Do you follow a workout schedule and clean eating meal plan, already? Do you want to get into better shape than you are now? Check out this post (and video) on a few pointers on how I can help.
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Cindy recently filled out her #Commit2fit assessment and shared that she is 42 years old and has a bit more free time now that her kids are older. She is already doing CrossFit, eating modified Paleo (with weekend cheats and nightly wine) but wants to get leaner and in better shape. These are my recommendations for her..
First, the easiest thing to change is to cut out the nightly wine. No matter what benefits research can find about wine, alcohol is still toxic to the body. It’s one more thing the liver has to process, and the liver is an already busy organ with many other jobs. When your liver is busy processing alcohol, it has to work harder to process the other toxins we take in throughout our regular days. (If you wanna learn more about the liver and it’s role in fat loss, read this.) This can cause gut dysfunction, cessation of fat loss/ muscle gain, metabolic dysfunction, adrenal dysfunction, etc. Alcohol can also inhibit REM sleep which will cause you to be tired, irritable, not recover properly which also leads to cessation of fat loss/ muscle gain. Basically, the easiest fix here is to stop drinking wine every night. Perhaps take it down to two nights a week, or even one or none. I bet you will see an initial change very quickly, and feel one as well.
Second, what are you ACTUALLY eating? Do you eat healthy and restrict all week only to binge on the weekends? I don’t recommend that as it will only cause an unhealthy relationship with food. I recommend my clients have a couple of bites of anything they like, every single day, or at least have two treats mid-week and one cheat meal on the weekends. If there’s something you really want, have a bite and savor it – it will save you from binging when you do open up the door to a cheat. You don’t want to drain your willpower batter all week long only to lose it on the weekends, wake up Monday feeling terrible, only to do it all over again. Two bites of something is enough to enjoy yourself, because nothing is off limits. Then you can move along and get back to regularly scheduled clean eats.
Not to mention, cheating on the weekends can really derail you from your goals. Ultimately a slight calorie deficit can be very helpful in fat loss. But if you go way overboard on calories Friday – Sunday, this can stop fat loss from occurring because you have to spend all week long working your way back into an overall deficit. Rather than being under by 500 calories four days a week, then going way over Friday – Sunday, you are better off balancing it out and being in a minor deficit all week long. This is healthier for the body and the mind, and I’ve experienced this first hand with my own body as well as MANY of my clients.
Lastly, I would take a look at the daily workouts here as well. I recommend my clients lift 3 – 5 days a week. CrossFit, Orange Theory, bootcamps, Body Pump, etc are great, especially if the person loves them. I want all of my clients doing daily workouts they enjoy. But we need to spend time focusing on building muscle, especially if the goal is having visible muscle tone. Perhaps on a day you have back squats in your workout, you spend 20 additional minutes adding in single leg deadlifts, lunges and glute bridges, for example, just for a bit more time under tension, or lifting weights. This will help build muscle. Doing more cardio is not the answer, especially as you age. Lifting more weight with less reps, more rest between and going heavier is.
Fine tuning is tricky. You don’t want to fall into the habit of trying to eat less and workout more. That’s how we get into trouble. It’s not about less.. it’s about different.
Do you need help figuring out the right clean eating meal plan and workout schedule for you?
Go to Commit2FitCoaching.com/freeassessment and let me help you.
Your Coach,
Kyra
P.S. Everyone is different. Some people need more carbs, more food, different workouts from others. It’s all individualized which is why I run #Commit2Fit with personalized clean eating meal plans and workout plans. Everything should be custom and designed specifically for YOU.