If you find yourself trying to lose that unwanted weight and not getting anywhere it could be because of a few important points which you could have overlooked. Take a look below and hopefully we can steer you on the right path.

You are eating too much

Your diet plays a huge role in whether you will lose fat or not. In order for you to drop the pounds you need to be eating less calories than you expend. The key is to drop your calories gradually and not just suddenly cut out say, half your calories.

There is no specific set number of calories that you have to eat, but rather it should be tailored individually to your body.

A good way to find out, is to eat a set number of calories each day, and assess your weight and bodyfat each week. If you are losing weight then keep everything the same and carry on. If not, then adjust your calories and decrease them slightly, then assess again after another week or two.

A big factor that you should be aware of is that you need to be consistent each day, each week, each month, and ensure you stick to the amount of calories. If you keep changing every day or month there is no way of telling what works best for you.

One simple food choice of cutting out sugar from your diet, for example can make a huge difference, one which you can feel and see rather quickly.

Hidden ingredients and calories

These days there are so many “low fat,” “fat free,” “sugar free” products that we think we are actually getting healthier, less calorie goods, but many cases something has been removed only to have it replaced with sugar or something worse. We as consumers must learn to read and understand food labels and nutritional information in order for us to know exactly what we are buying and putting into our bodies.

Endless hours of cardio

One of the biggest mistakes people make is, when they decide they want to start exercising and lose fat they immediately just jump on a treadmill and go for hours upon hours throughout the week doing cardio.

The best way to lose fat is a combination of weighted training, to help you build muscle, and cardio, which you gradually build up to.

Muscle needs nutrients for building and recovering and burns more calories at rest than fat does. So the more muscle you build the more calories you burn just standing there. This is the reason why people who have significant muscle mass and low bodyfat can usually get away with eating a lot more than someone with a high bodyfat and low muscle mass.

There are basically two types of cardio which you can do. Steady state cardio or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Steady state cardio is where you run at a steady pace for a set time keeping your heart rate relatively low. HIIT on the other hand is where you can jog for one minute, then sprint, or go all out for 40 seconds to a minute, raising your heart rate level quite high. You then go back to jogging and repeat the cycle a few times.

The thing with either types of cardio, is that you must gradually build them up over time, regardless of which you decide to do.

Try both and see which you prefer. For instance start off with doing 15 minutes of steady state cardio after your weighted sessions (one or two days per week) and each week try to increase your distance in that 15 minutes, or increase the resistance. Once you have done that for a few weeks, you can then increase the time to say 20 minutes or 25 minutes and so on. This gives you a lot more room and a lot more factors to play with, to prevent your body from getting used to it. There are many things you can add and change to make it more challenging for your body than if you just throw in an hour of cardio every single day of the week. How do you increase that, to 2 hours of cardio every day? I hope not.

Always be sure to keep challenging yourself each week, whether it be by beating your previous distance in the same time or by adding a bit of weight to each exercise. The only way to keep growing and progressing is to not get comfortable and avoid sticking to the same things every day and every week.

Not being consistent

This is one of the most important and often overlooked factors in doing anything in life. You cannot expect to achieve something if you only work at it when you feel like it or by putting in the effort for a few days and then ignoring it for a while. You have to, have to, HAVE TO, put in the work every day. It is this constant work over time which delivers results.

Not training heavy enough

The purpose of weight training is to promote muscle growth or to maintain your muscle mass. Without some form of constant resistance your muscles will slowly start to disappear.

The body is an astutely engineered machine which will shed unnecessary tissue if it does not have a stimulus or the need for it.

This is really a clever survival tactic. With that being said, when your calories are somewhat low, in order to keep shedding the fat, the first thing to go will be your muscle since the body wants to store whatever food that it can due to it not receiving sufficient calories. Thus the need for heavy weights arises. By keeping the weights relatively heavy you force your body to realise that it needs to keep that muscle because of the constant stimulus provided by the weights.

As the saying goes, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Setting unrealistic goals

A major aspect of losing fat, is your mindset.

You really need to be fixated on what you want to achieve and set your mind to it, regardless of the time frame that it will take.

If this is truly what you want then you have to understand that it will be tough, there will be many challenges, there will be days where you just want to give up and not care anymore. It’s those days that will define you and force you to learn more than you can ever imagine, about life and about yourself. So be aware of this from the start and ensure that you are focused and will not let anything derail you no matter what because this is what YOU want. This is YOUR choice and nobody else’s. Do this for yourself, for a future better you and not for anyone or anything else.

It always starts and ends with YOU.

Anything good takes time, patience and consistency. So you must be prepared to be in it for the long haul and not for a few weeks or days.

The post 6 Reasons Why You Could Be Struggling To lose Fat appeared first on FitNish.com.

Losing weight is a sensitive subject for many as it is not always the easiest thing to achieve in reality.

Where to start, how to start, to stay motivated and focused are often the dominating questions most individuals ask.

Advertising makes Losing Weight Difficult

Sounds ridiculous to hear someone say media and advertising makes weight loss difficult, but it is true. Every single day whether it is on billboards, magazines, online or television, you see beautiful skinny models promoting different diets, diet pills, or best exercise. Exercise machines, weight loss belts, and clothing to be worn promise to shrink you in no time.

This is where your downfall starts before you even start your weight loss effort. Your subconscious mind plays the biggest role in losing weight and as soon as you do not achieve the promised results, you could give up.

Listen ONLY To Yourself

You are the one person who truly knows you, your abilities, capabilities, and reasons for wanting to lose weight. Losing weight for other reasons than medically, is a conscious decision, which only one person can make for you, YOU! Do not see losing weight as a battle, as some battles cannot be won; instead see it as a challenge to you.

Have a positive outlook on changing your life for the better as having a healthy weight has many benefits apart from self-confidence.

How to Start and Persevere

Start Immediately

Why, you may ask, as most people have a specific date or planned day? Ask yourself why you have to wait until Monday for example. Do you want to finish the loaf of white bread, finish all the sweets and desserts in the fridge, empty the pantry, or what? Emptying it all out is not a bad idea, but not into your stomach! Making the decision to lose weight should not be a ticket to overeating as you will end up suffering in the future. If you have chosen a specific meal plan such as low carb or low calorie diets and certain products are not stocked yet, does not mean you have to continue bad habits. If the plan originally was to cook steak and chips, omit the chips for example.

Start your exercise routine

Exercise is key and we all have to start somewhere, so do not attempt to start a program which is beyond your fitness level. A program is worked out according to the masses and in general, it is a fit and slim instructor showing you your routines. Keep in mind your own limitations, but do not slack simply because you think you cannot do it. You may not be able to do 50 abs crunches or push ups today, but your own strength will surprise you. Each time you should aim to push yourself a little harder, a little longer!

Be kind to yourself

You are human and you are going to lose weight, that was YOUR decision, right? If the temptation is just too overwhelming and you do end up eating that piece of chocolate or cake, there is no reason to feel guilty or throw in the towel. The biggest mistake to make is deciding that you have failed by eating an unhealthy item. If you have a bad day, pick up where you left off and work harder. Put in another extra 30 minutes at the gym or raise the intensity of your exercise routine.

Be Realistic

You cannot expect to lose excess weight overnight, and take into consideration that your first weeks results will vary from other weeks. During your first week, you lose a lot of water and you will notice that the closer you are to your goal, the more persistent fat seems to be. Web MD suggests setting realistic goals averaging around 1 – 2 pounds per week.

Maintain

Once you have reached your goal weight, do not fall back into bad habits of before. When you decide to lose weight, do not see it as a diet as diets never last.

See it as a lifestyle of healthy eating and well balanced eating and you will not pack the pounds on again.

Once you are happy with your weight, continue with the amount of calories you consume at that stage, for example. Should you pick up some pounds during holiday seasons and festive periods, make sure you do not shoot completely out of proportion, but manageable additional pounds, which are easy to shed.

Weight loss retreat

Attending a weight loss retreat is another great way of getting yourself into the right mind set, with the support of like minded people with the same ultimate goal you have. To lose weight, and maintaining your weight.

The post Losing Weight for Life | 8 Tips To Getting Started appeared first on FitNish.com.

Quick Stats

Name:  Roxy Firmani
Age:  24
Height:  1,71 m
Competition weight:  55kg
Current weight:  58kg
Current city:  Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa
Where do you train:  Virgin Active, Sunninghill
Occupation: Brand Executive for OPI

How long have you been training for and how did you get started?

I started training when I was about 16. But nothing too serious; just cardio and the circuit! My Dad used to do Bodybuilding Shows so I would tag along with him to the gym every now and again!

“About 2 years ago, I met a very influential man in the fitness industry and I decided to start training to compete!”

Did it come easily for you or was it quite a ‘life’ adjustment?

Because I have grown up in a fairly active family it came quite easy. I am also SO passionate about being fit and living a healthy lifestyle that it really is something I enjoy!

What do you love about it?

I love knowing that my body is in its peak condition! Being fit makes doing anything and everything a lot easier and living a clean and healthy lifestyle ensures that I rarely get sick, always feel energetic and enthusiastic, and that I will have better luck with my health and body condition as I age!

What competitions have you competed in and your placings?

2012

• Fitness SA
• Body Beautiful SA, Bikini, 3rd

Last year I competed in my first show, Fitness SA. Although I did not place in the Top 10 it motivated me to work harder for my next show. I then competed in Body Beautiful SA and placed 3^rd in the Bikini Division line-up!

You were a part of the JAR (Nutrition Store) team. How did that work out and did it help with your training and dieting?

Being part of team JAR was and is amazing.

“This is a tough industry and having a group of people to support and motivate you all the time is great.”

It is also nice to have a team of people with different knowledge about training and dieting. We can all put our minds together to better our understanding of what works and what doesn’t!

What are your future plans?

This year I plan to compete in 3 or 4 shows, the main one being WBFF SA on the 19^th and 20^th of July! I also want to do a nutrition course and try to get more involved in helping other people get into the fitness competition scene! I love helping people with training and nutrition and it is my dream to one day, make a career out of it!

Take us through an average day of yours:

Because I work full time I have a very early start to my day!

• I wake up at 4:30am, gulp down my Titan Labs Isomax or Slim Core shake and go to the gym. I’ll do a small amount of cardio (just to get the blood flowing) and then hit the weights section!
• After that its home to shower, eat and get to work by 8am.
• During my contest season I will normally hit the gym after work (two or three times a week) to get in an extra bit of cardio.
• Then its home to chill, prep my meals for the next day and get to bed for some beauty sleep

Give us a description of your philosophy on your diet:

I have quite a balanced philosophy on my diet. I don’t believe in a so called ‘Diet’, I believe that you should eat clean (no processed foods) and eat regularly! I eat 5 – 6 small meals a day and I ensure I get a good amount of Protein, Fats (the good types) and Carbohydrates (Low GI).

Here is a sample of my meals that I pretty much stick to all year round:

• 5am: Titan Labs Isomax/ Slim Core Shake
• 7:30am: 50g of Oats and 3-4 Egg Whites
• 11am: Chicken Salad with Avo/Nuts
• 1pm: Chicken Breast with Vegetables and Sweet Potato/Brown Rice
• 4pm: Another Titan Labs Shake and Some Almonds
• 7pm: Lean Protein Source (Chicken/ Fish/ Ostrich) with Vegetables
• 10pm: Slow release protein (Low Fat Cottage Cheese/ Titan Labs Aftermath)

What keeps you motivated and so disciplined to get through your training and sticking to your diet day in and day out?

I find that I am most motivated and disciplined when I stick to a routine and have a goal to work towards!

“Setting goals is something you should do every month. I make sure the goals I set are realistic and are measurable.”

Every month I sit down and measure my current goals, and then re-evaluate them accordingly. Without goals there would be nothing to work towards! And without a routine it becomes very hard to maintain discipline!

What’s your favorite healthy meal?

I absolutely love the good fats! Avo’s, Almonds, Peanut Butter; I could eat these all day every day! I also love my Titan Labs Aftermath Dessert Protein! It is such a good thing to eat before you go to bed because it keeps a constant source of energy for your muscles while you sleep AND it tastes like chocolate mousse! I always make mine and put it in the freezer for a bit so it is like chocolate ice-cream

What’s your supplementation like?

There are a few supplements I use on a daily basis:

• Multi-vitamin: This is essential when you train on a daily basis
• Protein Shake: A quick and easy way to get your protein requirements, and great for when you are on the go, need to have a snack OR straight after a training session!
• BCAA’s: These are essential when you train. They aid in muscle recovery and also prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue. I mix a serving of Glutablast and Amino Rush from Titan Labs and sip on that while I train. It tastes great and helps your muscles while you train!
• Fat Burner: Only during my competition season! Good to help get leaner for my shows! I would highly recommend Xcelerate from Titan Labs – it is by far one of the best on the market these days!

Give us a description of your philosophy on your training and on average how long do you work out for?

I don’t believe that you need to spend hours in the gym every day! I spend about 45-60 minutes at the gym and believe me that is more than enough. As long as you make that time count! I do a split training program, so I train each muscle group once a week (except for legs).

So for example I will train:

• Chest on Monday
• Quads on Tuesday
• Back on Wednesday
• Hamstrings and Glutes on Thursday
• Arms and Friday
• Shoulders on Saturday
• Sunday’s I rest!

How do you measure your progress? And how often?

I do not believe in the scale! Body weight is such an ineffective way to track progress, especially because muscle weighs more than fat! I believe it’s how you feel, look in the mirror and fit in your clothes!

What’s your take on utilizing cardio in your training regime? What’s your favorite form of cardio?

Like I said earlier I always do a few minutes of Cardio before I start my weight training session! My favorite type is High Intensity Interval Training. This is bouts of high intensity cardio with rests in between! So for example I will sprint for 1 minute and then walk for 1 minute for up to 20 minutes.

I also do steady state cardio once or twice a week. That is medium intensity cardio for a longer period of time (about 40-60 minutes)

What’s your secret to having rock solid abs? What would you say are some of the best exercises women should include in their ab work outs?

The key to Abs is Diet! You can do 1000 sit ups a day but if your diet is wrong you will never see those abs! So keep your diet clean. I love to do weighted crunches and leg ups!

Fitness models or bodybuilders?

The person who I look up to most, the one that got me interested in this industry, is Jaco De Bruyn. He has been a Mentor and an Inspiration from the get go. And then of course there is my coach, Kirk Wentworth! He is the most knowledgeable, passionate and helpful person I know! He really has helped me get to where I am now and helps me with all of my competition prep!

Favorite female fitness icon(s):

Wow I have so many! At the moment I must say I have a bit of a crush on Bella Falconi, her physique is just mind blowing! I also follow Anna Delia, Jamie Eason, and locals such as Anna Wood!

Favorite Quote(s):

This one sums it all up:

“Eat Clean. Train Mean. Stay Lean.”

I also love

“It never gets easier, you just get better.”

What were some of the mistakes you made when starting out in the gym?

Thinking that cardio was going to give me a toned physique! I see so many girls at the gym every day slaving away on the treadmill and their bodies never really seem to change! I also don’t think people realise how big a role your diet plays in seeing the results you want!

“Girls need to stop being afraid of both the weights section and protein shakes!”

Advice for someone wanting to change their lifestyle and achieve their ideal physique?

Take it one step at a time. Too many changes at once can become overwhelming and disheartening. Also make sure you get proper advice from someone who knows what they are talking about. I’ve seen some crazy diets and programs given to friends that are just ridiculous!

“My rule of thumb is that the person you get your advice from, should have the physique you wish to achieve, that way you know that it worked for them and should in turn work for you!”

Where can people get hold of you?

• Facebook: Roxy Firmani Fitness Model
• Twitter:  @RoxannePaige
• Email:  roxyfirmani@gmail.com

The post One on One With Bikini Competitor and Team Jar Member, Roxy Firmani appeared first on FitNish.com.

Miss SA Xtreme

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U/21 Beach Bikini

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U/35 Beach Bikini

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O/35 Beach Bikini

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Fitness

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Classic Bodybuilding

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Body Fitness U/163 cm

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Body Fitness U/168 cm

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Body fitness O/168 cm

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Fitness Bikini U/163 cm

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Fitness Bikini O/163 cm

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Video Gallery:

Fitness Bikini

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Beach Bikini

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Body Fitness & Fitness

The post Miss SA Xtreme 2013 – Picture and Video Gallery appeared first on FitNish.com.

Here are 6 simple tips that you can incorporate in your own life to get yourself started, if you have absolutely no idea where to begin on your road to losing that extra weight.

Now most of these tips should primarily be applied by people with a lot of fat to lose, with body fat percentages in excess of about 18%. But, all the points can still be used by pretty much anyone looking to shed that extra fat and/or for someone beginning to change their sedentary lifestyle into a more active one and firm up.

1. Start weight training with COMPOUND LIFTS at least 3 times a week

Compound lifts/exercises are ‘big’ exercises which use much more than just one muscle or muscle group. The more muscles/muscle groups you recruit in an exercise the more calories you can burn. So keep these exercises as the main focus of your training regime in order to stimulate more of your muscles in less time.

Some great compound exercises include:

• Deadlifts
• Bench press
• Standing Shoulder Press
• Squats
• Dips

2. Keep your rest periods between sets, anywhere from 45 seconds to 1 and a half minutes

The idea here is to keep your workouts intense. You don’t want to be wasting time unnecessarily and in turn not burning as many calories as you can.  If you’re using relatively heavy weights then you can rest a bit longer but try to keep your rest periods, between sets of each exercise, up to 1 and a half minutes max.

3. Don’t waste your time with ab specific training initially

Many people are still under the impression that in order for them to lose fat on their stomach they need to do every available ab exercise all the time. By doing sit ups, for example, does not necessarily mean that you will lose fat on your tummy specifically; you cannot choose exactly where you want to lose fat from, by doing specific exercises.

Check out this article to find out more on spot reduction: Can Spot Reduction (Losing Fat on Specific Areas) Be Done?

So rather focus on your weight training to burn calories and shed the fat which covers your abs, and keep the ab exercises for every now and then and for when you can start to see your abs.

4. Add in cardio slowly and build it up over time

Cardio should be used as an additional tool to burn fat, in addition to your weight training. The key with cardio is to start small and gradually increase or build it up. Don’t just go from doing no cardio to doing 5 cardio sessions of an hour each per week and expect to change your body in a week. You really do not need to do so much in order to lose weight. Small gradual changes can have more of an effect. So, as you (or your body) get used to something, then you can make a change and increase one aspect of your cardio to challenge your body a little bit more and thus keeping it from getting used to one thing. Another great way to do cardio, and burn a lot of calories in a small amount of time is with HIIT cardio. Basically this is where you, (lets take running for instance), jog for a minute, then sprint for a minute; that’s one cycle. You can repeat this 4 to 5 times or do it for 10 – 15 minutes. It is a lot more intense, but it beats doing boring steady state cardio for 30 minutes.

5. Review your diet and drink more water

When your goal is to lose weight/fat, you HAVE TO, HAVE TO, HAVE TO, clean up your diet. Without giving your diet the attention and discipline that it needs, you really cannot expect to achieve that goal. Again, to make it easier start with small changes. Cut out certain things one by one and slowly clean it up until it becomes your lifestyle and a way of life. Dont think about completely eliminating all the junk and bad stuff such as fizzy drinks, sweets, cakes, biscuits, fast food, etc., start with REDUCING it all initially.

Drinking more water is also a must, not only to help with losing weight, but also to maintain optimal hydration levels, and optimal health.

6. Be Consistent

I’m sure you may be tired of seeing this point in almost every article, but this is one of the most important factors involved in getting ahead and we need to be constantly reminded of it. You need to keep at it and keep pushing through, day in and day out to see results. Don’t stop and don’t give up!

The post 6 Tips To Losing That Gut, And To Getting You Started On The Right Track appeared first on FitNish.com.

So many people are unsure of what exactly makes up a great breakfast, or rather have the idea that they don’t have the time in the mornings to worry about breakfast, and they end up eating a bowl of cereal, or just a small piece of fruit or even end up eating NOTHING at all.  I firmly believe that, if you eat sufficiently at breakfast, you will have plenty of energy throughout the day, your ability to focus will be much better and you will stay fuller for longer, keeping your cravings under control.

There have also been a few studies done to show that a group of people who ate a protein filled breakfast everyday for a period of time managed to lose more weight than the group who didn’t.

One of the reasons for this was that when we eat protein at breakfast, it helps to keep us (our appetite) satisfied and we are less likely to overeat at other meals later in the day.

Check out more information on one of those studies here:   http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/nutrition-weight-loss/drop-weight-and-your-cravings

So that brings us on to the question, what can we eat that is balanced, quick and easy to make and that is nutritionally sufficient to support us throughout the day?  Well think protein, carbohydrates (fruit and complex carbs), and even fat.  In terms of food, eggs are an excellent source of protein, fat and vitamins and minerals.  Oats, honey, yoghurt, blueberries, bananas, apples, melons, are all great sources of carbohydrates.  Now the specific amounts you take in  will vary, depending on your size, weight, body fat levels, etc. as well as your energy needs throughout the day and at the time.

So to make this quick and easy, nutrient rich breakfast, this is what you will need to do.

Lets start with the eggs:

• Crack open three eggs in a bowl.
• Add a dash of milk, sprinkle some salt and pepper and add half a tsp of garlic.
• Mix well.
• Then place a non stick electric frying pan on low heat and pour the eggs in the pan.  Keep separating the mixture with a non stick spatula (cooking scrambled eggs).
• Cook until done.  You should not need to cook for more than 3 – 4 minutes.
• Add a few slices of tomatoes, and season to taste.

That’s your eggs (protein and fat) done. It sounds like its a process but it really doesnt take longer then 5 or 6 minutes to make.

Now for your Carbohydrates.  This is so simple its scary.

In a bowl place the following:

• 40 grams of Raw Oats.  (I have used raw oats, if you prefer yours cooked, by all means cook a portion of oats the night before to use)
• 1 tsp cocoa
• 2 tsp dessicated coconut
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• A Few blueberries
• One small banana chopped

To that, pour in some milk to the consistency that you like and eat up!

Now there you have it, a very quick meal to make, with hardly any hassle and it provides you with all the nutrients you need to take on the day ahead of you!  You now have no excuse to eat a great breakfast and make the most of your day!

*Just a note, please do not misunderstand the principle here, I am in no way saying ONLY eat breakfast and you will have energy for the whole day!  You must still eat healthy meals throughout the day to keep you going.  BUT, By consistently eating a good breakfast, you will have more energy, reduce cravings and hunger pains, and will be less likely to overeat later in the day which can cause unwanted fat gain.

The post The Breakfast of Champions! appeared first on FitNish.com.