Motivation. The dreaded plateau. Accountability. How do you balance it all with work and kids and well, life? I’m about to share something with you that I normally don’t share with many people. Come closer. You have to motivate yourself. Sorry, I don’t have a get fit quick scheme, and I personally cannot motivate you to work out. There comes a day when you are tired of being overweight, you are tired of being out of breath from the stairs, tired of being sick, tired of saying you are going to get in shape, and magically, you are mentally motivated to do it! Now, you have to make this important. Just like you like to hang out with your friends, just like you have to go to work to pay bills, you motivate yourself. If you have to get up at 4am to fit in some cardio, guess what, that’s what you have to do. If you have to come home dead tired and have to get it in at 8 at night while everyone is watching TV, well, that’s what DVR is for. Unfortunately, I can’t make you do it. Putting it off until the next day, and the next, will only kill your motivation and drive to keep going. I personally will get up at 5am before a 16 hour day and give myself an hour of fitness because I know that cardio is better than coffee. Let’s face it, getting home at midnight, I am not going to work out after being up since 5. Be reasonable in your approach.
You also have to be smart. You are not going to lose 40 pounds in two months, unless you opt for weight loss surgery or use some crazy new fad pill. Healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week. Cardio = weight loss. Intense, I can’t breathe for a few minutes, this is hard, I am sweaty, cardio. Let’s not forget some strength training and weights, because muscle burns more calories than fat. The I’m sore, it hurts to walk weights and strength training, at least twice a week. Starting out, I recommend you don’t go hard five days in a row. I recommend 3 days of cardio and two days of strength a week, or 4-5 days of cardio for a month, then add in more intense cardio and weights. Then, you have to eat less. If you weigh more, you will burn more, period. That’s why we plateau after a few weeks or a few months.
The Numbers...
Calculate your basal metabolic rate, or your BMR. This is the basic number of calories you need to maintain your current weight. Your weight X 15 and your weight X 16 to = your basic caloric rate. Now, subtract 600 calories, 300 from food, 300 from exercise. After your first month, go to 700, and after that 800, keeping it half and half. Keep it simple, log every bite on myfitnesspal.com (which also calculates your BMR and your exercise activity calorie burn), and write it in a journal. Keep track of your daily activity, take pictures of yourself, weigh yourself, measure yourself. Again, if you have questions, email me. Fill your meals with veggies and lean protein, such as chicken, turkey, and fish. Aim for 300-400 calorie meals, (do not skip breakfast!!!!!), and 100-200 calorie snacks. Do not create a deficit of more than 300-500 calories per day after you know what your BMR is, or you will put your body into starvation mode and plateau or even gain. Best ways to cut calories is to not drink them through pop and juice, and cut out fried foods and sweets and sugar. Once you hit your first goal, (because you are breaking it into smaller chunks of 5-10 pounds at a time, right?), evaluate where you are, how you got there, what you did right, and what you may need to adjust. This is where accountability comes in. Have a trusted friend, trainer, accountability group, or Beachbody coach (like me:), help you with any inconsistencies or plateaus or walls you may be hitting. Lastly, make it public. Tell everyone you know, announce it on Facebook or twitter. When people watch, you don’t want to explain why you are still out of shape. You may even find a workout partner.
The Workout...
Try some abdominal and back moves to strengthen your core this week. In addition to your squats, planks, and cardio, you need a strong core to help stabilize you through your workouts. Squats work your core, legs, and butt, which will burn more calories as the biggest muscles in your body tone up. Move one, basic crunch: lie flat, hands behind your head, knees bent. Breathe in, crunch up, as you breathe out, return to start. Your eyes should be straight up and your chin off of your chest. Repeat 30 times, or work towards this. Turn over, and lay flat on your stomach, this time reverse the crunch for your back. This move also works on a stability ball. Make sure your tummy is in tight to protect your back. Now stretch out in a superman pose, arms straight out in front of you, legs straight out behind you. Take a deep breath in and lift your shoulders, chest, and legs, tightening your butt, leaving only your core on the floor. Hold for 30-60 seconds and repeat 3 times.
Have a great week!
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