5 Simple Tips to Learn to Love Lifting Weights

I’ve heard girls in the gym saying, “I’m not in to lifting weights. I’m just not a weightlifter. I’m not one of those girls!” I guess it’s entirely possible to really not like to lift weights. Hey! It’s even entirely possible to hate working out at all. However, it’s just an excuse! An excuse because you may not know how to lift properly. An excuse because you may feel self-conscious, or even an excuse not to have to set foot in the weight area because you can’t convince your girlfriend to go with you. Let’s get over our excuses and get ready to make changes in your body you never thought possible. Cardio, cardio, cardio is NOT the answer! Here are five simple tips that will change your mindset!

5 Simple Tips to Learn to Love Lifting Weights

1.   Make Your Workout a Priority. This may be easier said than done, but making your workout, even if it is cardio, a priority will change your mind set about it.  Think about your workouts ahead of time, plan them out and make the most out of the time you have for your workouts. Consider it a job you WANT to do!

2.   Become Friends with Other “Weightlifters”. We aren’t necessarily advocating that you run up to the first woman (or man) that you see in the weight section of your gym, but try to make friends with those you see time and time again. Ask them to help spot you or just simply start saying, “hey!” If you need help with proper form for an exercise, they may be able to help! (Note: Be sure that their form is correct and they use safe lifting practices prior to asking them.) If you see someone who looks like you want to look, make friends with them too!

3.  Track Your Progress. Seeing yourself succeed in print SO much more gratifying than guessing your progressions. Buy a notebook or a workout log and write down your exercises, the weight that you are lifting and how you feel with your workouts. After you do the same workout a few times, go back and look at where you started – your results will fuel you to keep going and even work harder! Need a plan? Try one of our She Sweats Workout Plans!

4.  Get Help from a Personal Trainer. You might have to spend a little money with this step, but if you are up front with the personal trainer about your needs, you won’t have to pay them more than once or twice (unless you want to).  Hire them to run you through an upper or lower body workout, or just ask them to run through 6-8 exercises for each muscle group.

5.  Buy New Workout Clothes. This might sound a little frivolous, but it’s just like a brand new dress. When you love what you are wearing, you feel better about yourself and are have more confidence in your actions.

How did you learn to love lifting weights?

Let us be your personal trainers with our detailed 4, 6 and 12 week She Sweats Workout plans! We guide your workout each day, telling you exactly what to do and what intensity to work at. We have everything you need! Find out more!

Beat Belly Bloat!

We all want to lose that last little bit of water weight or the bloat before a big event such as a wedding, vacation, party, etc. Since summer is right around the corner - which usually means beach and/or lake trips - we are here to share with you some foods that may cause bloating. Of course, we should all start with living a healthy lifestyle (which includes a healthy diet). So if you haven't already, try to get rid of all the processed foods in your diet (Need help getting started? We have an eBook for that!)! Stick to lean protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and lots of water!

It takes a while (sometimes years) to learn your body and what makes you look and feel your best but these will give you a starting point on things that you might want to cut out of your diet before that big event!

Steer Clear of these Foods that Commonly Bloat:

• Processed Foods
• Carbonated Beverages
• Artificial Sugars
• Protein Powders/Bars
• Gum
• Dairy
• Gluten
• Eggs
• Certain Veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, etc)

There are more foods that can cause bloating but these are the ones that we have experienced personally.

If you want to reduce bloating and/or drop water weight we suggest cutting these out of your diet for 1-2 weeks prior to the event. In order to look and feel your best you should also avoid added salt (which usually means cooking your own food) and alcohol. Here are more tips on how to slim down for your next big event!

Looking for a workout plan to get you started? Try one of our popular transformation plans!

Greek Yogurt vs. Traditional Yogurt - What's Your Better Choice?

Greek Yogurt vs. Traditional Yogurt - What's Your Better Choice?

If dairy is something you are including in your eat clean diet (yes, we consider organic dairy clean - in moderation), you need to know the difference between Greek yogurt and traditional yogurt. While there are recipes and situations that warrant the use of both, when in doubt, go Greek!

Here's the simple stats:

On average, Greek Yogurt has double the amount of protein than traditional yogurt. Think 20g vs 10g! The added protein will not only help rebuild your muscles and keep your body functioning at top capacity, but it keeps you feel fuller, longer.

Greek Yogurt typically also has half the carbs too! The taste is a little more on the tart side, but with the addition of berries, nuts and/or a small amount of honey, you can definitely trick your taste buds from noticing the difference!

Not sure what to look for when you go to the grocery store? Here are a few things to think about:

• We always try to buy organic dairy.
• NEVER buy flavored yogurts. They typically have added sugars and more ingredients than just fruit. If you can find one that ONLY has fruit, go for it, but we are yet to find one!
• 2% milk fat or 1% milk fat is a better choice than non-fat dairy products. Fat is a good thing if incorporated into your diet correctly! Non-fat varieties often have added sugars to compensate for a lack of milk fat.  

Have you incorporated Greek yogurt into your diet? What is your best suggestion for those who are yet to make the switch?

PS - We looked at the nutritional facts on FAGE Total 2% Greek Yogurt and Stonyfield Farms Organic Lowfat Plain Yogurt for the purposes of this article.