I was going to write an article on de-hydration this week but changed my mind after I got involved in a discussion last weekend about the differences between Weight Loss and fat loss.

Is there a difference I hear you say?

It is extremely important that I clarify the difference between weight loss and fat loss and believe it or not there is a big difference.

I remember reading the article below some time ago and I think it pretty much summarize it all:

“I mean sheesh, anyone can lose weight, all you have to do is eat birdseed and arugula with a side of grapes”…now I know what you are thinking…Arugula what? Yes I wasn’t sure either so … I googled it…it is just a type of salad! It’s green.

Now ….STOP!!! I bet it already crossed your mind to add the following to your shopping list:

-Birdseeds
-Arugula
-Grapes

I am not going to be able to stop you if that is what you decide to do but take some time to read what follows before you make that decision.

My advice to you is that take your time and be patient, far too often I see too many people wanting amazing results with very little effort on their part, so again…be patient!

If you want to be successful in your fat-loss journey don’t be in a rush, allow yourself to relax, allow your body to adapt to the changes and accept your new healthy and balanced regime, it takes time your, body need to trust you and the food you are consuming.

You need to be looking at creating a small negative energy balance (300-500 calories MAX), which is something you’ll be able to stick to long-term, rather than the ever- so popular crash dieting strategies sold to us by so called weight loss experts on TV and in all those magazines.

These magic potions and diets aren’t realistic. A 900Kcal per day diet isn’t realistic; the liquid diets are not realistic either!

Why Crash Dieting Doesn’t Work

Crash dieting is unlikely to work long-term for various reasons:

First of all the motivation for rapid weight loss is short-term because it centres on a quick-fix mentality. This invariably leads to the nightmare roller coaster ride of emotions that the yoyo dieters or “crash dieter” often falls into… determination to diet, rapid weight loss, weight-loss plateau, loss of determination, return to old habits, depression, rapid weight gain, depression, guilt, new determination to diet, rapid weight loss and so it goes on…Its extremely frustrating to go through all this and it creates an ENOURMOUS amount of stress for the body which is completely UNNECESSARY.

After all, do you want to be in shape only temporary? Of course not and to sustain this new you there has to be a lifestyle change. Stop looking for these shortcuts that don’t exist!

A little bit of maths…there are 3,500Kcal in a pound of fat…(yes that’s right! )…which mean to lose ONE POUND of FAT you have to burn 3,500Kcal. This explains why fat loss requires time and patients’.

Now, our body cannot only fuel on fat,..It will always be a ratio of fat and carbohydrate (that’s why carbohydrate are so important to fuel your workouts)…and the ratio depends on the type of workouts activity you do.

Now let’s look at water loss or weight loss:

When losing weight its inevitable that water will make up some of the weight loss. No matter how we lose weight or how long the weight loss takes, everyone will lose water.

This is determined by:

1. Which exercise is selected

2. The diet (Nutrition) – for example, a too low carbohydrate diet may increase water loss

3. Calorie intake – lowering calorie intake too much will cause more water loss

4. Body composition of the person – the amount of protein and carbohydrate stores before new diet

The water weight loss comes from a net loss of protein and carbohydrates especially during the first few weeks of a reduction in calories.

On reducing calories the body needs to rely more on energy within the body and thus breaks down protein and carbohydrate for Metabolism.

When these nutrients are metabolised (used for energy) water is released.
Fat stores do supply a little of the energy but, at first a good proportion comes from protein and the limited stores of carbohydrates within the cells.

For fat loss the trick is to reduce losing water weight as much as possible so the body is forced to burn more body fat stores.

Here come the tips:

1. Consume small portions of high quality protein at each meal
2. Reduce food intake gradually and count calories (where are the calories coming from?)
3. Do NOT starve yourself or go on a crash diet!
4. Train for strength so to increase muscle (The amount of lean muss we have will determine how fast our metabolism is)
5. Lose weight slowly no more than 2 pounds per week…PATIENCE IS KEY

And that is all the tips from me today…until next time…

Enjoy your workouts!

Gym Love

Ilaria

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula” Day 7

Day 7 is finally here and I couldn’t be happier…first of all it means I can stop this Weight Loss herbal tea trial as I was losing too much weight and secondly it means I can share this ingredients with all of you that have been following this trial and look forward to hearing your results.

I can now confirm that I have lost 4lbs in total, my digestive system is super charged and over all I felt absolutely great.

Now remember I only followed this routine for 7 days, there is nothing stopping you from following this for up to 4 weeks and longer!

The ingredients are 100% natural and there are also many many other benefits in consuming this wonderful herbal weight loss tea.

Without further ado allow me to introduce you to the 2 ingredients that will change your life:

Ingredient 1 

Bay Leaves – You can purchase Bay Leaves from pretty much any high street herbal shop at the cost of approximately 70p.
You only need to add 2 bay leaves when making this herbal tea for one person.

Ingredient 2 

Dill Seeds – Again can be purchased from your local herbal shop and you only need to use a handful when making this herbal tea for one person.
The cost of Dill Seeds are next to nothing!…you can purchase them for around £1.20 a packet.

So there you have it the 2 super ingredients that I have boiled for 15 minutes every evening before bed that has resulted in me losing 4lbs in weight and feeling brilliant all over in JUST 7 DAYS!

For all of you that do take part in this herbal tea diet it would be great to hear your success stories.  Simply register with musclemadness for FREE from the home page and then go to the forum to add your comments to the Weight Loss Herbal Tea Trial Discussion.

I would like to this opportunity to wish you all the best and success with your trial.

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula” Day 6

It’s day six and I have lost another pound in weight!  While I am not best pleased about it the results are demonstrating just how potent this herbal tea is…

I am looking forward to tomorrow because it is my last day of taking this tea which should now hopefully prevent me from losing anymore weight!

That’s a total of 5lbs lost in weight, in just 6 days!

I am still feeling very positive, there haven’t been any adverse side effects and if my goal was Weight Loss I would be still more than happy to continue this herbal tea diet.

I have been receiving allot of emails about what the ingredients are ALL WEEK and you can all rest assure that I will be revealing the two power ingredients that I have been using.

Until then…..

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula” Day 5

Day 5 already and only 2 days left of the trial.  I’m going to recap what I have experienced so far just to refresh everyone’s memory so you can decided on day 7  if you will also be taking part in your own herbal tea Weight Loss trial.

My stomach has felt very good and stable since I started this trial, I feel lighter on my feet, more alert, I feel I have a much improved appetite and I have lost a total of 4lbs….I have gone through all of these motions in just 5 days!

I have to say that is pretty amazing and I can’t get over just how simple it was firstly to get hold of the 2 ingredients that make the tea and the 15 minutes brewing process.

I noticed something that I forgot to mention and that is I have felt very hungry every morning since I started the herbal tea.  When I was researching the 2 ingredients being used they both mention that they also help improve digestive functionality…I have never experienced such a super digestive system…it’s brilliant!  

Only 2 more days left until I reveal what I have been using!…

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula” Day 4

Good morning, it is day 4 since I started this herbal tea Weight Loss diet and I am now starting to feel a big difference in my weight.

I was 13 stones and 6lbs when I started and I am now 13 stones and 2lb! 

Now remember weight loss is NOT a goal of mine, it’s actually weight gain so at the moment I am upset at having lost weight but am suprised at the speed I have lost 4lbs!

What I do have consider is I have also been continuing my training regime as normal, so there is a chance that my training combined with this herbal tea is a good fusion.

So when I do give you the ingredients on day 7 I am hoping you will do EXACTLY as I have been, exercising and taking the herbal weight loss tea every evening before you go to bed!…After all, it seems to be working!

I am still feeling very positive, alert, stomach feels brilliant and I am still feeling nice and light on my feet.

The total amount of money I have spent on this herbal tea is £2.35 and looking at the ingredients from both packages, this will be lasting me at least another month! 

More updates tomorrow…

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula” Day 2

Well it is the morning after since I tried this Weight Loss herbal tea and the first thing I have to say is that my stomach feels very settled and quite empty at the moment!

There was more bowel movement than usual which to me states that this herbal tea is a form of detox.

I managed to find some more information on the 2 ingredients being used in the herbal tea and I was pleasantly surprised at some of its other therapeutic properties:

Ingredient 1:

- When used correctly can relieve chest infections
- When used as an oil can relieve back ache, sprains, swelling
- Can promote sweating 
- Settles the stomach
- Useful for proper digestion
- Can break down and digest certain types of food

Ingredient 2

- Helps the digestion process
- Helps insomnia sufferers
- Can cure those that suffer from chronic hiccups
- Can stop Diarrhea as it contains very good digesting properties
- Helps with Menstrual Disorders
- Helps with Respiratory Disorders

So as you can see there are a number of benefits to this herbal tea and I also noticed that there are ‘digestive aids’ in both ingredients…”so maybe there is some truth on the weight loss side of things!…”

Conclusion

So far, so good…my stomach feels very settled, empty and I’m feeling good…

More updates tomorrow

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

Is it really a “Secret Weight Loss Formula?”

I met a very interesting woman on my travels this weekend, we were sharing a monorail together and as an ice breaker we got talking about what we do, our interests, hobbies…as you do when you meet someone for the first time….

After listening to her interests, hobbies, her likes, dislikes and where she is from she mentioned something about a particular family hobby she has which is making herbal teas.

Native Home Made Weight Loss Herbal Teas

The history behind her herbal teas is that they have simply been passed down from generation to generation and they have been drinking these homemade herbal teas from their native country since they can remember.

She has recipes for a variety of herbal teas all with different benefits from healthy hair, healthy skin, energy, cleansing and Weight Loss!…the last one was the one I wanted to focused on…The Weight Loss Herbal Tea.

Very Powerful Weight Loss Herbal Tea with ONLY 2 Ingredients

I asked more about the weight loss herbal tea, what the ingredients was and she very happily shared this information with me.

The tea is very potent and from what I was being told it works a treat…to make it even better this weight loss herbal tea only requires 2 ingredients of which both are very easily available, inexpensive…AND it takes all of 15 minutes to make.

Let the testing begin…

Knowing the ingredients and how to make it I have decided to try this weight loss herbal tea for a full week and report back every day and update you all on how things are going and if it really works…

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations
Musclemadness

When is the best time of day to do your aerobic exercise?

I am going to answer a question that I get asked allot…recently one of my good friends asked me the same question so I decided to write up an article about it and hopefully shed some light on this matter.

The answer to “When is the best time to do your aerobic exercise” is…ANYTIME!

The most important thing is that you do some form of cardio.  Any type of continuous cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, or cycling, sustained for at least 30 minutes, will reduce body fat no matter when you do it!

However, if you want to maximise the benefits from every minute you invest in your workouts, then you should get up early and do your cardio before you eat your first meal.

There are some major advantages to exercising early in the morning on an empty stomach…

When you wake up first thing in the morning, before you eat your levels of muscle and liver glycogen (stored carbohydrate) are very low.  If you had your dinner at 7 pm and you wake up at 7am, that’s 12 hours without food.

During this 12-hour overnight fast, your levels of glycogen slowly decline to provide glucose for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep.  As a result, you wake up in the morning with depleted glycogen and lower blood sugar – the optimum environment for burning fat instead of carbohydrate

So how does this actually work?

Carbohydrate (glycogen) is your body’s primary and preferred source of energy, when your primary fuel source is in short supply, this forces your body to tap into its secondary or reserve energy source; body fat.

If you do cardio immediately after eating a meal, you’ll still burn fat, but you’ll burn less of it because you’ll be burning off the carbohydrates you ate first.

We NEVER burn 100% fat during ANY activity…it is always going to be a combination of fat and carbohydrate for fuel, but depending on WHEN you exercise, and HOW, you can burn a greater proportion of fat relative to carbohydrate.

When you do your cardiovascular exercises in the morning, not only do you burn the fat during the session, but the fat burning process lasts for hours after the workout session.

Interval Training (HIIT)

This happens especially with speed intervals training (the beloved HIIT Training you MUST have heard about!) workouts as it boost Metabolism naturally.  However be careful not to do speed intervals training for too long or too often as it could be counterproductive to your goal as if your Nutrition is not Optimum (not enough complex carbohydrate to fuel your workout) there is also a greater risk of muscle breakdown (we cannot burn 100% fat remember? Therefore if there isn’t enough glycogen available the body will break down muscle. FACT.)…or as I call it…Muscle Suicide.

So…MIX IT UP…longer low intensity sessions and few short high intensity to give your body the kick it needs!

If you exercise in the evening you still burn the fat during the workout but as soon as you go to sleep at night, your metabolism slows down rapidly – it is significantly lower than during any other time of the day, so you would not benefit from an evening workout as much as the morning.

The other reason why you should do your fat burning exercise in the morning is getting it out of the way early and carries with you that feeling of accomplishment all day long!

Promote that endorphins release in the body as they create a natural “high” Endorphins not only improve your mood and release stress but also relieve pain.

Now wouldn’t that be a great start to the day…

And also let’s face it…when you put off any task you consider unpleasant, it hangs over you all day long, leaving you with a feeling of guilt, stress and incompleteness and you are more likely to “blow off” an evening workout if you are tired from a long day at work! (mental tiredness or physical)

The second best time to do it would be immediately after weight training.  Lifting weights depletes muscle glycogen and has a similar effect as morning cardio on an empty stomach (please note you DO NOT want to go for a hard weights session without some carbohydrate in your system).

I know what you are thinking….” I am not a morning person”  Well I think you should ask yourself “when have you decided that?”…You decide you are not a morning person and guess what?…Now you won’t be as that is what you have been telling yourself!

I can sleep in too like you wouldn’t believe…But I get up anyway because I know the effort is worth the results.

With my goal that I am clearly focused on, I’m committed to my morning cardio and training without fail.

Make a commitment to yourself to do it for just 21 days.  Once those 21 days are up you will already be feeling so much better and before you know it, early morning cardio will your new habit; you’ll be leaner, your metabolism will be faster and you’ll feel fantastic all day long! :0) Sounds awesome to me!

Now are you a morning person?…I’ll leave that for you to decide.

Gym Love
Ilaria Petrucci

Ilaria Petrucci 

N.A.B.B.A (National Amateur Bodybuilders Association) Certified Personal Trainer

Nutritional Expert:
British Complimentary Medicine Association & Complimentary Medical Association Advanced Diploma in Optimum Nutrition

Introduction

Fitness and healthy living has always been Ilaria’s passion, however she wasn’t always in the shape she is in today.

After gaining weight during her first years of college, Ilaria realized that she needed to make a change. Looking for a quick fix like many, Ilaria jumped from one diet to another experiencing the frustration on “not getting there” or even worst…getting there quickly…and going back to the old weight three times quicker! Only with more frustration and a lower Metabolism that she started with in the first place! Eventually Ilaria came to a hard realization… in order to become healthier and achieve the “tone” body she always wanted… there was no magic pill or magic quick fix diet that was going to do this “for her”…

“The first step I had to take was to make a CHOICE. There is very powerful “magic” that happens when you make a CHOICE TO CHANGE. The magic is that once you take that the decision of what you want…it is already done! It is just a matter of allowing yourself the time for people to see it too.

It is about being WILLING TO CHANGE, leaving the  past behind and whatever it is that is holding you back and DECIDE to move on. And LOVE yourself just the way you are RIGHT NOW.”

Quoting one of her favourite speakers, Will Smith, she continues “Do not EVER let anyone tell you, you can’t do something. You have a dream, you got to PROTECT IT. You want something? GO GET IT. Period”.

I believe our thoughts create our future and that we really do become what we think we are…

My passion for Fitness and for People continues, and in my journey and I want to help as many people as possible to achieve their goals, whatever that might be.

I believe in educating my Clients through the correct Training techniques and the correct Nutrition for them to be able to design their own healthy lifestyle according to their own individual needs and preferences.

You will never hear me talking about “diets”…it is about Nutrition, this is what your body needs.

The only diet that works is the mental diet – dieting from negative thoughts

Final Word

Ilaria Petrucci is a top Personal Trainer, Fitness Model and Nutritionist who has changed peoples lives up and down the country with her seminars, boot camps, personal training and nutritional support.

Ilaria has a very tough approach to her training and has adopted a very unique style when it comes to personal training…the end result being some very happy clients!

We are very proud to have Ilaria as part of Team Muscle and know her expertise in nutrition and fitness will help you our members in the quest for a healthier lifestyle.

Deepak Bhangu
Head of Operations

The Chest & Card Workout

Try this on for size the next time you are feeling a little bit bored with your chest routine, it is guaranteed to give you the pump of your life IF the cards do not stack in your favour!

You will need a full deck of cards and a training partner to do this workout effectively.

Shuffle the deck well and place them on the floor face down, you and your training partner will be either side of the cards getting ready to start this chest ripping workout!

You will turn the first card over and whatever number you get on the deck is the number of reps you must complete before you can rest.  As soon as you have successfully completed your set your partner will then turn over the next card and perform the amount of reps that are shown on the card.

Now, if you get any face card, i.e, a king, queen or ace that is 10 reps and if you get a joker that is 20 reps!  It does not matter how many times you collapse to the floor you MUST complete the set.  The longer you take the longer your training partner gets to rest!

If the cards don’t stack in your favour then this is going to be a long workout!

Enjoy….

Derrick Twum