Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
true inner strength
How She Redefined Beautiful
My name is Diana, and I am a strong, powerful woman with beautiful legs. As a teenager, I remember being quite the tomboy. I loved a pick-up game of basketball, volleyball, or tennis — really anything active. I especially loved soccer, and I started getting that soccer-player-look that is commonly defined by thick, muscular legs.
On most nights after school, I would have a fast-food dinner with my family. Despite being active in sports during my free time, the junk food and the drive-thru meals started to pack on some unwanted pounds. Even though I was on the heavier side of average for a teenager, I always felt that I was a lot bigger than the rest of my friends.
When I was around 16 years old, I started to think that my legs were getting too big. I started to work out at home to my mom's Tony Little tapes in addition to playing soccer and tennis at school. I did whatever I could to help slim my legs down. I started playing any extra sports I could during my free time, even when I was away at church camp in the summers. But no matter what, my thighs kept getting bigger and more cellulite kept appearing. It got so bad that during my senior year in high school, I started to run three miles every day after school. I just kept thinking that it would help me slim down, but no matter what I did, I held at a steady 140 pounds.
I really felt depressed with how my body was turning out. I was frustrated because I thought I was doomed to be pear-shaped with big, jiggly thighs that would clap together when I would run or jog.
In college, my weight kept going up, which felt depressing because I was still working out a lot. I wanted to be healthy, but looking back, I was still eating out for most of my meals or eating pre-made microwavable food when I was in the dorms. I thought that because I was working out, it didn't matter what I'd eat. I felt justified in eating poorly.
College food was surprising delicious, and the best part was that it was served all-you-can-eat-style. I would even finish off every meal (lunch and dinner) at the cafeteria with a cookie. While I thought I was doing okay, it got to the point where my lower body became significantly out of proportion to the rest of my body.
By the end of college, my weight had ballooned out of control. I weighed well over 160 pounds, and I was only 5'2"! I was no longer able to get into my jeans, which were already a size 14.1 was horrified at the idea of wearing shorts because of how disproportioned my legs were to the rest of my body, but what frightened me even more was the idea that I was going to have to start shopping at plus-sized clothing stores.
I knew I had to change my lifestyle. I thought that I was in decent shape since I been consistently exercising and running throughout college, but I joined a local gym to make the change I knew I deserved. I hired a trainer to help me get my weight back on track, and I started working out using programs that were designed for me by the author of this book.
Finally, my body started to change, but it wasn't easy at first. I had to change my way of thinking about food. My trainer gave me some nutrition guidelines to follow and helped me to watch my caloric intake.
My friends and family started noticing that I was losing weight and that I was getting more definition. But I was still frustrated with my legs and butt. I started comparing myself to, well, everybody. I'd look at other girls in front of me at the checkout line, in the magazines that I read, in the movies that I watched, or wherever I saw women that had nicer legs than me, and it made me miserable.
I felt so upset that I was working so hard and that my legs still weren't skinny or smooth like I had wanted them to be. To make it even worse, my family and even my boyfriend started to put me down. They didn't understand why I wanted to change so much. They ate whatever they wanted, and they were not all too concerned with how they looked or about their health, so they couldn't understand why I wanted to be different.
They weren't trying to be mean to me. I really believe that they just wanted me to be happy, but they were always pushing me to blow my diet and eat whatever, and they poked fun at me for monitoring what I ate. It took them a really long time to understand that this wasn't just some phase that I was going through, but it was a change that I needed to make for me, especially as obesity runs in my family.
I had a tough time when I was going through this. I would get down on myself, and I felt alone at times. I really felt like I was the only one I knew in my life who wanted something different. I remember talking to my trainer a lot during this time, and he was always patient with me and reminded me that I was doing the right thing.
He taught me about muscle-to-limb ratio and about different muscle fiber types, and I started to realize that with my petite frame and muscular legs, my legs would probably continue to change and become more sleek and defined. However, it wasn't reasonable for me to expect to look like I had always imagined I would. I had an idealized standard of beauty that I was carrying around with me, and it wasn't reality.
My trainer told me that because my frame was shorter and because I had a shorter limb-to-tendon ratio, I would have bigger-looking legs than someone who was 5'7" (the standard height of most supermodels), but that it wasn't bad. I was who I was.
He also let me in on how these models and actresses look so good. He mentioned that a lot of it had to do with genetics (i.e. the models I was looking at were all taller than me with longer limbs and posed in a way that elongated their bodies, so of course they looked skinny) and that the magazines did touch-up work to remove their bumps and blemishes before the pictures went to print. He told me that their abs and shoulders were also touched up afterward, and most importantly, that they worked extremely hard to maintain the shape they were in.
These models and actresses watched what they ate very closely, and they worked out a lot. My trainer explained that consistency was the key to everything! He told me that he believed in my potential and if I worked hard, I would achieve my goals. I just had to be patient. After all, he said that it took me well over twenty years to get out of shape, and I had to be comfortable with the fact that it would take me longer than a few weeks of being consistent before I would reach my goals. I learned that the comparison game would never make me feel better and that when you compare yourself to others, you will always feel miserable because you are comparing your worst feature to their best … so, of course you're going to lose.
I took his advice and kept working hard. I started to appreciate my legs more and more, and I learned that I had to be patient. After all, it took me a long time to get out of shape, and I had to give things time to change. I learned this from Scott. He mentioned that this was a big reason he had seen clients fail. They expected an overnight change and didn't give themselves a realistic amount of time to see the change they wanted. They set huge, unrealistic goals about what they should expect, like losing 60 pounds in a month, and then, when it didn't happen, they felt defeated and gave up.
It's been five years since I first started using Scott's workouts and about two years since I finally committed to eating right. My baby steps to becoming healthier and being more physically active have now become a permanent part of my lifestyle, and throughout this entire process, I have learned to be happy about who I am and happy about where I am at in life.
I appreciate my uniquely and perfectly designed body, and I continue to work with what I have been given in order to be the best possible me while creating my own perfect body!
I am so thankful and appreciative for my body, the legs that I have, and how my body performs. Now, I find that even when I'm watching other people, I feel confident in who I am. I appreciate the beauty that surrounds me in all its different shapes and sizes.
Food Labels and Time Tables
Understanding Nutrition Labels and the Basics of Food Timing
Food Labels
Nutrition labels are great for helping you to lose weight because they provide you with valuable information, such as serving sizes and calories per serving.
The Break Down
Nutrition labels help you lose weight by breaking down information in the following ways:
• The Recommended Serving Size and the Servings per Container are the first items you will notice at the top of a nutrition label. A recommended serving size might be something like half of a cup. However, actual serving sizes can vary greatly and may include many different types of measurements like grams, ounces and spoons. The top of the nutrition label will also list the total number of serving sizes per container.
• Total Calories per Serving will show you how many calories are in each serving. This is probably the most valuable piece of information listed on a nutrition label. By multiplying the number calories per serving by the total number of serving sizes, it will give you the total number of calories per container. For example: Three half cup servings multiplied by 110 calories per serving would give you 330 total calories for that food item. Always remember that the calories listed are based on one serving, and it is important that you look at the total number of servings per container before you eat the whole food item. Otherwise, you may end up consuming more calories than you need.
• The Daily Percentage Value will tell you how large of a percentage each nutrient is in your total daily allowance, which is almost always based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet. The nutrients that are commonly listed on a nutrition label are fat, carbohydrates, and protein, as well as major vitamins and minerals.
• The Fat column will show you how many total grams of fat you are consuming with each serving. Using this column will help you limit your fat intake throughout the day. As a part of your weekly meal plans, I have limited your fat intake to 25% of your total daily calories. I will be discussing fat more thoroughly in Chapter Four to help you understand my recommendations. (For every gram of fat that you eat, you will consume close to nine calories.)
• Saturated Fats and Trans-Fatty Acids are the next items on the list. For more information about these items, please reference Chapter Four.
• The Cholesterol column will tell you how many milligrams (mg) of cholesterol you are consuming per serving. This information is important if you are trying to lower your cholesterol.
• The Sodium column will tell you how many milligrams of sodium are in each serving. This will be discussed in depth in Chapter Five, but I recommend that you limit your sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day unless you have kidney disease or high blood pressure. In this case, you should limit your intake to 1,500 mg to prevent fluid retention and swelling.
• The Carbohydrate column will tell you how many grams of carbohydrates you are consuming with each serving size. This total is not only made up of how many grams of carbohydrates are in each serving, but also of how many grams of dietary fibers, sugars, and starches are in each serving. In the weekly meal plans that I created for this book, 50% of your total daily calories come from carbohydrates. This will give you the energy you need for your workouts without storing any extra as fat. I will discuss carbohydrates more thoroughly in Chapter Three to help you understand my recommendations. (For every gram of carbohydrate that you eat, you consume roughly four calories.)
• The Dietary fiber column will tell you how much fiber is in each serving. Dietary fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate and it aids in the elimination of waste. I recommend that you consume between 25-30 grams of fiber per day to help your intestines eliminate waste.
• The Protein column will tell you how many grams of protein are in each serving. In your weekly menus, 25% of your total daily calories come from protein. I will be discussing protein and amino acids more thoroughly in the next chapter. (For every gram of protein that you eat, you consume about four calories.)
Nutrition Timing
The timing of your food is an important aspect of your Six-Week Body Challenge, and it is important for maintaining the new muscle tissue that you are developing. However, I don't want you to worry about breaking your meals up into extremely small portions throughout the day to lose weight. I've created menus that are already set up to give you the right amount of meals and snacks during your day to help you lose weight. It's important to make sure that you are consistently eating throughout the day and not starving yourself.
If you go too long without eating, your body will begin breaking down your muscle tissue for energy and this may cause you to feel anxious or have difficulties concentrating. You may also begin to feel dizzy and light-headed, and you may even pass out. By eating consistently throughout the day, you will be able to maintain your muscle tissue, which is positive for many reasons. Aesthetically, your muscles add to your shapely appearance while also increasing your body's metabolism.
Eat a good breakfast
Eating a good breakfast is essential in losing weight. Your first meal of the day should be highly nutritious providing you with quality carbohydrates and proteins. This will help slow the breakdown of your food and provide you with more energy throughout the day. When you get up in the morning, your body is low on carbohydrates and energy from sleeping, and when you skip breakfast, this will only get worse as your body will begin breaking down your muscle tissue to use for energy. Over time, this repeated break down of your muscle tissue will slow down your metabolic rate, making fat loss more difficult in the future.
Also, if you attempt to lose weight by skipping your first meal of the day, you will become fatigued as your brain and body run low on fuel. This is typically why people experience a "crash" around mid-morning. Trying to offset your energy levels using caffeine-based energy products only helps in the short-term. By lunchtime, your blood sugar levels will be extremely low, causing your feel shaky and irritable. It can also cause you to make poor food choices as you try and satiate your hunger. Your body will also have suppressed its ability to feel full, leading you to consume more calories than you need.
Eat a light meal two hours before bed
Before going to sleep, remember that your body will not receive nutrients for around eight hours (ten hours when you add in the extra two hours before bed.) Now is a good time to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to help prevent the breakdown of your muscle tissue. Remember that while your metabolism may slow down a bit when you go to sleep, it does not shut off altogether. Your body still needs to maintain its functions, which require energy. If you are going to bed on an empty stomach, you may have difficulties sleeping.
This is one of the causes the dreaded "midnight munchies" or snacking which is a really bad habit to start. If hunger is keeping you awake at night, the affects to your body are similar to that which occurs when you skip breakfast. Your body's ability to feel full will be suppressed, and you will make poor food choices as you try and satiate your hunger. Having a light meal two hours before bed will prevent the feeling of food sitting in your stomach while you sleep while also keeping you from experiencing hunger during the night.
Eat within a half hour to two hours before working out
To get the most out of your workout, eat a snack or a light meal 30 minutes to two hours before you exercise. This timeframe will give your food time to digest and prevent you from getting an upset stomach during your workout. It will also give you the energy you need to exercise at a more intense pace.
If you don't have a moderate amount of carbohydrates in your system (especially when exercising) your body will hit nervous system fatigue. This makes the communication signals that travel from your nervous system to your body slow down and decline in strength and makes it difficult to finish your exercise routine. This can also increase your chance of injury and may cause you to pass out during or after your workout.
Some foods you can try eating before you go to the gym are fruit, whole grain cereal with reduced-fat milk, half a sandwich, and/or a meal replacement bar. These are good choices for a pre-workout meal because they don't take long to digest, giving you a readily available supply of energy for your workout routine. Stay away from high-fat foods like a hand full of almonds or cashews since they take longer to break down before your workout and won't give you the carbohydrates you need for energy.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Get Skinny!"
by .
Copyright © 2012 Scott Schmaltz.
Excerpted by permission of Morgan James Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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