The Winners of the 3rd iLoveKickboxing 45-Day Body Transformation Contest!! (Pics Inside)

Well – at long last, we have the winners of the 3rd iLoveKickboxing 45-Day Body Transformation Contest!

Not only that – we have snippets of their incredible stories of transformation, overcoming obstacles, and fighting temptation to finish the 45 days strong.

A HUGE congrats to our winners. In this post you’ll find their pictures and stories to help you on your fitness journey, too.

But first: A “sneak peek” at our NEXT contest coming January 1, 2016!! Once again it’s a 45-day body & life changing extravaganza…

Only this time – first place gets $20,000!!
(Say what??)

Stay tuned. More info coming soon. For now, let’s talk about our winners.

First, a recap of the contest…

So just to remind you, we judge on 3 fronts:

1. 1. Appearance (How dramatic are the before and after photos?)
2. 2. Pounds lost
3. 3. The story of inner-transformation

Why these 3 categories?

Well, if we only judged on pounds lost, that wouldn’t be fair. Depending on body type, genetics, etc. – everyone has a different amount of pounds they can healthily lose.

So we look at the overall appearance in the before and after photos…

And we look at what the person went through on the inside to achieve their goals.

All three combine to give us our winners.

And speaking of our amazing winners – here they are!!

 

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1st place: Lauren Pluchino: $5,000!!

• – 36 years old
• – 13 pounds lost

Lauren suffered from bad news about both her father’s and grandmother’s health. She realized she was not okay, and needed an outlet to help her regain her zest for life.

She had this to say:

“iLoveKickboxing has completely turned my life around!  I am no longer a slave to fatigue, depression, or stress.  I go to class weekly with my boyfriend which has totally revived our (especially my) zest for life!  I have lost 4 inches off my waist, two inches off each thigh, and amazingly two inches off EACH arm.  I’ve lost 13 pounds in a matter of 45 days and have more energy than I can ever remember having.  I feel incredible!!”

 

2nd PLACE: vhanessa lee: $1,000

• – 34 years old
• – 18 pounds lost

Vhanessa is a single mother of 4 kids who also runs two small businesses – and her weight has suffered from a hypoactive thyroid.

She had this to say:

“My breaking point was when we took pictures for our website and my face was so big I didn’t even recognize myself. Then my amazing boyfriend, who loves me big or little, mentioned getting married… all I could think was how awful the pictures would be…

“[After the contest] I wore an outfit the other night I never would have dreamed of fitting into and it made me feel amazing and proud. I have lost over 10 inches from my body and 18 pounds.”

“I am so much stronger and my posture is better than it has been in years. I feel confident in my own skin…something I never thought I would feel again. I love kickboxing!!”

 

3rd PLACE: Maggie Ankoudinova: $500

• – 17 years old
• – 22 pounds lost

When Maggie told friends she was entering the contest, they laughed at her and said she’d just give up. That fueled her fire even more.

She had this to say:

“I told lots of people I was doing this challenge… I was met with either a “Why?” or people laughing at me and telling me that I’d give up after a week. What these people did not know was that these comments actually provided even more motivation for me. I was determined to prove them wrong…

“I never imagined myself as one of those girls who exercises all the time or eats healthy. But as this challenge went on, I found myself becoming this girl…

“For once in my life, I believe in what I’m doing, I know what I’m doing, and I love what I’m doing, and there’s no way I’m going to give up. And to those people that said I couldn’t do it, I say thank you for giving me the final push in changing my life, and making it the best it’s ever been.”

 

4th Place: Maria Vazquez: $200

“I now feel amazing, sexy, comfortable in my clothes. And love to look at my fit figure everytime I walk by a mirror .To date I have lost 16 lb’s. Putting me at 142 lbs. Also losing 3 inches from my waist, 4 inches from my hip’s , 1 inch from my arm’s , an inch from my chest, and 1.5 inces from my thigh’s.  My journey will continue as my goal weight is 130 lb’s. Thank  you ILKB TEAM.”

 

5th Place: Vanessa Sweazey: $200

“I can’t remember a time that I have felt this happy and confident… I look forward to getting dressed instead of trying to find something that will cover my rolls,I bought smaller pants and tucked in my shirts…what?!? I lost 19 pounds!!! I see muscle definition, and feel lean, I feel light, emotionally and physically. This challenge reaffirmed to me that it is never to late to take control of your life, one workout at a time…”

 

6th Place: Anthony Arato: $200

“This challenge has changed my life… In the past 45 days I have lost a total of 20 pounds and I have more energy than I have had in the past 15 years.  I tell anyone who will listen about my journey and about all the fantastic people I have had the privilege of training with.”

 

7th Place: Monique: $100

“45 days ago I started this challenge, I had no idea I would actually stick to it and complete it. I feel amazing, better than I ever have.. Ilovekickboxing has helped me lose 14 pounds in just 45 days! I’ll be 30yrs old next week and I don’t remember feeling this good since high school!”

 

8th Place: Andrea Fairman: $100

“I felt embarrassed about the way I looked in shorts or a swimming suit… I decided to try iLoveKickboxing instead of spending endless hours running… my fiancé said he could see real differences in my body in that I was much more toned. The pounds started to come off and I wasn’t spending two hours running everyday.  I was just going to kickboxing class 2-3 times per week with light exercise on the other days.”

 

9th Place: Ashley Avila: $100

“Right now I am feeling sore from all those burpees and push ups, but I feel great. I am very proud about sticking through this challenge and pushing myself everyday… My friends always ask, ‘Did you lose weight?’ “

 

10th Place: Jimmy Tan: $100

“This year, I have completed an Obstacle Course Race and will be doing another one in November 2015. Before coming to ILKB, I would not have even thought about it. Now, I am more energized, stronger and better prepared to tackle those races. I want to thank the whole ILKB family for helping me to be in the best physical shape possible”

 

A huge Congrats to our winners.

And even those who didn’t get cash prizes: Congrats on giving this contest your all and taking your fitness journey to the next level.

Because if you really tried your best – you can’t lose this contest. After all, you gain so much energy, strength, and confidence in yourself.

How about showing these amazing guys and gals some love? Leave a comment below and tell them how proud you are!!

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Win $5,000! The 2015 iLoveKickboxing Body Transformation Contest!

Registration Opens September 1, 2015!

On that date, registration will be open at this link:
Contest Registration.

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The 3rd Annual iLoveKickboxing.com 45-DayBody Transformation Contest is here. It starts Sep. 1, 2015, so if you’re serious about burning fat, getting healthy, and transforming your body, mind & life – read on. This is for you…

By the way… There are 10 prizes in total! They range from $5,000 to $100. Details are in this blog post…

Introduction:

The ILKB.com 45-Day Body Transformation Challenge is designed to help all contestants win. How? Because whether or not you win prizes, you win weight loss, health & FUN.

(With that said, there are some pretty awesome prizes! Read on for details.)

You get added accountability. You get a new community amongst all competitors. And you get to watch your body change before your eyes.

Or, as our Brand Ambassador Teresa Oxford puts it…

Keeping motivated is essential for growth.

Although a lot of motivation lies within – everyone needs encouragement, and healthy competition gives you the opportunity to make the friends you need to help each other grow.

And it holds you more accountable. After all, in a place where “everybody knows your name”, they also know when you’ve missed a workout! Building a support system for those who enter the contest will provide a sense of security. Even though it’s a competition – together we all succeed.

Transformations are judged in 3 ways:

1. Change in appearance
2. Pounds lost
3. Personal growth

Notice that how many pounds you lose is NOT the deciding factor! It’s just one factor. That’s because someone who is very overweight can lose pounds much more easily than someone who is not very overweight. That’s why we judge transformations in more in-depth ways.

The following are instructions and information on each part.

Part I: Appearance

To judge your appearance, you will take a photograph at the start and end of the contest (before & after photos). 

Your photographs must be with a newspaper!

This is the only way we can verify when the photo was taken.

Follow these sample pictures to take your own pictures.

Guidelines for Women:

– Two-piece swimsuit is acceptable
– Sports bra and short gym shorts (like in the picture) are acceptable

Guidelines for Men:

– No shirt
– Short gym shorts are acceptable
– Boxer briefs are acceptable

“Why such a strict dress code?”

To judge your transformation accurately, we need to see it! This is really the only way.

Photos must be taken no earlier than September 1. 

Part II: Pounds Lost

This one is pretty self-explanatory. You weigh yourself at the very beginning of the contest, and at the end. Then, you tell us how many pounds lighter you are ;-).

Part III: Your Story

Finally, at the end of the contest, you’ll record a video of yourself as well as write your thoughts talking about any personal transformations you encountered throughout the challenge. If you dealt with painful emotions, experienced a newfound freedom, broke through food addictions, conquered challenges and cravings or anything else – this is the place to share it.

Video + Written are MANDATORY as some people are better at expressing themselves in writing, and others in speech.

Here are some questions to help you along:

– What motivated you to buckle down and lose the weight NOW?
– Why now? Why this contest? What changed?
– What obstacles did you overcome to make it through the challenge?
– How do you feel now? Are you proud of yourself? Are you disappointed?
– What kind of results did you get? How many pounds did you lose? What changes did your body undergo?

Don’t hold back! Your story is just as important as your physical results.

Also, make sure you’re wearing your iLoveKickboxing.com branded gloves and any apparel you have (i.e. t-shirt). 

You can use a smart phone, web cam, or camcorder. Film yourself in GOOD lighting. Don’t film yourself in a dark room, for example. Outside, in natural sunlight, is best.

It’s okay if you don’t have a high-quality camera. What’s important is your message.

The Prizes 😉

Let’s not forget the amazing prizes.

– 1st Place: $5,000!
– 2nd Place: $1,000
– 3rd Place: $500

But it doesn’t stop there…

– 4th, 5th & 6th place: $200
–  7th, 8th, 9th & 10th place: $100

There are 10 prizes in total!

Entering the Contest & Submitting Your Results

On Sept. 1, the registration link at the beginning of this post will go live!

That website will have everything you need to enter the contest, upload your photos and submit your results.

Start + End Dates

The contest begins: September 1, 2015 at 12:00am EST

The contest ends: October 15, 2015 at 11:59pm EST

Deadline for turning in your photos and other deliverables: September 5, 11:59pm EST

You can enter the contest late, but you can’t finish late!

Cost = FREE!

You just have to be an iLoveKickboxing.com member! But there are no added costs on top of your membership to participate.

Required Workouts.

An average of 2 iLoveKickboxing.com workouts per week are required. This means that to qualify for the contest, you must attend 12 ILKB classes throughout the 6 weeks of the contest.

Why a required number of workouts? The point of the contest is to give you extra accountability to help you reach your goals. By setting this guideline, you’re ensuring that you’ll attend at least 2 classes per week.

KEYS for Success

Nutrition is key for doing well in the transformation. In fact, someone who ate right their entire life, and never exercised, would look much better than someone who exercised daily and ate junk food every day!

Think about that. Nutrition + exercise is the winning combination. But nutrition is just as important–if not more so–than exercise.

Exercise is still CRITICAL though. We recommend no less than 3 iLoveKickboxing.com workouts per week for the competition. 

iLoveKickboxing.com has prepared this guide for you to help you make the right food choices throughout the challenge.

Click to download the meal plan & nutrition guide: iLoveKickboxing Nutrition Guide & Meal Plan

Remember:

Whether or not you win any prizes, the most important thing you will win is HEALTH, toned muscle, and ENERGY. You can’t lose in this contest.

You can either win, or win and get awesome prizes too ;-).

Try your hardest. It’s just 45 days out of your life. Buckle down for these 45 days, and give it all that you’ve got. If you need help, your instructors will be happy to help keep you motivated and inspired every step of the way.

45 days from September 1, you can look back and think, “Woohoo! I actually did it!” Or you can think, “I wish I did it.”

Which will it be? The ball’s in your court.

We’ve got your back, like always. If you need support, encouragement or advice, we’re here for you.

Questions?

Post them below!

Good Luck!!!

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You’ve Been Working Out for All the Wrong Reasons

According to Dr. Michelle Segar, a psychologist who directs the Sport, Health and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan, it can be significantly easier to continue working out if you’ve got the right motives.

Dr. Segar specializes in helping people adopt and maintain regular exercise habits and is the author of “No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness.” In this book she describes, in depth, just how effective it ca  n be to look at exercise in another light.

Sure, you won’t get your six pack abs immediately and no, you probably won’t be able to participate in a triathlon the next day, but working out has its immediate benefits as well as its long term ones.

The research provided in Dr. Segar’s book proves that exercising to promote better physical health, in general, won’t get the majority of people to both start and stick with it. Being employed full-time will leave you busy as is, so the promise of better health, a toned body and weight loss unfortunately isn’t enough to get people to stay the path.

Some of the studies outlined in ““No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness” have concluded that people who work out to achieve weight loss and better health actually manage to exercise the least. Go figure.
What Dr. Segar suggests you do is take a different approach – reframe your motives behind working out.

Instead of focusing on the long term effects of working out, take notice of all the immediate benefits you’ll experience post-workout. You feel more energized, less stressed and you’ll also feel a sense of accomplishment which will ultimately leave you in a, generally, better mood.

It will better suit someone to think of exercise as a way to rejuvenate one’s self. The endorphins that are produced give you the feeling that you’ve been revitalized with all sorts of positive energy. You’ll begin to notice that instead of feeling like a punishment, exercise is beginning to become more pleasurable to you.

When we do not focus our energy towards bettering ourselves, we do not reserve energy to perform our daily tasks. Instead, we’ll focus our energy on catering to others. Whether it be your boss, a client or even a family member, you’ll ultimately leave yourself feeling drained and exhausted and you’ll have an increasingly difficult time trying to motivate yourself to get your daily dose of exercise in at that point.

Plenty of people have expressed the common misconception that if they exert their energy in the gym, on a run, or during their ILKB class, that they won’t have the energy to carry on with their day. You’re not going to want to lay down and rest, you won’t be easily distracted and you won’t feel groggy. In fact, you’ll feel energized, attentive and you will have obtained a sense of clarity. Exercise has these immediate effects and these are what’s worth working for. It provides you with the energy to do other things, not the opposite.

Also, Dr. Segar suggests that people take the “everything counts” approach when it concerns physical activity. Walk to the deli down the street during your lunch, take the stairs instead of an elevator, walk your dog, go swimming, play basketball, soccer, go dancing… anything! It adds up, believe it or not.

Consistency takes precedent over quantity. It’s not about how much time you put in, how much weight you’re putting up, how far you’re running or how many times you can kick in a minute – it’s about showing up and trying. Listen to your body, if you’re tired, don’t push yourself. Any physical activity is better than none.

Focus on making yourself the best version of you each day. Exercise can provide you the energy that no coffee ever could.

 

Tell us, do you find that exercise is the best way to kick-start your day? Comment below!

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8 Steps to Get Back on Track

Unfortunately, there are plenty of uncontrollable variables that deter us from moving forward on our fitness journeys. Whether it be an injury, a hectic work schedule or the required attention from your children, it’s hard to keep up.

Those are some of the things that you cannot plan ahead for and thus may find it difficult to make time for a workout. However, there can be a lot of petty things that’re keeping you from getting your butt moving! If that’s the case, we’ve provided you with 8 steps to help you get back on track!

 

1. Choose a Start Date
If you’re not currently in the right mindset to re-embark on your fitness journey, which is usually the case, pick a future start date. By future, we mean within the next couple weeks, we don’t want you wandering too far off the beaten path.

 

2. Take Things One Step at a Time
You have to learn how to walk before you run. Trying to take one too many steps at once can leave you feeling overwhelmed and simply just not satisfied in what you’re doing. Instead of cutting out sugary drinks, running an extra mile and lifting five days a week, try just one of those things at a time.

 

3. Get Someone to Join You on Your Journey
Staying committed is never easy, which is why having someone who counts on you to join them for a trip to the gym or your ILKB class can be beneficial. Beware, you don’t want a partner who will make frequent excuses as to why he or she can’t make it. Find someone who’s just as motivated and determined to become a better version of themselves.

 

4. Don’t Forget to Make It Fun
It’ll be really difficult to be consistent with your workouts if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing. Running isn’t for everyone, so try other cardio exercises like cycling or rowing. Lifting weights isn’t for everyone either so try some calisthenics like push-ups or pull-ups. It also couldn’t hurt to begin playing a sport that you enjoy. That could be a good mix of both cardio and strength training depending on the sport.\

5. Provide Yourself a Motive
Can’t imagine it being very motivating to better yourself if you don’t know why you’d want to better yourself. Do you want to be able to play with your kids without losing your breath? Do you want to run a marathon? Or do you simply want to look better in a bikini? At any point, if you’re feeling doubtful or too lazy to continue, just remember your motive and how much better it would feel to achieve that goal than it would be to eat that slice of pizza or watch that television program from the couch.

 

6. Remove Any and All Deterrents
What’s stopping you from reaching your desired physical appearance? Is it the fast food? Try substituting one bad meal a day for a healthy one (remember, baby steps). Do you just enjoy binge watching Netflix from your couch? Instead of watching yet another episode, take 30 minutes to ride a stationary bike.

 

7. Stay Hydrated
Drinking water throughout the day is just as, if not more, important as eating better or working out. If you aren’t properly hydrated, you’ll find yourself struggling to find the energy to workout.

 

8. Don’t Lose Sight of What’s Important
It’s very hard to develop new, healthy habits. So when you do end up creating a good habit, don’t let yourself break the habit like you have your bad ones. Remind yourself of all the time and effort you’ve put into making yourself a better, healthier and happier version of you.

 

 

If you have any advice to keep on track with your progress, weigh in by commenting below!

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5 Sources of Fiber That Battle Hunger & Improve Longevity

We’re sure that between all the grilled chicken breast, cans of tuna, egg whites and both pre and post workout shakes, you’ve got no time for anything else but protein. Well if you’re looking to get more toned, fiber may just give you an advantage as an appetite suppressant and it’ll also provide you with a multitude of additional health benefits as well.

So How Exactly Does Fiber Help?

First things first, traditionally, foods that contain a significant amount of fiber take longer to eat. They tend to be somewhat chewy and that can give someone the feeling that they’ve eaten more than they really have.

Also, foods high in fiber typically take a longer time to digest, ultimately leaving you with the feeling that you’re full for longer.

And when you consume foods that contain soluble fiber (think mature beans or oatmeal) you’ll be stabilizing your blood sugar as the day progresses. This can also keep you from feeling hungry.

If what you’re looking to achieve is control over your weight, you’d be mistaken to not include more fiber into your diet. Fortunately, to help prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other complications, you won’t have to eat an entire bowl of prunes and lettuce.

Here are a few alternatives that offer you a good source of fiber you may actually enjoy:

 

Raisin Bran Cereal

Fiber: 7.7 grams (1 cup)

Raisin Bran and all the other bran cereals on shelves everywhere offer you a pretty significant amount of fiber in a relatively small serving size. Besides just eating the cereal with milk, you could perhaps sprinkle some cereal as a topping on some yogurt!

Kidney Beans

Fiber: 5.7 grams (half-cup)

Be careful, the beans you’ll find in your burrito aren’t the type that’ll contribute to weight-management. Neither will the green beans. Look for mature or dried beans (kidney beans and chickpeas) for your source of fiber.

Mixed Vegetables

Fiber: 4 grams (half cup)

To add some variety, go to the frozen foods section and pick yourself up some mixed vegetables. Many of the vegetables you’ll find like beans, corn, etc. have fiber.

Nuts

Fiber: 4.5 grams (2 ounces)

We know how much protein means to a diet, so with nuts and other seeds, you’re essentially getting two for one. As opposed to meat, nuts have a ton of dietary fiber.

Fruit

Fiber: Apple – 5 grams, banana – 3.5 grams, orange – 4.4 grams

Fruits that contain fiber, like bananas, apples, avocados and pears, can be especially beneficial. The skin cannot be discounted either, they’re good sources of fiber as well.

 

Gradually Adding Fiber to Your Diet

It’s not smart to one day just add a ton of fiber into your diet. It’s recommended that you begin adding it gradually. You can do this by supplementing a meal a day dedicated to good sources of fiber. This could mean adding kidney beans to a salad or a vegetable with your dinner.

Some other ways you can begin adding more fiber would be to supplement white breads with whole wheat bread or start eating oatmeal instead of frosted flakes.

It’s recommended that a grown man should consume somewhere around 38 grams of fiber per day. You shouldn’t over-do it, however you definitely shouldn’t leave fiber on the back burner!

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Weight Loss: Diet vs Exercise

When it comes to weight loss, there are essentially two main factors – diet and exercise. Just because there are just two doesn’t mean that they are equally as important. This may come as a shock to some, but it won’t surprise anyone who’s gone through a weight loss transformation. It’s said that your diet is 70% of the battle. Exercise takes up the majority of the rest.

Exercising burns far less calories than people seem to think. Consider this: jogging for 30 minutes can burn anywhere from 300-400 calories. 30 minutes of cardio isn’t necessarily the easiest task either. You can reduce just as many calories by removing two cans of soda from your diet every day.

There are, however, many efforts to combat the obesity epidemic occurring in America at the moment. It seems a lot of people are reluctant to see their physical fitness classes be removed from their schools. Our first lady even implemented a program called “Let’s Move” that puts an emphasis on being active to help better prevent obesity.

Despite what many may think, people are actually responding to the calls for more physical activity. Over the last decade, the percentage of Americans who became physically active has been steadily increasing. Unfortunately, however, the same could be said for those suffering from obesity. While exercise has it’s numerous benefits, it isn’t always smart to rely too heavily on it when it comes to weight management.

Multiple studies have been conducted to uncover more on the relationship of fat mass and physical activity. What was discovered was that not being active was, most likely, not the main cause of obesity. Apparently, energy expenditure and physical activity levels in countries that are either developing or already industrialized, are eerily similar – making it unlikely that physical activity is the main component of obesity.

It’s been proven that people end up expending less energy by exercising than what was originally thought. They also increased their caloric intake. This can be attributed to the fact that whenever someone burns calories, their body tells them that these calories need replacing.

Often, your metabolism can determine how well you’ll be able to control your weight. The more weight you lose, the slower your metabolism becomes.

Don’t get us wrong. It wouldn’t be true if we were to say that exercise isn’t a component what-so-ever. Combining exercise and a good diet will better help you lose weight more efficiently. Many people seem to find the time to go to and from the gym and clean up afterwards. If those people dedicated the same amount of time (perhaps even half) to cooking and preparing a healthy meal each day, they’d find their results to come more quickly.

Changing your diet can seem like a daunting task full of daily mental battles and strictly enforced guidelines. Looking at it that way will most likely just set you up for failure. If you happen to fall off, don’t wait to get things going again. If you eat an unhealthy meal, don’t wait until Monday to get back on track. Give yourself cheat days. Eating healthy 5 out of 7 days of the week is better than eating healthy 4 out of 7 days.

Exercise may not make all that big of a difference in weight management, however it can end up helping in a lot more ways. Being physically active has been proven to have positive effects when it comes to things like diabetes, neurological diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular disease and depression.

So, moral of the story: exercise will not aid in weight loss as well as an effective diet would. The evidence just simply is not there to support it. Now, don’t twist our words, exercise is important and combining a fitness regimen with a healthy diet can yield impressive results.

If you have a routine that’s worked for you, comment below and share it with us!

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8 Convenient & Healthy Alternatives For You To Snack On

If you begin to feel hungry between the three meals you should be eating a day, you’d grab a snack. Hopefully a healthy one! However, healthy snacks aren’t always the most convenient…

Instead of grabbing a bag of potato chips or some cookies, curb your cravings with one of these healthy packaged snacks:

 

1. Dole’s Wildly Nutritious Mixed Berries:

This is a great snack on-the-go and not only can you eat them right out of the bag, they’re a great topping for yogurt and they blend well in a smoothie! This antioxidant blend is high in both fiber and vitamin C.

Serving Size: 1 cup

Calories: 70

Protein: 0 g

Fat: 0 g

Sodium: 0 mg

Carbs: 17 g

Sugar: 11 g

Fiber: 5 g

 

2. S’mores Luna Bars:

Has anyone ever considered a s’more to be healthy? Probably not. Until just now. This Luna product has the melt-in-your-mouth flavor and is always packed with 9 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber!

Serving Size: 1 bar

Calories: 190

Protein: 9 g

Fat: 6 g

Sodium: 180 mg

Carbs: 26 g

Sugar: 10 g

Fiber: 4 g

 

3. Mott’s Healthy Harvest Granny Smith Apple Sauce:

This healthy alternative has 80 mg of potassium! Hard to imagine considering it’s only 50 calories! Not to mention, it’s got no artificial sweetener or added sugar.

Serving Size: 111 grams

Calories: 50 g

Protein: 0 g

Fat: 0 g

Sodium: 0 g

Carbs: 13 g

Sugar: 11 g

Fiber: 1 g

 

4. RxBars:

Nothing screams healthy like a product made with blueberries, egg whites, almonds, figs and dates and contains 290 mg of potassium. Also, if you’re looking to build some muscle, they come with 12 g of protein!

Serving Size: 1 bar

Calories: 200

Protein: 12 g

Fat: 6 g

Sodium: 115 mg

Carbs: 25 g

Sugar: 17 g

Fiber: 4 g

 

5. Sabra Hummus

Hummus is made with cooked chickpeas which happen to be high in protein, potassium and fiber while remaining low in cholesterol and sugar, making this product a great, healthy alternative to other dips!

Serving Size: 2 tbsp

Calories: 70

Protein: 2 g

Fat: 5 g

Sodium: 130 mg

Carbs: 4 g

Sugar: 0 g

Fiber: 1 g

 

6. Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop! Kettle Corn

The popcorn you get at the movies that you douse in butter and salt, yeah that’s no good for you. Orville Redenbacher, however, has made a product that offers some health benefits. One serving contains 4% of your daily iron intake and comes in around a minuscule 140 calories.

Serving Size: 7 1/2 cups

Calories: 140

Protein: 4 g

Fat: 2.5 g

Sodium: 230 mg

Carbs: 29 g

Sugar: 0 g

Fiber: 6 g

 

7. Cranberry Almond + Antioxidants with Macadamia Nuts KIND Bars

KIND bars have long been associated with healthy diets. There are tons of different flavors and kinds to choose from. This one in particular contains 50% of your daily A, C, and E vitamins.

Serving Size: 1 bar

Calories: 190

Protein: 4 g

Fat: 13 g

Sodium: 25 mg

Carbs: 20 g

Sugar: 11 g

Fiber: 3 g

 

8. Bare Fruit Apple Cinnamon Chips

Bare is notorious for their organic products. This one is no different, it’s 100% naturally made. They are very high in vitamins and contain no added sugar or preservatives.

Serving Size: 1 oz or 1/2 cup

Calories: 90

Protein: 0 g

Fat: 0 g

Sodium: 10 mg

Carbs: 26 g

Sugar: 21 g

Fiber: 4 g

 

 

So the next time you start to feel hungry but know that you’ll regret eating that donut or even the entire box, try one of these! You won’t feel guilty and you’ll curb your appetite all the same, if not better.

 

 

Are there any healthy packaged snacks that you enjoy? Comment and let us know!

 

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7 Health & Fitness Hacks

Getting in shape takes a lot of hard work and patience. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Just because you’ll have to break a sweat in the gym consistently for an extended period of time doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t speed up the process a bit. Here are 7 ways you can help make your fitness journey a tad bit easier:

 

1. Find yourself an easily addictive TV show.

This might sound counterproductive, but here’s the trick: only allow yourself to watch it while working out. Watch it while using an elliptical, stationary bike or treadmill!

The best shows to look for are the ones that leave you with cliffhangers. You’ll be wanting to watch more but you’ll have to work for it!

 

2. To stop overeating, start using smaller plate, cups and bowls.

Using a big plate and only filling half of eat can give you the impression that you’re depriving yourself of more. When your smaller portions fill up your entire plate, you’ll feel less inclined to fill up your plate once more.

You’re also less likely to feel hungry afterwards. It’s all in your head!

 

3. Make yourself snacks for each day of the week.

Whether you take them with you to work every day or leave them in the fridge at the office, these snacks will always be there for you.

Like a comforting mother, these snacks will provide you with the sense that you’re safe… from starvation that is.

 

4. Bring water with you at all times.

It’s important to keep hydrated. Dehydration won’t allow for your body to go through its daily functions as efficiently as it normally would. Also, drinking water can actually keep you feeling fuller! It’ll prevent you from snacking when you shouldn’t be.

Drink water with your meals as well and you won’t end up eating more than you should!

 

5. Eat/drink protein 30 minutes before or after you work out.

Working out is essentially breaking down muscle tissue. This sounds like it can’t be good, but believe us, it is! Your muscles begin repairing almost immediately after you’ve finished. Protein has been used to help build muscle for quite some time now.

Not only will you help build muscle, the muscle you build will help speed up your metabolism! Protein also has appetite suppressing effects.

 

6. Have your gym outfit ready to go before you wake up in the morning.

Waking up is hard as it is. Waking up to go to the gym is even harder. Waking up to find clothes to wear to go to the gym is just pointless. Save yourself the time and have your outfit picked out, folded and ready to go.

It’s just one less thing you won’t have to worry about when you’re already not very thrilled about being up that early in the first place.

 

7. Make vegetables account for ½ of your meal.

Everyone knows greens are good for you. Something a lot of people may not know is that vegetables have high fiber content and can make you feel full fairly quickly.

Not only are you eating healthier, you’ll stop yourself from overindulging on the rest of your meal.

 

 

If you can think of any tricks to lead a healthier life, comment and let us know!

 

 

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3 Of The Most Overrated “Health Foods”

There are a lot of popular health trends out there today. Between health food restaurant chains opening up everywhere you look and the hundreds of detoxes, how could you be sure which ones are actually effective?

Well, we can’t tell you that, but we can tell you which foods are getting more credit for being “health foods” than they deserve. Here’s our top three most overrated “health foods” that should be consumed in moderation…

 

Green Smoothies

This claim will undoubtedly be disputed, however, that won’t stop us from including green smoothies on this list…

Green smoothies can be a great way to kick off your diet. Unfortunately, drinking these “healthy” smoothies will often result in some not-so-healthy side effects.

Most people are unaware that drinking these green smoothies can bring up your blood pressure higher than a candy bar can. Anything you add to your smoothie, particularly those with fairly high glycemic levels, like bananas, raw sugar, honey and agave can lead to some problems. Consuming these types of sweeteners can lead to gut dysbiosis, insulin resistance and the production of more AGEs, likely to pave the way to some serious health concerns.

Obviously a green smoothie offers more health benefits than say a chocolate shake from Carvel. However, It almost defeats the purpose of trying to be healthy in the first place if you begin adding the sugary products to your blend. Try focusing on adding fruits with lower glycemic levels, more protein, greens and a few healthy fats.

 

Buttered (Bulletproof) Coffee

Buttered coffee is a popular new trend in the health food industry at the moment.
Considering your mixing butter and MCT oil, the “fat burning” effects this recipe claims to have are indeed not fat burning at all. It may even have fat gaining effects.

So hear us out. Butter intake should be moderated considering its adverse effects on your blood lipid profile. It does this by increasing apolipoprotein B levels, which can contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. MCT oil also may be harmful. It has the ability to spike triglycerides as well as blood glucose levels.

A good alternative to the butter would be cream. It contains more MFGM content that will have a better effect on your blood lipid profile than butter ever would. Hence, We suggest sticking to cream if you’re going to spike your coffee. This buttered coffee trend may very well just be a ploy from marketers looking for opportunity.

 

Brown Rice

What’s so much healthier about brown rice as opposed to white rice?

Just because whole grain pasta looks brown doesn’t make it any healthier. The same could be said for brown eggs and white eggs.

The only justification someone can have for choosing brown rice over its white counterpart, is that brown rice has a glycemic index of 50 while white rice is pegged at 58. Not a big difference. Not only is it not by a wide margin, the glycemic intake is compromised due to other components like fiber. So unless you plan on eating only brown rice for dinner, it wouldn’t make a difference.

It’s also known that brown rice has less nutrients than other sources of carbs. That doesn’t sound like an ideal health food if you ask us.

 

 

Are there any “health foods” you like to stay away from? Comment below and tell us which ones! 

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Top 10 Most Common Fitness Misconceptions Are Revealed

If you asked someone what it takes to achieve their fitness goals, you’d get a lot of different answers. Some may say that all it takes is willpower, some might tell you that you should just diet, and others might suggest working out and eating as you please.

Everyone is different, there isn’t an ideal plan for everybody. What works for you might not work for others and vice versa.

So we here at ILKB have decided to debunk the biggest myths about health and fitness that we’ve been hearing:

 

1. Find your ideal exercise & keep at it.

Although you may be aiming to add muscle bulk in certain areas, it’s important to switch up your routine every now and then. No one likes a guy who skips leg day too often, but that’s beside the point.

Constantly working out the same muscles, day in and day out, will very often lead to injury. Each of your workout routines should include resistance training, cardio as well as flexibility.

 

2. Getting fit is about sacrifice and putting the time in.

Although it takes consistency and an extra hour or so of your time when you do decide to workout, many people believe working out will leave you exhausted and without focus.

You may think you’ll have a hard time focusing at work if you’ve hit the gym that morning. That’s not the case at all, it’s actually the complete opposite. Thanks to endorphins and some other variables, working out will leave you m

ore alert, focused and energetic.

 

3. You should be losing weight.

Instead of trying to lose weight, you should be trying to make yourself stronger. Doing a ton of cardio to burn fat, especially if it’s consistent, low-intensity cardio, can actually be counter-productive.

What you really should be looking to achieve is a good ratio of muscle to fat. Your body composition is what matters most, not the numbers that show up on the scale.

 

4. You should be getting results quickly.

Those “get rich quick” schemes you see advertised all the time are almost always a fraud. The same can be said for the “lose X lbs in X days” advertisements.

If you want to become physically fit, it’s going to require a lifestyle change. You will have to rely on your will power and determination. Take it easy at first, don’t beat yourself up if you’ve strayed from the path. Get back on it and keep at it.

 

5. Extreme dieting is beneficial.

All those diets that claim you’ll “lose X lbs in X weeks” or “drop a dress size in a week” are almost always lying. The odds of that happening are slim.

It’s not impossible, but even if you were to drop a dr

ess size in a week, it’s not going to last. When you get off the diet, you’ll put that weight back on and then some, most likely.

 

 

6. Physical results are all that matters.

To begin noticing any physical change in your body, you’ll need to wait a pretty significant amount of time. Anything worth having is worth waiting for.

However, a lot of people seem to forget all of the other benefits working out can give you. Virtually immediately, you’ll find yourself able to sleep better, feeling more energetic and in a better mood overall. It’s those endorphins at work again…

 

7. Rest, while important, doesn’t help you gain any muscle.

It’s important to get into the gym fairly often. It’s also important to give your body time to recover from the rigors of intense training.

If you’re physically demanding your body to train more than you’re allowing it to rest, it may very well result in injury. You may also find yourself plateauing, being unable to add weight to your sets. Believe it or not, you could actually end up losing strength.

 

8. As long as I’m working out, I can eat however I’d like.

Unfortunately, we’re not all born with the same metabolism as say Michael Phelps. He can consume 3,000 calories a day and ultimately end up still looking like the same Olympic athlete.

Many people who’ve gone through a physical transformation can attest to this – becoming fit is 30% working out and 70% your diet. Change your diet and stick to your fitness routine and you’ll see the pounds shed more efficiently.

 

9. Ab work will strengthen my core.

Your “core” isn’t just your abs. Your core actually extends from your neck all the way down to your hip flexors. So working out your core goes much further than planks and crunches. It’s just as important to train your back as it is your abs.

If you don’t balance training to attack both the front and back sides of your core, you’ll ultimately leave yourself much more susceptible to injury.

 

10. No carbs = faster results.

Carbs are your source for fuel. How can you expect to work out if you don’t have any energy?

Pasta parties on the night before games for sports teams aren’t going to waste. Things like pasta and other grains are naturally high in carbs and give you the energy to perform. By removing carbs from your diet, you’re essentially limiting yourself in your workout.

 

 

Can you think of any other misconceptions that need to be put to rest? Leave a comment and tell us!

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Why Your Push-Up’s Aren’t Making You Stronger

The push-up is perhaps one of the most convenient and effective exercises you can do. It’s an upper body exercise that can be performed just about anywhere. With that said, it can be difficult to perfect and often times, people will often require modifications to help them at first.

For those of you who need to make a push up a little easier in the beginning, do yourself a favor…

Take your knees off the floor.

Plain and simple, these will not help you perform an actual push-up.

By using this modification to make push-ups easier to perform, you’re only making it easier to continue doing push-ups with your knees on the floor. Wondering why? Well, that’s because you aren’t using that many of the muscles that typically are engaged when performing a proper push-up.

“What’s a proper push-up?” you ask.

The proper push-up should look something like this:

Your feet must be together, your glutes should be squeezing and your back should remain flat, no dips or bends. Your entire body will essentially be working in unison.

Your body should be moving in a straight line, your elbows should be at an approximate 45-degree angle. To engage your chest, your elbows are going to bend outwards and you’ll bring your chest down towards the floor.

Essentially, a push up is a moving plank of sorts. When done correctly you’ll be using, and subsequently training/strengthening your chest, arms, back and core. As you can see above, the entire body is incorporated in the movement, everything is moving.

Using your knees to do a push-up.

If you’re using your knees to assist in your push-up, you’re basically completely removing your legs from the equation entirely. It’s harder to squeeze your glutes and you don’t get your back into it at all. Furthermore, when you’re doing a push-up from your knees, you’re also putting unnecessary stress on your wrist, elbows and shoulders. This could potentially lead to injury.

What’s actually preventing you from doing a push-up?

A lot of people have difficulty performing a proper push-up, but that doesn’t always mean that they lack the upper body strength. That obviously plays a part, however, what’s normally lacking and ultimately limiting you from doing it the right way is the necessary core strength. Another big factor is improper movement.

Constantly executing push-ups with your knees on the ground can and will do more harm than good.

So what do you do if you really can’t do a full push-up?

Instead of modifying the push-up to the point where you could be potentially causing injury, modify it so that your entire body is stabilized and working together.

So if you can’t do a push-up and you shouldn’t use your knees for support, what can you do? You can do an incline push-up. You could use a bench or even your couch. If you’re using the bar on the smith machine, you can lower it as you see fit, until the point where you’re confident enough that you can do an actual push-up from the floor. Unlike the knee push-ups, an incline push-up with allow you to engage your core and maintain a neutral back.

Like a pillar in a building, your core is the primary source of your strength. Without a pillar holding the weight of the ceiling, you should expect the ceiling to come tumbling down. Without the necessary core strength to do a push-up, you can’t expect to be able to maintain a proper push-up position.

 

Training and strengthening your muscles to perform a proper push-up can take time. There aren’t any shortcuts, you have to incorporate every muscle a push-up would normally incorporate. Do yourself a favor and remove the “knee push-up” from your routine.

 

 

If you had trouble performing a proper push-up, comment below tell us how you overcame it!

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