12 WEEK MELTDOWN CHALLENGE

>Wow, how incredibly impressive. You look fabulous!
>
>Thank you so much for sharing.
>
>Brandi

Thank you for the compliment, Brandi.
 
>One buff mom, You look terrific. You are an inspiration to
>all of us with similar goals. You achieved what I've been
>trying for a while w/o much success. I guess the key is the
>clean eating. I have followed a pretty clean eating plan ( no
>rice, pasta, bread, sugar etc.0 but with a cheat meal or two a
>week and I guess lately it's been a cookie here and there and
>although the rest of my meals are very clean those little
>cheats are sabotaging my clean eating. Coinsidently I have
>followed a similar w/o program with the S&H, the GS and now I
>switched to the Pyramids to see if by doing so I would see
>more results. Although I see a lot more definition in my arms,
>I still am way off in the body fat percentage. I'm not over
>weight just the little bulge on lower ab and some extra fat on
>the upper thights in other words I look very close to what you
>looked before. I'm 5'4 and weight 125-127lbs. I guess I just
>have to try harder on the eating area. I don't want to get
>discouraged and give up ( not that i'll stop exercising. I
>could never do that) but I just don't want to settle for less
>if I can accomplish more. Well soryy this is soo long, But I
>just wanted to let you know that thanks to your post and
>pictures I got another shot of inspiration to hang in there
>and clean up my eating even more.
>
>Thanks again!
>rachel

Hi Rachel ~

I'm 5'4". too. It is another "curse" on women that we carry our extra bodyfat in the lower abs, hips and thighs. Stick with your program and I assure you, those stubborn spots will release the fat they're holding onto right now. I remember reading once in Firm for Life by Anne Benson (she also used to say it in an instructional section of the FIRMS VHS tapes) that with regard to fat, "First hired, last fired." Knowing that the fat I had carried the longest was going to be the last to leave helped me to be consistent and patient with my nutrition and workouts. Switching up your workouts is critical...I'm glad to see you're doing that. Trust that it's going to happen so long as you continue to eat cleanly and train consistently.

I saw a dramatic reduction in BF% when I kicked the treadmill HIIT up to 60 mins 1x or 2x a week and stopped the "just-a-little-bit" type of snacking you mention.

Keep your eyes on the prize...eat right, train hard, get rest...and I think you'll be pleased with the results!

~ Kim
 
Not only does your body look absolutely fabulous, you look so much younger and vibrant compared to your before pictures! I can't get over it.

I just committed to an 8-week rotation and "cleaned" up my eating. I can only hope for a portion of the results you were able to achieve.

Be proud!!!!

Take care and keep up the good work!

Melissa:)
 
Hi, Nightowl - Weeks 1-8, I alternated LoMax and StepBlast on cardio days (cardio 2-3x/week). Weeks 9-12 I ran on the treadmill exclusively because I was doing a split routine, Cardio in the AM and weights in the PM. The treadmill was most efficient.

Hello, Jo and Melissa - Thank you for the compliments. Good luck with your programs.

~ Kim
 
Kim,

I am very impressed with your results and also the fact that you really found the most efficient way to spend you workout time.
It certainly worked for you because your biceps and abs look like you gave them the same attention as everywhere else!!!

Congratulations.
 
Hi Kim,
I'm new to all of this but not new to exercise. I have been off and on for a while and I want to get serious cuz my body is changing as I get older and I don't like the change. You look great and are definatly an inspiration to all. Have you worked out before and what are you doing now to maintain what you have?


JoAnn
 
Hi there- you look great-I want that "cut" look you have but I don't want to take supplements- you did not-right? I have been using muscle endurance and cardio & weights for the last 6 weeks but I havn't seen a difference in muscle size. I know to challenge myself and lift more every couple of weeks and I should clean up my eating totally (I don't cheat much- but it must add up) I rotate the 2 dvds I mentioned 3x week and I jumprope fast for 40 min. 4-6 x week, but should I be checking out any other Cathe videos to "step it up" so I can have the same "look" you and Cathe have? Thanks, deb
 
Your before is my current scene. I have the same body shape it would seem ... so this is very inspirational. I am in no way new to working out but my goodness is it hard to find something good...I think too many workouts these days are easy and catered to people who only want to do a little bit without too much effort (my opinion and also most are boring).

Did you only use the cathe workouts? How did you change your diet?
 
>Your before is my current scene. I have the same body shape
>it would seem ... so this is very inspirational. I am in no
>way new to working out but my goodness is it hard to find
>something good...I think too many workouts these days are easy
>and catered to people who only want to do a little bit without
>too much effort (my opinion and also most are boring).
>
>Did you only use the cathe workouts? How did you change your
>diet?

Here is a snapshot of my routine and nutrition for the 12 Winter Meltdown Challenge. Since our bodies respond differently to exercise and nutrition, I encourage you to start with the proven "standards", moderate weights, cardio and "clean eating". Build on and tweak your routine and nutrition until YOUR BODY responds...when you stop seeing results...change things up again. Seek help and support from those who adhere to the principles of fitness and nutrition...we're all here to help each other!

Copied from a previous post (see my replies in the thread above):

The first 8 weeks of the challenge I used SLOW & HEAVY and the Gym Style series. The last 4 weeks, I used the Gym Style series exclusively. My rotation was a 3 day split: LEGS, Chest & Triceps, Back, Shoulders and Biceps. I trained my abs probably a total of only 8x - the core gets a workout stabilizing...if I had time and the inclination, I did an ab workout. The first 7-8 weeks I alternated cardio and weight-training days and took one day completely OFF. The last 5 or 4 weeks, I did fasted HIIT cardio for 30 mins (60 minutes 1x/week) and weight trained in the afternoon.

The first 4 weeks, I had one "cheat day"/week. Weeks 5-8 I cut that back to one "cheat meal"/week. The last 4 weeks I did my best to have "zero" cheat meals. I eat 5-6 250-350 calorie meals/day with protein and carbs and no added fat or sugars. M1 is a protein shake - chocolate whey protein, 1 small banana, 8 oz. 1% milk, 8 oz H2O, 4-5 ice cubes,1 heaping tablespoon instant coffee. (This has been my M1 for years whether training or not). M2 is 5 hard-boiled egg whites and 1 cup cooked oatmeal. Lunch(M3) and dinner(M5) are fish or chicken and vegetables. In the beginning, I had brown rice, too. (I will incorporate more grains now that I'm not cutting). M4 (between lunch and dinner) is usually 1/2 cup low fat salt-free cottage cheese with stevia and chopped fruit mixed in. I did not drink diet soda or juice the entire 12 weeks. I do not consume foods made from white flour and try very, very hard to avoid sugar. I drink loads of water...1 gallon +/- and I enjoy green tea (no sweetner)at the office.

and again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for your kind words! YOU CAN DO IT!
 
I'm posting for 2 reasons:

1. to say thanks to Kim for all her patience in answering our questions.

2. I was afraid this thread would be dropped off the boards so I wanted to bump it up.

Kim, you've inspired a TON of us and we've started our own little 12 week challenge (as I'm sure you KNOW)!

You ROCK!

Gayle
 
>I'm posting for 2 reasons:
>
>1. to say thanks to Kim for all her patience in answering our
>questions.
>
>2. I was afraid this thread would be dropped off the boards so
>I wanted to bump it up.
>
>Kim, you've inspired a TON of us and we've started our own
>little 12 week challenge (as I'm sure you KNOW)!
>
>You ROCK!
>
>Gayle

Hi Gayle! Thanks for your gratitude and the "bump"! I am thrilled to see a 12 Week Challenge on this forum! Your enthusiasm and commitment will push you toward your goals. Feel free to drop me a line any time if you have any questions. I'll be here cheering you all on! Whatever your goals are: Go For It!! YOU CAN DO IT!
 
Hello ONE BUFF MOM!!

I want to say thanks for the inspirational pictures and words!! You look wonderful. you have already answered one of my questions..
1. can you get buff just using home workouts..obviously the answer is YES!!
2. did you use any supplements at all? protein powder? creatine? etc?
i too am participating in our meltdown challenge and hope to have the wonderful results you have show can be acheived:)
 
Hi Sunnydelite!

My first meal everyday for years has been a whey protein shake. I also take daily: multi vitamin, omega-3 fish body oils, CLA, & ZMA. My next goal is to increase my lean body mass so I am working on new meal and supplement plans. I also purchased new weight training equipment so I can continue my home workouts.

Good luck with the challenge. Consistent workouts coupled with clean eating will produce the results you desire. Be sure to get adequate rest and treat yourself to an occasional "baddie" (I don't like to call 'em "goodies" because the only "good" eats are those that serve our fitness goals).
 
You look amazing! Congrratulations on your success.
Since I had my son July 2004, I have lost 50 pounds (bedrest, gained alot of weight). I am now smaller then pre-preg, and in MUCH better shape. I am really proud of my accomplishments, but some days I do get a little discouraged. I felt "fat" yesterday, by the way I am 5'7" and weigh 163. I have developed great muscle in my thighs, but I want to make them look leaner. My upper body is another story. I have the muscle, but I am not cut. You can't see the definition unless I flex, my arms seem to big. Any suggestions? My abs is where I carry most of the fat. I did have to kids, but that is definatley the place my body will hang on to longest.
What kind of protein shake do you drink? That is new to me, but I would like to try one. What is your average sodium intake? I love Weight watchers meals, but they have alot of sodium. I like your diet plan, seems like something I could do. Just not cottage cheese, can't do that LOL!
Anyway, your story is amazing, inspiring. I does give me more motivation. Patience is the key huh? I would appreciate any advice!
Thanks for sharing.
Maeghan AKA megadoo
 
Could you give us an indication of the amount of weight you are using? Are you sticking to what Cathe lifts in those DVD's, or are you lifting heavier than that?
 
Hi Coni ~

I used the weights Cathe uses and increased them when I could finish the number of reps with ease. If you're interested in seeing my daily workout logs, here's a link to my 12 Week Meltdown Challenge journal. You'll have to scroll thru the pages and I don't identify Cathe's videos by name that they should be recognizable by the bodypart I was training.

http://msfit.musclemag.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=158204#post158204

If your interested in viewing my current program, go to my new journal at this link:

http://msfit.musclemag.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=167532#post167532

Best wishes in achieving your fitness goals!

~ Kim
 

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