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 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” Day 1

Ok, it is day 1 and I have got my 2 bits of ingredients ready that make up this possibly miracle working weight loss herbal tea.

I have a cup full of water in a sauce pan on medium gas and all I need to do is add 2 pieces of ingredient 1 and 2 spoon fulls of ingredient 2 and allow the water to simmer for 15 minutes.

Once 15 minutes is up you pour the hot water using a siv into a cup and drink away.

This herbal tea is not the nicest tasting tea in the world however it is bearable and as you already know, foods and drinks that usually don’t taste too good always seem to be good for you!

The beauty of this herbal tea is that you do not need to change your diet, you can actually continue to eat and drink as normal, the only requirement is that you make and drink this herbal tea at the end of the day.

Tomorrow I will be up nice and early researching the properties of the two ingredients and find out what makes it so potent….so until then…watch this space…

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

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

I have been exercising for a few weeks and can’t see any changes…am I wasting my time?…

So you have been training for a couple of weeks now and you can’t see any physical results at the moment…does that mean you are wasting your time?

The answer is NO….

When you start a new health and fitness regime the first thing you have to remember is for at least the first 4-6 weeks the only thing you will really notice is the feel good factor. 

When I say the feel good factor I am talking about you noticing the changes within yourself, you may feel more active, you may have more energy, you may even be more productive at work, there maybe a slight bounce in your step…these are what I call feel good factors.

The physical changes come after the feel good factors, so it is important not to give up because you can’t seem any physical changes at the moment.

“I have been exercising for a month and my weight has gone up…”

This is a very common question, especially amongst the ladies.  Allow me to school you all on body fat percentages and muscle mass. 

When anyone, male or female incorporates weight training as part of their fitness regime you will all be doing one thing and that is making your muscles heavier, this is NOT a bad thing, its positive.

Whilst exercising you will also be reducing your body far percentage ( Body fat does not weigh as much as muscle).

So we have two things happening at the same time, your muscle mass goes up and your body fat percentage goes down!…So really there will not be a great deal of weight loss being shown on the scales.

But there is a way you can check what I am saying and see for yourself. 

At your local gym there should be someone that can check your body fat percentage and also be able to tell you your body’s fat weight in kilos using a body weight instrument or scales. 

Make a note of these two figures then take your weight using standard scales and again make a note of this figure.

In a months time go through the same procedure and again write down the results.  You are now in a position to compare the results and verify if what I am saying is indeed correct.

Your body fat percentage should have gone down (provided you have a consistent exercise routine and diet) and there is a chance that your overall weight may not have gone down too much or even have gone up!

So avoid looking at the overall weight and automatically associate it with fat!

Remember a standard set if scales does not separate muscle mass and body fat, it takes into account everything, muscle, fat, bones, organs etc….

Deepak Bhangu
Personal Trainer