Hi everyone!
I am already behind on my plan to post weekly on my progress and assessment of the new Beachbody workout program called Les Mills PUMP! Please accept my apologies for not getting it done but we all have our life challenges and I can make a dozen excuses but it really doesn’t matter. The best I can do is get back on track and give you a summary to date.
I have been doing Beachbody workouts for a couple of years and I also drink their premium meal replacement drink, Shakeology. Shakeology comes in 3 flavors now, Chocolate, Greenberry, and their new vegan drink "Tropical" that has just been released. I tried the Tropical at last year’s annual conference and it is delicious but my favorite is chocolate. I drink it every day and have been for about a year and a half. Only 140 calories packed with over 70 super-food ingredients that is patent pending so no one else can match the quality on the market. It is the best nutrition on the market today, without a doubt. Check it out HERE if you want to read up on it.
So, back to the program. I started my workouts on 2 Jan after getting the Deluxe package that includes the basic set of DVDs but also offers the barbell set with weights and 3 extra DVDs for cranking up your metabolism. The deluxe package is the full range offered by Beachbody and Les Mills collaboration to bring the Les Mills BodyPump program to your living room. Most people who get the basic program end up ordering the remaining parts of the program, so at this point, I recommend getting the whole program so you don’t have to spend the extra money for shipping twice. Plus, once you have the complete program, you will never have to waste time and money ordering the rest.
Here is my summary of the program so far:
The program is designed around Beachbody’s 90 day format with 3 phases. The phases are called “Te Wero” (the Challenge) – Phase 1, which I am doing for the first 5 weeks of the program. This phase is designed to get you started on a new fitness lifestyle and to get your body used to working out again. The workouts are from 20 minutes to 45 minutes long and include a 45 minute power walk at least once a week. Don’t let the length of the workouts fool you! Les Mills Pump incorporates a method called the “Rep Effect™” to crank up your metabolism and give you that “burn” that forces your body to burn fat and increase muscle strength, endurance and growth. By using lower reps and breaking the normal exercise range from 8-12 reps to up to 800 reps in one session, you will feel the effects immediately once you start the program.
The second phase, called “Panoni” (the Change) – Phase 2 increases the time to around 40-50 minutes and will push your body to become stronger and focuses on changing our body shape and composition by building more lean muscle mass and cutting out fat to give you a more leaned out look.
“Kia Kaha” (be Strong) – Phase 3 is the final 30 days and is designed to get you lean, ripped, chiseled, and sculpted to achieve your final body transformation and get you into the best shape of your life. The workouts in phase 3 continue to increase in duration and intensity to keep your metabolism cranking and keep your body changing and achieve your best results with the program.
After the first 90 days, the fitness guide also has an additional 30-day hybrid workout that is the Ultimate Les Mills Cross training schedule. I plan to do this right after completing my 90 day program to get the maximum results from the program.
For now I want to keep my focus and attention on phase 1 and my nutrition plan. So here is a break down of the workouts I have done day by day:
Day 1 is the Pump Challenge (20 minutes) and was the first workout. I used the bar and only 10 pounds of weight on the bar. However, you quickly find out what the “rep effect” is. By the end of the 20 minutes, my muscles were burning and I was shaking from all the reps done at the different tempo counts like 4/4, 3/1, 2/2, and 1/1. It was over before I knew it. You do the Pump Challenge 3 times the first week.
Day 2 is a REST day already. I wouldn’t think I needed a rest day but my whole body was sore from day 1 so I can understand why it is needed. Your body is being attacked differently from most traditional workouts where you isolate different muscle groups. Even though I could have done more, I want to follow the program strictly the first round so I can get a complete understanding of how the program really works compared to other Beachbody programs suck as Power 90 and P90X.
Day 3 is the Pump Challenge again (20 minutes) and I got another good full body workout in just a few minutes.
Day 4 was a workout called “Flow” (20 minutes) and is a short Yoga class that gives you a good stretch and overall body workout that is less intense than Yoga X but is very effective for a short workout and allowed my muscles to stretch out. After the Flow workout, you walk for 45 minutes at a brisk pace to keep your heart rate up and get in fresh air.
Day 5 is the Pump Challenge again and I already felt a lot stronger but still got the “rep effect” muscle burn by the end of the 20 minutes.
Day 6 was Hard Core Abs (20 minutes) and starts off like it is going to be easy but very quickly with the different tempos, you start to feel the burn in your core and by the end I could barely keep my form and my core was on fire! After the ab workout, you do another 45 minute walk.
Day 7 was another rest day to complete the week. I could already see a pattern emerging that incorporates the “rep effect” by the tempos mentioned above. This pattern no doubt is the key to getting a good burn with each workout. I think the rest days are scheduled to give your body time to adjust and recover from the changes in the way the workouts are designed and set up so I intend to give my body the time to recover and be ready for the next workout.
My weekly weigh in is every Sunday morning right after I get up to keep it consistent. Also, I want to talk a little about the nutrition guide that comes with the program. I am happy to say that I was able to follow the 7-day Jump Start meal plan. It is simple, easy to follow and the food is easy to find in any grocery store. It also incorporates a Shakeology drink in each day so I can stay on track with my super-nutrient intake and get my chocolate fix in at the same time. It took me an average of 20 minutes to prepare all my meals for the following day to take to work with me so it was very easy to follow. I was a little hungry the first day probably due to the reduction of the calories I am used to consuming daily but by day 2 I was never hungry and had no cravings and by the end of the week I was practically forcing myself to eat on schedule to keep my calories at around 1500 per day. I was 207.4 pounds on day 1 to 203.2 pounds on day 7 so I lost 4.2 pounds the first week. I can live with that. Plus my energy levels have skyrocketed and I have been sleeping like a baby since starting the program. I also targeted my water intake to 3 liters per day minimum and had not trouble getting that amount.
Week 2 Summary –
Day 8 upped the workout from 20 to 30 minutes with a workout called Pump and Burn (30 minutes). I also added 5 pounds to the bar because I can feel myself getting stronger. Pump and Burn is similar to Pump Challenge but adds some extra moves and is extended by 10 minutes plus some abdominal work at the end so I got another great full body workout. I can already see my strength and stamina increasing.
Day 9 was another 30 minute walk and acted as sort of a recovery day from the first Pump and Burn workout in the program. I feel stronger and could probably add another workout like Kenpo X in but then the program would evolve into a hybrid program and I don’t want to slight the PUMP program or the clients that may use it in the future. I want them to see my experience with this program as a stand along program, not needing a few other programs to get the results.
Day 10 was the Pump Challenge (20 minutes) and Hard Core Abs (20 minutes) again for a 40 minute full body workout and killer core workout to blast fat and keeps my metabolism cranking. I can feel the difference in my body already and feel strong as well as challenged. I had to modify the abs workout toward the end because the rep effect was really kicking in and it was hard to keep my form. Overall, a great workout in only 40 minutes.
Day 11 was Flow again and was right on time after the full body muscle blast of day 10. the Yoga is a very effective way to work your body and get your muscles stretched out and increase your flexibility.
Day 12 was Pump and Burn (30 minutes) again and I got another great full body workout. I can definitely feel a difference in my body.
Day 13 was a rest day and was well deserved after pushing as hard as I could to keep my body challenged throughout the week. I took full advantage of it but decided to do Hard Core Abs again, then realized I had it on day 14 so I probably overdid it a little.
Day 14 was Hard Core Abs (20 minutes) and Walking (45 minutes). Since is was really cold outside I decided to try one of the cardio workouts called Combat (45 minutes) to replace the walking and I gotta say it kicked my butt! But by the end of the workout, I was totally relaxed and the endorphins had definitely kicked in for a complete evening of relaxation and a super good night’s sleep last night.
Nutritionally, I decided to follow the 7 day menu again since it is so easy to prepare and follow. What I changed was upping my portion sizes so I got 1700 calories per day rather then the 1500 in week 1. Again, my nutrition is right on the money but when I weighed in on day 14 my weight was 203.2 again so I didn’t lose any weight but I didn’t gain any either. Most people would be discouraged with this, but I know that as I lose body fat and start to increase my lean muscle mass, I may not see a change in the scale. However, I can see in the mirror the changes in my core, especially around the front of my oblique’s and my stomach fat is slowly shrinking.
I was tempted to take measurements but decided to stick with my plan and wait until my day 30 measurements and photos. The 30 day mark will give me a good guide as to how effective the program is working for me and what I can expect. I have never really seen dramatic changes in my body composition in any Beachbody program I have used in the past. For me personally, the most dramatic changes start happening toward the end of week 6 and through the last phase of the programs I have used. It is different for everyone, but this is how it is for me so I expect the results to be similar because that is how my body responds. This phase is about setting the foundation for the rest of the program so I expect to see gains in the coming weeks and into phase 2.
My plan for this week is to follow the 7 day meal plan again with 1700 calories per day again. There is only 1 rest day this week so the intensity will definitely increase and I see challenges again with adding 5 more pounds to the bar. The time range is from 30 minutes to 65 minutes with the 20 minute Abdominal workout and the 45 minute walk. Since it is cold outside, I will probably add in one of the cardio workouts in lieu of walking. That is why I got the deluxe program, to have and use the other workouts so I might as well get them in the mix.
So, that is about it for this post! I am excited about the program and getting back on track with my healthy lifestyle. This is not about failed New Year’s resolutions; this is about fighting the obesity epidemic in our country. If you want to read more about Les Mills PUMP you can find the information HERE. For more information on Shakeology, check it out HERE. They only take a few minutes to find out about them so I encourage you to take a look.
Hope this post finds you and your family well. I also hope you are taking control of your health and fitness and are doing something to improve your life. As one of the instructors says on the DVDs, “The best workout is the one you do!” Find something you can do and stick to it. Your life will be better for it.
Until next time, to your health and fitness.
jw
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Monday, January 16, 2012
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Steve Edwards 8-Week Transition Diet
The 8-Week Transition Diet
By Steve Edwards
The 6-Week Transition Diet was one of the first things I ever wrote for Beachbody®, way back in 2001. It's remained popular ever since; in fact, in 2005, I gave it a facelift and increased it from 6 weeks to 8. Five years on, it's time to dust it off and spruce it up for the modern age. We've found over the years that this transitional eating plan is one of the easiest ways to change your eating habits for the better.
It's often said that no one diet works for every individual. While this is true, you may have noticed that all Beachbody eating plans target a similar goal: eating more natural whole foods and less junk. That's because there are no secrets to healthy eating. There are strategies that can lead to various performance benefits, but 99 percent of diet is cutting junk and eating real food. With this in mind, our Beachbody nutrition guides use various strategies, all designed to lead you to the same place.
While those nutrition guides tend to be detailed and filled with recipes, the 8-Week Transition Diet is for those of you who are less detail oriented. Conceptually based diets like this can be easier to follow, because they focus on providing you with a short list of "no-nos," leaving you with a fairly wide array of foods that you are allowed to eat. Of course, that isn't the approach you want to have for long-term success. Any diet, no matter how easy it seems, will take some willpower on your part if you want to see results. Your long-range goal should be to eat well, period. If you can accomplish this, your physical transformation will become a natural extension of your lifestyle, instead of something you need to pursue.
As healthy eating becomes a habit, you will find the other intangibles (weight loss, increased energy, etc.) falling into place. For many people, the easiest way to accomplish the healthy-eating habit is to make a gradual transition from food choices that hinder human performance to ones that help you perform better. By making this transition gradually, you'll find that it isn't as difficult as you expected.
Week 1
No junk. Eliminate junk food from your diet. That's it, just junk. Other than this, you can eat whatever and whenever you like. Now, how hard can that be? Guess this depends on what I mean by "junk." But all I'm concerned with this week is the obvious stuff like potato chips, candy, ice cream, cake, etc. You may be stricter if you'd like, but for Week 1, don't be too hard on yourself. For many of you, this step alone will reap huge benefits.
Cheat Days: 2
Since no one's perfect, you get 2 days to cheat. That's right, 2 days where you can eat anything you want! A trick on these days (and, yes, this means there will be more) is to listen to your body. At first, it'll probably tell you it wants whatever you've been denying it. However, over time, it'll start to crave nutrients you're deficient in. Learn to read your body's subtleties. If you're craving ice cream, you may be short on essential fatty acids. If you crave a hamburger, your diet may lack protein. This way, you can make better food substitutions. It's a way of getting in tune with yourself that will benefit you for your entire lifetime.
Weekly focus: Water. Not swimming in it, though that's good too, but staying hydrated with it. You should drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water per day. Diet sodas and such are no substitute, because they contain a passel of ingredients that live right at the bottom of the junk heap. Drinking a glass of water when you feel hunger pangs coming on will not only keep you hydrated, but will help stave off your hunger to some degree.
As for other drinks, juices and sugary sodas also (obviously) fall into the junk category. And alcohol should be kept to a minimum. We tend to forget (purposely or not) that alcohol has calories. A lot of them: 7 calories per gram. Mixers can be even worse—not only can they add calories, but sugary calories influence the way alcohol reacts with your body. When you do drink, red wine is the alcohol of choice, with natural beer running second.
Week 2
Each week's rules are cumulative, so the "no junk" rule from Week 1 will apply until the end, as will each subsequent week's rule. Remember that this is a learning and conditioning process. It's like you're in school and the subject is your own body.
Eat small, eat often. Eat four to six small meals a day, and don't eat anything for about 3 hours before you go to sleep. Following these rules will keep your blood sugar levels more static and your energy level will stay consistent. Try to keep each snack or meal balanced. Keep a 30 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrate, and 30 percent fat scale in mind, though you don't need to worry too much about it. Just realize that you need a bit from each macronutrient group. Eat based on what you'll be doing for the next few hours (if you're working out, eat a little more; sitting at a desk, eat a little less). The 3-hours-before-bed rule is important, especially for fats and carbohydrates. By allowing time for all the carbs you eat to get into your bloodstream, your body will sleep in fat-burning mode, rather than in calorie-storing mode. This is important because undigested carbs in your stomach at night are stored as adipose tissue (fat).
Cheat Days: 2
Weekly focus: Carbs are not the enemy. Your body needs them, just like it needs proteins and fats. The trick is to choose the right carbs. As a society, we eat too much refined sugar. Complex carbs, like whole-grain breads, whole-grain rice, sweet potatoes, and legumes are outstanding foods. Even fruits, which have simple carbohydrates wrapped in fiber, are very good for you and hard to overconsume. While you don't want a diet based on nothing but carbs, making the right carb choices will maximize your body's potential. Try to avoid white rice and flours. Read labels, and try to avoid ones that use the word "enriched," because this means these products have been stripped of their natural nutrients, overprocessed, and then fortified with a few random nutrients.
Week 3
Eat some colorful, low-density food at every meal. These are foods that take up a lot of space without a lot of calories. Veggies are the most obvious example. You can eat a salad bowl overflowing with lettuce and veggies and you most likely won't exceed 100 calories. By eating low-density foods like veggies and fruits, you'll keep your portions under control naturally, because they have very few calories for their size. Conversely, high-density foods, like chocolate and butter, are loaded with calories in even the smallest amounts. So beware of salad dressings and other things you add to salads and veggies. Only add enough for flavor; don't fill up on them. When it comes to live foods, the richer the colors, the fresher the products tend to be. Try to eat a variety of colors in your diet. This simple and somewhat random act will help ensure that you're covering your bases, nutrient-wise.
Cheat Days: 1
Weekly focus: Protein at every meal. This becomes even more important as you eat more low-density food, because protein tends to be high-density. Many veggies have a lot of protein, but the quantity you must consume starts to become prohibitive. Try to get some protein—meat, dairy products, nuts, seeds, or legumes—each time you eat, especially when you're working out hard, because you need to repair broken-down muscle tissue. Frequency of protein consumption is even more vital for women, who aren't able to digest as much protein at one time as men are. It's almost impossible to get all your necessary protein at one or two meals, so try to get 10 to 20 grams of protein each time you eat. Reading labels is a simple way to learn how to estimate your protein intake, but if you eat natural foods, most of which don't have labels, you can look at online nutritional information guides to determine the amount of protein each serving contains.
Week 4
Cook at home. One of the best ways to control your eating is to prepare all your meals yourself. Eliminate all fast food (which should have been gone in Week 1) and most other restaurant food. You may still eat food from certain restaurants where you can be sure of the ingredients (most will be savvy enough to make a point of how healthy their food is). But avoid all fast food chains, even ones that claim to be "healthy." Restaurants need their food to taste good, so they'll often use compromised ingredients, even when they list low numbers on fats and/or calories. Fast food can contain many hidden evils in addition to calories. For example, next time you see one of those nutrition charts, check the sodium levels; most fast foods use ridiculously high amounts of salt. Avoiding fast food alone will often bring your body closer to homeostasis (its desired state of balance). This can be hard for many of us because we now have to plan our meals and prepare ahead of time, but try and treat it like vocational school—you don't learn a new "job" without a little retraining.
Cheat Days: 1
Weekly focus: Fat is essential. Remember that fat is a vital part of your diet, not just something that makes you fat. What is not vital is a lot of saturated or trans fats. Trans fats are mainly those that are artificial, and hopefully they've been eliminated from your diet by this point, since they're generally only found in junk. Saturated fats are found in dairy products and meats, and you don't need too much. For cooking, try to use olive oil when possible. Also, the addition of either flaxseed or hempseed can have a pronounced effect on your health. These seeds are loaded with essential fatty acids (omegas 3 and 6). Be careful about that amount of fat. It is dense and has 9 calories per gram, as opposed to 4 for both carbs and protein. A tablespoon goes a long way!
Week 5
Reduce starchy carbohydrates. Starches include rice, bread, potatoes, corn, beans, and other legumes. While many of these are in no way bad foods, most people tend to consume far too many of them. So what you want to do this week is cut way down on them, if not cutting them out completely. Then add them back in when your body feels like it needs energy, which it will at some point if you're exercising (and why wouldn't you be?). But don't add a huge plate or bowl of pasta; instead, add a small single serving. Starches are great energy food, but if you eat too many, they turn the tables and make you sluggish!
Cheat Days: 1
Weekly focus: Sugar is only beneficial after a hard workout. Your body doesn't need processed sugar. But if you really enjoy it and can't avoid letting some sneak into your daily diet, the 1-hour period after you exercise is the best time to indulge. During this window, your blood sugar is low, because you've used it up to finish your workout (assuming you pushed yourself), and sugar during this time will help you recover faster because it speeds into your system and initiates the recovery process. Adding a little protein, but not too much, will enhance your recovery even further. The best ratio is 1 part protein to 4 parts carbs, as in Results and Recovery Formula®. You should avoid fats during this immediate post-workout period, because they slow absorption—a good thing most of the time, just not during and immediately after working out.
Week 6
If man makes it, don't eat it. This is likely to be the hardest week of your diet. You want to eat only whole foods and eliminate all processed foods, even good ones, for the week. This includes breads, most salad dressings, all cereal, luncheon meats, cheese, dried fruits, anything with preservatives, and alcoholic beverages. What you can eat are whole foods such as fruit, raw or steamed vegetables, meat (sans any type of sauce), natural whole-grain rice, poached eggs, etc. Since your eating habits have been slowly changing, this shouldn't be that big a shock to your system, but keeping in focus that you only have to do this for 7 days will make it easier. (Although each week's rules are cumulative in the plan, Week 6 is more of a "cleanse" or "reset" week where you avoid all processed food; after Week 6, you can go back to the occasional processed food, but chances are you'll take what you learned this week and tend to make healthier, smarter choices.)
Cheat Days: 1
The "cheat day" mentality isn't a bad one. Rewards like decadent desserts, a night at the buffet, or drinking with friends are good for you as long as you keep them in perspective. These are rewards for a life well lived and you should be able to feel good about doing them. Plus, there's some method to this madness as well, in that you still tend to crave nutrients you lack. So if you're cutting down on the calories to lose weight, allowing yourself a cheat day will give your body a chance to take in what it needs to avoid being malnourished.
Weekly focus: Nuts make great snacks. A handful of raw almonds or cashews is a quick and easy snack that goes a long way. Don't be put off by the high fat count of nuts, because this means it takes fewer of them to satiate you. Nuts are loaded with important phytonutrients, as well as good fats, proteins, and fiber.
Week 7
Be yourself. No rules—just try and eat as healthily as you can and do it by feel. Trusting yourself might seem like a lot of responsibility, but by now you'll be up to it. Learning to eat by feeling what your body needs is an important step in your transformation. Consider the way you've been eating over the last 6 weeks, but don't worry about what you should and shouldn't do. Just fuel yourself. The point is to take a mental break. Relax and allow yourself to eat in a way that feels normal. You may be surprised to find yourself craving something healthy instead of a candy bar or soda. You'll be better at listening to your body because it'll tell you what it needs to eat, as opposed to what you're used to eating. Your body should feel somewhat transformed. Does it?
"Reward for a Life Well Lived" Days: 1
Weekly focus: If you're so hungry at night that you can't sleep, try a protein shake (like Beachbody's Whey Protein Powder) before bed. When it's real, and not habitual, hunger means you lack nutrients your body needs to repair itself as you sleep. You want nothing but protein powder and water. No carbs or superfluous calories. But protein at night, especially whey, will help the body repair damaged tissue and enhance the natural growth-hormone spike that you get while you sleep.
Week 8
Eat a perfect diet. Now it's time for a real challenge—are you ready? The perfect diet is strictly individual, as there's no one diet that suits everybody. So who better to choose the perfect diet for you than you? Our bodies are all different, and the key to your own perfect diet is learning about how your body reacts to different foods under different circumstances. Your journey over the last 7 weeks should have brought you to a new understanding of how food affects your body, both for good and for bad. Now it's up to you to put it to the test. See how well you can eat for a week. In fact, see how well you can eat for the rest of your life. Live and enjoy.
Reward Days: 1, of course!
Weekly Focus: Don't bonk. Bonking is a state where your body runs out of stored blood sugar for energy. If you feel like your workouts are going backward instead of forward, this is a likely culprit. Use your energy level as your gauge. As soon as it starts to drop, start adding carbs back into your diet until you feel energized all day long. When you feel energized during your workouts and not sluggish throughout the rest of the day, you'll know you've found the right balance between carbs and other nutrients. Also, remember that as your body puts on more muscle, you will need to eat more. Muscle weighs much more than fat so as you gain muscle and lose fat, you will shrink at the same weight. You will also require more calories in order to maintain your muscle. So when you're working out hard, don't be afraid to eat more carbs than you do otherwise.
By Steve Edwards
The 6-Week Transition Diet was one of the first things I ever wrote for Beachbody®, way back in 2001. It's remained popular ever since; in fact, in 2005, I gave it a facelift and increased it from 6 weeks to 8. Five years on, it's time to dust it off and spruce it up for the modern age. We've found over the years that this transitional eating plan is one of the easiest ways to change your eating habits for the better.
It's often said that no one diet works for every individual. While this is true, you may have noticed that all Beachbody eating plans target a similar goal: eating more natural whole foods and less junk. That's because there are no secrets to healthy eating. There are strategies that can lead to various performance benefits, but 99 percent of diet is cutting junk and eating real food. With this in mind, our Beachbody nutrition guides use various strategies, all designed to lead you to the same place.
While those nutrition guides tend to be detailed and filled with recipes, the 8-Week Transition Diet is for those of you who are less detail oriented. Conceptually based diets like this can be easier to follow, because they focus on providing you with a short list of "no-nos," leaving you with a fairly wide array of foods that you are allowed to eat. Of course, that isn't the approach you want to have for long-term success. Any diet, no matter how easy it seems, will take some willpower on your part if you want to see results. Your long-range goal should be to eat well, period. If you can accomplish this, your physical transformation will become a natural extension of your lifestyle, instead of something you need to pursue.
As healthy eating becomes a habit, you will find the other intangibles (weight loss, increased energy, etc.) falling into place. For many people, the easiest way to accomplish the healthy-eating habit is to make a gradual transition from food choices that hinder human performance to ones that help you perform better. By making this transition gradually, you'll find that it isn't as difficult as you expected.
Week 1
No junk. Eliminate junk food from your diet. That's it, just junk. Other than this, you can eat whatever and whenever you like. Now, how hard can that be? Guess this depends on what I mean by "junk." But all I'm concerned with this week is the obvious stuff like potato chips, candy, ice cream, cake, etc. You may be stricter if you'd like, but for Week 1, don't be too hard on yourself. For many of you, this step alone will reap huge benefits.
Cheat Days: 2
Since no one's perfect, you get 2 days to cheat. That's right, 2 days where you can eat anything you want! A trick on these days (and, yes, this means there will be more) is to listen to your body. At first, it'll probably tell you it wants whatever you've been denying it. However, over time, it'll start to crave nutrients you're deficient in. Learn to read your body's subtleties. If you're craving ice cream, you may be short on essential fatty acids. If you crave a hamburger, your diet may lack protein. This way, you can make better food substitutions. It's a way of getting in tune with yourself that will benefit you for your entire lifetime.
Weekly focus: Water. Not swimming in it, though that's good too, but staying hydrated with it. You should drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water per day. Diet sodas and such are no substitute, because they contain a passel of ingredients that live right at the bottom of the junk heap. Drinking a glass of water when you feel hunger pangs coming on will not only keep you hydrated, but will help stave off your hunger to some degree.
As for other drinks, juices and sugary sodas also (obviously) fall into the junk category. And alcohol should be kept to a minimum. We tend to forget (purposely or not) that alcohol has calories. A lot of them: 7 calories per gram. Mixers can be even worse—not only can they add calories, but sugary calories influence the way alcohol reacts with your body. When you do drink, red wine is the alcohol of choice, with natural beer running second.
Week 2
Each week's rules are cumulative, so the "no junk" rule from Week 1 will apply until the end, as will each subsequent week's rule. Remember that this is a learning and conditioning process. It's like you're in school and the subject is your own body.
Eat small, eat often. Eat four to six small meals a day, and don't eat anything for about 3 hours before you go to sleep. Following these rules will keep your blood sugar levels more static and your energy level will stay consistent. Try to keep each snack or meal balanced. Keep a 30 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrate, and 30 percent fat scale in mind, though you don't need to worry too much about it. Just realize that you need a bit from each macronutrient group. Eat based on what you'll be doing for the next few hours (if you're working out, eat a little more; sitting at a desk, eat a little less). The 3-hours-before-bed rule is important, especially for fats and carbohydrates. By allowing time for all the carbs you eat to get into your bloodstream, your body will sleep in fat-burning mode, rather than in calorie-storing mode. This is important because undigested carbs in your stomach at night are stored as adipose tissue (fat).
Cheat Days: 2
Weekly focus: Carbs are not the enemy. Your body needs them, just like it needs proteins and fats. The trick is to choose the right carbs. As a society, we eat too much refined sugar. Complex carbs, like whole-grain breads, whole-grain rice, sweet potatoes, and legumes are outstanding foods. Even fruits, which have simple carbohydrates wrapped in fiber, are very good for you and hard to overconsume. While you don't want a diet based on nothing but carbs, making the right carb choices will maximize your body's potential. Try to avoid white rice and flours. Read labels, and try to avoid ones that use the word "enriched," because this means these products have been stripped of their natural nutrients, overprocessed, and then fortified with a few random nutrients.
Week 3
Eat some colorful, low-density food at every meal. These are foods that take up a lot of space without a lot of calories. Veggies are the most obvious example. You can eat a salad bowl overflowing with lettuce and veggies and you most likely won't exceed 100 calories. By eating low-density foods like veggies and fruits, you'll keep your portions under control naturally, because they have very few calories for their size. Conversely, high-density foods, like chocolate and butter, are loaded with calories in even the smallest amounts. So beware of salad dressings and other things you add to salads and veggies. Only add enough for flavor; don't fill up on them. When it comes to live foods, the richer the colors, the fresher the products tend to be. Try to eat a variety of colors in your diet. This simple and somewhat random act will help ensure that you're covering your bases, nutrient-wise.
Cheat Days: 1
Weekly focus: Protein at every meal. This becomes even more important as you eat more low-density food, because protein tends to be high-density. Many veggies have a lot of protein, but the quantity you must consume starts to become prohibitive. Try to get some protein—meat, dairy products, nuts, seeds, or legumes—each time you eat, especially when you're working out hard, because you need to repair broken-down muscle tissue. Frequency of protein consumption is even more vital for women, who aren't able to digest as much protein at one time as men are. It's almost impossible to get all your necessary protein at one or two meals, so try to get 10 to 20 grams of protein each time you eat. Reading labels is a simple way to learn how to estimate your protein intake, but if you eat natural foods, most of which don't have labels, you can look at online nutritional information guides to determine the amount of protein each serving contains.
Week 4
Cook at home. One of the best ways to control your eating is to prepare all your meals yourself. Eliminate all fast food (which should have been gone in Week 1) and most other restaurant food. You may still eat food from certain restaurants where you can be sure of the ingredients (most will be savvy enough to make a point of how healthy their food is). But avoid all fast food chains, even ones that claim to be "healthy." Restaurants need their food to taste good, so they'll often use compromised ingredients, even when they list low numbers on fats and/or calories. Fast food can contain many hidden evils in addition to calories. For example, next time you see one of those nutrition charts, check the sodium levels; most fast foods use ridiculously high amounts of salt. Avoiding fast food alone will often bring your body closer to homeostasis (its desired state of balance). This can be hard for many of us because we now have to plan our meals and prepare ahead of time, but try and treat it like vocational school—you don't learn a new "job" without a little retraining.
Cheat Days: 1
Weekly focus: Fat is essential. Remember that fat is a vital part of your diet, not just something that makes you fat. What is not vital is a lot of saturated or trans fats. Trans fats are mainly those that are artificial, and hopefully they've been eliminated from your diet by this point, since they're generally only found in junk. Saturated fats are found in dairy products and meats, and you don't need too much. For cooking, try to use olive oil when possible. Also, the addition of either flaxseed or hempseed can have a pronounced effect on your health. These seeds are loaded with essential fatty acids (omegas 3 and 6). Be careful about that amount of fat. It is dense and has 9 calories per gram, as opposed to 4 for both carbs and protein. A tablespoon goes a long way!
Week 5
Reduce starchy carbohydrates. Starches include rice, bread, potatoes, corn, beans, and other legumes. While many of these are in no way bad foods, most people tend to consume far too many of them. So what you want to do this week is cut way down on them, if not cutting them out completely. Then add them back in when your body feels like it needs energy, which it will at some point if you're exercising (and why wouldn't you be?). But don't add a huge plate or bowl of pasta; instead, add a small single serving. Starches are great energy food, but if you eat too many, they turn the tables and make you sluggish!
Cheat Days: 1
Weekly focus: Sugar is only beneficial after a hard workout. Your body doesn't need processed sugar. But if you really enjoy it and can't avoid letting some sneak into your daily diet, the 1-hour period after you exercise is the best time to indulge. During this window, your blood sugar is low, because you've used it up to finish your workout (assuming you pushed yourself), and sugar during this time will help you recover faster because it speeds into your system and initiates the recovery process. Adding a little protein, but not too much, will enhance your recovery even further. The best ratio is 1 part protein to 4 parts carbs, as in Results and Recovery Formula®. You should avoid fats during this immediate post-workout period, because they slow absorption—a good thing most of the time, just not during and immediately after working out.
Week 6
If man makes it, don't eat it. This is likely to be the hardest week of your diet. You want to eat only whole foods and eliminate all processed foods, even good ones, for the week. This includes breads, most salad dressings, all cereal, luncheon meats, cheese, dried fruits, anything with preservatives, and alcoholic beverages. What you can eat are whole foods such as fruit, raw or steamed vegetables, meat (sans any type of sauce), natural whole-grain rice, poached eggs, etc. Since your eating habits have been slowly changing, this shouldn't be that big a shock to your system, but keeping in focus that you only have to do this for 7 days will make it easier. (Although each week's rules are cumulative in the plan, Week 6 is more of a "cleanse" or "reset" week where you avoid all processed food; after Week 6, you can go back to the occasional processed food, but chances are you'll take what you learned this week and tend to make healthier, smarter choices.)
Cheat Days: 1
The "cheat day" mentality isn't a bad one. Rewards like decadent desserts, a night at the buffet, or drinking with friends are good for you as long as you keep them in perspective. These are rewards for a life well lived and you should be able to feel good about doing them. Plus, there's some method to this madness as well, in that you still tend to crave nutrients you lack. So if you're cutting down on the calories to lose weight, allowing yourself a cheat day will give your body a chance to take in what it needs to avoid being malnourished.
Weekly focus: Nuts make great snacks. A handful of raw almonds or cashews is a quick and easy snack that goes a long way. Don't be put off by the high fat count of nuts, because this means it takes fewer of them to satiate you. Nuts are loaded with important phytonutrients, as well as good fats, proteins, and fiber.
Week 7
Be yourself. No rules—just try and eat as healthily as you can and do it by feel. Trusting yourself might seem like a lot of responsibility, but by now you'll be up to it. Learning to eat by feeling what your body needs is an important step in your transformation. Consider the way you've been eating over the last 6 weeks, but don't worry about what you should and shouldn't do. Just fuel yourself. The point is to take a mental break. Relax and allow yourself to eat in a way that feels normal. You may be surprised to find yourself craving something healthy instead of a candy bar or soda. You'll be better at listening to your body because it'll tell you what it needs to eat, as opposed to what you're used to eating. Your body should feel somewhat transformed. Does it?
"Reward for a Life Well Lived" Days: 1
Weekly focus: If you're so hungry at night that you can't sleep, try a protein shake (like Beachbody's Whey Protein Powder) before bed. When it's real, and not habitual, hunger means you lack nutrients your body needs to repair itself as you sleep. You want nothing but protein powder and water. No carbs or superfluous calories. But protein at night, especially whey, will help the body repair damaged tissue and enhance the natural growth-hormone spike that you get while you sleep.
Week 8
Eat a perfect diet. Now it's time for a real challenge—are you ready? The perfect diet is strictly individual, as there's no one diet that suits everybody. So who better to choose the perfect diet for you than you? Our bodies are all different, and the key to your own perfect diet is learning about how your body reacts to different foods under different circumstances. Your journey over the last 7 weeks should have brought you to a new understanding of how food affects your body, both for good and for bad. Now it's up to you to put it to the test. See how well you can eat for a week. In fact, see how well you can eat for the rest of your life. Live and enjoy.
Reward Days: 1, of course!
Weekly Focus: Don't bonk. Bonking is a state where your body runs out of stored blood sugar for energy. If you feel like your workouts are going backward instead of forward, this is a likely culprit. Use your energy level as your gauge. As soon as it starts to drop, start adding carbs back into your diet until you feel energized all day long. When you feel energized during your workouts and not sluggish throughout the rest of the day, you'll know you've found the right balance between carbs and other nutrients. Also, remember that as your body puts on more muscle, you will need to eat more. Muscle weighs much more than fat so as you gain muscle and lose fat, you will shrink at the same weight. You will also require more calories in order to maintain your muscle. So when you're working out hard, don't be afraid to eat more carbs than you do otherwise.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
My Health and Fitness Journey and My Why
In Jan 2009, I made a life decision to improve my health and fitness because my health had declined since retiring from the military and I was on the verge of becoming a type 2 diabetic. I was warned by my family doctor that I had to exercise and eat better or be put on diabetes medication. This was a turning point for me.
I decided to order a in-home workout program called P90X, but during my research and subsequent failure of the “fit test” I decided to start with the Power 90 (P90) boot camp workout. I set a goal in Jan 2009 to lose 30 pounds. Fortunately, I was able to lose 41 pounds from Jan – Oct 2009 using 3 Beachbody programs including Power 90, Power 90 Master Series, and finally P90X. I was able to keep that weight off since Oct 09 until just recently when I let my priorities go haywire. I fell off my program of exercise and nutrition and have declined in my health and gained back 8 pounds of body fat! Yikes!
During this time, I decided to become a Beachbody Coach. My reason at the time was to be able to get the 25% discount on the products offered by the company. I had no real interest in building the business; I just wanted to save money. However, I told my brother about signing up as a coach and he was excited and said he had thought about becoming a coach also, so he decided to let me sponsor him as a member of my team. Once he signed up, I signed my wife up and became what we call an Emerald Coach in the business plan.
Becoming an Emerald coach is the first step to being successful in the Coaching business. The reason is because Beachbody has a unique marketing business model where they give Coaches paying customers once you qualify as an Emerald coach. That is, the company gives you new paying customers every week. Whenever these customers purchase anything in the future from the company, you get a commission. It’s just that simple. I have about 385 customers at this time. The commissions I get from these customers have allowed me to pay off both of my 2010 vehicles, one in 10 months and the other in 14 months. Both vehicles were financed with no money down from the dealers. We have also paid for several vacations in the past 2 years that cost us very little. As an example, my wife and I went on a SCUBA diving trip in the Bahamas in May 2011 and only had to pay for the diving. Everything else was paid with profits we made from our Beachbody business. Even better, two of the trips we have taken are almost totally tax deductable so my total tax liability is greatly reduced. That’s a secret the wealthy have been hiding from the rest of us!
Don’t get me wrong, I have built my business up to what is called a Diamond level business. I get additional bonuses from what the coaches on my team produce. I average anywhere from $400 to $1200 dollars per month doing my business part-time. Not bad for a $39.95 initial investment. That may not seem like much, but it really comes in handy and gives me the freedom to buy things I want, when I want them. I don’t really need much, but it’s good to know I have the extra money if I need it. I do, however, work my business and treat it like a business, not a hobby. Too many people start a Beachbody coaching business and wait around for something to happen. The problem with that strategy is that when you are President and CEO of your own business, if you do nothing, you make nothing. It’s the same as if you invested $500 thousand dollars into a franchise and never showed up for the training or work. You will quickly be out of business and a half-million poorer if you don’t take action. You get out of your Beachbody Coaching business exactly what you put into it.
Fortunately, I’m in an established career and make a fair sum of money, so money doesn’t need to be my primary focus for my business. I want to help others be successful and help them lose weight and get fit and healthy. If they want to make some extra money, I can help them do that also. One of the main reasons I joined the military was to serve others. Being a Beachbody Coach is a natural extension of that desire to serve. I am also competitive by nature and want to achieve what others have done in the business. However, lately I have found myself trying to “sell” our products and the business opportunity. In my effort to achieve “success” in the business, I have lost track of what is really important to me.
My own health and fitness MUST come first. Then second, I want to help others lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. Then, if they want to find out about the business opportunity and learn how to make some extra money, great. If not, that is great too. Not everyone can understand how, or is willing to do the work necessary to build personal wealth. The Coaching opportunity might not be what they want to do. Fortunately, there is still unlimited opportunity in our society for industrious people to make extra money.
I will say one thing though, whatever you do, make sure you are working for yourself instead of someone else. Working for others even part time is building their wealth on the back of your labor. Jim Rohn said it is better to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. This is the way to build a solid financial future, by working for you. But it will take commitment and effort on your part, or nothing will happen. If you’re not willing to work as hard for yourself as you do on your job, then you will probably waste your time and money. Nothing worth having will come without effort. So, whatever you decide to do, make sure you are willing to commit to it and stick with it for the long term. Facebook or Microsoft opportunities only come around rarely. I wouldn’t expect that kind of fortune to fall in your lap, though it is possible.
I am making a new commitment to myself starting today. I will recommit myself to improving my health and overall fitness by following a program I already know will work for me. I will start a new round of P90 and redo each program I completed in the past over the next 12 months. I will learn all I can about proper nutrition and be more disciplined about what I eat on a daily basis. I will enter the Beachbody $100,000 Challenge and work to transform my body and have a chance to win all the cash! I will log my workouts in the WOWY Super Gym for a chance to win $500 each day I workout.
And finally, I will help anyone who wants to improve their health and fitness. If you are interested in joining me on my journey, maybe we can go on it together. Just send me a message and we can start whenever you are ready. Let’s get started.
To your health and fitness,
JW
I decided to order a in-home workout program called P90X, but during my research and subsequent failure of the “fit test” I decided to start with the Power 90 (P90) boot camp workout. I set a goal in Jan 2009 to lose 30 pounds. Fortunately, I was able to lose 41 pounds from Jan – Oct 2009 using 3 Beachbody programs including Power 90, Power 90 Master Series, and finally P90X. I was able to keep that weight off since Oct 09 until just recently when I let my priorities go haywire. I fell off my program of exercise and nutrition and have declined in my health and gained back 8 pounds of body fat! Yikes!
During this time, I decided to become a Beachbody Coach. My reason at the time was to be able to get the 25% discount on the products offered by the company. I had no real interest in building the business; I just wanted to save money. However, I told my brother about signing up as a coach and he was excited and said he had thought about becoming a coach also, so he decided to let me sponsor him as a member of my team. Once he signed up, I signed my wife up and became what we call an Emerald Coach in the business plan.
Becoming an Emerald coach is the first step to being successful in the Coaching business. The reason is because Beachbody has a unique marketing business model where they give Coaches paying customers once you qualify as an Emerald coach. That is, the company gives you new paying customers every week. Whenever these customers purchase anything in the future from the company, you get a commission. It’s just that simple. I have about 385 customers at this time. The commissions I get from these customers have allowed me to pay off both of my 2010 vehicles, one in 10 months and the other in 14 months. Both vehicles were financed with no money down from the dealers. We have also paid for several vacations in the past 2 years that cost us very little. As an example, my wife and I went on a SCUBA diving trip in the Bahamas in May 2011 and only had to pay for the diving. Everything else was paid with profits we made from our Beachbody business. Even better, two of the trips we have taken are almost totally tax deductable so my total tax liability is greatly reduced. That’s a secret the wealthy have been hiding from the rest of us!
Don’t get me wrong, I have built my business up to what is called a Diamond level business. I get additional bonuses from what the coaches on my team produce. I average anywhere from $400 to $1200 dollars per month doing my business part-time. Not bad for a $39.95 initial investment. That may not seem like much, but it really comes in handy and gives me the freedom to buy things I want, when I want them. I don’t really need much, but it’s good to know I have the extra money if I need it. I do, however, work my business and treat it like a business, not a hobby. Too many people start a Beachbody coaching business and wait around for something to happen. The problem with that strategy is that when you are President and CEO of your own business, if you do nothing, you make nothing. It’s the same as if you invested $500 thousand dollars into a franchise and never showed up for the training or work. You will quickly be out of business and a half-million poorer if you don’t take action. You get out of your Beachbody Coaching business exactly what you put into it.
Fortunately, I’m in an established career and make a fair sum of money, so money doesn’t need to be my primary focus for my business. I want to help others be successful and help them lose weight and get fit and healthy. If they want to make some extra money, I can help them do that also. One of the main reasons I joined the military was to serve others. Being a Beachbody Coach is a natural extension of that desire to serve. I am also competitive by nature and want to achieve what others have done in the business. However, lately I have found myself trying to “sell” our products and the business opportunity. In my effort to achieve “success” in the business, I have lost track of what is really important to me.
My own health and fitness MUST come first. Then second, I want to help others lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. Then, if they want to find out about the business opportunity and learn how to make some extra money, great. If not, that is great too. Not everyone can understand how, or is willing to do the work necessary to build personal wealth. The Coaching opportunity might not be what they want to do. Fortunately, there is still unlimited opportunity in our society for industrious people to make extra money.
I will say one thing though, whatever you do, make sure you are working for yourself instead of someone else. Working for others even part time is building their wealth on the back of your labor. Jim Rohn said it is better to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. This is the way to build a solid financial future, by working for you. But it will take commitment and effort on your part, or nothing will happen. If you’re not willing to work as hard for yourself as you do on your job, then you will probably waste your time and money. Nothing worth having will come without effort. So, whatever you decide to do, make sure you are willing to commit to it and stick with it for the long term. Facebook or Microsoft opportunities only come around rarely. I wouldn’t expect that kind of fortune to fall in your lap, though it is possible.
I am making a new commitment to myself starting today. I will recommit myself to improving my health and overall fitness by following a program I already know will work for me. I will start a new round of P90 and redo each program I completed in the past over the next 12 months. I will learn all I can about proper nutrition and be more disciplined about what I eat on a daily basis. I will enter the Beachbody $100,000 Challenge and work to transform my body and have a chance to win all the cash! I will log my workouts in the WOWY Super Gym for a chance to win $500 each day I workout.
And finally, I will help anyone who wants to improve their health and fitness. If you are interested in joining me on my journey, maybe we can go on it together. Just send me a message and we can start whenever you are ready. Let’s get started.
To your health and fitness,
JW
Monday, August 1, 2011
Re-Starting with the $100,000 Beachbody Challenge!!
Hi everyone!
I have been "resting" my body for the past few weeks trying to recover from overtraining and a number of personal issues I have been dealing with over the past two months or so. Unfortunately, I should have stayed on my health program instead of letting life get in the way and distract me from one of the most important aspects of my healthy lifestyle, that is to stay focused and keep moving forward.
The result of my lack of discipline has caused me to go from 194 pounds back up to 207.4 pounds in about 10 weeks of sporadic exercise and slacking off on my nutrition. I can see how sudden events cause high levels of stress and you can lose focus on what is important to your personal health and fitness levels. I am a perfect example of what NOT to do! Eventhough I know better and have learned how to do the right things when it comes to my health, I allowed myself to fall right off the grid and back into a very unhealthy lifestyle.
Now, I don't have the energy I had only a few weeks ago and my my sleep pattern has been disrupted due to issues I really have no control over. This is having a negative impact on my overall health and well-being. I am tired all day long and end up falling asleep on the couch when I know I should be doing my daily workout routine. Then waking up and going to bed and not being able to fall asleep, resulting in less restfull sleep and lower energy levels during the day. This is a viscious cycle once you get in the pattern. I have to break that pattern and force myself to do my workouts and get in bed at a decent time.
To make matters worse, all the events in the past couple of months have resulted in me eating less nutritious and not as clean as I know I should. Instead of sticking to my plan, I made a bad decision for convenience to eat fast food to get me through all the hospital travel, court issues, and lawyer visits. The reality is that I needed to be eating especially clean and exercising consistently to cope better but I was doing the exact opposite. One thing I did manage to stick with was drinking my Shakeology almost every day. At least I was getting some healthy nutrition in spite of my lack of overall discipline. In the end, that probably kept me from gaining even more weight.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have let my body rest as much as possible and didn't do any of my workouts. I wanted to give my body complete rest as much as possible. I also refocused on my nutrition and have come up with a plan to eat better in the future. Now, all I need to do is add my workouts back into my daily routine and I will be back on track. And lastly, I have been getting more restful sleep by going to bed on time and getting up consistently to get my biological clock back on track. I have been averaging about 7 hours per night of restful sleep, which is on target for me personally.
As you know I have been using Beachbody workout programs since January of 2009 when I first "pushed play." The great thing is that I already own the solution to my fitness. I don't have to go out and buy anything else. All I need to do is get back on track and start using the programs again. With that in mind, I have decided to do a hybrid 12 week program that includes three of the workouts I used to lose 41 pounds of fat in 10 months and sustain that for over a year. I already know what to do, and how to do it, so my plan is simple.
Beachbody developes their programs over a 12 week "round" and for the most of their programs they are devided into 3 4-week blocks or phases. So to continue to recover, but get back to my workout routines, I have decided to do the Power 90 (P90) Boot camp for the first 4 weeks, then do the P90 Master Series workouts for the second 4 weeks and then finish this round with P90X Phase III as my closeout phase.
The reason I have decided to do a hybrid is that I already know how to do the programs and how they affect my body. Since I haven't been working out for a while, it will be like starting over so I don't want to risk further injury by over-doing it. Rather, I can use the different programs to quickly ramp up my fitness and get back on track in 12 weeks instead of several 36 months if I redo the programs individually.
I am confident that if I am consistent, and push myself to my personal limit and then just a little more, I will be right back where I need to be. So today is my Day 1 of my 12 week program. I plan to post at least once a week about my progress and let you know how it is going and what challenges I am facing. This will also help me be accountable and keep me on track.
I ask that you follow my blog and watch me to make sure I am posting regularily so I will be accountable. I would appreciate your support by helping me out. Make sure you bust on me if I slack off on my posts. I will post at least once a week and hopefully more if I have time.
Also, if you are interested in trying one of the programs and entering Beachbody's $100,000 challenge, let me know. I can be reached at jimwyatt556@gmail.com I will coach you for FREE and help you help us end the trend of obesity in the US.
To your health and fitness,
jw
I have been "resting" my body for the past few weeks trying to recover from overtraining and a number of personal issues I have been dealing with over the past two months or so. Unfortunately, I should have stayed on my health program instead of letting life get in the way and distract me from one of the most important aspects of my healthy lifestyle, that is to stay focused and keep moving forward.
The result of my lack of discipline has caused me to go from 194 pounds back up to 207.4 pounds in about 10 weeks of sporadic exercise and slacking off on my nutrition. I can see how sudden events cause high levels of stress and you can lose focus on what is important to your personal health and fitness levels. I am a perfect example of what NOT to do! Eventhough I know better and have learned how to do the right things when it comes to my health, I allowed myself to fall right off the grid and back into a very unhealthy lifestyle.
Now, I don't have the energy I had only a few weeks ago and my my sleep pattern has been disrupted due to issues I really have no control over. This is having a negative impact on my overall health and well-being. I am tired all day long and end up falling asleep on the couch when I know I should be doing my daily workout routine. Then waking up and going to bed and not being able to fall asleep, resulting in less restfull sleep and lower energy levels during the day. This is a viscious cycle once you get in the pattern. I have to break that pattern and force myself to do my workouts and get in bed at a decent time.
To make matters worse, all the events in the past couple of months have resulted in me eating less nutritious and not as clean as I know I should. Instead of sticking to my plan, I made a bad decision for convenience to eat fast food to get me through all the hospital travel, court issues, and lawyer visits. The reality is that I needed to be eating especially clean and exercising consistently to cope better but I was doing the exact opposite. One thing I did manage to stick with was drinking my Shakeology almost every day. At least I was getting some healthy nutrition in spite of my lack of overall discipline. In the end, that probably kept me from gaining even more weight.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have let my body rest as much as possible and didn't do any of my workouts. I wanted to give my body complete rest as much as possible. I also refocused on my nutrition and have come up with a plan to eat better in the future. Now, all I need to do is add my workouts back into my daily routine and I will be back on track. And lastly, I have been getting more restful sleep by going to bed on time and getting up consistently to get my biological clock back on track. I have been averaging about 7 hours per night of restful sleep, which is on target for me personally.
As you know I have been using Beachbody workout programs since January of 2009 when I first "pushed play." The great thing is that I already own the solution to my fitness. I don't have to go out and buy anything else. All I need to do is get back on track and start using the programs again. With that in mind, I have decided to do a hybrid 12 week program that includes three of the workouts I used to lose 41 pounds of fat in 10 months and sustain that for over a year. I already know what to do, and how to do it, so my plan is simple.
Beachbody developes their programs over a 12 week "round" and for the most of their programs they are devided into 3 4-week blocks or phases. So to continue to recover, but get back to my workout routines, I have decided to do the Power 90 (P90) Boot camp for the first 4 weeks, then do the P90 Master Series workouts for the second 4 weeks and then finish this round with P90X Phase III as my closeout phase.
The reason I have decided to do a hybrid is that I already know how to do the programs and how they affect my body. Since I haven't been working out for a while, it will be like starting over so I don't want to risk further injury by over-doing it. Rather, I can use the different programs to quickly ramp up my fitness and get back on track in 12 weeks instead of several 36 months if I redo the programs individually.
I am confident that if I am consistent, and push myself to my personal limit and then just a little more, I will be right back where I need to be. So today is my Day 1 of my 12 week program. I plan to post at least once a week about my progress and let you know how it is going and what challenges I am facing. This will also help me be accountable and keep me on track.
I ask that you follow my blog and watch me to make sure I am posting regularily so I will be accountable. I would appreciate your support by helping me out. Make sure you bust on me if I slack off on my posts. I will post at least once a week and hopefully more if I have time.
Also, if you are interested in trying one of the programs and entering Beachbody's $100,000 challenge, let me know. I can be reached at jimwyatt556@gmail.com I will coach you for FREE and help you help us end the trend of obesity in the US.
To your health and fitness,
jw
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)