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Sign Up With BeachBody Or Sign Up With Me TODAY! :) Be sure to click on the "high" resolution button above.
BeachBody has even more professionals to answer your questions. Q: Do you recommend Accelerade AND Endurox or can I just use the Accelerade A: Yes, I recommend both. Accelerade fuels performance, Endurox provides recovery which makes you stronger for your next workout. Read each web site to make up your own mind. Q: Do you have a weekly training recommendation to try to get to be able to run 5 miles in 12 weeks... I have an event in February I'm training for and right now, I'm running 2-3 minutes and then walking 1-2 minutes for 2 miles every other day.... I've never run long distances before so I'm just trying to get to where I'm able to run longer periods of time. I'm going to try the accelerade. A: Sure, here's one. For the walk/runs, jog (not run) as long as you can before going to the walk to recovery, then jog again just as soon as you can: Week 1: 3 walk/runs; 1/2 mile, 1 mile and 1 1/2 miles Week 2: 3 walk/runs; 1/2 mile, 1 mile and 1 1/2 miles Week 3: 3 walk/runs; 1/2 mile run, 1 mile w/r and 1 1/2 miles w/r Week 4: 3 walk/runs; 1/2 mile run, 1 mile w/r and 1 1/2 miles w/r Week 5: 3 walk/runs; 1/2 mile run, 1 mile run and 1 1/2 miles w/r Week 6: 3 runs; 1/2 mile run, 1 mile run and 1 mile run Week 7: 3 runs; 1 mile run, 1 1/2 mile run and 2 mile run Week 8: 3 runs; 1 1/2 mile run, 2 mile run and 2 1/2 mile run Week 9: 3 runs; 2 mile run, 2 mile run and 3 mile run Week 10: 3 runs; 2 mile run, 3 mile run and 4 mile run Week 11: 3 runs; 2 mile run, 3 mile run and 4 1/2 mile run Week 12: 3 runs; 2 mile run, 3 mile run and 5 mile run Q: Also, the day of my race I have to get up early (5am) and run and I'm usually a "later in the day" exerciser.... any tips for getting my body ready to go much earlier? It's hard for me to get up early and train because I have to get my son ready for school and can't really leave him in the house alone before school.... I can definitely tell a difference in my stamina when I DO try to workout earlier in the day.... I'm definitely weaker. A: That's a tough one in many ways. You might try drinking a cup of coffee which is a performance enhancer which will also wake you up. Although it's not recommended for a race (dehydration and having to use the bathroom), it is recommended for training. Also, if you are used to having a BM before your run and you begin running 1st thing in the a.m., you might find that you are having to deal with a pressing issue during the run (runners trots) which really sucks (it happens to me all the time). So....you want to eat a very light, very easily digested meal (chicken and pasta) the night before to eliminate fiber and it's associated movement, and drink your breakfast vs eating it. That should help. I really liked your e-mail course. It gave a great amount of information. I now understand so much more about my body type and what it will take to get in shape. I did order your full blast of information $47.00. It takes a while to organize and digest. I have put together a notebook with the e-books, so I can read them over and over, away from my computer. I’ve color coded the exercises and am ready to take the plunge. I do have a question that may be in your e-books, (I haven’t read everything). I never knew how to measure body fat ratio to see where I’m at, and set a goal. How can I measure body fat? You talk about losing so many lbs. of body fat? I’m going to have to re-arrange my lifestyle to fit in the exercise. I guess that’s the point. Your eating plan hasn’t been too hard, except for today I blew it. I like the fact I should never be hungry and never be full. Also the carbs before 12 noon is good, it all makes sense. I only eat ½ of what I normally would in a meal and I know in only 3 hours and I can have a little more. At least I don’t feel deprived. I’m glad I stumbled across your plan and now I have to get into gear and get going. I am SO glad you are having so much success. It sounds like you are really figuring things out. That’s great. Here is a way to measure your body fat at home based on the "Covert Bailey" method: http://www.healthcentral.com/cooltools/CT_Fitness/bodyfat1.cfm. It may or may not be accurate, but it will at least provide a baseline – something to measure a change from. That will be helpful. I am so happy to have you aboard and look forward to hearing many more good reports! I just signed up with your inner circle and have been looking things over. You look fantastic. My question is about your diet though and the amount of protein you get. It doesn't seem like you get as much in your diet as "everyone" else out there tells you to get while trying to get lean. Am I missing something? I'm 41 and am by no means overweight, but am not as tight as I'd like to be. I feel at this moment like I'm skinny/fat. It's very encouraging that you do most of your workouts at home-very interesting. I'm looking forward to learning more with your guidance. You are so right! The amount of protein I advocate is less than the standard body-building menu. Most body-builders simply spit back out what they hear and what they are told without any real basis for providing advice. I've tested many different plans on myself and other women, and this last one is the very best to date on getting lean with minimal exercise. For the most part, it depends on how much muscle you are trying to build. Protein is the building-block of muscle. If you are trying to BUILD muscle, you need a higher relative amount of protein each day. If you are trying to MAINTAIN muscle, you need a lesser relative amount of protein each day. If you are trying to BURN muscle, you need a much less relative amount of protein each day. Generally speaking, ectomorphs and mesomorphs are either building or maintaining muscle, while endomorphs are generally trying to maintain or lose muscle. I've built up all that I want (being an ectomorph) over a 4 year period and am simply trying to maintain. If you read older TIC newsletters, you'll see that I used to eat more protein, but couldn't get lean on it without doing TONS of exercise and some fat-burning supplements. I don't need them anymore and with my busy schedule, don't get but ~3 workouts in a week, and I'm 12% body fat and 117 lbs. Thank you for joining me. Keep me posted on your progress, and have fun! When I sign up, is the book part of the package or do I need to purchase it separately? This program sounds good, but I have tried several. I think I fall short on how to put together a proper eating plan. I am a very picky eater & most of the time I do not like most of the sample menus the plan provides. Most of them indicate that you can substitute but that's where I have the problem because when I substitute with what I think is correct I always end up not loosing the weight and I know it has to be because of my choices. Will there be someone I can speak to about putting together the proper menu to ensure my success. I truly need to get started I am 257 pounds and 5'3". The complete package has many menus and lots of information not only on exercise programming, but to help you learn how to create a meal plan for yourself (your best possible solution), but if as you say, you are a picky eater and need someone to put together a menu plan just for you, I would recommend finding a registered dietician in your area. For the most part personal trainers are not allowed by law to create meal plans. They can, as I do, publish and submit information for everyone, but when they start putting something specifically designed for a paying individual together, they are subject to misdemeanor criminal action. I'm sorry. I would LOVE to put together a plan for you, but can't. The package is an awesome combination of excellent exercises for women and instruction on how to put together something that works for you. If you decide you would like to try it, I look forward to serving you! I am considering ordering your program, does the exercise come on tape. I don't think I will do well if I have to stop and look at a book and I will not be able to tell if I am doing it correctly? It isn't yet on video, but the book has lengthy photos so that you know exactly what to do and can check your form while you are doing it, plus it has lots of background information that you can use for the rest of your life -- to ensure you stay lean and beautiful up to and beyond age 50. You can have the paperback version of "At Home With The Body Sculptress" right there with you and the electronic versions of all of the e-books up on your computer as you begin to exercise, or you can print them out to have with you during your exercise session. Remember if you don't like it, you can always request a (1-2 day) refund. Thank you so much for your interest. I am interested in purchasing some of your books & e-books is there a mailing address or a phone number that I can use? We don't input our info online. Absolutely. You may fax your cc information and what you want to 919-788-8982, or you may mail a check with your order information to: The Body Sculptress 4407 Still Pines Drive Raleigh, NC 27613 Thank you so much for your interest. I am interested on purchasing the E-book $14.95.My only concern is -- how big is the file that I have to download? I'm just worried about going over my download limit. You will be fine as you’ll have the option of downloading the whole book, or one of each of 3 sections at a time. I broke it up for those of you who have download limits. Thank you for sending the FREE Weight Loss information. It has been enlightening thus far. I have a question for you. I know that I do not properly. I normally consume one meal per day without any additional snacks between meals. I was drinking 2-3 24 oz. pepsis daily. I have stopped this for the past 3 weeks. In reading through your material it stated that a person should eat 5-6 small meals per day. I am not sure that I can do this. Does it have to be 5-6 meals? I want to change my eating habits to be healthy and nutritious. You will find that your body responds much more favorably with splitting your meals up as often as is reasonable for you. One meal a day puts you into the “starvation” mode which means that, counter-intuitively, your body is going to hold on to its fat stores because it is afraid it will starve without them. If you can add even one more meal (split your one meal into 2 meals) you may see your body respond – add 2 more and you will see even more. The more you feed it (within the right caloric target for you), the more fat it will let go of. I'm assuming this is all by email ?? What if my email address changes? The FREE Weight Loss course is delivered via e-mail and there is a link at the bottom of each message which allows you to change your e-mail address. The e-book access information is delivered via an HTML page as soon as you finish your order. Then, your weekly Inner Circle advanced information comes via e-mail and there is a link at the bottom of each message where you can change your e-mail address at any time. Are all of your books available on line?? I know what that I should exercise and eat right, but I need help getting it together. Plus I'm over 50 so I'm not sure this will work for me. Yes, the books are all available on line. Look at the menu on the left hand side of the main http://thebodysculptress.com web page. The “At Home With The Body Sculptress” (http://thebodysculptress.com/storeahwbs.html) will take you through 12 weeks of daily exercise – different all the time, along with reiterating everything you know about food and such. It’s a great exercise program designed to help you lose 15-100 pounds or more – and it’s only 14.95. The other bonus’ available individually or with the “Live Your Dreams” package are icing on the cake. They are the add-ons to the core exercise program. You can follow this program, and you will definitely benefit from it. But as you say, you are the one who must work it. Most of my clients are 40-60 and they all benefit (transform very well). You can get it together. You only need to decide to. One small success and one positive decision breeds the next one, right? As they say….one step at a time! Either way, thank you so much for your interest and good luck! My life is so busy that I'm about to give up on trying to incorporate any healthy habits into it. I'm frustrated and I'm about to give up! You’re about to give up? Here’s the deal. Ask yourself what your options are. You can either choose to exercise or choose not to, right? And you can choose to control what enters your mouth, or choose not to, right? These are your options. Choosing “not to” causes you great misery. That is how you found me, right? You were finding relief from your misery and stumbled across my web site. Choosing “to” gives you great challenge. Figuring out how to schedule 30 minutes into your day and sticking with it from week-to-week is not always easy. Which is the better option – great misery or great challenge? As far as what’s happened to date, simply let it go. We all falter. It’s when we stay down that we become miserable. Chalk the past "failures" to whatever they need to be chalked up to and move forward today, based on which option and outcome you wish to pursue. Your outcome is entirely up to you. Not one of us is perfect so don’t expect yourself to be. What you can expect from yourself, however, is making more good decisions than bad decisions. Let me now ask you another question: Q: How is it that you are able to be successful in your career? A: You know what is expected and you do it. In order for you to be successful with anything, you have to know what’s required, PLAN for how you’re going to accomplish it (i.e. get up at 6:30, get my cardio in, eat breakfast, get ready for work, etc) and then IMPLEMENT your plan. You do this for work every day. You know how to do this. Now you just need to add one or two things a week (make it simple to start) to your current schedule and become successful with them. Do that for a couple of weeks and then when you have some success under your belt, try to add one more thing. You do not need to enroll yourself in races and set large goals yet. Set a simple one and stick with it for a while. Remember Rome wasn’t build it a day, right? Will you please send me a diet plan/menu? For 4 meal plans, visit this page: http://www.thebodysculptress.com/storepopcorn.html I really need your input. I try to eat a higher protien diet. I walk for a half an hour and then I work out with free weights for half and hour everyday. I usually take one day off a week. Which I think that I'm really doing a great job. But I have a couple of problems, One is that I can't get rid of these stupid sweet cravings. It doesn't matter what meal I finish I want something sweet. And at times if I don't have it I feel sick. Problem number two is that as soon as I'm done eatting I get freezing cold. So I have to go find my vest and put it on. Is their some herb or supplement that I can take to rid these sweet cravings? Any input that you can give me I would appreciate it. Can't wait to hear from you. It sounds like your chemistry is off. I can relate. Mine was off last year and I experienced the sweet cravings and the low body temperature. Here's what I did. It made ALL the difference. I'm warm now and don't have many sweet cravings throughout the week. I'm usually completely satisfied after meals and am at 12.5% body fat right now. However, you might go to a doctor to rule out any problems. Then, 1) Get this book, take the test and eat accordingly: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767905644/thebodysculpt-20/104-6256991-8744762?dev-t=D68HUNXKLHS4JY&camp=2025&link_code=xm2 2) Get an analysis done by the on-line naturopath here: http://www.digitalnaturopath.com/ Your total expenditure is less than $40 and you'll start seeing IMMEDIATE improvement by following the suggestions. Good luck! I am still reading through all the information, but I do have a question. I have been working out consistently in the gym for about 5 months now,7 kgs lost and 11inches so far and I feel very proud of my results, however I seem to have 'plateaued' and my motivation is dropping, I was doing 500+ calories of exercise but at the moment am pushed to get to 400 and getting tired to boot. I guess my question is how do I 'get back up there again'. It comes down to cals in vs cals out and it’s always a balance between food and exercise. When you have time and energy to exercise more, you can eat more. If you have less time and less energy and the exercise suffers, you must eat less. I’m having to do that right now. With an incredibly full schedule I’m having to back off on my food. KNOW THIS: if you are creating a caloric deficit, you WILL lose weight. If you aren’t creating one, you won’t. It’s really that easy! Either exercise more, eat less, or both to get where you want to go. I wanted to send you an email about my successes recently. Earlier this week my fiance found a box of old clothes from many years ago in our attic. Inside were two dresses from when I was in high school that I absolutely loved. One was from a formal dance my freshman year and the other was my senior prom dress. I was hesitant, but I put them on and they both fit! I couldn't believe it. One interesting note, when I wore my prom dress I was 17 pounds lighter than I am now. It goes to show that muscle tone is much more important than what shows on the scale. My fiance was so proud of me, he is going to take me out to a fancy restaurant so that I can wear it again! My other surprise came when I broke down and finally went shopping for new clothes. I am not at my goal yet but I just could not wear my old clothes anymore. Some were literally falling off of me :) So I went shopping and was estatic to find that the mediums and larges that I was used to wearing had to be put back and now I was wearing smalls and even extra smalls! Now I can actually shop for things I like instead of clothes that will look good on me (ie. hiding my problem areas). Thanks for everything! You have truly made a world of difference for me! Be encouraged everyone! She's gone from LARGE to EXTRA-SMALL and is wearing her high school clothes! So can you! But you can't just WISH for it, you have to WORK for it! Follow your plan and remain committed and you will reap skinny rewards in the end. I think I'm in week 8 of your work-out plan. I LOVE IT. I feel so good. I haven't been doing my yoga as much since moving and I miss it, but I have been looking forward to the weight workouts, they've really made a difference. Sometime when I'm feeling creative, I'm going to write you up a testimonial. The recipes I like are: meatloaf, blueberry pancake, and most recently, I tried your strawberry pancakes, those are good too. I really does help to make your food ahead of time, that way you can always find something good and healthy to eat, no excuses. I have been snacking on popcorn and haven't gotten sick of it yet. I'm SO HAPPY to hear it!! I know you are a busy lady, but I do have one question as I begin my fitness routine. I know for a fact that one cannot "spot reduce". I have upper ab flab that I need to get rid of. I know that this is a dangerous place to have fat being so close to the heart. What can I do to reduce this? Any ideas are most appreciated!! Great question and the answer is simple – everything. Do everything in the program – food, cardio and strength, and that area will reduce along with everything else. You’re an apple and you will probably “shrink” from the extremities inward, so be patient. That belly has no choice but to cooperate as long as you are diligent and consistent. Hi! Thanks so much for your reply!! If it sounds like I'm reaching out for motivation and help, well I am doing just that. I have tried so many different programs (especially on the internet) and failed. I just want to believe that what you have to offer will work for me. I'm very impressed by the fact that you have God in your life. First things first. My programs work. They work very well, but only if they are worked. I’m sure some of the other programs you ordered would have worked as well, but like mine, they actually need to be worked. Yours is a challenging situation to be sure, but one that can be overcome. However, YOU need to DECIDE that you are going to do what it takes to get the body that you want, and then you must DO it – one day at a time. It’s like walking with God or being married or anything else of importance, you must spend daily time in it. You can’t just wish for it. You must plan for your daily devotions, your one-on-one time with your husband, and your exercise. You must think about how you will eat better tomorrow, then make a plan and stick with it. Little by little the things that you begin to do take hold and become a natural part of your life – one that’s easy to integrate and enjoyable – BUT you must make the initial commitment to keep going when it seems too difficult or when it seems like it isn’t working (it is but it takes some time to learn it), or when you are too tired, or when you just feel like being lazy, or when the world rocks from under you. If you want a healthier and leaner body, my programming is perfect for you. It is you, however, that will either make it or not. You must decide to do it. There is nothing I can do to help you in that area unless you want some one-on-one phone coaching ( found here: http://www.thebodysculptress.com/phone.htm ) while you are working the program. Our phone conversations will inspire and motivate, but again it is YOU that needs to hang up the phone and make yourself do the work. I wish I could say it is an easy transition, but if it were everyone would be slim, right? It takes discipline and determination – like anything worthwhile. What I can tell you is that the journey, once the results begin to happen, is exhilarating and definitely worthwhile. The benefits far outweigh everything else. Hope that helps. My prayers for success are with you. Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know my progress. I went off track while I was away for a couple of weeks. I kept my exercise up, but found it a little difficult to keep up with the eating regiment. My husband wasn't keen on buying me 6 meals a day! So when I got back, I was feeling a bit depressed about the weight I had put back on. I had return to where I was after week 1 and I was now at week 5. So the decision was made to work harder. The day after I returned I found your Popcorn diet. I decide that I would give it a go to get me back on track. After the first day, I had put on weight! Mmm not very good I thought. I then lost a little and not any more. The scales were not helping me feel like I was getting anywhere UNTIL I MEASURED UP. After 10 days, of basically the Popcorn diet I had lost 3 cms off my hips - I was ecstatic, as you can imagine. When I had returned from NZ, my jeans were too tight, now they are fitting very nicely thank you and I'm looking forward to them being too small so I can buy new, smaller ones. As well as the diet, I decided to work harder at exercise. My morning cardio has increased from 15-20 mins of walking/jogging to 30 mins. I am finding the period of time I can jog for is rapidly increasing. I'm doing this 6 days a week. In addition, I decide to do the tushy and ab exercises, so I do them Mon, Wed & Fri and the other strength exercises the other days. I have now thrown in the leg exercises as well, as weight sits on my thighs. I was a little concerned about eating so much popcorn, so got onto some rice cakes and have one of the 2, for the moment. I find rice cakes are much easier if I'm out, especially in the car. Ok, so over Easter I ate Chocolate - but I allowed myself to, so that's OK. I don't know if I will reach the goal I was aiming for, but it almost doesn't matter. I see my body improving now and I know that it will continue, so the goal will me reached, but I will be working very hard over the next couple of weeks to get as close as possible to it. Basically I've got 2 weeks to lose 1 dress size. I suppose if I can lose 3 cms in 10 days, I should be able to get very close in 2 weeks. As it is coming into Winter here, I just think how great I'm going to look by the time the warm weather comes again. Getting motivated to go out in the morning could be a bit of a problem when it is cold, dark and wet. Time to invest in some exercise equipment, I think. A question. I do my strength exercises at night most of the time. I try for before the evening meal, but it doesn't happen very often. I know that I should be eating protein after exercises, but at 8:30 - 9:00pm I'm not really sure what to eat. I have just been having popcorn, rice cakes or fruit. Oh yeah, by the way, I'm not having much trouble at all with my shoulder. I think I'll be trading in my 3kg weights for something heavier soon. CONGRATULATIONS!!! It is always so much fun to measure up and see the difference. The scale is almost never a good judge of progress. Keep up the great work and you'll definitely reach your goals! About the protein after exercise...a simple protein shake (made with powdered whey or soy or egg albumin) does the trick nicely. Or you can blend an egg (or egg whites) with 4 oz or so of your favorite juice. Liquid is best so that it can do directly into your stomach and muscle. You don't want to choose something that your body has to work hard to digest. Also, a HB egg and a piece of fruit are good choices. I am 38 , 5' 7'' (two kids) and 180 lbs. I work out with a Total Gym every other day for two months now, walk at least 1 fast mile once a week, jump on a mini tramp. here and there. We have two flights of stairs at home that I run up and down constantly to do house work, and I am eating lots of salads with little dressing, and I am NOT looking any thinner! I want to gain muscle to develop a higher metabolism and healthy bones, but want to loose size also. It would be nice if I didn't have to live a life of total culinary deprevation to do it also, (ie. no sugar or dairy). I have given up on artificial sweeteners which all seem to be poison and have sworn off all diet colas or reg. colas. I drink more water than I used to to no avail, not one single inch of size loss. If you have a cure I sure would love it, because everything that everyones else says to do just isn't cutting it. My husband and I are taking our boys to Disney this week and I am soo depressed because I know that I will look even bigger in photo's than 5 years ago, and I looked like a fatty then. I have been fighting my weight since I was 16 yrs. of age when my body suddenly decided to go from thin to plump. At this rate I am not going to age gracefully or healthily. HELP! If I had to guess with the limited information that I have, your exercise is not intensive enough, nor is it of long enough duration. I have had so many speed walkers who walk 2-3 miles 2-3 times a week with healthy whole food diets call me because they cannot lose weight, and when I get to their home and test them, their lung capacity is weak and their heart rates skyrocket with any level of increased intensity. Women’s bodies burn carbohydrates primarily as fuel, which ends up wasting muscle and retaining body fat, UNLESS you get into an anaerobic mode and work hard (at 80-100%) for as long as you can stand it, while keeping total time at 30 mins or more per session. 30 second intervals are excellent. In addition, unless you are grunting and become breathless with your total gym, you may as well not even be using it. I’ve had lots of Total Gym clients as well, and many are very surprised the amount of work they can be and should be doing. Hopefully you are working at as high an incline as you can manage for the rep range you are shooting for (that’s an entirely different discussion). But, you need to 1st determine what your body type is. My guess is “mesomorph” or “endomorph” and each has it’s own program design – minimize bulky muscle while building and toning it and minimizing body fat. Each works at different intensities for different durations and within different rep ranges with strength training. It is for this very reason that what works for your friends may not work for you. I often caution my successes not to share what has worked for them with others because it may not work for them which furthers the “it will never work for me” mentality. Also, HOW you eat, in conjunction with WHAT you eat is key: http://www.thebodysculptress.com/august02.htm If you need more information, please feel free to schedule a phone consultation (http://www.thebodysculptress.com/phone.htm) or if you are in Raleigh, bring me in to get to know you, your current program and concerns better. I am working the book Bodysculpting; At home with the body sculptress. But I have some problem with understanding the exercise table. I can not understand the name of exercises (squats, genie, walking lunges and all others) and to which exercise in the appendix they corresponds. May be it is because English is not my native language (I am Japanese) and plus never had experience to do any exercise using English words. It would be great if you will send me explanation like "squats is .... shown on the page .." The exercise name is mentioned at the 1st of each exercise description. So for “Chair Squats” the description says, “Begin your Chair Squats with….” Each exercise description should have the name of the exercise as specified in the table. In addition, the printed hard copy of the book has the exercises listed in alphabetical order in the appendix. “Chair Squats” would be listed between “Butt-Ups” and “Chest Press.” Where can I buy the adjustable block weights? Here is the site which lists the stores. The “Power Blocks” (~$300) go from 5-45 lbs in 5 lbs increments. The “Sports Blocks” (~$130) go from 3-21 lbs in 3lbs increments. The “Sports Blocks” are what I recommend to the average women, but if you are stronger than most you’ll want the bigger set. http://www.powerblocks.com/frame.html I am 36, female, black and a police officer. I am at least 35 lbs overweight. I don't know how to cook. Will your book still help me? Also, being on patrol does not bode well for good eating habits. I also have six weeks before I leave for a cruise with my twin sister. How soon can I get your book and does it tell how often to work out? The book offers many portable and easy real-food solutions so it should be helpful. The book tells you specifically how to work out on each day of the week, over many weeks. There are pictures and everything. If you order the e-book version off of my web site, it will come within a minute. If you order the hardcopy version off of my web site or Amazon.com or one of the others, it usually ships in 3-5 days. Good luck! I am starting your "Lose the Pooch" diet today and tried your blueberry pancake this morning. Just wanted to let you know that it was VERY good. I did not expect it to be since it uses chocolate whey protein powder, but i was pleasantly suprised. I do not know if I will have time in the mornings to make these everyday so do you see a problem with a protein shake with skim milk instead of water?? Aren’t they good! Note that you can make several at a time (when you have time) and refrigerate them. They'll keep in the frige for several days. Should freeze well, too. I see no problem with your alternate plan, however remember that your body has to work harder (raises metabolism) with foods you have to chew! I've noticed that my legs tend to be sore and prone to stiffness after my Day 1 exercises. By Wednesday or Thursday, I'm fine. Does this mean I'm pushing myself too much, or since it's not really pain, that I'm at just the right level? (BTW, I am noticing a difference in my legs - I think I noticed some slight, omigosh, definition in my quads!) Which brings me to a second question - I do experience similar soreness in my arms after those workouts, but it never feels as much or as intense or lasts as long. Does this mean I'm missing something? I feel like I'm using the max weight I can to maintain good form throughout, although it's tough to get the last rep or two, and sometimes I struggle through the last part of the last set. I'm sort of limited by the free weights available in the fitness room - usually I use 5-lbs or 8-lbs. Finally, I've noticed that each major group (legs, triceps, biceps, chest, back, shoulders, abs) gets worked only once a week. Years ago when I did weight training, they said the major groups should be worked every other day for maximum benefit. I was wondering if new research shows once a week is sufficient, because of the increased sets, or if scheduling that way gives more variety to the workouts, or what. I also took a long hard look at what I ate last week - way too many diet Cokes, not enough water. DOMS – delayed onset of muscle soreness is not an indication of how hard you are working, or how effective the exercise is. It is a result of many factors – rest, dark vs soft muscle (i.e. fast-twitch (power) vs slow-twitch (endurance) ) and the rep range you are working in as well as the amount of weight you are using, nutrition that day, how out of shape that muscle is, how used it is to working, etc. My hamstrings get sore with ~ 1 rep (no kidding – and the soreness lasts 3-4 days) and my shoulders almost never get sore (but are very strong and defined). Each body is unique in its response, and we cannot use DOMS as a measure of success – inches lost and lean mass gained and enjoyment are better gauges. One thing that you can depend on, however, is that the more you work the muscle that gets really sore, the less likely it is to get sore. That being said, I would continue to work your legs as hard as your body is adapting to that level – UNLESS the soreness is irritating you or is inconveniencing you, then back off some. Legs and arms should be worked at their maximum for ectomorphs trying to gain muscle (this is not true for mesomorphs and endomorphs). If I were you, I would consider either asking the facility to get 10’s and 12’s or getting some for myself (you will be doing this for a lifetime) and work your arms at home. You need to work with the principle of progression and variability – keep increasing the weight up to your plateau (probably 20’s and 30’s) and doing different exercises for each body part so that the body doesn’t adapt to any one exercise – keep it guessing. There are MANY ways to weight train. A 3 day beginner’s split usually incorporates each muscle one time. “At Home With The Body Sculptress” is a beginner’s 3 day split program. A 3 day split for someone who maintains (like me) would work each muscle group more often and with less weight over all. In addition, working “lagging” muscles (ones that aren’t as strong or as defined) might get worked 2-3 times a week. I’m focusing on my arms and legs right now – just do 2 weight training a week at this point (with heavy weights) targeting (day 1) triceps, biceps and shoulders and (day 2) quadriceps and hamstrings. I do very high reps total body (including arms and legs) as a cardio workout 1-2 times each week as well as wind sprints (lower body and abs) one day and the elliptical and/or rollerblading (lower body) and/or kickboxing (lower body and arms/back) on other days. The BIG SECRET to transforming is in constantly analyzing your food against your progress. Food is ~80% of the equation. You will tweak your meal plans until your body starts doing what you want and then you’ll rotate through the meal plans you’ve made for yourself that keep yourself in the condition you are building to. This is a life change, one that will keep you lean and strong for the rest of your life. I’ve got 10-20 meals (recipes) that I really like and I rotate through them from week-to-week as I get bored or am looking for more enjoyment, less body fat, etc. I have a question on the "flyes" exercise in "At Home With The Body Sculptress." Looking at the picture in the exercise library, it looks like the arms are straight up with elbows slightly bent, and the motion is to lower the arms to the sides keeping the movement in the shoulder. (as opposed to bending and unbendingthe elbows). Do you exhale on the way down or the way up? BTW, my thighs are sore. I have felt my muscle going up and down the stairs this weekend! Yes, you have the motion exactly correct EXCEPT, if you do it right, with your chest out and shoulders back (proper form with everything) you want to minimize pressure in the forward shoulder and perform the inward squeeze (arms moving upward) with your chest. Exhale with the lowering of the arms (the release) and inhale with the squeeze up (the contraction). Should I be eating raw on a regular basis or like one week a month, or one day a week or something? I have read about eating RAW but I still do not know how it bennefits me. Unfortunately, I'm forbidden by law to tell anyone what they "should" eat as I'm not an RD, but I can tell you that naturopaths believe that a raw diet helps us detox from so many of the processed foods we eat on a regular basis. In addition, raw foods have their chemistries intact which means that our bodies benefit deeply on a molecular level. I like eating raw foods moreso in the summer than the winter because I want foods that warm me up in the winter, and if you cook a food it is no longer raw. I will say, too, that I really enjoy the raw week. My energy and sleep seem to be improved. Lastly, you need to make sure that you get fresh foods (not spoiled or contaminated, be sure to buy organic (so you don't ingest pesticides) and wash the foods well (I do a dishwashing detergent in a sinkful of warm water just like washing my dishes) before using them. If you try it, let me know what you think! I started today, and as I looked over the prescribed exercises, I saw I didn't even have to leave the house! Question on counting the walking lunges: Does each step count as a single rep, so that 8 reps equals 8 steps? Or do you count one right step and one left step as a single rep, so that 8 reps is 16 steps? I did the former today, but thought I'd check for next time the exercise comes up. Yeah! Good news on the start. The "home" program is designed to be worked at home. That's the beauty of it! About reps... They are a total count UNLESS you are working each side independently (like 1 leg squats, lunges, 1 arm rows, kickbacks, etc). If you work each side independently, then you work the prescribed number of repetitions per side. Your lunge count would be 8 per side, or 16 (remember to make it tough by carrying enough weight). I'm trying to lose about 5-10 pounds that I have gain since I stopped excercising because of limited time. I work 8 hours a day and attend college for another 4 hours after, so its a little hard to juggle school, work and a family at the same time. Any suggestions? Yes I do have some suggestions. Park as far as you can (with getting to class on time) and “walk” to class (and to work for that matter), while taking stairs, etc, whenever you can. Do 1 set of push-ups, one set of lunges, one set of chair dips, one set of crunches and 20 jumping jacks (10-15 minutes) each morning and you’ll be off to a great start. Also, watch what you eat. For exercises: http://www.thebodysculptress.com/exercises.htm For how to eat: http://www.thebodysculptress.com/august02.htm Your nutrition is only 925 calories!!! For such an active lifestyle this seems severe. I read this and thought "Wow, what a failure I am!" because I know there's no way that I'm willing to make that kind of sacrifice. I was feeling extremely discouraged and frustrated yesterday when I realized my 1200 calorie diet plus TONS of additional exercise for the week rewarded me with a GAIN! Arrrggghhh!! However, I also know that I'm not willing to make an extreme sacrifice of such calorie restriction so I guess I'm at that crossroad where I have to either accept a higher bodyfat percentage or go extreme. I will not be going extreme. I'm fighting hard the feeling to just give up trying to accomplish more than maintenance at this point. I've been tweaking steadily to this level for 6-9 months so I am completely satisfied (I'm so full right now) and very happy with this food. I love all of it and am ready to eat when the time comes. 925 cals is only "severe" in light of American (obese) standards. I keep telling people that 2000 is way too much. I have been up front and state as often as I can that at 5'4" and completely active I feel best and look best at ~1000 big-food calories. At my 925 I'm losing about 1/4 lb a week -- perfect for me. I'm aiming for 115-118lbs as a standard (at 119.5 now), now that I know best how to eat after going through the blood type and metabolic typing process. The trick is to stay full with BIG low-cal, low-starch foods. As soon as I switched the fruit to the pickle I made another big drop. When I switched from the pancake to the lower cal cereal, I started making a little more progress. Remember, I'm shooting for ~10-12% body fat, not 18-20%. My arms aren't pretty and sculpted until I get to at least 13.5%. My diet is stricter than yours has to be, but it is a model for you to go by. Did I mention that I make several decaf/hot chocolate (very low cal but fills me and makes me feel like I'm cheating) each day as well as sucking on sugar-free (VERY GOOD) mint chocolate chip and chocolate caramel hard candies? I still add another baggie of popcorn if I need it, but that's only about every other day. And I've added a big bowl of veggies marinara at night as my stomach expanded over Easter -- big bowl of carrots, broccoli and cauliflower with spaghetti sauce and a bit of parmesan cheese. Today is going to be a beautiful day here in North Carolina :) I just wanted to ask a question. You had told me that I was an "apple shape". Does this mean I'm an Endomorph or one of the others? The ecto/meso/endo doesn’t relate specifically to either apple or pear. Either of the 3 can be any of the two. Read “Your Body Type” in “At Home With the Body Sculptress” (get to it here: http://www.thebodysculptress.com/Books/index.html) to see what your body type is. Whether you are an ecto/meso/endo will specifically determine your programming. If I do all four of your four programs on abs, legs, tushy and arms together over the next four weeks, will I see a major change in my body. I've been training with weights and i'm very fit aerobically--i do cardio 3 to 4 times a week but will increase that to at least 6 or 7. I want my thighs and hips thinner. It’s hard to say how much you will change without knowing your current level of body fat and degree of/length of time of weight training. If you are already lean and fit, you won’t change as much as if you were overly fat and fit. Remember, though, that you can exercise until you are blue in the face and unless your food falls in line you’ll get stronger and feel better but your body will look the same (the same overlay of fat tissue). The exercise will definitely help, but you won’t see the layer of fat disappear unless you have a good caloric deficit (eating less calories than you consume) with the proper macronutrient ratio (lean proteins and healthy veggies, etc). I can't seem to find the dumbbell press in the exercise library. Is it under another name (chest press)? What is the difference between the hammer curl and the bicep curl? They look the same to me.
I realize you are very busy and will answer this as soon as you are able. My question is: what type of exercise can I do to tighten my chect or pectoral mucles. I am 19 years and my breasts are soft and droopy. They have fallen. I want to know how can I tone my chest to have perky smaller breasts? Girl…. I wish I was 19 again. I’m afraid that the news I have for you isn’t what you want to hear, but we cannot change our breasts through exercise. Breasts are fatty tissue that may shrink when our level of body fat shrinks which will reduce our breast size, but exercise doesn’t reshape it because exercise works muscle, not fat. I will bet, however, that your breasts are beautiful!!! At 19, everything about you is beautiful. Whatever they look like, believe that. Have confidence in your youthful beauty and be thankful for what you have --- even if it isn’t perfect. Because at 29, 39, 49, 59, 69 and beyond, you will look back at 19 and wish you had your beautiful youthful body back! To work your chest muscles, push-ups are excellent. If you aren’t strong enough to do them on the floor, push up from a wall (while standing), or the kitchen counter or something else that’s elevated. You can also do “flyes” and “chest press”. Look them up in the free exercise library from my main web page. It’s all good. Be happy! After a couple of weeks, I have lost 2-3 cms off my waist, hips and thighs, right in line for losing a dress size in 4 weeks. However, my tummy doesn't seem to have decreased at all, although I must admit that this seems to be the hardest part of the body to get an accurate measure. Do you have any recommendations of how I can get this moving in line with the rest of my body? By the way, what is the difference between a Hammer curl and a Bicep curl? I can't tell the difference, from the picture and description they seem the same. "You know... I wish I could pick a spot and work it to be what I want it to be, but I think God wanted us to continue to be humbled, because there is no such thing as spot reducing. Generally, "apple" body types find that the belly is one of the last areas to reduce. It shrinks along the way to be sure, but not as quickly as we would like. I'm working on mine right now, too! If you eat, do your strength training and your cardiovascular exercise as you should, everything will come off as it decides it's ready -- pretty evenly over time. It's kind of like a snow pile that melts. It comes off from the outer edges and works its way inward. Good question about the bicep curl exercises that are illustrated in the book. A "hammer" curl is something like swinging a hammer. As you stand, move each of your palms to face your hips inward. Then keep them facing each other as you move your forearms up and down. It is kind of like swinging a hammer, which is where the name comes from. A standard "bicep" curl begins the same way, only your palms rotate inward to your shoulders on the way up. At the top of the "curl" your palms/fists face your shoulders. " I am new to your group. My husband has a small Weider home gym #245. Could you suggest a program utilizing this piece of equipment? OR Should I just follow the 10 suggested moves including: Chest press, Butterfly, Lateral Pulldown, Biceps curl, Shoulder shrug, Triceps pressdown, Leg curl, Leg Extension, Hip Abductor, & Ab Crunch. Having a home gym is a nice alternative to using the dumb bells. You have “complementary” exercise. So you can use the gym, for example, when your 12 Week Program calls for “DB bicep curls,” or you can choose to do the entire gym, as you have described on one day, or do the “cable” (your gym) component along WITH the dumb bell component (like do the DB Bicep Curl and then the Weider Bicep Station). The more you mix things up, the better your body will respond. Just a note, you probably don’t need to do the shoulder shrug. It’s my experience that women don’t generally need a stronger/larger trapezius. It gets worked along with many of the other exercises. Plus, if you’re like most women where you carry your stress in your shoulders/upper back, you may get quite a lot of pain there (like I do) which will be aggravated with that exercise. I just signed up to receive your e-books this morning. In reviewing your programs for "Lovely Legs", "Awesome Abs"," Astonishing Arms", and "Tempting Tushy", you note which exercises to perform but there are no directions for the actual exercise. Where do I get this information? If you click on the exercise name, it will open up a page that illustrates and details the exercise. It will open in a small window. You can find the "enlarge" icon to make the illustration and descriptions bigger. I just wanted to let you know that I have been keeping up with the newsletters. I really appreciate the recipes that you are able to give out. I do have an eating question for you. I'm not sure if you've ever dealt with the following issue, so here goes. I'm not sure if you remember, but I work at a manufacturing facility that is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I have just started working the night shift and I'm not sure about when to eat given the hectic schedule -- a 2 week rotation working 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, 2 days off, 2 days on, 3 days off. The working hours are kind of inconvenient 6 pm to 6 am. My goodness you have a tough schedule. I used to do shift rotation, too, and it isn't any fun is it? I feel for you. My normal days are up at 7:15, out the door at 8:30am and back in the house at 9:00pm ~ 13 hour days. I keep the same food program as I've been sending you all (The Inner Circle) -- just 5 meals. I begin eating at 7:30 and eat every 3 hours until 7:30pm - 5 meals. Then I go to bed and do it all again the next day. If I were you I would eat within 30 minutes of getting up and then every 3-4 hours until you've eaten your 5th meal. If you are trying to build/maintain muscle (I'm trying to burn fat), then it might be important to have another chicken breast or shake if you're hungry later. Hi Angela - Your Pina Colada sounds fantastic! Yum!! Actually I've been making something else but similar for breakfast these past weks - Ambrosia with a small banana or two and fresh pineapple chopped in and an orange cut up and some fresh grated cocount sprinkled on it - it is delicious and lasts me all morning. We live in Coconut country (India) you know!! Right now we have plenty of fruit grapes and papaya and watermelon as well! If I get hungry later in the morning I have some homemade yogurt - much better than store bought - and a couple of table spoons of musesli sprinkled on it around 11 or 11:30 and then lunch around 2 or sometimes I have it as a midafternoon snack and have an earlier lunch. Yes. I am exercising too - inspite of the heat!! I'm just learning some Pilates and it is fun I guess because it is new. A friend has promised to teach me some simple yoga too maybe next week, I'll tell you about that when I learn. Honestly we don't have to work to sweat here in the day time! God Bless you Angela, you are truly a special person! Aahh... Such a nice message -- no response required. I'm a little concerned about doing the deadlifts in "At Home With The Body Sculptress" as it seems to go against everything I've been taught in workplace safety about lifting (to use the legs and not the back). Are there any special precautions I should take to avoid injury? This is THE BEST way to build hamstrings, but it there is also an element of risk – mostly due to incorrect form!! In order to reduce the risk, 1st, make sure your chest is out and your shoulders are back as you lean over – folks in the work place generally curve forward at the spine. This form keeps the spine in proper alignment. Then for folks with a weaker lower back, place one foot forward before leaning over on to the forward leg, placing your weight on the forward heel. It then becomes a one-leg deadlift. You might try doing it without any weight to start as it can really make your hamstrings sore the next day! Since writing the book I have begun doing a one-leg deadlift with my home clients to eliminate the possibility of a strained lower back. This one-leg change can make all the difference. For more information, check this out: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/BBStrBackStrLegDeadlift.html What do you think about yogurt? I have read many articles about the advantages of calcium and yogurt as they
contribute to fat loss. However, I eat about 2 8 oz. containers a day of the Bryers light which has 120 cals, 0 fat, 22g Carb, 8 g protein
and 16g sugar. Is the sugar content enough to sabotage weight loss? Since incorporating it into my diet I have lost four pounds, but wanted to know what you thought about the sugar
and just general health benefits. I would be interested in your thoughts.
I think it's great, and am envious of those folks who can incorporate it without any negative health effects (dairy sensitivities like I have). If you like it and you've lost weight I think it's good. You obviously aren't having a problem with the sugar or anything else right now. Enjoy! I just wanted to let you know that I have been trying to keep up with the strength training exercises along with the cardio. One thing I'm finding though is that the strength training is taking me almost an hour and a half to get through. And since I'm trying to do the max anount per week of it and the cardio, I'm finding it very time-consuming (on days where I'm doing both - approx. 2 hrs 15 mins or so). I don't want to take anything away from my workouts and efforts to get my body where I want it to be, but my job has been so stressful/demanding lately requiring me to work long hours and some days I'm not even getting my full lunch that I'm finding putting over 2 hrs into a workout (even if I break it up to do it 2 different parts of the day) is adding more stress into my life with everything else I have to do around my long work hours. Is there any way to condense my workouts some to still get high impact, but in less time? I'm just really struggling with the timing and getting a bit worried about it. I am very willing to devote an hour or even a little more than that most days to working out...I'm just finding that I'm struggling with finding more time than that these days. However, if reducing the time is going to significantly diminish my results, then I don't know what to do... Wow…. That’s certainly not what I intended for you! The workouts should only take 30-60 minutes. Are you going straight from one exercise to the next? Each of the exercises should only take ~1-2 minutes to complete, then ~1 minute in between. If you only have 30 minutes, then by all means just go through 1 set – NO problem!! If you have 60 minutes go for 2 sets. If you are really ambitious and have extra time, go for that 3rd set. One time through is certainly adequate when pressed for time. Don’t let it stress you. It should complement, not detract from your quality of life. Let it help not hurt you. If something isn’t right or is stressing you out, make a positive change so that it is something you can do (for you!) for the rest of your life. I have bought your book "Become a Fat Burning Machine" and I have been reading your recipes, and in your Spiced Risotto recipe it doesn't says how much rice should I use. Please can you tell me how much and what kind of it i should use? Another question is that I don't want to use protein shakes, so what kind of shakes would you recommend? Interestingly, there isn’t any “real” risotto as we know it in that recipe. It’s called risotto because of the mixture and how it’s cooked. The beets themselves are the actual “risotto” in the recipe. Just to note, I had to quit making this because I loved it so much I couldn’t stay out of it – and I never ate beets before making this recipe. Remember that I make 7-28 servings each time so that I have it on hand for a week or longer. There are lots of alternatives for shakes. Here are a few I like: Pina’ Colada: blend 1 raw egg, 8oz pineapple juice, 1oz coconut milk, 1t shredded coconut and ice Berry Pleasure: blend 1/4c blueberries and 8oz almond milk Pumpkin Pie: blend 8oz almond milk, ¼ cup canned pumpkin, 1t pumpkin pie spice In short, you can use eggs, animals’ milk (cow, goat, etc) and yogurt, and nut milk for the protein. Then add your favorite ingredients and blend. To lose weight I would try and keep the calories down to 300 or lower. To gain weight, the sky is the limit based on your metabolism. I have one client who is trying to gain weight who mixes a 600-800 calorie drink each morning.
It turns out I have a pilonadil cyst on my tail bone! I have had this for about 10 years
and always just thought I had a really sore tail bone from exercise. My first recollection of
it is about 15 years ago when I told a team mate of mine in college that my tail bone was really
bothering me and she said that happens to her when we trained a lot. I just knocked it up to hard
training. My question pertains to my exercise...and trying to lose weight. Like I said I have been doing really good working out and I have been eating good too. An average of 1200 calories a day. But, my weight keeps pinging up and down and as far as the scale says I haven't lost any weight...could this be due to the infection? My body is trying to hold on to everything it has to fight the infection? I doubt it's due to the infection -- although it may be. If I were you, and I was SURE that I had been eating 1200 cals on a regular basis (are you measuring and journaling? 1200 a day is hard to maintain), then I would reduce the cals to 1100 for a week or two and measure the results. If you've been maintaining, a reduction in calories, everything else being equal should show a reduction in weight. If you are reducing, keep with it unless and until you hit a plateau, and then if you want further results, reduce again by ~100 cals. Keep in mind that "simple" snacks can really add up in a day. 1 no-sugar added hot chocolate is 50 cals and 1 oz of nuts is 100 cals. I suggest making a meal plan and sticking solidly with it for a while. It sounds like your exercise is fine. I have a question about my legs... I tend to build muscle fast and I think I have way too much muscle in my thighs. Do you have any tips on decreasing that? I have stopped doing lunges and squats. I think if I let my muscle atrophy in my legs, I would lose 10lbs!!! You have two options -- atrophy is one but then the muscle gets weak and you may get smaller but without the tight appearance you desire. Instead I would suggest really high reps to burn down the muscle while keeping the tone. For example, you can do 50 - 100 squats and 15 mins of walking lunges (both without any weight). You can also do the cardio with very high intensity intervals and longer durations, like do the stairclimber for 45 mins keeping the intensity at 70% and then 95% over and over. Bring it down to 70% just long enough to catch your breath and then bring it back up to 95%. I haven't yet bought dumb bells, I wanted to discuss this with you first. Meanwhile I have used a couple of crystals that I had to get started. The problem I have is that I have a weak shoulder. A couple of years ago, I was going to the gym and had to stop because of my shoulder. Instead of getting stronger, it gets weaker. Rotator cuff problem or something. So with lifting these 2 crystals, both around 3 lb each, I have started again to have problems with my shoulder. I don't know if I can manage anything heavier, or even the 3 lb. Not sure what to do about this one, what do you suggest? I suggest limiting shoulder exercises (and those that impact your shoulders) to 1x per week to start. As you strengthen it (without overworking it, it should be able to handle more and more. I wouldn’t lay off completely – just limit it to start. If it doesn’t get better, seek out a physical therapist, if you haven’t already. Find out what specific exercises (massage?) you can do to strengthen that and then do the exercises. The worst thing you can do is to not to anything. Remember that. I just read the article posted on Bikram Yoga. I took the Yoga Challenge last fall, which consists of taking 6 classes per week for eight weeks. It is an INTENSE course and promises to give you life-changing differences in your body and mind. I completed the challenge and while it was very difficult, it was also very helpful. I was having chronic lower back pain and had no instances of pain while taking the classes. I have not been to a class since January and my back is killing me again. I did not notice a dramatic loss in weight, even though I was drinking a gallon of water a day and losing pounds a day in sweat, but I was very toned. I am not flexible and although I am still not after completing the course, I can say that I learned proper ways to stretch my body. Years of running took a toll on my hamstrings and learning to strengthen those muscles in my legs and back was very helpful. The breathing they teach in the class has enabled my once asthmatic self to run 4 miles a day with no breathing problems. Although some may say Bikram yoga is dangerous--it is ONLY dangerous to those people who push themselves too far. None of the instuctors EVER tell you to push yourself. You should stop any movement when you feel pain. I do not work at a Bikram studio, nor am I practicing now (which I wish I was) but please let people know that this type of yoga is excellent. You feel so much better about your inner and outer self after just ONE class. Yes, it is hot--but you feel great knowing you are ridding your body of unwanted toxins. I may not recommend to everyone to do the Challenge--six days a week of 90 minute classes for 8 weeks is a bit much---but I learned so much about myself, my body and was able to rid myself of chronic back, knee and joint pain--and I am only 29 years old!!! For anyone out there who wants to try it--I HIGHLY recommend it! Just know when you are at your limit. You will NEVER take another class and feel better about your workout when you are done than with Bikram Yoga. Thanks for the information though--I just didn't want people to get the wrong impression of such a great class. My goal is to get to a size 8 by my birthday on the 26th April, before would be nice. I wasn't sure whether I should do the 4 week programs as well to boost things along. Like everyone, I guess, I want results ASAP. But I suppose what I have been doing is starting to work and I just need to perfect what I'm doing more. You have 8 weeks until your trip and you are in a 10 now. You can definitely get into an 8 by then. You need to do two things – use as much weight as you can for your lower body exercises and for all of the upper body exercises that don’t impact your shoulder. You’ll find that if you keep your chest pushed out and your shoulders rolled back those exercises that might otherwise impact your shoulder will be achievable. Bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, chest press, etc. I would continue on with the total body for the 8 week period and do your exercises 3 times a week. The 4 week programs are like icing on the cake for when you get in better shape. Also, continue with your intervals 2-5 days a week, as much as you can handle without overworking yourself. Your 8’s might be too big then! The biggest hiccup I'm facing is that I'm going on holiday to New Zealand in 2 weeks, for 2 weeks. I intend to continue my program as much as possible. This is not a hiccup. You can carry exercise bands and do the exercises in the hotel room (or wherever you are) in the a.m. before you leave, or in the evening when you return (only takes 30-45 minutes). Do not let a special occasion be something that gets in the way of your healthy lifestyle, but find a way to incorporate it into it. That’s how you achieve long-lasting lifetime results. I have a question about the at-mome no-equipment required cardio program in "At Home With The Body Sculptress." When you say 3X Up/Down Stairs what exactly do you mean - a whole flight of steps? I live in an apartment so would need to find some other equivalent. Would bouncing on a mini-trampoline for 3 minutes be an o.k substitute?
Yes, I mean a whole flight of stairs and the trampoline would be a nice substitute. The one-legged bend is where you lean over on one leg, pulling the other leg up behind you and getting your leg and your upper body parallel to the floor. You end up bent over with a straight line from your heel to your shoulders (parallel to the floor) and one foot planted on the floor. Bend over, stand up, repeat all 20 on one side before doing the other side.] The "Doorknob Biceps Curls" are done squatting up against an open door with your hands on the door knobs and your feet on either side of the door. Pull your body up and down by flexing your biceps. You are not at all dense. I didn't explain those exercises in the book so it's a good question worthy of posting on the web site! And, since you are asking, you are obviously using the program! I'm proud of you! Keep up the good work. I was reviewing your meal plan for this week and I am confused about the
amount of calories you consume. Is 1100 too little? I heard that if you
decrease too much your body will go into starvation mode and you won't be
able to lose weight? I am 5'6 and 150 pounds. Should I cut out that many
calories?
I have bought your book "Become a Fat Burning Machine" and i have been reading your recipes, and in your Spiced Risotto recipe it doesn't says how much rice should i use. Please can you tell me how much and what kind of it i should use?
I read about your program on the web and I wondered if this is only geared towards women? I need some major help. My doc is talking about surgery and I don't want that, but I'm a 330lb 5'10" male. I don't have $87 right now. Maybe we could do some payment plan or something? I'm really commited to change. They did surgery on me. I thought I had an appendicitis but instead it was dead fat tissue that had died pressing against my appendix. The surgeon said he almost couldn't get to it without cutting me all the way open. I had microscopic surgery. Now they are talking about gastric bypass. I don't want that and it sounds like you can help. No more fad diets, but I need to be able to work out at home with just standard things--no expensive equipment. Any advise would be appreciated.
THANKS FOR SENDING THE INFO I NEEDED, I HAVE READ 1/2WAY THROUGH THE FIRST PROGRAM BUT KEEP GETTING CLIENTS AND IT'S HARD... IT BUGS ME, I JUST WANT TO GET STARTED....I HAVE A QUESTION AND INFO TO TELL YA FOR HELP.... YOU MENTIONED TESTASTRONE (SP) PROBLEMS. LOW VOICE, MORE HAIR AND SUCH...WELL I HAVE SOME OF THAT AND HAVE GOTTEN TOTALLY ALTO VOICE. DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING??? ALSO,...I TAKE H2O PILLS EVERY NIGHT, CALCIUM, HERBAL THYROID MEDICINE, OMEGA 3, EVENING PRIMROSE OIL, ESTROVEN FOR MENAPAUSE AND A PILL WITH SUNFLOWER FOR CALMING DOWN, THE HEALTH FOOD LADY SAID STRESS MAKES YOU GAIN ADN THIS PILL WILL HELP. NOTHING AND I MEAN NOTHING HAS HELPED ME LOOSE. WITH WHAT IM TAKING AND 4YRS INTO MENAPAUSE, AM I DOING THINGS WRONG OR CHAnge anything??? Good… Keep reading! It is not easy to lose weight. If it were, everyone would be skinny, right? You have to decide that you want it and then do the work to get what you want. If you ask people like you who have lost a lot of weight what they have done, they will tell you it was all diet and exercise. I wouldn’t worry about the testosterone for now. If you find that you develop really big muscles, then you should get your levels tested. An alto voice is simply a sexy female voice. It’s a good thing. And our hair growth accelerates as we age (bummer!). The supplements look fine to me. Here’s what you do. . . keep reading. Decide you are ready to do what REALLY works. This is not a quick fix, it’s not a miracle pill, it is a truthful, effective nuts and bolts program that is the ONLY way to lose weight and keep it off. Keep reading. Get through number 2 below and then start working your program. This program will take you through the rest of your life, losing 1-3 lbs of fat every week or so, safely and permanently as long as you continue exercising and eating better, until you get to your maintenance weight. Commit to follow it for 12 weeks. The 1st 4 weeks sets you up for the 2nd 4 weeks, etc. You get stronger and more able to work better and you learn how to eat during weeks 1-4. Your results really start to maximize during weeks 8-12. Don’t give up. Decide that you want a healthy lean body and go to work, and keep working it and you won’t be sorry! Have a nice weekend getting started! My prayers are with you.
In trying to understand the meal planning you referenced in your August 2002 article, does vegetables mean fruits, too? How important is the timing between meals to stick to?
Do you know of any safe supplements that help curb appetite and reduce
sugar cravings. I am still having a terrible time losing any weight. I
have firmed up with a personal trainer at the gym, but my diet is what
needs help. Without reading the entire Metabolic Typing and Blood Type books, I have determined that I
am a mixed type with an O blood type. I have tried everything. What
supplement can you recommend? I used to take things like Xenadrine and
Hydroxycut which helped, but all the non-ephedra products don't seem to
work! I am currently trying Anna Nicoles famous Trim Spa---but I ate
more yesterday while taking that than if I had taken nothing!!!! Any
thoughts?
Get this.......once I received your program, I needed to print order to be home with my fam. and read. (comp.is at work) all that back & fourth trouble you had to go through with me finally ended....THEN I needed ink, husband bought me ink (husband) couldn't get it to work,......... finally fixed. Went to your program to print??? no connection!!! They turned my server off do to late payment. What I had printed b4 the shut off was half words cut off and we filled them in trying to figure out what it said, i was desperate to begin your program. I waited till the 30th to get connected again, tried, NO CONNECTION. He said I went over my 200 hours in internet time so I now need to wait till April 1 to get it turned on. AS YOU CAN SEE THIS MORNING IM FINALLY HERE AND WILL BEGIN PRINTING YOUR PROGRAM AND LISTENING TO YOUR SEMINAR.!!!!!!!!YEAH! On the evening I couldn't get anything to work, clients left & husband came to my shop, I started crying & could hardly speek. I told him I wanted his help for him to read this program w/me, coach me and tell me what work out to do next. This menapause fog is hell I tell ya. For me to ask husband for help is odd for the fact I have been so angry at him for yes being thin, eating what he wants and telling me if I lost 20lbs he'd be more attracted to me. ouch. But I know he loves me and he's just stupid!!!!!! hahahah I know he loves me and means well, he was going to be a pastor , that fell through do to politics in the seminary, long horrable story, not his fault. SO I asked him for help and he is. Thank you so much again, I finally can't wait to get started, yesterday was my first day, I got on the tredmill 30 min. jog/walking fast. One day at a time. My goodness, you really did have a TON of obstacle to overcome, didn't you? Everyone else should be inspired by your effort in the face of everything! Good job. Hello,,,I wrote you 3-4days ago excited I was starting your program finally, I did the tredmill 30min. then the next day, my grandpa is in the hospital hanging on a prayer. My son's prom and updo day with another late night. My husband evensaid there was no time with in the last 2 days to do my second day workout. I feel like such a slob. Question. Should I start all over now or just do day 2 and start from there? Another question. On your sugar index of high and low foods, It was overwhelming to me with some of the food Ive never heard of. SO. Are egg whites and vegies low,,,I didn't see them on the chart? I was looking for poor people food right in my own kitchen or at shop n save. I eat chicken breasts w/mustard and vegies...what about nocarb fudge bars???hahahah boy do I need help with eating too. I do eats oats plain,,eveery morning. LIFE GETS IN THE WAY -- sometimes more, sometimes less, but it has a way of knocking you right onto your tushy just as soon as you get going. It does it to me, too. So what do you do? You keep putting one foot in front of the other. If you miss a day, start back as soon as you can, on the next day's plan. It is all about making as many positive choices as you can and doing your best, which is all you can ever expect from yourself. So I would suggest just going to the next day's workout and starting there. That's fine. The glycemic index in very comprehensive, isn't it? I don't know what a great deal of that stuff is either. Egg whites and veggies are very low. Meat and fish (protein) of all kinds is very low. In fact I think that the more closely we can stick to lean proteins and veggies, the better off we are. Low-carb fudge? Sure, why not. It's all about goals. Decide what you want to accomplish (i.e. 1 inch off of my waist) and then get to work. If the food you are eating and the exercise are getting that for you, then you are just fine. If not, change something (less food/calories, more exercise). I have a low-carb bar on a regular basis and Michael and I like to make sugar-free jello pudding. There is room for what you love -- just remember not to overdo it. Oats? They are a very good complex carbohydrate. You might consider pairing them with a protein (some slivered almonds, eggs or a protein shake are good choices with oatmeal). Have a great weekend and forgive yourself for imperfections. We all can only do the best we can do with what life deals us. I printed the information on your 4 week guide to awesome abs but I have to ask you a question. In the past, when I used to workout and did crunches, my lower back would always seem strained, is there something I was doing wrong. When I lay flat on the floor you can put a hand all the way under my back because it arches, should I put a pillow under there for support when doing the sit-ups?
Your lower back will be involved in all abdominal exercises. It gets strengthened as part of your "core." Whenever you get your legs involved, your lower back gets more involved. I wouldn't suggest a pillow. I would suggest pulling your navel as close down and into the floor as possible, and keep from swinging your legs all the way out in a straight line and down to the floor. What I mean is that the straighter and further to the floor your legs go, as in a reverse crunch, or a V-crunch, for example, the more your back is impacted. ( Also, if your body dips too closely to the floor when doing the "butt-ups" you'll feel a strain. Don't dip so close to the floor. Keep your body slightly arched upward for that one.) When you start to feel the strain, pull your legs in closer and keep them in tighter for the remainder of the exercise. That should make a big difference, and perhaps be all you need to do. Also, to start, when you are lying on your back, put your legs straight up in the air and "scootch" your rear and lower back in so that your lower back gets as near to the floor as you are able prior to beginning. I am 14 years old and have been overweight my entire life. I've tried Atkins( couldn't stay on it), Low-cal(Nope, didn't work either),Metabolife(two words yeah right). If there is any true(not meaning that the people on your site didn't lose weight) But I'm skeptical, ya know.Please write me back. I really don't know what I'm asking you but it is aling the lines of this..... I think....I'm 14, can't get a job, and beleive me I've tried. Don't have any money and need help, I'm not asking for a hand-out, but if you are very sure of your program, please e-mail me and tell some more about it please. I would like to try your free e-mail weight loss program, and I would be happy to let you know how it works for me, etc. I must say, since being bedbound for 4 years, and just finishing Physical Therapy for 8 months at 2x/wk I am starting slow and am also on an extremely limited disability income (less than 700/mo) so I want to be up front about this, I don't want to take advantage of you and am grateful of your offer, very much. I did it! After day 1 and the chair squats and walking lunges, I had trouble negotiating stairs for a few days. And I could feel the workout in my back and triceps the day after those too. I had to substitute regular (sitting) concentration curls for leaning conc. curls -- my knees and quads gave out after the first set, no doubt still feeling the effects of Day 1. I had a little trouble with the superman -- I carry a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders because of all the time I spend at the computer at work, but I did make it through 3 sets of 10. Today was my worst. I had a terribly frustrating day at work, and it would have been so easy to sit in the family room, look at the rain, and say forget it. But I have my trusty umbrella and together we crossed the (very) soggy yard. I feel like such a wimp for using 3-lb weights for the lateral raise. I was able to maintain good form throughout, and with the 5-lb weights, I couldn't raise my arms much past 60 degrees even on the first rep. (What I needed was 4 lbs!) And the abs were a washout. I forced myself to do 3 sets of 12 of the crunches, and did barely 6 reps of the airbike. I couldn't seem to get into a comfortable breathing pattern, and I felt something pulling in my back, and my knees popping as I extended my legs. Still, I am proud to say I followed the exercise Rx all six days and made reasonably healthy food choices. No fast food all week, and just a few diet Cokes and Cheetos at work. Lots of carrots and tuna. I'm looking forward to my Friday "off" and as a bonus, I'll be getting a free massage from a friend who is getting certified and needs to practice on volunteers! It's very helpful for me to just look at this one day at a time. The mere thought of exercising for six days a week for 12 weeks is intimidating. But instead when I go into work, I focus on what I have to do *today*. I look up those exercises, visualize them to see if I need any clarification, and tell myself, "Oh, I can do four exercises/30 minutes of cardio -- that's all I have to do today!" And it really helps that the program was different each day. It will be intersting next month to see how my measurements have changed! GOOD JOB!!! Do you have any fat free recipes and ab exercises to decrease to size of my abdominal area? You know... fat free just doesn't work. It is a matter of fact that it was only AFTER the nation went to fat free a decade ago that the obesity epidemic started. More and more research is proving that the body actually needs (the good) fat to burn fat. Have you seen the photos on my web site? Look in the photo gallery. I don't touch anything that is labeled "low-fat" and one of the reasons is that it is usually high-sugar, or processed so much that as soon as it hits your blood stream it becomes sugar (high glycemic value). It's high blood sugar that causes body fat stores! Read the article you received for more information on that. As far as toning your abs, it's a matter of losing the outer layer of fat which is on them, and that is going to best be done with a combination of strength training, cariovascular exercise and diet. The "At Home With The Body Sculptress" and "Learn How To Eat To Become A Fat-Burning Machine" e-books are a good combination for you. They are loaded with exercises and recipes. If you follow the 2 e-books, you can be a completely different body in a matter of weeks -- really! Go to www.thebodysculptress.com to read about each of the e-books right from the main web page. Is there a good substitue for eggs? I noticed that you eat 3 eggs (1 yolk) a day and I hate eggs. Any suggestion for a good replacement other than the usual--turkey, tuna, etc.? There are as many substitutes as there are lean protein..... Soy (all forms), whey, cottage cheese, chicken franks (only from Whole Foods!), turkey bacon, lean ground beef, salmon, white fish, lean cuts of steak, pork, peanuts, black beans, etc.... Can you really help my sagging dimply arms? Dimply arms, cottage cheese thighs, double chin, saggy tummy.... they are all within reach of a real exercise weight loss program. Get what you can from this report, then consider using the "At Home With The Body Sculptress" and "Learn To Eat To Become A Fat-Burning Machine" e-books. I am currently working with a PT at Pulse. Two days weight training and two-three days cardio. I have always done sporadic cardio over the years, I 44. Never any weight training. My goal is to lose fat, gain muscle and lose pounds if possible. My problem is what to eat, how much etc....Everyone tells me that I'm not eating enough calories and I'm getting frustrated on what I should be eating or not eating, fat grams, carbs etc....TOO MUCH INFO!! I am also watching my weight go up on the scale which is scaring me to death....I once was 240 pounds!! It is difficult for me to eat the right things and get 1500-1600 calories in each day.....HELP! Which of you books would you suggest for me and would you suggest I contact a dietitian? Although, I understand a lot of the basics but tend or obsess. I would suggest the "How To Eat To Become A Fat-Burning Machine." Most trainers don't talk about nutrition because they are afraid of getting into trouble with the ADA. I've been in contact with them and know that I can share recipes and basic knowledge without fear of retribution, and that's what's in the little book... How to eat, what to eat and why. Which foods help you burn fat and which ones don't, meal planning examples, etc. You should be able to build a great meal plan based on what you learn -- one that makes the scale go DOWN as you weight train and do your cardio (and if you need add'l help, one 20 minute phone call should do the trick!). A dietician can be a great idea if you want someone to tell you specifically what to eat and when along with setting caloric limits and serving sizes. Try and find one who has the kind of body that you want. These links can help, too... By the way, my opinion is that women don't burn enough with low-mod cardio. It needs to be as tough as you can stand it and for 30+ minutes, at least 3 times a week. Weights should be as heavy as you can stand them, given you are trying to "build" muscle. The "At Home With The Body Sculptress" would provide all of this info, why, how, etc, as well. I WAS WONDERING TO YOU HAVE A PROGRAM OR KNOW SOME ONE WHO DOES HAVE A PROGRAM TO HELP SLIM PEOPLE PUT ON ABOUT 20-30 POUNDS I AM LOCATED IN RALEIGH N.C I AM A MALE AND I WONT TO PUT THE WEIGHT ON I CAN GO TO THE GYM TO TONE DOWN RIGHT WHAT KIND OF TURN AROUND CAN I EXPECT FROM EITHER PROGRAM AND HOW MUCH WOULD THE PROGRAM COST
No, personal trainer services are not covered by insurances (yet), but some PTs offer discounts of ~15% to their clients as a service to BCBS. Having a trainer provide one-on-one service could add up over time, so if you don't currently have the budget for it, here's what I recommend: (1) Hire a registered dietician. Your biggest challenge and most important aspect of your programming will be what and how much you eat. An RD can put together a muscle-building meal plan for you, and his/her services ARE most likely covered by insurance. In my opinion, this is your top priority. I can recommend Kathy Donley who can be reached at kathy_donley@hotmail.com. (2) Buy my book, "At Home With The Body Sculptress," from my Great Products web page which is $29.95 and follow the Ectomorph exercise program. It is a program for muscle gain and will work for you. Ignore the fact that it is written for a female audience. The exercises are what you need and how you need to work them. All you will need is a set of Power Blocks that you can buy locally at U.S. Fitness or Superior Fitness for ~$200. (3) Join something like Global Fitness (you can get to them on my Store page on my web site), an on-line personal training service, and let them design your exercise and meal plans. An on-line membership is not very expensive and they are quite good. I want to lose my tummy in like a few weeks do u think you could give me some tips. Am only 13 so I cant do that program please my self esteem is so low I feel fat. Please help me lose my stomach. I remember feeling fat, too, when I was 13. And looking back, it was because I started eating LOTS more than I was used to eating, and all the wrong kinds of foods. I think that's something of a challenge today as well with all of the soda and fast food out there. If I had to guess, I would offer the following to you. Please forgive me if I am telling you something you already know. I don't have much information to go on here. (1) Drink more water and less soda I know life can be a little complicated right now and you probably don't want to hear what I've listed for you, but I PROMISE that if you start doing them on a regular basis as often as possible and commit to do them for a month, that tummy will be tighter in no time! Keep me posted, okay? Also, remember that regardless of what you look like and may feel like right now, YOU ARE A TRULY BEAUTIFUL individual. Make sure you spend time each day finding and thinking about the things you really like about yourself, and less time thinking about what you wish you could change, okay? I went grocery shopping tonight (for some of the recipes in your "Learn How To Eat To Burn Fat" e-book). It was very frustrating. At our Harris-Teeter (the most dependable for anything out of the ordinary) there was no Hoisin sauce, no Swiss Chard, no beets other than canned. There were just enought missing ingredients that it meant I bought a lot of stuff, and did not have the complete ingredients for anything for dinner tonight. My husband's a pretty good sport, but I am wondering how this is going to work out. I have no idea of the consept of what's behind the plan, so I do not know how to adapt available ingredients. Suggestions? I can see how one or two of the recipes might be challenging in
outlying areas. Here are some suggestions:
I am male 28 yrs old.165 cm tall. my ass size is bigger (like 100cm) where as my weist size is 81 cm and chest 84 cm. please tell me any free hand excercise which will reduce my ass. rob Why don't you try the Free Exercises area on my web site? Just click on the Exercises button to get in. Then go to the Glutes area and check out those exercises. In my opinion, lunges and deadlifts are the best. Each will, however, target your hamstrings as well. In addition, paying attention to what you eat and getting plenty of cardio with your strength training is going to make all the difference. If you haven't already, check out my Articles button and read the "Eat to Lose Fat" article. You might also decide to order my e-book (Great Products button). It's written for women, but the principles apply directly to men as well. |
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