It all has to do with your Metabolic Rate. Every time you lose weight (doesn’t matter how) you will lose some muscle. This causes you to slow down your Metabolic Rate.
After giving up your diet and getting back to your old habits (fast foods, sodas, ice cream, etc) you’ll regain weight by means of fat (instead of muscle) which reduces drastically your lean body mass %. Now your metabolism is slower than it was before your weight loss.
Bottom line, you replace muscle with fat. And the cycle continues, you lose some weight -> drop the diet -> gain weight back -> Jan 01 -> lose some weight -> drop your diet -> again and again…
This is very harmful, especially for your heart, so please be determined and keep those pounds off.
Flatten Your Abs in 15 Minutes
Looking to get some washboard abs in time for beach season? If you’re about to get ready to do 500 crunches a day for the next month or so, think again.
Crunches are highly overrated. They work only one part of your body and don’t engage your entire core. A strong core keeps your spine stabilized as you move and crunches aren’t effective in reaching the muscles that protect your spine. And let’s just admit it: crunches are boring.
For a great set of abs, you want exercises that engage the muscles attached to your pelvis and spine. If you want sexy and flat abs, here’s a 15-minute routine that you can incorporate into your exercise regimen and have you bikini-ready in no time.
Things you’ll need:
1 medicine ball
Exercise 1
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Make sure that your feet don’t lift off or move around during the entire exercise. Hold a medicine ball against your chest with both hands.
To begin the exercise, keep the medicine ball against your chest as you sit up until the medicine ball nearly touches your thighs. Engage your abs for strength and maintain the upright position of your back.
Twist to the left, keeping both of your hips grounded. Touch the medicine ball to the ground on your left. Repeat this action on your right side.
Come back to the center with the medicine ball against your chest and slowly return to your starting position, again with your abs and back engaged. Repeat this 10 times.
Exercise 2
Standing, slightly bend your knees and hold out a medicine ball in front of you, level to your chest. Your back should be straight.
Move your upper torso forwards while keeping your back straight and your arms holding the medicine ball out in the same position, until your spine is parallel to the floor. Hold this position for a few seconds before slowly coming back to your starting position. Repeat this 5 to 10 times.
Exercise 3
Stand with your feet about 6 inches apart. Put your hands on your hips and keep your back straight.
Bend forward at your hips and place your hands on the ground. Walk your hands slowly forwards and keep your feet in place, until your head, torso, and legs form a straight line in a plank position. Try to maintain this straight line throughout the exercise.
Slowly, place your left elbow on the ground below your left shoulder, followed by your right elbow below your right shoulder. Hold for 10 seconds. Slowly return to the previous plank position. Walk your hands backwards until they’re back on the ground beside your feet. Stand back up. Repeat this 5 times.
