We’ve had four posts in the Summer Time series and instead of reviewing them for you and dragging this out with a 1200 word post (which by the way I try so hard not to go on that long), I’m going to give you the goods like I promised in bullet form:

Perfection Vs Excellence

Your weight, your shape, your progress and so on are based on a COLLECTION of what you do in the week, NOT on a single workout or cardio session.  If you get into that mindset of thinking you gained or lost weight based on a meal/cheat or cardio session, you will go bonkers trying to lose weight.  You actually lose/gain weight over several days.  It can be over a few days or as much as 8 or 9 days but not over 1 meal or missed cardio session.

SUMMER GUIDELINES

• You can faithfully miss 1 cardio session/week and it will not do a thing to you short term.
• Trust me when I say this, ease up on your schedule.  It will begin to feel like a grind if you give up too many fun things to make sure you make the gym.  Schedule in one fun thing per week.
• If you relax on the workout, make sure that you are not relaxing too much on the food.  It’s either or—not both.  See alcohol for what I mean by this.

Tomfoolery Vs Jackassery

When it comes to alcohol, it is not what you mix it with that is the problem nor is it the kind you choose.  So please do not bother wasting your time getting vodka over gin because of the calories or light beer vs full flavor, etc.  The problem with alcohol IS the alcohol.  Your body cannot process it and it bogs your liver down.  Instead of burning fat, it’s trying to get the toxins out.  That’s wasted time.  I say this all the time, “You do not gain weight drinking alcohol, you just don’t lose.”  If you’re losing a ½ pound to a pound a week—there’s your plateau.

SUMMER GUIDELINES

• I do not recommend you drinking every week.  Choose your battles.  Alongside killing progress, alcohol also kills definition.  So if you have great ab lines right now and you want to drink every week, kiss them good bye.
• Still losing weight = no alcohol
• Still losing weight but patient about it = 1 drink night per month
• Want to maintain = 2 drink nights per month divvied out as 1 night every other week
• Want to gain a few pounds = after about 6-8 weeks of drinking every week, that’ll happen.
• ALCOHOL IS NOT A CHEAT MEAL.  EVER.  EVER EVER.  If you are going to drink, drink.  But don’t try to lighten up the day to do so b/c it doesn’t matter.
• If you go out to eat and want to drink, no starch with the meal, drink AFTER you eat.  You’ll be less likely to order something stupid like fried avocado.

Working Out Vs Burning Out

I wish I could tell you how long I have been doing this and I always hear, “I love to do XYZ.  I will never stop loving it.”  That’s crap.  That goes for food, workouts and all forms of cardio except running (they are a special breed).   All work and no play made Jack a dull boy but it made Jill one crabby chic!  Get out of the gym and do something different.  Unless you live in Arizona where it has been over 107 degrees for like 2 months straight—at that point, just keep keepin’ on.

SUMMER GUIDELINES

• Get in at least 2 lifts in per week.
• Go to full bodies and drop the splits if you know you’ll be missing a lot of days.  You will not mess up your progress!
• Don’t fear change.  You didn’t get that body in one workout, you won’t lose it in one either but with that being said, do not cut your current schedule by more than 50% overall.
• Boot camp is not cardio–it’s more like what I call ‘conditioning’.  Good for maintenance, not always for loss; but more importantly you shouldn’t be doing it 5 days per week.  Limit how many times per week you do plyos or high impact.
• Yoga, pilates and any mind body classes are good for maintenance, but not for progress.  So if you are where you want to be, put them in!  This goes for any other kind of class that may involve outdoors or change of pace.

Perspective Vs Introspective

I love being a woman and I love serving women.  Never a dull work week. Nuff said.

SUMMER GUIDELINES

• Realize that we all have at least one friend that we wish would accidently wake up one day with an extra 15 pounds on her, covered in acne with out of control facial hair.  It never happens, but we can fantasize.
• If someone is bragging hardcore, they are massively insecure.  Give her love instead of dirty looks—something’s up.
• Know you bring something of value to the group.  There is something about you that none of them have and they want it.  It’s the law of womanhood.  Recognize what it is and secretly smile about it.
• YOU CAN CHANGE THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE NIGHT!  If it becomes a catty, nasty night you can change it.  You do not have to chime in and if you are really good, you can make them feel bad for being that way without being all “holier-than-thou” about it.

If I missed something specific you wanted to know, ask me below.  Next series is on outdoor workouts.  Let’s put some legs to these guidelines!  Woop woop!

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