Weight Loss And Fitness Blog

  We live in a world where we tend to rush around like a chicken with its head chopped off—minus the gore and awkward flailing. At the sound of our alarm clock we hop out of bed, jump in the shower, dry off, throw our clothes on, brush our teeth and hair, wake up the kids, clothe them, make them breakfast, make yourself breakfast, rush everyone out the door to catch the school bus, and then off to work you go. Phew. It’s exhausting just thinking about it. There are days where you simply don’t have time to sit down and eat breakfast yourself, I get it. And for that reason, you need to ensure you have high protein snacks at your disposal. At IIFYM, we love protein and try to fit it into all of our meals and snack options. As science tells us, protein is the building blocks for muscle growth and recovery. More specifically, it’s the amino acids found in protein that are the true champions at maintaining and building that hard-earned lean muscle mass we all strive for. (A great pl...

  “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” One of the most overused, but quite accurate statements about virtually anything significant we pursue. Fat loss is right up there with some of the most personally rewarding but often-difficult tasks to achieve. Especially when first starting out. Even with tools like the IIFYM Macro Calculator on hand, the journey of fat loss can be confusing and be challenging at times. Fat loss becomes especially challenging if we feel negative pressure from our family members that may not support our fat loss efforts. Or just simply don’t understand what we’re doing. As encouraging as a positive support system can be, equally discouraging is the feeling that those closest to us believe what we’re doing is silly or unnecessary. As an online physique coach, I’ve had experience with a myriad of athletes focused on fat loss that have shared various encounters with family members. Experiences that, along with my own, have helped me gain a perspective o...

  While many people attribute their weight loss to exercise, it turns out that using an exercise routine really isn’t necessary for losing body fat. Although that may sound counterintuitive to everything you’ve heard in the past, total weight and fat loss is actually due to creating what is known as a negative energy balance. Fortunately, a negative energy balance can be accomplished via manipulation of many different variables, which may or may not include an exercise routine. In this article, I’ll be discussing why exercise isn’t required for fat loss and then what other variables you should manipulate if your goal is to drop body fat. (Whether your goal is to lose fat, build muscle, or maintain weight our macro calculator is a great place to start.) Factors Influencing Fat Loss Before getting into further specifics, it’s important to point out key variables associated with weight and, of course, fat loss. Understanding these principles is imperative if you want to change...

  Let’s face it, there are so many reasons for cutting weight, such as: Aiming to improve your health Improve your appearance Making a lower weight-class or getting on a bodybuilding stage Getting to a healthy weight Maybe even a vacation or photo shoot to look your best Losing body fat and cutting weight is a common goal shared by many. A 2014 article in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition reviewed the literature pertaining to metabolic consequences of dieting, with an emphasis on athletic populations. This was a strong paper because it helps identify and acknowledge the difficulties and hurdles faced by dieters. This evidence also can help practitioners and fitness enthusiasts identify solutions to these common metabolic consequences from cutting weight. But to avoid these obstacles, we must acknowledge 5 real-world truths of weight loss. (Side Note: Looking to get your individual macros? See the IIFYM flexible dieting calculator ) 1. Your ...

  Waking up grumpy, achy and a nose running more than a broken facet, only to end up working out anyway (because gainz) sounds quite admirable. Nothing’s going to stop you from sweating your way to an even better version of yourself. Yeah, that sounds cool until you’re “that person” sneezing all over the equipment, truly “leaving your mark” on the gym. (Once you’re over your cold, checking out the IIFYM Macro Calculator can help you get started back on the right track! ) For those of us that truly place our health and continued physique progress as a priority, gym time that was once skipped from even the lamest excuse is now hard to ever miss without feeling guilty. Even if we aren’t feeling up to par, chances are most of us don’t plan to skip working out if at all possible. In reality, even if we have a home gym or plenty of antiseptic wipes, working out while we’re sick may not necessarily be the best move for our health. Like most things in fitness though, it depends, and ...

  Who says you can’t eat fast food? While IIFYM allows you to leave all food options on the table, most think you can’t eat fast food without getting fat. WRONG! In fact, I’m going to show you nine low calorie fast food meals that you can grab when you’re in a rush. For starters, it’s always good to know your daily caloric and macro requirements. If you aren’t sure where to begin, check out our IIFYM calculator . You will be able to input all of your information and it will spit out your numbers. Simple and effective!  9 IIFYM Recommended Fast Food Meals 1. Dunkin Donuts Egg White Flatbread with Hash Browns Calories: 421 Carbohydrates: 50g Protein: 17g Fat: 17g When breakfast rolls around and your tummy is making all sorts of noises, many swing by a fast food location on the way to work (and to grab a cup of coffee as well). If you want to pick up a low calorie fast food meal for breakfast, this option from Dunkin Donuts definitely makes our IIFYM recommended lis...

  When the average person decides to hop on the weight loss bandwagon the only aspects they’re thinking about are finding the nearest treadmill and dumping all their Little Debbie’s in the trash. If only they were to start on the IIFYM website and see that they could salvage those delicious treats! Following IIFYM could not only allow them to continue eating the foods they love but by also starting with an IIFYM coach or using the macro calculator they could save themselves some serious dieting hassle. Little does this dieter know, there are intricate systems at work that could be helping or hindering weight loss. Leptin: The Body’s Satiety Hormone It’s been a long day and you’re STARVING. You’ve been daydreaming about pizza night for days. You settle in and eat 3 slices, push yourself back from the table; satisfied. Guess who’s to thank for this? Leptin! Leptin is a hormone that’s produced by the body’s fat cells. The more fat in the cells, the more leptin that’s produced. ...