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SmallChangesforBIGResults!
IntroductionGettingStarted
Page3
‐1‐
TheBasicsPage4
‐2‐
TheDietPage7
‐3‐
DietFacts:TacklingMyths&MistakesPage13
‐4‐
EatingforFuelPage20
‐5‐
MindoverMatterPage23
‐6‐
SettingGoalsPage27
‐7‐
SabotagePage30
‐8‐
Routines&ResourcesPage33
©2007BonniePfiesterofPFiesterPFITandBCxBootCamp•Allrightsreserved.Donotduplicate.www.PFiesterPFIT.com
3
GettingStarted
Itemsyoumayneedtohelpmakethemostofyourprogram.
HeartRateMonitor
YogaMat
Newpairoftennisshoes
FoodScale
DesignerWheyProteinPowder
Towel
Classesbestforweightloss:
BootCamp
SportsConditioning
Spinning
Kickboxing
Step
Aerobics
Classesbestfortoning,strengtheningandflexibility
BootCamp
CrossFit
BodyToningClasses
KettlebellTraining
PowerYoga
Equipmentbestforweightloss:
Treadmill
Elliptical
Stepper
Exercisesthatfirmtheskin,tonethebody,speedupthemetabolism,andreducetheappearanceofcellulite
Dumbbells,Kettlebells,MedicineBall,ResistanceBands,TRX
ResistanceEquipment(weightmachines,resistancebandsandfreeweights)
4
‐1‐
TheBasics
WhattheGymWON’TDo:
Thegym,alone,won’thelpyouloseweight.What?Yes,youheardme.Exercise,alone,willnothelpyouloseweight.Youcan
throwawayallyourhardworkoutsifyoudon’tfollowthediet.Youwillgethealthier,youwillgetstronger,butyouwilllikely
leavethesameweightyoustartedwithifyoudon’tcountcaloriesandincreaseyourprotein.
Workingoutisnottheretoeraseyourmistakesontheweekend.Actually,eatingpoorlyworkstheotherwayaround.Abaddiet
caneraseeverythingyoudointhegyminajiffy.Relyingonexercisetogiveyoutheabilitytoeatmorewithoutgainingweight
shouldnotevencrossyourmind.
WeekOne
MuscleSoreness–Itisverycommontobesorewhenyoubeginanewworkoutprogram.Herearefewtipstohelpbreakyour
bodyintoyournewfitnessroutine.
Drinkalotofwater–Drinkingwaterhelpsflushthetoxinsthatbuildupinthemuscles.
Eatalotofprotein–Helpyourmuscleshealbygettingtheproteinyouneedtohelpthemusclerepair.
Keepmoving–Theworstthingyoucando,issitstill.Stayingactivehelpsbreakupthetoxinsandrelievethesoreness.
Takeananti‐inflammatory–Overthecountermedicationcanhelprelievepainandswelling.
TakeanEpsomSaltbath–AnEpsomSaltbathcanhelprelievetired,achymuscles
Iceinjuries,musclespasmsandjoints–Icingswollenjointsandtriggerpointscanhelpspeeduprecoverydueto
inflammation.
DONOTIGNOREPAIN–Listentoyourbody.Ifyouareexperiencingsharpjointormusclepain,besidesnormalmuscle
soreness,youmayneedtorestormodifyexercises.
5
Understandingyourheartrate
LearningYourMaximumHeartRate
Beforeyouexplore“targetheartrate”or“thefat‐burningzone”youhavetofindoutyourmaximumheartrate.Themaximum
heartrateisalways220minusyourage.Thismeanseveryone’sheartrateshouldbedifferentdependingonhisorherage.
MyMaximumHeartRateis:220‐myage___________=_________________
TheFat‐BurningZone
Thefatburningzoneis65‐75%ofyourmaximumheartrate.Thisisthezonewhereyourbodyburnsahigherpercentageof
caloriesfromfat.Theideaistoburnasmanycaloriesaspossiblewiththehighestpercentageofcaloriescomingfromfat.
ThelowendofMyFatBurningZoneis:Mymaximumheartrateof____________X.65=_____________
ThehighendofMyFatBurningZoneis:Mymaximumheartrateof____________X.75=____________
TheCardioZone
Ifyouwanttoworkyourheartandlungs,andarenotasconcernedaboutlosingbodyfat,thenyouwouldwanttoexerciseat
75‐85%ofyourmaximumheartrate.Inthiszone,youburnmorecalories,butalowerpercentageofcaloriesfromfat.
ThelowendofmyCardioZoneis:mymaximumheartrateof____________X.75=_____________
ThehighendofmyCardioZoneis:mymaximumheartrateof____________X.85=_____________
TIP:
ItisHIGHLYrecommendedyouuseaheartratemonitorduringexercisingtohelpmonitoryourheart
rateandcaloriesburnedduringexercise
Diet+Exercise,thewinningcombination
Wehaveallheardthatdietingandexercisetogethercanbringthebestresults,butthereismoretoitthanjustburningextra
calories.Dietandexercisetogetherhasapsychological impactonweightwatchersthat isoftennotdiscussed.Exercisehasa
mentaleffectontheentiredietingprocessanditsvalueisunderestimated.
6
Whensomeonecombinesexercisewithadietregimen,itrequiresanextrabitofefforttobeputforthtowardtheweightloss
endeavor.This,tome,isthemostvaluablepartofexercisetodieters.Oncesomeonehasspentvaluabletimetoburncaloriesin
thegym,eachcaloriewillhavearealtangiblevalue.Themoretimesomeoneinvestsinanexerciseroutine,themoreprotective
they become in their investment. Since their investment is based on calories in and calories out, a dieter tends to bemore
cautiousofeatingcaloriesthatcouldsabotagetheirresults,whichwerebasedonrealphysicalwork.
Suddenly,someone’sfavoritecheatmealisovershadowedbyhowmanycaloriesthatwouldhavetobeburnedtoerasetheir
mistake. This thoughtprocesshelpsholddieters accountable for their actions. It is nodifferent than the same feelingwhen
decidingtomakeabigpurchase.Weallknowbuyer’sremorseisn’tafunexperiencesowetrytomakethebestchoicesinlife,
whichrequiresalotofdiscipline.
Ofcoursebuyingacaronawhimisn’tabigdealforsomepeople,butit’srelative.ItdependsifitisaHondaoraBentley?The
decisionshouldnotbebasedonwhatyouwant,butwhatyoucanafford.Toomanytimesweeatwhatwewant,notwhatwe
canaffordtoeat.Exercisehelpstokeepwhatwecanreallyaffordintoperspective.
Lastly,peoplewantfastresults.Exercisehelpspeopletophysicallyfeeltheresultsofahealthierlifestyle.Steve’sfavoritesaying
is “being fit feelsbetter than food tastes”. Ihave found this tobeavery true statement.Aspeoplebegin to feel theadded
energy,thetighterbodyandthelooserclothes,foodbecomeslessandlesstempting.
Thereisonecatch.Itrequires100percenteffortandcommitmenttotheexerciseprograminorderforittoreallywork.Ahalf
effortisn’tenoughatstakeandiscommonlyfollowedbyapromisetostartnextweek,whichmayneverhappen.
Ifyouhavetrieddietingbeforebutyoueitherknowyoudidn’tput100percenteffortintoyourexerciseanddietprogramatthe
sametime,oryouhaveanydoubtatallyoumayhavenotdoneitcorrectly‐thenhere’syourchancetodoitright!
7
‐2‐TheDiet
TheAppetizer,aNotefromBonnie
Beforeyoumovetothemaincourse,Iwouldliketoencourageyou.Dietingisnotasdifficultasitseems.Themediaoftenover‐
complicatesthingswhendietingtherightwayisreallyquitesimple.Mygoalistosharethemostbasicandhelpfulinformation
possiblewithoutweighing youdownwith all the fluff and junk. Remember KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid?Well, it applies to
weightlosstoo!
Yousee,there’sALWAYSmoretolearn.Theproblemis,peoplewanttogetallkindsofgreatinformationfrommanydifferent
sourceswithoutunderstandinghowitallfitstogether.Mydesireistohelpyoufocusononethingandonethingalone–losing
weight.
Letmeusemyfirstanalogy.IfIweretoteachyouhowtodrive,shouldIshowyouhowtochangetheoilorteachyouabout
enginecombustion?Idon’tthinkso.Althoughit’sgoodtounderstandhowacarrunsandhowtotakecareofit,knowingthat
informationisn’tgoingtogetyoufrompointAtopointB.Youneedtoknowhowtodrivethecar.Inthisbook,Iwillbefocusing
onteachingyouhowtogetfrompointA(yourcurrentweight)topointB(athinneryou).
Afteryou learnhowtogetmoving intherightdirection,THENyoucanbegintoexploretheworldofhealthandfitness.The
samewaydifferentfuelandadditivescanimproveyourcar’sperformancetherearemanytipstoeatingthatcanimproveyour
performanceandoverallhealth–BUTlet’snottakethecartbeforethehorse.
Mygoalistogiveyouinformationthatmakessense.IwilluseasmanyanalogiesasIcancomeupwithtohelpthingstoreally
click–andstick.Withagrowingunderstandingandknowledge,onecanmakehealthierchoicesoutsideof“rules”.Rulesare
blackandwhitebuttruthfillsinallthegreyareas.Thisknowledgeallowsdieterstoexperiencerealfreedom.Insteadofbeingin
bondagetorules,peoplecanmakedecisionsbasedontruthsinanycircumstance.
Knowledgebirthsunderstandingandunderstandingmotivatespeople.Motivationcreatesthedesireforaction,actiondelivers
resultsand then the resultswill startapowerfulmomentum.Many times theproblemariseswhenpeopledon’tunderstand
whytheyaredoingwhattheyaredoing.Thatlackofunderstandingstiflesanymotivation,hencenoresults.Knowledgeisthe
veryfirststeptowardweightlosssuccess.
8
TheMainCourse
1:TheBigSecret‐It’sallaboutCalories
Thebigsecret todieting isn’t reallya secretatall.Althoughthehungers (pun intended) forasecretorgimmick,weight loss
reliessolelyononethingandonethingalone–caloriesinandcaloriesout.Aslongasyoutakeinfewercaloriesthanyouburn,
you’llloseweight.Notricks,nogimmicks.
2:TheMagicNumber‐1200‐1500
Themillion‐dollarquestionis“howmanycaloriesshouldIeat?”Althoughtheamountofcaloriesdoesvarydepending
someone’sactivity,weightandmetabolismthebestplacetostartisbylookingatbrandnamediets.Brandnamedietswork
becausemostofthemarebasedon1200to1500caloriesforwomenand1500‐1800formen.Youmaychoosetoconsultadiet
professionalorphysiciantogetmorepersonalizedadviceanddirection.
3:TheOnlyWay‐CalorieCounting
Diet gimmicks and brand name diet plans often confuse people. All the sudden everyone is so worried about avoiding
carbohydrates,countingpointsoreatingorganicfoodstheymisstheonlythingthatreallycountswhenitcomestoweightloss
–calories.
Althoughmost diet fads have some truth behind them, don’t let them overcomplicate things. A person can loseweight by
cuttingportionsoreatinglessfat,buttheresultsarepartiallybasedonguessesandluck.Theonlywaytoguaranteeweightloss
istocountcalories,makingsureyouarewithinyourcaloricallowance.
4:SevenDaysaWeek‐NoOffDays
Ifyouareagoodspousesixdaysaweekbuthaveanaffairontheseventhday,thechancesofyourmarriagelastingisslimto
none.Whywouldanyonethinktheycouldcheatontheirdietandstillbesuccessful?Youcanhaveanoccasionaltreat,butyou
shouldn’thavean“off”dayandactlikeit’safreeforall.Ifyougoingtocheat,youstillneedtocountthecalories.
Having an “off” day can result in doubling the time it takes to reach a weight loss goal. Formany, it can actually paralyze
someone’sresultsaltogether.Isonecheatdayreallywortherasing6daysofdisciplineandphysicalexercise?
5:EatLess,butMoreOften
Ifthereareanytrickstodietingtherightway,thisisone.Sinceyourmetabolismfollowsyourbloodsugar,eatingoftenkeeps
yourmetabolismupandrunningsoyouburnmorecaloriesthroughouttheday.Youshouldeat5‐6smallmealsandsnacksa
dayforthebestresults.
9
Whenyoudon’teatoftenenoughyourbodythinksyouarestarvingandyourbodywillbegintoshutdown.You’llbegintofeel
sluggishbecauseyourmetabolismwillslowdowninordertoholdontostoredfat.Fatstoresareyourbody’semergencyfuel
source.Ifyourbodythinksit’sstarving,itwilltrytoholdontoallthefuelitcan.
Youshouldstillbeeating less– justmoreoftenandsmallerportions. Ifyounoticeyouarehungrymorewhenyoueatmore
often,thatisasignyourmetabolismiskickingintohighgear.
6:IncreaseYourActivity‐ExerciseBoostsWeightLoss
Mostpeoplecannotloseweightbyexercisingalone.Sinceourmetabolismspeedsupwhenweexercise,wealsofindour
appetiteincreases.Ifyouarenottrackingyourcalories,mostlikelyyouwilljustincreaseyourintakeandyou’llneverlosea
pound.
However,exercisecanboostweightlosswhencombinedwithadiet.Thevalueofacalorieincreaseswhenyouareworkingas
hardtoburncaloriesasyouaretocountthem.Peoplearelesslikelytoerase45minutesofhardworkonatreadmillfora
coupleofcookies.Bottomline:exercise+diet=success!
TheChecks&BalancesofDieting
Haveyoueverlookedatyourcheckingaccountandbeensurprisedtoseethebalancewaslowerthanyouexpectedittobe?I
thinkwe’veallbeentherebefore.Atfirstyouthink,“There’snowayIspentthatmuchmoney”.Thenasyoulookfurtheryou
begintouncoverallthesmallstuffthatcreatedthebigproblem.
It’s funny how the little stuff adds up quick and the same applies to our diet. It’s all the extras that can get us in trouble.
Condiments,saladdressings,snacks,creamandsugar–theyaddalotofextracaloriestoourdiet.Unfortunatelymostpeople
havenoideahowmanycaloriestheyaretakingin.
Dieting isallaboutchecksandbalances.Theonlydifference is,mostofusdon’t ‘balance’ourdietaccount toseewherewe
stand. That habitwould never flywhen it comes to ourmoney.Most of us can’t afford to just keepwriting checkswithout
reconcilingouraccount.Thetruth iswereallycan’taffordto ignorehowmuchweeateither.Eventually itwillcatchupwith
you.
Wecanfoolourselvesintothinkingwedon’thavetocountcalories,butjustbecausewedon’tcountthemdoesn’tmeanthat
theyaren’tthere.Theonlydifferenceis,nooneistheretocutyouoffonceyou’vegone‘overthelimit’likethebankdoeswhen
youareinthered.
10
Managing calories is likewriting a budget. It takes a little time in the beginning, but as you begin to journal your food you
quicklylearnwhatyoucanandcannotaffordtoeat.Thegoodnewsis,unlikemanagingyourbankaccount‐youdon’thaveto
doitforever.Partoftheinitialdisciplineisjustalearningprocess.
Youmaybeagoodstewardofyoumoney,butareyouagoodstewardoveryourbody?Yourbodyisthemostvaluableasset
youhave.Maybeit’stimetodosomechecksandbalanceswithyourhealththisyear.
Whatcanyou“afford”toeat?
Whenitcomestoshopping,thereareafewthingsyouneedtoknowbeforeyoucandeterminewhatyoucanafford.
1. Howmuchdoestheitemyouwantcost
2. Howmuchyouhavetospend
Thesameappliestoyourdiet.Youcan’tdeterminewhetherornotyoucan“afford”toeatsomethingifyoudon’tknowhow
muchit“costs”,meaninghowmanycaloriesitis.Theotherdeterminingfactorisyour“budget”.Youhavetoknowhowmuch
youcanspend,meaninghowmanycaloriesyouarecurrentlyspending.
Whatisyourcaloricbudget?
A.ChooseYourActivity:
1.3–sedentary,sittingmostoftheday,lighthousework/work
1.4–lightactivity,work,housework,exercise2‐3Xaweek,standorwalkatwork
1.5‐1.6–moderatelyactive,alltheaboveactivities,exercise1hour3‐4Xaweek
1.7–veryactive,alltheabovedailyactivities,exercise1‐2hourseveryday
B.ChooseYourMetabolism:
10–Slow(Sleepyafterameal)
11–Normal(normalorfeelthesameafterameal)
12–Fast(Fidgetyorhyperafterameal)
C.ApplyAboveNumbersinthisSimpleFormula:
_____________X_________=________________X_____________=____________________WeightActivityMetabolismCaloriesBurned*
*Thisnumberistheapproximateamountofcaloriesyouareallowedtoeatinordertomaintainyourcurrentweight.Youshouldreducecaloriestoloseweightorincreasetogainweight.Mencanincreasetheirintakeby5‐10%.
11
DetermineyourdailyCaloricDeficit:
___________________‐_________________________=________________________CaloriesBurnedDaily CaloriesConsumed(1200‐1500)DailyCaloricDeficit
NOTE:Ittakesadeficitof3,500caloriestoloseonepoundoffat.
Makeaplan
1.Howmuchdoyouwanttolose?______________________Total
2.Howmanypoundsdoyouwanttoloseaweek?_________/Week
3.Howmanycalorieswillthatrequire?__________________(YourweeklygoalX3,500calories=requiredweeklydeficit)
4.Accordingtoyourcaloricbudgetandyourgoals,howmanycaloriesshouldyoueateachday?__________________
5.Togetthebestresults,youshouldcommittodietingandjournalingyourfood7daysaweekforacertainamountofweeks.
Howmanyweeksareyouwillingtocommittodietingwithoutcheating?Iwilldietfor7daysaweekfor__________weeks.
Thenextquestionpeoplehaveis“HowmanycaloriesshouldIeattoloseweight?”Here’smyanswer.Youneedtotakeinless
thanyouburn.Thegreaterthedeficit,thegreatertheweightloss.Thequestionis,howfastdoyouwanttolosetheweight?
OK,sothatdoesn’tcut it foryou? Ibetyouwantahardnumber.Well,herearesomehardfiguresthatmayhelpyou.Most
brandnamedietsallow1200‐1500calories.Acaloricallowanceorabrandnamedietmayseemlow,buttheygiveyouplenty
of room for error. Take in consideration most people miss calories, and/or under estimate calories recorded during the
journalingprocess.Ifyourcaloricallowanceistooclosetoyourapproximatecaloriesburned,youmaynotbeleavingenough
roomforerrorandnotgettheresultsyouwant.
TIP:
Ifyouwanttolose2poundsaweek,youshouldbeina1,000‐caloriedeficitaday.Meaning,ifyouburn
2,500caloriesaday,youshouldbeeating1,500caloriesaday.
12
WhyCountCalories
Haveyouever“ChristmasTreed”atestexpectingtopasswithflyingcolors?Ofcoursenot!Evenifyouguessrightonhalfthe
answersyoustillonlymakea50%‐lastIremember,that’sstillan‘F’.Sowhatmakesusthinkanyonecouldsucceedatlosing
weightbyguessingourwaythroughadiet?
Ibelievethemainreasonpeoplefailwhendietingisbecausetheybasealltheirdecisionsonwhattheyguessaretherightones.
Mostpeople’sdietchoicesarebasedonlimitedinformation.Inaddition,theyoftenareplayingthesameguessinggamewith
theirexerciseroutine.
Unfortunately,the‘guessingdiet’isdoomedforfailure.Itisessentialdietersknowexactlywhattheyareeatingwhichtakesa
littleeducation.Agreatplacetostartisbykeepingadietdiary.Loggingcaloriesisalearningprocess,liketakingaclass.
Asyoutrackyour intakeyouwilluncovermistakesandhiddencalories.Atthesametimeyouwillalsodiscovergoodchoices
andlowercaloriestreats.Thisprocesswillteachyouhowtomakeeducateddecisionsandtherewardwillbegreat.Ifyouhave
nevertriedcountingcaloriesbefore,it’stimeyougiveitatry.Whatyouwilllearnfromthisexperiencewilllastalifetime.
TIP
You’veheardthesaying,“Ifyoufailtoplan,plantofail”.Dietingtakesplanningtosucceed.
13
‐3‐TheDietFacts:TacklingMyths&Mistakes
DietMistakes
Peopeshare theirdiet struggleswithmeall the time.They tellmehowthey’ve triedeverydieton theplanetbutnevergot
resultsorhowtheyusedtoworkoutbutthatdidn’tworkeither.Mostofthetimetheyjustdidn’tstickwithitlongenoughor
their regimewas just toounrealistic tomaintain long‐term.Myfavoriteoneofall is theonewheretheytellmehowthey’re
doingalltherightthingsandstillcan’tloseweight.Ithappensallthetime.Theytellmehowhardtheyworkoutandhowwell
they eat, but they just can’twork out that hard, eat right andNOT loseweight. It’s just science. If you are taking in fewer
caloriesthanyou’reburning–youWILLloseweight.Sowhat’stheirproblem?Well,itseemsthereareafewcommonscenarios.
1.Thereisthepersonthatreallydoeseatverywell‐MOSTofthetime.Thispersoneatsveryfewcaloriesduringtheweekbut
completelyblowsitontheweekends.Thiseatingpatternismoreforsomeoneinthemaintenancestageoftheirdiet. Ifthey
wanttoloseweight,theyneedtoeatrightsevendaysaweekuntiltheyloseasignificantamountofweight.Itmaytakeafew
weeks,butitiscrucialforweightloss.Aftertheylosetheirfirstchunkofweighttheycancelebrateandcheatalittlebutthey
havetogetrightbackontheirdietuntiltheyreachtheirgoal.
2.Anothertypeofpersonhasnocluewhattheyareeating.Theyreallybelievetheyareeatingwell,butare justrelyingon
guesswork.Forexample,Ihadawomantellmethatshewasona“No‐Carb”Diet(whichisawholeothertopictobediscussed),
butshecouldn’tunderstandwhyshewasn’tlosingweight.Iaskedhertogivemeanexampleofwhatshewaseatingandthe
firstthreethingsshelistedwereallhigh‐carb/high‐calorieitems.Shesimplydidn’tknowanybetter.Herknowledgewaslimited.
Inthissituationitisimperativethatthistypeofpersongettheknowledgetheyneedtomaketherightchoices.
3.Lastly,otherpeopleeathealthybutstilleattoomanycalories.Thispersonavoidsalltheobvioushigh‐caloriefoodslikeice
cream,Frenchfriesandcreamsaucesbutstillgetstoomanycaloriesfromotherfoodsorfromovereating.Theirmistakeisthey
don’tcountfruitsandvegetables,orotheritemsthatsoundhealthy,butarestillcalories.Theymightfixhealthymealsbutthey
eattoomuchortheyforgetalltheextraitemslikealcohol,sauces,dressings,etc.Thispersonjustneedstokeepbettertrackof
whattheyareeatingsotheycanfindthelostcalories.Mysuggestionwouldbeforthispersontobuyacaloriebookandkeepa
dietdiary,writingeverythingdownthatgoesintheirmouth.Thisisnormallyabigeye‐opener.
The bottom line is, calories are calories nomatterwhere it comes from, orwhether you know you are eating themor not.
Whenitcomesto losingweight, itdoesn’tmatter ifthecaloriesarecomingfromunhealthyfoodsorhealthyfoods.Whether
youtryafaddietormakeupyourown,itallboilsdowntoeatingfewercaloriesthanyouareburning.It’sjustthatsimple.
14
Youcan’talwaystrustthelabel
Asyoubeginyourjourneyofcountingcalories,youneedtobecarefulwhenreadinglabels.Companieswantyoutofeelgood
about buying their product. Unfortunately,many companieswill do, or say, anything to get you to be their customer. This
meansmakingtheirproductlooklikeit’sthebestchoice.
Forexample,acompanymaytagtheirproductwithalow‐fatlabeljustbecausetheyreducedthefatbyacoupleofgrams.The
productmaystillbepackedwithfatbutsinceit’salittlelowerthantheoriginalone,theycanexploitthelow‐fatlabel.
Inaddition,low‐fatandfat‐freeitemsareoftenhigherincalories.Manytimes,theywilladdsugar,orotheringredients,tomake
upforanylostflavorfromtheremovedportionoffat.
Anothercommontacticisforproductstochangetheservingsizeinorderforthecaloriestofitourcaloricguidelines.Softdrinks
maysaytheyaretwoandahalfservings,whenthecompanyknowstheproductswillbeconsumedbyonepersonatonetime.
Thesamegoesforsnacksandotherprepackageditems.
Adifferentsalespitchistoclaimitishighinprotein.Doestheaveragepersonreallyknowwhatitmeanstobehighinprotein
anyway?Ibetnot.I’vereadalotoflabelsonproductsclaimingtobehighinproteinwheninfacttheywerenothighatall.
Sowhatshouldyoubelookingfor?Ifyouaretryingtoloseweight,youneedtobelookingatcaloriesandportionsize.Begin
reallystudyinglabelsandcomparingthenew“lighter”productwithitspredecessor.
Learnhowcaloriesaddupbykeepingadietdiary.Thisprocesscanhelpyoumakebetterchoiceswhenshoppingasyoubeginto
budgetmorethanjustmoney,butcaloriestoo.
TIP:
Makesureyouarealwayscomparingapplestoapples.Forinstance,bottledsaladdressinglistsserving
sizeas2tablespoonswhererestaurantstypicallyreportounces.
15
Portionsizecanruinadiet
It’stemptingtoguessonportionsize,butwithextraportionscomesextracalories.Thisiswhereweoftengowrongwhenwe
diet. We may eat well, but we still eat too much. We should maintain a balance, eating well and in good proportion.
Unfortunatelyweliveinasuper‐sizeworldwithportionsthataresimplyoutofcontrol.
Howdowefightthetemptationtoovereat?Forme,Isimplyhavetoavoideatingoutasmuchaspossible.Ihaveseveralplaces
IknowIcangotoandstilleatwell,butthenthereareotherplacesIavoidatallcostbecauseIknowmyweaknesses.
Secondly,youcancontrolovereatingbycontrollingyourhunger.Therearemanyofuswhowaituntilweareabsolutelystarving
beforewefinallydecidetoeat.Thisonlywillsetyouupforfailure.Youcancontrolyourhungerbysnackingbetweenmealsor
evenhavingasmallsnackonthewaytotherestauranttohelppreventyoufromover‐orderingandover‐eating.
Another way to prevent overeating is preparing and packing your own food for the day. You are going to get hungry, the
questioniswillyoubeprepared?
Lastly,exerciseisasuperiordeterrenttoovereating.Ifyouareinvestingyourtimeandmoneyinanexerciseprogram,itismuch
easiertobemotivatedtomaintaingoodproportions. Idon’tknowabouteveryoneelse,but Isuredon’twanttoblowallmy
hardworkononesillymeal.
TIP:
Thebetterfoodtastes,theharderitistocontrolportions.Youcanhavefoodsyoulove,butcanyou
controlyourselfaroundthem?Ifnot–avoidthemliketheplague!
CanIstilleatpizza?
Ifyouhearsomeonesaytheydietedandstillatepizzaandcake,itcanbetrue.YoucanstillhavethefoodsyouloveIFyoucan
controlyourselfaroundthem.Theproblemismostpeoplehavetroubledoingthat.Ifyoucanhavejustonecookie,it’sOKto
haveasmalltreateveryonceandawhile.Itbecomesaproblemwhenyoufindyourselfhavingatreateveryday.That’swhen
itisnolongeratreat‐it’sahabit.Also,makesureyouareincludingitinyourfoodjournal.Ifyoudecidetohavea300‐calorie
dessert,youmusttakethe300caloriesoutfromsomewhereelseordoanother300‐calorieworkoutinordertostayontrack.
As you begin to count calories youwill also discover thatmany products are deceiving. Foods you thoughtwere healthy
simplybecausetheproducttoldyouwillberevealed.Whenitcomestomakinggoodchoices,unfortunately,youwillneedto
16
learnwhattolookforandmakethatdeterminationforyourselfinsteadofrelyingonaproductsclaimtobetherightchoice
foryou.
Youmayfindcertainfoodsseemtogiveyoumoreenergyorkeepyoufeelingfull longer.Journalinghowyoufeelcanhelp
youtomakebetterchoices.Itwon’ttakelongtodiscoverwhenyoueatpoorlyyoufeelpoorlytoo.
TIP:
Thenumberofcaloriesyoueatdetermineshowyouloseweight.Whereyougetthecalories(fat,
protein,carbohydrates,alcohol)determineshowyoulookandfeelwhileyouloseweight.
DietMyths
Since “Diets” are such a hot topic, you also get a lot of hot air.Myths, lies andmisunderstandings often get in theway of
people’ssuccess.Somearetrue,somearenot.Inthisportion,Iwillattempttotouchonsomeofthemostcommonmythsthat
havecomemyway.
OnceontheLips,ForeverontheHips
I thinkwe’ve all heard the saying before, “Once on the lips, forever on the hips”. Although itmay just seem like a catchy
anecdoteoroneofthoseuglymyths,Ibelievethereissometruthbehindit.I’mnottalkingabouttheactualplacementofthe
weightgoingtothehips,butthetruthbehindthecomparison.I’mreferringtotheshortamountoftimeyouactuallyenjoythe
foodcomparedtothelongamountoftimeitseemstostickwithus.
Let’slookatthisalittledeeper.Someonecaneasilyconsume2,000caloriesinonemeal,especiallywhendiningout.Ilookedup
myfavoritedish,steakfajitaquesadillas,fromapopularrestaurantchainonlytofindtheentréewasawhopping1970calories.
Ouch!Consumingthatmanycaloriesmaybeeasy,butburning2,000calories isanotherstory.Amistake likethatcouldtake
fifteenmilestoerase.
Thebottomlineisthefewminutesyourtastebudsenjoythemealcantakehourstoburnoffwithexercise.Ifyouaren’twilling
todowhatittakestoburnofftheextracalories,ordon’tlivealifestylethataffordsyouthoseextracalories,thenalittlesimple
pleasurecanliterallystaywithyouforever.
17
It’s likeadebt that isneverpaid. Itwon’tgoawayuntilyoupay itoff.Ourweightbasically fluctuatesbasedonchargesand
payments.Wemakepriceychargeswitheveryhighcaloriebiteweeat.Thepaymentiswhatwemustdotoerasethedebt.For
manythisisalifelongstruggle.Forothers,itisalessonlearnedandalifestylechangethatisrequired–alifestylecenteredon
limitationsandlivingresponsibly.
Oneofourfavoritesayingsaroundourhouseis“beingskinnyfeelsbetterthanfoodtastes”.Feelingskinnyalsolastslongerthan
foodtastes.Believeme,whenIeatchocolateIholditinmymouthaslongasIcanbeforeIswallowitinordertosavoreverybit
offlavor‐anditstillonlylastaminuteorso.Youarestuckwithyourbodytherestoftheday–whetheryoulikeitornot.
Nexttimeyouarebeingtempted,mayberecitingthesaying“onceonthelips,foreveronthehips”isnotabadideaifithelps
preventyoufrommakingabigmistake.
Myths
Hereismytakeonsomeofthemostcommondietmyths.
1. Icanhaveacheatday.Evenifyoucanaffordtohaveacheatday,youstillneedtotrackit.Acheatdaydoesn’tmeanyoucan
havewhateveryouwantandhowmuchyouwant.Acheatdaymaybeeatingout,butstilleatinghealthyorhavingakiddycup
oficecream,notanicecreamsundae.Youstillhavetobesmartandyoumayevenwanttoconsidernothavingcheatdaysuntil
yougetclosertoreachingyourgoal.
2. IcaneatmorebecauseIamworkingoutmore.Thisthoughtsabotagesmanypeople’shardwork.Ifyoueatmoreyouare
justerasingeverythingyoudotobeinacaloricdeficit.Onceyoureachyourgoalandnolongerneedtobeinadeficit,THENyou
caneatalittlemorebutyouwillstillneedtomakesureyouarenoteatingmorethanyouaburning.
3. IcaneatasmanyfruitsandvegetablesasIwant.Acalorieisacalorie.Althoughmostpeoplewillnoteat5appleslikethey
maybetemptedtoeat5portionsofpotatochips,ifyouareeatingtoomuch,mostlikelyyouaregettingintoomanycalories.
Manyfruitsandvegetablesarehighincaloriessoyoustillhavetowatchcalories–nomatterhowhealthythefoodsource.
4. Eating too little can actuallymake yourmetabolism slow down. Although you don’twant to starve yourself, the key to
eating less iseatingMOREOFTENbyeatingsmallerportionsmoretimesthroughouttheday.Thisspeedsupthemetabolism
andhelpskeepyourenergylevelupwhiledieting.So,theconcernisnotnecessarilyhowmuchyoueat,asmuchashowoften
youeat.Ifyouareonlyeating2or3timesaday,youmayindeednotbeeating“enough”andshoulddistributethecaloriesout
overseveralsnacksandmeals.
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5. I shouldn’t worry if I don’t lose weight sincemuscle weighsmore than fat. That is true in the beginning of a workout
program but eventually the additional muscle should actually help you to lose weight faster. This is why doing a body
compositionanalysisissovaluable,soyoudon’tdependsolelyonyourweightfortrackingprogress.
6. Youshoulddietslowlynottoshockyourbody.Thismaybesomewhattrueatextremesbutsomepeopletakethisabittoo
far.Astrictdietischallenging,butclingingtothisfearmayallowyoutofeelbetterabouteatingmorecaloriesbutyoucanget
allthenutrientsyouneedin1200‐1500caloriesandgetfasterresults.Also,likeImentionedearlier,youmayshockyoursystem
ifyouareliterallystarvingyourselfbynoteatingoftenenough.So,ifyourbodyseemstobeinshockmodeitmaynotbedueto
theamountofcalories,butthedistributionofcalories,changesinfood,orchangesinactivity.
7. Prepackagedfoodsarebadforyou.Prepackagedfoodsmaybeprocessedandhavepreservatives,butiftheotheroptionis
eatingfastfoodortoomuchfoodthenitmaybeabetteroptionforyou.Wholefoodswillalwaysbethebestchoice,buthaving
convenientlypackagedfoodsinthecorrectportionsandcaloriesmaybestsuityourbusylifestyle.
Whatyoudon’tknowCANhurtyou
We’ve all heard this saying, “what you don’t know can’t hurt you” butwhen it comes to dieting this is a bigwhopping lie.
AlthoughIamsuremostofusatsomepointandtimehavepretendedsomethingwasfat‐freeorcalorie‐freebecauseitmade
usfeelbetterabouteatingit.Playingthisgameiseasiestwhenweeatoutandtherearenolabelstoread.Wouldn’titbeniceif
everyfooditemcamewithalabelonit?Thenwe’dbefacedwiththetruth.
If onlyweknewhowmanycalorieswere ineachhome‐cookedmeal,bakedgoodsandmenu item,manyofuswouldmake
muchbetterdecisions.Thehardestpartaboutdietingistryingtoguesshowmanycaloriesareinthesetypesoffoods.Wetend
tounderestimatecalorieswhenwe leave ituptoourownguesswork.Wewant tobelievecertain foodsareOKtoeat.Then
afterwetalkourselfintobelievingwe’vemadetherightchoiceweexpecttoloseweightasifourguesswasalwaysaccurate.
Ididsomethingtheotherdaythatenlightenedmeonthisverysubject.Ipickedupalow‐caloriesnackonarecentroadtrip.I
noticedthesnackwasalittleover200calories.Iwasn’ttoothrilledaboutthissinceItrytokeepmysnacksto150caloriesor
lessbutIthoughtIshouldbringitincaseIgothungry.IfoundmyselfpickingupthesnackwhileIwasdrivingalong,re‐reading
thepackageoverandover ‐contemplatingwhether itwasworth itornot. Iultimatelydecided itwasn’tworth itandwould
prefertoeatsomethingbetterlater.
IdecidedtostopforsomeStarbuckstostretchmylegsandrefuelmybodywithafat‐freesugar‐freelatte.Ifoundmyselfstaring
atthepastrycaselookingforanythingthatcouldbetheleastbithealthy.Thestorehadoneitem–ano‐sugaraddedbanana
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nut loaf. I thought that would be the best choice. Besides, it had real bananas and whole nuts in it, which sure beat my
processed200caloriesnack.TheloafwaslargerthanmywimpysnacksoevenifithadafewmorecaloriesIthoughtitwouldbe
worthit.Thedecisionmakingprocesscanbefunnyattimes,butthatwasmythoughtprocess.
AfterIatethesnackIbegantofeelalittleguilty,second‐guessingmychoice.AfewdayslaterIlookedupthecaloriesforthat
banana loafandfoundthatmy little ‘nosugaraddedtreat’hadover475caloriesand30gramsof fat!!That ismorecalories
thananentireleancuisinemeal.Icouldn’tbelieveit.Iknewitwasprobablyalittlehigherthanmy200caloriesnack,butIhad
no idea itwasgoing tobe twice thecalories. Inaddition Ihadmy fat‐freesugar‐free latte,whichwas180caloriesso inone
quicktriptothecoffeeshopIhadover655calories!Thislittleboo‐boowouldprobablytakemeabout6milestoerase!Ugh!
What’sthemoralofthisstory?Knowwhatyouareeatingordon’teatwhatyoudon’tknow–becausewhatyoudon’tknowcan
hurtyou,sabotagingallyourhardworkinthegym.
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‐4‐EatingforFuel
Caloriesinversuscaloriesoutdeterminehowmuchweightyoulose,butwhereyougetthosecaloriesseriouslydetermineswhatyouwilllooklikeandhowyoufeelwhiledietingandworkingout.Here’sanexampleofhowitwouldlookifyouweretogetanequalbalanceofyourcaloriesfromeachsubstrate,protein,carbsandfat,basedon1200caloriesforwomenand1500caloriesformen.Iusedthelowendofmainstreamdietstomakeplentyofroomforerror,sincemostpeopleareeatingmorethantheythink.
The3‐WayPlan:SplittingCaloriesinThirds
1. 1/3ofyourcaloriescomefromeachsubstrate‐carbs,proteinandfat.
2. WOMEN:400caloriesfromeachsubstrateforawoman.(1200÷3)
3. MEN:500caloriesfromeachsubstrateforaman.(1500÷3)
4. WOMEN:100gmsofProtein,100gmsofCarbsforawoman(400÷4)and44gmsofFat(400÷9)
5. MENshouldeat125gmsofProtein,125gmsofCarbsforaman(500÷4)and55mgsofFat(500÷9)
6. WOMEN:300caloriemeals=25gmsP,25gmsC(350÷3÷4)&11gmsF(300÷3÷9)
7. MEN:400caloriemeals=33gmsP,33gmsC(400÷3÷4)&15gmsF(400÷3÷9,roundingupfrom14.8)
8. WOMEN:150caloriesnack=12gmsProtein,12gmsCarbs,5gmsofFat.
9. MEN:200caloriesnack=16.7gmsProtein,16.7gmsCarbs,7gmsofFat.
TIP:Thereare4caloriespergramofprotein(P)orcarbs(C),
7caloriesinagramofalcohol(A)and9caloriespergramoffat(F).
TIP:Theeasiestwaytoknowifyouarechoosingabalancedfoodistolookatthecaloriesfirst,thenlookattheproteinsecond.Comparetotheexamplesaboveandiftheyareclose,thefatsandcarbsnormally
fallrightintoplace.
TryonlinecaloriecounterslikeFitDay.com,LiveStrong.com,MyFitnessPal.comorLoseIt.com
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FuelingforyourWorkout
Strengthening:Youneedtoeatpriortoastrengthworkoutinordertohavetheenergyyouneedtopoweryouthrougheach
session. Ifyoudon’t,youwill likelyget light‐headedornauseous.Yourbodyneeds low‐glycemiccarbohydrates(wholefoods,
oats,grains)withalittleproteinandfat.Youdon’tneedalotofproteinpriortoworkingout,asproteinisnotthebestchoiceof
fuel.However,theperfecttimetoeatproteinisafteryourworkoutformusclerepair.
Cardio: You do not have to eat prior to doing fat‐burning cardio. This type of exercise is not intense and powerful like
plyometricsorresistancetraining.Yourbodywillhavetimetotapintofatstores,turnthemintobloodsugarforyourbodyto
useasenergy.Thisiswhywesuggestdoingcardioonanemptystomach.
FuelingforyourDay
AsIsaid,proteinisnotthebestsourceforfuel,soyoudon’tneeditinthemorningasmuchasyouneeditatnight,sinceyour
body does most of it’s repairing while you sleep. You should increase your protein throughout the day. Carbs are needed
throughouttheday,butarenotneededwhileyousleep,soyoushoulddecreasethenumberofcarbsyoueatthroughoutthe
day.Thismeansyourfirstmealshouldbeahigh‐carblow‐proteinmealandyourlastmealofthedayshouldbeahigh‐protein
low‐carbmeal.Fatshelpgiveyouenergy,burnfatandkeepyoufeelingsatisfied,soyourfatsshouldstaylevel.(SEEGRAPH)
AM NOON PM
TIP:
Ifyoufindyouarehungryortiredthroughtheday,checkyourproteinandfats.Oftentimesyouaren’t
gettingtheproteinorhealthyfatsyouneedtokeepyoufullandenergized.
Protein
Carbs
Fat
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FoodIdeas:
ENJOYPLENTY ENJOYLIMITEDAMOUNT USESPARINGLYOliveOilNutsAvocadoRaisinsDriedFruitFruitJuiceCannedFruitDatesGranolaCheeseAlcohol
SNACKS
MeatChickenFishSalmonTunaTurkeyBreastGroundTurkey(insteadofgroundbeef)VenisonScallopsTofuLeanPorkLow‐CalorieVegetablesBroccoliAsparagusSpinachGreenBeansCollardsMustardGreensSaladGreensCabbageCauliflowerZucchiniSquashCeleryCucumbersTomatoesBokChoyBrusselSproutsEggPlantMushroomsRedPepperOnionsLimaBeansOkraFruitsStrawberriesBlueberriesBlackberriesRaspberriesWatermelonHoneydewMelonCantaloupeSmallAppleGrapefruitLemonLimeDairyCottageCheeseGreekYogurtYogurt
MeatRedMeatPorkHamDarkPoultryPoultrywithSkinHigher‐CalorieVegetablesCornGreenPeasKidneyBeansChickPeasCarrotsGoodCarbsSweetPotatoWhitePotatoWholeGrains&Oats(oatmeal)GritsWholeGrainRiceBrownRiceLongGrainRice(notinstant)WholewheatpastaCornLentilsHigh‐CalorieFruitsGrapesPearBananasPineappleOrangesPassionFruit
DIETTIP:STILLHUNGRY?Ibetyouhaven’thadenoughprotein.Ahigh‐carb diet, normally leaves people hungry,tiredanddissatisfied.FOODORFUEL?Beforeyoueat,decideifyouneedfoodorfuel.Ifyouaretrulyoutofgas,youneedcalories.Ifyoujustwanttotastesomething,thenyouwanttoeatasfewcaloriesaspossiblewiththetasteyouarecraving.DRINKUP!Whenallelsefails,drinkafullglassofwaterbeforeeating.You’lleatlessandmakebetterdecisions.
YogurtCottageCheeseAlmondsLow‐FatCheeseStickProteinBar(Zone,Detour,Supreme)LunchMeatBeefJerkyProteinShakesFruit&CheeseFruit&NutsPretzelSticks100CaloriepopcornSugar‐FreeFudgesicleLifeSaverPopsiclesSugar‐FreeJell‐oSugar‐FreePudding
DIETTIP:CHOCOLATELOVERSHINT:Slice protein bars into slices and put themchilledinaziplockbagforsnacking.SALTLOVERSHINT:Spray100 caloriepopcornwithbutter spraytotakeawaythedrynessandtohelpsaltorseasoningsstickformoresatisfyingflavor.CURVEHUNGERWITHFAT:Instead of having a whole apple, try eatinghalfanapplewithafewalmondsoracheesestick.Thefatslowsdowndigestionhelpingusto absorb more nutrients, and keeps usfeelingfulllonger.
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‐5‐MindoverMatter
In this section, I am going to addressmany of the common obstacles that affect ourmind, and eventually our body,when
dieting. Lackofmotivation, laziness,getting ina rut,everyday temptationsanddiningoutcanmakeuscrazy.Readon tobe
preparedforsomeofthenormalchallengesalldietersface.
Motivationisoverrated
IfIhadadimeforeverypersonthatsaystheywanttoloseweightbutarejustnotmotivated‐I’dbeworthmillions.Overhalf
theconversationsIhavewithpeopleareonthesubjectofmotivation,butmotivationshouldn’tdeterminesuccess.
Interestinglyenough,weallhavethingsthatshouldgiveusplentyofmotivationtoloseweightandgetinshape.Ourhealthand
appearancemeanalottous,butwhatpeoplearereallytalkingaboutisafeeling.Peoplenaturallywouldpreferto“feel”like
workingout.Somepeopleonlyexerciseonthedaysthey“feel”likeexercising.Wellgosh,IwouldhardlyeverworkoutifIdid
that!
Youcannotrelyonfeelingmotivatedtohelpyoureachyourgoals.Itisaplanandtotalcommitmentthatgetsyoutoyourgoal‐
period.Relyingsolelyonmotivationputsyoursuccessonsomethingthatisvariable.Thisappliestootherareasofourlifelike
puttingmoneyawayorpayingoffdebt.Youonlygetsuccesswhenyoucommitandfollowthrough‐whetheryoufeellikeitor
not. Similar to going to work or church those days you really don’t feel like it, it has to become a priority. Like work, the
disciplinepaysoff.
ReadthisquotefromSteveaboutFatMarch."Atsomepointwehavetotakecontroloverouremotionsandourdiscomforts.
Ourpainandemotionsshouldneverdictateouractions.Emotionisimportanttobeawareof,butnottobeslaveto.Weneed
toactoutofpurposeinapositivemannerregardlessofthecircumstanceswefindourselvesin."
Soinessence,weneedtoquitlettinghowwefeelaffectwhatwedo.Thegoodnewsiswecanclingtothefactthatweightloss
ispurescienceanditworks.Whatyouputiniswhatyougetout.Evenifyouaredown,depressedorfeelingehh.Ifyoufollow
through,you'llstillgetthesamegreatresultswhetheryouweremotivatedornot.
Breakingtheunhealthycycle
Let’ssayyouweremotivatedtostartdietingandlivinghealthyonce,butnowyoufindyouhaveslippedaway.Nomatterhow
longsomeone’sbeenworkingoutordieting,it’sstilleasytofalloffthewagon.IknowbecauseIjustrecentlywentthrougha
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slumpmyself.IhadbeenextremelydisciplinedwithoutfalterandthensuddenlyIhitawall.Ihadnomotivation,nodrive,and
nodesiretoworkoutoreatwell.
Outoftheblue,Ihadthisawfullazycloudovermeanditwaslikepullingteethtogetmetodoanything.Iwouldeatwellduring
thedayonlytoblow itatnight.When Ididworkout, itwasn’tnearlyas intenseasmytrainingneededtobeand Iwaseven
skippingmymorningjogs,whichhadbeenpartofmydailyroutineforaverylongtime.Howdoesthishappen?
AsIanalyzedthesituationIrealizedIhadjusttradedcycles.Ihadbeeninafitcycleforalongtime.Theresultskeptmewanting
morebutIreachedapointwhereI justgotalittleburnedout.Here’swhereImessedup.Wealldeservesomekindofbreak
occasionally,butIneglectedtoputalimitonthatbreak.Thisopenedthedoortoacompletelydifferentcycle–theunhealthy
one.
Webster’sdefinitionofacycle is“acourseorseriesofeventsoroperationsthatrecurregularlyandusually leadbacktothe
startingpoint”.Thisisourproblemandoursolutioninanutshell.Whatyoudo,pavesthewayforhowyoufeel.Howyoufeel
setsyouupforwhatyou’lldonext.
Whenyouworkoutregularly,younormallyfeelgood.It’smucheasiertofeellikeworkingoutwhenyoufeelgreat.Peoplewho
exercisearealsoalotmorelikelytoeatbettertoo.Whenyoueathealthyyoufeelhealthyandenergized,whichmakesitalot
easiertokeepupthemomentuminyourexerciseroutine.
Unfortunately,whenyoudon’tworkoutregularly,youdon’thaveasmuchenergy.Asworkoutsbegintodecline,lazinesssettles
inmakingcomfortfoodseemmoreattractivethanever.Poorworkoutpatternsleadtopooreatinghabits.Assoonaswefeel
likewehavefailedweoftenthroweverythingoutthewindowthinking“whyeventrysincewe’veblownitsobad?”Thisisalso
whenwesaywe’llgetbackontracktomorrowbutweendupfeelingtheexactsamewaythenextdaytoo.
Inordertobreakanunhealthycycle,youhavetobeginanewone.RememberwhatWebstersays,“acycleisacourseofevents
oroperationsthatrecurregularlyusuallyleadingyoubacktothestartingpoint”?Thismeansyoumustchoosetherightcourse
ofevents.Thecourseofeventsyouchosedeterminethecycleyouwanttobein.Thechoiceisyours.
Temptation
Oneofthebiggeststruggleswithdietingisfightingthefeelingofbeinghungry–orsoitseems.Manytimeswesay,orthink,we
arehungrywheninrealitywearen’thungryatall.WhenIthinkofthetimesIstrugglewiththisperceived“hunger”Ithinkof
the“latenightmunchies”.ThisisthetimeIsnackthemostandactlikeI’mthehungriest‐yetit’snormallythetimeIammost
full.
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Let’s face it.Wearea comfortable, spoilednation.Weoften look for anyexcuse toavoid the slightesthungerpainoreven
thoughtofhunger.Werarelydenyourselvesmuchofanythingthesedays,andfoodisnoexception.
Ithinkoftheshoppinganalogy.InormallybuythemostclotheswhenIamthinkingaboutmywardrobethemost.WhenIallow
myself to focus on shopping, suddenly I have a “hunger” to buy something. Fashionmagazines, going to themall, or even
hangingoutwithfriendsthatshopalot,normallyfuelthishunger.ThesearealsothetimesItendtoimpulsebuyandmakebad
choices.Thissamepatternappliestoeating.
Backingup,let’saddressthelatenightmunchies.Stevesaiditbest,“IknowIamnotgoingtostarve,buthereIamstandingin
frontofthefridge,doorwideopen,andsearchingfortheonethingthatis‘lowincalories’thatwill‘fillmeup’soIwon’thaveto
‘feelhungry’.Ijustfreakin’ateanhourago.IAMNOTHUNGRY!”
WhenIanalyzethenightswehavethebiggestcravings,it'stypicallywhenwehavebeenfeedingthecravingsthemost.WhenI
startshoppingIstruggletostop.WhenIstartsnackingatnightIthinkaboutsnackingmore.ThenwhenItrytogowithout,Ifeel
likeIamdeprivingmyself–likeI’mmissingoutonsomething.Wheninreality,I’mmissingoutonsomethingevengreaterthan
thetemporarysatisfactionoffood.I’mdeprivingmyselfoflong‐termsuccess.
“Whatissowrongwithassociatingalittlehungerwithaccomplishingourgoalsinsteadoflosingsomething”Stevesaid.“That
feelingofhungershouldremindusweareontherighttrack.”Oncewegaincontroloverourmindswegaincontroloverour
bodies.Victorycomeswhenyoucravesuccessasmuchasyoucravechocolate.
DiningonaDiet
Anotherhugetemptationwefaceisdiningout.Whetherwegotorestaurantsoutofnecessityorluxury,wearefacedwiththe
difficulttaskofweedingthroughdelicioushigh‐caloriemenuitemsinsearchofthehealthiestchoice.Oftentimesthedeciding
factorisnotbasedonsolidinformationbutwhatlooksorsoundshealthy.Othertimes,wetalkourselvesintodeservingitbased
onhowhardwe’veworkedoutordieted.Nomatterwhatyoutellyourself,ifyouarenotlosingweightthenyouarenotmaking
therightchoices.
Howdowemakebetterchoices?Mysuggestionistogeteducatedandbeprepared.Ineveryotherareaofourlifewedowhat
ittakestomakethewisestdecisions.Whetherit’sbuyingacar,choosinganewcomputerorinvestingourmoney–wedoour
homework.Weshouldtreateatingoutthesameway.
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Hereareafewtipsthatcangiveyoutheedgeyouneedwhenfacingthemenu.
1. Doyourhomework.Buyacalorieguideatyourlocalbookstore.Thereareplentyofpocket‐sizedbooksavailablethatoffer
greatinformationfromwholefoodstofastfood.Studythebookandhighlightlow‐calorieitemsthatfityourtastes.Searchthe
restaurantsandhighlightmenuitemsthatarewithinyourlimits.Makeafastfoodemergencylistforthetimesyoumusteaton
thego.
2. Planahead.Youneedtohaveaplanforeverysituation.Themostcommonstumblingblockiseatingout.Ifyouplantoeat
out,decideonwhatyouwilleatbeforeyouevengototherestaurant.Manyrestaurantswillfaxyouamenuorprovideamenu
online.Therearealsomanywebsites,likeDietFacts.com,thatoffernutritionalinformationforpopularrestaurants.Ifyouare
cravingahigh‐calorieitem,planonadjustingtheportionstomeetyourneeds.Afteryouhavemadeyourdecision,don’tgive
yourselfanopportunitytochangeyourmindbylookingatthemenuonceyougettotherestaurant.Ifyouareeatingahigh‐
caloriemeal,askyourwaitertobringoutato‐goboxwiththemealsoyoucandivideyourfoodintothecorrectportionsbefore
youtakeyourveryfirstbite.
3. Don’tgohungry.Don’tletyourbigeyesandemptystomachmakeyourdecisionsforyou.Mostofourmomstaughtusnotto
eatbeforesupperorwe’llspoilourdinner.Ifyouhavetogosomewhereyouknowdoesn’tofferhealthyalternatives,goahead
–spoilyourdinner!Eatasmallsnackormealbeforediningouttoavoidovereatingororderingoffyourdiet.
4. Alwayskeepsnacksonyou.Thisstepstartsatthegrocerystore.Youmustshopsmarttosnacksmart.Berealisticandhonest
withyourself.Yoursnacksneedtobemorethanjusthealthy–theymustbeconvenientandsatisfying.Havingasnackonhand
canhelpyouwhenyouareinabindandaretemptedtogetfastfood.
5. Knowyourweaknesses.Ifyouaretryingtodiet,itisimportanttorecognizeandavoidyourgreatesttemptations.Don’ttake
thekidsforicecreamifyoulovesweets.Avoidbuffetsandall‐you‐caneatrestaurantsifyoustrugglewithportioncontrol.You
MUSTsetparametersforyourhealthierlifestyletohelpyoukeepfocusedandincontrol.
6. Demand support. Your family needs to understand your goals and support you in your quest to loseweight. It is just as
importantforyoutocontrolyoursurroundingsasitisforanalcoholictoavoidbeingaroundalcohol.Bothsituationsrequirethe
supportoffriendsandfamily.
7. Neverquit.Ifyoustrugglewithyourweight,therewillprobablyneverbeadaythatyouwillbeabletoeatwhateveryouwant
wheneveryouwant.Thatdoesn’tmeanthatyoucan’thavewhateveryouwanteveryonceandawhile,butitdoesmeanthat
eatinghealthyshouldnotbeforaseason,butforalifetime.
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‐6‐SettingGoals
Settinggoals iscommontalkaroundtheNewYear,but theotherelevenmonthsof theyear thosewordsarenotwordsyou
herea lot.Yearafteryearweoften facethesameannoyingresolutionsweneglect tokeepeachyear. It’snot thatwedon’t
wanttokeepthem,butIthinkweforgetthatresolutionsarenotjustwords,desiresoraphase.Aresolutionissupposedtobea
pledge,anoath,apromise‐anditrequireschange–whetheryouaresettinggoalsJanuary1storJune1st.
Thinkofitlikeamarriage.Marriageistheultimatecommitmentwherewemakeveryimportantpromises,whichalsorequires
change.“Insicknessandinhealth,forricherorpoorer,‘tildeathdouspart.”Thereisareasonforthesepromises.Godknows
wewillnotalwayswantorfeellikelovingtheother.Wepledgeourcommitmenttolovetheothernomatterwhat.Thesevows
arethebeginningofawholenewwayoflife,whichrequiresadailydecisiontostickwithit.
Ofcourse,weightlossandhealthwillalwaysbeatthetopofthelistofresolutionsmade.It’snotgoingtobeenoughtowantto
beskinny.It’snotgoingtoevenbeenoughtowriteitdownorjoinagym.Youmustcommittomakingalifestylechangeand
stickwithit.
Onceaperson ismarried, it isnothealthytocontinuedoingsomeofthethingstheyoncedidwhentheyweresingle. Inthe
sameway, thereare things thatmust changewhendeciding to liveahealthy lifestyle. Youcan’t justdowhatever youwant
withoutrepercussions.Thewhole“haveyourcakeandeatittoo”rarelyworksinmarriagesordiets.Inordertobehealthy,you
havetolivehealthy‐dayinanddayout,whetheryoufeellikeitornot.
For this towork, you and your new lifestylemust be a priority. I don’t knowmany things that trump your health. Family is
importantand soare your friends,but you can’tbeagood spouse,parent,boss, employeeor friend if youdon’thaveyour
health.Unfortunately,unlikeamarriage,youcan’tdivorceyourselfeither.Youarestuckwithyoufortherestofyourlifesoyou
arefoolingyourselfifyouthinkit’snotapriority.Truthis,thistimeyoucan’taffordforitnottobe.
TIP:
Settinggoalsandmakingplansistheonlywaytoguaranteeresultswhenitcomesto
dieting.Remember,ifyoufailtoplan,plantofail.
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Whatareyourgoals?
Nameyourtop5dietgoals:(Forexample;Goalweight,time‐frame,dresssize,howyouwanttofeel,fitnesslevel,etc.)
1.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
4.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
5.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Whatarethingsthatgetinthewayofyourgoals?
1.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
4.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
5.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
3Buildingblockstoreachingyourgoals
Settinggoalsisnotdifficult.It’smaintainingbalanceandstayingfocusedwhiletryingtoreachyourgoalsthatareachallenge.
It’ssoeasytogetsidetrackedbythingsthatdon’tmatter,allowingsmallstufftogetinthewayofyourplans.Thishappenswith
work, relationships, fitness and other areas of our life. Priorities often get choked out by circumstance and a lack of
accountability.Reachinggoalsrequiresplanning,measuringandcorrecting.
Working towardyourgoals is likebuildingahouse.Therearesomanycomponents thatgo intobuildingahome. It requires
extensive planning. Life is much more complicated than building a house, so why would we think we can reach our goals
withoutusingplansandtherighttools?
3buildingblockstohelpyoureachyourgoals:
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1.PLAN:Firstyoumustdevelopaplanandfollowitthesamewayyoustakealotanddesignhouseplans.Wheredoyouwant
toendup?Wheredoyouwanttobenextyear,tenyears,fiftyyears?Howdoyouplantogetthere?Thesearequestionsyou
not only have to ask yourself, but youhave to answer.Make a list of all your goals andpriorities. This is the foundation to
success.
Prioritizeyourgoalsintheorderofimportance.Describethosegoalsaslong‐term,short‐term,temporary,lasting,optionaland
mandatory.Use these descriptions to help you determine how you should spend your time each day as youwork on these
goals.Postthosegoalswhereyoucanseethemeveryday,checkingthelistoften.
2.MEASURE:Grabyourtoolsandgetreadyforaninspection.Ranktheamountoftimeandeffortyouapplytoeachgoaldaily.
Forexample,use“one”toreflectthemosttimeandenergyspentand“ten”astheleasttimeandenergyspent.Compareyour
rankingtotheorderofprioritiesaccordingtoyour“plans”.Manytimeswecanhonestly justifyourhardworkorefforts,but
when you seeit on paperthe undeniable truth is revealed. Suddenly, in black and white, we see how certain things can
accidentallytaketheplaceofanotherpriority.
3.CORRECT:An inspector isnotcoming toyourhouse to inspectyourprogresssoyouhave tocheckyourself.This iswhere
peoplegowrong.Mostpeopledon’t take the time tohold themselvesaccountable in the firstplace,much less try tomake
changes.Likebuildingahome,thetaskscanbeoverwhelmingattimes.You’llbetemptedtomakecompromisesorevengive
up.Youwon'tfailifyoumessup‐youonlyfailifyougiveup.
Peopleoftenbeatthemselvesupoverafewpoundsorabadmeal,forgettingthe50poundstheyalreadylost.Ifyoumessup,
takeastepbackandlookatthebigpicture.Don’tgetboggeddownwitheverythingthat’swrong,becauseyoumissallthat’s
right.
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‐7‐Sabotage
Themoreyouunderstandyourbodyandthephysiologybehindexercisinganddieting,thegreaterchancesyouhavetosucceed.
Fitnessissimplescienceandthatscienceworksthesamewayforeveryone.Whenyouunderstandwhyyouaretoworkoutor
eatacertainway,youaremuchmorelikelytoactuallydoit.Peoplefailwhentheydon’tunderstandorbelieveinfitness.Our
goalistotouchonsomeofthemostimportantfactsofweightlossandnotonlygetyoutobelieveinfitness,butbelieveitwill
workforyou.Withthatsaid,let’sstartwithoneofthemostcommonwayspeoplesabotageaweightlossprogram.It’sthelittle
machinethathasthepotentialtomakeorbreakourday–andit’scalled“thescale”.
Thetruthbehindthescale
Somepeoplewillteaseandsaythescalelies,butinallactualityitreallyisdeceiving.It’sbeenknowntomisleadanddiscourage
manydietersintheearlystagesofanewfitnessprogrambymakingyoubelieveyouarefailingevenifyouaren’t.Ithappensall
thetime.Peoplequitworkingoutafterjustfewweeksofbeginningtheirroutinebecausethescaledidn’ttellthemwhatthey
wantedtohear.Thiscouldbepreventediftheyjustunderstoodwhatwasactuallygoingoninsidetheirbodyandrealizedthe
scaleofferslimitedinformation.
Sinceastandardscaleonlymeasuresbodyweightit’simportanttoknow,andfullyunderstand,whatyourbodygoesthrough
when you start a new workout program. It is also important to do a body composition analysis, body fat test or take
measurementsinadditiontotrackingyourweight.Thishelpsyoutrackyourprogressmoreaccurately.
Itisverycommonforsomeonetoloseinchesorbodyfatbutstillweighthesameinthebeginningofanewroutine.Asyoutone
muscle, thebodyholdsmorewater in themuscle cells. This is a good thing. That samewater is responsible for causing the
muscletofeelniceandfirm.Unfortunately,manypeoplequitbeforetheyseethebenefitsreflectedonthescale. Ifyoustick
withit,you’llincreaseyourleanmuscleandyourmetabolismhelpingyoutolosebodyfat.
Want awordof advice?Don’t get sowrappedup inweighing yourself that you allow it todictatewhether you stickwith a
programornot.Alsorealizethatfivepoundsofmuscleissubstantiallysmallerthan5poundsoffat.Thismeansyoucouldeven
weighthesameandlookmuchsmaller!
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ScaleAddiction
Whiletherearesomepeoplewhoavoidthescaleliketheplague,thereareotherswhoareconvincedthereisamagneticforce
thatdraws themto thewickeddevice.Nomatterhowhard they try toavoid it,all thesuddentheyarestandingon theevil
machine staring down at the displaywaiting for the verdict. For some it is an addiction and for others just a curiosity. The
problemlieswhentheresultsbegintodictateourmood,ourdiet,andourself‐esteem.
SometimesIthinkthepersonwhoinventedthescaleshouldbeshot.It’samazinghowthoselittlenumbersrepresentingyour
weightcanabsolutely ruinyourday.Evenon thegooddays, thedaysyou feel skinnyandgreat–youcangeton thestupid
machineandgetcrushedlikeaschoolgirlgettingherheartbrokenbyherfirstlove.Theironicpartaboutitalliswejumpright
backontheverynextday!Why?
Forsomethescalecanbeameasurementofsuccess.Amuchneededpatonthebackwhenwehavebeenbustingourtailinthe
gym. In a sick way it gives others the confirmation they want to hear saying, “see, you ARE fat!” The scale gives some
complimentsandothersjudgment,butintheenditisjustascalethatmeasuresyourbodyweight–that’sall.
Scalesdon’ttellyouhowmuchfatyouarelosing.Anormalscaledoesn’treflectyourmuscleorwaterweighteither.Ourweight
canfluctuatedaily.Let’sbehonest.Justlikeyoucaneatanddrinkapoundortwo,youcanexpelapoundortwoalso.Certain
timesof themonthwomenweighheavierdue tobloatingandwater retention.Thebottom line is theremustbeguidelines
whenitcomestoweighingyourself.Otherwise,you’lldriveyourselfnutswithallthenormaldailyfluctuations!
Healthyweigh‐ins
1. Pickaregularweigh‐indayandsticktoit.Ifyoucan’tfightthetemptationbetweenweigh‐insIsuggestyoueitherputyour
scaleuporgiveitaway.Itmaybehealthiertousethescaleatyourgymorgrocerystore.
2. Weighyourselfonthesamedeviceeachweigh‐in.Yourweightcanfluctuatedependingonthescalesoyoushouldalwaysuse
thesamescaletogetthemostaccuratereading.
3. Themoretimebetweenweigh‐insthebiggerthenumber.Weighingdailycanstressyouout.Mostpeopleweigh‐inweekly
butsomepeopleprefertogolongerbetweenweigh‐insbecauseabiggernumbermotivatesthem.Justremember,ifyouweigh
ineverydayyoucan’texpecttoseeabigdifference.
BePatient
Howmanypeoplequitaweightlossprogramevenaftergettingpositiveresults?Ithappensallthetime.Peoplediet,theylose
10poundsandthentheyquit.Why?
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Onepossibilityistheweightisnotcomingofffastenough.Impatiencecanputanabruptendtoanyhopeofsuccess.Weight
lossisnotthelottery.Weightlossisaninvestment,whichisguaranteedtoreapgreatrewards.Itwon’thappenovernight,but
it’sguaranteedintime.Thegreatertheeffort,thegreatertheresults–it’splainandsimple.
Thisisalsowhycompaniesexploitfastweightlosssolutions,butfastisnotalwaysbest.Iwillnevertellanyoneweightlossis
quickoreasy,butIwilltelleveryoneit’sworthit.Ayearmayseemlongduringtheprocess,butit’snothingcomparedtoyears
ofbeingheavy.
Anotherreasonwhypeoplequitearlyisbecausetheylosesiteofthebigpicture.Let’sdothemath.Ifyou’relosing2poundsa
week,youhavethepotentialtobe40poundslighterbytheendofsummer!Smallvictoriesturnintobigvictories–that’sthe
bigpicture.
You can use these short‐term results to help forecast your long‐term results. By analyzing the process, you can determine
whetheryoushouldmakeadjustmentstohelpyoureachyourgoal.It’sasimpleplan,butitworks.
One more explanation for giving up is people accept failure too easily. Instead of fighting for success and consulting a
professional,peoplejustmakeuptheirownreasonwhytheythinktheycan’tlosetheweightandacceptit.Theseexcusesare
typicallyunfoundedormisunderstood.Unfortunately,thesesamepeoplewouldgetresultsiftheyjustgotalittlehelp.
Lastly,peoplelosefocus.Likeanyotherinvestment,yourfocushastostayontheprizeandnottheprocess.It’ssoeasytostare
atyourselfinthemirrorandpickyourbodyapart.Idoitallthetimeandit’sridiculous!Somepeoplefixatemoreonwhatthey
can’teat.IevenseepeoplewatchingtheFoodNetworkwhilewalkingonthetreadmill.Instead,weshouldfixourthoughtsand
energyonourgoal.
It’s time for a new mindset! No more quick fixes or unrealistic expectations. Don’t let yourself give up after you have
experiencedeventhesmallesttasteofsuccess.Ifyouaren’tlosingtheweightfastenough,thengethelp.Finally,focusonthe
prize–thenewhealthier,thinneryou.
EnjoytheProcess
Some people can be so busy trying to get somewhere they forget to enjoy the journey. As we experience our weight loss
journey,itisimportantnottobesofocusedonthegoalweforgettoenjoythesuccessfulprocess.Everypoundlostshouldbea
victory,everyenergeticmomentshouldbeathrill,andeverycomplimentreceivedshouldbevalidating.Becarefulnotto let
impatience, negativity and envy steal your joy. Every step in the right direction is a victorious achievement and should be
celebrated.
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‐8‐
RoutinesandResources
SteveandBonniePfiesterofferavarietyoffreeworkouts,tipsandcontinualmotivation–allavailableonline.
SteveandBonnie’sOnlineWorkouts&ExerciseResources:
BCxBootCampWorkoutBlog:http://dobcx.wordpress.com
BCxBootCampYouTube:www.youtube.com/DoBCx
BCxBootCampatFitStudio:http://www.fitstudio.com/programs/bcx
BCxBootCampExpress30‐MinuteWorkout:http://www.fitstudio.com/programs/bcx‐express
AVarietyWorkoutProgramsatDesignerWhey:www.designerwhey.com
LiveWorkoutswithSteveusingBodyLasticsResistanceBands:www.LiveExercise.com
FitStudioExerciseLibrary:http://www.fitstudio.com/exercises
Pfiester’sWebsites:
Website:www.pfiesterpFIT.com
Bonnie’sMotivationalBlog:www.pFITblog.com
Steve’sFitFundamentalsBlog:www.pFITpFUN.com
ThePfiester’sFitnessCenter:www.MaxFitnessClub.com
BCxBootCamp:www.DoBCx.com
BonnieMotivatesThroughSocialMedia:
Twitter:@BonniePfiester
Facebook:www.facebook.com/bonniesfanpage
Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/pfitblog/
Youtube:www.youtube.com/pFITtv
AlsolookforBonniePfiesteronInstagram
SteveInspiresThroughSocialMedia:
Twitter:@StevePfiester
Facebook:www.facebook.com/pfiesterpfit
Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/stevepfiester
Youtube:www.youtube.com/pFITtv
34
TrackingTools:
WEEK#1:DATE_________________________ StartingWeight______________________
WEEK#2:DATE_________________________ StartingWeight______________________
Workout MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
TOTAL Time : : : : : : :
AM Cardio : : : : : : :
PM Cardio : : : : : : : Diet Grade ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F
Not
es
Workout MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
TOTAL Time : : : : : : :
AM Cardio : : : : : : : PM Cardio : : : : : : :
Diet Grade ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F
Not
es
35
WEEK#3:DATE_________________________ StartingWeight______________________
WEEK#4:DATE_________________________ StartingWeight______________________
Workout MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
TOTAL Time : : : : : : :
AM Cardio : : : : : : :
PM Cardio : : : : : : :
Diet Grade ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F
Not
es
Workout MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
TOTAL Time : : : : : : :
AM Cardio : : : : : : :
PM Cardio : : : : : : : Diet Grade ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F ❏ A ❏ C ❏ F
Not
es