Fitness

Michelle Gumm Dropped 16lbs. and 13ins. in 8 Weeks!

Many of you are going to start or restart your fat-loss and fitness programs  this week. It’s that time of the year. Summer is over, kids are back in school,  and the damage from all the summertime eating is showing up. Literally.

Fall is a great time to get into shape.

Unfortunately I see people making fat loss and getting into shape waaaaay….. too complicated.

You can simplify almost anything down to 3 basic things. Here are the 3  most powerful simple tips I could come up with. Get these 3  right and everything else tends to fall into place. Simple.

Tip #1 – Get your exercise in the morning

I get up and train at 4am. Yes it’s too early but it has to be then or it’s not going to get done.

When I’m asked what the best time to train is I always say….

“It doesn’t matter when you exercise as long as you do it, what matters is that you are consistent. And when you exercise first thing in the morning, that means you will be more consistent. And being consistent is one of the most important things in your fat loss program.”

I always tell people too,”The great thing about morning training is there’s no excuse. Your family won’t miss you. The office isn’t calling you. There’s nothing going on at 6am. You’ll have more energy throughout the day and you’ll tend to eat better”

So if you are struggling to be consistent, get up a little earlier and do your workout before life/work/family gets in the way and stops you from getting your workout.

Consistency is key. And morning exercise will help you become more consistent.

Tip #2 – Eat 3 medium sized meals and some very healthy snacks

Keep it simple. Real simple.

If you’re just starting out on your fat-loss nutrition program.If you have no idea where to start. Start by writing down times for your 3 meals. Set a schedule first. Sounds crazy, but if you’re all over the place and you have no idea when or what you’re going to eat, start with when.

A Medium sized meal-3 times a day. Some healthy snacks thrown in. If the snack comes from a bag or a box…um no.

I love to snack on apples, blueberries, carrots, celery , and bananas.  Almonds seem to be popular with my client right now.

This is the kind of diet you can stay on even when traveling.

Simple schedule. Simple foods. Keep it simple.

Tip #3 – Stay active on your off days with fun & playful activity

I’ve spent literally decades of my life in gyms, health clubs, and training studios. Literally inside working and training improving the methods and systems. Do the math 9-13 hours a day. 6-7 days a week for 23 years(71,990 hours!).  I’ve spent more time in these facilities  than anywhere else.

I DO-NOT recommend this. To anyone. Ever.

You need to train 3-4 times per week. Get in get out.

Use your extra time to play frisbee, golf, ride a bike,learn a new sport,go to the playground, hang out with your friends and family,just be active and live your life.

No long, slow, boring cardio either. Don’t do it for fat loss. It’s a waste of your precious time.

Use 8-10 min of Burst training at the end of your resistance days. Maybe 20-25 min on your no-resistance days.Maybe.

I’d rather sprint across the park(or parking lot) any day for fat-loss than read People Magazine on a treadmill or one of those silly elliptical machines.

So bottom line:

1) Do short, burst workouts CONSISTENTLY.

2) Eat 3 mid-size meals and lots of whole, natural food snacks in between meals.

3) Train 3-4 times per week and stay active on your off-days.

Get outside get active and life your best life.

It’s that simple.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Dave

Sally before over 130lbs.

Sally Joslin is at 48 a  busy mom, wife and educator. When she started her goal was to lose 20-25 pounds and to fit into the clothes in her closet again.

She won client of the month last year after dropping 21pounds and 17inches. Since then she’s dropped a total of 30pounds 21inches and nearly 11%in bodyfat.

Recently I asked her to share with you her actual 7 Day Food Journal. I also asked her to give you some of the tips that she discovered and strategies that worked for her. You’ll notice that this 5′2” now 100lb. dynamo isn’t starving herself.  She works out with us 2X a week does her own cardio and plays tennis 3-4 times a week! She’s eating 5 times a day and it’s all food no processed junk.

The food journal and tips below are pure gold.

After Losing 30 pounds!

Remember there is no “right diet”. Fat loss is almost always a process of a little testing here and there to find what works best for you. But it’s also good for you to see exactly what’s working for others.

Hi Dave,

Here’s the food journal

Mon-
Breakfast:  coffee, 1 whole egg, 100% whole wheat toast, 1/2 grapefruit

Snack:  1/2 c nonfat Greek yogurt; 1/4 c blueberries, a few cashews

Lunch:  grilled chicken breast, 1/2 c brown rice, steamed green beans

Snack:  lowfat cheese stick, grape tomatoes

Dinner:  tilapia with 1 t basil pesto, salad with homemade dressing- 1 T (olive oil/balsamic vinegar), steamed broccoli

Tues-
Breakfast:  coffee, oatmeal, 1 T ground flaxseed, blueberries, almond milk, cinnamon; 1 whole egg with 2 egg whites-scrambled

Snack: 1% cottage cheese with tomatoes, 1 green olive, chopped celery stirred in

Lunch:  1/2 turkey sandwich (clean-no additives or preservatives) on 100% whole wheat bread, lettuce, tomato; 1 c  homemade vegetable soup

Snack:  small orange; 10 almonds

Dinner:  big salad with lots of raw veggies and topped with grilled chicken breast; homemade dressing-1 T

Wed-
Breakfast:  coffee, 4 scrambled egg whites with bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, tabasco; 100% whole wheat toast

Snack:  celery with 1 T almond butter

Lunch:  Spinach salad with feta, red onion, 1/2 green apple, a few walnuts, grilled chicken, 2 black olives with 1 T homemade honey mustard dressing; Mary’s Gone     Whole seed and grain crackers

Snack:  Smoothie made with 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 c green tea (I leave a few glasses of water with tea bags brewing in the fridge), 1/4 c berries, 1/4 c nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 T lemon juice, a few ice cubes.  (If I drink this for breakfast I would  add 1/3 banana and 1/4 c oatmeal) – really good!

Bonus recipe:  1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1/3 banana, 1 T all natural peanut butter, 1 cup water; few ice cubes.  1/4 c  oatmeal and/or nonfat Greek yogurt -optional-  depending on when I’m drinking it-

Dinner:  white meat ground turkey meatloaf; roasted sweet potatoes, steamed green beans

Thurs-
Breakfast:  coffee, oatbran topped with ground flaxseed, almond milk, berries; scrambled eggs – 1 whole with 2 whites

Snack:  tuna with raw veggies

Lunch:  1/2 chicken  sandwich with lettuce & tomato (leftover grilled chicken, 100% whole wheat bread), raw veggies with hummus

Snack:  apple and 10 almonds

Dinner:  ground white meat turkey meatballs in tomato sauce on top of  swiss chard (I saute it with a little olive oil and garlic) This sounds weird but it’s actually delicious!

Fri-
Breakfast:  coffee, oatmeal topped with 2 T nonfat Greek yogurt mixed with 1/2 t honey, blueberries, a few walnuts, cinnamon; 4 boiled egg whites

Snack:  Muscle Milk Lite (chocolate)

Lunch:  homemade black bean soup; spinach salad with 1 T homemade dressing

Snack:  1/2 c nonfat Greek yogurt, kiwi

Dinner:  Grilled Salmon, 1/2 c quinoa, roasted asparagus, 1 glass white wine

Sat-
Breakfast:  coffee, 100% whole wheat toast with 1 T all natural peanut butter, 1/2 banana

Snack:  1/2 c nonfat Greek yogurt with 1/2 c berries

Lunch:  homemade cauliflower soup, spinach salad topped with lots of raw veggies and 1 chopped up boiled egg, homemade dressing 1 T

Snack:  hummus with raw veggies, a few 100% whole wheat pita chips (make your own-it’s easy and quick-then they’re clean)

Dinner:  from Mexican Restaurant-salad with grilled chicken fajita meat, (no cheese) and veggies, avocado, salsa for dressing; 1 corn tortilla; 1 Michelob Ultra

Sun-
Breakfast:  coffee, scrambled eggs (1 whole, 2 whites) with veggies; oatmeal with berries

Snack:  1/2 c nonfat Greek yogurt with a couple of drops of Stevia

Lunch:  grilled chicken, baked sweet potato, sauteed spinach in garlic and olive oil; 1 square 85% dark chocolate

Snack:  raw veggies with 10 almonds

Dinner:  Big salad with 1 can water packed tuna and lots of raw veggies,  and 1 T homemade dressing

Daily beverages:  lots of water; 1-2 cups coffee in the morning;  green or black tea most days
Favorite raw veggies:  cucumber, radishes, tomatoes, celery, carrots, bell peppers-all colors-I try to keep these cut up and ready to go.
I make big pots of soup and freeze individual portions so there’s always something I can go to – use these a lot for lunch.
Homemade salad dressings are quick and easy and then I know what’s in them.  They keep in the fridge all week -  family likes them too!

-I also asked Sally for some tips and strategies that worked for her-here they are.

1. Plan Ahead-pack lunch and snacks the night before in case you’re rushed the next morning

2. Have nuts/healthy snack in purse or laptop case so you always have something to eat-important not to get caught without a snack      because you’ll get too hungry and eat too much or make bad choices at the next meal (been there, done that)

3. When you’re cooking, cook extra – this is what you’ll eat for lunch the next few days

4. Freeze food – then actually take it out of your freezer, thaw, and eat it! I’ve always frozen food, but usually threw it away a year later. Soups, extra brown rice, cooked chicken or turkey meatballs  etc.. freeze well.

5. Eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

6. Ditch the Diet drinks -for lots of reasons but I think they increased my craving for sweet things. I haven’t had one since May 2009 – have saved lots of $ and haven’t missed them at all once I made the decision.

7. Remember that dessert is supposed to be a special treat – 1 time per week perhaps?- not a daily thing.

8. Try to get into a routine with a schedule and certain foods for awhile.  When you start, there’s so much to think about, if you have a few healthy foods you like, then keep rotating those until you get the hang of this new way of eating.  It seems like all you are doing is thinking about food and eating at first, but that will lessen in time.  It will become automatic.  So keep it simple at first.

9. When you do get the hang of it, and if you like to cook, try some new healthy recipes.

10. I really don’t go to fast food places at all anymore.  Read Michael Pollan’s book and you probably won’t either.  Look online at the calorie counts and ingredients (chemicals and sodium) and it will surprise you.  You’ll feel so empowered as you pass by them, and go home and eat something healthy.

11. My final and most important tip: Don’t eat any food that you don’t want to make someone else happy.  Only YOU get to decide what you eat or don’t.  Take ownership of that.

Um… What else is there to say? This is great!

Remember don’t try to put it all into play at once. Small incremental changes over time will result in some big changes on the scale,in your clothes, and in the way you feel.

Have a great weekend!

Dedicated to Your Success,

Dave