Protein Shakes, 8 Benefits

A good amount of people have heard of protein shakes and professional athletes endorsing protein shake supplements and bottles and cartons of this muscle building wonder. Did you know that your body needs a good amount of protein to build muscle? We have also heard about a lot of debates on if protein shakes are good for you or not. I'm not even going to write another debate blog post about whether protein shakes are good for you or not. I'm going to give you 8 benefits of protein shakes. You can decide whether you want to use protein shakes to put more muscle on. Here, we, GO!

1. Cut and Paste 

So, when I was really bulking, I was lifting heavy, with less reps, and I was consuming one protein shake a day. I found that I was almost cutting and pasting muscle on the areas that I was working on when I was lifting heavy and drinking protein shakes. I put on twenty pounds of muscle on in about two and a half to three weeks! It was a ridiculous amount of muscle that I was gaining for not working out so much.

2. Bounce Back

This is a HUGE pro to drinking protein shakes! I found that I have incredible bounce back and my body had great resiliency when it came to working out. What happens when you workout is that your muscle breaks down and then it comes back a little bit stronger 3-5 days later. When you drink protein shakes, you come back in 2-3 days instead of 3-5. The time frame was completely different.

3. Fat Loss

In accordance with the second benefit is the third benefit and that is that protein shakes contribute to big fat loss. When you workout and gain muscle, the muscle burns more fat. When you workout your legs, they get to the point where they are fat burning furnaces. More muscle equals more fat burn. This is the exciting part about protein shakes is that they convert to fat burning muscle. 

4. Snack Supplementation

This was very true in my case. I could use protein shakes as a snack. Protein shakes are lower calories and so that contributes to weight loss as well. I would not supplement a meal with a protein shake just for the mere fact that protein shakes don't contain vitamins, minerals, and other supplements that you get from food that is good for your body. The fun part about this is that you can whip up a protein shake rather quickly and you can take it on the go! 

5. Absorbs Quickly

Another benefit for drinking protein shakes is that they absorb into your body very quickly; I mean, wicked fast! Whey protein isolate is the best pound-for-pound protein out there in the world and takes a few short hours to absorb fully. This does not mean that you can supplement it for rest. You still have to rest, but you don't have to rest as often as you would without the protein shake. 

6. Handles Heavy Lifting

Protein shakes handle heavy lifting like a champ! The protein shake was designed to help bodybuilders and power lifters and even beginner lifters come back quicker than they normally would. To utilize your protein benefits to their fullest, lift heavy, low reps, and watch the muscle jump onto your body. The best way to tell if the muscle is coming is to try on a dress shirt before you begin working out, find your size, and then work out for a few weeks. You won't fit in that same shirt the next time you try it on after working out!

7. Several Flavors

Call me a loser for thinking that this is a benefit, but I think that this is a big benefit. If I get sick of tasting chocolate protein shake, then I can get another flavor instead. They come in so many different flavors. Another hidden benefit is that the higher end protein powders actually taste decent. It doesn't have to cost you dearly for you to get good sources of protein. 

8. Stronger or Lighter

The best benefit besides the fact that protein shakes put on a ton of muscle is that you can put in how ever much protein powder you want. You can put in one scoop or you can put in two. It is completely up to you! If you need more help with your protein intake, then you can add a little more. I drink my protein shake powder in milk, so it makes the protein shake thicker and creamier than it would be in just water. 

I hope that you guys can use these benefits to come to a knowledge of what protein shakes are actually like. A LOT of people would just say, "Don't drink it." The problem is that they don't get give valid arguments for why protein shakes are bad for you. Share these benefits with your friends and tell them how good protein shakes are for you. If you really want to take your lifting to a new level, drink a protein shake...or two...or several!

Cheers!

~Obesity Overload

Curb the Candy Craze!

So, here we are on Halloween and the candy is flowing by the tonnage! I wanted to write a blog post to encourage you guys to stay on your diet and to not just throw it out the window. It is worth it to keep the goal of weight loss and to not eat candy, than to eat candy and have a weight gain. We will talk about how to curb the candy craze and maybe give you guys some alternatives to help you guys get through today. Let's get started with how to curb the candy craze!

1. Alternatives to Candy
We have many alternatives to candy if you can't curb your candy craze. The first alternative is to eat a popsicle. Popsicles have some sugar, but not too much. You don't need to feel guilty for eating a popsicle. There are natural juice popsicles as well. The second is to eat a cookie. They have sugar, but they won't break you. The last alternative is juice. You can drink juice and most juices have all natural sugar.

2. Drink Water
Drink water and help curb the candy craze. If you drink water, then you can help to keep from being hungry. Your body will want to eat and fill up on junk food, but please don't give in to the temptation of wanting to eat candy.

3. Sugarfree Gum
There are lots of good gum choices that you can eat and not feel guilty. By eating gum, you can trick your body into thinking that you are eating something sweet, but you are not. There are little to no sugar in sugarfree gum. Grab a stick of gum and stick it to the candy craze!

4. Work Out
By working out, you forget that you want to eat candy. Get out of the house and go for a run or go to the gym for a good long while to really get tired out. You will burn a ton of calories and you will not be craving the candy anymore. Put on your gym shoes and GO!

5. Eat Good
Eat a good and hearty meal. Instead of eating junk food and consuming empty calories, eat a good and hearty meal. Eat some chicken, vegetables, and drink some milk. So many people are going to want to eat junk just because everyone else is. You do not have to give in. Resist and do something good for yourself!

6. Eat Protein
Eat a good amount of protein for dinner and in your snacking. Instead of consuming terrible calories and carbs, eat some protein that will fill you up and keep you full for quite a while. Protein is power packed and is sure to keep you from the candy craze.

7. Go To Bed Early
This tip is probably the biggest one of them all. Go to bed early and get some good sleep. By going to bed early, you lower the risk of gaining weight because you will not be eating while you sleep. You will be sleeping and you will feel good the next day because you will get some great rest and sleep!

Please read these tips again and share these tips with your family and friends! Just because it is Halloween doesn't mean that you have to splurge and throw your diet and weight loss out the window. Your co-workers and friends will want to share their candy with you. Just politely say, "no thank you" and continue in your weight loss. I hope that you guys have a great and safe Halloween!

 Cheers!
~Obesity Overload

P.S. Don't get scared now!

Let Me Persuade You...8 Reasons for Weight Loss!

Over the years we pretty much eat whatever we want, do whatever we want, and say that we want to lose weight, but there are some people that aren't convinced that they need to lose weight. There are those that are still skeptical, and they are still saying, "I am only a few pounds overweight, I don't need to diet or lose weight!" I am here to tell you that unless you lose that extra weight, you may be at even greater risk of dying sooner than you would later. I am convinced myself that unless I do something big soon, I will be in big trouble. I only have a few pounds to lose, but they weigh heavy on me and my lifestyle. Please, take a look at these great points that I have to make and be convinced that weight loss is for you! The first step to changing is recognizing and admitting that you have a problem!

1. Hard to Bend Over
Sometimes I make the joke that its hard to bend over for me because I have too much in the middle and I know it! It's really not a joke, its a big problem. If you are someone that has too much fat on your bottom or stomach, then you can relate to it being hard to bend over. This inconvenience should be enough to go into weight loss full bore. In case you're not convinced, I have more!

2. Unbutton Top Button
For most of us, we only have a top button if you're someone that wears jeans . I sometimes find it hard to button the button because I have a paunch of fat hanging over. You know what that feels like! It doesn't feel good! You sit at your parties, get-togethers, and other events and you pull your pants up the whole time because you button the top button. This is an inconvenience I've dealt with before in the past.

3. When You Play Sports, Your Fat Moves!
This might be the biggest reason that you don't work out and participate in weight loss. My question to you is, "Unless you work out, how are you going to lose weight?" You HAVE to work out, it is a must! It may be uncomfortable to work out with fat jiggling in various places, but that doesn't mean that you give up or worse yet, you don't even participate in weight loss.

4. Disease 
You may be thinking, "Disease only happens to those, 'out of control' type people!" This is simply not true! I'll tell you why. It's not true because we are susceptible to heart diseases, high blood pressure, and hypertension which is the silent killer. The reason I'm adding this point is because I don't want the overweight and obese people that are reading this to go on with life as if nothing is going to happen. Nothing may have happened so far, but the odds of you getting sick and dying are considerably higher than those that are not overweight or obese.

5. Finding a Mate
We look at ourselves in the mirror and we think, "If only I had a six pack, I could get a...(insert girl or guy here)!" We don't think that we can get a guy or a girl if we are fat and overweight. What is the solution for this? Yep, you get off of the couch and you go and get that weight loss and six pack body that you have been wanting. You deserve to be skinny and happy at the same time, but you have to put the work in!

6. At Risk for Cancer!
The main reason for weight gain is sugar and consuming sugar at alarming rates. Guess what the main fuel for cancer is? Yep, you guessed it, SUGAR! This reason in and of itself should be enough to convince you that you need to lose weight. Cancer cells have been shown to feed on sugar and our fat is made of primarily sugars that are extra. We eat candy and drink soda and we give cancer cells fodder for destroying us! I urge you to lose weight!

7. Less Depression
If you were to lose weight, then you would feel better both about yourself and you would not be depressed anymore. Most of the time the reason we get depressed is because we are not at the place that we want to be body-wise. Stop being so depressed, get up, and join the weight loss community. Get a head start on feeling better about yourself!

8. Save Your Life!
This is the biggest point that I want to make today. COME IN CLOSE, I WANT YOU TO HEAR THIS. If you lose weight and better yourself, it can SAVE YOUR LIFE! The majority of the people in the world think, "I don't need to. I would rather be happier eating my food than be miserable and live longer!" Why would you think this? Weight loss people have good things to eat too. Losing weight can potentially add 20 years onto your lives!

I would like to ask you guys to please share these points for weight loss with your family and friends. It is crucial that everyone knows about these. We need to have a weight loss revolution and get obese and overweight people on board! Save a life, share this post with someone you care about! Take into consideration these points yourself if you are skeptical about weight loss. I hope that I have convinced you that you need to participate in weight loss,even if you only have a few pounds to lose.

Cheers!

~Obesity Overload

10 Habits to Stop Doing While Dieting

In today's world, its hard to keep the weight off. What, with the fried foods, sweets, and comfort foods. We all have habits that are detrimental to our weight loss and diets. I'm always amazed at how when we stop making the mistakes of bad habits, we keep going on our weight loss with no problems. If you're not sure if you make bad habits in your weight loss or diet, check these ten out and see if you are. I would encourage you to read this post and have these ten help you guys in your weight loss and dieting!

1. Going to Bed Late
Stop going to bed late. When we go to bed late, we find our metabolism slowing down because there is no energy to feed the furnace. When you go to bed early, your body responds better to rest and allows you to be more efficient in your weight loss.

2. Eating after 8
Eating after 8:00 at night is something that we must change in order for our bodies to be able to lose weight. When we eat late night snacks, our body shuts down and our body stops burning fats and foods at night. The fat, in turn, stores straight to our fat stores.

3. Eating Sweets
When it comes to eating sweets, our body immediately wants to store the sugar as fat. The sugar is harder to burn, and our bodies find it sufficient to store it as fat. Cookies, pie, candy, and soda is all considered sweets and are horrible for weight loss and our diets.

4. Eating Constantly
This habit may be one of the most obvious of them all. We often don't think of ourselves as eating all the time, but those of us that have huge fat stores are normally eating all of the time. We have to stop eating all the time, and we have to find something else to fill our time that we normally use making food and eating.

5. Being Lazy
This habit is something that we don't consider. We all have busy lives that make it easy to be busy. What I mean by being lazy is the fact that when we are not working, we are sitting down on the couch for long amounts of time. If we go for a run in the middle of an afternoon instead of sitting on the couch and eating, then we save ourselves the calories, and we can gain more positive energy. We need to quit being so lazy and get up and go.

6. Consuming Empty Foods
Consuming empty foods can be explained as eating foods that don't fill you up. Fast foods are empty foods that you can eat a ton of, but they don't fill you up. Junk foods are empty foods as well. If you eat fruits or vegetables, then you will be filled up, and you can stop eating sooner than later. Stop consuming empty foods.

7. Consuming Fatty Foods
We need to end the habit of consuming fatty foods. Fatty foods contributes to weight gain and we will soon find ourselves in trouble when it comes to weight loss. Consuming bad foods like this will make your diet and weight loss die.

8. Procrastinating
Procrastination is another really bad habit that we do that contributes to our weight gain. Our dieting goes horribly and we can't figure it out. When it comes to working out to burn the fat off, we often procrastinate. We can't keep waiting for our weight loss to happen when we procrastinate and wait for the result. We have to stop procrastinating, and we have to go out and get that weight loss!

9. Waiting Until Lunch to Eat
If you're like I was, you wait until lunch to begin eating. We sometimes wait until lunch to eat our first snack or meal. To get your metabolism going, we need to stop waiting until lunch to eat, and we need to eat breakfast to begin the explosive weight burning furnace with something to eat in the morning.

10. Following the Fads
How many of you guys follow the fads and the latest diet just hoping that it gives you the drive and the push to lose that weight that you guys so passionately want to lose? Many of us follow the fads and the latest technology when it comes to diets and weight loss and we spend so much money all to no avail. Stop following the fads and trust the, "burn more calories than you consume" concept that has worked for many decades.

If you are like me, you were convicted by these bad habits and are convinced that you need to stop making these mistakes. Really, they do you no good when it comes to weight loss, and they really begin to kill your weight loss and diet. I strongly urge you to take the steps to stop making these mistakes and to start instilling good habits in your weight loss and diets. Please share this blog post and tell your friends about it!

~Obesity Overload

New Year's Resolutions, Finish STRONG!

Have you ever made a New Year's resolution only to break it later and feel bad about it? You are not alone! We all have done this at one point in our lives. The point that we need to remember is the fact that we have over two months to get a huge chunk of those resolutions accomplished. We can do it, you and I. We just need to push a little harder. We might not be able to fully accomplish these resolutions, but we can and will be able to accomplish something in the mean time. How can we accomplish and achieve these resolutions? Let's get started!

1. Rewind

The first step that we need to take in order to recover our New Year's resolutions is to rewind back to the time when we first made the resolution. We need to go to that time when we first thought to make the resolution. Why were you going to make it? What made you think to make it? And, what were your goals when you were going to make the resolution? Were you drinking beer by the tonnage during a New Year's party? If so, you may want to think about how applicable your resolution was.

2. Rethink

The second step has already been touched on. Rethink your resolution and what it is that you resolved to do. If you were looking at a famous weight loss guru such as Shaun T and thought, "I'm going to resolve to look like that," then you may want to rethink your choice of resolution. Resolve to lose ten pounds before the year is out. You may be able to attain that resolution quicker and within a short amount of time.

3. Resolve

Resolve to do what you want to resolve to do. If you don't accomplish your resolution, then you may feel like you're a failure. You're not going to want to make a resolution next year if you don't accomplish it. Attaining your resolution is like keeping your promise to yourself. If you don't it's like you're lying to yourself. No one likes to be lied to. If you make a smaller resolution, then you can actually accomplish it. Go!

"If you make a smaller resolution, then you can actually accomplish it. Go!" [Click to tweet!]

Tips for Weight Loss during the Holidays!

1. Less Sugar

Eating less sugar will ensure that you will lose more weight quicker than you normally would. You don't have to cut out sugar altogether, but just cut it back.

2. Morning Jog

Instead of going to the office or your job and sitting there with a slow metabolism, go for a jog and get your metabolism going early to help your weight loss. You will find as well that you will have greater energy in your day, even when we fall back an hour. 

3. Watch What You Eat

Most of the time we don't pay attention to what we are eating. If we watch what we are eating and consciously eat less and better foods, then we can lose weight during the holidays.

4. New Exercises!

Take up a new exercise or exercise set, then you can have a greater impact on your weight loss because you keep your mind interested in what you are doing. Take up golfing and walk the whole course, or take up playing a new sport.

5. Alternatives to Old Habits

Find new alternatives to your old habits. If you know that there is going to be candy in your office, then take a sweet granola bar with you to have an alternative. If you know that your mom is going to bring a sweet pie to thanksgiving dinner, then make something that is better for you.

We have looked at our New Year's resolutions and some ways to help you guys get started! I hope that you guys get going on your resolution and accomplish them. They are really important to life and help when you can get something done. Grab the bull by the horns and get going. If you guys need help with making your resolution, then check out this link. CLICK HERE! Here is another one! CLICK HERE FOR ANOTHER LINK!

Enjoy!

~Obesity Overload

Fast Food...Worst Food for Your Weight Loss!

Have you ever suspected that there was something weird about fast food? I mean, you have all of these food items, they don't cost all that much to buy, and you seem to feel really bad after eating it. Why then do we keep eating it? Its easier to get a couple of cheap burgers and go home after a long day at the office, its cheap, its quicker than most fast food restaurants, you don't have to talk to anyone, they smile at you, and you think it's all good. We are going to talk about why fast food is the worst food for your weight loss. It is crucial that we, "know our enemy" before we can, "beat our enemy!" Let's get started and really dig in!

1. Fat Content
Let's begin with talking about the fat content that we deal with in fast food. Most fast food is deep fat fried, like the french fries and chicken nuggets, and the mozzarella sticks that we enjoy. There is fast seeping out of and running off of the food that we consume on a regular basis. My mom used to joke that we would go and get our share of grease for the day. Fat is killing more people than the ebola crisis that we are dealing with in the world. People are diagnosed with diseases related to being overweight and for having too much fat on our bodies. Before we take a shock at finding that the ebola virus is out there, let's first remember that we are dying from eating fat every single day!

2. Salt Content
Salt content is not nearly as bad as the fat content, but it certainly contributes to the way our bodies feel after eating it. The salt content is through the roof because there are less preservatives in fast food and they need the food to stay fresh for a long time. The shelf time needs to be a lot because they never stop making fast food by the ton. They know that they will eventually sell the one's that they made two hours ago, and then they will move on. Quite often when I go to fast food restaurants my food is cold when I get it and I realize that I'm eating exactly what I paid for, a dollar sandwich and it's worth no more than about twenty five or fifty cents. The fries at most fast food restaurants aren't even edible because there is so much salt.

3. No Protein 
My brother did a test in his chemistry class and they were studying proteins and how proteins react to certain chemicals. They decided to test a famous meal from a certain fast food restaurant and the sandwich contained almost zero physical evidence that it even contained protein at all. The funny part was that the packaging that the sandwich came in said that it contained ten grams of protein per sandwich. There were no signs of protein anywhere! If your somebody that works out and then goes out to get a chicken sandwich somewhere, be aware that what you're eating isn't chicken!

4. Cheap Food
If you're like me, then you hate spending money at fast food restaurants. I mean, who wants to spend five or six bucks for a sandwich that is bad for you anyways? I don't! The problem is, is that the cheaper you go in price, the worse off the food is for you. Fast food restaurants make and prepare their food for pennies on the dollar. I used to think, "Oh, its only a dollar, I'm going to get three!" Until I was sitting there one day and my friend that worked for a fast food restaurant said, "You realize that you get what you pay for, right?" I thought to myself, "So that's why the cheaper food tastes worse and is worse for you!" It was all beginning to make sense in my mind.

5. Not Fresh
The last point I have to make today is that the food isn't fresh. I was in a local fast food restaurant a few days ago and the flies were the worst that they have ever been in there. Flies were running rampant all over everything. It was one of the most unsanitary situations that I've ever been in. I mean, a person can only take so much. The food wasn't fresh, it was cold, and it tasted terrible. I was so disgusted that I have not been back into that fast food restaurant since then. With so many flies flying around, you have to know that your fries are now flies, and that your sandwich is now a flywich. I have heard of stories of people finding bugs in their food from fast food restaurants. It is no wonder!

I was very happy to write this blog post as I feel passionate about telling people about the hidden dangers of fast food restaurants. I would suggest taking your money to the store, getting some fruits and vegetables, having a nice glass of wine if you would like and sit down and have a sandwich. Avoid the cheap and bad food that is coming from these fast food restaurants. There are sit down restaurants that have great tasting food that is good for you. You just have to look around and find them! Remember, fast food does not contribute to weight loss, but weight gain!

~Obesity Overload