Lose 10 Pounds of Fat
By Sharon Bruneau as told to Les Maness
I've come to believe that most people like to dabble in fitness.
They like to talk about it, read about it, play at it, sometimes
even work it. And while it makes for an interesting hobby,
there is a downside. People who dabble in fitness rarely get in
shape. Instead, they find themselves 10-30 pounds
overweight, frustrated that they can't make any permanent
progress, and ready to follow anything that promises to be the
latest, greatest, easy way to to get in shape. Therein lies the
problem. There's no easy way to get fit - no single, painless
technique that will transform your body overnight. Otherwise,
we'd all be doing it.
There is, however, a way you can increase your metabolism,
burn more bodyfat, reshape your muscles, increase your
energy and lose as much as 10 pounds of bodyfat in just 60
days. For a woman, that's a safe, attainable rate of loss - and
one that will make a noticeable difference.
But, believe me, it isn't easy. The concepts may question
many of your beliefs and fears. The program will challenge
your will-power.
You'll have to follow each and every step of the program to
the letter to achieve success. If you do, you'll see more real
results at the end of 60 days than you ever thought possible.
And you'll understand exactly what it takes to keep everything
you've achieved. If you're ready to quit dabbling in fitness and
really get in shape, start asking some serious questions.
What Do You Have To Lose?
If your answer is something like 10-20 pounds of bodyfat,
congratulations! You're on the right track. Yet if you thought
in terms of losing that much in bodyweight, you could be in
trouble. The scale won't tell you how much fat you've lost or
how much muscle you've gained. If those numbers on the
scale start creeping up, or if you use them to compare
yourself on a chart to "average people", it could panic you
into dropping your calories slow you start burning muscle for
energy and storing more fat for survival.
Where Did You Go Wrong?
Unless you recognize the mistakes of your past, you may be
condemned to repeat them. So fess up: What part of the vital
fitness component did you leave out? Did you do aerobics
religiously, but avoid the weights like the plague? If so, you
lost out on all the calorie-burning muscle that would have
increased your metabolism and shaped each bodypart the
way you wanted.
Maybe you did the weights but blew off the aerobics. Or was
it the big one - your nutrition program that determines up to
90% of your progress? The one practically every article
you've ever read told you was essential. The one you've
fooled yourself into thinking you can do without. If you
answered yes, get over it! Unless you embrace the concept of
eating healthy, you'll never succeed.
What Are You Afraid Of?
If you fear that the program won't work for you, it will. If
you're afraid that you might not like it, you may be right - at
least until you get used to it. Finally, if you think you won't be
able to stick with it, relax. It's only 60 days; you can do it.
Once you do, you'll find it's so much a part of your lifestyle,
it'll seem only natural to continue.
16 WINNING STRATEGIES FOR LOSING
STUBBORN POUNDS OF FAT
Once you're committed to the program, you need to prepare
for success:
1) Weigh and measure yourself before you begin. Have a
professional take your fat count, if possible. Repeat the
process every two weeks, but don't freak out if your weight
plateaus at some point. You're likely losing fat and replacing it
with muscle, which weighs more.
2) Write down everything you eat and drink on a daily basis.
Add up the number of calories, proteins, carbohydrates and
fats you consume each day. To determine food values, refer
to books like The Book of Food Counts by Corinne T.
Netzer, Bowes and Church's Food Values of Portions
Commonly Used by Jean A.T. Pennington or Food Finder
by Elizabeth S. Hands.
3) How many calories should you consume? Start out at
about 15 calories per pound daily (2,100 calories for a
140-pound woman), then gradually decrease to 14 and then
13 calories per pound (if necessary to keep losing weight). If,
for example, you're consuming 2,000 calories a day, aim for
roughly 1,000 in carbs, 800 in protein and 200 in fat. These
numbers apply to men, too.
4) Using the Sample Menu's on Page 10 as a guide, plan to
eat every 2 1/2-3 hours, five times a day. Many people
choose a day to precook most of their meals so they're ready
to eat right out of the microwave.
5) Use meal replacements like Metaform when you travel or
are too busy to eat. They're a quick, easy way to get all the
protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals you need to
keep up with your accelerated fitness lifestyle.
6) Clear your cupboards, refrigerator and secret hiding spots
of all junk and comfort foods. Replace them with nutritious
snacks and foods.
7) As you create your own tasty additions to the menus, try
to structure them as follows: From morning to afternoon, have
one serving of protein (chicken, fish, turkey, tofu), 1-2 starchy
carbohydrates (pasta, rice, yams, oatmeal) and 1-2 fibrous
carbs (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, spinach). This
combination will give you consistent energy levels and plenty
of nutrients throughout the day. In the later afternoon and
evening, cut back on the starchy carbohydrates. This will help
you get lean even faster.
8) You'll need carbohydrates to refuel your body within 30
minutes of your workout and protein to repair the muscles
within 60 minutes. The best plan is to have an easily prepared
drink that's high in both protein and carbs rather than a full
meal. This way your body can concentrate on refueling and
repair instead of digestion.
9) Your body will require plenty of vitamins and minerals to
replace the ones you lose during training. A multivitamin with
calcium and iron will ensure healthy blood and bones. Take
plenty of vitamins C and E.
10) To keep your sanity, allow yourself a treat once every
week or two. (Mine is a slice of chocolate cheesecake.) This
will keep you from feeling deprived and will allow for special
occasions.
11) If you drink a lot of soda, switch to a low-sodium diet
soda to eliminate empty calories. If you must drink alcohol,
limit it to an occasional glass of red wine or light beer. Alcohol
can virtually shut down fat metabolism and can leave you first
dehydrated and later with edema.
12) Preplan the times and days you're going to exercise. If
you're like most busy people, this will probably mean getting
up an hour early to work out. Your body will adjust to the
schedule within about two weeks.
13) If you can afford it, hire a professional trainer/nutritionist
to help motivate, educate and hold you accountable for
achieving your goals. I hired Roberta Seagar of Calgary,
Canada, when I decided to get serious, and believe me, it
was the best money
14) If your budget won't allow for a trainer, look for a
workout partner who has similar interests and as much
determination as you. Continue to educate and motivate
yourself with magazines, books, videotapes and seminars.
15) Since your muscles grow at rest and not in the gym, try
to get at least eight hours of sleep a night. If possible, avoid
exercising just before going to bed - it tends to stimulate
rather than relax you.
16) Finally, if you have trouble falling asleep, try listening to
weight-loss, fitness-related hypnosis or relaxation tapes. This
will help fortify your subconscious for future success as you
drift off into sweet dreams of your leaner, stronger, healthier
body.
SHARON BRUNEAU'S
60-DAY NUTRITION PROGRAM
I have a simple rule when it comes to nutrition: If you don't
know what it is, don't stick it in your mouth! This is my subtle
way of saying that you must learn the food value and get
control of everything you eat - otherwis, no amount of training
will help you. To make this learning process enjoyable, I
recommend cook-books like Butter Busters by pam
Mycoskie and The Lite Lifstyle by Chris Aceto and Laura
Creavelle. Not only do these give you delicious ways to eat
clean, but they break down the amount of fat, calories,
protein and carbohydrates in each meal.
Here's a sample of a two-day program of clean eating. If it
seems like a lot of food at first, cut down on the portions
rather than skip meals. You need a regular schedule of eating
to build your metabolism into a fat-burning, muscle-toning
machine. As your metabolism increases, you may feel yourself
getting hungry. When this happens, try to eat a little more
protein. (Use a minimum of 1 gram of protein for every
pound of lean body mass as a guide.) You'll find the
additional protein will deliver even more shape, tone and
definition to your muscles.
For sample meal schedules - go to: http://www.muscle-fitness.com/musclefitness/98i/lose10/index11.cfm
WHY YOU SHOULD BE PRO PROTEIN
Protein is the key to successful weight loss as well as to
muscle building. Chris Aceto, nutrition consultant to many
bodybuilders and co-author of The Health Handbook and
The Lite Lifestyle, explains: "If you aren't eating enough
protein, whatever you do in the gym is futile."
"Lack of sufficient protein causes the body to cannibalize
muscle for fuel. It lowers your lean muscle mass, which in turn
increases your fat-to-muscle ratio. This gives your muscles a
spongy, loose appearance and lowers the rate at which you
burn calories. Low protein can also negatively affect your
hair, skin, blood, hormone production and your body's ability
to fight infections."
"If you've been conditioned to eliminate rich protein sources
such as chicken, round steak, turkey and dairy products from
your diet because they have some fat in them, you need to
change your thinking somewhat," says Aceto. "Start making
smart choices and choose foods that are both high in protein
and low in fat. That's the fastest way to dramatically improve
your body."
SHARON BRUNEAU'S 60-DAY
SAMPLE TRAINING GUIDE
Your aerobic training program should consist of a minimum of
four workouts a week. You can use a stationary bike,
treadmill or stair climber, take aerobic classes or brisk walks,
or do any activity that will elevate your heart rate to 60-75%
of your target heart rate. (To find your target heart rate range,
subtract your age from the number 220. Multiply that number
by 0.60 to arrive at 60% or 0.75 to determine 75%.)
Beginners should first do 20 minutes of exercise at 60%. As
you get in better shape, increase the amount of time to 45-60
minutes. Gradually raise your intensity until your target heart
rate reaches 75%. This will further strengthen your heart and
increase your metabolism and the number of calories you burn
for several hours after exercise. You can do aerobics training
whenever you like. Whether morning or evening, before or
after weight training, the best time to do it is when you know
you'll do it.
SHARON BRUNEAU'S 60-DAY
WEIGHT-TRAINING PROGRAM
With the exception of your abs, which can be trained
practically every day, you should work each muscle group
only twice a week. This will give your muscles plenty of time
to recuperate and grow stronger. To get the most benefit, do
each movement slowly with precise form and rest very little
between exercises.
These workouts are structured with the beginner in mind.
Intermediate and advanced athletes should add other
exercises for increased variation and stimulus. To keep each
workout under 60 minutes, they're divided into two kinds:
1) abs, lower back, calves, shoulders and legs, and
2) abs, chest, back, triceps and biceps. To keep it interesting
and effective, two alternatives of each workout are provided.
You can superset pairs of exercises to add additional aerobic
benefit and decrease the length of the workout.
Finally, unless you have the testosterone of a young bull, are
training with extremely heavy weights and are eating three
times what you should, you won't develop huge muscles. This
program will simply produce lean, strong, toned muscles that
will dramatically enhance your overall appearance, and
perhaps even your life.
For sample training
routines go to:
http://www.muscle-fitness.com/musclefitness/98i/lose10/index18.cfm
*For the first two weeks of the program, perform one set of
15 repetitions of each exercise. For the next two weeks,
move up two sets of 12 reps. For the fifth and sixth weeks,
do three sets of 10 reps on each movement, and for the 2½
weeks, go for four sets of eight reps. Remember, the goal is
not to work to the point where you can no longer do another
rep. And although you'll definately be using more weight by
the end of the 60 days, don't focus on the amount of weight
you're lifting.
Concentrate instead on developing and maintaining perfect
exercise form, on enhancing the sensation in the muscles as
they move through the full range of motion, and on flexing the
muscle(s) being worked at the top (peak contracted position)
of each repetition of each position. As the sets increase and
the number of repetitions per set drop, you should be resting
less and less between sets so that by the end, you're almost in
continual motion and resting no more than one minute
between sets.
More sample routines: http://www.muscle-fitness.com/musclefitness/98i/lose10/index21.cfm
*Article taken from Muscle and Fitness magazine at www.Muscle-Fitness.com*