Hey gorgeous! 💜 Welcome back to The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Weight Loss!  

This is the second of 2 parts, so if you haven’t already read Part 1 (and downloaded your free Nutrition Checklist!), definitely do that right away.  The nutrition guidelines & strategies in Part 1 are critical to losing weight quickly & in a healthy way!

In this post, we’re going to dive into two more major components to weight loss AND overall health — exercise and detox.  

I’ll talk about WHY these two things are so vital in order to reach your weight loss goals, and WHAT steps you need to take to start creating your dream bod! 💪 (Ok, that sounded kinda cheesy, but who doesn’t want that?! 🙃)

First off, I want to make sure you get your hands on the free checklist I created for you — just click the button below.  It makes the main take-aways from this post super clear & applicable.  (Plus, now you’ll have a checklist for Part 1 & a checklist for Part 2 — you know I couldn’t just leave you hangin’!) ☺️

Optimize Your Exercise for Healthy Weight Loss

Ohhhh, exercise.  Such a love/hate relationship I have with you. (Mostly love, though!) 😇

Can you relate to that at all?  Or what about these thoughts:

• “I feel like I don’t have enough time to work out, especially several days a week.”
• “I just don’t have enough energy or motivation to work out on a regular basis.”
• “I don’t have the equipment I need to work out, and I don’t want to spend a ton of money on a gym membership.”
• “I would need to work out sooo much in order to reach my weight loss goal, and the thought of that is just overwhelming.”
• “I don’t really know what to do when it comes to working out, or I don’t know the best types of workouts to do in order to lose weight & get the maximum benefits.”
• “I’ve tried different workout programs, gym memberships, & types of exercise — but nothing seems to work for me.”

Do any of those sound familiar?  If so, you’re not alone!  I’ve talked to so many people over the years who struggle with those thoughts & feelings.

In fact, I definitely used to think & believe some of those thoughts about exercise.  The biggest ones for me were feeling like I didn’t have enough time to work out frequently, didn’t have enough energy & motivation to work out, AND just not really knowing the best ways to work out.

When I was 20 years old, some friends introduced me to a whole new world of working out, and I’m excited to share that with you today!  

Not only that, but along the way we’re going to break through those negative beliefs you might have and bust some of the common myths surrounding exercising & weight loss.  You ready?! 😏

Exercise Myth & Mindset #1:

“I feel like I don’t have enough time to work out, especially several days per week.”

Okay, this is a big one for so many people!  Especially if you’re working full-time, have kids, go to school full-time, have household responsibilities, social obligations, or any combination of those… the list goes on & on!

Here’s the good news: You only need as little as 4-20 minutes per day to work out. 😮

Is your mind blown??  When I first heard that several years ago, I had 2 main thoughts:

1. “What about all the fitness advice I’ve heard my whole life about getting, like, 30-60+ minutes of exercise per day to be healthy?”
2. “How can someone possibly get a good workout in only 4-20 minutes??”

Well, my friends, I quickly learned that not only could I get a “good” workout in such a short amount of time, but some of the most intense & freakin’ hard (& awesome!) workouts I’ve done have been in under 15 minutes! 😅😳

I also learned the truth about the whole “needing-to-run-on-a-treadmill-for-an-hour-a-day- in-order-to-lose-weight” mindset.  Stay tuned — more on that in a little bit!

Exercise Myth & Mindset #2: 

“I just don’t have enough energy or motivation to work out on a regular basis.”

This is a negative belief that I used to struggle with all the time — and I know a lot of others do, too.  Exercising takes some activation energy.  There are going to be some days where you just don’t want to work out.  But sometimes you just need to push in and do it!

And once you do, it gets easier.  I can’t think of a single time where I worked out (after overcoming a lack of energy or motivation), and thought afterwards, “Ughh…I really regret doing that workout.”  Not even close!  In fact, usually I end up thinking, “Wow, I’m SO glad I pushed through and had the discipline to do that workout!”

The cool thing about working out is that it actually gives you MORE energy and MORE motivation.  It boosts your happy hormones and your fat-burning hormones.  It reduces stress.  It helps you build lean muscle & lose weight.  It gives you peace of mind knowing you’re doing something amazing for your health.

And once you start feeling so wonderful & energized, and once you start seeing your body & your health start to change for the better, you start to get more & more MOTIVATED to keep working out!  

Over time, working out becomes a HABIT that you simply can’t live without.  You even might start craving it. 😅

Exercise Myth & Mindset #3: 

“I don’t have the equipment I need to work out, and I don’t want to spend a ton of money on a gym membership.”

This is an easy myth to dispel.  While it may be nice to have access to a few pieces of equipment or exercise machines in order to vary your workouts even more, it’s definitely NOT a necessity.

There are so many different exercises and endless combinations of workouts that you can do without a single piece of equipment.  You can still vary your workouts to keep it fun & fresh, and to work different muscles & energy systems.  

And the best thing is, you can do these workouts ANYWHERE — meaning you don’t need to have a gym membership or join workout classes.  

(If you enjoy working out in those types of environments, that’s great! But just know that it’s not necessary — you won’t be “settling” or getting “less of a workout” if you workout at home with no equipment versus at a fancy gym.)  I personally LOVE being able to work out in the comfort of my own home! ☺️

Exercise Myth & Mindset #4: 

“I would need to work out sooo much in order to reach my weight loss goal, and the thought of that is just overwhelming.”

Like so many other things in life, it’s the QUALITY — not the QUANTITY — that matters most when it comes to exercising.

So many of us grow up falsely believing that in order to lose weight, you have to run like 7 miles a day, workout 3 times a day, and spend hours on end exercising.  (Ok, that’s obviously a little over-exaggerated, but you get the picture!)  And that’s simply not true!

In fact, workouts that are too long are actually less beneficial & effective for weight loss, and can even have some harmful effects on overall health.  Say whaaaat?? 😳  Yep — more info on that in #5 below!

Exercise Myth & Mindset #5: 

“I don’t really know what to do when it comes to working out, or I don’t know the best types of workouts to do in order to lose weight & get the maximum benefits.”

There are 2 major types of exercise that I’m going to compare here:

1. LISS (low intensity steady state)
2. HIIT (high intensity interval training), or other types of high-intensity/short-duration

LISS workouts have a fairly long duration (at least 30 minutes, but can be up to 60+ minutes), and are done with low to moderate intensity.  The pace is typically maintained at a pretty steady state throughout the entire workout.

HIIT workouts are short duration workouts (less than 30 minutes, but can be as short as 4 minutes), done with very high intensity.  Interval workouts are characterized by short bursts of exercise (giving as close to 100% of your maximum output & effort as possible!), followed by short rest & recovery periods.

Jogging, running on a treadmill, or using an elliptical or cycling machine for 30-60+ minutes is a classic example of LISS exercise.  Like all forms of exercise, there are health benefits of doing LISS workouts, and it’s definitely better to do these types of workouts than to not work out at all.  

BUT, LISS workouts don’t create the fat-burning & hormonal responses that HIIT workouts do, which are sooo effective for weight loss and overall health.  In fact, LISS workouts can actually increase cortisol levels (stress hormone!) — which can lead to weight loss resistance and negatively affect your health.

On the other hand, HIIT workouts naturally boost your human growth hormone (HGH) & testosterone levels, which helps build lean muscle, improves metabolism, and promotes weight loss.

AND, get this: when done correctly, a high-intensity/short-duration workout puts your body in a fat-burning state for up to 24-48 hours AFTER the workout!  How awesome is that?! 😄

Exercise Myth & Mindset #6:   

“I’ve tried different workout programs, gym memberships, & types of exercise — but nothing seems to work for me.”

I know this can be frustrating!  Especially when it seems like the steps you’ve taken are working for other people, but not you.

If you’ve tried different exercise methods or workout programs and they haven’t worked for you, then it’s most likely because:

1. It’s the wrong TYPE of exercise.
2. Your FREQUENCY of working out is too low (not doing the workouts often enough).
3. The INTENSITY of your workouts are too low (low to moderate intensity rather than high intensity).

If the type, frequency, and intensity of your workouts are truly optimized, and you’re STILL not losing weight or reaching your health goals, then there’s most likely something else interfering and causing your body to be weight loss resistant.  

Three of the biggest interferences could be stress, your nutrition, or toxicity, which we’ll get into below!

The bottom line is this: If you want to lose weight, increase energy, boost your metabolism, and improve your health, then HIIT & other high-intensity/short-duration workouts are the most effective types of exercise in order to do that!  

In order to get maximum benefits, I recommend doing these types of workouts 4-6 days per week — which will only take you 4-20 minutes each day. 💪🤗

Want some workout ideas to get you started?  

Click here to check out My Top 12 Favorite Fat-Burning Workouts for a Rockin’ Body, or click here to learn how to create your own high-intensity workout! 

Also, don’t forget to download your free Checklist that outlines all the steps you need to take with your Fitness & Detoxing — losing weight is right around the corner for you, girl! ☺️  Just click the button below!

Detoxify Your Body for Healthy Weight Loss  

Now that we’ve addressed nutrition and exercise in regards to weight loss, it’s time to talk toxicity.  Not only can toxicity cause a ton of different health issues, but one of the symptoms it can lead to is weight loss resistance.

Are you following the nutrition guidelines to a T and doing 4-6 HIIT workouts per week, and still not losing much weight?  Are you “stuck” or at a plateau in your weight loss?  If so, there’s a good possibility that you’re toxic!  

You see, your body is super smart — and it’s always doing the right thing at the right time.  So when you have toxins in your body, a lot of them are stored in fat cells.  This is done to protect you — it would cause more harm if the toxins were allowed to run rampant through your bloodstream and around your body, rather than being locked up in fat cells.

Your body then holds on to that toxic fat, because it definitely doesn’t want to release the toxins and risk causing more harm to your health.  And this results in that stubborn belly fat and weight loss resistance.

Major Sources of Toxins 

We live in a very toxic world, and it’s unrealistic to think we can try to avoid or eliminate every single toxic source in our life.  But, we can still avoid or limit certain sources to significantly reduce our exposure to toxins & our overall toxic load.

Some of the biggest culprits that you should try to minimize as much as possible include:

• Unfiltered water or tap water
• Medications — very toxic — and some even cause weight gain as a side effect!
• Heavy metals (aluminum, mercury, lead, arsenic, etc.) — found in things like vaccines, amalgum dental fillings, some cosmetics & deodorants, certain types of paint, some foods, pesticides, & environmental sources
• Food supply — artificial sweeteners/flavors/colors, hormones/antibiotics in conventional meat & dairy, damaged & rancid fats/oils, pesticides from non-organic produce, GMO’s, sugar!
• Personal care products (makeup, shampoo, lotion, hand wash, toothpaste, deodorant, hair products, skin care products, etc.)  — ingredients like SLS, fluoride, fragrances, & so many other chemicals!
• Most cleaning products

Reducing Your Toxic Load 

Avoiding the toxins listed above will significantly reduce your toxicity levels!

Unfiltered or tap water has been shown to have tons of chemicals & toxins in it (including traces of several different types of medications! 😳 Scary!)  I recommend getting a reverse osmosis water system for your drinking water — or at the very least, some kind of cheaper water filter would be better than nothing.  Getting a shower filter is also important — you can absorb up to 8 glasses of water through your skin in just 1 shower!

As far as medications go, I know there is a time & place for them (like in an emergency, health crisis, or something very short-term) — but I believe that they weren’t meant to be taken every day for the rest of your life.  

When you start changing your lifestyle (nutrition, exercise, detoxing, etc.), your body starts to function more optimally.  I’ve seen hundreds of people able to reduce or even come off of medications as a result of getting to the cause of their health issues and allowing their body to heal naturally.

For more details on toxic foods to avoid, make sure you read Part 1 of The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Weight Loss.

One of my favorite resources for checking the toxicity levels of personal care products is the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.  This awesome database reviews almost 70,000 different products in regards to toxicity, relative levels of concern, and potential health hazards of the ingredients — so helpful! 👍

A couple of my favorite personal care product brands are Beyond Organic and Youngevity.  Youngevity has a fabulous Organic Spa Starter Kit (including facial moisturizers, creamy cleanser, toner, & eye cream).  Beyond Organic has a sweet orange conditioner and a phenomenal acai exfoliator that I love, along with a couple other products.  All of these products are made from 100% organic, non-toxic ingredients!

Ways to Detox 

In addition to minimizing your exposure to toxic sources, it’s also a good idea to take some steps to facilitate your body’s natural detoxification processes.

Detoxing on a regular basis is not only necessary for maximum health, but it could also be the key to overcoming weight loss resistance and helping you shed those toxic fat stores!

There are several detoxification protocols, but some of my favorite more general methods that can be done on a frequent or ongoing basis include:

1. Juice Cleanse or Suero Cleanse 

Boost your metabolism, ramp up your fat-burning hormones, improve your digestion, increase your energy, and jumpstart your weight loss with a cleanse.  One of my all-time favorites is the 3-Day Suero Cleanse from Beyond Organic.

For more information on the benefits of this amazing cleanse, read Part 1 of The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Weight Loss if you haven’t already, or click here to order one! ☺️

2. MaxLiving’s Detox System  

This is a super-powerful 2-part supplement that detoxes the body at a cellular level (it helps clean out all the individual cells, rather than just a certain organ or part of your body).

The Detox System is designed to enhance your body’s natural detoxification system and keep it at peak performance each day.  

Part 1 of the Detox System is the Cell Detox, which raises your body’s levels of glutathione — one of your master antioxidants & detoxifiers.  Glutathione then helps your body to remove toxins at a cellular level.

Part 2 of the Detox System is the Body Detox, which contains activated charcoal — one of the star ingredients in this supplement system.  The activated charcoal in the Body Detox binds the toxins that are released by your body (due to the Cell Detox), and then helps your body to safely & permanently eliminate them.

The Detox System is a very gentle detox, and is most effective when taken on a daily basis.  If finances are a limiting factor, I recommend supplementing with this Detox System AT LEAST once every quarter (for 30 days at a time).

I personally have been taking the Detox System on a daily basis for over 6 years now, and I can definitely tell a difference in my health compared to when I don’t take it — especially with my digestion and helping me to stay at an ideal weight.

3. Infrared Sauna

Infrared saunas cause the body to heat up, which leads to sweating and releasing stored toxins.  A moderately fit person can sweat up to one pound of sweat and burn up to 600 calories in just one 30-minute session.  Pretty crazy, right?!

That’s why regular infrared sauna sessions are so effective for detoxing and weight loss!

But in addition to that, infrared saunas also have some other amazing health benefits:

• Pain relief
• Relaxation
• Skin purification
• Improved circulation
• Cardiovascular health
• Anti-aging
• Immune health

You may be able to find a local spa, massage place, or wellness center that has an infrared sauna available to use.  Otherwise, you could invest in one for your home for unlimited, convenient access to it.  I love Sunlighten saunas — you can check them out here!

4. Detoxing Foods

When you eat a healthy diet and follow the nutrition guidelines I recommend, you’ll most likely be getting some of these foods on a regular basis.  

However, there are some foods that are specifically powerful for detoxification, so you may want to be intentional with adding these into your daily meals:

• Cabbage
• Lemons
• Garlic
• Grapefruit
• Green apples
• Broccoli
• Green veggies (kale, spinach, etc.)
• Other RAW vegetables

 

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YAY — we made it through changing your nutrition (in Part 1), implementing the most effective type of exercise, and reducing toxicity/detoxing your body! 🤗  

I’m confident that if you follow these steps, you will start to lose weight and see some amazing changes in your health!

If you haven’t already, make sure you click below to grab your free Fitness & Detox Checklist, so that you can keep these weight loss tips in an easy-to-follow & organized format!

Also, I’d love to hear your comments below:

1. Which exercise-related weight loss myth or mindset can you relate to the most?
2. Which detox method are you most excited and/or most likely to try first??

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