Why Is “12 Weeks” Such A Popular Transformation Period

If you’re someone who’s looking for a transformation program to get on, hoping to completely change how you look and feel, presenting a brand new ‘you’, then you’re likely finding multiple options.

There’s no shortage of transformation protocols to select from, but one thing that you will notice amongst all these is that the classic length they run for is 12 weeks.  Whether it’s the Metabolic Precision Program, the Body For Life challenge or the Michelle Bridges 12 WBT, you’ll notice they all have this in common.

Why is this? Is there something magical about 12 weeks? How come it seems like every transformation program you see is dedicated to this period of time?

Let’s take a closer look.

Habit Building

First, whenever you go on a transformation, the goal is not just to get you from point A to point B, but then to keep you at point B from that day forward. It would be highly discouraging to build your new body and then a few weeks later, lose it entirely as you resort to your old unhealthy habits once again.

The good thing with the 12 week challenge is that 12 weeks is easily sufficient time to build new habits that will stand the test of time.

It’s easier for you to really get into your groove with the new lifestyle, ensuring that you will continue to utilize those techniques from that day forward.

This is what makes a transformation successful.

Time To See Results

Second, you also need enough time to see good results. If a transformation was just 3 weeks long, chances are you wouldn’t be looking all that much different than you look today.  It’s simply not enough time to make changes on a grand scale.

But 12 weeks? Much can be accomplished if you’re a dedicated individual over a 12 week period. You definitely can shed a significant amount of body fat and firm up the rest of the muscles in your body as well.

Motivation To Complete

Finally, the last reason why 12 weeks is a popular choice for most transformation programs is because anything longer than this period and you might start to see some drop-offs taking place. 

Most people have a hard time building up the desire to start the transformation in the first place; if they know they have to make changes for 24 weeks (or whatever the number happens to be), this may just be too long for them to commit to.

12 weeks is a nice number where you will easily be able to stay on course, pushing through until the end. It is also a common timeframe that elite level athletes use in specific phases of their training, called 

So next time you’re hunting down a challenge to partake in, always keep the 12 week ‘magic’ number in mind. If a challenge is designed differently – fewer or more weeks, you may want to question whether it really is going to be the best set-up for you to utilize.

Always keep in mind that you need enough time to see results but not so much that you lose steam to complete the journey. 

Personally, I design my entire workout schedule in 12 week blocks, and still learn and get-excited about each new cycle. Each new plan brings with it a new goal, a new set of exercises and a different mindset from the previous plan. For best results, look to take a week off in between 12 week cycles to engage in less-strenuous activity, this will allow the body some time to recover and replenish, and come back even stronger. :-)

Stay Solid Lochs 

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The Best Mood Enhancing Foods To Eat Regularly

In a bad mood and looking to feel better? Did you know that the foods you eat on a day to day basis can actually influence the mood you’re in?

Sure, eating a certain food may not cure the worst of all days, but what you eat on a day to day basis – or even when you are a feeling a little down – can certainly help perk you up and get you going again.

You may think that the best mood enhancing food is whatever your favorite food happens to be, but you might be surprised to learn that while your favorite foods definitely will help put a smile on your face, certain foods contain actual properties that will impact your mood.

Here’s what you should know.

Salmon

Topping the list of mood boosting foods is a piece of wild salmon.  Wild salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which has been proven to help improve mind and brain health.

Those who eat this fish regularly – at least twice per week – will have a lower rate of experiencing depression like symptoms.

If fish isn’t your thing, you can also supplement with fish oil or eat some walnuts to receive similar benefits.

Strawberries And Oranges  

Another good option for boosting your mood is a bowl of fresh strawberries.  Strawberries contain a powerful dose of vitamin C, which will help to prevent free radical damage, which can sometimes lead to mood problems.

Vitamin C may also help you recover faster from any stressors you may face, which can also add up and contribute to you feeling less than well.

Oatmeal

It might just be time to give in to some carbohydrates if a blue mood is what you feel.  Not only is oatmeal a classic comfort food, but it’ll also cause your brain to release a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which puts you into an instant feel good state.

In fact, if you find that you feel a little less happy when on a lower carb diet, this is likely why.  Without as many carbohydrates in your diet plan, your brain won’t be releasing as much of this neurotransmitter, having a direct influence on the mood state you present.

Lean Beef

Finally, the last of the foods that you should be adding to your diet plan to help improve your mood and feel better as you go about your day is lean beef.  Beef, provided it’s a grass fed variety will contain a healthy dose of omega-3 fats as well, while also helping to reduce the harmful effects that too many omega-6 fats can have.

When your omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid intake is unbalanced, this can lead to additional inflammation in the body, causing you to not only be at risk for a poor mood, but many other health problems as well.

So there you have a few of the best mood boosting foods to consider for your diet.  Are there any you are missing out on?

Stay solid

Lochs J

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The 5 Highest Calorie Burning Activities You Can Do

            

Looking to torch calories quickly? If one of your primary goals right now is losing body fat, it pays to understand which forms of activities will help you lose that fat as quickly as possible.

After all, if you’re going to hit the gym to workout, best to maximize every single second you spend.  Also keep in mind that at times, the highest calorie burning activities aren’t even going to take place in the gym, but rather outside doing other activities.

To help get you started, let’s walk you through five of the top calorie burning activities you should be considering.

Skipping

One of the best ways to ignite calories quickly is to grab a jump rope and get skipping. This form of exercise can easily burn up just as many calories as you would running and the great thing about it is that it’ll work both the upper and lower body at the same time.

This gives you a more complete workout session.  You’ll receive a burn of around 100-150 calories per 10 minutes of straight skipping (depending on how often you have to stop and restart).

Uphill Sprinting

Moving along, one of the most intense cardio workout sessions you could is uphill sprinting.  Regular sprinting is a real calorie torcher, but now that you add the uphill component to things, it cranks the intensity up a notch further.

Furthermore, because of the nature of the workout session, you’ll not only burn calories while you’re doing it, but you’ll continue to burn calories for hours after its completed as well.

This leads to ongoing higher rates of total body fat loss.

This workout is also great for strengthening the lower body muscles extensively since they’ll be working to push you up the hill.

For a 20 minute workout session, you can burn anywhere from 180-250 calories depending on how much sprint and rest time you incorporate into the session.

Heavy Weight Training

Heavy weight training is another great form of exercise you must consider.  The ‘post-workout burn’ with strength training, is the highest out of any exercise choice.

You can perform a 30-40 minute weight training program and continue to burn calories faster for up to 48 hours post-workout.  This means the total calorie burn is going to be tremendous.

The trick here though is making sure that you are lifting slightly heavier weight each session to challenge yourself.  Aim for around 10-12 reps for each exercise to begin with, then each 2 weeks look to bring the reps down and the weight up. An example would be: The first 2 weeks 10-12 reps, then next 2 weeks 8-10 reps, then 6-8 reps and finally 4-6 reps. Once you have completed a full loop, rest for a week, and start from the top again and move through the different rep ranges, always increasing the weight as you go.

The calorie burn for this will vary depending on what type of exercises you’re doing, but expect to burn around 200-350 calories in 30 minutes, however the calories that will be burnt in the days that follow are insane!

Rowing

Another great cardio activity to do, rowing will torch calories quickly as well.  This one is great since it’ll be working both the lower and upper body muscles at the same time, provided you are using a rowing machine at the gym.

If you decide to get out and row in water, not to worry, it’s still a good calorie burner and is a great way to cross train, giving the lower body a break while working the upper body instead.

A 62kg woman can burn around 690 calories per hour of rowing activity.

Boxing Using a Heavy Bag

Finally, last but not least, consider boxing using a heavy bag.  This form of exercise is ideal for those of you who like to sweat-it-out in the confines of your own, imitating scenes from Rocky.

A good hour of heavy bag work can easily torch over 550 calories, putting a dent in your fat loss program. I would advise that you at least strap your wrists if you are to complete this activity over this period of time.

So keep these forms of exercise in mind next time you head out to do your workout.  Utilize them and you’ll be reaching your goal weight in no time.

An important note, if you feel that you are not particularly 'good at' or 'coordinated' at a particular activity, the chances are you will gain more effect from doing that exercise. In summary if you're really bad at something, you should definitely be doing that more often than something that you're good at....So there is literally no excuse for getting started :-) 

Stay solid.

Lochs

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Reasons you're always hungry?

                        

Feel as though you have non-stop hunger that never quits? If so, you may be finding it hard to stay on course with your fat loss diet plan.  For a number of well-intended dieters, the one thing that throws them off course entirely is not that they are unmotivated and give in to food cravings, rather, it’s that they are so hungry, they just can’t fight off eating any longer.

If this is what’s happening to you, it pays to think about how your food plan is structured. If you aren’t eating properly, this will definitely create hunger rather than blunt it.

Let’s look at some of the key reasons you may feel more hungry than you should be.

You’re Lacking Dietary Fat

Have a good look at your diet plan. Are you eating fewer than 20% of your calorie intake from dietary fat? If so, that’s likely why you are so hungry.

While you will likely need to reduce your dietary fat intake in order to keep your calorie intake in check, keep in mind that too little fat will just be detrimental to your progress.

Dietary fat helps keep you feeling fuller between meals and will make each meal you eat ‘stick to your ribs’, as it’s so often said.

Just 5-10 grams of dietary fat with each meal you make can make a significant difference on how hungry you are throughout the day.

My recommended choice of a fat supplement would be either flaxseed oil or super strength fish oil. With both of these fats, you have the added benefit of a high dosage of omega 3 fatty acids, which will assist in recovery, enhance brain function and reduce inflammation.

You Aren’t Eating Protein With Each Meal

Next, have a look at your protein intake. Are you eating protein with each meal? If not, that too could be your problem.  Protein is the nutrient that offers the most immediate satiety, meaning as soon as you eat it, you feel fuller.  In one study published in the American Society for Nutrition, it was illustrated that when both younger and older men were eating diets lacking in protein, their hunger level was higher and this promoted an increased food intake over the course of the day.

A carbohydrate only snack will actually make you hungrier – not less hungry; so add protein to each meal and snack you eat. 

When seeking fat loss, your protein at most meals of the day should be higher than your carbohydrates of that meal are (with the exception of post workout meals).

Your Calorie Deficit Is Too Great

Another reason you may be experiencing greater hunger than normal is if your calorie deficit is too great. While it is good to reduce your calories, always keep in mind that there is a limit to how low you should go.

Going too low will not only ramp up hunger uncontrollably, but it’ll also lead to a metabolic slow down.  This will then mean that you struggle to lose fat even eating so few calories overall, eventually hitting a plateau.

To avoid this, keep your calorie intake to a moderate level.  Your progress will be more constant as a result of it and you’ll feel far better while going about your plan.

You Haven’t Carbed Up

Finally, the last reason you may be more hungry than normal is if you haven’t “carbed up” in a while.  Every 2-3 weeks, on a lower carb food plan,  have a day of higher carb eating.  This will help to restore the hormone leptin, which can cause you to feel hungrier than you should be.

This hormone increases on low carb, lower calorie diets, so a day of higher carb, higher calorie eating will put it back to normal levels.

By “higher carb” this does not mean refined carbohydrates and other “junk food”.

Instead, look to include several different types of first-class grains and other starchy carbs. Examples of these can include: Buckwheat pasta, quinoa, brown rice, rolled oats and sweet potato. 

In saying this, this really needs to be monitored carefully. If overeating is an issue for someone, then giving the option to have “free-rein” for the day, could be catastrophic! Ensure meals are spaced evenly throughout the day, and ensure you don't eat like its your last meal for a week :-)

So if you’re hungry an hour after eating each meal, keep these tips and tricks in mind. A few adjustments to your diet should take care of that hunger problem and allow you to stay on track with your fat-burning goals. 

Lochs :-)

Reference:

Apolozan. J.W. et al. (2007). Inadequate Dietary Protein Increases Hunger And Desire To Eat In Younger and Older Men.  American Society for Nutrition. Vol. 137, No. 6.

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