Spring Makeover Challenge – Week 4

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Our annual Spring Makeover Challenge allows our clients to participate in a fun, friendly team competition to help them shed that extra winter layer that most of us put in because it’s colder, darker and days are shorter.  Each of our trainers have teams and we all compete against each other to see who can ramp it up the most and achieve the best results.  There’s nothing like a little peer pressure to get you to do what you need to do to reach your goals.

Although the principles to fat loss and healthy living are pretty simple, each trainer has a different approach to encouraging his or her team to adhere to the program and win.  This year, I thought I would share each team’s approach so that you could follow along from home.  Feel free to adhere to just one trainers’ program or mix it up and try each approach and see which one works best for you. So far in this series, I’ve shared with you 3 different approaches to maximizing weight loss. You can review past articles HERE.

Today, I am sharing with you Kristin Healey’s fast and effective fat loss approach.  Kristin is our NWPT Fitness & Training Director, holds a B.S. in Exercise & Movement Science, has won Personal Trainer of the year multiple times and her teams are always highly successful during this Makeover challenge so she knows what she’s talking about!

Step 1: Find Your Mantra

Attitude is everything! Find your Mantra for the next 6 weeks and post it everywhere you think you will need it. On the refrigerator, in your car, at your desk, on your TV… all of those places where some of your bad habits peak their ugly little heads when you are feeling tired, stressed and weak. Here are some examples.

• I am stronger than my cravings.
• In it to win it.
• The pain of discipline is less than the pain of regret.
• It’s going to take a million little victories.
• If you’re tired of starting over… stop giving up.
• Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in & day out.
• I refuse to be anything less than successful.
• You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change.
• Sweat like a pig to look like a fox.

Step 2: Eliminate and Replace

We need to eliminate those foods from our diet that no longer serve a purpose in this challenge! Remove them from your radar… and your reach.

• Sugar
•  Alcohol
• Processed Food Products
• High Fat Dairy Products
• High Fat Meats Products
• Sugary Drinks Products

Replace these choices with foods that are high nutrient density that our bodies are crying for!

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Chicken & Fish
• Beans & Lentils
• Organic and Whole Foods
• Water
• Multi-Vitamin

WHY? Because to lose weight, we need to be in a caloric deficit and we need to be fueling our bodies with high quality nutrients. When we are depleting our body with exercise, we need to replenish with fuel that will help give you energy and help build strong and healthy muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons… better food for a better you!

Step 3: Feel the Burn!

It is time to dust off those heart rate monitors and track your workouts. It is a good idea to plan on exercising every day of the week… on some level!

Get up, get out and move your body! Set a goal for the week, make a plan and get moving!

Sample Workout Plan:

MON	TUES	WED	THURS	FRI	SAT	SUN
Cardio 700 calories(Approx. 70 min)	1 hr Cardio + Strength Training600 calories	Cardio600 calories (approx. 60 min)	1 hr Cardio + Strength Training600 calories	Cardio 600 calories(Approx 60 min)	Yoga + Easy Walk400 calories	Intense Cardio800 calories

To lose 1 lb. of fat you need to burn 3500 calories! With exercise and calorie counting a loss of 2 lb. a week is very challenging BUT very realistic for the next 6 weeks.

Step 4: Count Those Calories!

You can’t outwork a diet too high in calories… it is a scientific fact!  Decide on a way to track your calories that is both accurate and easy for you to do.

• Food logs
• Myfitnesspal.com
• Sparkspeople.com
• Dailyburn.com

And then do it EVERY DAY. Turning your logs into a weight loss coach on a weekly basis will ensure success. We will be able to help you with nutrient timing and portion control to help you reach your goals quickly.