Intro to a CHALLENGE

If you want staggering, long-term results, you MUST commit to a LIFESTYLE change. This challenge sets you up for success by showing you how to build a healthy lifestyle you can commit to.

It will show you that healthy food can make you feel amazing and taste delicious. It will show you that exercise can boost your mood, energy and self-confidence. On top of that, this challenge will teach you that a positive mindset and an optimistic attitude can make all the difference in the world when it comes to the quality of your life.

Drop the “diet” mentality. Kick negative thoughts to the curb. You CAN do this. You have to believe in yourself. “Whether you can or you can’t, you’re right”. Repeat after me… “I absolutely can do this. This is my body and my life. I will mold it into something I am proud of.” The second you feel self-doubt creeping up, repeat that to yourself!
Keep in mind that transforming your life and shaping your body takes hard work, patience, dedication, determination and discipline. There is no magical pill, potion or gadget that will strip away body fat without breaking a sweat! If it were easy, everyone would be in fantastic shape. But if you commit for the long term and stay consistent with your healthy eating and exercise, you WILL reach your goals!
Keep in mind that there is no “perfect diet’ or “perfect exercise”. Everyone is different. Find something you LOVE and can stick to and DO IT.
Familiarize yourself with my website if you haven’t already! I have recipes, workouts, tips, and informational articles spread all over. Educating yourself is HUGE! Don’t be afraid to google things you don’t understand or ask people questions. Keep in mind, not all information on the web is credible, but at least you can get a feel for the varying opinions on fitness and nutrition out there.

Here are 10 Tips for getting started on the Muffin Topless Summer Challenge!

1. Set realistic goals… both small (ie. drink a gallon of water everyday), medium (ie. lose a pound a week) and major ones (compete in a bikini competition).
2. Track your progress! Keep a journal log of your workouts, your food intake and your stats each week so you can track your progress easily! 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week is a reasonable and healthy goal (depending on your current weight). The scale is not always a good indication of your progress though! Numerous factors can affect the number that are unrelated to fat gain/loss. The way you feel, pictures, the way your clothes fit and your measurements are better ways of tracking progress!
3. Get rid of the junk food! Make your own meals from wholesome lean proteins, veggies, fruits and healthy fats. Toss out the soda, cookies, chips, crackers, candy, white breads and pastas, fruit juice, sugary cereal, fast food or packaged, processed crap. A once a week cheat meal is fine though! This can be a reasonable portion of whatever you want!
4. Cut out the alcohol. It significantly slows down your metabolism, promotes fat storage and breaks down muscle tissue. (lovely eh?)
5. Plan ahead… prepare your meals, snacks and workouts in advance, always keep workout clothes, a water bottle and protein powder with a shaker cup in your car so you never have an excuse not to hit the gym. “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail”.
6. Stay positive and be patient… You WILL have set-backs and losing weight/getting fit WILL take time. This is a marathon, not a sprint! You will occasionally cheat on your diet, you will miss a workout, you will stumble, you will make mistakes… you’re human! Nothing worth having ever comes easily… if it WERE that easy, everyone would be in shape! Know that you are only a failure if you QUIT. So don’t quit! You will regret it in the long run!
7. Rid yourself of negativity. Surround yourself with people who support you. There is nothing worse than having negative and/or jealous people around when you are trying to make a healthy, positive change to your life. There WILL be people you THOUGHT were your friends try to drag you back to your old, unhealthy ways. They might tease, taunt or grill you for your new habits. Some people can’t handle change. If you find that your healthy habits are being mocked or demeaned by those around you … ask yourself why your ‘friends’ would want you to go back to being unhealthy. Do they not understand the sudden change? If so, explain to them why you’re doing it… Or, are those friends just jealous? If so, maybe they aren’t worthy of being in your life.
8. Make a motivational posterboard of quotes, pictures, anything that will remind you of your goals and keep it where you can see it! Motivation is a very personal thing. Just because something motivates me, doesn’t mean it will necessarily motivate YOU. So find what it is that lights a fire within you and keep it within sight or in mind all the time!
9. Ask questions.. don’t be afraid of looking dumb! I asked millions of them when I first started (and still do sometimes!) In fact, the first person I ever asked was an NPC Fitness Competitor!!! And guess what? She answered every single one of my questions, and we have continued to stay in touch!
10. Believe in yourself, believe you can do it. “The best way to predict your future, is to create it”.