Why are women so afraid to lift weights?

I've seen and met so many women that just do cardio at the gym day in and day out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against cardio by ANY means...I love it. I do it, I teach it, I get a high from it. However, many women are missing out on a little calorie burning secret I like to call weight lifting/training!

Did you know that for every pound of muscle you gain your body burns an additional 50 calories just to maintain that muscle? Now lets just say you gain 6 lbs of muscle..That's a whopping 300 calories your body has to burn a day to maintain that muscle. Amazing huh?

There have been many books, magazines and talk shows I've read and listened to lately and they are all encouraging women to lift. People say that men burn calories a lot faster and easier than some women...Why is this?Hmm...Lets think here for a minute...What do men do when they go to the gym?OH, that's right--->they lift weights!It is a fact that the more muscle mass you have the more calories your body has to burn.

In a recent study, researchers found that regular weight training boosts basal metabolic rate by about 15%. This is because muscle is ‘metabolically active’ and burns more calories than other body tissue even when you’re not moving.

Burn calories while you sleep - I like!!!

Granted you will have to intake more calories just make sure they are whole foods not crap food. I noticed when I lift I am hungry!!SO hungry------
Protein will help!!Your body uses protein to build muscle, and as such you want to make sure you can consume enough protein for your body to use. Generally, 1 gram per pound of body weight is a good number. I love Protein shakes!

Your body needs food after workouts to rebuild itself - Protein comes in handy because it is fast absorbing (esp. whey protein). Some women think protein will make you fat-Ha ha. FALSE. I have to laugh because your body needs protein people! As long as you don't load your protein shakes with sugar & fat then chances are you wont get fat from them.

Here are my favorite post-workout protein shakes:
1- Chocolate Peanut Butter - (By Sam Swenson, my husband :))
*1/2-1 cup of skim milk
*2 scoops of choc. protein
*1 Banana
*3/4 cups of ice
*2 tablespoons flaxseed
*1 scoop of all natural organic peanut butter
Yum!!

2-Berry Smoothie (by Jillian Michaels)- this will keep you full ALL morning & give you tons of energy!
*1 cup fat-free milk
*2 scoops vanilla or choc. protein (if making a smoothie - don't add protein)
*1 cup plain Greek yogurt
*1.5 cups froz. blueberries
*1.5 cups froz. strawberries
*3/4 cup ice
*2 tablespoons flaxseed
*1/4 cup applesauce
*1 tablespoon honey

Now I'm not an expert but it is my hope that this post may have changed some women's minds about weight lifting/training. There are also many women afraid of getting too buff or bulky.. You don't need to be afraid!This all depends on how much you are lifting and how often. You can maintain a certain muscle mass and not go up if you don't want to. The beauty of it all is that you get to choose :) When in doubt, lift!You will burn more calories, tone up & I promise you will love the way you look and feel.

More to come ---> Natalie