With P90X and Shakeology (Beachbody’s ultra-nutrition supplement which is comprised of whole and super foods and no artificial ingredients) I was able to lose 33 lbs in 90 days. Adding 60 days of Insanity into the mix allowed me to drop 17 more lbs in 60 days and by the end of September of last year, I was able to lose a total of 50 lbs and reach my target weight.
Losing this amount of weight and gaining shape (and abs that slightly resemble a six pack) are hugely important and I am proud of this accomplishment. But what is of even greater importance has been the ability to maintain my target weight since last September. This picture was taken on my 50th birthday in March at a Beachbody event in the Bahamas.
One can tout the home fitness program as an excellent option for those who struggle to get results at the gym. But the ‘yo yo’ or ‘rubber band effect’ of regaining lost weight can be equally present regardless of the manner in which the weight loss is initially accomplished. This is true whether one loses weight solely through diet, i.e. Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, or through exercise. If one cannot maintain the same caloric intake they utilized to lose weight, they will gain it back. If one stops going to the gym a few months after their New Year’s resolution, they will regain the weight they lost. The same potential is there if there is no plan once the ninety days of P90X are over.
By some estimates, more than 80 percent of people who have lost weight regain all of it, or more, after two years. Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles analyzed 31 long-term diet studies and found that about two-thirds of dieters regained more weight within four or five years than they initially lost. Interesting, no? Ironically, that same 80 percent statistic applies to those who pay for but do not use their gym memberships.
So how does one preserve all the fantastic progress they have made to lose a substantial amount of weight? These are some recommendations:
1. When you are in the initial phase of weight loss, i.e. the first 90 days, eliminate completely those items in your diet that are clearly incompatible with slimming down. Do it in conjunction with an exercise program and say to yourself “for the next 90 days I am giving up X, Y and Z.” For me it was pizza, sandwiches and alcohol. I avoided these items completely but understood that I was not giving them up for the rest of my life, just for 90 days. I can do anything for 90 days.
2. Start incorporating good foods into your diet that you can utilize indefinitely. Although I have not done Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig or any other major diet plan, the major concern I have is how long is one going to be able to follow these programs? What does one eat when they decide it is too difficult to follow the plan? Instead I recommend incorporating foods that are good for you that you can eat indefinitely – fish, chicken, wild and brown rice, quinoa, fruits and vegetables, salads, whole wheat tortillas, etc. What I have found interesting is that as you incorporate better foods into your diet, your body begins to crave those foods. I was never big on fish but now my body craves salmon once or twice a week.
3. Drink Shakeology. I know those who have not yet experienced Shakeology will claim shameless plug. But unless you have actually experienced how good Shakeology is, you are missing out by booing from the bleachers. This unique supplement which is completely natural (including its sweeteners unlike many of the drinks on the market which utilize sucralose) was essential when I used it as a meal replacement to help me lose weight. It is 150 calories per serving, 23o with 80zs. of skim milk. And it tastes so good that we joke that its tag line should be “the Most Addictive Meal of the Day” instead of “the Healthiest meal of the Day.” I now use it mainly for its nutritional value as you cannot get the majority of super foods in standard diets. Try it, you’ll not only like it you will love it.
4. Find a fitness routine that is lifestyle compatible and something that you look forward to. If you are a gym rat, more power to you. But why do 80% of the people who own memberships not use them. Because they don’t want to stay in shape? No. It’s because it is too much of a hassle to get to the gym. You have to worry about time, packing your gym clothes, changing, child care, showering, etc. And the repetitive nature of the routines can get boring fast. How many weeks can one survive on the elliptical machine? The Beachbody fitness programs are diverse, they are fun, they use celebrity instructors with great personalities (Tony, Shaun T, Chalene, to name a few), and most importantly they are of a fixed duration, generally 60-90 days. It is much easier to get one’s mind around a schedule that has a beginning, middle and end. And once that program is over and you have another nice transformation, there is another completely new and different program to try. I am now doing Les Mills Pump and the variety of its instructors, the use of the barbell and the pumped up music tracks, make it new and entertaining. You have to look forward to getting your workout (and disappointed if you can’t). If you view it as a hassle to get your workout in you are in trouble.
5. Become a Beachbody coach. Now I am certainly not advocating that everyone should become part of the relationship marketing business that is Team Beachbody. However, in addition to the satisfaction of helping others live healthier and more fulfilling lives, there is a great opportunity to earn substantial supplemental income (and in many cases enough money to quit your full-time job). The physical benefits of being a coach stem from the fact that you must continue to be a product of the product in order to be successful. It really does nothing for a coach to show their P90X before and afters if they have put all the weight back on that they lost during the program. If you expect others to believe that Beachbody programs work, a coach has to be as fit as possible. Fortunately, the fun and effectiveness of the programs make it easier.
As difficult as it is to come to terms with reaching the milestone of turning 50, I can say that it is easier to do it being in the best shape I have been in since college. Oh, and celebrating it with my family and other Beachbody coaches at Atlantis didn’t hurt.
http://kaseyclarkfitness.com/coaching/how-to-avoid-regaining-lost-weight/
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