My 12 Week Workout and Nutrition Plan

Hi everyone! Hope you are doing your part to help reverse and end the trend of obesity in the US! This past Monday I started a new 12-week program for my personal health and fitness and have made several changes to reduce my body fat and improve my overall health.

First, I have to admit that I slacked off my program for about 10 weeks starting with our dive vacation to the Bahamas in late May. That is where my plan and routine went awry. Just to show you a good example of how easy it is to get off your program, no matter how long you have been exercising and eating better, I want to use myself as an example of what NOT to do.

We had our vacation all set up and I took my workouts with me to stay on track. However, once we got to the resort, I quickly fell off my program. Here is why. Since I was scheduling 2 or 3 dives per day, I rationalized that I really didn’t need to do my workouts because I would be burning an average of 900-1100 calories per dive. Therefore, I would be burning about 2000-3000 extra calories per day diving so why workout? Sounds pretty good, huh? Then, since I was burning all those calories, I decided I could eat more, and add a little junk to keep my energy levels up so I could power through those dives, including diving with Sharks (I have pics on my Facebook page if you want to see them.) So this is how my week went. Throw in a few beers and drinks every day and I was completely off program.

OK, it’s just a week, right? I have been good for over a year and been sticking with my plan and getting good results and still had a few weeks before the Beachbody Summit to slim down and be at my peak when I showed up at the conference. Life has a way of changing your circumstances without warning. Once I got back from vacation, I found myself in the middle of a family emergency that resulted in a lot of travel to hospitals, lack of sleep, eating fast food, and got getting any exercise for almost 4 weeks going to the Summit. The result of those bad choices was a weight gain from 195 before leaving for vacation up to 207.4 pounds in about 8 weeks! Yikes. It was just a bunch of circumstances, and my own rationalization that ended up packing on the pounds in just a short period of time. I managed to wipe out about 10 months of effort in just a matter of weeks by not sticking to my exercise routine and nutrition plan. It is just that simple.

To make matters worse, my energy levels went down, I started feeling sluggish again, my stress levels are up, I looked terrible at Summit with all my Beachbody friends and I am just disappointed in myself for my lack of discipline. And, I only have myself to blame. I am not going to beat myself up too much over it because in the end, I know what I need to do to get myself back on track and I already have all the tools I need to get out of the mess I have gotten myself into.

I have a number of Beachbody workout programs I have successfully used to get in shape and live a better lifestyle. I’m not a Gym Rat so the at home workout programs fit my lifestyle better. I guess they are not for everyone, but millions of people around the country and world are literally changing their lives with Beachbody workout programs. My personal preference are Tony Horton’s workouts. I have several of his workouts, but I also have Insanity, Turbo Fire, Slim in 6, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs and other programs I can use in the privacy of my home. With my busy schedule, they are a great way to keep myself in shape and improve my lifestyle.

I don’t have to fight traffic home, grab my gym bag and go back out into traffic to get to the gym and then fight other people to use the machines and all that is included in that environment. I get home, change my clothes, go into my spare bedroom, put in my workout disc and press play. Then it is a matter of me “doing my best and forgetting the rest” as Tony Horton would say. I just do the best I can on any given day. I may not feel like doing the workout, but I find that once I push play, I get pumped up and start kicking it into high gear and pushing myself. I don’t spend any time waiting for some machine to open up or hanging out BSing. I just follow the workout on the TV and move through it at a good pace and level of intensity. Before I know it, I am soaked with sweat and have blown through a hour workout and can get in the shower, and enjoy the rest of my evening.

Doing workouts from home don’t require any more discipline than schlepping to a gym every day. It is just more convenient to most people. I also like the idea of the Team Beachbody community where thousands of people are logging on and helping each other stay motivated and accountable. I have made friends with people all over the country who are trying to get and stay health and fit using Beachbody workouts. Celebrities, professional sports figures, and even Michelle Obama and her staff use Beachbody programs to get, and stay fit. How cool is that?

So this round I am doing a hybrid program to get myself back on track over the next 12 weeks. I will be doing the Power 90 boot camp for the first 4 weeks for phase 1, then I will do 4 weeks of the P90 Master Series videos for phase 2 and finally I will finish this round with P90X Phase 3 of the Classic version. This should have me right back on track with my functional strength, fat loss, and stamina improvement. This is where I need to be to feel better and know I am on the right path.

My goal is to lose 15 pounds this round and I know from past experience this is easily doable. I also want to reduce my body fat percentage to 12-15 percent. This is more challenging than the weight and diet becomes a important factor to achieving the fat loss.

I am going to use Michi’s Ladder and a balanced approach to lose the weight and fat over time. My macro-nutrients will be 50% Protein, 30% Carbs and 20% fat. This ratio seems to work best for me personally. The standard guideline is 30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% fats if you are interested. This should be where you start and then tweak your ratios to find what works best for you. Remember, everyone is different but the above ratio covers about 80% of the people to get results. Next, I will try to adjust my calories up or down to find the zone that will help me keep my energy up and reduce body fat. Ironically, sometimes you have to eat more to lose weight. My starting calorie target is 2600 calories per day. I will only make minor changes in my intake about every 2 weeks or so.

Finally, my nutrition is centered on Shakeology. Why? Because in all my research, Shakeology is hands down the most nutritious meal replacement you can get. I have been drinking a glass of Shakeology every day for nearly a year now and I know how it makes me feel. Plus, there is nowhere in the world that you can get more than 70 super food ingredients in a single serving. At only 140 calories, it is literally “The Healthiest Meal of the Day”. You can click HERE to read all about Shakeology. I am completely satisfied with the Chocolate. It satisfies my chocolate cravings, gives me an instant energy boost that lasts all morning and it has helped me stay regular and keep my body cleansed of the junk I put into it from time to time (no one is perfect.)

I will be posting my accountability pictures this weekend so you can see what I look like now and I will do 30-day updates so you can see what kind of results I get this round.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you will follow me and watch my progress over the next 11.5 weeks. Feel free to comment on any of my posts. If you want to contact me for help on your personal health and fitness journey, please email me at jimwyatt556@gmail.com and I will be happy to help you any way I can.

To your health and fitness,
jw

Benefits of Fitness

FROM: The President's Council on Fitness

The human body was designed for activity, and by exercising regularly you’ll look and feel better—every day.

Remember, fitness is about improving muscular strength and endurance, cardiorespiratory strength and endurance, and flexibility through regular physical activity. That even includes things like walking the dog, folding the laundry, or playing tag with the kids.

Why Is Staying Active So Important?

Because the results are amazing:

A healthy heart

Regular physical activity can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and can reduce the risk of illnesses such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease.

Strong bones

Exercise is necessary to build strong, healthy bones and can help slow the bone loss associated with getting older.

A sense of well-being

Being in good shape can give you more energy, reduce anxiety and depression, improve self-esteem, and help you better manage stress.

A good social life

Staying active is a great way to have fun, make new friends, and spend quality time with family.

Looking and feeling better

You look better when you’re in shape. Staying active helps you tone muscles and maintain a healthy weight—and can even improve your posture.

Get Started—Right Now!

If you’re reading this, you’re already on your way to a healthier you. Now, just do a little follow-through. Create an account with the President’s Challenge, and then choose a challenge. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to physical activity or an Ironman competitor—we have a program for you.

The time is now. You’ll notice the difference right away, in your body and your mind.

Also, if you are looking for a workout program that you can do in the privacy of your own home, click HERE to see what is available for you and will help you earn a certificate from the President's Council on Fitness!

To your health and fitness!

jw

Embracing Change

I am sitting at my desk, 30 minutes before I am scheduled to start work. At 4 a.m. my alarm clock kicked off and by 430 a.m. I was pushing play and completing my Day 9 workout of P90X. Today was Plyometrics X. It is arguably the toughest workout in the program and is very taxing on my legs, knees and feet. It is, however, an awsome workout and I was able to burn 831 calories and maintain my heart rate between 141 and 169 beats per minute. Not bad for a 52 year old dude who's had two heart attacks and carries a stent in his chest from past poor lifestyle habits. Prior to the Beachbody lifestyle, my life was a perfect example of what NOT to do if you want to live a healthy and fulfilling life.

The biggest challenge I'm facing now is getting used to the 4 a.m. wakeup. For those of you who know me, I have been doing Beachbody workout programs since Jan 2009, lost 41 pounds and have kept it off for over 2 years now. Until this round, I have always done my workouts at 6 p.m. after getting home from a long day of work and a tough commute. For over 25 years, I have gotten out of bed on weekdays at 5 a.m. That one hour change has been more difficult than I expected but this morning, I was ready to go and felt pretty good about it.

I have never been a morning person but it feels good to get the workout out of the way first thing. It makes the rest of the day more relaxed and I know once I get home from work, I am finished for the day and can relax and enjoy time with my wonderful wife. Hopefully, I will adjust to the morning workout routines and will be OK with it. Right now, I feel pretty good even though I am a little tired from the program.

I know so many people who are doing Beachbody workouts. All of them are getting positive results based on their goals and the different objectives of the individual programs available. Some go on to get superior physiques in a short time. Others take longer due to the difference in age, body type, past health issues, metabolism, etc. The one consistent thing is that you can be healthier and more fit than you have ever been if you just get one of the many programs that will suit you and just start pushing play every day. It will literally change your life as it has mine and millions of other people in the US and around the globe.

There is no magic pill or gizmo that will suddenly make you fit and healthy. The truth is that if you want to lose weight and feel better, sleep better, have more energy, and just have a better lifestyle, you have to work for it. Beachbody programs are designed to work if you follow the program as it is laid out. There are programs for every level of fitness and age group from children to seniors, you can find a program that will work for you. These programs are time tested and proven to work, or Beachbody will give you your money back. I don't know any way to make it simpler for you. The mission of Beachbody is to help people live more healthy and fulfilling lives. The company also wants to end the trend of obesity in the US and is recruiting 1 million coaches to make this happen.

We all know the federal government cannot legislate good health. "We the People" are going to have to do it ourselved. It will require a pretty significant paradyme shift in the mentality of the citizens if it will be successful. The cards are stacked against us with big food, health, and pharmarcy conglamorates veying for every dollar they can extract from you by promoting unhealthy food, need for medications, and new drugs being created by the hour to keep the money machine flowing to their pockets.

It is up to YOU to change your lifestyle. As a Team Beachbody Coach, I can help you. I do it for free because I believe in the mission and goal of the company. I know that together, we can change our nation and get our health back. Wanna help? We can use you. Join my team today and start making a change in your local community as a leader in our fight to reverse and end the trend of obesity.

To find out more just click HERE.