READ THIS if you are doing the 8-Week Challenge!!

MissKris2234
MissKris2234 Posts: 57
edited January 3 in Social Groups
Hey there, Fit-N-Fabs!!!

Now, it's time for me to relay the game plan. Remember that you CAN and you WILL do this.... say it with me, "I CAN and I WILL do this.... I CAN and I WILL do this!”

VISUAL BOARD

Ok, let me start by giving you-all a FUN assignment to accomplish over the weekend. You-all are going to be making a Fit & Fabulous Visual board. Wait, wait, wait, WAIT a minute now!! .... Don’t start rolling your eyes just yet! This Fit & Fabulous Visual is MOST definitely going to help you-all over the next 8 weeks... I promise!!! And, I'm going to make one too! Here's the deal.... you can ignore your laptop, or your My Fitness Pal app but you are not going to be able to ignore a huge poster board full of positive affirmations, pics, meal histories, etc.--- that is propped-up right in your living room, right? This being said, this board is going to be a daily reminder of why you signed-up for this challenge. So go purchase some poster board, some markers, fun stickers, a ruler, etc.... a then mark your board off into eight weeks with 7 days in each week. This challenge starts on the 12th of November and ends on the 14th of January so complete the board all the way through those dates. Also, who has children? .... If you do, let your children help you with this board! Tell them that you are going to lose weight and that they can help you by adding things to the board with you. They'll love the activity and they'll love helping you along the way!

Here's what your board should consist of:
1. Mondays are weigh-ins so write in your starting weight at the start of each new week.
2. Your feelings about that day. For example, you could write-in "accomplished", "happy", "a little depressed but I'll get back on track tomorrow". Then add some stickers to it.
3. Positive mantras or affirmations. If there's a day of the week that you absolutely hate and you feel that you might "self-sabotage" yourself on that day, be sure to write yourself a positive note.
4. Plan Ahead. By this I mean that if you know that there is an upcoming party or event that might affect your diet negatively, and then be sure to add that event to your board along with a positive affirmation so that you can prepare yourself mentally for the upcoming challenge.
5. Workouts: add what workout you plan to do and on what day. This will keep you on track mentally and it will also keep you organized. If you were unable to complete that workout, be sure to write down "why" and what you can do next time to prevent missing your workout.
6. Pictures: let's face it...we're at Wal-Mart or our local store every week. So while you're there, be sure to print-off a progress pic and add it to your board so that you have a visual of your changes. Pictures=Motivation
7. Food- you can use My Fitness Pal to record your calories but if you happen to have a "slip-up", be sure to write on your board what you ate and why you think that you ate it.

Lastly, it's your board... so add whatever you would like to it but please know that the more, the better--- because this Fit & Fabulous Visual is going to be a constant reminder and a personal diary that will help to keep you on track throughout your journey.



GET ORGANIZED
8 weeks, 56 days, 1344 hours or however you want to look at it... this Challenge is a lot of time out of your life. Worthwhile of course... but definitely a lot of time. This being said, you HAVE to be organized!!! Say it with me, "I HAVE to be organized!” For example, if you plan ahead by writing-in your workouts on your board.... your success rate is going to be better. So let's take it a step further by organizing the notes that I am going to provide you with into a 3-Ring Binder or folder. By doing this, you won't have to refer back to this blog nor will you have papers scattered across your house. So purchase a binder or folder along with some of those plastic sheets to slide the notes into. By the way, I know that this is a lot of information but we're about to go through a lot of changes so please be patient :)

WORKOUTS
Since we can't meet face-to-face, below are some links to workout videos or workouts via the web just in case you don't have a gym membership or DVDS. Also, please find below all of the links is an 8-Week schedule that you can follow. I've also posted a schedule for people who do have access to the gym. (REMEMBER: log your workouts via the board... one week in advance at least)

8 weeks worth of videos from everydayhealth.com
http://www.everydayhealth.com/videos/8-week-slim-down.aspx

YOGA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5nyrD4eM64
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6Wt9CFb-4s

Pilates:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CafeMomStudios?v=dK53Bonwzn4

Zumba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf0q6qtThF4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDgbBdS9W54

Dance by GRDance Fitness (My personal favorites)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c3cne4N1OI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOuReYID5ns

Strengthen and Train
http://www.youtube.com/user/CafeMomStudios?v=OU6jg-SgEpY

HIIT Cardio aka High Intensity Interval Training
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xm3GEDVmbM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpeN0xX1VVg&feature=fvwrel

Home Workouts: No gym, No equipment, No Problem
http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/ultimate-home-workout

8-Week Schedule (please note that the videos mentioned in the schedule can be found through this link http://www.everydayhealth.com/videos/8-week-slim-down.aspx)

Week 1: Jump Start Day 1: 30-minute cardio of your choice Day 2: Video circuit 1 Day 3: 30-minute cardio of your choice Day 4: Yoga or Pilates workout of your choice Day 5: Video circuit 1 Day 6: Rest Day 7: 30-minute cardio of your choice View Circuit 1 Video

Week 2: Shape Up Day 1: 40-minute cardio of your choice Day 2: Video circuit 2 Day 3: 40-minute cardio of your choice Day 4: Yoga or Pilates workout of your choice Day 5: Video circuit 2 Day 6: Rest Day 7: Video circuit 2 View Circuit 2 Video

Week 3: Target Tone Day 1: 50-minute cardio of your choice Day 2: Video circuit 3 Day 3: Yoga or Pilates workout of your choice Day 4: Video circuit 3 Day 5: 50-minute cardio of your choice Day 6: Rest Day 7: Video circuit 3 View Circuit 3 Video

Week 4: Fat Blast Day 1: 60-minute cardio of your choice Day 2: Video circuit 4 Day 3: Yoga or Pilates workout choice Day 4: Video circuit 4 Day 5: 60-minute cardio of your choice Day 6: Rest Day 7: Video circuit 4 View Circuit 4 Video

Week 5: Sculpt and Slim Day 1: 60-minute cardio, circuit 5 Day 2: Yoga or Pilates Workout of your choice Day 3: 60-minute cardio of your choice Day 4: 60-minute cardio of your choice, circuit 5 Day 5: Video circuit 5 Day 6: Rest Day 7: 60-minute cardio of your choice View Circuit 5 Video

Week 6: Real Results Day 1: 30-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 6 Day 2: 60-minute cardio of your choice, 1x video circuit 6 Day 3: Yoga or Pilates workout of your choice Day 4: 30-minute cardio choice, 2 x video circuit 6 Day 5: 60-minute cardio choice, 1 x video circuit 6 Day 6: Rest Day 7: 30-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 6 View Circuit 6 Video

Week 7: Body Burn Day 1: 35-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 7 Day 2: 35-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 7 Day 3: Yoga or Pilates workout of your choice Day 4: 35-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 7 Day 5: 35-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 7 Day 6: Rest Day 7: 35-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 7 View Circuit 7 Video

Week 8: Total Body Makeover Day 1: 45-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 8 Day 2: 45-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 8 Day 3: Yoga or Pilates workout of your choice Day 4: 45-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 8 Day 5: 45-minute cardio of your chocie, 2x video circuit 8 Day 6: Rest Day 7: 45-minute cardio of your choice, 2x video circuit 8 View Circuit 8 Video

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO HAVE A GYM AVAILABLE:
8-Week Schedule

With an easy-to-follow workout schedule, you can see noticeable results on the scale in as little as eight weeks. According to the Mayo Clinic, a safe and healthy goal for weight loss is dropping one to two pounds per week. This means that in as little as two months, you can lose up to 16 pounds. Below is a sample workout schedule that should be easy to fit into even the busiest schedule.

Weeks 1-4
The beginning of this workout plan will focus on shedding fat, building lean muscle and increasing your endurance.

Monday: Toning and Cardio
5 minute warm-up on cardiovascular equipment of your choice
10 minutes of cardio workout. On a scale of 1 to 10 in perceived exertion, aim for an intensity level of 6. This should cause slightly labored breathing, but you are able to maintain this pace for some time.
5 minute cool-down
3 sets of bicep curls
3 sets of tricep pulldowns with rope
3 sets of lateral pulldowns on cable machine
3 sets of front raises with dumbbells

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: Cardio and Core
5 minute warm-up on cardiovascular equipment of your choice
3 sets of plank exercises. Hold each for 30 to 60 seconds.
3 sets of crunches on a stability ball
3 sets of bicycle crunches
10 minutes of interval training on cardiovascular equipment of your choice
5 minute cool-down

Thursday: Off

Friday: Cardio and Lower Body
5 minute warm-up on cardiovascular equipment of your choice
3 sets of lunges with dumbbells
3 sets of squats onto stability ball
3 sets of leg curls on machine
10 minutes jogging on the treadmill
5 minute cool-down
Saturday: 30 minutes of brisk walking
Sunday: Off



Weeks 5-8
For the next segment of this workout plan, expect to step up the cardiovascular training and your strength training.

Monday: Toning and Cardio
5 minute warm-up on cardiovascular equipment of your choice
20 minutes of cardio workout. On a scale of 1 to 10 in perceived exertion, aim for an intensity level of 7. This should cause labored breathing and a definite feeling of fatigue.
5 minute cool-down
3 sets of bicep curls on cable machine
3 sets of incline dumbbell press
3 sets of tricep kickbacks on a bench
3 sets of lateral pulldowns on cable machine
3 sets of lateral raises with dumbbells

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: Cardio and Core
5 minute warm-up on cardiovascular equipment of your choice
20 minutes of intervals: 90 seconds at a level 9 in perceived exertion followed by 30 seconds at level 3 in perceived exertion. Repeat 10 times.
5 minute cool-down
3 sets of plank exercises. Hold each for 60 seconds
3 sets of side plank exercises. Switch sides to complete one set
3 sets of straight leg raises on a bench

Thursday: 20 minutes on cardiovascular equipment of your choice

Friday: Cardio and Lower Body
5 minute warm-up on cardiovascular equipment of your choice
10 minutes jogging on the treadmill
5 minute cool-down
3 sets of lunges with dumbbells
3 sets of squats with dumbbells
3 sets of seated calf raises with dumbbells
3 sets of side lunges with dumbbells

Saturday: 20 minutes on the stationary bike

Sunday: Off

For each workout, aim to complete 10 to 12 repetitions per set. When selecting dumbbells for your exercises, choose a pair of dumbbells where your muscles reach fatigue by the last repetition of each set.



Eat-Clean:

If you emailed me your stats, I will be emailing you an "Eat-Clean" dinner plan over the next 8 weeks. The plan only includes dinner so please click this link to get more information about how to eat clean over the next 8 weeks.

http://www.bodysecretsladiesgym.net/8weekcleaneating.htm

Please also know that slow and steady wins the race! Do not put too much pressure on yourself. For example, you don't have to eat 3 healthy meals per day. Start out with one and then work your way up week by week. Also, you don't have to workout 6 days per week. Start out with 1-3 workouts per week and then increase as the weeks go by.

PLAN OF ATTACK
Ok...so you've got a lot of work to do this weekend but I know that you-all can make it happen! To re-cap, remember to do the following:

1. Get organized with a binder or folder. Figure-out what workouts you want to do and print them off to put in your binder. You also need to visit the "Eat-Clean" link so that you can go grocery shopping. Nutrition is key! Abs are made in the gym but revealed in the kitchen so be sure to plan those meals in advance so that your "slip-ups" are few and far between.

2. Build your board and write in your workouts so that you stick to them. Also, feel free to change your MFP profile pic to your board just so I know that you completed the assignment ;)

3. Check-in on the MFP group on Mondays! I'll be checking in pretty much every day to see what you-all are up too but I need for you-all to check in on Mondays to let me know what your progress is.

Are you guys excited or what?! I'm excited for you and for all of the changes that are going to emerge over the next 8 weeks. If you-all have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Have a good weekend and I'll be talking to you soon!!!

~Kris

Replies

  • caramellips06
    caramellips06 Posts: 82 Member
    so love how u broke this down im so ready for this challenge i have a lot to do this weekend n i cant wait :)
  • caramellips06
    caramellips06 Posts: 82 Member
    I went out today after my workout n got my poster n stickers n notebook Cant wait to get started :)
  • caramellips06
    caramellips06 Posts: 82 Member
    i no im posting alot but i just checked out the clean eating link omg this is ssomething i have been looking for it has things on there that i can eat since i tend to be a picky eater n all the other diet n etc have things i just dont eat i will be goin grocery shopping sunday i cant wait so excited
  • LOL.... no biggie!!! .... post as much as you WANT too!!! And yay... I'm glad to help and I'm glad that there are some food options for you :)

    Have a good weekend!!

    ~Kris
  • caramellips06
    caramellips06 Posts: 82 Member
    hey is it possible to incorporate the gym exercises with the video/web exercises(combo). Like for exercise tomorrow I want to do the jumpstart day 1 of 30 mins of cardio but i was also thinking about adding a couple of these things also:

    Monday: Toning and Cardio
    5 minute warm-up on cardiovascular equipment of your choice
    10 minutes of cardio workout. On a scale of 1 to 10 in perceived exertion, aim for an intensity level of 6. This should cause slightly labored breathing, but you are able to maintain this pace for some time.
    5 minute cool-down
    3 sets of bicep curls (have dumbbells at home)
    3 sets of tricep pulldowns with rope
    3 sets of lateral pulldowns on cable machine
    3 sets of front raises with dumbbells (have dumbells at home)

    Also the links are they the ones that have cardio on them?
  • RockstarPunch
    RockstarPunch Posts: 203 Member
    wow! just got a chance to look at the website, im going to try to follow the meal plan and work out (i love you tube!) thanks for setting up the web site, awesome
  • Most definitely!! The key to weight-training is to allow for "rest" days. You don't want to overwork your muscles so be sure to work different body parts each session or allow 2-3 days in-between "full-body" weight-training sessions. For example, legs one day, shoulders the next....or... full-body session on Monday; then don't do another full-body session until Wednesday or Thursday. Cardio is fine to do everyday though.

    ~Kris
  • You are so welcome!!! ~Kris
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