Hey guys,
Part 2 with Fat Loss Q and A. Remember, feel free to send any questions you want answered to me by email or at the bottom of this post.
And without further adieu, let’s get into it with Part 2.
Q – I’ve hit a plateau, what do I do?
A – The most common cause of weight loss “plateau” is severe caloric restriction over time. Don’t be afraid to eat, just eat the right foods and in the right portions. Use food to burn fat and feed your muscles. Remember you don’t “starve fat” you burn it and to burn you need food.. the right foods that is.
Plateaus happens to everyone during his or her journey. We should all expect setbacks in our life, it is how we move through it which determines our success. Sometimes this plateau is just your body adapting to the new style of eating and living, and things will pick up after a week or two once the body gets adjusted. Other times, the plateau is your body’s way of telling you that you need to make another small adjustment to get it to change.
Then there is what most plateaus really are…
They are the result of a person letting a few little things slip back into their eating habits, workout habits, or life. It serves us best to evaluate, and I mean honestly evaluate, your current habits to see if they are in line with your goals. Because honestly, plateaus are just a cop out excuse for you not bringing it.
In order to rule out a plateau ask yourself these questions:
1) Are you following the nutritional habits 100%?
2) Are you currently getting 8 hours minimum sleep each night?
3) Is that sleep restful?
4) Are you walking throughout your day and taking at least 10000 steps each day?
5) Are you exercising for 5 hours each week?
6) Are you able to take 5-10 minutes each day and relax/meditate/decrease stress?
If you cannot answer yes to all of these questions then you will want to make sure you are doing all of these things before making any further changes.
The order in which you should make changes will be the order that the questions are asked. For instance before you add more workouts you need to make sure you are eating with at least 90% compliance. This means 90% of your diet should be healthy whole foods, and 10% can be whatever you want.
Q – If I squat everyday how long will it take for my booty to grow?
A – If you squat every day you won’t build anything. The key is how intense you hit that muscle group and more importantly your RECOVERY AND NUTRITION. YOU WON’T BUILD ANYTHING IF YOU KEEP BREAKING IT DOWN. The Bootcamp Effect workouts are designed so you can work your butt on Mondays and Thursdays. If you feel like adding in additional glute work, Saturday would be your best day to do this… But then again, maybe we’ll work your glutes with some wall balls on Saturday too 😉
Q – I’m craving peanut butter all the time, what can I substitute and what is it then that my body really needs?
A- If you are craving peanut butter, go ahead and have a little. It’s not the end of the world. Just don’t get carried away and have the whole jar. Eat natural organic peanut butter, as it is a better choice. Remember 90% is good choices. 10% is whatever you want.
Q – Do you believe in ‘cheat days’? Should that really be allowed?
A – I believe in a cheat day only if you have been super strict on the other days. Remember the 90-10 rule. Unfortunately, I hesitate using the word cheat day as this is not a license to binge or go overboard. You should not be having a cheat day if you are not complying 100% with 90% of your nutrition. And if you further break down the 90-10 rule of 90% of your food is great and 10% of your food is whatever you want, that is really only 3 meals each week making up your 10% (based on 4 meals/day x 7 days/week). Just to clarify when I use the word meal I am referring to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Q – What is the best way to lose my gut with out losing any more of my butt?
A – Keep doing squats, lunges, leg lifts and other lower body bootcamp exercises HEAVY! KEEP YOUR DIET CLEAN BUT DO NOT RESTRICT YOUR CALORIES. MAKE SENSE?
Q – Whats a good caloric intake for maintenance (not wanting to lose any more weight).
A – FOR MOST PEOPLE (DEPENDS ON YOUR METABOLISM AND GENETICS) YOU WOULD MULTIPLY WEIGHT X 15 FOR CALORIES. But who really cares about that because counting calories is inaccurate, tedious, and I don’t really know many people that have been super successful doing it.
Q – What should I eat before my workout?
A – The ideal meal should be 90 minutes before your workout with some good complex carbs like brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, and some protein. I would recommend a 2:1 ratio of protein to starch. So 1 palm of protein and half a cup of rice for women or 2 palms of protein and a cup of rice for men.
Q – I’m finding it hard to get here enough to workout. What do I do?
A – You really need to prioritize your health. Mark down in your calendar each week when you are going to get your workouts in. You are always welcome to come in early or stay late if you want to get more exercise in on those days when your schedule is a little less crazy. Remember, I know you are busy. Everyone is busy. But if you really want it. YOU WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN. Results or Excuses. Not both.
Committed to your success,
Josh Saunders, Bsc, CSCS
The Bootcamp Effect
