Back-to-School 2013 FVT Rapid Fat Loss Challenge recap

We want to send out a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this last FVT Rapid Fat Loss Challenge! If you weren’t able to attend our anniversary party where we gave out the prizes this weekend, here is a quick recap:

The team that lost the most total weight was….the Burp Beasts! Great job to Ruben M, Cameron B., Ashley P., John P., Chris P., and Brad P. If you are on this team and haven’t picked up your shirt yet, be sure to stop by the FVT pro shop and pick one out!

Now for the individual winners. We looked at total body weight lost as a percentage of your starting weight combined with body fat percentage lost.

3rd Place and $100 went to Ryan A!

2nd Place and $200 goes to Sara S!

And the 1st Place winner who now has an extra $300 in his pocket….John P!

Congrats to everyone who participated. Even if you weren’t a winner this time, we hope it helped kick start your weight loss program or gave you extra motivation over the last 30 days. 

We hope to continue to help you reach all of your fitness goals and look forward to seeing you back at the FVT studio!

- The FVT Team

P.S. Our winners must claim their prize money by the end of this week or Forest will spend it on protein supplements. :)

Final Stretch! Reminders -

Challenger!  We're in the final stretch.  Finish strong!  Just a couple of quick reminders:

- Final weigh-ins are this Thursday, October 17th at 7pm.

If this time does not work for you, PLEASE let me know asap so we can work out an alternate time.

- Winners will be announced at ~ 10:45am this Saturday at the FVT Three Year Anniversary Party.

Please join us to celebrate - and bring a friend/family member/co-worker to check out the studio!

Stay focused, and talk soon -

Forest

Extreme Methods for Super Fast Weight Loss (4 tips)

As the end of our Rapid Fat Loss Challenge approaches, you could be looking for some tips and tricks to shed those last few pounds of body fat.

And, if super fast weight loss is what you’re after, these methods DO work.  Just use them at your own risk :)



Extreme Methods For Super Fast Weight Loss
by Forest Vance, MS, CPT, FNC, RKC II

Several years ago, I trained a client for a weight loss contest put on here in Sacramento at a local radio station. We ended up winning the contest – which was awesome!

In the final week, there were a few tricks we used to get an edge on the competition. I’m going to share some of the things that helped my client drop those last few crucial pounds in the week before her final weigh-in.

Also, it is very important to note – super fast weight loss is not the healthiest long term solution to your problems.  BUT – in the short term – for some kind of special event, etc. – it can actually be done pretty easily.



5 Tips for Super Fast Weight Loss

Workout more

Seriously.  Work out for two hours per day for the next seven days, I can almost guarantee you’ll end up dropping a couple of pounds

Restrict your calorie and carbohydrate intake

Let’s just pick a number and say that you’re currently taking in 2000 calories a day. Drastically cut your calorie intake – say, down to 1000-1200 calories a day – and cut out all your starchy carbs like bread, rice and pasta. You’re allowed only veggies and 1-2 pieces of fruit per day for all of your carbohydrate intake.

Please keep in mind that I’m recommending this as a short term solution; it’s not something you want to do for any length of time. But you’ll experience super fast weight loss with this method, that’s for sure.

Drink lots of water

You actually end up retaining water when you don’t drink enough. You should be drinking at least half of your body weight in calories every day already; up this to at least a gallon or so per day. This will help you drop some extra water – combined with cutting your carbs, it’s a dynamite combo for super fast weight loss.

Hit the sauna

Saunas actually do have some proven medical benefits, contrary to popular belief. Among other things, they can help improve joint mobility and cleanse the system from toxins.

For our purposes, we’re going to use the sauna to drop weight fast. All you’re going to do is spend 15-20 minutes per day to drop some of that excess water weight.

So, there you have a few extreme methods for super fast weight loss. Good luck with your weight loss efforts!

FREE Bring-A-Buddy Boot Camp Saturday October 19th at FVT

** You are getting this message FIRST as a Rapid Fat Loss Challenger, and have "first dibs" on reserving your spot in this boot camp.   Please make sure to sign up at the studio ASAP if you'd like to attend and/or bring a buddy!!

The FVT 3 year anniversary party is less than 2 weeks away!  It's going to be a lot of fun ...

One of the BEST parts of last couple of anniversary parties we've held were the free Bring-A-Buddy boot camps. So we've decided to continue the tradition ...

We're going to hold TWO free boot camps on the 19th - one at 10am and one at 11am.

All current clients are welcome to attend.  You are also encouraged to bring a buddy.  It's a great opportunity to bring a friend, family member, co-worker, etc. in to check out the program in a easy no-obligation way.

Members of the community and anyone else interested in training at our studio is/are also welcome to attend the Bring-A-Buddy boot camps as well!

-- IMPORTANT! -- 

If you'd like to attend one of the free FVT boot camps on October 19th, you need to reserve a spot ahead of time.  We will have two sign up sheets at the studio starting this afternoon (the 7th of October) - one for the 10am class and one for the 11am.

Space is limited to 20 folks at each boot camp - so if you'd like a spot, make sure to get signed up quick.  

You can also email me if need be - but I'd MUCH prefer you do it yourself at the studio if possible. Thanks for understanding about this and being cool :)

That's it for now!  Thanks, have a great day, and talk soon -

Forest

If it ain't broke ...

Challenger!  Hope your weekend is off to a great start.

Erik D (Rapid Fat Loss Challenger and FVT team member) and I were having a conversation the other day, and he brought up a fantastic point that I just had to share with you.

He said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Meaning, if what you are doing is working - which is sounds like it is for all of you who are following the plan ;) - then keep doing it!!

It can be easy to over-analyze every little thing about your workout plan and diet routine ... and second-guess workout or meal choices or whatever ... but at the end of the day, if what you're doing is working, keep doing it!

If it's NOT, you need to simply:

- Eat less (you ARE still logging your food, aren't you?)  ... try dropping your kcal intake by about 200 - 300 per day to start

- Move more - get consistent with those workouts and get out and move every single day

And continue to tweak until you dropping weight at the rate you'd like to be.  And then keep doing it until you reach your goal.

That's my message for you today.  As usual, let me know how I can help.  Rock on. And talk soon -

Forest

7 Common Weight Loss Challenges

Hey RFL Challengers! We decided to compile a list of 7 common challenges when trying to lose weight. Some may seem obvious - but you'd be surprised at how re-examining these areas can really push you further along.

1. Sleep

Getting a full night’s sleep is VITAL to achieving your weight loss goals. Most doctors suggest 7-8 hours of sleep to recharge, but oversleeping can be just as harmful. Try to get to bed as early as you can (Shoot for not much later than 10 PM) and restrict the use of electronics for at least an hour before bedtime. Your mind needs time to wind down - so keep the iPad out of the bedroom! 

2. Stress

Stress, quite literally, kills. Stress management is not only important to staying healthy but it also can help with your weight loss. Stress can often lead to lack of sleep (see #1) and bad eating habits. Do you find that you reward yourself with food (or a drink!) after getting through a stressful situation? Try not to let bad habits become your coping mechanism. Practicing yoga, meditating or simply starting your day with deep breathing can do so much for your overall well being.

3. Interval Training

Working out on your own time can be a challenge. Maybe you're focused at boot camp but you struggle to get in your cardio sessions away from the gym. While walking and other low level cardio is good for people just starting out, you don't want to lose muscle mass! Consider high intensity interval training over traditional low level cardio. With interval training you are getting your heart rate up AND conditioning your body so you don't lose muscle mass like you do with long duration cardio.

Here is a video that shows you a really easy interval training idea when going out for a run. It's hard and is a lot more focused than just going for a jog or spending an hour on the treadmill.

4. Portion Control

Switching from 400 calories of cookies to 400 calories of walnuts is a better choice for your health - but that is still a big chunk of your daily food intake! If you haven’t already done it, log your food. Also, reading the labels on your food is always helpful - the more you know the more you can estimate the calorie and macronutrient levels.  

5. Indulgences (Yes, that means wine!)

This is a common challenge for a lot of people, and quite often it isn’t as much of a problem as they think. I strongly advocate an 90/10 dieting rule, meaning...if you stay on plan 80% of the time you will achieve BIG results. If you truly feel deprived on your eating plan it is easy to backslide and cheat. Some people like to go for a cheat meal at the end of the week while some people love to cheat a little bit every day. Go with what works for you.

With that said, there are more sensible choices you can make. Go for darker chocolate for the protein (2-3 grams in a serving), antioxidants and lower sugar content. Favor red wine for the polyphenols. Coffee, in moderation, has incredible health benefits. Coffee contains important minerals like magnesium and chromium which helps to regulate blood sugar...just drink it black! These are truly moderation foods as more than a serving a day will reduce the health benefits. a
re truly moderation foods and can still be enjoyed in a healthy lifestyle!
6. Planning

Properly planning and getting yourself organized is the key to a healthy diet. Let me say that again. Properly planning and getting yourself organized is the key to a healthy diet. How many times have you skipped breakfast because you overslept? Go for a fast food lunch because you didn’t have time to make something healthy? This is where so many fail. Planning your meals at the start of the week is helpful for several reasons. One, you’ll waste less food. Few things are more discouraging than throwing away old, rotten produce. Secondly, you’ll have a plan which you can then call on throughout the week. Making meals ahead of time and storing them in the fridge is another great way to save time during a busy week.  

7. Staying Consistent

This might be the biggest challenge of them all. You start that diet on Monday, go hard for a few days and then fall apart by the weekend (or Tuesday!)

The hardest part of your body to change is your mind. Get your mind right. Identify why you are trying to change and remind yourself every day of that reason. Write it down if you need to. Post it to your fridge. Remember - you deserve to live the healthiest and happiest life you can.

So there you have it. These are ideas that you can take away for a lifetime of health and happiness. Good luck, everyone!

Workout Reminder, Final Measurement Time and How to Win!!

Hola Rapid Fat Loss Challenger!

Just a quick message for you today with a couple of reminders:

- Tomorrow night - Tues, Sept 24th - at 7 pm is our second official Rapid Fat Loss Challenge boot camp.  We'll be checking in, touching base with our teams, getting pumped up and getting a great workout in!

- Final measurements will be done on Thursday, October 17th at 7pm.  IF you can't make that time, please let me know asap and we will make other arrangements.

- Final measurements and winners will be caclulated by a combo of % of weight lost, body fat % lost, and inches lost.

That's it for now!  Thanks, and talk soon -

Forest