Tag: fat burners

8 weeks out updates

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn Clean Recipes, Competitor secrets, Flexible Dieting, Health and fitness information, IIFYM, macro counting, shop it up, Supplements

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Almost..8 weeks out.
I use my blog to show benchmarks in my training/progress. I don’t send pics to coaches  since I’m self coached but I still do weekly pics.  I have been busting my booty this week. I ‘almost’ had a cold but found my way out of that so that’s good.
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This is 11 weeks and 8 weeks out. I’m feeling good. Umm.. a zillion miles to go though!

One thing I’m noticing is my recovery time is not super fast. I am not going to say it’s being 50,  but I’m trying to be mindful of that. I am still busting it so hard but as of yet haven’t resorted to endless  time on the cardio equipment daily.  I get some in and will be adding more, but my airdyne bike is keeping me on point.
In my studio, I have a lot of my team cutting for weddings, shows and just because it’s time!  The workouts we are doing are on point to keep us progressing to the end.

Cold: Immune system: abby
I am using thieves oil every single day.  The product I use is DoTerra On guard.  I was feeling terrible
and started a gargle swish thing with a few drops of this. My cold was gone in 1 day. You can use it for
so much but I am determined to stay well this prep.  You can search Pinterest for more on OnGuard
You can get it here from my guru friend, Abby
Remember the other blog post about colds and flu??

New product:
gnc
I LOVE this product.  I am using this as a thermagenic (fat burner) and my creatine. This product has
Dandelion root for water retention.  I feel really good on this one.  You have to drink it before, during and after your workouts. I do 2 scoops for 5g creatine.  It does have CLA so I’m pulling my Abcuts. Be sure to count  5g of fat for this product.   I just supplement around this with my others to meet my needs.

It’s a weird grainy texture. You might not like it but I got used to is after the first day.
I don’t work for GNC. They don’t give me anything. They have a return policy though…

Changes:
I’m not changing macros just yet because what I’m doing is working. My goal is to keep as much food as I can for as long as I can.  I’m using a little more egg white this week to switch it up. Lots of pancakes, mug cakes.

Last night I had a boat load of macros to eat so I ate this
cookie
I modified the hell out of this recipe. No agave. The base of this is
Chick peas. I used peanut butter with no sugar added. I counted
out sixteen 60% cacao unsweetened  chips for the recipe.
The recipe also  has coconut flour, protein powder, and  almond milk.  I loved it.
I hit my macros and everything on this was squeaky clean!!

The rest of my day was perfect. Veggies, lean protein  whole foods.

I’ve been ending my days with a little too many macros left over so I’m trying really hard
this week to go to bed with only protein left.  I feel better. I think I sleep better.

Being on Bro-preps with M6 as egg whites or chicken  was tough.  Now, I try to have
some great food during the day so I don’t mind the egg white pancake as my last.

I’m sure some Negative Nancy- Mr. Boss Around  will fly in here and debate that meal timing does or doesn’t matter and there’s probably some material to back that up. Don’t care.. If it bothers me, it bothers me.
Some of my clients tell me, it matters or it doesn’t matter.  My meal timing is now intuitive on this cut.  Too many carbs before sleep bothers me.   I go to bed at 7pm. lol

Except for pre-post workout, my ish is tight! I eat with purpose!

Here’s a picture of my kitty, Tatu Baby. She’s my smushy!
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Enjoy your day!

Fat Burners: Should I use them?

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn Bikini competitor secrets, Competitor secrets, Health and fitness information, Supplements

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One of my competitors asked me about Fat Burners/ Thermagenics today. I wanted to share my experience and maybe it will help you in your decision making for purchases.

Edit: This is a running blog post of what I used each year so it is updated.

First: Stop  buying into the hype! If you see it on IG and it’s MAGIC.. whatever. Understand that supplements don’t solve problems when you eat like crap.  Ok.. here you go.

Dr. Oz gets a check. #truth
Dr. Oz gets a check. #truth

Fat burners/ Thermagenics  can be Stimulant based (caffeine) and non stimulant based. Some of them are “the MOTHER of all FATBURNERS” aggressive and containing derivatives of banned products so beware! I had one Sup guy tell me my Preworkout had Adderall in it.  It had “amperall” which is like a molecule off from Adderall. It was crazy.  Anyway.. you can find some beastly products but is it what you need?  Most people ask about things  like “Green Tea” or Raspberry Ketones, or anything from DR. Oz and other Multi level marketing companies.

For our clients I recommend supplement stores and I suggest you go where the product can be returned if you have an issue.  Be mindful of advertising on things DR. Oz recommends. He gets a check, remember? Many of those green tea fat burners have to build up in your system. I think you could just drink some Green Tea and get on with your life.

You can search my blog for more info on Fat burners, but I want to just share what I’ve personally used.

Fat burners in prep:
Prep is the best possible scenario for Thermagenics. Hopefully, you are eating your best,  and training hard.

The planets have aligned so if you use them, you may see changes. If you are doing  the drive thru expecting a fat burner to ‘block’ all the fat, or save you from your binges.. skip it.

ACK
My first coach on Las Vegas Bikini Team had me on Roxy Lean which is a she beast. That one gave me panic attacks but it did work. I can’t do my family like that so for me, that’s a no go. The cycle with Roxy is 30 days on and then the OxyElite pro so you switch them every 30 days.  You need to cycle off fat burners so don’t get comfy with one. It stops working when you get used to it. Don’t be the girl who stops eating either. I’m not here to condone disordered eating. No way!

Yep
I took Epiq-Shred for one of my shows. I liked it. No stimulant. It’s from GNC.

In 2014 I took Hydroxy-cut SX7 and think it was ok too. It was the non- stim one. Honestly, for me, I think it probably helped me more mentally to have an edge. I’m not entirely sure. In prep, I will do everything I can because that’s what my brain tells me to do.  I got that one at GNC. Of course they have new and improved ones all the time. Go where you can return them if you need to! When you ask about them, remember at GNC they have contests to sell products. Each month it’s a different push. So dig deep and ask them which ones get returned less. Read reviews.  Not picking on them, but do your homework.
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CLA
I do take CLA ,which will give you 5g fat in your macros but it’s very helpful in flushing belly fat. CLA is NOT a fat burner. It is Omegas. We would need our omegas anyway. Again.. not a fat burner.

The one I buy is Abcuts from Walgreens Or you can get the Abcuts Dreamweaver to help you sleep. Abcuts has some super fancy pants products so you can spend a lot or get the basics. Order online or GNC stocks them.

Or.. you can buy straight CLA.
I like Abcuts product and I did see a result. You will  pee your guts out!
Oh.. you have to drink water like crazy on CLA but, we already drink all the water anyway..
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This is only 7 days on my plan. I used Ab Cuts, 1 gallon of spring water every day, some very good food and worked out like a boss.  I do not get a check form GNC, abcuts. I’m just sayin…

2015

I didn’t do a fat burner. I tried a few expensive ones in my last 5 or six weeks but they made me have panic attacks. I ended up not using a fat burner at all.

These were the ones I  have tried this one from GNC and it nearly put me in the hospital. You might do ok on this one though. It’s intense.
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This one is ‘timed release’ and I’m told, it’s a competitor favorite. This is one of those aggressive ones!!
GNC has a whole page on Hardcore thermogenics now. Just putting that out there.

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2016 I went for  Garcinia Sx7.  I had purchased and returned Hydroxycut Black and it gave me terrible panic attacks.  I was more interested in this product for the appetite suppressant.  Honestly, I kind of half assed this fat burner this year. I was hungry in prep which is normal so it did help but I wasn’t taking it every single day.

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2017 I’m going with this 213 complex from Supplement Superstore.
You can learn more about this product here
This one has the night time and thyroid formula.  I had a great talk with the guys at
Supplement Superstore about why this one is a good fit for me.

Bottom line: It’s personal choice and if your coach wants you to.. Some competitors never use them. The ones I posted here are safe for natural body building.

Lifestyle weight loss,  you have to be smart. If you aren’t 100 percent on point with your program, then save your money.
Buy workout tights with the 100 dollars you save from not buying fat burners!

Supplement 101: Let’s learn the basics

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn Bikini Contest Prep, Health and fitness information, Supplements2 Comments

Today I want to take a moment to demystify supplementation and it’s place in fitness weight loss.
The first thing I want to say is

Supplements are for supplementation. They are NOT the solution to your problems.
I do not believe in starting my clients on any supplements until we have gotten their food worked out.
Don’t waste your money on magic pills when you haven’t put down the fast food.
You cannot out train a bad diet and you cannot out supplement one either.

But…

Dr. Oz gets a check. #truth
Dr. Oz gets a check. #truth

Stop listening to Dr. Oz
Now, I realize that Dr. Oz is a popular guy and while I believe he knows a lot and he’s got a friendly face, I don’t think he really embraces
a brand new fat loss cure every single day of the week. There cannot be that many cures or we’d all be cured from belly fat.
Dr. Oz gets a check. So does Jillian Michaels. Uh-oh! I’m in trouble now. I’ve said something negative about the ‘World’s Toughest Trainer’.
*eye roll*

Supplementation products are terrific in theory. You can wander into Target, Walgreens or GNC and find products that promise you everything
you want. I want you to stop for a second and drink this in. If a product has a famous face on it, it is called a “licensed” product. That means the
celebrity that is ‘endorsing’ it got a check. Many times the product ends up being very kitchen sink-y. The product might have more fillers or less
quality ingredients because the company has to pay for the licensing rights.

So.. walk past those products. A personal side note.. please never give the Kardashian family a dime for any fitness related products. *shakes head* Jillian I get.

So where shall I go?
Return policy is #1
I live in St. Louis and the two competing entities in our area are GNC and Supplement Super Store.
I really like them both, but I recommend GNC for my clients for one solid reason. The return policy is great at GNC. There is no ‘official’
return policy at SS2. Quality products are an investment so if you find a product that doesn’t suit your system or you don’t care for, you need the opportunity to get it right. This is absolutely not an indictment of stores that don’t have a return policy. I have had clients who have reactions to high quality products and it’s hard to let go of 75 dollars for whey protein you can’t use. Begin your search in a store that has a return policy.

But I want some supplements because it’s January and I’m on a diet.
January is awesome. You feel all energized and ready to go. Supplements are deeply discounted for this reason. So I’m trusting that you have
your meal plans in order. I also trust that you are not going to be falling for the cardio only workout of weight loss. So if you are solid and ready to get started some supplements, alright!

Do you take a multi?
Take a multivitamin every day. I use GNC Active Multi. Love it. But I’m happy if you are on a One A Day.

Fish oil/Omega 3: Let’s do that too. Got mine at Target for 6 dollars. Fish oil is terrific for making your arteries slick and it also aids in weight loss.
It is believed that omega 3 oil improves the flow of blood to the muscles during exercise and helps to stimulate enzymes which transport fat to where it can be used up for energy. You can get Omega 3 in super foods like Flax oil or Flax seeds as well.

Vitamin C 1000mg daily: Recent studies show that vitamin C helps in weight loss and lowering body fat. It’s also important to note that many fat loss programs have less fruit due to the sugar content. Take your C everyday.

Calcium with D: For your bones. You already knew that! Don’t get any chews of any kind. They have corn syrup. Well.. that’s not helping the weight loss!!!

I want weight loss supplements

Do NOT buy fad diet items like HGC, that promise rapid weight loss. You are risking metabolic damage. I will never condone anything other than solid meal plans, proper workouts and lifestyle changes. However, unless you are prepared, you ‘could’ walk out having spent a small fortune. You are doing your homework so now you know.

Fat Burners
There are two types of Fat Burners:
Stimulants (Stim) and Non Stimulant.
If you can take caffeine you ‘might’ do ok on a Stimulant. Fat burners are NOT made to allow you to eat whatever you want.
They raise your metabolism slightly and some have ingredients that stabilize your insulin. Extreme fat burners might have the Geranium oil and use tag lines like the ‘meanest and cruelest’ fat burners on the market. You may really like the idea of sitting on the couch and losing 5 pounds, or sweating like crazy while at your desk, the risks are real. I used a Stim fat burner and had terrible panic attacks. If you are on medications, be wary also. Mixing extreme fat burners if you are on anti-depressants or other mood altering pharms might not be a good idea. Do your research!!

Non-Stimulant Fat burners use ingredients like Green Tea, Raspberry Keto to rev the metabolism. Be wary, they take a while to get into your system and work.
You can certainly drink green tea as a natural fat burner if you prefer.

I used:
The Non-stim fat burner I used before my last show was Epiq Shred from GNC. I had great results with it taking just one capsule a day.

Do not purchase a fat burner that has an appetite suppressant. You must eat to lose weight. If you are not eating you are burning muscle. Your weight loss will be temporary and you will gain even more weight. Don’t be that girl!

In my next blog post, I will explain my fat burner stack.