Holiday Body Blitz (Part 3 - Meal Protocols)

I’ve designed an extremely effective rapid fat loss meal protocols for you to follow. Stick to it religiously excluding the 10% cheats that you plan for yourself. YOU MUST STICK TO YOUR PLAN. ANYTIME YOU CHEAT NEEDS TO BE PLANNED. DO NOT BREAK THE RULES.


Rapid Fat Loss Meal Protocols

• 2 “Regular meals”

- Protein+greenvegetables+oil/fat

• 2 snacks

- Cheese, nuts, small shake, piece of fruit, greek yogurt or cottage cheese

• 1 “workout meal” within 1 hour after workout

- Protein+greenvegetables+starchy carbs

• Hyper hydration

- 16 ounces of water with each snack, 8 ounces with each meal

• Belly blasting boosting supplements every morning such as a B vitamin supplement and a green tea extract

Holiday Body Blitz (Part 1 - Introduction)

Congratulations on taking steps towards a better, healthier, happier life and welcome to the Holiday Body Blitz post. Over the next days this blog is going to serve as your go-to guide to burning fat during the holidays.

You see, the reason why I made this program is because without a doubt, the holiday season between Thanksgiving and right after New Year’s is the hardest time of the year to lose weight. There are a few reasons that contribute to this problem:

- No Game plan: the main problem is as simple as that. Not having any set structure of what your going to eat, when your going to eat and how your going to eat. Just by putting a plan in place you will be 10 times more likely to see results than if you just “winged it”.

- Always on the run: this is also the busiest time of the year for most people what with holiday shopping, kids, work deadlines and let’s not forget all the social gatherings.

- Holiday treats: they…..are….EVERYWHERE! Your boss has them on their desk, your co-workers have them on their desk, YOU have them on your desk or maybe in a dish in your living room or a little treat bag in your cupboard. Treats are constantly in your face for the next 40 days and there is little you can do about it.

- Social Gatherings: Work Parties, Friends Parties, Family Parties YOUR Parties…it’s an endless assault of alcohol and food.

So with these key points in mind I set out to design this plan in order to specifically combat every one of those excuses. I say excuses because let’s face it, once I expose the solutions to all of these problems listed above, 90% of people reading this will still use them as excuses to gain weight but they are really just trying to justify their own self-doubt and laziness.

YOU CAN DO THIS. YOU DESERVE THE RESULTS. STAY TUNE FOR MORE POST TO COME.

Three Signs You Need A Diet Break

One of the biggest mistakes that far too many people are making on their diet program is neglecting to consider a diet break. You’re seeing good success and as such, the last thing that you want to consider is stopping.


Or, perhaps you aren’t seeing success – it’s quite the opposite. Try as you might, that weight is just not coming off. You’re frustrated and wondering if you’ll ever be able to attain that dream body that you were going for.

Whatever the case may be, often the biggest way to resolve any dietary problem is to actually take a break. Constant dieting is going to place stress on the body so whether you’re seeing the effects of it already in the form of a plateau or you’re moving along great but are on the verge of suffering from the plateau, a diet break is a must.

Let’s have a look at three signs that indicate that it’s time you took a diet break so that you know precisely what you should be on the look-out for.

You Have Non-Stop Hunger

The very first sign to watch for that would indicate that you need to be taking a diet break is if you have non-stop hunger. When you’ve been on a reduced calorie diet for far too long, the body is going to start sending out signals that it’s time for you to begin eating more food once again.

This is its way of trying to prevent starvation. Hunger increases dramatically and it’s going to take all the effort in the world on your part not to eat.

When hunger seems almost too much to bare, that’s a good signal that it might just be time to give in and take that diet break.

Your Energy Level Has Plummeted

The second signal that a diet break is in order is if your energy level has hit a turn for the worse. This is another defence mechanism that the body has to prevent starvation from occurring. When you’re in an extremely stressed state due to ongoing dieting attempts, your body will try and make sure you’re as sedentary as possible as it just doesn’t have energy to spare.

By making you want to do nothing other than lie on the couch and relax, it accomplishes its objective nicely. Your daily calorie expenditure goes down and the rate of weight loss will decline.

You Aren’t Losing Weight

Finally, the last signal that it’s time for a diet break is if you aren’t losing weight. If you seem to be doing everything right and you are sure that you’re tracking your calories accurately, this is very likely what’s going on.

Your metabolism has slowed down due to that reduced calorie intake and now you’re burning fewer calories than ever.

With this slowed metabolic rate, fat loss also slows, moving you further away from reaching your goal.

So there you have the main signs that it may just be time to take a break from your diet plan. Periodically raising your calories up again for a week or so can do just the trick to get you back seeing the fat loss you’re after and feeling much better as you go about your diet plan.

Head, Heart and Hands Featured Speaker Ernestine Shepherd was a guest on the Anderson Cooper Live Show this past Tuesday.

It is our pleasure to announce that we have arranged to bring Ernestine, who is a  world class health, fitness and nutrition expert to our Jamestown Bluffs Library Branch, 4153 N. US Highway 67 on Saturday, November 10th at 1:30 PM for a 90-minute presentation.

Be sure to register and grab yourself a spot for this event.   You can log onto www.getfit4christ.org for more info.

In the meantime check out the video below to see who won the push up contest.

Ernestine Shepherd Vs. Anderson Cooper Push Up Contest

5 Ways to Fall Into Fitness

Fall Into Fitness

We all know that January is the time of the year that everyone starts to get in shape. But did you know that the fall season is the next popular time of the year to get fit and lose those unwanted pounds?


“September is second only to January as a time when fitness springs to the top of the to-do list, with gyms and training studios buzzing with activity and motivated new members,” says Rob Williams, a Personal Trainer in Vancouver. “At the same time, family and business commitments seem to increase and the days get shorter and darker.”

Here are my five tips for you to fall into fitness as your already busy schedule cranks up another notch.

1. Don't get caught up in the quick fix - There is no such thing as a quick fix and you're fooling yourself if you think there is. Good things come to those who wait and any health and fitness goals are going to take effort and commitment on your part.

2. Support - When you are trying to get more fit, it is very important to have family and friends supporting you along the way. This means that they need to respect your fitness and health goals and not tempt you into the wrong food choices or try and derail you from your fitness training plan. Remind them how important this is to you and you need their support and encouragement and who knows, they may end of training right along side you.

3. Use variety - The body is very adaptive. Performing the same routine over and over is not only boring, but your body will get used to the routine and quit responding. Change your exercises, the order in which you do them, the number or sets and reps, or change the weights. In one workout you may use weights, another you may use resistance bands, in another, machines. Make every workout different in some way.

4. Record and review - If you don't keep track of your workouts and improvements, how will you know if you're making progress? Whether it's fat loss, building muscle tissue, or just feeling better; keeping a log helps and motivates you to get there. When you see where you were, and where you are, you realize you're making progress!

5. Hire a Personal Trainer - It is proven that having a motivating and positive support system will help you stay with your goals long term. How many times have you started an exercise program and stopped? Remember those New Year's Resolutions? How many have you kept? Was losing weight or eating healthier part of those resolutions that are now on a shelf collecting dust? Do you have multiple pieces of exercise equipment that you bought on an infomercial late at night that you now hang your clothes on collecting dust? Get motivated and use a Personal Trainer to help support you in your life long mission to permanent weight loss and better overall body fitness and health.

Camille Simmons finds two weight loss plans that work

Camille Simmons

For some finding weight loss plans that work is like figuring out the rubic's cube blindfolded.

For Camille Simmons rapid weight loss techniques never work, but at MVP she has found two weight loss programs that work.  Here's your story.

I have two scriptures that I live by to get me through my weight loss journey. The first is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, it says “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” The second is Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I have to first start in the beginning. In 2009 in a quest to have children, I had several blood clots travel to my lungs. Had I laid down that night I may not have lived to see another day. While in the hospital every doctor that came in to see me, told me I should have gastric bypass. In my heart I knew that is not what I needed. I finally went home and was not released to go to work for five months. In that time I became bored and frustrated and that lead to me eating even more. Before I knew it I reached my all time high of 360 pounds. I felt my life was truly out of control and I didn’t quite know how to get out of it. I knew what the Word of God said, but it did not stick. I really couldn’t see it.

I had a very good friend who kept telling me about a boot camp that she found and how much she loved it. She would ask me to go and of course I just had to turn her down. You see I had a really defeated mindset. I could never imagine myself ever trying to do somebody’s exercise class let alone boot camp. Come on I was 360 pounds and oh so out of shape. I didn’t want to get out there and embarrass myself. I looked for every excuse to turn her down.

In late 2010 my friend finally convinced me to go. She said she had already paid and I had no excuse. Needless to say I went… I walked out onto the track that hot August day to meet Lyle Johnson and to begin my journey with MVP fitness. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The first thing he told us to do was to run the track. I was stunned. All I kept thinking was “He has got to be kidding. It’s hot out here and I have not had to run in about 30 years. I’m clumsy and I’m going to fall and embarrass myself. I’m not going to make it. Guess what I didn’t make it. I think I ran about 30 steps and I was ready to turn around and head for my car. I starting walking trying not to cry out of frustration, embarrassment as l looked over and saw that everyone else was finished and I was only half way. About three fourths of the way I was finished, I could go no further. Lyle walked over to me and asked me if I needed him to drag the bench over to me so I could sit down. I did not know what to say. I just knew if I said yes he was going to yell at me and say things that I really didn’t want to hear. He did like he said and went to finish class. There was no yelling or fussing at me. I was relieved. I sat trying to figure out a way to get the energy to get back to the end of the track to get my keys and belongings. I was praying for God to give me a way to pay my friend back so I did not have to endure this. When class was over I wanted to cry so bad but my friend wouldn’t let me. I waited till I got in my car and had a big temper tantrum and cried like a baby.

I had every intention not to go back, I did not care who was mad at me. I wanted no part of boot camp. A few days later Lyle called me to see if I was ok and to encourage me to come back. Dang… how could I say NO now! I came back and by the end of summer I was not running but I was at least able to walk at least one lap around the track. Praise God, I was surely improving.

MVP Fitness has been truly a blessing. Lyle has even given me one on one classes for free to help me reach my goals, just because he cares. When we finally moved indoors Lyle introduced us to Kettlebells. Oh happy days! I fell in love with the class. I truly believe that God gave that vision to Lyle just for me. It has truly changed my mindset about going to boot camp. It has resulted in the biggest transition in my journey. I have something that I want to go to. I hate to miss a class and I get mad when it happens. I have had trials and tribulations along the way, but I will not be stopped. When things get rough I pray and give 100 percent, because that is all that has been asked of me.

Now with prayer,MVP, working at adopting a healthy eating lifestyle and a vision to be fit and healthy I am around 80 pounds down. I have made huge strides in my life because I feel better about myself and have gained more confidence. I was able to wear my wedding ring that I had not been able to wear for years. I applied for and got a new job with better pay and hours. I’m able to talk to people with more confidence. I even added Zumba in after class on Saturdays.

I have received so much encouragement from my husband, my good friend Deena Sneed who gave me the push I needed and to Lyle and his wife Phylliss that words cannot express.

My journey is not over. I have a long way to go, but I know that every day I am just that much closer. My goal is to “Get Fit For Christ” to be a light. Along the way God has given me a vision to be an example to the body of Christ, to live a healthy lifestyle and to show that He will work with you no matter where you are. So my question is what you are waiting for. “With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.” Matt 19: 26. It’s time to take care of the temple of The Holy Spirit!

P.S. I am now running some of the track. I plan on being able to run the whole thing by summer’s end!