body will take from the protein you provide it.
Lose weight and burn fat
Remember that losing weight is about putting your body in a caloric deficit, so adding protein to your diet can be a huge assist in that process. Because protein helps you build muscle, this creates a more efficient way for your body to always be working.
Even when you are sitting down or sleeping, the body is using up energy to provide the nutrients needed to feed your muscles. Thus burning more calories and losing weight in the process.
Curbs your appetite
If you are someone that is always counting calories throughout the day, but find yourself always worried about consuming the wrong type of calories, then protein is the right calorie for you.
Depending on your activity level, protein can help keep you fuller throughout the day so you don’t have to worry so much about always eating putting in more calories. Compared to carbs, protein takes longer for the body to break down and digest
2. Whey Protein Myths
A lot of times the reason women tend to stay clear of protein is due the perception that only men take it. Because of this perception, it creates a false narrative that women should not be taking whey protein. Let’s create a new narrative that dispels these myths and helps empower more women.
Whey Protein makes you look Bulky
This is a myth I hear most common from a lot of women that are thinking about adding
whey protein to their diet.
If there is anything whey protein can take credit for, making you look bulky is not one of them.
One of the biggest reasons for this is due to the fact that the female body does not produce enough testosterone to get bulky like men can.
No matter how hard you workout, the body can only go so far to create muscle mass.
So unless you are taking some synthetic drug like steroids, then you don’t have to worry about getting all jacked up like a man.
Will make me gain weight
A lot of women fear that taking whey protein will make them gain weight since they usually see big muscle guys always have a protein shake in their hand.
As stated earlier, weight management is all about calories burned vs calories consumed and whey protein is not meant for those looking to gain weight. Compared to other protein powders where their main goal is to help those trying to gain weight.
Whey protein is not designed for that purpose. As long as you are burn more calories than you consume, you should be able to manage adding whey protein to your diet.
Hard on the Kidneys
Unless you are someone who has a history of kidney problems, you should be fine to consume whey protein. You will read articles stating that it is bad for your kidneys, but there isn’t much evidence to prove that.
You will however want to make sure you up your water consumption as increasing your protein intake can be dehydrating. But any reason to drink more water is a good thing in my opinion.
3. How To Take Whey Protein
Keep in mind that the recommended amount of protein to be taken daily is 46g for women and 56g for men. This is based on the activity level of a sedentary person, so if you are someone who is more active, then you will have to make sure to increase your protein intake.
If you are someone who is active and exercises regularly, then making sure you take whey 30-60 minutes before or after a workout will help maximize your protein intake. Below are some of the ways you can add whey protein to your favorite meals or snacks:
Bowl of Oatmeal
Adding whey protein to a bowl of oatmeal is a great way to enjoy your bowl of oatmeal and get all the added benefits whey protein has to offer.
Just make sure to cook your oats as opposed to buying the pre-packaged oats as it may contain added sugars.
Favorite Smoothie
Enjoy your favorite smoothie drink with a scoop of whey protein. This is a favorite for many as you can get creative with your smoothie creation and reap all the benefits.
Just make sure you are careful with what type of ingredients you choose to include as you make your smoothie drink that should include fruits and veggies. The wrong type of ingredients can decide if a smoothie will be healthy for you or not.
Protein Shake
This tends to be the most common way to add protein to your diet.
Instead of using regular milk, try using other alternatives like almond milk or purified water.
If you’re worried about it being too watery, then adding peanut butter or a banana will help make it thicker.
Conclusion
Well there you have it. I hope I was able to calm down any fears you may have had about adding whey protein to your diet. I know how easy it is to add an unfamiliar supplement when it comes to improving you health.
Through education, I hope you will be able to make a more informed decision on your what to add to your diet.
Whey protein is a great way to to add more protein to your diet without worrying about it affecting your health. Also learning what works and what doesn’t work for your body is important to reaching your fitness goals.
So don’t be afraid to share below how adding whey protein to your diet has helped improve your workouts.
More on protein:
8
How Often Should You Exercise To Lose Weight?
We all know that in order to be healthy, you need to eat right and exercise. Once you get the eating part down, exercise is the next step. So one must ask the question, how often should you exercise to lose weight?
The problem with finding the answer to this question is, exercising does not always equal losing weight. Or what works for one person, does not always work for another person.
Learning and understanding your body and how it responds to different foods or workouts helps in the achieving your fitness goals.
Also, Losing weight is about putting the pieces of a puzzle together to make sure everything fits so you can see the final picture.
So making sure you are eating the right foods and exercising on a regular basis are pieces of the puzzle you are trying to make fit together. But when you really break it down, losing weight really comes down to CALORIES!
It’s All About The Calories
What is a calorie
Calories are the energy found in food. Your body needs this energy and uses the calories found in food to keep you functioning. So when you are feeling weak due to hunger, this is a big reason why. There are three types of nutrients where your calories are found and they are, Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats.
Regardless of how you consume these calories, they are either converted to physical energy or stored as fat. They will remain as stored fat unless they are used up, either through physical activity or by reducing calorie intake in which your body will look to reserves to find energy.
Managing calories
So when it comes to losing weight, the equation is simple. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. Without getting too complicated in the numbers, 1 pound is equal to 3500 calories. So in order to lose weight, you will need to burn 3500 more calories than you consume.
A good way to understand this is since there are 7 days in a week, you will need to make sure you are at a calorie deficit of 500 (3500 ÷ 7) daily to lose 1 pound per week. Basically if you are burning 2000 calories a day, you will need to make sure to consume no more than 1500 calories during that day.
Use a Calorie Counter
A good way to track your calorie intake during the day is by using reputable resources that offer tools to count your calories. You can look up Websites and smartphone apps to help find tools to count your calories.
Set A Schedule
When setting up a schedule for exercising during the week, a recommended amount you should shoot for is 3 times a week for about an hour each workout. That is 3 hours you need to find during the week to make time to work out.
I know how busy life can be with kids and work which makes finding 3 hours very difficult, but if you are serious about losing weight and getting healthy, then you need to put aside time to work on you.
Once a week just won’t get it done. It may make you feel good about yourself briefly, but when results are not showing, you will wonder why.
Mix In Some Cardio And Resistance Training
Burning calories is all about being physically active. The more active you are, the more calories you will burn. Thus the more weight you will lose each passing week. When deciding on ways to increase your physical activity, make sure you workouts include a mix of cardio and resistance training.
I would recommend doing some sort of circuit style training to help get your heart rate at an up and down pace. Circuit training is also a great way to get in shape quickly especially if you are a beginner when it comes to working out.
Resistance Training which includes lifting weights is a great way to build muscles and burn calories not only during the workout, but after. Remember, calories are energy the body uses to fuel itself. So building muscles is going to require a lot of energy to maintain, thus causing more calories to be burned.
Using both cardio and resistance training will help boost your metabolism giving you the most efficient way to burn those calories and lose weight both during the workout and especially after.
This being called the EPOC effect, where due to an intense workout, calories are burned hours after your workout. So doing this at least 3 times a week will assure you are getting enough physical activity done throughout the week.
Get Some Rest
Making sure you are getting the right amount of sleep each night we all know is key to losing weight. Imagine burning calories while the body is at rest. Well this is possible as the body is always at work regardless if the body is active or not. Which is a great reason to make sure you are getting enough rest every night.
The body needs to repair itself from the intense workout you put your body through, thus requiring more energy. More energy used + more calories burned = more weight loss. So it is important to rest the body and let it heal so it may prepare itself for more energy to be used the next day.
Remember, It All Comes Down To…
How you feel. We all get caught up in the number on the scale, but fail to realize that no matter what the number shows on the scale, if you are not happy with what you see in the mirror, then it really doesn’t matter.
Just continue to take care of your body and never be afraid to push your body to limits unseen, because with hard work, results are sure to follow.
So what does you workout schedule look like for the week and what are the steps you will take to make sure you are exercising at least 3 times a week. Please share below.
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8
Burn Fat With Green Tea
In this fast paced world we are living in today. We are always looking for a quick fix, especially when it comes to our health.
There are so many fat burning products out there claiming to burn fat quick, that sometimes we forget to think about how we may be sacrificing our health to achieve this fat burning process. Regardless of how unnatural the process may be, we forget about the natural ways.
One of the popular ways is green tea. You are probably asking yourself, is it possible to burn fat with green tea?
If coupled with a healthy diet and regular exercise, then yes, green tea can help in the process of burning fat.
Now don’t think of green tea as this magical potion that once you drink it, the fat will start melting right in front of your eyes. Like everything else in life, the work and effort has to be put in for results to show itself.
The Hype With Green Tea
When deciding to live a healthy lifestyle, it’s all about creating healthy habits. Not to say that if you drink green tea you will be healthy, but it sure does seem like most healthy people drink green tea. Green tea has been known to have many benefits if consumed daily.
It carries many anti-oxidants which helps aids in the fight against cancer growing cells. Which we know is formed by uncontrolled growth of cells. So if there is a way to help burn fat and help prevent cancer growing cells from forming in your body, you have to take it right?
Lose Weight Naturally
Some studies have shown that drinking green tea is a great way to help you lose weight naturally and lower your risk of becoming obese. One way this is possible is by boosting your metabolic rate. Increasing your metabolism as we all know, helps in the calorie burning process, thus causing you to burn fat and lose weight.
However, some studies have shown there not to be much statistically significant increase when it comes to weight loss, so this should be taken with a grain of salt. I do recommend asking some of your healthy friends if they drink tea and decide if it is something you may want to try.
Hot Tea vs Iced Tea
Although both has it health benefits whether you drink it hot or cold, studies have shown that hot water helps draw out the natural flavor and nutritious compounds in the water.
More antioxidants are released due to the hot water, thus giving you the full benefits of green tea. Also according to the Tea Association, Drinking fresh hot tea, allows for maximum antioxidant consumption.
Add Flavor To Your Tea
If you are having trouble consuming tea due to it not being flavorful enough for you, instead of using unnatural sugar, try using honey. Honey is an amazing substitute to some of the sweeteners used these days and has great health benefits.
One being that it is an anti-inflammatory and is great for the skin. Although, be careful adding honey to boiling water as it destroys all the nutrients honey provides for the body. So if your tea is lacking that flavor you so desire, try adding some honey to it.
Please share below how you make Green Tea a part of your daily fitness life.
5
How To Burn Fat With Kickboxing
I know how intimidating it can be to hear the word kickboxing. I’m sure the first thing that enters your mind when you hear it is fighting. Well I am here to tell you that it is possible to get in shape and burn fat with kickboxing, and not have to worry about taking a beating while doing it. If anything, you will be doing most of the beating while looking and feeling great!
Not only is kickboxing a great workout, it can also be fun. There are so many different types of exercises out there, that it can be quite difficult to find one that works for you. So imagine finding something that you can enjoy, but still get all the benefits of an intense workout. Some people wonder and ask the question, can you lose weight with kickboxing?
If so, how fast? I will try and help walk you through some of the ways that kickboxing can be a new and exciting part of your fitness life.
HOW TO START KICKBOXING
Keep in mind, as I mention kickboxing, I am not talking about Billy Blanks Tae bo air boxing stuff. I’m talking about actually hitting real bags and getting all the stress and aggression going on in your life out on these workouts. Plus all that air boxing is a whole bunch of cardio which is breaking down a lot of muscle, but I will get to that later.
So a good place to start is a private gym. Although they may be tough to find, many kickboxing gyms are opening up all over the place catered to helping people get in shape. A couple that come to mind are Ilovekickboxing and title boxing. I know first hand because I currently am an instructor at a kickboxing studio and trust me, the workout will definitely kick your butt.
If you just google kickboxing in your area, I’m sure you will find something you could join and be apart of an awesome community of people trying to get in shape just like you. Most of them allow you trial classes just to see if it is something you will like before choosing to becoming a member. So it doesn’t hurt to at least try, right?
HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT KICKBOXING
You can burn anywhere from 500 to 1000 calories in a kickboxing class depending on how much effort you give during the class. Now with anything in life, it takes hard work and commitment. So when making fitness a part of you healthy lifestyle, you must make that commitment to yourself to stick with a routine that could potentially help you get great results.
So once you have found a studio, if you could commit yourself to kickboxing at least 3 days a week along with eating healthy, you will be amazed at how quickly the results will start to show not just on the scale, but in photos. Most kickboxing classes are usually 60 minutes long, but trust it will be the quickest 60 minutes of your life.
Now if you’re thinking that you will only be doing kickboxing for the whole 60 minutes, well guess again. The great thing about these kickboxing classes is that it is very structured so you know exactly what to do and when to do it. The general breakdown of any kickboxing class goes as follows:
- Conditioning
- Stretching
- Heavy Bag Rounds
- Partner Drills
- Partner Condition
- Cool Down & Stretch
Conditioning 15 min – this is considered the warmup part of the workout, but most definitely the most intense part. So if you can get through this part, which I’m sure you can, then you can get through the class no doubt.
So basically you go through a series of body weight exercises where the instructor makes you do a bunch of pushups, squats and everyone’s favorite, BURPEES. Now I know it may seem like a lot of hard work, but the best thing about this part is that you can go at your own pace and not feel like a total failure. If you need to step back and catch your breath, you can do that without feeling bad about it. Regardless if you are a beginner or experienced, you can challenge yourself at a pace you are comfortable with.
Stretching 6 min – I’m sure we all know how important it is to stretch and make sure the muscles are loose and prepared to get into the workout. So this is the time for you to gather yourself after an intense “warmup.”
Heavy Bag Rounds 25 min – Now on to the fun part where you get to be in your own zone and release a lot of tension on the bags.
There are usually six 3 min rounds where you go through a serious of different combos for each round. Now if you’re thinking to yourself, oh man, I have no idea what I’m doing. Don’t worry, you should be given a personal instructor for your first day to go through the basics of the combos while the main instructor will teach more advanced combos to members who have been there longer.
One of the best parts about this part of the class is the fact that you don’t have to worry about people judging you on the bags as everyone is so focused on doing their own thing.
Partner Drills 5 min – This part of the workout is where you get to partner up with someone and get focus on accuracy and coordination. Instead of doing combos on the heavy bag, your target will be the gloves of your partner. This will allow you to really focus on your accuracy and also have fun with you partner a bit.
Partner Conditioning 5 min – In this drill, you will still be partnered up where one partner may do wall sits while the other partner is doing combos on the heavy bag. Then you will be asked to switch and do the other respective exercise. With this part of the workout, there are various routines of different exercises you may be asked to do, so definitely be ready.
Cool Down & Stretch – This is where you get to cool down and relax your muscles for all the hard work you put into class.
BURN FAT WITH KICKBOXING
For most people, losing weight is the main goal for wanting to join a kickboxing studio since you can burn so many calories during the workout. But what some may not know is that kickboxing is a great way to also Burn Fat!
What separates kickboxing from your normal routine at the gym, which may include a lot of cardio on the treadmill, is that you get the cardio and the resistance training all in one workout. You see, too much cardio can break down muscle, so if one of your goals is to get that nice toned defined look, then you are defeating the purpose by doing so much cardio.
With kickboxing, you get both the cardio and resistance training with all the body movements. From the warmup where you are doing all body weight exercises to the heavy bag rounds where resistance is given with every punch and kick, you are burn a bunch of calories throughout the body.
At the same time, you are getting that heart rate up which helps with the fat burning process. So with all this, you are getting a more efficient workout when it comes to burning fat and building muscle.
GEAR NEEDED FOR KICKBOXING
Most places will provide you everything you need to participate in the workout, but make sure to ask just in case. You should be given gloves to protect your knuckles when punching the bag. Hand wraps may also be used to to help support the wrist and knuckles, but usually these are worn by more experienced kickboxers.
Be prepared to workout in either barefoot or socks as some studios do not allow sneakers or shoes on the mats. Make sure to wear comfortable clothing as you will sweat a lot during your workout. Other than that, make sure to bring your effort and a great attitude and I’m sure you will get the workout of your life!