The Tale of the Last 10 Pounds

Once upon a time, there was a girl. When she was 18, she loved her little waist, toned legs, and svelte arms (so did all the boys). At 21, she started working a real job, had to pay real bills, but still got away with a few days of exercise and if she gained a little extra around the waist from the late-night eating and drinking, she knew she could easily lose it the next week with a little tread milling and a little bit of food. Little did she know it would not be so easy for very much longer.


A few years later, she met the man of her dreams. They wined, dined, and snuggled in front of movies a few nights a week. They got married and the first little one came along. Taking care of her new family was her new priority and she promised herself that after the baby got a little older, “I will get back into my workout routine and lose the baby weight.”

Two years later, that “baby weight” turned into “baby weight” plus “taking care of family weight” plus “just one more cookie weight” plus “I’ll workout tomorrow weight.” Twenty-five extra pounds later, she looked in the mirror and knew she HAD to do something. She got a spurt of motivation and joined the new gym in town. She paid $400 for some sort of “initiation fee” (what it “initiated” she does not know), and $35 each month. “Great investment,” she thought! “I can take classes, do the elliptical, they even have day care!” Those first six-weeks she worked out every day. She signed up for Weight Watchers and attended the weekly meetings and weigh-ins. In 6 weeks, she had already lost 10 pounds! She was excited and motivated to keep going, “I am going to stick to this plan, it’s working!”

After 6 weeks, the baby had an ear infection, so she wasn’t able to make it to the gym for a few days. Leftover cake from the baby’s birthday party taunted her in the refrigerator and she finished it just one little bite at a time. She started to feel “fat” again. “One more day and I’ll get back into the routine,” she committed to herself.

She did get back into the routine…but not 100%. She only took enough time for 30 minutes on the elliptical and did not continue her resistance training. She was tired of counting points, so she tried South Beach and a few other diets. She lost a little more weight over the next month, so she kept on with her 30 minutes of elliptical training 5 days each week since that seemed to work.

3 months later, she was still at the same place. She could not seem to get that last 10 pounds to budge! “I’ve tried everything, I’m so frustrated!” But she kept on with her 30-minute elliptical, and low-ca.rb eating plan. One year later, those 10 pounds continued to haunt her. She had lost her confidence and did not feel good in her own skin. She is close to giving up for good and has become another victim to the dangers and frustrations of yo-yo dieting.

SOUND FAMILIAR?

To break through that plateau – you must CHANGE your routine!

Here are a few quick ways to switch up your routine - and to keep from getting BORED! You want to see results to keep you motivated and these tricks will help.

• If you are only doing long, boring cardio…STOP! You must add in resistance exercise with free weights or machines. Start with 20 minutes, 3 days each week in addition to your cardio workouts.

Change up the intensity of your cardio routine – check out a few workouts by clicking here.

• RUN, RUN, RUN…running is one of the most effective fat-loss strategies in combination with weight training. You WILL see results! But it must be intense intervals!

• Do not be afraid of using weight! This will create strength, endurance, and shape your body composition. More muscle = more FAT BURN potential!

• Nutrition and meal planning is CRITICAL! Eat whole, clean foods every 2-3 hours. This will increase your metabolism, burn fat, and give you more energy.

• Set goals and stay focused – your hard work will be rewarded!

• You may find a personalized workout plan is the best way to go if you're not quite sure what works best for you – we will work with you one-on-one, with a partner, or even email your workouts! Boot Camp is also an effective way to change up your “same ‘ole” workouts and kick through a plateau!

Until next time…your partner in fitness, health, and success,

Lindsay

And the 6-Week Transformation Winners are....

It's been an amazing 6 weeks...for both the Body Project trainers and for the women who committed to our 6-Week Total Transformation program alike. Workouts were awesome...recipes and meal plans were plentiful...and motivation, support, and encouragement most definitely far surpassed any previous program that we've ever had, thanks to the new members' forum we custom-created just for our Transformation Boot Campers (sort of like a Facebook just for our boot campers!). I am not exaggerating when I say that it was incredibly difficult to narrow down the results.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...THE WINNERS ARE...(p.s. they each won a free year of boot camp!!!)

Kristen Mattina - Robbinsville Transformation Winner
 

Robbinsville Transformation Winner Kristen Mattina with proud Body Project trainer, Lindsay Vastola

"I have done a few other bootcamps but then I tend to get off track when I finish. This time I totally committed 100%. I did not miss one boot camp...in fact I even did an extra one and I did ALL of my off-day stuff...didn't miss one [at-home workout]. I totally committed to the nutrition guidelines as well. I was active on the forum and was constantly emailing Lindsay to bother her with questions or share exciting news. She was always ready to provide me with answers and encouragement.

I lost 14 1/2 lbs and 9 1/2 inches. I feel sooo motivated and I am sooo happy with my results. I worked so hard and even won the golden dumbbell award. I feel great and I am ready to keep going. I feel the boot camps are totally worth it (even if I didn't win)...that's why I keep going back to them. It's truly a great and rewarding experience and you won't be sorry you did it. There's no where to go but up :)"

Jacqueline Stein - West Windsor Transformation Winner



West Windsor Transformation Winner Jacqueline Stein with proud Body Project Trainers, Jessyca Brown & Kelly Kenny

 When I registered for boot camp, I was VERY excited, but VERY nervous that I could not handle it. I did not sleep the night before, but the support I have found from the trainers and other boot campers gave me the motivation to succeed. I really took the commandments to heart and made everything positive. I lost 10 inches and 3.1% body fat in a short 6 weeks and I truly found a new life. I feel like my life has been transformed and at the end of the 6 weeks, I believe my journey is just beginning not ending.

Jill Pritkin - Crosswicks Transformation Winner




Crosswicks Transformation Winner Jill Pritkin proud Body Project trainer, Carrie Ward

 "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This is an amazing gift!!! A true opportunity to continue my journey to my balanced healthy authentic self. As all of my friends know, I was never a fan of the words "boot" & "camp" being used together - actually had a mental block that stopped me from ever challenging myself. I am so happymy friend introduced me to Body Project and all of you! It's been an amazing 6 weeks - a true testimony that our bodies are often stronger than we realize, we just need to be pushed out of our comfort zone to realize the potential that lies within all of us. And trust me - I was uncomfortable - just the word "burpee" can do it! Winning a year of Bootcamp is unbelievably humbling - thanks for believing in me!"

Jill increased her fitness level nearly 30%, had near perfect attendance, is 4.5 inches smaller, down 10 pounds, and 3.3%  of pure body fat blasted!

Here were the components of our 6-Week Total Transformation that each boot camper was provided over the course of the 6-Week Program (see if any gym gives you this much support and keys to success!):

• Better-than-ever, total body, muscle-toning, heart-pumping workouts
• 6-Week custom meal plan
• 8-Week custom food and fitness journal
• Expert interviews each week with leading physicians including: "Hormones Uncovered," "Your Children are What You Feed Them," "Aches, Pains, Injuries, and Why," and "Secrets to Transformation Success."
• Healthy grocery store tours
• Exclusive members' forum 
• Unlimited support - email, phone, in-person from all of our trainers and the entire Body Project Fitness team.
• Fitness, Nutrition, and Motivational "Tips of the Day"
• Free yoga classes...to keep them relaxed and limber!
• Before & After Body Composition Measurement
• The 1000-Rep Ultimate Fitness Challenge (on average the fitness improvement was over 45% for all participants in just 6 weeks...that's huge!)
• An external and internal transformation...

I could go on and tell you all about the accomplishments about the 6-Week Transformations...but why don't I let the women speak for themselves...here's what a few of the women said about their experience:

"My experience at bootcamp was like no other...
I used to spend hours in the gym and never got results like this. I wasn't just a gym membership but an actual person to the trainers. They gave you the tools to be successful not only in the six weeks but for a lifetime. I'm still transforming but I feel so inspired by the women I'm surrounded by and so excited by this program that I cannot wait to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to get there. This lifestyle that they have created has even inspired me to fulfill a dream that I had as a younger woman to work in the fitness industry. I want to pass this gift onto other women. It's too good to keep to myself. I want everyone to feel this amazing." 

"Life changing for me...
The combination of exercise training and nutrition are great. I have lost both inches and pounds, but have experienced results I didn't think I could achieve being over 50. Even though it's very hard and challenging, you are never made to feel inadequate. Everyone works and encourages each other which provides great results. Much better environment than a gym!"

"It was a very positive experience which surpassed my expectations!...
The trainers are upbeat, knowledgable, and encouraging. The workouts are challenging but varied so that it's a new workout everytime you attend. I also enjoyed meeting other women from my town who were very much like me. It was a chance to get fit and enjoy ourselves at the same time. You have absolutely nothing to lose (except for some fat!)."

"The greatest motivator was the rapid results...
My energy level after the first week was so high that I was craving a workout every morning."

"I have been going to Body Project Boot Camp for over two years and @ 59 years old I'm in better shape now than when I was 35."

"Committing to a lifelong health fitness is an ongoing process of making conscious decisions that affect yourself and those around you...
I have certainly rubbed off and made a positive change on my family just from incorporating the snack and meal plan. I've added fruits and veggies on their meals - this is a MAJOR accomplishment! I'm very proud of myself for pushing my mental and physical boundaries beyond my expectations. I am COMMITTED! Thank you Lindsay and the BP team!!"

Join me in congratulating all the winners as well as each woman who challenged herself over the last 6 weeks! We are so proud to have these women as part of the Body Project family and they each are proud of the journey that they've only just begun!

Proud to be the trainers you trust,
Lindsay Vastola & the BP Team

Want to try the 1000-Rep Fitness Challenge for yourself? Click here to see it!

1000-Rep Ultimate Fitness Challenge

This is the 1000-Rep Ultimate Fitness Challenge Workout!
As featured in our 6-Week Total Transformation

Challenge yourself and I promise you may surprise yourself of how capable your body really is! Allow yourself to succeed! (and you will be a sweaty-mess...I guarantee it!)

How it works:

• There are a total of 1000 repetitions possible in this workout (10 exercises of 100 repetitions each).
• You will split up the workout into 5 rounds of 20 repetitions of each exercise.
• You cannot skip any exercises and must complete the entire circuit of 10 exercises before starting the next round.
• As you complete each round of 20 exercises, mark a "ticker" on an index card to keep track of how many repetitions you complete.
• At the end of 20 minutes, total the number of repetitions you completed (for example, if you completed 25 rounds of 20 exercises, you did a total of 500 repetitions)
• Repeat this workout 4-6 weeks after you've followed a consistent fitness routine and see how your fitness level has improved!

Exercises:

1- Squats
2- Scissor abs with reach (100 total - 50/side)
3- Push-ups
4- Spidermans (100 total-50/side)
5- Burpees
6- Russian twist (100 total - 50/side)
7- Alternate reverse lunges (100 total – 50/side)
8- Power jumping jacks w/dumbbells
9- Rocking low plank
10- High knees (100 total - 50/side)

Body Project Trainers Go Bar Hopping!

If you go any major grocery store, you’ve probably perused the seemingly endless aisle of “health” bars. If you’ve subscribed to my articles and emails even for a short time, you know that I have a mission to educate and empower you with the knowledge to be a smarter consumer especially when it comes to purchasing foods that claim to be “healthy.”  

My team and I took on the challenge of going bar hopping to find you the top 3 best bars out there if you need to have a bar in a pinch (not a bad idea to keep with you if you find yourself without a snack...).

If you didn't see me on one of my last adventures down the "health bar" aisle at the grocery store...click here to watch my short video first (you'll be surprised with one of the bars I picked up from the shelf that I hope you're NOT eating!).

Here are the contenders:

(we tried a few different flavors of some of the brands)

Clif

Larabar

Kashi "Crunchy"

Odwalla

2:1 Protein Bar

Think Thin

Balance

KIND

                                                      

The Buzz-Kill Bars (don't even bother):

Carrie took a shot of the "Think Thin" bar...it claims it has 20g of protein and 0g of sugar but with 38 ingredients (mostly ingredients I can't pronounce), Carrie is definitely not "Thinking Thin," she's thinking: "Where's the Garbage Bin?"

The Truth:

This bar claims that it has "0g of Sugar"...but if you look at the nutrition facts, you'll see 12g of sugar alcohols. Read below about sugar alcohols, how to look for them, and how they affect you (and why you want to limit these in your diet as much as possible)

Dana was the unlucky one who got stuck with the "2:1 Protein Bar" - a monstrosity of a junk-laden "Cookies & Cream." Apparently, it's the "World's First" of its kind. Are we suckers for these marketing schemes or what?

The Truth:

Included in first of the over 30 ingredients is sugar, vegetable oil, gelatin...anda fair-share of spelling errors (if they don't pay attention to their packaging, do you think they're paying attention to what their putting in their products?)

Jessyca had the guts to try the Balance Bar and...well...the picture says it all.

The Truth:
Here are the ingredients listed after the first ingredient (which is the protein isolate blend): fructose, sugar, water, fractionated palm kernel oil, high oleic sunflower oil.
Yum...sounds nutritious doesn't it? Not to mention that there is 17g of sugar in one bar! Not sure if your hips will like that anymore than Jessyca liked eating it!

The "Rail" Bars (not so bad...but not so good):

Julie & Kelly weren't afraid to show their true feelings about their experience with Clif bars.

The Truth:

In Clif Bar's defense...they do use more natural ingredients (and 70% organic) than most other mainstream bars. What you really have to be careful of is the amount of added sugar (these bars had on average 17g - 20g of sugar). If you do choose to eat one of these, ideally have it after you workout or on a day you are very active (I mean...very active! if not, those sugars are going to convert to that dreaded 3-letter word and stick around for a while).

I tried the Kashi "Crunchy" bar...this one might be a little bit of a surprise to some of you. Kashi does have several reputable products on the market, but our issue with this bar was that it is relatively high in added sugar. In fact, 3 of the first 5 ingredients are added sugars (brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice crystals, crystalline fructose) and the bar has 13g of sugar. Like the Clif Bar, this is more ideal (if you have no better option available) to eat as your post-workout snack so your body can burn off the sugars a bit more efficiently.

Kelly is sorta-sorta with the Odwalla. Still has quite a few ingredients including quite a bit of added sugar (14g). You do get a little fiber (4g) from the oats included.

Bars with Good Buzz

Jessyca and Julie give a thumbs up to Larabar...why? Because a 7-year old child would be able to read all the ingredients! Larabar has over 17 bar varieties, and I don't think I've seen one bar with more than 10 ingredients...and they are all natural!

Just realize that when you look at the nutrition facts, you may be initially taken by the higher sugar content (especially since high sugar was a buzz kill in the earlier bars), but at least you know that the sugars are coming from natural sources like dates and fruits. These bars are pretty hearty and quite filling because of the nuts and fiber-rich dates and other fruits added, so you should be satisfied until your next meal.  

Carrie is all over the KIND bars! KIND bars are a new fave bar of mine...and you can even find them in most Starbucks cafes! They have 3 lines: KIND Fruit & Nut, KIND mini, and KIND PLUS. I like the KIND PLUS since they've added some extra protein power.

And...again...you recognize all the ingredients listed!

Dana is lovin' the PURE bar. It's handful of ingredients are all natural, certified organic, vegan, and gluten-free...oh...and delicious. (I love the chocolate brownie). They use agave nectar as the only natural sweetener.

PURE-ly delicious!



So now that you caught a glimpse of the Body Project trainers bar hopping...here are the "Top 3 Bar Hopping Rules" you can use as a guideline of whether a bar you're about to devour will give you that good buzz or be a total buzz kill:

Bar Hopping Rule #1

If a 7-year old wouldn't be able to sound-out the ingredients, you don't want to eat it.

Bar Hopping Rule #2

Sugar should be the #1 nutrition fact that you're looking at (including sugar alcohols, which, by law are to be listed as well). If it's over 7-10g - scan the ingredients to see where that sugar is coming from. If it's from fruit, honey, brown rice syrup, agave nectar, or other natural sugars, you're better off than pumping your body with all those "lower-calorie" chemical sweeteners (see sugar alcohol segment below).

Bar Hopping Rule #3

Be wary of the bars that have more ingredients than you can count on both hands. When it comes to whole, natural ingredient, there are only so many things that can be shoved into one snack bar. But chemicals, preservatives, and artificial ingredients are pretty easily packed in giving you more than you bargain for.

SUGAR ALCOHOLS: THE DEAL

Here is a good summary of sugar alcohols, provided by one of my favorite nutrition journals, "Nutrition Action Healthletter," in an article called "Sweet Nothings, not all sweeteners are created equal" by David Schardt.

Sugar Alcohols

Also known as: Sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, isomalt, erythritol, hydrogenated, starch hydrolysates.

What are they? Sugar alcohols aren’t sugar and won’t make you tipsy. They’re made by adding hydrogen atoms to sugars. For example, adding hydrogen to glucose makes sorbitol.

Why they’re low-calorie: Some sugar alcohols are absorbed better than others. Erythritol, which is largely unabsorbed, has virtually no calories, while maltitol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates are absorbed enough to provide three-quarters the calories of sugar.

Safety: Too much sugar alcohol travelling unabsorbed through the intestinal tract can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration requires a “laxative effect” warning notice on labels if consumers could ingest 50 grams of sorbitol or 20 grams of mannitol from the food in a day.

Comments: Sugar alcohols don’t raise blood sugar as rapidly as sugar does, yet they’re as bulky as sugar. So they can be used tablespoon-for-tablespoon to replace the sugar that’s been removed from lower-carb foods. But while they may have a minimal impact on your blood sugar, they may have more than a minimal impact on your waistline and hips.

Read the entire article with very useful facts: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/05_04/sweet_nothings_canada.pdf

Thanks for checking out our bar hopping adventures! I hope this helps give you one more way to be a smarter consumer for you and your family's health.

Your partner in health (and always looking out for you, even if it means eating some pretty nasty bars),
Lindsay

How to Choose the Right Workout Shoe

Be sure to watch the video interview below for some really important tips.

One of the most common mistakes we see is that probably 7 out of 10 people choose the wrong athletic shoes. Not wearing the correct shoe is often the root cause of chronic aches and pains and can actually cause injury. Often times, our clients may complain about nagging or chronic aches and pains and when they simply change to a quality pair of shoes properly fitted, the pains disappear!

What happens is that most people go to a major chain store or discount shoe retailer and try on a few pair of shoes that "look good" and then choose the one that is the least expensive, the "cutest," has the more recognizable brand, or that seems to "feel right."

It is critical that you are properly fitted for your workout shoe and have a professional (not the teenager working in the shoe department) do a proper analysis of several factors before investing in a shoe.

Princeton Running Company (108 Nassau Street, Princeton), hosted an exclusive event for Body Project VIPs this past weekend. It was not only a blast, with fabulously delicious and healthy frittatas, fruit, and coffee, courtesy of Massimo's Cafe, but everyone received a custom fitting and analysis (plus a nice discount too!).

Since this is one of the most common issues we find and a question we are frequently asked, I decided to do a quick Q&A with Brian Harris, the manager and all-around awesome pro when it comes to finding each individual the right shoe.

Hope you enjoyed the interview...here is a quick recap of the most important pointers when choosing a shoe:

1. Make the time to go to a store that is qualified to do a proper analysis of your feet and your arch, look at your biomechanics, perform a gait analysis, analyze your stride on a treadmill, etc. (a reputable retailer like a Running Company store) - there are several locations nationwide and they will take a lot of the guesswork out of choosing the right shoe.

2. Realize that your athletic shoe will likely need to be 1/2 to 1 size larger than your dress shoe size.

3. All shoes are not created equal (regardless of brand) and may not be suited for you. (Just because your girlfriend really likes a pair, doesn't mean that it is the best shoe for your body type and activity).

4. Change your shoes every 3-5 months (as an estimate) but more importantly listen to your body...if your ankles, knees, back, hips, etc. start aching it may be time to turn in your old pair for a new pair. Most people buy a pair of shoes and use them several times a week and keep them for more than several months, not realizing that there is a specific lifespan of athletic shoes.

5. Make the investment in a good pair of athletic shoes. This will not only be a key factor in injury management and prevention, but can make for even more effective workouts.

6. Be sure to visit Princeton Running Company and tell them you're with Body Project...and get a discount on your purchases!

Some of the gals from Body Project getting some new kicks!

5 Tips to Staying Wedding Season Slim

Wedding season is here, and we all know that the brides aren’t the only ones who fret about their figure for the big day. Whether you’re a guest or a bridesmaid, you definitely want to look and feel amazing. I see a lot of women make the same mistakes when they’re trying to lose weight or diet for a wedding, so I’ve narrowed down my 5 top tips for staying wedding season slim.

Slim Tip #1 – EAT
Your body doesn’t care if you’re going to a wedding or not; you must eat before the wedding!
I’ve heard too many times, “I’m not going to eat anything today because I know I’m going to eat a lot tonight at a wedding and I want to save my calories.” HUGE MISTAKE! Your body frankly doesn’t care if you’re going to a wedding or not…it needs fuel! If you starve your body of the nutrition it needs to keep your metabolism roaring your metabolism comes to a screeching halt. So in cocktail hour when you’re mindlessly picking at those passed hors devours …you’re going to end up making-up for the calories that you didn’t eat earlier in the day…and then some.

Your body doesn’t tell itself, “tonight I’m going to a wedding and I’ll probably be eating and drinking a lot of calories, so I’m going to automatically turn up my metabolism and start burning more.”

Here’s the really bad news. What happens when you don’t eat for several hours is that instead of your body efficiently burning the platter of cheese and pigs-in-a-blankets, your body will hold on to every single calorie you consume because it thinks you’re not going to feed it for the next several hours (since you didn’t feed for the last several hours). It’s your body’s way of going into survival mode. Even if you stick to the crudités section and eat just carrots and celery…your body will still hold on to those “healthy” calories…and you can take a guess how your body stores that. You got it, as FAT.

The key is to eat small meals throughout the day leading up to the big shindig (tip: this is what you should be doing everyday anyway!).

Here’s what the wedding day should look like:
8am Breakfast: jumpstart your metabolism for the day with a solid breakfast with a mix of protein and good carbohydrates like an egg-white omelet with veggies and fruit.
Skipping breakfast = killed metabolism = weight gain

9am - Intense 30-40-minute Total Body Workout (this includes resistance training with short cardio intervals)

10:30am Snack: handful of almonds and a piece of fruit

12:30pm Lunch: salad with protein

Get dolled-up for the wedding

Cocktail hour: Get yourself a small appetizer plate of appetizers (including your passed hors devours). Fill half your plate with veggies and fruit and the other half with those wedding goodies that you don’t get to eat everyday…then eat. After you’ve enjoyed that one plate, stop the grazing and avoid those handsome waiters with their trays of temptation.

Dinner: If it’s a seated dinner, regardless of the entrée you order, you need to primarily be cautious of the portion size. Most of the unwanted calories come from the oils, butters, and sauces. A good rule of thumb is to eat all your veggies, a palm-sized portion of meat/protein, and no more than half of the starch (usually it’s a rice or potato served). And easily nix the bread.

Dessert: You don’t have to insult the bride and not try the cake! Most places don’t serve huge slices of cake, which is helpful. Where it gets dangerous is the dessert buffets. Pick 1 or 2 small bites of those specialties that you know you don’t find all the time. So skip the brownie or the chocolate chip cookie if there is something else you can have a taste of that you can’t get anytime you want.

Slim Tip #2 – TALK
Use your gift of gab to keep away the flab
This is where your mouth might actually keep you out of trouble! Especially during the cocktail hour. I discovered how useful this is at a wedding I was at a few weeks ago. I got my appetizer plate and glass of wine, started chatting with another couple and before I had a chance to be tempted with a second go-round of food, they were shooing us into the ballroom. I realized that by shooting the breeze with some really interesting people, I didn’t end up eating as much as I may have otherwise. Plus, you never know who you’ll connect with, maybe a potential business connection or new friends.

Slim Tip #3 – DRINK
And it’s not what you think
Who’s kidding who…part of what makes weddings extra merry is the drink. But you definitely don’t want to be “that girl” at your next wedding. Aside from the liquid calorie-binges courtesy of alcoholic drinks of any variety and the effects of excess alcohol on your behavior, the long-term effects of binge drinking will wreak havoc on more than just your metabolism.

Drink at least one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage. Get in the habit of ordering water with your drink or if you’re at your table, take a drink of water for every drink of alcohol. This is key to keeping you from drinking (and eating) too much and you’ll feel a lot better the next day.

Slim Tip #4 – DANCE
Trade in your workout shoes for a pair of dancing shoes!
No matter how nutty you might look on the dance floor, you can get a killer total body workout while you’re at it. Not to mention, every minute burning calories on the dance floor keeps you away from the bar and the buffet packing in those added cals.

Slim Tip #5 – REWARD YOURELF
Don’t punish yourself the day after for what you did or didn’t do.
Exercise should never be used as punishment. If you blew it at the wedding and ate or drank more than you planned, don’t jump on the treadmill thinking you’re going to “burn off” all those calories. Exercise should NEVER be used to punish yourself for the choices you make. Likewise, exercise should never be used as an excuse. Just because you workout, doesn’t mean that you get to eat whatever you want all the time. Here’s your new mantra: abs are made in the kitchen…not in the gym.

Special occasions like weddings and birthdays are meant to be enjoyed. These are the times to “let loose” a little, genuinely enjoy yourself, and celebrate with friends and family. Don’t let obsessions with your weight ruin special occasions for you (because you may also end up ruining it for others too) and it will keep you from seeing real, long-term results.

When it comes to losing weight or achieving your fitness goals, the wedding isn’t your biggest enemy …it’s the lifestyle you’re living the other 364 days of the year.

The Truth About "Snack Bars"

We all know that we have to be smart consumers. You don't buy a car without checking its safety record or gas mileage and you don't buy a house without a thorough inspection, right? Why shouldn't you approach what you buy to eat in the same way?

Watch this video and you'll see the marketing magic that these companies have pulled on us.



Why would you trust some huge food manufacturer to tell you what is good for you and your family's health?

Start listening to your body...it knows what it likes :)

Click here to see our top 3 choices for snack bars (and a few *must see* pictures of your Body Project trainers too!)