Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and
the University of Colorado set out to determine
what lifestyle changes were needed to lose weight
AND keep it off. They began an on-going study
called the National Weight Control Registry (www.nwcr.ws).

This registry does not list all of their test
subjects. In order to make it you had to lose over
30 pounds AND keep it off for a year. So they did
a good job qualifying success.

What they found was intersting.

And the numbers they compiled don’t lie.

The findings are listed into 10 lifestyle changes.

Here are the 10 habits of these successful weight
losers:

1. 98 percent of registry participants reported
that they modified their food intake in some way
to lose weight. Ok, kinda obviousl But you must
change your eating habits in some way (i.e. fewer
calories) to lose weight.

2. Most registry members reported consuming less
high-fat dense food groups and more low-fat dense
food groups resulting in a lower daily calorie
intake and greater weight loss. Eat lighter and
cleaner. Stay away from fried, high fat foods and
eat more fresh fruits and veggies.

3. 94 percent of registry participants reported
increasing their physical activity. Again, kinda
obvious. More out, less in.

4. 90 percent reported exercising, on average,
about one hour per day. Note the difference of
activity and exercise. Yesterday a client ran 1
mile and also played in a basketball game. She
asked if the game counted for cardio. I said no.
Walking your kids around the block, golfing and
gardening are all activity. But exercise is
strength and cardio training. There IS a
difference.

5. 78 percent reported eating breakfast daily.
I’ll venture to say they didn’t eat donuts.

6. 75 percent of registry participants reported
weighing themselves at least once a week. The
interval can and should vary, but measurment of
progress is essential. It helps you stay
accountable and also provides motivation, which fuels your efforts.

7. 62 percent watched TV less than 10 hours/week.
More TV means a more sedentary lifestyle. Do you
know how much TV you watch? Try tracking it. I bet
you’d be surprised.

8. 42% of the sample reported that maintaining
their weight loss was less difficult than losing
weight. This is VERY IMPORTANT. Because I see this
mistake all the time.

In the beginning, when you’re trying to lose
weight, you CANNOT afford to cheat. You MUST
remain committed to your program and keep the ‘dial turned up’. Then, once you’ve reached your goal you can afford to cheat here and there. If you start to backslide you simply ‘turn the dial back up.’

9. Nearly all registry members stated that weight
loss led to improvements in their level of energy,
physical mobility, general mood, self-confidence,
and physical health. I won’t begin to list the
benefits of losing weight and getting in shape. You’re smart, and I’m sure you know there are TONS of them. Life is better when you look good and feel good about yourself.

10. For those who did regain weight, weight regain
was due, at least in part, to failure to maintain
behavior changes. This clearly tells us “diets”
don’t work. If you don’t continue to pay attention
to your health and fitness you will backslide.

There’s a lot of wisdom in these 10 strategies.

In the book Switch by Dan and Chip Heath, they
discuss how one guy helped solve a major
malnutrition problem in Vietnam back in the 90s. He did so by looking at the “bright spots” of other villages without the problem.

He didn’t try to solve all of the other underlying problems; poor sanitation, rampant poverty, ignorance to nutrition, etc… He looked to the villages that did not have any malnourishment followed their success.

You can learn a lot by finding the “bright spots”
and then implement them in your own life.

Stop trying to find more time – you’ll never find it. Stop trying to set aside enough money – you’ll never have enough. Stop trying to fix your problems. Make a few changes that other successful people have done to lose weight.

In addition to the weight loss registry mentioned
above our very own Bootcampers, maybe
some of them your neighbors, are another place to
find bright spots.

Sometimes we need to see the possiblities. We need
the motivation and inspiration of others that have
gone before us.

I hope the findings from 5,000 successful weight loss subjects and that of your very own neighbors motivates you to create change in your own life.

To your weight loss success,

The Bootcamp Team

P.S. So you didn’t start fresh on January 1st. Big deal.
It’s never too late to start. Get your free trial here.

Posted under Fitness Tips, Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

It’s that time of year!

Time to take an honest assessment of where you are
in life, and decide what you’d like to achieve
in the upcoming year.

It’s a sad fact that the majority of folks NEVER
see those resolutions come to fruition. That’s
why today, I’d like to share with you a few tips
that will help you stick with your resolutions, no
matter what – creating a NEW YOU in 2012!

The major reason people don’t follow through on
their resolutions is FEAR. Change is scary, and
committing to change is a scary endeavor. But
follow these tips and you should be able to nip
fear in the bud and actually accomplish what you
set out to achieve in 2012!

Get Serious - If you make “another resolution”
it’s going to be just that, another resolution.
Make a resolution because you want to change
something. Don’t do it because everyone else is or
because you feel like you have to. Get serious
with yourself and do it because you want to.

Chunk It Down - However big your resolution is,
chunk it down into bite size pieces. Let’s say you
want to lose 80 pounds this year. Chunk that down
into a smaller increment. Try losing 15 pounds in
the first 2 months. Or if you want to improve your
relationships focus on one at a time. This way
you’ll build momentum and have a higher rate of
success.

Relax - You’re setting a resolution to make this
year better than the last. Don’t put yourself on a
tight rope with no net. If you fail with your
resolution you won’t be any worse off than where
you stand today. Take a deep breath and keep it in
perspective.

Have Fun - Yes, this is very important. Think of
something you hate. It could be doing laundry,
cleaning toilets, or even running on a treadmill.
Now picture yourself doing that every day. It’s
terrible! You wouldn’t last. The more fun you can
build into your resolution the easier it will be.

Research - You gotta do your homework. Talk to
your friends. Find out what they’re doing. Find
out what they’ve done. Were they successful? Talk
to your doctor, a personal trainer, a financial
advisor, etc… Get on the internet, read some
books or magazines. Get the info you need to make
your resolution work this year.

Get Help - You can never have enough help. And you
should never be afraid to ask for help. It’s what
smart people do. Telling yourself your resolution
and going it alone is a recipe for failure. Ask
the right questions to the right people and you’ll
be a leg up.

Resolutions are tough. But do not be afraid. If
you’ve failed in the past, try and learn from what
you did wrong and make the necessary changes.

Remember that nothing happens without action.
Action, no matter how small, will help give you
the momentum you need. And once you’ve started
taking action, you’ll have a better understanding
of what you need to do to get to your final
destination.

So this year, set some resolutions… and follow
through until you’ve achieved them!

Happy 2012,
The Bootcamp Team

P.S. If you want help, we’re here for you! Join
us and many other St. Louis women for your free
trial. Starting your day early and exercising
are two great resolutions!

Posted under Fitness Tips, health, Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

$250,000,000.00 is a lot of dough.

That’s the amount of money companies are making
peddling weight loss suppleme…err… scams.

You may have fallen victim to handing over your
dollars to them. The weight loss results they tout
are staggering. 40 pounds in 30 days, Joe Blow
loses 150 pounds, and many other similar results.
There marketing is very good. Shady at best.
But still good.

25 mil was revenue from ONE company! A
few days ago the FTC filed complaints on 10 other operations just like it.

Which puts it in the HUNDREDS of millions.

The saddest part; the crap they sell doesn’t even
work.

Solve the worlds weight problem and you should get
a BIG check. Sell snake oil and you should go
to jail.

Try as we may, we can’t redefine ourselves
overnight. That’s too easy. If that worked then
all of the late night infomercials and fitness
dvd’s would work.

But you CAN redefine yourself steadily, over time.

A very successful client of mine sold his
business for millions of dollars a few years back.
An article in the paper dubbed him as an overnight
success story. After talking with him, he said the
article gave him a chuckle because in reality they
were “a 10 year overnight success.”

That statement made me think. It opened my eyes
that as much as we might see overnight successes
or hear about 30 day weight loss stories, the
reality is it takes steady, constant, and yes,
disciplined action.

Read that sentence again.

It takes steady, constant, disciplined action.

Let it soak in.

Because until you buy into that you will continue
to search, try, and fail at whatever it is you want to do. And waste a lot of money in the process.

STOP believing in crap. Start accepting diet
and exercise does it.

To your weight loss success,
The Bootcamp Team

P.S. Do you need to lose 10, 20, even 50 pounds or
more? We can help. It’s a proven program that even
your doctor would recommend. Give us a call for more
details, 314.800.7607.

Posted under Fitness Tips, Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

I want to share something AWESOME with you.

It’s freaking amazing.

Watch the video below (it’s less than 3 minutes):

I can talk fitness and nutrition until we’re blue
in the face. I can give you the most effective
workouts, give you the best foods to eat…

…but you will stumble.

You will mess up.

You will fall down.

That’s life. It’s a certainity.

But it’s not about falling. It’s about getting back
up. That’s what matters. That’s what separates
winners from losers.

You see what Heather Dorniden did after she fell
down. And she’s a champion!

No matter what happens… you MUST get up!

I have a quote above my computer screen from
Calvin Coolidge, the 24th President of the United
States:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than
unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not;
unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education
will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan, ‘Press On’, has solved and always will
solve the problems of the human race.”

I love this quote. It makes me feel OK that I’m not
the strongest, fastest, smartest, etc… But also
hope knowing I can still come out on top IF I just
keep getting up and keep pressing on. In sport,
business, life.

Because it’s NOT about being the fastest. It’s NOT
about being the smartest. It’s about doing the
right things CONSISTENTLY over time.

I know you want immediate see-it-in-the-mirror results. But the magic pill doesn’t exist. And you need to tell yourself the truth if you haven’t already.

Focus on a consistent program – strength training,
cardio training, and nutrition – that will transform your body over time.

And then couple it with accountability, support, and motivation
to keep it going.

Does that make sense?

I hope so. Becuase at the end of the day, it’s the
best coaching I can give you.

Posted under health, Personal

I’ve never seen an episode of Jersey Shores. And
frankly, I don’t care to.

But I do know Snooki. A name like that demands
attention.

Snooki knows a BIG secret to achieving weight loss
results.

But you know it too.

You might not know you know it. But you do know
it.

This secret isn’t some special piece of equipment
or any particular exercise. It’s not even a new
diet or supplement.

Would you like to know what this secret is?

The secret is sacrifice.

You see, sacrifice is essential when it comes to
losing weight. You must sacrifice something.
Often times many things.

Sacrifice is defined as ‘destruction or surrender
of something for the sake of something else’.

You can’t get something without giving something
(up) in return.

You know it.

I know it.

When it comes to your weight loss, it’s making
sacrifices that will help you get rid of the
pounds.

“If I weren’t here (working out) I’d be sleeping.
It’s been a good decision. A no-brainer really.”

One of our clients said that after I
inquired about their program.

He sacrificed a little sleep.

Snooki is sacrificing booze.

“I just have to quit the drinking so much. If I do
drink, it’s going to be, like, vodka and seltzer
… maybe like two or three.”

Sheesh. Ok, maybe she’s not sacrificing all that
much.

What are you sacrificing to lose weight? What have
you ‘destroyed’ or ‘surrendered’ in order to lose
weight?

Fast food is a popular one. Sweets, eating out,
TV, the list goes on and on.

The fact remains, if you are not making any
sacrifices, you will not lose weight.

Taking a pill is easy. Buying some abdominal
contraption is easy. There’s no sacrifice in that.

Nothing good and lasting comes with ease.
Sacrifice is a must.

Now go make some sacrifices.

By the way, giving up booze except for vodka
is pretty weak. That’s like saying you’ll give up
McDonald’s except for the Quarter Pounder. Make
your sacrifice something worthwhile.

Posted under health, Weight Loss Tips

My blog post last week was about Drew Carey’s 80
pound weight loss. I revealed his fatal flaw to
lasting results. Nonetheless, he’s doing a lot
right.

But this week John Goodman has lost a reported 100
pounds! And he has done it the RIGHT way.

Let’s talk about how he did it.

His Turning Point

“It’s been constant. It’s always been in the back
of my mind. It just ate at me the whole time. That
may be part of the reason I shoved food in my
mouth so much. That satisfaction.”

When John got a role in Santa Clause he said
enough was enough. But he finally wised up and
didn’t set the ever-futile New Year’s resolution.
He hired a trainer and got on a program.

Whether you have a specific turning point or not,
you MUST decide enough is enough.

His Nutrition

“I had to clear out my own house first. It was
built on a bad foundation.”
“…But also fresh vegetables, lean protein… I’m
not a real hard-on about keeping strict calorie
counts. I know what’s in my wheelhouse, what I can
eat and what I can’t. And I’m satisfied eating it.
I cannot tolerate sugar. I crossed over to the
diabetic side, but I can’t tolerate it anyway
because it creates hunger.”

Spot on John. First fix the foundation. Get rid of
the crap. Now he’s getting protein and cutting the
sugar. Very important. And if you notice his
nutrition is supportive to his exercise.

His Alcohol

“Alcohol is alcohol. I’m an alcoholic. I would
drink no matter what. That’s just part of being an
alcoholic.”
“…and the big key was drinking.”

Goodman has cut out alcohol completely. The
problem with alcohol is not the calories or how
many carbs are in your beer. That’s marketing
hype.

Alcohol inhibits your metabolism. And your
metabolism is your body’s process for burning the
fat. If you want to lose weight and get in shape,
cut out the alcohol.

His Identity

This is very important and I probably don’t give
it as much attention as I should. I’ve talked to
men and women over the years that feel as if their
weight helps identify themselves. If your weight
helps identify you, i.e. being the ‘big cuddly
bear’ or defines you in any way, then YOU WILL NOT
LOSE WEIGHT.

I’m not being a cold s.o.b. here. I’m being
honest. How you define yourself will dictate how
you think, act and live your life. I identify
myself as being a healthy guy. Will I always be
healthy? Yeah, I probably will. I may eat a donut
from time to time, but I won’t let myself become
grossly unhealthy. Because that’s not how I define
myself.

So if you identify yourself with being ‘the big
guy’ or in some other way with your weight; you
won’t lose it. You might lose some for a period of
time, but you WILL gain it back.

So… on weight being apart of his persona and
being worried about losing his weight and having
people perceive him differently in the acting
realm…

“Hey, that’s too bad. I’ll scream and cry when I’m
in the unemployment line, but that’s really
secondary. I am what I am. I can act at different
weights. It’s a miracle I was hired at all for a
lot of these jobs.”

Don’t let ANYONE tell you who you are and what you
can or can’t do. Ever!

His Exercise

All cardio John?

“This time we mixed in strength training with
resistance bands. They’re great for me because I
can contract and release slower, and that builds
up better muscle for me.”

“I was doing a job in New Orleans twice a week
called Treme. I was only working a couple days a
week. I wanted to treat this other thing
(exercise) like a job–to get healthy.”

This speaks to how much he’s exercising. I wish
more people took their health and fitness as
serious as John has.

His Effort

Does he like it?

“I do. I’m still a sucker for highs, and I get
those endorphins. It’s just a feeling of well-
being. I’m where I’m supposed to be. I’m doing
what I should be doing. I feel good. I’m hopefully
extending my life. Before, I didn’t care.”

Being fit, firm and strong; able to handle stress
or any situation that comes your way; not just
looking good, but feeling good… that’s when you
have it all. That’s when life is at it’s best!

But I can’t adequately describe to you what being
fit feels like. That feeling must be experienced.

There are a TON of lessons to be taken from John’s
weight loss journey. I hope you pick them all up.
Of course the 80/20 rule will apply to these
lessons.

Many will read this and say, “Well, he’s a
Hollywood actor, with money, and time, and blah,
blah, blah.” And those people won’t do a thing.
They’ll stay the same. Stagnant. Inactive.
Unchanged.

The other camp will take this as another success
story (yes, I have given you others) to model and
motivate and make a change in their life. What you
do is your decision. But I hope you decide wisely.

If you haven’t signed up for a free trial you can reserve your spot here.

Posted under Fitness Tips, Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

I always enjoyed the Drew Carey Show. I thought he and that tall skinny guy, Ryan Stiles, were hilarious.

Drew took over Bob Barker’s place as host of the famed Price Is Right. Earlier this year he decided to lose the weight he’s carried for so long. To date he has lost 80 pounds!

I’m going to breakdown the good parts of his program and then reveal his fatal flaw.

Let’s start with the GOOD.

“I was sick of being fat on the camera.”
Believe it or not, this is good. If your current situation is not making you sick, then you’re likely OK with it. Just because someone may need to lose weight or improve their fitness doesn’t mean they want to. A lot of times a heart attack, starting medication, or just a trip to the doctor can spur taking action. For Drew it was sick of being fat on camera.

“I’m not diabetic anymore. No medication needed.”
Obviously good. Type II diabetes is growing more and more and it’s controllable with diet and exercise. Drew has conquered this one.

“I don’t drink anything but water.”
Although not totally necessary, it’s a good step. Alcohol, soda, energy drinks loaded with sugar will all slow down weight loss results.

“Lots of cardio…at least 45 minutes of cardio.”
The third leg of the 3 Legged Stool of Body Transformation. He doesn’t mention anything about strength training, but I would guess he is doing some. But cardio is just as important. And he’s certainly doing it.

“(Losing weight) was easy because once you see the results, then you don’t wanna stop.”There is no greater force than your own momentum. Once you get the ball rolling it picks up speed and gets faster and faster and faster. Soon you don’t want to stop. And it’s a heckuva lot easier!

He wants to lose weight so he can “be looking that great at 86″ like his predecessor Bob Barker. “I’d love to be able to play with him without getting tired, enjoy my life and watch him grow.” As I told a group of Enterprise employees I spoke to yesterday, you must start with goals, motivation, and commitment. Drew clearly has his reason ‘why’ down pat. He wants to see his step son grow up and live a healthy, enjoyable life. Retiring with health problems is no way to grow old.

Drew is doing a lot of good. But as I mentioned, there is a fatal flaw. Did you find it?

“No carbs…not even a cracker. No bread at all. No pizza, nothing. No corn, no beans, no starches of any kind.” If you guessed this was his fatal flaw, you guessed right. Whether he’s doing Atkins, South Beach, or some new and cool Hollywood diet we don’t even know about, he will soon fail. You can’t expect to stay on a diet by eliminating one of the macro-nutirents(carbs, protein, and fat). They are ALL essential. It’s not about eliminating them but balancing and controlling them to support you and your exercise program.

Mark my words, he will gain his weight back. I won’t say how much or how long, but he will gain it back. That’s my prediction.

I imagine he goes to some good restaurants and dinner parties. And sooner or later his craving for a donut or carbohydrate treat will cause him to crack. And that will be the start of a slippery slope. It’s just a matter of time.

That doesn’t discredit his hard work. I just hate to see people work so hard and invest so much with the wrong solution. I hope you’re not making the same fatal mistake.

If you haven’t checked out a free bootcamp trial click here. Come get fit and have fun with other St. Louis women!

Posted under Nutrition Tips, Weight Loss Tips

I emailed this lesson on Father’s Day and totally skipped posting it to the blog. So excuse the timliness of it. But I think the lesson is worth the tardiness.

First, I want to wish all of the dads out there,
especially my dad, a Happy Father’s Day. We’re
blessed and thankful to have you in our lives.
Second, I have a weight loss tip for you today.
And appropriately, it’s a tip I learned from my dad.

My dad was the one that spurred my health
kick. He bought me my first set of weights.
He’d make me a healthy lunch for school. But most
importantly, he taught me health and fitness by example.

He went to the gym a minimum of 5 days a week. He
would always make sure we had veggies with dinner. Don’t get me wrong, he would still bring home donuts on Saturday morning, but all in all, he was a healthy example to follow. And that’s the tip I want to share with you today. Learn by example.

I bet I can guess how successful you are with your
weight loss and fitness goals by taking a look at
the examples you follow.

Those examples will influence your actions and
behaviors. They will have the greatest effect on
you. Sometimes whether you choose it or not.
For instance, wouldn’t you want to follow the
example of someone that’s been successful
with weight loss versus someone that hops
from one diet to the next always struggling to
keep the weight off?

The examples you have in your life will utlimately
influence your actions.

I am the man I am today because of my dad. He
didn’t sit me down one day and say, “Tim, this is
how you be a man.” Not at all.

But I did learn how to work hard. I did learn how
to treat a lady. I did learn how to sacrifice. I
learned all of this from his example.
You can learn the same way. Doesn’t matter if it’s
weight loss, fishing, or sewing. If you
watch, observe, and follow a good example, chances
are you’ll be just as good.

Good examples are a great way to learn. Take some
time now to think about the examples you have when
it comes to your weight loss. Are they good examples to follow? Will they help you move closer to your goal? If not, I suggest you find others to follow. If you need a good example to follow come spend a week with my team and I. We’ll quickly show you the path to weight loss!

P.S. If you don’t have a good example to follow or have been unsuccessful with your weight loss click here for a support. You’ll receive a free trial to our bootcamp and see for yourself how being around like minded women with a common goal is very beneficial to your weight loss and fitness.

Posted under Fitness Tips, Weight Loss Tips

I received an email from one of my mentors
last week. He was using the problem I’m
referring to in a different light. But
immediately I realized it’s the biggest problem
mother’s face. Here’s what he said…

“Author and motivational/self actualization guru,
Larry Winget, has a book out that I recommend to
you. It’s called “No Time For Tact.” Great title.

VERY serious advice that cannot be overlooked for
long or you *will* pay the price.”

I think he’s spot on. But this is THE biggest and
most common problem I hear from mothers.

I firmly believe we’d be lost without our mothers.
They always put themselves on the bottom
of the totem pole and serve others first.

But it shouldn’t be that way. And it doesn’t have to be
either. I just finished meeting with Jennifer Janson. She
trained with us last year and came back in to get get
re-started.

Jennifer runs her own ‘company’ of 6 at home. Plus
her husband. When she went on hiatus from FT, she
realized that going it alone and doing it on her own was
not realistic. Too much distraction. Too much room for
error. Too much time. She was better when she had a
disciplined and structured exercise routine. It was time
for her. No one else to think about. No one else to tend to.

FT helps leverage her health and fitness. And she
knows her family is better served because of it.

This is even more important with your health, your
fitness, and your weight loss. You will serve
others better (spouse, kids, friends, etc…) if
you serve yourself first.

How to be effectively “selfish”:

Plug these into your calendar first:

- Your personal down time
- Your workouts
- Your nutrition
- Your sleep

And then be discplined about
honoring and protecting that time. Will it
be perfect? No. It never will be. But you
can certainly strive for it.

If you are married, have kids, work a lot of
hours, there are always others to tend to. It
takes discipline and commitment or your time can
soon fade away.

Gotta guard against that – at all costs.

Here’s to the Mom’s out there!

P.S. If you think this is only applicable to mothers
you’re sorely mistaken. Make sure you take time
for yourself, your health, your fitness, and watch
your care for others improve!

P.P.S. Would you like help being ‘selfish’? Would you
like a way to leverage your health and fitness? See
how Jennifer does it by clicking here.

Posted under Fitness Tips, health, Personal

I hesitated to title this post with that quote.
I thought you might think that’s me making that
claim. But I assure you I’m not.

I was probably just as shocked as you to see that.
I saw it on the back of a minivan driving into the
studio today. Call Harriette for more details. Or
to tell her she’s blowing smoke!:-)

3 dress sizes in 10 minutes is really what we want
isn’t it? We want immediate results. Our entire
society is built around speed. Everything is
faster. From computers to kids growing up.
It all happens fast.

But fitness results are not. It takes time to lose
weight and get in shape.

One of the most often asked questions I get is,
“How long will it take Tim?” That’s the
question everyone wants to know. But usually it’s
not what you want to hear.

It’s why my finace dislikes fitness. You may know
she’s a chef. She loves planning, preaparing,
and cooking a meal. Lucky me:-) But her final
result is instant. At the end of all that work
her meal is complete. My taste buds are wowed and
there’s a big smile on my face. She see’s the
result.

It’s different with fitness and weight loss.

Your fitness and weigtht loss takes time. A long
time for some. As frustrating as that may be it’s
just the way it is. And I have to continually
remind Joella of it. She’s looking for immediate
results. She expects to change after 2 workouts.
But it just won’t happen.

What are your expecations? I mean, really and
truly, when are you expecting to look and feel
good? One month? Three months? One year?

It’s different for everyone. But I’ll
try and give you a better idea.

When it comes to fitness the body works through 3
phases. Neural, muscular, and lipogenic. (That’s a
fancy word for burning body fat.)

The first phase, neural, is what I like to call
your initial hump. When you start an exercise
program you are in essence adding a stressor to
the body. (Ironically this stressor helps decrease
stress.) In the beginning it’s hard. The weights
feel heavy and wobbly. You sometimes feel akward
and unsure, and overall weak.

As you begin to
workout you actually breakdown your muscle before
you build it. Lactic acid builds up in your
muscles and causes soreness. Ah yes, the dreaded
soreness. Sometimes you find out about muscles you
forgot you had. Or maybe you didn’t even know you
had them! Walking up and down stairs, squatting to
the toilet, and other daily activities can become
gruelsome. This inital hump usually lasts about
two weeks.

The second phase is muscular. After your body gets
past neural and systemic changes you’ll begin to
build muscle. You start to feel stronger. You’ll
notice increases in your energy and your
metabolism starts to raise.

I love this phase. And it always reinforces how
important strength training is for you. Because
lean muscle contributes so much to your body. Your
metabolism increases, your energy stokes, you
start to firm up and notice lines in your arms and
legs. You’re looking and feeling good like you
should!!

With the increase in metabolim and lean muscle
leads you into the last phase. Body fat burning.

This is where it counts. This is when you’re
turning your body into a machine. You metabolize
calories like a well oiled piston. It just
cranks!!(Hence my favorite saying, “Crank it!”)

You use up needed carbs, protein, and fat. Food
becomes fuel to your body. No longer do you eat
just because but it has an entire new meaning!

It takes roughly 12 weeks to go through these
phases. Some may go through them quicker. Some
slower. If you have 40 or 50 pounds to lose, it
will take you longer. If you’re looking to lose
that last 10 pounds you might do it 8 to 10 weeks.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. There’s one more thing.
Your body goes through these phases with one BIG
catch. Your diet! If you’re diet is not supportive
to these phases then you will slow the process.
You can’t out work a bad diet.

Set yourself up for success. Don’t put ‘Lose 3
dress sizes in 10 minutes’ into your mind. It
won’t happen. Give yourself realistic expectations
and set incremental goals along the way. Enjoy the
little victories and you’ll have one BIG victory
at the end.

P.S. Want to lose 3 dresses the right way? There’s
no better, faster way to results than our boot camp.
But don’t take my word for it. Investigate, then decide.

Posted under Fitness Tips, Weight Loss Tips