Stop The Cardio Madness!

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MuscularWomenWeightsDepending on how long you’ve been following me, you may or may not have heard me talk about my long struggle with adrenal fatigue. Thanks to a history of under-eating/binge eating and over-exercising, I woke up one morning a few years ago and felt so exhausted that I couldn't get out of bed. On my journey back to health I made some major lifestyle changes, moved to the Caribbean, adopted a dog, slowed waaaayyyy down, and learned that certain foods could actually help my body heal vs the “chocolate is the devil’s food” mentality I’d had my whole life. As I started eating more of the foods my body needed and learned about taking the right supplements, my energy levels and general health gradually improved...I could even make it through the whole day without needing a nap. Once I met my husband, Mauricio – Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, nutritionist, extreme athlete and literally the fittest (and hottest!) man I've ever met – he encouraged me to start exercising again, but not in the way I had done in the past. At the height of my binge eating and over-exercising cycle I was definitely a cardio queen. Mauricio made me stop that madness and start working out with weights instead to speed up my metabolism so that I naturally burn more energy aka calories. I am super happy to report that I feel the best I have in years and I can make it through an entire day without thinking “I feel so tired”! Oh, and I am eating a LOT more food than normal and haven't gained a single pound! :-) Since Mauricio is trained as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, he's really into the science of health and fitness, which the science junkie in me really loves! So, here are some interesting facts about cardio, weight training and metabolism: Fact 1: Basal metabolic rate (BMR) affects the rate that a person burns calories and ultimately whether you maintain, gain, or lose weight. Your basal metabolic rate accounts for about 60 to 75% of the calories you burn every day. Fact 2: Studies published in 1992 and 1997 indicate that the level of aerobic fitness of an individual does not have any correlation with the level of resting metabolism. Both studies find that aerobic fitness levels do not improve the predictive power of fat free mass for resting metabolic rate. Fact 3: Anaerobic exercise, such as weight lifting, builds additional muscle mass. Muscle contributes to the fat-free mass of an individual and therefore effective results from anaerobic exercise will increase BMR. I want to encourage you to do some research on the benefits of weight lifting...it could change your life, as it has been changing mine. Check out this article in The Huffington Post: 13 Reasons To Start Lifting Weights. xox Britt PS: With a brand new year just around the corner I know many of you are planning to dive headfirst into a new diet or exercise routine. Before you do any of that, look out for my class in January about Weight Loss Blockers. I’ll help you to understand why you start new diets year after year, and why your resolution to stick to them eventually fails. I want you to succeed this year and you can only do that if you understand what your Weight Loss Blockers are AND how to remove them!      

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