SPN

RESULTS:

I'd advise anybody to take pictures of themselves first at the beginning of the program and then at 2 week intervals. I did so, and every 2 weeks I would compare the pictures from the previous 2 weeks. That helped to keep me motivated throughout the program. There was never a time that I didn't see an improvement, even to this day.

MY WORKOUTS:

On Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays I lift weights. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday I do my ab routine. I either take a day off on Sunday or use it as a make-up day. I don't advise the use of a make-up day except under extreme circumstances. By having a make-up day it gives you the mindset that "hey I can put this workout off today and do it on Sunday" and that could potentially make you lazy. I started out doing the easy ab routines and now i'm at the advanced level and even incorporate weights to make them more difficult. There are over 50 exercises on the website and i love doing most of them. As for cardio, I started out running on a treadmill daily until I learned that it was bad in the fact that it could potentially burn muscle in addition to fat. It is advised to do cardio 3-4 times a week but now I don't do cardio at all because I work at a restaurant and i'm on my feet all day. If I worked an office job or sat at home all day I would probably incorporate some sort of cardio activity.

DIET/NUTRITION:

When I joined the program I was given a personalized diet. It contained a lot of useful information on what you should eat, when, and why. When you go to the grocery store, make an event of it. Oh, and don't go when you're hungry because you may buy something you shouldn't! I usually go late at night to beat the crowds and that way I don't feel as pressured with tons of shoppers around me. It gives me a chance to read the labels. There are a lot of great products out there. My local grocery carries 99% lean turkey, 96% lean ground beef, and a selection of whole wheat pastas. You really have to look for these items, sometimes they aren't always there. Stock up when items are on sale because it can get expensive. As you should know by now, eat 5-6 smaller meals a day. This keeps you full the entire day and helps keep your metabolism running on high octane.

CUTTING CORNERS:

I believe a lot of my success with the first 14 weeks of the program has been my extreme dedication to cutting corners. What I mean by this is, reading every label to ensure that I'm getting the least amount of sodium and sugar possible! I found that my house brand of whole wheat bread has almost half the sodium as the brand name labels. Don't waste your time with lunch meat, and if you don't believe me, read the label! Instead of buying sliced roast beef from the deli I buy a roast and cook it in the oven and slice it myself. It costs the same, if not less, and doesn't have all the sodium. I drink my coffee black. I don't even use artificial sweeteners.

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