Fit Yummy Mummy Blog – Post Pregnancy Weight Loss – Flat Tummy Workout

Be sure to add this exercise to your bag of Tummy Tightening Tricks to help you “tighten” and “tone” your tummy for the Holidays!

All you need is a stability ball!

As always, consult with your Dr before beginning a new workout or exercise routine.

Get ready to work super hard by not even Moving!

The Stability Ball Plank is a static exercise (contract and hold) that will challenge all the muscles that wrap around your core, build endurance as well as strengthen your deep abdominal muscles (transversus abdominis) and the muscles in your lower back. When you strengthen your core, you improve your posture, gain greater balance and stability and help to flatten your tummy.

Your goal – hold for 30-60 seconds!

Get the most out of the plank by..

~ Lifting your upper body OFF the ball
~ Drawing your belly button in, as if pulling toward your spine – this ensures you have engaged your deepest core muscles but you are still able to breathe!
~ Check the alignment of your hips… make sure your butt is not in the air nor do your hips sag too low. Your body should form a straight line from head to toe.

Are You Shaking?

This is normal. Your body may begin to shake after a few seconds of holding the plank position. This is simply due to a lack of coordination and strength in your core muscles.

In this case, start off with shorter intervals – holding for 5 secs at a time. As you progress, within a couple weeks you’ll notice significant improvement in your ability to hold this position for a longer period of time without shaking!





Need help? If you are not ready for the Stability Ball Plank – just practice the regular plank on a mat.



Just to clarify – no amount of “ab exercises” will burn the fat off your belly. This thinking is tied to the myth of spot reduction. Fat loss is a total body process. When you workout in ways that boost your metabolism using Full Body Resistance Training Moves you will begin to lose more inches, look more defined and toned plus have an abundant amount of energy – all in minutes a day!

Even Faster Flat Tummy Results can be achieved when you cut out processed foods and sugar!



Order your DVDs Now!

>>> www.FYMWorkouts.com

As the 12 Week Transformation Challenge draws to a close – just one more week remains and the Fit Yummy Mummy’s are reaching their belly fat loss and body shaping goals as updates are posted in the Forums! Many women are thrilled with the fact that they look better NOW than before they had children! Here’s the latest: Just 4 weeks ago, new mom Annik shared how she lost her post pregnancy belly fat in her 4 Week Flat Tummy Results blog post. It was just the start of week 5 for Annik as she shared her ultimate goal of getting back into her skiing pants. “I’m getting closer to my goal every day now! I have a pair of skiing pants I never thought I’d wear again… But now, See Annik’s Plan to Lose her Post Pregnancy Belly Fat

Not only has Yvette- our Summer Transformation Challenge Grand prize Winner – made a significant difference just 4 weeks into the New Year’s Challenge ….it is amazing to see how far she has come in 6 months! She simply continues to be an inspiration to moms everywhere that as a mom of a 2 year old, Yvette is proof that YES you CAN flatten your mommy belly AND Get Your Body Back! 4 Week New Year’s Challenge Results:

6 Month Results “I was so far from who I wanted to be and what I wanted to look like.”

Alcohol ~ it serves many roles. It is a common staple during the holidays! Regardless of your reasons for drinking, you need to be aware of the bottom line fact that alcohol may interfere with your fat loss goals. So How Much IS okay? Check this out… ~~~~~~ Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 Those who choose to drink alcoholic beverages should do so sensibly and in moderation-defined as the consumption of up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. ~~~~~~ Here’s the whole “In Moderation” approach again! So every day is considered moderation? Now these guidelines were not written with fat loss goals in mind – just general weight loss. Also suggested “health benefits” aside – when Fat Loss is your goal – drinking alcohol on a daily basis will make the path to results quite difficult. Why alcohol calories are more important than you think: 1.“One to two” drinks a day can really add up. And I do say “one to two” in quotes, for if we struggle with the honesty of proper portion sizes with the foods we eat this most certainly carries over to the beverages we consume – alcoholic or not. Successful fat loss begins with burning slightly more calories than you take in. Part of the Fit Yummy Mummy supportive nutrition plan covers the fact that you may decide to choose one to two low-calorie alcoholic drinks…and in doing so, you’ll have to account for the calories. Take this example: Drinking 2 (12 ounce) beers will supply an extra ~300 calories a day. ~ 2100 extra calories a week. ~ Multiply that out for a year and you have 109,200 extra calories! That’s potentially 31.2 pounds of fat in a year. YIKES! Well what if you DO account for those calories – making nutritional and exercise choices that allow for this additional calorie intake so it does not ADD up like this? You are STILL not in the clear…. 2. Alcohol calories are still EMPTY calories. Alcohol has virtually no nutritional value – and some negative value in more ways than one. Choosing alcoholic drinks means you are pushing out important vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, fiber and other essential nutrients. 3. Alcohol is processed in your body much differently than the other calories you consume. We all know the infamous term “beer belly”. Our initial belief is that it is caused by excess alcohol calories being stored as fat. But get this…. less than 5% of the alcohol calories you drink are turned into fat. Rather, the main effect of alcohol is that it reduces the amount of fat your body burns for energy. Alcohol Inhibits Fat Burning! When alcohol is consumed it is quickly absorbed into the blood and heads straight for the liver. In the liver alcohol is converted to acetaldehyde which in turn is quickly converted to acetate. To a certain extent, the source of fuel your body uses is dictated by its availability. Your body tends to use whatever you feed it. Instead of getting stored as fat, alcohol is converted into acetate and the blood levels of acetate after drinking are 2.5 times higher than normal. Consequently, when acetate levels rise, your body simply burns more acetate, and less fat. Alcohol puts a barrier between you and your fat loss goals. Your body will burn the acetate you are creating first and foremost, placing fat burning on hold. 4. Alcohol Hinders Muscle Growth You all know Muscle is your Metabolism. Well consumption of alcohol places your body in a dehydrated state. Hydration of muscle cells is important when trying to increase your lean muscle. Water is also a very important part of many bodily processes. Being dehydrated can seriously hinder your overall performance. 5. Alcohol Induced Cravings Evidence suggests drinking alcoholic beverages may stimulate your appetite and cause you to eat more than you normally would. It decreases your inhibitions so you care less about how much you are eating. Alcohol Facts that May Surprise You • Alcohol is not a carbohydrate. • Hard liquor is distilled and thus contains no carbohydrates. The current “Zero Carb” campaign for vodka and whiskey is deceiving and may encourage mindless consumption. • When grapes are made into wine, most of the fruit sugars (carbs) convert to alcohol, but a few carbs remain. A 5-ounce glass of wine typically contains 110 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates, and about 13 grams of alcohol (which accounts for 91 of the calories). A 5-ounce glass of wine supplies roughly the same amount of alcohol and number of calories as a 12-ounce light beer or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits. • Beer contains carbohydrates. The new low-carb beers are not new at all, though this type of beer does indeed have fewer carbs. Low-carb beers are simply the old light beers with a new label and ad campaign. The old Miller Lite has 96 calories and 3.2 grams of carbs in 12 ounces. The “low-carb” Michelob Ultra has 96 calories and 2.6 grams of carbs. Coors Lite has 102 calories and 5 grams of carbs. The differences are tiny—hardly worth mentioning. In contrast, a regular beer has 13 grams of carbs and more calories – 150 calories. Calorie content of popular alcoholic drinks…. Beer (12 oz.) Michelob Ultra: 96 calories Miller Light: 96 Coors Light: 102 Bud Light: 110 Sam Adams: 160 Wine (4 oz.) Red: 70 White: 65 Rose: 65 Liquor (1.5 oz) Rum: 125 (100 proof0 Gin: 125 Vodka: 125 (100 proof) Tequila: 115 Whiskey: 125 (100 proof) Mixers Long Island Iced Tea: 780 calories Margarita: 740 calories Pina Colada: 644 calories White Russian: 425 calories Sex on the Beach: 356 calories Mai Tai: 350 calories Lemon Drop: 223 calories Smirnoff Ice: 230 Jack Daniel’s Hard Cola: 230 Mike’s Hard Lemonade: 225 The purpose of this post is not to tell you that you can never enjoy an alcoholic beverage again. I know I sure enjoy an ice cold Sam Adams, or 2 or 3. Since I began my Fit Yummy Mummy lifestyle – about 4 1/2 years ago – I do not “need” as many, just a couple Sams can be super satisfying. Plus, the taste of each beer is so rich and hearty, so when I say I enjoy it – I truly do. I savor each sip. And Have fun in the process…

This post was designed for those who have inquired about alcohol and the effects on fat loss. If this is you, do allot the time to take inventory to see how much you are drinking and how this may be affecting your results. I believe it is super important to learn how to enjoy alcohol (or any other type of “unsupportive” food or drink) in moderation – which does NOT mean Every Day – so you don’t end up sabotaging your efforts for results. Over the years I have come to respect alcohol and now recognize that it is not something I “NEED” but something to be enjoyed on occasion. Final piece of advice – After the holidays….go through a trial of no alcohol for a certain period of time or plan out and choose to have only 1-2 drinks a week for 4-6 weeks to see if it helps with your fat loss efforts. Give it a go and be sure to share your results!
PS: Just a reminder that Todd’s “How to Get Six Pack Abs” program takes you through a step by step process to detox your body after drinking and STILL be able to Burn Fat. This guy knows his stuff! Check it out => How to Get Six Pack Abs Friday is the last day to get his mega Holiday Specials!

How about some effective, Tummy Flattening Exercise videos to get you looking your best this Holiday Season! Well I had a chat with my buddy and Men’s Fitness insider, Todd Scott, this morning about the fact that his holiday special for the complete “How To Get 6 Pack Abs“ guide is missing some of my favorite flat tummy exercises. Since Todd’s running an amazing holiday special through Friday, Dec. 12th ~ Holiday Abs Mega Bonus ~I thought I would not only show you some of my favorite ab exercises, but that I’d also offer you the opportunity to receive my very own Fit Yummy Mummy Flat Tummy Workout Guide – a system I personally incorporate into my workouts for fab results. Check out my video to see what a difference having the right program can make along with 3 of my faves! Yep, I even included the shot of a photo of my abs to wrap up this video. All you need to do is order your copy of “How to Get 6 Pack Abs” => HERE <= by Friday, December 12th, send me a copy of your receipt to… Holly@FitYummyMummy.com …and I will send you my Fit Yummy Mummy Flat Tummy Guide, a bonus you will not find Anywhere else! I am jamming all the best tips, strategies and my favorite 10 moves… I am doing my best to finish putting this together and will have ready and in your hands by next week…since I just came up with this idea this morning. Check out Todd’s crazy bonus package How to Get 5 Pack Abs and Then Some! He’s even offering a 7 day trial so you can be confident in your decision. Enjoy the video and I look forward to sharing my newest Fit Yummy Mummy Flat Tummy Guide with you! Your Friend and Coach, Holly Rigsby Author of Fit Yummy Mummy PS: Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/HollyRigsby I’ll be sharing more videos and quick tips to help you lose weight over the holidays!

Have you noticed the newest fat loss and diet trend? Blogs that promote the astounding weight loss results of the latest superfood Brazilian berry and cleanse. What was most surprising to me, is the fact that one of the sites is using the before and after photo of a Fit Yummy Mummy testimonial. To avoid threats of a law suit, I have been advised to not share the actual names of the individuals or the website….however, I will show you this.

The before and after belly in these photos is one of our very own Fit Yummy Mummy’s! And yes, she has been part of a scam before…. Facebook Fat Loss Scam This is the Real Woman behind these photos….her name is Maria Simpson – not a name that starts with a J - and she is the amazing mother of 5 children (10, 8, 5, 3, and 1 year old) and lives in Idaho – not a mom of 3, living in Seattle, as claimed in J’s Fat Loss and Diet Story Blogs.

This is the original Before and After Photo….notice how it has been photoshopped in the “diet blog ads” in an attempt to hide the truth.

I am not here to say whether a certain superfood berry or cleansing product is or is not legit. The purpose of this post is to increase your awareness of the faulty claims and fictitious testimonials that are abundant on the internet. Please, just be careful! I’ve notice that especially around the holidays, we are ALL desperate for an easy weight loss solution to just help us get through this chaotic season and not feel uncomfortable and overweight. While the choice is ultimately up to you it is my hope that you will think twice before you decide. How To Spot a Scam No matter how glorified the “program” or “product” appears to be, you can feel confident in turning away if it has one or more of the following traits… * Promises or Guarantees rapid weight loss. Any weight loss of more than 2 pounds per week is too rapid, unsafe, and is highly unlikely to be permanent weight loss. * All you need to do is get the Free Trial Claiming that weight loss is achieved during the Free Trial and all you spend a few dollars for shipping. Read the terms and conditions: Trial period is 15 days….after which you will be billed anywhere from $30 to $90 for a recurring monthly supply of the product. * Promises easy weight loss without exercise or that weight loss can be maintained without lifestyle changes – this means, you do not have to change how you eat, how you move or how you think….and you will still lose?? * Uses miracle super foods or drinks. No food or drink can melt away fat or undo years of overeating and a lack of effective exercise. * It’s basis lies in restricting what you eat. From asking you to consume less than 1,000 calories to asking that you consume only one (or a limited number) of foods – BIG red flag if the foods you are asked not to eat are whole, natural foods – or encourages consuming certain types foods in mass quantities. A sound nutrition plan is one that is balanced and includes a variety of healthful foods. * Your results hinge on the use of unproven weight loss aids such as herbs, appetite suppressants, fat burning supplements, body wraps, pills, cellulite creams, etc. * Sounds too good to be true. We are women. We were born with an innate trait called Intuition. This is that initial gut feeling you have about something….and if it is in any way a negative-not-so-sure feeling…Listen to your gut. Just so everyone is clear – there is no magic bullet, instant cure, or easy way out. True Fat Loss Results are not quick, mindless nor “easy”. Looking to Lose 40+ Pounds? Why not turn to the real women, with real results for advice, guidance and support? Sheri Meierle: 10 Months of Progress!

1st Picture-My Jeans when I started FYM in December. 2nd Picture-My skinny jeans after my first Challenge. 3rd Picture-Me in my skinny jeans that I took yesterday that I bought a month ago are starting to get a little loose, but still fit pretty good! I have removed 40lbs and aprox 20inches!!! ~~~~ Mary Dikeman: 7 Months Progress!

“I lost 36 inches – 9 inches off my mommy belly – and 42 pounds!” Oh and FYI: These results were final as of October…..both of these amazing women have continued to achieve results! Come January, expect to see another set of After photos! You are more than welcome to come and meet them at ClubFYM! Nothing t hide here about who they are and what it takes to get True and Lasting Results! ClubFYM.com Your Friend and Coach, Holly Rigsby author FitYummyMummy.com

Flatter Tummy in the Making! “Ok…..I thought that I would have a flat stomach, thin thighs, and a small tight booty by now. Hmmm, the photos say I have not reached my goal yet… ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~- However: ~ I feel better. ~ I have more energy. ~ My clothes fit better and have gone down a size (from 14 to 12) ~ I am stronger. ~ I can do exercises now that I could not do 6 weeks ago.