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Fat burners and metabolism my intrinsic link was something I discovered rather by accident. Again I’ve made it no secret that I’m no spring chicken. The struggle to accept that youth truly is wasted on the young. Learning to welcome the fact we all age, is a constant struggle I’d rather live without.

What I was able to accomplish in my younger times, seemed so easy, but as the years pass by, it’s a constant, now conscious struggle. My body slowing down, my mind and energy tiring, and the ever present struggle with weight management. My physical fitness routine, once accomplished with an element of ease to gain the results I so wanted, and got, is now a small battle of the bulge. 

Muscles get softer and harder to maintain, and my time spent at the gym, is just that little bit longer. Ho hum, it’s all of our realities, not just me. A slowing metabolism, that makes you listless, and gain that weight, even with all that careful dietary control and lifestyle changes. 

The reality is, we need to make some slight adjustments. I upped my time at the gym, modified my diet, not only what I eat, but how much, and chilled a bit more on the lavish life of consuming copious amounts of caviar and champagne. Ok, a lot! I’m not suggesting get boring, but everything in moderation.

But…..grappling with these changes, although I was steadfast, didn’t give me the results I was hoping for, at least not at the pace I was. So I started to ask around for advice on what those in my age group were doing. Quick fixes that seemed more like snake oils to me, answers that didn’t make sense, and as I knew, wouldn’t work for me.

So over a cup of coffee before my morning trip to the gym, I got to thinking….. coffee…. caffeine…. energy…. cognitive function? The answer was right there before me all along, all I need to do was think out side the box a little further and do my more of my own research.

Caffeine, Green tea extract, Capsaicin (the hot in Jalapeños), Amino acids, Linoleic acids, L-carnitine, Hydroxy Methylbutyrate, an almost confusing endless list that seemed to get more complex the deeper I got. Ingredients I found in those products billed as “fat burners”or “performance enhancers”. So I tried them. My gang at Body Energy Club certainly have a selection you can choose from.

I’m not sure if the products I tried actually did lead to burning more fat, but they did give me renewed energy. Giving me vitality not only for the gym, but for my busy daily life. Quite possibly the extra zest, was burning more fat.

I’ll be honest, I love the extra energy I get from these supplements added to my daily food intake. Note; added to my daily food intake, not substituted because I very much so believe in a healthy well rounded diet each and every day, throughout the day. These are exactly that, supplements!

What I’ve done is added L-carnitine to my diet along CLA Plus, and some HMB 1000 for my time at the gym. Again I’ll say it, that I try to get as much as I can from that well rounded diet, but I have no aversion to a little added help. I also believe if you want to shed excess pounds, cutting calories from your diet and exercising more regularly won’t hurt. 

However what worked for me, may work for you, or not. I’ve tried and tested quite a bit, and made sure to consult with my doctor along the way. A progressive practitioner who actually listens to me.

I know that as I continue to age in this life, I want to feel, look and be as happy and youthful as I can. It’s my choice, make it yours, get out there and see what works for you. You won’t know till you try.

Not all of us have it self ingrained, not all of us have what it takes to have someone do it for us or command us the ability to have it, or get it, and I’m not talking about the kind and ultimately with the same underlying context. What I am talking about is discipline, and that’s what’s sexy this week.

Wikipedia, my favourite resource defines it as;
the suppression of base desires, and is usually understood to be synonymous with restraint and self-control. Self-discipline is to some extent a substitute for motivation. Discipline is when one uses reason to determine the best course of action regardless of one’s desires, which may be the opposite of fun. Virtuous behaviour can be described as when one’s values are aligned with one’s aims: to do what one knows is best and to do it gladly. Continent behaviour, on the other hand, is when one does what one knows is best, but must do it by opposing one’s motivations. (more…)

We all want them, and for many at the gym on a regular basis, working them is all they do, and work them hard they do. The routines are varied, strenuous, time consuming, and take a great deal of time to produce results. Diet is also a key factor in reducing body fat and the layer that “lovingly” covers them. They also are the spot on the body where stress and emotions, also a play a key factor in keeping them flat and defined and fat free. Flat, tight, toned abdominals, that’s what sexy this week.

Abdominal muscles are not only sexy, but very functional, supporting the body, keeping the guts in place, and from the considered shallow aesthetic of which I am a supporter, seriously HOT! Creating defined abs is a serious challenge, and I am currently working on them myself. My own are tight, somewhat flat, except when I am bloated, and getting more and more defined as my time at the gym increases each time I am there. I work them hard, change out (more…)

The onset of warmer weather is generally when you see an increase in the last minute efforts being made by many to get that beach ready body. The rise in the numbers of folks sweating it out at the gym or taking it to the streets reminiscent of the broken resolutions from the start of each new year. The ability to keep that pace going year round, day in and day out takes discipline, serious motivation, and a healthy heaping of determination.

Many are no angels when it comes to this and I am no stranger (more…)