Uncategorized Archives - Justine Switalla

Its name makes it sound like a medical condition. But cellulite is nothing more than normal fat beneath the skin. The fat appears bumpy because it pushes against connective tissue, causing the skin above it to pucker.

Cellulite isn’t harmful. Many people, though, would like to get rid of it because of the way it looks.

What Causes Cellulite[highlight_text]

Having cellulite doesn’t mean you are overweight. Even thin people can have it. If you are overweight, however, losing weight may reduce cellulite.

Cellulite is more common among women than men. If other women in your family have cellulite, there’s a good chance you will too.

Other factors that influence how much cellulite you have and how visible it is include:

Poor diet
Fad dieting
Slow metabolism
Lack of physical activity
Hormone changes
Dehydration
Total body fat
Thickness and color of your skin
Cellulite tends to be less noticeable on darker skin. If you have light skin and plan to be out in a bathing suit or short shorts, applying a self-tanner may make the bumps and dimples on your thighs less noticeable.

Cellulite Treatments
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There are many products and treatments that promise to get rid of cellulite on thighs and buttocks. But there is little evidence that shows that many of them work well or for long. Here is what you should know about some of the options:

Cellulite creams. These creams aresaid to dissolve fat and smooth the skin. But many cellulite creams contain aminophylline, a prescription drug approved for treating asthma. There is no scientific evidence that these creams are effective against cellulite, and for some people, they can be harmful. Their apparent effect on cellulite may be due to narrowing blood vessels and forcing water from the skin, which could be dangerous for people with circulatory problems. Aminophylline can also cause an allergic reaction in some people.

Liposuction. This is a surgical procedure to remove fat deposits from the body. Liposuction, though, removes deep fat, not cellulite, which is just beneath the skin. The American Academy of Dermatology warns that liposuction may actually worsen the appearance of cellulite by creating more depressions in the skin.

Mesotherapy. Mesotherapyis a therapy originally developed in Europe to relieve pain of inflammatory skin conditions. It involves injecting substances such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes into the tissue just beneath the skin. Mesotherapy may break down fat and bring a slight improvement in the appearance of cellulite. But it also carries risks, which include swelling, infection, and irregular contours.

Massage and spa treatments. Massage and other spa treatments may have a temporary effect on the dimpling appearance of skin. But they do not remove cellulite. Any effect is short-lived and probably due to the removal of excess fluid.

Laser treatment. The FDA has cleared the use of a device that uses laser energy to treat cellulite. According to the manufacturer, the device can melt fat under the skin, break up the fibrous bands under the skin, and stimulate collagen production.

What Lies Ahead in the Treatment of Cellulite

Although reviews of current therapies are mixed, doctors are always looking at new treatments for cellulite. One procedure involves using red and infrared light emitting diodes (LEDs) to emit certain wavelengths known to disrupt fat tissue, causing it to shrink. This procedure is combined with rollers and suctions to soften the fibrous bands of connective tissue that cause the dimpled appearance.

Although such procedures may hold promise for the future, for now, the best option is exercise, and, if needed, weight loss. Experts agree that the most effective exercise routine for cellulite is one that incorporates aerobic exercise and strength training along with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber.

Reference of information:
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/cellulite-causes-and-treatments

I took this article off the Simply shredded website and wanted to share it as it explains in detail a lot of what I get asked in regards to which cardio is best for them and why they need to do it.. It is a big read but definitely worth it.

Why is it that cardio is always the hot topic of fitness discussion and seems to be the fix all solution to burning fat?

As we have all learned and I have written about in the past that cardio is not the fix all solution when it comes to body compositional changes anymore. New times have rolled in and we have tons of research studies proving that weight lifting is far more superior for fat loss and body compositional changes. But, even though we have these new findings, people still don’t get it and people still want to sit on the bikes reading magazines about Kim Kardashian’s divorce for hours and hours. Do as you please, but I know I’m one of those types of people that want to get the most bang for their buck when it comes to training. This leads me to write about what is the right type of cardio for you?

I will be doing a comparison on HIIT cardio vs LISS cardio, since these two forms of cardio are used the most. By the end of this article you will have a really good idea of what kind of cardio is right for you and how to effectively use it.

What in the world do these crazy acronyms HIIT and LISS mean?

HIIT stands for High intensity interval training, which consists of short sprint intervals coupled with low-moderate intensity work. An example of this would be a 30 second sprint followed by a 4 minute steady pace walk to cool down and bring your heart rate back to normal and then repeating it. LISS stands for Low intensity steady state cardio, which consists of purely low-moderate intensity work. An example of this would be walking on the treadmill or riding the bike and being able to hold a conversation (we tend to see a lot of this at gyms).

Now that you have a basic understanding of the two forms, let’s dive into some more detailed stuff.

LT & AD

Why testing the lactate threshold (LT) and anaerobic threshold (AT) is a good idea? The AT and LT are extremely powerful predictors of performance in aerobic exercise (cardio). There are 2 ways that muscle can burn glucose (blood sugars) and that is through aerobic work (with air) and anaerobic work (without air). For example, long bouts of LISS cardio is considered aerobic work and weight training or HIIT cardio

How can you change your metabolism?

(1) If you want to change your metabolism, you have to increase muscle mass and increase your muscle’s oxidative capacity. Your muscles have these energy producing units called ‘mitochondria’ and this is where ATP are made and fats are burned.

The more mitochondria you have and the more active they are the greater oxidative capacity you will have for fat loss. HIIT increases mitochondrial capacity and you actually increase the amount of mitochondria you produce. Studies show that you get greater fat loss through high intensity training because of the increase in oxidative capacity. Whereas with LISS you’re only burning calories at that precise moment, there’s no 24 hour energy expenditure (boost in metabolism) and it hurts you down the line because your body adjusts to it and you end up needing more to lose fat. With HIIT you are burning calories at the moment but you actually change the muscles metabolism and it boosts your metabolism because you increase the mitochondria density of your muscle, so you increase the muscles oxidative capacity and you really do burn more calories. What most people don’t realize is you have to put your body in an uncomfortable mode and use the max energy expenditure.
It’s supposed to hurt when you’re doing HIIT and if it’s hurting, you’re in an uncomfortable mode and that means you’re doing it right.

(2)We tend to see a lot of people doing hours and hours a week of LISS and according to calculations they should be losing pounds, but they can’t lose anything because your metabolism adjusts to low intensity exercise. It just doesn’t cut it because it’s just a calorie burn at that time, not 24 hour energy expenditure. If you do LISS all the time, you’re basically trading calories in and calories out and you can cut these same calories through diet and still get the same effects.
Ex: You burn 200 calories over 30 min of LISS, you can cut out 200 calories through carbs or fat and get the same effect as opposed to getting a 24 hour energy expenditure through HIIT cardio.

Research

(3) A study conducted by Wilson et al. From the University of Tampa, FL, shows when you add in LISS you get a temporary boost in weight loss. Subjects lost a couple of pounds the first week and after that they lost nothing. This happened because their metabolism completely adjusted to that and that became their new set point to what they had to do just to maintain. LISS with a low calorie diet is terrible for fat loss and could cause muscle loss. During a low calorie diet, LISS cardio is more catabolic (muscle wasting) towards muscle as opposed to HIIT cardio being much more muscle sparing.

The reason being that your metabolism gets so adjusted to LISS and you constantly have to do more and more and people don’t understand when you are on a low calorie diet, it usually ends up being low carb, so once you are glycogen depleted (stored carbs in muscle), your body is going to look for energy to rely on and guess what it goes after? Protein! Once it goes after protein, then you start to see catabolism (muscle wasting).

(4) In the same study by Wilson et al. It showed that LISS caused more muscle loss than HIIT. HIIT caused more muscle retention because when you’re doing LISS (say fast paced walking) you’re not activating muscles the same way as if you were lifting weights. So when you sprint you have hip flexion, knee extension, and these are all weightlifting movements. HIIT is another way to overload the muscle. Just compare a sprinters body composition to marathon runners, more muscle mass!

So, it’s really hard to argue with this study because the point about HIIT activating hip and knee movements. Hip flexion and knee extension are the same movements when doing leg workouts. Also, by doing high intensity work you are activating muscle fibers and anytime you activate muscle fibers you are primed for growth. LISS unfortunately can’t stimulate muscle fibers the same way.

(5) In another study done by Naito et al. From Juntendo University in Japan, found that in rats, the enhancement of satellite cell pool caused by endurance training is influenced not by the duration but by the intensity of the exercise.

So, I know most of you are saying well that was done in rats, but rats are very good models for protein synthesis (making of new proteins in muscle tissue) & metabolism because they have similar responses to amino acids and their metabolism. Also, for those that don’t know about satellite cells, increasing the number of satellite cells is necessary in humans because it leads to makings of new muscle fibers and the more muscle fibers you have, the more muscle growth occurs. So, what’s interesting about this finding in this study is that when the rats performed HIIT, they got muscle stimulation and that’s because HIIT overloads the muscle. When the rats performed LISS, there was no activation in satellite cell pool.

So, it shows that when it comes to cardio, the intensity matters more over the duration.

LISS

Now I know a lot of you have gotten the hint as to why HIIT cardio is more advantageous to LISS cardio for muscle retention and fat loss and it seems as if I totally bashed LISS cardio to the ground.
But, keep in mind that this doesn’t mean that LISS is useless. I’m a big believer in doing both HIIT and LISS combined. Here are the following reasons why:

You can’t do HIIT 5-6 days a week because eventually it will have a negative impact on your weight training and interfere with growth
Many people have legitimate orthopedic, cardiac, and even psychological reasons to avoid HIIT, so LISS is their only option
HIIT could be dangerous if not used right and could lead to injury
HIIT and LISS on either a combined, cyclical, or rotational basis seems to be the best formula in my opinion

So to sit there and say that HIIT is hands down more superior than LISS for improvement in body composition is as bad as saying that 6 reps per set is better than 20. I’m a firm believer that both HIIT and LISS cardio have unique benefits unto themselves. I feel they both should be incorporated into your routines since each have specifically different effects.

The Bottom Line

Do the type of cardio that you have a personal preference for. Whichever one fires you up the most because you’ll most likely work harder at it. HIIT is quicker, proves to be more effective for fat loss, creates metabolic changes, and helps with muscle retention but not everybody can do HIIT. LISS is safer, but takes twice as long to accomplish similar things and it still has its place for fat loss in moderate amounts, from a pure calorie burning standpoint (meaning only to burn calories & not make changes to your metabolism). My intentions weren’t to favor one form of cardio and bash the other, even though it sounded like that. My intent was to educate and notify you that times have changed and science is proving some good stuff with HIIT cardio. But at the end of the day it’s up to you on what kind of cardio suits you best.
Hopefully, after reading this article you should have a really good idea of what kind of cardio is right for you and how to effectively use it.

Author: Chris Martinez

References:
(1, 2) Layne E. Norton
(3, 4) Wilson, et al. Concurrent Training: A Meta Analysis Examining Interference of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise. University of Tampa, FL. J Strength Conditioning.
(5) Naito, et al. Satellite cell pool enhancement in rat plantaris muscle by endurance training depends on intensity rather than duration. Juntendo University, Japan. Acta Physiologica. 2011 Oct.

link http://www.simplyshredded.com/cardio-for-fat-loss-high-intensity-interval-training-cardio-vs-low-intensity-steady-state-cardio.html

There really is no other way to reach your goals without a little thing called self belief. If you are not in your own corner backing yourself 100% then I am afraid you just won’t get there.

Goal setting is crucial for life, you should set yourself not only fitness related goals but spiritual, emotional and mental goals. There are so many aspects to living and if you focus solely on one you will miss out on a lot of what life has to offer.

Lately I have been challenged in a few ways.. I have been going through a transitional phase.. I am one to always see the bright side of life and keep moving forward but this does not mean that I don’t have bad days and days where it all seems too much. We are all human after all and if we don’t have the low points we genuinely can’t rebuild ourselves to take on the challenges that life will always throw at us.

Taking a few months off from photo shoots and comps etc I went out and I had some fun, I lived a very social life and it was fun at the time, I really needed to do that after having a very serious year working and training my butt off.

While I was in that social phase I started to doubt who I was and where I was heading, I started to feel a tad lost and a lot overwhelmed by the task at hand and by the goals that I had set myself.

To get me out of this rut I started implementing mini goals, I knew that if I was to look at the big picture I would freak out and I could have stayed in that rut. So I booked in a training video shoot to get my head back in the clean eating game and I started aiming towards that. I then booked in a photo shoot in Sydney for my own port folio (which is what I am training for right now). These mini goals are easy to focus on and they don’t scare me, they have helped me move forward and get me out of that rut. It is like a clog ticking over in my head, once I have achieved that mini goal I tick it off and move on to the next mini goal. When that clog is in motion you can’t help but move forward from the momentum of it. Not only do you feel self satisfaction but you start to feel GOOD and you want to keep that clog ticking over and over.

This week alone I have begun to really land on my feet and have had some very exciting news in regards to magazine publications, media opportunities, a potential weekly radio gig and new sponsorships. I can honestly say that I feel like I am moving forward one mini goal at a time. The people that are in my life are in my corner, I have some amazing people who genuinely want me to succeed. I have sorted out those that I don’t believe to be true or those that are not on the same path as me, they are not bad people they just can’t be in my bubble. I need people I can trust 100% in my life right now.

I have my eyes set on the prize now and I know what I need to do, it doesn’t scare me anymore because I can see the path opening up for me and I am feeling more and more confident everyday.

I always like to share my story with my followers so you can see that it isn’t easy for anyone to achieve greatness, it takes time, effort and a lot of energy to get there. When you have moments and it all seems too much you have to embrace them and take them for what they are. You have to trust that it is happening for a reason and that you WILL come out on top and much better off for it.

Start now by looking at the big picture then work backwards setting yourself mini goals then start to work towards those mini goals and watch your life change.

You have to believe in YOU and be your biggest support, you only get one shot at life so I say get goal setting and never lose sight of the vision!!!

Justine xx

IF YOU TRAVEL A LOT THEN THESE EATING TIPS ARE FOR YOU 🙂

I know that many of you out there really struggle with food choices when you have weekends away and are out of your usual routine. That been the case, I thought I would give you a few suggestions on how you can make better choices and not come home from your trip feeling like you’ve gone back to square one.

As you all know I travel loads with work and usually have no choice but to eat out at for every meal.

Here is an outline of the foods I eat while I am travelling.

-For breakfast I always opt for an omelet, if I am not on strict diet mode I will have whole eggs, if I am dieting I will have only egg whites. I like to add mushrooms, spinach and feta to my omlets.

-For snacks I will carry low carb protein bars with me for emergencies and I will also carry some almonds/raw nuts on me at all times. The bars that I feel are the best are Maxine burn bars, they taste yum and are very low in calories and carbs. It is crucial to have these snacks on you so that when you feel peckish and it has been a few hours since your last meal that you have them there to tide you over rather than heading into a 7/11 for a sugar hit. We all know that it is important to eat every 2-3 hours to keep the metabolism in check so keep your snacks as high protein/good fats as you can.

-Lunches and dinners I will always order a chicken salad or chicken and veggies or if I can still order breaky I will have eggs again (at lunch), I always like to eat low carb/high protein. If I need to I’ll ask them to make adjustments to my meal ie dressing on the side, no croutons etc. Restaurants are usually more than happy to make meals that you ask for..Please note I have to be carb sensible if I don’t train in the time that I am away. If you are exercising I would suggest ingesting complex carbs either before or after your training session. In general I don’t like to eat a lot of grains or starchy carbs as they make me feel sluggish and bloated.

-Be sure to buy a 2 ltr of water a day and drink that throughout the day, stay hydrated, even if it means you need a ‘wee’ stop every half hour 😉
Sticking to a strict eating regime can be tough when traveling but only if you aren’t organised and mentally strong to be able to say NO to the foods that are only going to

a) make you feel guilty or
b) take you 2 steps backwards.

-The biggest thing is to watch your alcohol intake as alcohol really does set you back. I still managed to really enjoy my weekend and I didn’t once feel like I was missing out on anything 🙂

Hope this helps you guys when you are travelling xx

I felt it was necessary to write a blog to share my pics of the changes in my physique over the years.

The first pic from 2004 is a body that I am not very proud of. I was living in London then and had a very unhealthy lifestyle. I didn’t even go to the gym at all. My only exercise was walking to the tube stations and dancing on the weekends. At this stage of my life I can admit now that I was not eating very well at all. My staple diet was toast and cereal. You can see how thin I was then and how I had absolutely NO muscle on my body.

The 2nd pic from 2007 is from the stage in my life before I began to do weights. I was a cardio queen and still wasn’t eating properly. I ate a lot of carbs and hardly any protein. I skipped meals and was drinking a lot on the weekends. You can see here that I still had no muscle and was carrying a lot of body fat. Now I am not saying that I am fat or out of shape in this pic, I just look so different to the way I look now. I was uneducated in the training and nutrition department and had no structure to my training. I was unhappy in my job as a dental nurse so my only suffice was drinking and partying on the weekends, it was a vicious cycle that I was in.

The 3rd pic is from my last photo shoot that I did with Dallas Olsen in May 2012 and you can see a HUGE change in my physique. I am now carrying loads more lean mass and look healthy and balanced. Obviously this was from a shoot so I don’t look this lean all year round but it gives you an idea of what education, dedication and commitment can do. I love my life now and I don’t feel like I dont work a day in my life. The changes I put in place back in 2008 have paid off and I am now living the dream. I have what I believe to be balance in my life and I dont need alcohol to have a good time. In fact when I drink these days I feel low and sluggish so I choose to only have a few red wines from time to time when I am not dieting for a shoot.

I wanted to share these pics with you all so you can see that I am just like you and I have had issues in my life that I have had to deal with to end up where I am today. You can live the life you dream of, you just have to believe in yourself and then make it happen!!!

Justine xx

The past few months I feel like I have been on some sort of adrenalin rush, the hype and excitment towards my competition, my Oxygen magazine photo shoot and then our Thailand health and fitness seminar. It all went wayyyy to fast and now I am left to deal with the aftermath.

For starters you have to let your body rebalance itself after been on a depletion diet your body reacts in all sorts of ways. I am struggling a bit with fluid retention at the moment and I guess all the extra sugars I had in Thailand were not so good for my waistline or my head space;)

Even us girls who have been in the game for a long time still go through those physical image issues and need our heads to be checked at times. I know I look healthy and I know that no one else would notice but the fact that you have been in such amazing shape still plays havoc with your head. I think we tend to forget what ‘normal’ is and what ‘healthy’ is. We have to remind ourselves that it isn’t healthy to be shredded 24/7, it would be nice if we could but it just isnt manageable if you want a life outside of the gym. I tell girls all the time that the way I look in my pics is not maintainable, it is great to look at my pics and use them as inspiration but unless you really need to get super shredded for a comp or a shoot then you should always be aiming for a healthy goal, one that you can find a healthy balance with and not have to starve your body of nutrients.

I am not too sure what is next for me in regards to whether I will compete again or whether I will just train for shoots and life, I have a lot options and that is a good thing. All I know is that right now I need a mental break away from worrying about comps and been super lean, I need time to focus on ME and all the business ventures that I have lined up.

I know for a fact that there won’t many people out there who can honestly say that they haven’t experienced low points after reaching a goal. For me there is a positive in these low points as it has been those low points that have made me who I am today, I like call these low points, turning points.

Without the lows we can not truly appreciate the highs, the most successful people have hit rock bottom before climbing there way to the top.

Now I am in no means saying that I am at rock bottom, I am just at a cross roads, I have made a few big decisions and have some very exciting new paths to venture down. Sometimes taking a new path can be just as daunting as starting again as you pretty much have the same amount of doubt and fear that can creep in.

In life you have to trust your gut, you have to trust in YOU and back yourself 100%. That way no matter what happens you know you have given it your all and comitted to making your life as exciting and as adventorous as possible. No one ever said it was going ot be easy and if they did then they are in for a shock, cos it’s not!

Be true, be brave and keep it real my friends xx

The dreaded cellulite!

Category: Uncategorized