By popular demand.... BYU-I Biggest Winner Program!

Chad and I are... larger. We are large enough to qualify for the BYUI Biggest Winner program (and yes, you have to be fat enough to be accepted into the program... so we win at being fat...yeah). And yes, it should be the "Biggest Loser" program but BYU-I is so sweet, they just can't stand to call someone a loser for any reason.

We started our training last week and it has been AMAZING! So amazing that I wanna make sure that you all have access the the awesome opportunity if you'd like to join me!

Lets start with Food

Honestly, the most important part of losing weight and keeping it off is establishing a healthy eating life style. I know how it is though, most of us really do know how to eat right, we just don't like to! Who seriously prefers rice cakes over cheese cake? Wheat over flour? Greek yogurt over frozen yogurt? don't lie to yourself. But its something we can get used to and learn to enjoy so that we make wiser choices and can afford to have cheese cake, frozen yogurt, and all those high cal/carb/sugar goodies in moderation.

Some of the things I've learned...

Anything that stays solid at room temp, most likely NOT good for you...
examples....
Some Peanut Butters
Margarine
Butter

Instead, use coconut oil, olive oil, all natural peanut butter, substitutes that turn to liquid at room temp., these are better for you because they don't have hydrogenated oils that LOVE creating fat. Hydrogenated oil is in A LOT of products! Check the backs of everything for this and bleached flour. NO BUENO

Some advice...
Don't write off carbs like so many diets tell you to. Are you honestly never going to have them again? If you rule than out, they will hit you hard when you have that pasta again or that stuffing on Thanksgiving. Find good carbs. I love whole wheat bread, its so yummy, its carby and I try to make sure that my bread has at least 3g of fiber per slice and is no more than 120 cals. Here are some of my favorite that I've found just this week!Keep coming back! Each week I'll add different items that are great for weight loss and delish!

 Don Pancho is AWESOME! They don't taste bland, they taste NORMAL! and you might be able to see but they have 6 whole grams of fiber...that's amazing! Plus, they are only 70 calories, so if your just getting started and need more cals to get you full, you can have two and not feel bad about it, but they are so fulling, you'll only need one :)

 I am not a huge "trail mix" person. I don't like almonds or really any nuts but these... I LOVE. they aren't salted much, they have no trans fat, lots of fiber and a perfectly clean source of protein! Great snack and great price!

 Chad and I still enjoyed Cinco de Mayo with a Mexican feast! We had shredded chicken burritos with cheese, guac, lettuce, tomatoes and a dallop of sour cream! We both had two for under 500 calories!

 
 This is the low cal low fat shredded chicken, want the recipe? Easy, 3 chicken breasts, one packet of taco seasoning, and a jar of Newmans Salsa. 6 hours later and you have 8 meals worth of shredded chicken.

WORKOUTS!

Its so simple...work out everyday! Except Sunday (even then Chad and I take walks in the park if its nice out).

MWF: we meet with our trainers and do strength training. Some would say to do muscle groups but we go a combination of a lot of muscle groups, but we try to let them all have at least one day to recover before working them again. Ab's  however, recover the fastest, so you can work them every day...are you so glad :)
 TTh: Cardio for an hour, if you live near a YMCA... GET A MEMBERSHIP! Most of them have an awesome gym and cost close to nothing! DO an hour on the treadmill, at whatever rate works for you. I do 30 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes doing rows, 20 minutes cycling. Tonight, Chad and I went to a water aerobics class and I would also totally recommend that! The only thing to watch out for with classes is that the teachers aren't going to give you individual attention, push yourself or you won't get a good workout and why work out if your not really working hard to get the results you want?

here is one example of our workouts with the trainers

Circuit Training
I'll explain everything instead of just using the exercise names.

Jumprope for 1 full minute
NO BREAK
go directly into bicep curls, do 10 bicep curls, then raise the weights above your head 10 time, then with the weights starting at your sides, raise your arms (straight) in front of you perpendicular with your legs. Keep your core solid, no arching your back or sticking out your belly.
NO BREAK
Squats for 1 minute
NO BREAK
Get on your hands and knees with your dumbbell and one arm at a time, with your elbow tight against your hip, straighten and bend your arm, your should feel this in your triceps. Do 12 on each arm and then take one dumbbell over your head and with your biceps right up to your ears, and bend and straighten your arms.
NO BREAK
Calf raises, 10 with toe facing forward, 10 with toes facing outward and ten with toes facing inward, repeat this for a minute.
NO BREAK
Dead raises. this ones my favorite, get a 50 lb bench press bar, with a straight back and knees slightly bent, start with the bar t your calfs. You will not bend your arms at all, the trick is sticking your bum WAY out and straightening your legs. This will really work your hamstrings. Do this for a minute.

Now you can break... for a minute

Repeat this 4 times, 1st time  1 minute each second time 2 minutes each and the 45 seconds each, then back to a minute each for the last one. the idea in all this is to build strength WHILE keeping your heart rate up. I PROMISE this works! Its amazing!

Ab work out

3 sets of 25 crunches
1 minute plank
3sets of 20 cherry-pickers (lay on your back with your legs straight up in the air, alternating arms, reaching to "pick cherries" from your shoe laces)
get a weight ball (8-10 lbs) with feet crossed and hovering off the floor, sitting on your bum, alternate touching the ball on both sides of you.


You'll feel this!

Just so you know, its been two weeks and I've lost 13 pounds...yes I have about 4 times that much to lose but still, pretty good for 2 weeks! you can do it! let me know how it goes or if this helps at all!

I'll post a new work out tomorrow :)
Healthy=Happy