Always know what's on your food

Eggs: concerns linking them to dietary cholesterol are a bit over exaggerated, so you can probably eat more eggs than you think. You gonna  be having 6-7 grams of protein in one large size egg(70 calories, fat:5g, carbs:1g, protein 6g) and guess what, egg yolk contains  9  essential amino acids. Amino acids are considered the fundamental building blocks of our tissues and the singular component of protein (check the link on the right side of the page to learn  more about amino acids)

Oatmeal: the perfect complex carbohydrates that you can have before training. It gives you a large amount of energy for an intense workout. In 100 grams(68 calories, fat:1.4g, carbs:12g, protein:2.4g)

Plain greek yogurt(zero fat):  a good source of  protein, in 100 grams(fat:0.4g, carbs:3.6g, protein:10g), and a great post workout food especially when mixed with 2Tbs of honey and a scoop of whey protein. Greek yogurt is a natural alternative for supplement vitamin B12, it's also packed with probiotics and high in potassium  (check the  link on the right side of the page to learn more about probiotics)

Banana: the best fruit to be consumed after a workout, With 400mg of potassium and 25grams of carbs nothing can beat that as a recovery food after an intense workout

Almond:  don't have chocolate for a snack between meals, have a hand full of almonds instead. Scientific researches have shown that consuming 40 grams(230 calories, fat:19.6g, carbs:8.8g, protein:8.8g) of almonds on a regular basis  may reduce you're bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and lower the risk of heart related diseases.

No offense body builders

I don't want to get bigger muscles and look like those body builders, I just want to get defined and toned muscles... So do I really need weight training in order to get that??  If you have never asked this question to your trainer you probably have had thought about it......I can tell you one thing, getting bigger muscles is a full time job so you are not gonna look like a body builder because of weight training...

What is weight training anyway? It's a type of resistance training which is any exercise that causes the muscle to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, or/and endurance.....so weight training is that "external resistance" which can be performed using free weights like dumbbells and bars, bodyweight exercises like push ups and/or weight machines....

So if you just hit 30 or if you are already over 30 years old and you've never done any weight training then you better start doing it or any other type of resistance training....here are five age-related benefits of resistance training:

1-Triggers a temporary boost in the hormone testosterone, a hormone necessary to protect bones and maintain muscle mass. Aging and high stress levels may lower testosterone levels in both men and women.

2-Supports a healthy heart muscle and helps lower risk of all heart and health-related diseases. Heart disease remains the number one disease that results in early death.

3-Reduces the stress response that is responsible for the weight gain around the belly; boosts level s of "happy" endorphins and hormones that improve mood and general wellbeing.

4-Preserves lean muscle tissue which is the key to: managing metabolism and body weight, promoting tissue repair and  serving as building blocks for the hormones that help regulate your biochemistry.

5-Helps to preserve immune health which weakens naturally with age and environmentally with lifestyle.

For the brave

Almost everybody seem to be convinced that fitness is a life style well, it's if you are a professional bodybuilder, a fitness professional or a world class athlete...for the rest of us the "life style" thing is just another lame excuse not to workout and keep enjoying our beer, cheeseburgers, and pizzas....

If you are willing to get into shape, no matter what you do for a living, don't let the "life style" thing get in your way......I'm not asking you to train 20 hours a week, count your calories or weight your food; all you need to do is train hard and eat healthy....How would you do that? first, dedicate 45 minutes of your day to workout at the gym or at your living room, it really doesnt matter where as long as your giving it your best and taking short breaks...second, open your fridge throw out all the junk and processed food then fill it up with vegetables, fruits, fish and chicken...third, replace your white rice with brown rice, your white pasta with brown pasta and your white bread with multigrain bread (check the link on the right side of the page to know why you need to do that )  ... last, cut down on your alcohol consumption, drink plenty of water and eat 3-5 small portion meals a day....

I can hear what you're thinking!! you're saying: that's easier said than done! Well I've never said that it was gonna be easy, it's actually hard but all it takes is strength and will power...that's why it's for the brave...so are you up to the challenge!!!!

The side effect

People set different goals when it comes to training. Some wanna lose weight, some wanna gain muscle mass, some wanna get their muscles toned, some wanna maintain their fitness level, and so on...as a matter of fact only few of them wanna get into shape...by "getting into shape" I mean getting into a healthy mental and physical state, where you'll be more focus and productive at work and where you can go up and down the stairs, if the elevator is out of order, without losing your breath or where you can carry your grocery bags without pinching your lower back...

If your goal is to be happy, healthy and prosperous in life then be one of those who wanna get into shape when it comes to training...trust me you won't be happy and healthy by gaining muscle mass while getting all messed up in the head during the process...at the same time you won't be happy and healthy by losing the extra weight while getting your immune system weak and fragile...

Bottom line, if you wanna improve your well-being then you gonna have to adjust your training goal to "getting into shape". Do so, and in no time you'll find out that gaining the muscle mass, losing the extra weight, toning the muscles or maintaining the fitness level will be just a "side effect" of your hard work at the gym, determination, dedication, commitment, and healthy eating habits.