Jen
Abeyta
Age:31
Location: Stevenson Ranch, CA
Height: 5’5”
Weight:123
Favorite Body Part: Glutes
How and When Did You Get into Training?
I was never a fan of working out or training. I always had a fast metabolism
and kept my health and fitness up through sports. I began dancing (tap jazz
and ballet) at age 4 which carried me through my youth and into high school.
In addition, I was also involved in gymnastics for many years. As I got
older, my hobbies and interests began to change, and I grew a new love for
snowboarding and dirt bike riding (both are a GREAT workout). Unfortunately,
these sports are kind of seasonal, so I needed to find a filler to help keep
my small physique. This is when I began jogging; nothing too serious, just a
couple light jogs a week.
Eventually, I turned 30, and realized I was beginning to get a little
“thick.” It was nothing serious, just an extra 10-12 pounds that I did not
like having on my body. Throughout my 20’s everybody always told me that my
perfectly petite frame would not last forever, and I never believed them.
The truth is, people’s metabolisms do change with age (and kids), it happens
to everyone and there’s no way around it. I choose to work as hard as I
possibly have to, to look like I haven’t “aged” a day because; age is just a
number that I like to rebel against.
As a rock wife, it is extremely important for me to upkeep my figure and look my best. When April 2011 arrived, and I decided to finally just go for it -- hardcore. I finally kicked my butt into gear (literally) and went for it. My husband went on tour for three weeks, so I took the opportunity to really focus on myself 100% during this time. I was 141 lbs at my highest weight. I lost 19 lbs in four weeks; which brought me down to 122 (that’s 5 pounds a week!). It was hard work, but if I can do it, YOU can too! I learned that once you get skinny, your metabolism works a lot better on it’s own. I now fluctuate between 121 (if I have a photo shoot coming up), and 125 (depending on my lifestyle and eating habits).
After countless hours of researching and reading about different dieting strategies and focusing on my body type, I came up with my own formula and learned some great techniques for dieting and exercise. Everybody’s body is different; some things work well for me but may not work well for others. Below, I will share the tips that I believe will work great for EVERYONE!
1. Fat intake - My doctor once told me that the key to fat loss, is to shock your body. I initiated my diet by dropping my intake of fat grams to 30g per day (or less). I downloaded an iPhone app called ‘Tap and Track,’ where I logged every thing that went in my mouth, down to the last little drop of liquid. I quickly learned that I was normally eating an average of 70g of fat a day (sometimes I had eaten over 100!). Dropping your fat intake from 70g to 30g per day is definitely an immediate shock to the body, and the weight falls off pretty fast regardless of how much exercise you are doing. I believe this trick will work for any body type, and it is a very effective tool for weight loss.
2. Calories - Most diet plans focus on calorie consumption. It’s the basic and most used method of dieting. So, along with lowering my fat intake, I also lowered my daily caloric intake. I programmed my ‘Tap and Track’ app to allow me no more than 1200 calories a day. As I got used to eating less, I started averaging 1000 calories per day, and some days I consume just 800 calories. This evens out to about 4 meals a day at 200-250 calories per meal. Foods that fill me up without costing me a ton of calories include (but aren’t not limited to): grilled chicken and veggies (with no marinade), artichokes (boiled, plain), and scrambled egg whites with veggies and flax toast. I also like to snack throughout the day. My low calorie snack foods include: carrots, strawberries, Quaker 90 calorie granola bars, turkey meat, and boiled egg whites. I only drink diet soda, and of course, tons of water. The daily recommended calorie intake is 2000 calories a day; I believe that by cutting this almost in half is also a form of “shocking your body.” There’s also the ‘3500 calorie rule’ to keep in mind -- Scientists say that 3,500 calories = 1 pound of fat. So, it is also believed that if you eat 3,500 calories less each week, that you will automatically lose 1 pound a week just by simply lowering your caloric intake – without working out. This ‘cutting calories’ method should also work well for any body type
3. Protein – With all the research I have done, I decided to succumb to the fact that protein plays a big part when getting fit. I have never been a fan of protein rich foods. I hate nuts, almonds, and egg whites, and I’m not a big meat lover. However, I decided to stomach the egg whites, up my turkey dosage, and start spooning the peanut butter jar (no pun intended). I am constantly on the look-out for the lowest fat cheese out there …I love cheese, and it’s a great source of protein, you just have to keep your eye on the fat content. I didn’t really know how much protein was too much (or not enough), so I decided to include the Zone Diet guidelines into my mix. My ‘Tap and Track’ app has a ‘caloric ratio chart,’ which is set to mimic the Zone Diet. For those who aren’t familiar with The Zone, it simply follows a formula based on a 40-30-30 ratio. Basically, 40% of your daily calories should be carbs, 30% of your daily calories should be fat, and the remaining 30% are for protein. I had to drastically increase my protein intake to achieve the right amount required for the ratio. This “balanced ratio” diet is known to work fast, without adverse affects (hunger, fatigue). I believe that replacing some of your fat and carbs with protein (following the 40-30-30 guidelines), is a great way to achieve fast and healthy results. I think it is a great diet guideline for all body types.
4. Exercise – In my opinion, the most important thing to remember with exercise is to switch up your work out routine. When I am on a huge diet kick, I workout 2-3 times a day., which consists of 1-2 hours of cardio (treadmill, elliptical, spin class), floor exercises (planks, squats, sit-ups, lunges), and various weight machines (remember: muscle EATS fat). I like to break up my cardio into three sessions throughout the day. I have a treadmill in my garage, which makes it convenient for me. I usually do some cardio after each meal, I feel that this keeps my metabolism going throughout the day. It is typical for me to eat a 200-300 calorie meal, and then get on my treadmill and burn what I ate. It only takes me about 20-25 minutes to burn 300 calories on a treadmill. After lunch, I like to attend a spin class at my local Spectrum Gym, then finish up with a couple weight machines. After I’ve had dinner and put my 4 year old to bed, I usually walk briskly on my treadmill for another 20-30 minutes. On average, I burn about 700 calories total. If I consume 1200 calories and burn 700, then I’ve really only consumed 500 calories for the day. Remember: every 3,500 calories equal 1 Pound of fat …I like to look at it like: “Every 3,500 calories BURNED = 1 pound lighter on the scale.”
In a nutshell, I keep my fat under 30g a day, calories under 1200/day, increased my protein intake, and I do tons of cardio EVERYDAY! It takes a lot of dedication and focus, but once you achieve the results you want, it is worth the hard work. It has become a new way of life for me, so it’s not really that torturous to me anymore. Feeling sexy in my body outweighs the taste of pizza and chocolate …it’s all mind over matter.
Good luck everyone
with the
SixPackNow Program
Jen
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