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Weight Loss 5 Easy Ways To Boost Your Metabolism With Foods

Weight Loss 5 Easy Ways To Boost Your Metabolism With Foods

Looking for ways to boost your metabolism?  Exercise quantity and intensity are essential to your success.  However, you can also burn more calories at rest by watching what and when you eat.  Weight Loss can be simple and fun.  If you have kids, lead by example and show your children how to eat properly so that eating never has to feel like they’re on a diet.  Proper food plus proper exercise equals health.  Fitness is earned over time with compounding behaviors that require responsibility.  Below is a list of Weight Loss 5 Easy Ways To Boost Your Metabolism With Foods that will help you get your internal motor running and becoming a metabolic fat burning machine.

 

#1 Don’t Skip Breakfast

The morning meal jump-starts your metabolism and helps to prevent bingeing later in the day.  Start your morning with a cup of black coffee, no milk, no sugar please.  Black coffee will give you a morning boost and help start your engine with a healthy dose of caffeine.  Breakfast should include complex carbohydrates like whole grain (granola or oatmeal), along with some protein and fat (low-fat yogurt or milk), will keep your energy levels even and hunger in check.

#2 Eat more often

Get into the habit of eating every three to four hours or at least four times a day. Eating frequently stabilizes blood sugar.  When your blood sugar levels drop too low, you may get the urge to want to eat a lot. By keeping your blood sugar stable, you can control your appetite and keep you metabolic rate high. When you go many hours without eating, your body will compensate by slowing down to conserve energy, this effect can hurt your weight loss efforts.

#3 Eat protein at every meal

Protein will help to reduce your appetite, it takes more energy and time to digest, in effect, you feel full longer than eating carbohydrates alone. Research shows that eating more protein can help you lose weight without cutting calories. Try these protein mini-meal possibilities: turkey on whole wheat; hummus and pita; vegetarian chili; fruit and nuts; or protein snack bars that contain 12 or more grams of protein.

#4 Hold off on snacking

Many of us grab a snack for quick energy when we are feeling tired. But please do not confuse true hunger with fatigue. If you are feeling tired, go for a 15-20 minute brisk walk. This will raise your heart rate and give you a boost of fat released energy. Follow it up with a large glass of cold water. If you are truly hungry, then, have a protein and complex carbohydrate rich snack like; whole wheat crackers and peanut butter or cheese, a serving of rice and beans, fish and a sweet potato.

#5 Consume enough for your body’s needs

Eating too little slows your body’s metabolism the same way eating to infrequently does. If you want to lose weight, do not slash your calories too drastically. Instead, cut out some of the extras in your diet and things like soda, juice, packaged goods or candy. Weight loss can be improved by skipping processed foods which tend to be high in fat, sodium, preservatives, calories, and low in vitamins, minerals and fiber.  Enjoy!


Find Your Passion

Find Your Passion

If you want the most out of your life, you need to find your passion and give it your all. That doesn’t mean you should live your life in a single-minded manner. You can have more than one passion. My passion has always been Muay Thai kickboxing. However, as I moved through life, I found that people needed my kind of help in other sports in Glen Cove, NY. That led to me being aware that there were people who never participated in anything athletic, but who would benefit from my help to become healthier. Helping people has become an important priority in my life. That doesn’t mean my passion has become any less for Muay Thai kickboxing. In fact, it expanded my interest.

My love for kickboxing has become a vehicle to help people lose weight and get healthier.

People sign up for kickboxing for a number of reasons. One of them are simply a love of athletics or the sport itself. I can truly appreciate that. Getting healthy and losing weight are two more reasons. It makes me feel so glad I have the ability to help these people. Not only do they become more active, they enjoy doing it. I watch them change from someone who could barely move without breathing hard and carrying far more weight than their frame could maintain, to a confident, muscular, slender individual with energy galore.

Kickboxing is a means of boosting energy levels to achieve other goals.

While your goal may not be physical, it doesn’t mean that kickboxing can’t help. One of my clients was in a male dominated industry and felt she needed to build her confidence. Not only did Muay Thai kickboxing help her do that, it also boosted her energy level and helped her think clearer when she wasn’t in the gym. She excelled at her chosen profession and gives the Muay Thai workout credit for it.

Muay Thai kickboxing can also build your confidence.

Do you have a passion that almost scares you? It’s so big you simply are overwhelmed and doubt yourself continuously? Don’t give it up because of the intimidation, but instead build your confidence and rise to the occasion. Achieving success in one area helps you achieve success in another. Kickboxing can help you build that determination that keeps you on the path to succeed at your passion. I’ve watched people become mentally stronger as they became fitter and new determination develop in those who have almost given up their goals.

  • Kickboxing has helped others feel more confident in their ability to defend themselves. It’s an amazing form of self-defense for women.
  • Kickboxing has helped some people achieve their fitness goals by providing a workout that’s not only engaging, it’s also extremely effective.
  • Part of my passion to help others live healthy involves teaching healthy eating habits. What you eat affects all areas of your life, not just your fitness goals.
  • When you learn Muay Thai kickboxing, you’re welcomed into a community of people who care. You learn self-discipline as well as provide and enjoy the support of the group. It makes it a great way to help children learn the lessons they need for a successful, happy life.

Defense Against Attacks

Defense Against Attacks

You’ll have defense against attacks using the techniques you learn that combines a variety of Muay Thai moves to use all your limbs against the aggressor and the element of surprise. Even a smaller individual can defeat and deter a much larger person, giving you time to get away. You may not ever need to use it, since you getdefense other benefits with Muay Thai training. One of those benefits is improved posture and self-confidence, which is one of the biggest deterrents when muggers are looking for potential victims. Bullies only bully people they think they can dominate.

Muay Thai was created for mortal combat.

In Muay Thai, the body parts are used to mimic weaponry. Elbows were used like hammers to strike a blow and hands were daggers or swords. The forearms and shins were honed to a point they absorbed blows like armor and prevented them from injuring delicate organs. The legs and knees were often used like weaponry, such as staffs or axes. These skills were passed from generation to generation and used effectively in hand to hand combat. No matter what your station in life, you always had the weapons of war and were ready for invading tribes.

You’ll walk taller after training and that gives you presence.

All types of exercise improves your overall fitness and helps your posture, but learning the art of self-defense gives you extra confidence. You’ll get amazing core strength training with Muay Thai that translates to a healthier slimmer body, but one that’s slimmed with muscle tissue. While weight lifting may build bulky muscles, Muay Thai builds sinewy ones. Men will have more bulk than women, just because of hormonal differences, but both will develop amazing strength by learning to use the whole body as one for defense.

You’ll improve your fitness level while also improving your mental capacity.

The body and mind work as one, particularly in Muay Thai. You’re constantly trying to anticipate your opponents next move. That prepares you for actual use in real life because you’re always one step ahead of the mugger, bully or assailant. It teaches respect and honor, so it is not only appropriate for adults, but also for children.

You’ll shed pounds fast as you work hard to develop the skills of Muay Thai. It’s physically taxing, but will get you into shape rapidly.

You’ll improve your power of concentration. Muay Thai defense training is more than just working out or boxing. It requires total focus and trains the mind to do it in times of distress. That helps keep you calm no matter what the emergency.

You won’t feel like you’re exercising even though you’ll be getting a total body workout. Part of the reason is that you’ll be focusing more on the moves than on your exhaustion.

You’ll develop self-discipline that will carry over to other areas of your life.


Clinching Drills You Should Know

Clinching Drills You Should Know

Some of the dramatic moves of Muay Thai look like a lot of fun, but any time you participate in this sport, it’s the basics that will make you or break you. You’ll find a few of the clinching drills you should know to be at your best and ready for even the most aggressive opponent. With this sport, you can’t hesitate or you’ll lose, so being ready for anything is the best way to prepare for battle. There are an infinite number of maneuvers you can do that will have you winning, so learning them all only comes with years of practice and dedication. Here are a few you’ll find helpful.

Keep your center of gravity low and avoid standing tall.

While standing tall is important for using your knees to deliver a blow to the face, it’s not a stable position for most clenches. It allows your opponent, particularly one with a lower center of gravity to get the advantage. You have to lower yours, which means keeping your head down and knees bent. You can get the advantage by moving in on your opponent rapidly, putting your gloves on his biceps and pushing, then go for the head while he’s off balance and have your arms in his way, making him unable to counter-punch. In this instance, speed and the element of surprise are important, so practicing this move until its second nature is the only way to be effective.

A knee to the head is a potent weapon.

You need to insure your opponent is as powerless as possible. You can do that by starting the clench with one hand behind his neck pushing his arm to the outside and the other intertwined with his arm, with your hand on top. That leaves him more vulnerable and unable to elbow you. Expect him to counter by snaking his his arm on top. That’s the point where you take charge, pushing his head down and giving a solid knee to the head. This move is also quick and anticipates the opponents natural progression of moves.

Your elbows are powerful weapons in a clinch.

Planning and practicing effective use of the elbows in a clinch is important. A blow to the face from an elbow can be far more devastating than a punch thrown and with proper practice, will help you win the match. Put one hand behind the opponents neck placing it to insure he can’t throw a punch and position the other on top of his arm. When the time is right, knock down that arm with one swift move and elbow the face of the opponent.

Don’t forget about clinch sweeps when you’re practicing Muay Thai moves. They can be powerful tools to win you points.

Hesitation to make moves during a clinch is one of the biggest problems faced. If you hesitate, you often lose not only an opportunity to strike a blow, but many times the match.

There are a huge number of moves you can do in a clinch. Find a few and perfect them, then add more as you go. Make sure you practice enough you can do them quickly without hesitation before you move on to the next one.

Get your body in shape for clenches by practicing drills often.


Maintain Weight Loss

Maintain Weight Loss

Maintain Weight Loss

If you want to maintain weight loss, you first need to make lifestyle changes. Eating healthier is one of the first changes. Eating healthier doesn’t mean dieting, but making wiser choices when it comes to food. It means learning to avoid foods that have limited benefits but are higher in calories and eat those that will provide your body with the building stones required to keep you healthy. You also need to exercise regularly and stay active. Exercise does more than just burn calories.

You’ll be boosting your metabolism with regular exercise.

When you workout on a regular basis, you do more for your body than just burn calories at that moment. You’ll be building muscle tissue. Muscle tissue requires more calories than fat tissue does, so the more muscular you are, the more calories you’ll burn 24/7. That makes it easier to both lose weight and keep it from returning. You’ll also be doing your body a favor by improving flexibility, strength and endurance.

Choose an activity that interests you and is challenging.

One of the keys to staying motivated and keep you exercising is having an activity you enjoy. Just doing jumping jacks and calisthenics can be pretty boring after a while. Riding a bike or running has its limitation, particularly in bad weather. Finding a way of exercising that doesn’t seem like exercising, but keeps you mentally focused on the activity, rather than the workout is the best method. While golf or other sports involves the mental side, those sports don’t require you to be constantly moving, so they aren’t the ideal activity. Muay Thai, MMA, kick boxing and other competitive sports keep you constantly on the move.

You’ll develop more than just muscles and focus, you’ll develop respect for yourself and others.

Honor is an important part of the program in most martial arts techniques. While your goal is to defeat the opponent, respecting that opponent plays a role, just as respecting yourself is. You’ll be building your mental abilities and body and mind connection, too. You’ll learn to make lightening fast decisions on your next move to deter an aggressor, which keeps your mind active and healthy.

You’ll burn off more than calories, you’ll burn off the hormones created by stress when you practice Muay Thai.

No matter what type of fitness training you need, flexibility, strength, balance or endurance, training for Muay Thai will provide it.

You’ll build core strength. Building core muscles helps keep weight off since these are more than just abdominal muscles, but also back muscles too, requiring many calorie too maintain.

Learning Muay Thai helps build your sense of self-confidence. You’ll walk taller and have more respect for yourself, making eating healthier an easy decision.


How To Land Kicks On Your Opponent

How To Land Kicks On Your Opponent

You have to know how to land kicks on your opponent just as much as learning the actual kicking technique. Learning and practicing the techniques is important but you also need to learn how to get close enough and catch your opponent off guard so you can land them. While doing both requires practice, one requires practice in moving and the other requires learning to anticipate your opponent and move quickly to catch him off guard.

There are many variations to the Axe kick with each one useful based on the situation.

With the axe kick, you’ll be raising your leg and bringing down the heel on the opponent to maximize the damage you do. The heel is far more lethal to the opponent than the sole or ball of the foot and doesn’t leave you as open to injury. Doing the axe kick uses the hip and leg muscles, while also using the force of gravity and the natural inclination for the leg to be on the ground. It’s done from top to bottom, but still leaves you vulnerable to other attack, which is why practice is so important. There are a number of different types of axe kicks from traditional ones to jumping and spinning kicks.

Roundhouse kicks use momentum to add extra force to the kick.

When you do a roundhouse kick, the power doesn’t really come from the leg. In reality, it comes from the torso, hips and shoulders plus the momentum you develop. The leg is just the weapon or tool you use to deliver the power. Doing it right can cause a lot of damage to an opponent, but doing it wrong can wear you out. You’ll get much of the power from the pivot as you attempt to kick THROUGH the opponent. Follow through is important.

Timing your kick is one of the most important lessons to learn.

No matter how much technique you possess, timing is everything when you face an opponent. The person who anticipates their opponents moves best is often the winner of the match. Learn to anticipate when your opponent is most vulnerable and deliver the kick at that time, when he’s off guard. That means you have to practice quickness and not broadcast your movement to kick position.

Use kicks to assault all parts of the opponents body. Kicking techniques can be used to gain the advantage when used against the opponent to land on many different body parts from the head, trunk or legs.

Combining kicks with punches is a powerful tool. The kick gets the opponent off-balance and then you can land a powerful punch to complete the sequence.

Learn faking to disguise your next move. Fakes or feints can keep your opponent guessing. Watch the opponent carefully and when they start to react to the fakes, it’s time to strike.

Get a sense of timing by sparring. No matter how much you shadow box, it doesn’t provide the same learning experience that sparring does.


Try A Kickboxing Workout

Try A Kickboxing Workout

Are you bored with the same old routine at the gym and want a challenging workout that’s also a lot of fun? Try a kickboxing workout to add a bit of spice and enjoyment to your fitness routine. Not only does kickboxing provide total body exercise, it also provides all four forms of exercise. You’ll work on strength, flexibility, stamina and balance while improving your mental capabilities. The best part is that you won’t feel like you’re working out, but instead be enjoying participation in a sport.

Tone and firm your muscles and eradicate fat.

You won’t develop big bulging muscles with kickboxing, but you will develop strong sinewy muscles. Anyone who sees you will recognize you’re muscular, but when you participate in kickboxing, you’ll be sculpting your muscles and carving a great physique, while also eliminating fat. You’ll build some muscles, but have a strong appearance that looks quick and trim. You’ll be working on all muscle groups at once with kickboxing.

You won’t realize you’re working out when you kickbox.

Everyone who’s worked out to maintain a fit body at one time or another desperately looked for a clock, cell phone or watch to check how much longer they had to go until the workout ended. That doesn’t happen with kickboxing. That’s because you’re more focused on what your opponent is doing and what to do next you actually forget you’re working out. Like golf, basketball, football or any other sport, you’re more focused on improving at that sport than counting reps until your workout ends.

You’ll build agility, range of motion, strength and balance.

You’ll be using your whole body in a number of ways at one time. Kickboxing reconnects your mind to your whole body and puts you in charge. It doesn’t happen immediately, you’ll slowly develop the control. One day you’ll notice that you’ll be mentally controlling even smaller muscle groups to maximize their use against opponents.

Kickboxing gives you a method of self-defense. While you’ll get stronger and bulk up or lose weight with other forms of fitness, you don’t learn a technique that can be used to defend yourself. No matter how many weights you lift or miles you row, it won’t help in a dangerous situation.

You’ll build a sense of respect, not only for your opponent, but also for yourself. In order to build self-respect, you have to learn to respect others. Kickboxing helps you do that.

You’ll build your mental capabilities. You need to think fast in most situations in kickboxing. Part of that comes from practice, but part of it is your mental fitness. As you build your body, you’ll also be building your mental capabilities.

Kickboxing teaches you discipline. It’s not street fighting. It’s a disciplined form of battle that requires you to submit to the wisdom of your teacher and practice until you’re perfect. That takes mental and physical discipline.


The Pros Of Muay Thai

The Pros Of Muay Thai

The Pros of Muay Thai

You’ll find the pros of Muay Thai make it not only a great fitness program, but also a fantastic weight loss program. It offers so much from providing a method of self-defense to improving flexibility and agility. It’s an all around workout that builds core strength while increasing your endurance and coordination. Learning Muay Thai also improves your self-image and gives you a feeling of power and confidence in a manner no other form of fitness can do. You’ll feel stronger, more competent and ready to take on anything life has to offer. Not only will you feel it, others will notice the difference in your manner and stance. You’ll develop presence.

Developing a sense of presence and self-confidence is just one of the benefits of Muay Thai.

A sense of presence not only affects how you feel about yourself, it affects how others see you. It doesn’t come from speaking the loudest, being articulate or even looking fantastic. It comes from within and being comfortable in your own skin. You’ll stand out in a crowd and look confident and attractive without doing anything but be yourself. Developing your muscles is part of it, but it’s more than that. It’s learning to control every muscle in your body, releasing all tension and combining your mental abilities with the physical to become one dynamic person.

You’ll build a lean, strong body and eliminate excess fat.

I see it every day. People come in and want to learn a self-defense technique so they take a course in Muay Thai. They end up not only learning self-defense, they also shed body fat and become a leaner, more efficient image of their former self. Others come in looking for a weight loss technique that also builds lean muscle mass and wind up loving the feeling of power they have when they compete. Both types of people get the benefits that hoped to achieve and more.

You’ll build your mental agility while you build your physical body.

Muay Thai is more than just a physical sport. It’s more than just jumping into the ring and punching as hard as you can or kicking fast and furiously. It’s learning to anticipate your opponents next move and building a strategy to counteract that move….not within a week, month or day but within seconds. Of course, part of it comes from learning the basics and study what to do until it becomes second nature. However, Muay Thai improves your reflex time and your mental capabilities to make quick decisions that have consequences if you’re wrong. That lesson carries over to everyday life.

Build your body and build character with Muay Thai. Muay Thai is based on self-discipline and respect for your opponent. It builds the mind and character while it builds the body.

Improve your reflex time with Muay Thai. Both mental and physical reflexes improve and you’ll think quicker and react faster with training.

You’ll learn to control all the muscles in your body and become one. It’s hard to describe until you feel it. You develop the mental control of your body like a dancer, but with the added strength that comes from martial arts and boxing.

Feel confident in any situation and never be a victim again. It’s well known that people who fear becoming a victim often become victims primarily because they send out that body language. Learning Muay Thai and building your skills and strength eliminates that body language and makes thugs look elsewhere for an easy mark.


What Are You Anticipating

What Are You Anticipating

What Are You Anticipating

What are you anticipating when you enter a match with an opponent. You should be aware of all his moves and even know what he intends on doing next or you’ll end up unprepared and often the loser of the match. Learning ways to preempt your opponents attack are an important part of the sport. While the basics are still the foundation, anticipation of your opponents moves is the next step on the ladder to success.

Learn to anticipate moves helps you in several ways.

Whether you’re on the defense and need to find a counter to your opponents moves or on the offense and anticipating your opponents reaction to your move, you need to learn the signs that tell you how he or she is about to react. If you’re on the offensive and you can tell your opponent is about to counter your move, you adjust it to a different strategy he or she will never expect. The key is to evade the opponents moves, anticipate his next ones and counter with your own move that will stop the opponent in his tracks.

Learning to anticipate your opponents move makes it a great self-defense skill.

If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, anticipating your attackers next move is extremely important. Muay Thai can help you do that will skill and confidence. Most attackers are street thugs with little skill and limited knowledge of self-defense, beyond using crude attempts with their fist. No matter what your weight or gender, you’ll be able to overcome this type of person by anticipating the next move he’s about to make and countering it before he can hurt you. The skills you use in Muay Thai matches are the very skills that will help make your life safer.

Footwork, fitness, and knowledge help you anticipate and counter your opponents moves.

When you know how to initiate all the moves, you’ll be able to identify your opponents next one. Knowledge of how to execute each move will give you the advantage. That’s why practice is so important and learning each technique so valuable in a battle. Brute strength is valuable, but knowledge and practice will help you win each match.

Choosing the most effective counter to the incoming strike can be handled in a number of ways. You can use a stop hit to the body of your opponent or use a kick intercept. For those who want to take a risk using elbows can make him feel the pain. Learning several techniques will keep your opponent off guard.

If your opponent wants to add extra power to a kick, he’ll use the rear leg to drive it through. That gives you more time to create your own counter and quickly respond to the motion.

If you’re opponent is moving in toward you, you can use a stop kick to cool his aggressive acts. That can stifle a kick and frustrate your opponent at the same time. The mental advantage can help. Anticipation, timing and rhythm are the best tools to make a stop kick effective.

Besides learning to anticipate your opponent’s moves, you also need to learn what to do if your efforts to block the move fail. All aspects of the sport are important when it comes to being a winner.


Use Your Weapons

Use Your Weapons

Use Your Weapons

You won’t lose any challenge or battle when you use your weapons in a trained and precise manner. That means lots of practice and the right type of training. Muay Thai is the Art of 8 Limbs and when trained and ready, all eight weapons will help you defeat any opponent. You’ll use your hands, knees, elbows and shins in a variety of ways to win every battle when you use these weapons correctly.

Muay Thai has a long history.

The origination of the sport actually came from it’s use in battle. As the soldiers learned more efficient ways to overcome an enemy, they shared it with others. The elders then passed this information down to their children or students, honing the art each time to make it more effective. In fact, at one time Muay Thai used the head as a weapon, making it the art of nine weapons. In modern times, headbutting became illegal and never used in the sport. It spread from the orient during WWII when both Europeans and Americans witness it and named it Siam Boxing.

Muay Thai helps you learn more than just a martial arts technique.

When you learn Muay Thai, you learn discipline. You also learn to anticipate the other person’s movement and react accordingly. It makes you more alert to everything around you, helping you to make faster and wiser decisions in other areas of your life. You get more than just finding out how to use your body as a weapon. You get healthy exercise that builds lean muscle tissue while also burning fat faster. While Muay Thai training isn’t a self defense class, it can help you defend yourself if you ever need to do that.

In order to use all your weapons effectively, you’ll need more than just training, you’ll need strength and endurance.

Strength and endurance and Muay Thai training go hand in hand. The more you train, the more endurance you’ll have, but also the more you develop your skills the more you’ll need. That’s why many Muay Thai instructors focus on building that strength and fitness while they are teaching all the moves and skills necessary to be successful in the sport.

Foot drill work and kicks build the muscles and strength in the legs. It also helps build agility and endurance, while making legs look excellent.

Muay Thai training can help keep you mentally sharp. It teaches you to focus on the drills and situation, taking your mind off your daily stresses. Any type of exercise, particularly one that works the whole body like Muay Thai, also burns off the hormones created by stress.

Muay Thai training can build your self confidence. The stronger and better you get, the more confident you’ll feel.

You’ll build mental toughness with Muay Thai. Mental toughness is the ability to continue long after others may have quit. It helps in all areas of life.