He Called Me A Chiseled Marshmallow
What a Difference A Year Can Make A year ago I was a chiseled marshmallow Last year I was fit. Fit enough that people would ask me for nutrition and workout advice daily. I thought I was doing pretty well until my friend Ari politely described me as sort of a chiseled marshmallow. What is a chiseled marshmallow you ask? Well for those of you who train and eat healthy you may know what I am talking about here. It means you have muscle, you are fit, but you have a “layer” over it. It means that with the right pose, the right lighting and the right outfit you can look extra fit but you have a layer that just won’t go away. We may not recognize ourselves as chiseled marshmallows but rather as “someone who carries extra water” or someone who “genetically has a layer” Screen shot 2013-04-24 at 10.16.04 AM LEFT a year ago RIGHT last week I was eating very healthy and I was at a great “weight” After all, I was a size 6 and I was fitness modeling. Not too shabby and many people would love to be a size 6! However, I had a few things I had accepted about my body type and my age. My lower back was in constant pain, my knees were starting to hurt and I accepted that “naturally lean” and “tiny” just weren’t in my cards. I was eating very clean and healthy and although I wanted to be “leaner” I was NOT open to taking “fat burners”, going “stricter” with my diet or “adding more time” to my workouts. Around this time I had met with my friend about co-writing a 12 week super shred program. All of my programs had been successful in helping people lose weight and keep it off, but I was getting a lot more questions about how to get “shredded” in a healthy manner. I was in very good shape, but I was not the “shredded” proof that I needed to be…yet! So the journey to a shredded me began… As I preach to others you have to step out of your comfort zone if you want to see different results. You have to be open minded and SO I decided that it was MY turn to step out of MY comfort zone. What I THOUGHT I needed to do prior to get “shredded” was no longer working for me and it was time to CHANGE it. Here are some things I had been doing and thought I had to do: Eat many mini meals a day (often 6-8) Do long drawn out cardio to burn fat Eat high fiber grains Do lots of reps with light weights Lots and lots of crunches. Sound familiar? These are ALL things I did for years and had worked to an extent for me. Those things helped me lose 60 lbs of baby weight. Those things got me to where I was, and I still suggest those things to people that have weight to lose. They are the FIRST steps in getting to a healthy weight and maintaining it. However, once you get “chiseled marshmallow lean” and want to take things to the next level, you have to make some changes to get that ultra-fit and ultra-lean physique in a healthy manner. So what has changed? Before I get into that, let me set the tone with the results: Screen shot 2013-04-19 at 11.37.19 AM 13+ lbs of fat are GONE My 5’2″ 123lb body is no longer a “chiseled marshmallow” it is now a lean, healthy functionally fit size 2 I am now 110 lbs (from 123) and have gained lean mass while losing FAT. I have gotten stronger and much more fit. For example, I can do almost 100 chin ups throughout my workout now! I am never hungry and I feel the best I have in years My back pain is GONE So WHAT changed? I have dropped the grains. They just simply were NOT working for me anymore. I am not low carb as I eat PLENTY of fruits and veggies and even the occasional sweet potato fries, but the grains are GONE. I do NOT eat 6-8 meals per day anymore. More like 3-5 meals a day and some pre & post workout WHEY with a piece of fruit. My dietary FAT has been raised to about 40% in my diet. I eat lot’s of healthy fats like coconut oil, nuts, and seeds. The intensity of training has gone WAY up. I do a LOT of body weight exercises (pull ups, pushups, plyos, planks, the list goes on…) My gym visits are SHORT, intense, to the point, and not as frequent. Crunches are OUT. I have not done a crunch in over 6 months and my abs are more defined then ever. I lift HEAVY when I lift. 70 lb sumo squats are common for me. If it is not heavy and hard I don’t bother. Functional training and the right muscle activation exercises are a must. I spend more time foam rolling and activating my glutes prior to my workouts and as a result my back is PAIN FREE. I DROPPED the “long drawn out cardio”. It is a total waste of time. You are only trading calories for calories. It makes you hungrier and is a waste of time. I have ADDED some supplements to my diet. More than I was using before. I just got this new running image of myself this weekend… the one on the LEFT was taken a year ago. The one on the RIGHT last week. 13 lbs of fat is what has changed… Screen shot 2013-04-20 at 4.08.07 PMYou have to start somewhere
Doesn’t matter where you are today with your weight loss journey, the first thing you have to do is commit to change. For those of you just starting your weight loss journey or getting back into shape, I highly recommend you check out my jump start programs that have helped THOUSANDS of people lose weight and change their lives. I have a 7 day jump start for women, men, and vegans - and that is where I recommend most people to start. Then progress to the more advanced 4 week jump start for women and men. These lifestyle programs will get you in great shape and to a place where most people are VERY happy for many years to come! If and when you are ready to get “shredded” and take things to the NEXT level in your fitness…time to up the INTENSITY and make several other key changes. The pictures don’t lie, and I am a believer… To learn more about how I eat & train now and get in the best shape of YOUR life, look HERE. And YES I am 41 (42 this summer) and YES I am a mom so please don’t say “but…” Who else wants to GET IN SHAPE?
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