well....this is it folks. tomorrow starts our 8 week challenge. first and foremost, i'd like to congratulate the 6 or 7 women in baltimore so far that are taking this on with me and i would also like to welcome all of those that are doing this challenge on their own abroad. i am really stoked to have all the energy from those visiting the site from across the united states and even in asia. i've been blasting the blog on facebook so hopefully we will get a lot of visitors and some really good input along the way.
all are welcome to post questions, comments, concerns and the like.
there have been a few questions so far about the second workout in the 2-a-day format.....
question: if you run for a half hour and then lift for a half hour is that two work outs?
answer: no; the point of the second workout is to recharge everything and to dip back into the fat burning zone that only occurs in the first 20 to 30 minutes of your workout. studies show that clients who worked out for the same duration, but at split intervals lost more weight than those that worked out all at once. so, space out your workouts as much as feasible.
question: what counts as a second workout?
answer: it might be another trip to the gym doing an opposing workout from the morning, it might be a class...yoga, pilates, whatever, it could be playing soccer with the kids (running for a half hour), a decent paced walk, a workout dvd that you have at home, etc. get your heart rate back up for at least a half hour, get a little short of breath, at its mildest you want to be between 50-60% exertion.
this week....no sugar.
why?
SUGAR (in all its many forms) is the leading dietary risk factor for obesity, diabetes,
heart disease (NOT FAT), cancer, infections, flu, gum disease, crowded teeth, digestive disorders of all kinds, asthma, allergies, and auto-immune disorders.
that's why.
more on that as the week goes on. looking forward to your posts and questions.
things to think about....that we'll be discussing in the next 8 weeks.
small portions, more often -- 5 to 6 meals a day.
daily vitamin...plus calcium....calcium is a natural fat burner....so are grapefruit and some other great superfoods
calorie counting...get an idea of what you are eating. how much or how little? a lot of my clients surprisingly don't eat enough and that can lower your metabolism dramatically.
don't just do cardio...lifting increases your metabolism by keeping your body in repair mode. the afterburn for lifting is as much as 200x that of cardio.
and much, much more...
don't be spooked, this is gonna be awsome!
happy halloween.
kat
the concept
starts november 1st!
what's a two-a-day....that means if you work out hard in the morning, you do a light work out later in the day. so, if you weight train in the morning, i would suggest a 20 or 25 minute cardio of your choice in the evening. or, vice versa. weights and cardio in the morning...yoga at night. whatever. workout ideas will be posted on the regular.
the second workout doesn't have to be crazy. it will just get you moving, get your metabolism revved and keep you from dipping into the candy bowl or the pie tin into the night.
the design...very flexible...workout 5 days a week, with 3 days doubled up. weekends off.
or...
workout everyday and double up once.
or...
any combination...you decide.
a calendar will be provided to keep you on track.
the 2nd component. FOOD!
every week we will have a goal. for instance...one week it might be no sugar, one week no alcohol, one week no eating out. don't be scared....it's feasible and you'll be surprised how much you'll learn about your eating habits and what's actually on your plate.
3rd component. online access and bonus workouts.
this blogspot address will be ours for the challenge. you'll have access to me and each other through this domain. you can bitch and complain or celebrate triumph all in one spot. here will also be our communication board about our upcoming goals and workout ideas.
bonus workouts will be available as well. sunday mornings might be a great time for makeup sessions. all of that can be arranged through our domain.
lastly, weekly weigh-ins and measurements.
measurements are an effective way to give you an idea of your progress...although the way your clothes fit is sometimes the best, and more importantly the way you feel. measurements are also a great tool to see what might be going on if we're not seeing changes. i.e. there might be something else inhibiting weight loss...diet, hormones, thyroid, etc.
we will be using the body fat scale for measurement, as well as tape measure so there will be several ways to track progress.
i look forward to taking the challenge with you.
all my best,
kat
kat@mvfit.com
Thanks so much for doing this! Made it through my first sugar-free lunch and breakfast - the pomegranate green tea substituted for coffee wasn't half bad!
ReplyDeletekatie, thanks for your post. i am glad you are taking the challenge and finding alternatives.
ReplyDeletespeaking of which, there are plenty of alternatives out there. more and more companies are realizing that people are becoming aware of what they are hiding in our food and are stepping up to the plate. and, several breakthrough companies are coming straight out of the blocks with delicious whole foods using agave or other alternative sweeteners that are not foreign to our digestive system. unfortunately, these foods are a lot more expensive, but they are in fact food, whereas some of what we have been eating for years has grown not to be....sadly. we pay more up front in our food, and we may pay less later at the drs office or with our prescriptions. or, at least that's the idea.
a great granola bar option to try....larabar....they have tons of flavors and are sweetened naturally. a great item to add to the pantry. they are sold at trader joes, whole foods and more and more of your local groceries.
let me know what you think.