Did you keep your hands out of the cookie jar, my friends??

(originally an email to my Fat Loss Contestants)

Hi friends!
I know most of you are enjoying a nice holiday break... but you didn't think I'd be leaving you alone, did ya?!
So, since I started back to work today for a quick, short week of kicking some butts - I thought I'd send you a message to keep you on track as the holidays wind down...
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Are you attacking that unwanted fat from all sides?

You should be!
You should be overhauling your diet, strength training with a good amount of intensity 3-4 days/week, and implementing some cardio strategies about 3x/week (hopefully, you are doing interval training, like I always suggest!). Anything less will slow down your progress!

Diet alone will not give you the results you seek. Especially because dieting will not help you maintain your precious muscle - exercise is best for that!

Exercise alone will not create a big enough disturbance for fat loss. Adding diet is key! (no matter how much you wanna deny it!)

So, since we discussed a little bit about diet last week - I'm hoping that you're already working on those improvements (and it's okay if those improvements are gradual).
Today, I want to focus on exercise...

A recent study mentioned that persons who were most satisfied with their bodies and their health exercised for 5 hours/week AT LEAST.

So, that leads me to wonder... are you fitting in enough activity?
Can you honestly say that you're putting forth your best effort and stimulating your muscles for a measly 5 hours/week?

If not, I doubt you'll win this contest. Honestly. You can't just put a small amount of effort into your weight loss/fat loss endeavors and hope to receive a big payoff. It just ain't gonna happen!

So, if you're severely under the 5-hour mark, it may be time to re-assess your training schedule.

And don't come complaining to me that 5 hours of activity is impossible for you. There are 168 hours in every single week. With 8 hours of sleep each night, that's 112 waking hours to work with. When you factor in a 40-hour work-week and commuting time, you're left with about 70 hours. You can't fit 5 hours of physical activity into those 70 hours? I think you can!

What does 5 hours of activity look like?
Here are some examples:
- 3 one-hour strength training sessions + 3 twenty-minute interval training sessions + 1 one-hour weekend bike ride
- 4 one-hour strength training sessions + 3 twenty-minute interval training sessions
- 4 thirty-minute strength training sessions + 3 twenty-minute interval training sessions + 2 one-hour yoga classes
- 3 45-minute strength training sessions + 2 fifteen-minute interval training sessions + 1 45-minute steady-state cardio session + 3 thirty-minute surf sessions

The possibilities are endless.
PLUS, your exercise plan doesn't ONLY have to include structured training and cardio machines!

But it should involve a healthy mix of both strength training and cardio. Don't focus on one more than the other.

And if you already incorporate plenty more than 5 hours of activity into your week, then make sure you schedule plenty of rest and recovery time into your training plan as well!

Okay, go break a sweat!