Ronni was the Winner of the Grand Prize

…….But everybody in our eyes is the winner and we are so proud of all our  Health&Fitness Challenge Partners

We are excited to make a good dent in their lives and hear each of them say how great they feel and how much more energy they have gained!

Brian

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Christina

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Claudia

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Dulce

Gabriela

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Gena

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Heather

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Janeth

Justice

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Lan

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Mike

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Patricia

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Patty

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Randy

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Richard

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Robin

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Ronni

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Sondra

Victoria

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Wendy

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Burr Northrop-Before

Hey Sam, just following up on our discussion at the gym today.  I really want to bust that last 15 pound barrier.  My progress has been steady; 22 lbs in the four months I’ve been at the gym.  I’ve lost a total of 90 lbs since August. Not sure how much of that weight was actually muscle.

I’ve gained strength and certainly muscle (my readings on the hand held machine are a little confusing).  As you pointed out I’d like to get rid of the belly fat before summer.

Can you send me a strict diet I can follow, and commit to, that will get me there without muscle wasting?

I weight train 3 days per week and do 20-30 minutes of cardio those days.  I do an hour of cardio on off days usually three days per week.

My current diet is basically “clean foods”,  protein drinks/bars, (five meals per day usually less than 2000 cals per day) and of course periodic (every 7-10days) cheat meals.

I take Creatine on work out days and L -Arginine  twice every day.  Im satisfied with my progress but of course a little impatient.  I wish I was 15 years younger probably wouldn’t be an issue!
Thanks,
Burr

Burr Northrop-After (hitting the gym)

Burr Northrop-After with Fitness Concept Trainer Sherwin

MY RESPONSE:

Hi Burr,

Like we discussed earlier today to get the last 10-15 stubborn pounds off you should really buckle down and confuse your body.
Here is my secrets to getting the last 10-15 stubborn fat pounds off.

When I was competing back in the day this is exactly what I did to get rid of the last bit of my belly fat. I used this method to get as low as 3% body fat one year.

Now I warn you this is not what I recommend to my clients. I always recommend that they follow a sensible eating plan.

The best question to always ask yourself is “Can I follow this the rest of my life?”

If the answer is no then that means that, the program in question will only produce temporary results.

This is exactly why you see bodybuilders look amazing at the day of the show BUT if you see them couple of weeks later they don’t look a thing like they did at the day of the contest. And that’s exactly what we don’t want.

Having said that, we live in a vane world. A world that we are constantly judged by the way we look on the outside. So without further ado here is a good way to get ready for an event, pool party or whatever you are getting ready for.

1) Ok now it’s time to get rid of all the protein bars. I recently saw a study that concluded that none of the bars’ nutritional labels matched what it claimed. For example if it said it had 10 grams of sugar, it actually had 15.

2) I would replace the creatine with glutamine and I would put 10-15 grams glutamine in my protein shakes 2-3x/day. Glutamine is essential for recovery and it prevents muscle loss during caloric restriction. Remember we want to lose fat and NOT muscle.

3) L-Arginine is not good or bad(I think it’s unnecessary). Instead I recommend getting Flaxseed oil and add a teaspoon to your protein shakes 2-3x/day on your low carb days. It is essential to take essential fats since we are limiting our fat intake. Essential fats are fats that we need to get from our diets. They are very important. They are Linoleic and Linolenic acid found in Flaxseed oil. (My favorite is called Udo’s choice which can be found at Henry’s and other health food Stores)

4) Your protein sources should come only from: (Chicken Breast, Turkey breast, egg whites, Halibut, Snapper, Tilapia, Tuna) at this time.

5) Your Starch sources should only come from: (Old fashion Oatmeal, Brown Rice, Red Potato, Yams) at this time.

6)With every Major meal have plenty of greens: (Broccoli, Asparagus, and Spinach) especially on low carb days. Fiber makes you feel full and also keeps everything moving on a high protein diet.

7) You should eat every 2.5 hours. I like to have a solid meal then a liquid meal and repeat the sequence. It is essential that you prepare for this. You don’t want to go hungry and then ask yourself “What should I eat next.” That’s a recipe for disaster.

To confuse your body you should go 3 days of very low carbs followed by one day of high carbs. This is essential so that your body never catches on that you are on a diet. If your body catches on then it will shut down the fat burning process through lowering your metabolism.

9) Drink as much water as possible. The more you drink water the more your body gets rid of water. Limiting your water not only is dangerous but will also trigger your defense mechanism to release anti- diuretic hormone, which in turn makes you hold water. Remember your body is very smart if it senses something is off then it will do everything possible to reverse it and bring it back to “homeostasis”. (that is a whole another blog post by itself)

10) Limit eating foods that are high in sodium. Make sure your veggies are fresh or frozen and not canned. Stay away from sauces that are high in sodium (soy sauce, hot sauce etc…) Don’t get lunchmeat chicken or turkey instead buy them fresh. Also, rinse your canned tuna under water to get rid of the excess sodium or get the one that is labeled “low sodium”. I would still rinse it though.

So here is a sample low carb day(Follow for 3 days)

Meal 1)

6 egg whites,
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup broccoli(or 1 tablespoon of Psyllium husk fiber)
Multivitamin/Mineral Pack

Meal 2)

40 grams of whey protein with 10 grams glutamine and 1 teaspoon of Udo’s choice

Meal 3)

6-8oz Chicken, fish or turkey
Big spinach salad with small amount of Balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Meal 4)

same as meal #2

Meal 5)

6-8oz Chicken, fish or turkey
Bunch asparagus

Meal 6)

same as #2

Meal 7)

6 egg whites and spinach omelet.

Here is a sample of high carb day(follow for 1 day immediately after 3 low carb days)

meal 1)

6 egg whites
1/2 cup oatmeal

meal 2)

30 grams of whey protein, 1/3 cup oatmeal

meal 3)

6oz chicken, fish or turkey
1/2 cup brown rice

Meal 4)

same as #2

Meal 5)

6oz fish
6oz yam

Meal 6)

same as #2

Meal 7)

3 egg whites
1/4 cup oatmeal

Burr, I hope this helps and please let me know if I can be of assistance.

Sam