Posts Tagged Fit

I had just given birth to twins by C-section… My body was stretched out, fat, and disgusting! The following program is designed specifically for women who are fighting the hormone battle while trying to get fit! Take control now, right here!

By: BuffMother

Are Your HORMONES Keeping You FAT?

Over the past 5 years I’ve experimented with a training strategy designed for women only. My goal was to create the fastest possible method for women to achieve radical physical transformation. I believed the key was to capitalize on the positive effects of our hormonal fluctuations while also diminishing the negative effects.

I used myself as my first test patient. I had just given birth to twins by C-section which were my 3rd and 4th babies in less than 4 years. My body was stretched out, fat, depleted in every way and just plain disgusting.

At the time, I just wanted to see radical transformation in my body. I had no idea that I was on the verge of discovering something that would change the lives of thousands of women. To make a long story short, my body transformed radically by using what I now call Hormonal Timing .

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Michelle Berger’s Transformation.

I began designing custom Hormonal Timing programs for women online. I charged $1200.00 for an 8 week program. It wasn’t long before I was sold out! I simply didn’t have time to take on any more clients. The results my clients were experiencing were amazing and I soon realized that I had to develop a way to share this amazing program with every woman in the world, so I wrote a book!

Here is an excerpt from “Hormonal Timing: Female Fitness Evolved” by BuffMother!

Hormonal Timing:
Female Fitness Evolved By BuffMother!
Author Michelle Berger

Foundation #1:
Realize That You Are in a Battle!

I’m sure you’ve felt it: that sudden lack of ambition that just seems to overcome you. You might say, “This time I’m going to stick to my plan!” And you do for a while, but then you suddenly realize that you’ve been slacking for the last 5 days! What happened? You then blame yourself thinking, “I don’t have any self-discipline, self-control, motivation, etc…” You feel guilty about your lack of willpower.

Maybe you feel like you’re close to reaching your goals but just can’t quite get there. You work so hard but when you look in the mirror you are always disappointed! You constantly ask yourself, “What am I doing wrong”? What am I missing?!?

The fact is the vast majority of us have a personal battle going on inside. It may be about your diet, exercise habits, smoking, drinking, scale/weight, dress size, etc.

Every woman’s battle is unique but while we fight against all these “visible enemies,” an invisible enemy comes along and defeats us. It’s our HORMONES! Our hormones are the invisible enemy, and it’s time that we learn how to fight back.

“Millions of women fail to reach their diet and fitness goals simply due to their hormones.” This affliction is called Hormone-Induced Failure (HIF) and it will sabotage your success unless you’re prepared. I believe that HIF is a huge problem in America!

Are You A Victim Of HIF: Hormone-Induced Failure?

• 1. Are you a habitual yo-yo dieter?
  2. Do you periodically suffer from uncontrollable cravings that sabotage your efforts to lose weight?
  3. Do you start exercise programs and then quit for no apparent reason?
  4. Do you ever suffer sudden weight gain that makes you want to quit trying?
  5. Do you catch yourself saying things like, “I have no willpower” or “I’m just not motivated…”?

Answer these 4 questions to find out if you have Hormone-Induced Failure:

In my experience, most women answer yes to many of the above questions. Most women blame themselves but YOU must understand, IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT!!

Hormone-Induced Failure (HIF) is to blame!!

Hormones Control Your Diet & Fitness Success!

FACT: Your appetite, cravings, motivation level, mood, energy level, water weight, belly bloat and metabolism are controlled by your hormones!

Hormones control:

• Appetite/ junk food cravings
• Motivation level/mood
• Energy level
• Water weight gain/belly bloat
• Metabolism
• ETC…

Hormones Control Your Appetite (Junk Food Cravings):

Do you have those days when you just wanna eat? I mean really “pig out,” on things like doughnuts, cookies, chips, chocolate, etc? It is a sad-but-true fact that our hormones cause us to DESIRE these items.

Our Hormones Cause These Desires.

Specifically during the time of the month when your concentrations of hormones are at their highest, you will desire quick easy sources of carbohydrates (carbs), the easiest source being junk food. These carbs spike the secretion of serotonin, your “feel good” hormone so-too-often you find your cravings seem out of control.

What can you do to avoid this? Simply, having a plan to eat enough healthy carbs really helps keep your cravings under control, and supplementing your diet with the proper vitamins and nutrients can help your cravings diminish.

Hormones Control Your Motivation Level & Mood (Mentality)!

The psychological affects of hormones are well documented. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are many symptoms of hormone imbalances including anger, low self-esteem, difficulty concentrating, irritability, tension and more. An imbalance in hormone levels may cause you to feel sad, lonely, apathetic, self-critical, and unsure of yourself. Just a little bit of being “down” can wreak havoc on your diet and fitness efforts.

My motivation to accomplish anything, especially anything hard, often disappears during the second half of my cycle. When I hit day 22 of my cycle, my reason behind working out or dieting gets lost. I say to myself, “Why am I doing this? I don’t want to!” I also find myself taking less time out for my other needs.

Even simple things like doing my hair, nails, shaving, and putting on make up, become difficult and a pain. Personally, I was never a consistent exerciser until I was aware of my own hormonal lack of motivation, or HIF, and took action against it.

On the positive side of things, the instant your hormones drop, signaling your body to menstruate, your motivation will begin to rise again… and after a couple days you will feel powerful and ready to conquer mountains. This powerful feeling typically continues until a few days after ovulation and when you will feel the “lazy bug” hit again.

This is when you may fall off your fitness/diet program. Time and time again I have had clients, friends and family who literally “fall off the face of the earth” at this high hormone time of the month. This is classic Hormone Induced Failure (HIF).

Hormones Control Your Energy Level & Sleep Patterns:

Do you have days where you are just dragging, limp and lifeless? Yet you can’t figure out why? Hormones control your energy levels. Based upon the balance of your hormones in your body your energy levels may be high or low.

Each month, energy levels rise and fall according to the balance of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone in your system. If a you are unaware of this cycle when you hit a low energy phase you may think you are just being wimpy, not eating enough, getting sick, etc. BUT, if you know that your low energy is caused by your hormones you will be able to utilize my program to prevent these low-energy days, or at least get through them without beating yourself up about it and losing all momentum. You will be able to honestly tell yourself, I am tired just because of my hormones and tomorrow I will be fine.

As your hormone levels rise toward the end of each month, your sleep may be disturbed, causing energy during the day to be scarce. Often times simply allowing yourself more rest or a nap during this time of the month is all you need to be happier, healthier, and consistent in your fitness efforts.

Conversely, after your period is over and through the remainder of the first part of each monthly cycle, your energy levels are high, you sleep deep, and have energy to accomplish your objectives.

Hormones Control Water Weight Gain And Belly Bloat:

Oh man! This can be bad!! As a woman, the scale is not your friend for several days of the month. No matter how perfect you may be in your diet and exercise, the scale has a mind of its own when hormones run high.

Your rising hormone levels will cause you to retain water toward the end of each monthly cycle. This is part of why you appear “soft” in comparison to a man. Your natural sex hormones help keep your skin full and plump, which is all fine and dandy, until it holds onto 3 pounds more than just the day earlier and fluffs you up so much that your pants don’t button!

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Author, Michelle “BuffMother” Berger.

Water retention doesn’t just happen in one localized part of your body – it affects your face, hands, feet, belly, butt, etc. Another nasty result of water retention is that our cellulite looks even more dramatic at this time of the month. I point out to my clients that I can actually “see” the hormones in them – it is visible as ripples due to hormone metabolites (toxins), especially in the hips, legs and abdomen.

As you become leaner, you will experience greater water weight fluctuations because muscle cells hold a lot more water than fat cells. Don’t lose heart when this happens!! It is actually a good sign that you are headed in the right direction with your body composition.

Hormones Control Your Metabolism:

As you go through the month, your hormones effect your metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories). Documented studies show you can actually burn up to an extra 500 calories per day during the week prior to your period. NO WONDER you feel like you want to eat everything in sight!

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Your body is telling you that you need the extra energy. Why then do you feel horribly guilty if you eat a bit more? Probably because you are already bloated and feel frustrated, so eating extra food seems like the worst thing to do.

Don’t let guilt turn your fitness quest upside down. Accept that fact that you may need a few more calories right now, plan for that, and enjoy your indulgence. This will enable you to end the cycle of guilty binges and emotional eating before they start. As a result you will build your fitness momentum instead of quitting due to Hormone Induced Failure!

Hormones Control Many Other Aspects That Affect Your Body & Life:

The list of other ways hormones affect you is long but here are a few: digestive issues, allergies, etc. I’ve personally been concerned about these symptoms from time to time. However after, I connected these symptoms to my hormones, I was free from worry because I knew, “It’s just my hormones.”

Click To Enlarge.
Author, Michelle “BuffMother” Berger.

Every woman is a bit different in regards to her biggest hormonal struggle. But no matter what, there are effects from your hormones–good ones and bad ones–and they must be considered in your diet and fitness program.

The key point to know is that there are nutrients, mental strategies, and physical fitness/diet applications that will help prevent or minimize the bad effects and allow you to capitalize on the good effects.

As you apply the diet, exercise and supplementation principles of my program you will establish consistency which will lead to progressively gaining momentum month after month. This massive momentum will allow you to realize your full potential and live a fuller, less stressful life.

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Dr. Lisa Staudt’s Hormonal Timing Testimony

This woman knows how to hit it hard and be a success in whatever she does. From the moment I met Lisa through www.BuffMother.com, I have been captivated by her determination to LIVE life to its fullest. She successfully juggled her career as a chiropractor, and job as a mother of 3 young children while training hard for her first figure contest last fall. She won that contest and is looking forward to more wins in 2008!

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Dr. Lisa Staudt.

I know Lisa will accomplish her goals because she stays positive and always gets it done! Lisa has an amazing view of how my program will change the world of women’s fitness:

“I think [this program] (HT) could be a major breakthrough for women’s fitness. I love it!! When I first read about it, I thought “this is so cool, it really makes sense.” As a chiropractor, I’ve taken seminars and studied a lot on the female hormones, cycles and nutrition.

I think the key point to this program is that your workouts change as you are going through hormonal fluctuations in your cycle. The second half of the month can be a time of stress, increased emotions, depressed feelings, bloating, pain, etc. So having a workout that is less intense and being able to eat more calories just makes sense! Personally [this program] has helped me establish consistency. The coolest part is that HT is a long term plan, something I will do for life!!”