2

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

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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)

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‐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.

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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!

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‐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.

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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.

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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%.

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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.

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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.

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‐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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

27

‐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.

30

‐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?

32

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.

33

‐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