Sexy Abs By May Challenge

Whether you are a little overweight around the midsection, or looking to get back in shape after pregnancy and  the birth of a child, your abdominals and back, referred to in the fitness industry as your core, can be left weak and susceptible to injury.  A heavy overweight, or pregnant belly can cause arching and strain on the lower back.

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By strengthening your core and focusing on proper posture you can avoid injuries and transform the shape of your body.  Using this "Sexy Abs By May" workout you will feel the results immediately.  As a beginner give yourself a goal of completing 5 repetitions each side and work your way up to doing 3 sets of 12 repetitions of each exercise.   Whether you do 1 or all of the moves, congratulate yourself on becoming a healthier you!

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For those ladies who have just given birth, or men/women who fill they could stand to to trim their waist, and are looking to get back in shape always consult a physician before beginning any new exercise program.  For new mothers, your 6 week postpartum check up must be passed before starting this program.  If you feel pain or experience spotting at any time during this workout stop immediately and consult your physician.

Please see recommended exercises and descriptions, and suggested exercise videos below:

Oblique crunches

These amazing crunches can be done with or without an exercise ball.  Oblique crunches are great for shaping the waist.  Position the small of your back on the ball and bend your knees slightly greater than a 90 degree angle.  Lead the crunch with your abs, not you neck.  Flex your abs drawing your navel towards your spine and slowly lift your left shoulder across towards your right knee.  Hold for a count of two and return to start position.  Switch sides and always focus on a slow controlled movement.  While performing these exercises remember to always exhale on the execution and to continue breathing.

To do these exercises without a ball lie on a mat with your knees bent and feet flat on floor.  Flex your ab muscles and lift your shoulders a couple inches off the mat, all the while focusing on maintaining a flat back on the mat.

Bicycle crunches

The movement of bicycle crunches helps to tighten the abs while working your whole core region and hips.  Begin with your legs into your chest and using your abs lift your shoulders and neck a few inches off the ground.  Drop your right leg slowly and bring it back to the starting position.  Switch sides.  Hold the crunch through the repetitions and you will feel the excellent workout for your abs.  Pause and be proud of what you have already accomplished.

Oblique side raises

Roll over onto your side and get ready for a new favorite.  Begin with your elbow directly under your shoulder at a 90 degree angle.  Knees should be at a 45 degree angle.  While exhaling, use your abs and lift your hips off the ground.  Your spine and hip should be in a straight line with your legs.  Do not over lift as this could jeopardize your back.  Hold for a count of two and release.  Repeat and switch sides.

Plank

Prepare yourself for the ultimate core strengthener and full body isometric move.  Begin as if you were to do a push up.  On your exhalation, lift your body and with your abs, move into a straight position to hold for a count of 10, release.  Remember to continue breathing and preserve that straight back by holding your abs in strongly.  For a modification, instead of a straight arm, rest on your elbows at a 90 degree angle.

Kick Backs

This one is great for strengthening a weak postpartum back.  Begin on your hands and knees.  Hands under your shoulders knees under your hips.  On your exhalation, lift your right hand and left leg simultaneously until they are parallel to your spine.  Focus on maintaining a straight back.  Hold for a count of two and return to the start position.  Switch sides.  A bonus feature of this move will be the awesome workout it gives your gluts at the same time.

Cat Stretch

It is very important to start and finish every workout with a good stretch because flexibility will also help you avoid injury.  Begin on your hands and knees.  Your spine should be in straight and neutral position.  On your exhalation, slowly draw up your spine, suck in your belly and relax your head down.  Inhale and return back to neutral, eyes relaxed and looking forward.  Repeat motion in a slow controlled manor.

Allow yourself a couple of extra minutes to perform more stretches and focus on your breathing.  This will help you to relax and get ready for the physical exertion of being a mother.

Don't forget your lower abdominal wall!  Training these muscles is extremely important to having a strong core.

"Sexy Abs By May" Tip: For best results, maintain a well balanced diet thats low in calories. You need to eat a well balanced diet in order to lose weight, and get all the nutrients your body needs.


Written by,

Dwight Obey (Founder - 1st N Weight Loss), and AdvoCare Independent Distributor.

" I have found that AdvoCare has so many nutritional supplements that support overall wellness, weight management, energy, etc.."- Dwight Obey

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This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.

Are You Struggling With Your Weight Loss Goals

Weight loss is a common problem millions of Americans today struggle with. Very few Americans have been successful at losing a desired amount of weight.

The main problem is that most cannot stick to the designated program. For instance, a general weight loss program includes both diet as well as exercise. Most of the time an individual trying to lose weight will at least attempt one of these. Often times what happens is that the exercise may be too strenuous for that person since they have lacked exercise for so long, which is why they are in such shape.

Another perspective is the diet. Most people looking to lose weight are usually in this pandemic because of eating not only food with high amounts of sugars and fats, but also food in high quantities of these fats and sugars. This becomes a significant problem because changing old habits for anyone is such a difficult process especially here in the US since you can't walk two feet out your door without seeing a McDonald's.

So in the end dieting or weight loss in general is such a difficult process because of the extreme new way of life you would have to adapt to. A recent statistic said that of those who fail to reach an ideal weight goal in a diet actually gain more weight trying the diet rather then losing.

 The reason for this is once you give in, you start binge eating, meaning you eat almost everything in site with no restrictions. This is one negative impact of dieting viewed by many. Of course most researchers/doctors say diet and exercise are essential for a healthy life, whether losing weight or not.

To see the recent government released new physical fitness guidelines Click NOW.

Written by,

Dwight Obey, AdvoCare Independent Distributor

How To Beat The Holiday Cravings

Most of us are just regular people. In other words, we don't eat the perfect diet all the time and have our struggles with food, same as everyone else. But having an awareness of this fact and knowing a little bit about our health and food nutrition can help when it comes to making wise decisions, especially during the holiday season.

Many people struggle with the holiday cravings. Studies tell us that it's fairly common for food cravings to happen at certain times, quite often at around bedtime. Your guard may be down, you may have had an unusually hard day, and off you go on your not-so-merry way to find that tasty treat. 

Fatigue and stress often combine to take their toll on the best of intentions. When food cravings are unconstrained, what starts out as a bedtime snack quickly turns into a full blown feeding frenzy...not something most of us fully understand or appreciate. We head to kitchen and every other place where food can hide, clearing a path as we go. 

Most food cravings are not about satisfying a nutritional need or imbalance. They seem to be more emotionally related, or God forbid, are caused by plain old gluttony. Exactly why we over-indulge is not completely understood, however our knowledge about this subject continues to grow. 

Listed below are some my thoughts and ideas about food cravings: 

• If the food isn't available, you can't eat it! Empty the cookie jar and keep it that way! Keep healthy food choices on-hand. 

• Recognize the feelings and emotions that lead-up to a food craving. Do you have food cravings when you're bored, lonely, or stressed? If you can identify a trigger, you can deal with the emotion that's making you desire a certain food. Try to deal with the triggers in the best way you can. 

•  Sometimes, even recognizing that a craving is about to happen doesn't seem to help. Don't beat yourself-up. There is always tomorrow. Call a friend, make good use of your support network and share your feelings with someone. 

• Get enough sleep. When you're tired, you're more likely to crave things. 

• Never give-up. When you "slip", press-in, bear-down, get a grip, do whatever is necessary to re-gain control. Try to practice restraint most of the time, but don't get legalistic and un-balanced in your weight loss approach. Think moderation and not abstinence at all times! 

• Understand that self-control and discipline by themselves, won't cut it! If you depend totally on yourself for control, you will fail. Forming caring and supportive relationships is required. If you do not currently have a support network, start building one TODAY.  Better yet, announce it on Facebook, trust me this will surely hold you accountable, because as we know, there will be those who are there to see you fall off...Prove them wrong!

• Exercise. It increases feel-good endorphins that cut down on your cravings. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. 

• Use moderation. Instead of stuffing yourself with every kind of food hoping that your craving will go away, eat 100 to 200 calories of your "craved" food. 

• Substitute with low-fat foods and complex carbs. If you're hungry for chocolate, eat non-fat chocolate yogurt. Try fig bars or raisins for a sweet craving. 

• Never skip a meal. Eat every three to five hours. Try six smaller meals or regular meals with nutritious snacks. 

• Understand that hunger craving are often times stress related. Practice other ways to treat chronic stress, such as a walk in the park, spiritual connections, a cozy fireplace, baths...all these stimulate neurochemicals that activate regions of the brain that stimulate pleasure. Relaxation techniques may work by reducing the psychological drives on stress output, which can be the root causes of stress. Bottom line, substitute pleasurable experiences for comfort foods. 

• Beware of certain medications. They can stimulate appetite. Drugs used for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder can be appetite stimulants. Other drugs, both prescription and over the counter, may influence appetite as well. If you are on a medication, and troubled by food cravings, discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist. You may be able to find an alternative that doesn't send your cravings out of control. 

• Distract Yourself. What's that old expression...idle hands are the devils workshop? Get busy. Do anything other than cave-in to your desire for food, and keep doing it until the cravings subside. 

• One final thought, take a look inside your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets and do some general "house cleaning." Throw-out all that unhealthy stuff that is waiting to sabotage your diet, and start shopping more wisely. A little forethought and careful planning will go a long way for improving your chances of success. 

Before the Holidays, I like to use AdvoCare Slim, a Vitamin, Mineral, & Herbal Supplement which helps control my appetite, and enhances my energy.

Eat wisely, be happy, and beat this years holiday cravings! 

Written by,

Dwight Obey, AdvoCare Independent Distributor

This article is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is not to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, professional medical advice or any doctors recommendation. Prior to beginning any weight loss program, individuals must consult a physician for proper diagnosis and/or treatment.