Weight Training: The Best Way to Get Lean

Weight Training: The Best Way to Get Lean

By Steve Edwards

When it comes to reshaping your body, nothing is quite as effective as lifting weights. Cardio is great for your heart, Pilates will help you get stronger, and yoga will balance you out; but nothing compares with a well-designed resistance program for getting lean.

This is in contrast to our weight lifting cultural icons. Arnold, Hulk Hogan, and the WWE are who and what we tend to associate with pumping iron. It may be more accurate, however, to associate those massive bodies with anabolic steroids and turn our attention to the real cultural icon for weight training: Jack LaLanne. The guy who practically invented “lifting” as we now know it is well into his 90s and can still ace the fitness standard designed for a 30-year-old. Once considered a bodybuilder, his legacy has far more to do with his fitness exploits than his brawn. His feats include things like swimming with his hands and feet shackled and towing 70 people in 70 boats across Long Beach Harbor on his 70th birthday. The key to Jack’s success over all these years has been lifting weights.

In his intro to P90X’s Chest, Shoulders & Triceps workout, Tony Horton tells us, “It’s just good old-fashioned weight training that’s gotten lost in a lot of fancy gidgits and gadgets and things that don’t work.” But weight lifting is making a comeback. As scientists look for the latest way to halt a growing obesity epidemic, the research still leads them back to the same simple fact: resistance stimulates the muscles to work, which causes an effect throughout the body that keeps it strong, healthy, and lean. Let’s take a brief look at why.

The basics of body composition

The science of how our bodies work is complex. However, the basics of body composition, and why we get obese and out of shape, are very simple. Due to the former, we can see how it’s possible to believe that one magic nutrient, drug, or movement might transform us from fat to fit. But once we understand the latter, we see how this is highly unlikely, if not impossible.

A simple overview of body composition looks like this. At the base is a skeleton that is held together with connective tissues. This encases most of your organs and circulatory system. Muscles surround the structure and enable it to move. Body fat protects the organs and joints. It’s all covered by your largest organ, your skin. We’re leaving out some obvious functionality but this is basically what makes up your body composition, which determines your shape.

While there are different body types, all of them look good when all of the above are in the correct proportion. We look worse when our body fat percentages exceed their intended uses. Excess body fat inhibits the body’s natural ability to function, and, hence, leads to myriad health problems. To correct this, we need to reduce the amount of body fat in our bodies. There are many ways to make this happen. Eating less, eating better, and exercising moves the process in the right direction. But the easiest way to do this is to add muscle. And the best way to add muscle is to exercise using resistance.

Weight training basics

Most weight training is what we call anaerobic. This means, simply, that the intensity it takes to do it exceeds your body’s aerobic (oxygen-carrying) capability. Anaerobic training relies on something called the Krebs cycle, which is a process in each cell that puts the body under stress. This stress forces your body to adapt and works nearly every human function we associate with fitness, including your body’s aerobic system. So, oddly enough, a well-crafted anaerobic workout program is all the work you need to have a perfectly healthy aerobic system. This is because recovering from anaerobic work requires your aerobic system to work. If you can understand this concept, it will be easy to understand why weight training is so vital.

The fat-burning misnomer

Many less intense programs, like aerobics and most “cardio” programs, focus on training in what some people call the “fat burning zone.” This term is misleading because what it really means is utilizing fat for fuel—not burning body fat. Well—wait—it does actually mean that. The process is a little complicated, but I’ll simplify it.

At low-level outputs, your body burns its stored fat as fuel. At higher outputs, it burns sugars that have been stored in your blood and liver, called blood glycogen. It’s important to do both, but targeting fat mobilization as your primary fuel source in your workout makes little sense, unless you’re training for endurance sports.

Your body has a limited store of glycogen—about enough for an hour or so of hard work. It attempts to save this for intense exercise (and brain function) and tries to do low-level tasks by burning body fat. Training at low intensity has a benefit, but it’s only a fraction of what high intensity can accomplish in the same amount of time. And even though you are burning stored fat instead of glycogen, you aren’t stimulating your muscles in the same way. This lack of stimulation means that you aren’t creating the same level of hormone release, organ function, or muscle growth. The result is that you get far less fitness improvement in a given amount of time.

The metabolic process

This is, at its most basic, the speed at which your body engine runs while resting. The more fit you are, the higher your metabolic rate is likely to be. Excess muscle on your body takes more energy just to keep it there. Body fat doesn’t have the same requirements. In fact, it sort of does the opposite, by gumming up the works and inhibiting the metabolic process. Remember that muscle is there so that the body can move and do stuff. Fat is there to protect the body, especially the organs. It is similar to having a spare tire sitting inside of you. It adds weight and slows you down but does nothing helpful for your metabolism. This means that the most effective way to burn body fat is to add muscle to your frame because it burns fat around the clock. That is precisely what Chalene Johnson’s new program will do—and you’ll be hearing a lot more about “muscle burns fat” in the coming weeks.

Why your scale is lying to you

Using the above body-composition basics, it’s pretty easy to understand why losing weight should not be your ultimate goal. Instead, you should focus on losing body fat, which means that you’ll get smaller at the same weight. By volume, muscle weighs far more than body fat. So much so that by adding muscle you can actually gain weight as you shrink. This isn’t true for most people, but many “skinny fat” people find that all of their health indicators improve as they gain weight.

This is especially important to consider if you’re highly de-conditioned, because not only do you have more fat on your body than you should, you probably have less muscle. As this ratio comes into balance, the scale may not be dropping, but your body can be making substantial changes. Furthermore, weight training can change your bone density. This does not increase the size of your bones but increases their weight and strength. For this fact alone, it’s recommended that everyone add some resistance training into their lifestyle as they age.

What to do if you want lean muscles instead of bulky muscles

The bad news is that there is no such thing as a lean muscle. The good news is that there is really no such thing as a bulky muscle. We use these terms to describe a body type, not a muscle. Lean muscle is also a term that means, well, muscle. All muscle is lean. Body fat is not lean. So the only non-lean muscle is one that has excess fat around it.

You can’t really change a muscle’s shape. It either grows, called hypertrophy, or shrinks, called atrophy. Weight training programs target muscle growth. All muscles are lean and shapely. To look lean and shapely, you want to build your muscles so that your metabolism increases and your body-fat percentage decreases.

“Bulky” (in quotes, because it’s a matter of opinion) is a term used for muscles that are larger than normal. These are much harder to get than most of us, especially women, tend to believe. Bodybuilders certainly wish it were a lot easier. But adding excessive muscle takes an almost obsessive amount of work. Due to gravity, our bodies don’t like to weigh too much and resist adding muscle. It’s easier to add excess fat because not much can be done about overeating. Adding bulk is so difficult that steroids have become a huge societal problem.

It’s also easy to control whether or not you become “bulky” through the number of repetitions (or time spent) doing resistance work. Sets that are longer than 12 or so repetitions (or about 30 seconds) self-limit the muscle’s ability to grow. Therefore, those looking for a “lean” look should target higher reps once they’ve decided that their muscles are large enough.

And the added benefit of antiaging

Finally, nothing helps you age more gracefully than weight training. There are other ways to stay lean, but using resistance training creates hormonal releases that offset the aging process better than anything else. Furthermore, you lose muscle as you age—about 1 percent or so per year beyond the age of 30. Antiaging medicine is often prescribed in the form of injections of the very same hormones that are released when you do intense resistance workouts. Weight training is a cheaper, and arguably more effective, alternative to spending a lot of money on doctors. Just ask Jack LaLanne

If you’d like to try a GREAT weight resistence program you can order P90X by CLICKING HERE

SMOKIN deal on TurboFire!

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But TRUST ME – This deal won’t last long!  So place your order today and I will personally coach you through the program!  :)

Sustained Energy for Running

Don’t Run on Empty

Original Article

Time and time again our customers have told us just how much Shakeology has helped them with their athletic performance like our most recent customer and avid marathon runner, Troy X. – our inspiration behind this post! Troy told us: “After 30 marathons I found my secret weapon! I’ve used energy gels and other things to avoid the effects of the ‘wall’ but I’ve never had success with them. Then I tried Shakeology. I ran the second half of the race faster than the first half- something I had never done in my previous 30 marathons! My sustained energy levels were amazing. The whole time I never hit the ‘wall’. Now, Shakeology is part of my daily training routine and I can’t wait to tell fellow runners about it.”

Here’s the science behind Troy’s ‘sustained energy’: Shakeology packs up to 18 grams of protein and vital complex carbs in every serving. Plus it delivers whole-food nutrition from some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet that are stocked with essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and more than 20 different antioxidants, enzymes and phytonutrients.

==> CLICK HERE TO TRY SHAKEOLOGY RISK FREE FOR 30 DAYS!! <=======

A few ingredients in Shakeology that can help boost energy include:

Chia meal (seed): Supports energy endurance and gives an energy boost with omega-3 and -6 fats, protein, fiber, and essential trace minerals. It helps support high-energy endurance.

Maca Powder (root): Known for its ability to help increase stamina and energy levels.

Holy Basil Powder (leaf): May act as a powerful promoter of energy and athletic performance.

Kamut Grass: Promotes high energy with protein, vitamins, and complex carbohydrates.

So make sure to include Shakeology in your next round of Insanity or that marathon you’re training for. You’ll be setting and conquering new records for yourself before you know it!

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KEEP GOING!!

A famous mountain climbing resort in the Swiss Alps caters to businesses that encourage their employees to hike up the   mountain trails together. The goal is to build camaraderie and to teach teamwork. Although it is about an eight hour trek to the summit, anyone in  reasonably good shape can ascend to the top. In the morning, the hikers gather at the base of the mountain for a pep talk before starting the climb.   Usually the group is so excited, they can hardly wait to head up the slopes, have a group picture taken, and celebrate the excitement of the journey they are embarking upon.
 

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They hike for several hours before taking a  break. Approximately halfway up the mountain stands a quaint alpine restaurant. About noon, the weary hikers trudge into the restaurant, peel off their hiking gear, and plop down by the fireplace to have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and eat their lunch. With the mountain as their backdrop, the hikers savor the warm, cozy, picturesque setting.

Interestingly, after they are full and comfortable, fewer than half the hikers choose to continue climbing to the top of the   mountain. It isn’t because they aren’t able; it isn’t because the climb suddenly appears too difficult. Their reluctance to continue is simply because they are satisfied with where they are. They’ve lost their drive to excel, to explore a new horizon, and to experience vistas they’d never previously imagined possible. They have tasted a bit of success, and they think it is good enough.

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Many times, we approach life a lot like those full and comfortable hikers sitting in the restaurant enjoying the view. We have a goal to break a bad habit, to lose some weight, or to pay off our credit cards. At first, we’re so excited. We’re fired up and we go after it! The first leg of the climb up the mountain is powered by enthusiasm for our new goal.   But over time, we get lazy and complacent. Maybe we see a little improvement, but then we get comfortable right where we are. This might not be a bad place, but we know it’s not where we’re supposed to be.   Like those hikers sitting in that quaint restaurant, we are still perfectly   capable of craning our necks and looking up the mountain. We’re not stretching our faith or our potential and we know it. Maybe you own a business, and you’ve experienced a bit of success. Lately, however, you’ve been coasting. Or maybe you set out to lose 20 pounds, you lose 10, and feel like all is good and you get complacent. Don ‘t stop halfway just because it’s easy! Instead, remember what it is that you really, really want.  Put out the effort and go the whole way, to the top of the mountain.

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Step out of your comfort zone today! Keep pursuing and keep believing. It doesn’t take any more effort to believe and stay filled with hope and faith than it does to develop a negative and defeated attitude. Get up every day and say, “This is going to be a   great day! I believe my dreams are coming to pass. There are great things in store for me and everyone around me.” When you have that kind of attitude you are releasing God’s goodness.  But it doesn’t come easily.

People who see their dreams come to pass are people who have resolve and backbone. They are the ones who refuse to settle for the little victories along the way and see themselves at the finish line, instead continuing on, pushing on toward the ultimate goal. No one wants to be mediocre. You are made for so much more. Realize that what  your mind focuses on, it can achieve. It is up to you.  Pay attention only to those silent whispers within that say “You can do it!”

Linda McLean

Next Level Living: Today’s Guide for Abundant Life.

Nutrient Timing: What and When you should eat.

The 911 on Nutrient Timing: What and When You Should EatBy Steve Edwards

It’s not just what you eat but when you eat that matters. The perfect food for one situation may be horrible for another. Nutrient timing is a science that athletes use to try to get the most out of every calorie they consume. Not everyone needs an athlete’s level of efficiency, but all of us will benefit from a basic understanding of nutrient timing.

This is 911, need-to-know info only. To keep you focused on the big picture, I’ll begin with an example at the extreme end of nutrient timing. If the average Joe followed the same diet as an Ironman triathlete, he’d likely have type 2 diabetes in a matter of months. Conversely, if someone tried to complete an Ironman on even the healthiest version of a low-carb diet, that person would either be forced to quit or die. This is not just because either diet would mean eating too much food or too little food. Different foods cause the body’s metabolic process to react in different ways; and various activities should be fueled using various means.

Let’s begin by looking at our possible fuel sources:
Carbohydrates
Are fuel only. They aren’t stored in body tissue, only in the blood and liver as glycogen, which needs to be burnt off. They are essential for high-level functioning like running fast, lifting heavy things, and thinking. They are digested and put to use by your body very quickly. If you eat more than you burn, your body will convert them to be stored in adipose (fat) tissue.

Proteins
Called the body’s building blocks. Hence, you need them to rebuild tissue that breaks down daily. You digest proteins slowly, and at a certain point, your body just can’t assimilate them. Therefore, it’s important that throughout the day you eat foods that are high in protein.

Fats
Help regulate all of your bodily functions. They are dense and contain over twice the calories of proteins and carbohydrates. While they are vital for our health, it’s easy to eat too much of them, which will result in unwanted fat tissue on your body. You digest fats slowly, and fats will also help slow the digestion of anything else you eat. Fats are also your backup fuel source, though they can’t be put to use right away the way carbs can.

Fiber
Categorized as a carbohydrate, it is not a source of fuel as it has no calories. It’s the indigestible part of a plant and is of vital importance in your diet because it regulates the absorption of the foods you eat. It also helps us feel full. Most of us don’t eat enough fiber, and that’s a big part of the obesity problem.

Alcohol
Not really a food source but something we tend to consume. It has nearly twice the calories of proteins and carbs (though it lacks fuel) and digests rapidly. Its only healthy function is that it seems to make us happy. Studies indicate this is a good thing, as those who consume alcohol generally live longer than those who don’t, but from a purely nutritional standpoint, it’s not so hot because you’re getting calories without any upside. Its use should be strategic and regulated for best results.

Now let’s look at the various situations we face daily, at least on most days—hopefully.
Relaxing
This is when we’re sedentary both physically and mentally. In a relaxed state, you burn very few calories because your body is engaged as little as possible, hence the relaxing.

Sedentary work
When we’re at work or school. Our bodies aren’t moving, but our brains are engaged. The brain runs on glycogen, which is blood sugar fueled by carbohydrates.

Low-level exercise
Like mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, or going for a walk. This breaks down body tissue, so you’re burning calories, but it’s not intense work. Therefore, it can be fueled by your stored body fat. Your body tries to fuel its low-level outputs by mobilizing fat stores because this saves its limited glycogen for emergency situations.

High-level exercise
Fueled by glycogen. When you really have to get after it, all sorts of hormones go to work, and your body burns its blood sugar. Body-tissue breakdown is rapid, and your stored blood sugar (glycogen) won’t last much more than an hour.

Sleep
A very active time. Deep sleep is where your body works the hardest to repair itself. You need nutrients to make these repairs, but it’s better if you aren’t mucking up the process with digestion. This is why you hear that you shouldn’t eat too much at night. It’s best to eat early to allow most of the digestion to happen while you’re awake, thus allowing your body to use all its energy for recovery during sleep. It is worth noting here that it’s better to eat before bed if you need the nutrients—don’t skip them. Your body can’t repair itself without nutrients, and recovery from breakdown is why we eat in the first place. Next, let’s take a look at an important word you need to know: insulin.

Insulin
Wikipedia tells us that insulin “is a hormone that has extensive effects on metabolism and other body functions, such as vascular compliance. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle, and stopping use of fat as an energy source.” Okay, that’s a little scientific, but look at all the things we’ve already referenced: hormone, glycogen, metabolism, and fat as an energy source. Even if you don’t fully comprehend “vascular compliance,” you can tell that insulin is something important in today’s discussion.

Sure enough, it’s the only hundred-dollar word we need to know today. Your body’s insulin response is the main reason you want to eat certain foods at certain times, to do certain things.

Putting it all together
Now let’s take what we’ve just learned and put it to use. For most of us, nutrient timing is pretty simple. The next thing to consider is what you’re going to be doing or what you just did. As I said before, what you eat should be based on this. You’ve probably heard about the evils of sugar, or maybe even the glycemic index. Using the science of nutrient timing, you can turn sugar into something healthy because it’s the only thing that transports nutrients into your blood quickly enough to be of service during and after hard exercise.

Essentially, sugar or other easily digested carbs (the less fiber the better) promote an insulin release. This speeds the transformation of carbohydrates into glucose in your blood. As your glycogen stores are depleted during exercise, recharging them with sugar minimizes the damage done by the breakdown of tissue during exercise. Therefore, sugar, the oft-vilified ingredient, is actually your body’s preferred nutrient during times of excessive stress and tissue breakdown.

Pretty cool, huh? The bad news is that this miracle nutrient is not good for you when you’re not doing intense exercise, which for almost all of us is most of the time. In fact, sugar’s very bad for you because the insulin response that was so fabulous for you when you were bonking (glycogen depleted) is not so fabulous for you when you’re sitting in front of the boob tube.

Remember this from the Wikipedia definition of insulin, “stopping use of fat as an energy source”? That’s bad when you’re sitting around. Remember how one of dietary fat’s responsibilities is to fuel you during low-intensity exercise? Well, when sugar causes your insulin to spike, it cuts off that process. Now not only are you not burning body fat for low-level outputs, you’re trying to force your body to use its glycogen. Double bad.

Unless you’re exercising, sugar intake should be minimized. During these times—which is most of the time—your diet should consist of a mixture of proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates. The latter are natural sources of carbohydrates that generally come with fiber, which regulates the insulin response. Whole fruit, a simple carbohydrate by definition because it contains fructose (a sugar), always contains fiber and, thus, can be treated as a complex carb. Fruit juice, and other such stuff, is processed; it, along with processed complex carbohydrates like white rice, can cause an insulin response, so these types of foods should be used more like sports foods than staples.

It’s also important to note that combining all these different nutrients slows sugar’s ability to incite insulin into action. Therefore, a little sugar like a dessert after a well-rounded meal is buffered by the meal. The calories and lack of decent nutrients (processed sugar is devoid of most nutrients, except for energy) still count toward your overall diet, but at least you don’t have to worry about an insulin spike.

So the main point of this article is very simple. You should eat small, well-rounded meals most of the time. These should include some proteins, some fats, some fiber, and some carbs. During (only if it’s a long workout) and after hard workouts, you should supplement your diet with sugar or simple carbohydrates. After this, you should go back to eating well-rounded meals again.

Sports nutrition has evolved this process even further. In nature, foods are generally slow to digest. Nature’s great sports foods are things such as bananas and figs. These are sugary but still contain fiber and other nutrients. Science has found ways to make foods that are even more efficient during sports. These basically manipulate pH levels and process the sugars to speed them into your system. Outstanding when you need it. Terrible when you don’t.

They’ve even taken this a step further by finding a ratio of other nonsugary nutrients (like protein) that can be transported by the sugar to give you a further benefit. Beachbody’s Results and Recovery Formula uses this science. When you’re bonking during a hard workout, it speeds nutrients that are essential for quick recovery into your system as quickly as possible.

I can’t stress how important it is that sports fuels be used for sports performance only. Gatorade, soda, and all sugar candies (hey, no fat!) all function as the poor man’s sports foods. Unfortunately, those perusing the Quick Stop generally aren’t trying to fuel up after doing Plyo X, and therein may lay our obesity trend.

In case the topic is still a bit fuzzy, let’s use the above logic on the examples in the intro: An Ironman athlete is doing intense exercise for 10 to 12 hours or more. During this time, that athlete is mainly burning glycogen, which is gone after an hour or so. The athlete burns stored fat, too, but this is limited in its effectiveness. To race, the athlete must replenish with sports foods because they contain the only nutrients that the athlete will digest fast enough to help. To complete an Ironman, especially at your physical limit, it may take 5,000 calories coming mainly from sugar.

This is a sports-specific diet only. Someone trying to eat that way during a viewing of the Lord of the Rings trilogy would be lucky to stay out of the emergency room. Conversely, if you tried to maintain a 25-mph speed for 8 hours on your bike while munching on raw spinach and lean steak, you’d bonk so hard you’d be praying to get yanked from the race at the first checkpoint. That should cover your 911 on nutrient timing.

Quinoa Chilli

So THIS recipe is something we made up.  You know those days where you have NO clue what to make and everyone is already hungry and you need to eat NOW?  Well that’s what happened this day.  We had the ingredients for this and just kind of threw it all together but it actually turned out good!  Who would have thought right?
Try it out though and let me know what YOU think.  Hopefully you like it as much as us!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tomato, plum, fresh
• 1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
• 1/4 onion, red, small, whole
• 1/4 small green pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 8oz can chili

Chop the tomato, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper and cilantro. Combine in a bowl with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice. Place into a bowl cover and set aside.

Use either 2 cups of vegetable broth or water and 1 cup of quinoa.  Once quinoa is cooked combine chili with quinoa and last add salsa to taste.

For spicey chili – add cayenne pepper to liking.

Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad with Noodles Recipe

Have I told you guys how much of a picky eater I am?  I am the kid who would NEVER eat their vegetables growing up.  If it looked healthy at all – I wouldn’t eat it.  haha.  NOW of course, my eating habits have changed but I am STILL super picky! I REFUSE to even TRY sushi.  The ONLY fish I will eat is salmon.  And that’s been a recent development within the past year.  :PI don’t know why I’m going into all that – but the point is…. I’m hard to please.  I like what I like and I have a hard time venturing out with new foods.  SO if I tell you something is good you better believe it’s GOOD.  ;)  And THIS my friends?  This recipe is AMAZING.

I present to you….. Chinese Chicken Cabbage Salad with Noodles. Say that ten times fast. ;)

I posted the picture on my Instagram account (ForwardFitness), so that’s where the tags came from. 

Here are the FACTS and the Recipe.

Ingredients

• 8 cups cabbage, nappa, fresh
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 Soup, ramen noodle, oriental flvr, dry svg Oodles of Noodles
• 2 tablespoons almonds, slivered
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, reduced sodium
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 tablespoons vinegar, rice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 8 ounces chicken, cooked

Preparation

• Wash and chop cabbage and green onion; combine in a large bowl.
• Break up noodles. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, and toast noodles with almonds and sesame seeds until lightly browned. Mix into cabbage and onion.
• Combine soy sauce, canola oil, rice wine vinegar (4 tablespoons is 1/4 cup), and sugar. Heat one minute in microwave, if necessary, to dissolve sugar substitute. Allow to cool. Pour over salad and toss to coat.
• Divide salad evenly among 4 serving plates. Dice chicken and arrange 2 ounces on each salad. Serve immediately.

Serves : 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes or less

So try it out, let me know what you think, and click on my Instagram link and Facebook link to follow me! :)

P90X & Shakeology transformation - Lisa J

I don’t think I’ve ever get sick of transformation stories.  This is Lisa J and here is her story.

Tell us about your life before you started the program. How did you feel about yourself and your body?

I have always been athletic and involved in sports my whole life. I never felt as though I was ever the most “in shape” person on my teams but I worked hard. For the most part, I felt like I think most girls do growing up, confident in myself but not necessarily in my body. This got much worse when, after college, I stopped playing soccer. I continued to eat as though I had two practices a day to fuel up for but didn’t actively exercise. My attitude towards food was incredibly unhealthy and had always been reinforced to me as “comfort”. ‘Had a bad day? Let’s get some ice cream, you’ll feel better. Still upset about that argument we had? Let’s order chinese food, then we’ll feel better.’ Food was my source of escape from a life I had come to recognize as not my own. I would consume several thousand calories a day to maintain my escape from reality and ate my way up to around 200 lbs. I was incredibly depressed, lost, unhappy, and flat out sick and I didn’t even know it.

What inspired you to change your life and begin your transformation journey?

My father was suddenly diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer and shortly thereafter passed away. I felt as though I needed to be “the rock” for my family and pushed my own grief, confusion, and unhappiness aside and kept it tightly bottled up with food. I ate and ate and ate until I quite literally could not eat any more. I woke up one morning in January of this year with an extreme pain in my jaw and found that I had a giant, softball size lump swelling on my jaw and neck. I immediately went to the ER and was told that due to type of severe pain I was experiencing, that I was a female, and “was in the type of physical shape” I was in, their first fear and assumption was that I had had a heart attack. I thought, “who are you talking to? Couldn’t be me. I’m 22 years old! I didn’t have a heart attack!” This terrified me to the bone. After finally diagnosing me with a very severe infection and scheduling me to be hospitalized for several surgeries, I knew things had to change.

Why did you choose the particular program?

I had ordered P90X earlier and used it briefly to help me stay in off-season shape for my college soccer team but never completed the full 90 day rotation. I was familiar with the Beachbody community and knew that if I wanted to get out of the terrible place I was in, I needed something that was real and that worked. I knew that Beachbody had the tools for a real answer and wasn’t just a gimmick. I knew P90X worked so I got it back out once I was released from the hospital and got to work. After completing all 90 days, losing 52 lbs and 28% body fat, I wanted more! I was hooked on the functional, sports specific idea behind Asylum and ordered it right away. Completed 30 days, lost 9 lbs and 4% body fat, and increased my speed and strength in all areas!

What in particular did you like about the program you chose?

I liked how easily modifiable P90X was to my needs. All the way from starting out not being able to do very much and just trying to complete the simple movements in each workout to trying to out jump the cast in Plyometrics by the end! P90X became my replacement for comfort food. ‘Having a bad day? Go do your X workout, you’ll feel better.’ It didn’t matter if you were feeling great or horrible, if you just showed up, pushed play, and gave it your best that day, that was enough. In Asylum, I loved how much it felt like training to play soccer again! It felt great to challenge my body in that way and I loved all of the tips and motivation Shaun T provided in every workout. I feel like along with my body learning and adapting and becoming stronger, Shaun T was also challenging my mind to grow and do the same. Loved it!

Tell us about the greatest challenge you faced. How did you overcome that challenge?

The greatest challenge I faced was having to undergo 3 further surgeries after beginning P90X. Trying to balance proper healing and recovery time to best take care of myself but also staying committed to my goal of following through and changing my life with P90X. It was very difficult. The only way I can say I overcame this, was by using Shakeology and sleeping as much as I possibly could! I wasn’t allowed solid food so instead of jello and mashed potatoes, I ate Shakeology. I honestly feel as though it snapped my recovery time down to almost nothing and had me back to my normal routine in no time. If I wasn’t sleeping, I was doing my workout for the day at whatever pace I could manage or sipping on Shakeology. That was it!

Describe the results you achieved with your Beachbody^® program. What achievements are you proud of?

Using Shakeology and walking everyday after I was released from the hospital, I lost about 20 lbs. Once I was medically cleared to exercise, continuing to use Shakeology and completing the full P90X program, I lost a further 52 lbs, countless inches and 28% body fat. I went from larger than a size 16 to a size 4. Then after completing 30 days of Asylum, I lost 9 more lbs, 4% body fat, and now hover somewhere between a size 2 and a size 4. I am truly most proud of the fact that I feel as though I have reclaimed myself and my life. I am fulling living now and no longer feel like I need to “hide” or “escape” from my own life. I am happy, confident, and excited for each and every day. I fought to get my true self back and I won.

If you are interested in joining a fitness challenge group so YOU can have your own transformation story then contact me on facebook!  I can let you know when the next group starts.  :)