What shake actually gives you a beach bod?
Blackout! Nuke! Vandal! If you've ever strayed down the wrong aisle in Dischem with the muscly guys who buy their shirts in the kiddies section, you might have seen some of these products on the shelf. Pre workout, post workout, mass builder, protein shake, meal replacement shake, so many options.
With summer well on its way, (Cape Town is already working half days) the beach bod starts to become a priority, and you might just find yourself chatting to Arno in the neon blast corridor of power!
I've taken some of these in the past, back when my workouts didn't consist of doing burpees to pick up dinosaurs off the floor and wipe the latest mess off the ceiling. Did they help keep me in shape? While there are the odd good ones, most of them are whey protein, flavourants and sweeteners with a hint of vitamins. So no, not really.
So, what actually helps you get the confidence to wear a bikini on Clifton 4th beach?
It's not more exercise. Exercise doesn't make you lose fat! What? I know. Let's do some math:
- We all burn calories all the time, just by being alive, about 1400 a day for women and 1600 a day for men.
- A 30 minute run, might burn 200 calories.
- 1 kilogram of fat, is equivalent to 7 700 calories.
So, to burn 1kg of fat off, you'd need to run for about 19 hours. Or a Comrades marathon and a half. I choose life! So how do you lose weight? Efficiency! Good stuff in at the right amounts and a healthy engine burning it off.
My 3 step process is:
1. Eating a reasonable amount of slow energy foods. Example, nuts instead of chips, biltong instead of donuts, things that don't spike your blood sugar, encouraging your body to store the energy as fat. And not a whole bag, 1kg is not the serving size.
2. Keep your metabolism healthy. Better blood sugar stability, improved liver function, and better hydration. Protein and fats keep you feeling full for longer so you have less cravings, and a healthy digestion absorbs more nutrients so you feel more energetic, and water keeps the blood moving the nutrients to where they need to be and the toxins on their way out.
3. Keep in a good mood. Exercise, sleep and sun. This is where exercise IS important. The best anti-depressant is a good walk. Good sleep is absolutely essential for a good mood and building muscle. If you are in a good mood, you don't eat your feelings and binge watch 5 hours of TV a night.
So what am I on about? Well, while The Daily Shake is not a protein shake or meal replacement shake, it can still help keep you trim and fit. For example, it has:
- Inositol which improves insulin sensitivity, which makes you use sugars effectively, prevents fat accumulation and promotes fat breakdown in the liver. It helps regulate appetite and reduce cravings.
- Green tea extract which has been shown to boost metabolism and increase fat burning.
- Grape seed extract which stimulates fat breakdown and helps reduce hunger for more calories.
- L-theanine which promotes relaxation, reduces stress and improves sleep quality, which can help mitigate stress-related eating and cravings.
- L-tyrosine which is involved in the production of thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism. It can increasing energy levels, improve workout performance and metabolic rate, aiding in weight loss.
- Inulin which is a fiber that can promote feelings of fullness, decreasing overall food intake, reducing fat accumulation in the liver and reduce appetite. So I don't do the Mega Blast Nitro Max shakes, but I do have The Daily Shake.
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