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december challenge

December Challenge – 21 Days of HIIT

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21 days of HIIT challenge

Happy Holidays! We know that this time of the year can be very busy and you may have a lot on your plate to deal with. Our 21 Days of HIIT Challenge will help you stay on track with getting in some regular exercise this month. These workouts can be done at home or in the gym, and they pack a powerful cardio punch.

Check-in Daily on our Facebook page, Instagram or Facebook group and let us know how you are doing. Connect with other BWLW Sistas! Use the hashtag: #BWLWDec

What is HIIT? If you aren’t familiar with High Intensity Interval Training, check out this article before you get started.

Join Us Today!  Download the Workout Calendar Today!

All you need is a jump rope and room to move. You’ll find videos of all of the moves below. If you are on our mailing list, on Monday, Nov 28th you will receive the calendar via email, so check your inbox.

  • Work along with the calendar or make your own schedule and move the days around.
  • Work at your own pace. If you need more rest, take it. If you need to modify an exercise or use a lower impact move, that’s fine.

Download the Workout Calendar Today!

You’ll do 2 -3 rounds a day of each combination of moves. Rest for 30 seconds to 90 seconds between rounds.

  • Beginner rounds – 20 seconds of work per exercise, 30 seconds rest between exercises.
  • Intermediate rounds – 30 seconds of work per exercise, 30 seconds rest between exercises.
  • Advanced rounds – 40 – 60 seconds of work per exercise, 20 seconds rest between exercises.

Jump Ropes

Exercise Videos

High Knees

Mountain Climbers

Jumping Jacks

Squats

Lunges

Side Lunges

Sumo Squats

Wall Sit

Bicycle Crunches

Plank

V-Ups

Donkey Kicks

Butt Kicks

Push Ups

Resources: Decide on an Eating Plan

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What is your current eating plan? How does it fit with your weight loss and fitness goals? Will you go raw vegan, low carb, paleo, keto, vegetarian, or eat clean? Will you be following a specific book or plan? It can be very confusing and that is why research is important. If you haven’t done your research and embraced an eating plan, it’s time to do that.

decide on an eating plan

My #1 tip for meal planning: Don’t just decide on a daily calorie goal or way of eating (paleo, low carb, etc.)  Set daily goals for carbs, sugar, fat and protein intake as well. Having a goal for calories and nutrients is a more effective way to plan out your meals.

  • Use an online weight loss calculator to help you decide on the numbers that work for you. Here are some helpful calculators: www.webmd.com, www.myfitnesspal.com or www.freedieting.com. I’ve also included some general guidelines below that you can use as a starting point.
  • Please keep in mind that you have to do your own research and work to figure out what works for your needs. Someone with blood sugar issues is not going to eat a high carb diet. Someone with pancreas or gallbladder issues can’t just put an eating plan together without considering how much fat they will be eating. There is no “one size fits all” plan. Here is some additional guidance.

– Protein has 4 calories per gram – A good place to start is eating .7 to 1.2 gram per pound of bodyweight depending on you exercise needs and how much weight training you are doing.
– Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram – A good starting point is .5 to .9 gram per pound of bodyweight.
– Fat has 9 calories per gram – Start with .3 to .5 gram per pound of bodyweight.
– Break down your calories by percentage. For example, 30% carbs, 40% protein and 30% fats.
– Going Low Carb – Going low carb can be very helpful of fat loss.  We are talking between 50 to 150 grams of carbs per day depending on your needs.

One of the number one reasons people don’t get results, is because they don’t go into weight loss with a clear plan and clear, reasonable goals in mind. When it comes to eating, it’s very easy to get off track, eat too much or eat too little food.  If you haven’t lost weight in the past year, could it be that you didn’t commit to a balanced eating plan and give it time to work? Could it be because you really couldn’t find a way of eating that worked for you? Let’s change that and stop the endless dieting cycle. There are tons of recipes and meal plans online for free to help you get started.

Tools

Articles

Books

Resources: Don’t Drink Your Calories

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infused water

detox water
Infused Water Example: I add 3 lemons, 12 oz of ginger/lemongrass tea, and 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to 64 oz of distilled water.

It’s time to cut out all soda, diet drinks, store bought, sweetened tea and store bought juice from concentrate. Commit to drinking lots of water! 64oz is a great minimum, but it’s up to you to determine what is right for you body.

Don’t try to drink your water all at once and don’t feel like you have to drink a whole gallon. Space your beverages out over the course of the day. You can also drink freshly brewed tea, freshly made juice and homemade smoothies you make at home.

Tip: Try Infused Water! Add fruit, cucumbers, mint, brewed tea and natural sweeteners (like, stevia, agave, etc) to your water for more flavor. Recipe links below.

Here are some helpful links to help you stay on course this week:

Articles:

Recipes

Tools:

Amazon Affiliate Links

Remember: If you have health issues, (kidney or bladder related-issues especially), too much water could cause a problem. The same with too little water. Dehydration is not good for anyone. If you have known medical issues, follow your doctor’s orders when it comes to drinking water. (More info on drinking too much water.)

Don’t Wait for 2016 December Challenge

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2015 december challenge

Updates: More Resources for Week 1 – Don’t Drink Your Calories
More Resources for Week 2 – Emotional/Stress Eating

Are you ready for 2016? December can be a very very busy month. You may have to deal with lots of demands on your time and on your emotions, but you also have to deal with lots of temptation from holiday parties, social drinking and family meals. With that in mind, I’m going to give you some very straight forward goals to focus on as you get ready for 2016. Below, you’ll see that there is a new goal each week to keep you motivated. It’s time to do the work and do some planning! Grab a notebook and a pen!

Just getting started? This challenge will help you to get started with the basics. Already got a winning plan? It’s time to evaluate what you’ve been doing so far to reach your weight loss goals. Plan out how you will stay on course or take your efforts to the next level. You don’t have to wait until Jan 1 to commit to how you want to shape your fitness and change your weight over the next 3-dietbet12 months. Begin your journey today.

Lose to Win! – We will also continue with our series of DietBets for those who want to commit to losing 4% of their weight and split the pot $!  Our December Dietbet starts on Dec 7th. Bet: $30

How do you join?: Comment below and let us know why you want to commit to weight loss NOW and what challenges you are dealing with in terms of weight loss and wellness. This will help us tailor the information we send out for the rest of the month.

Also, let us know if you already have an eating and exercise plan that is working for you that you plan to use in 2016.

Weekly Goals

Week 1 (Dec 1-5) – Stop drinking your calories.

Week 1, you will commit to drinking water, freshly brewed tea, freshly made juice and homemade smoothies you make at home. Cut out all soda, diet drinks, store bought, sweetened tea and store bought juice from concentrate. How much water should you drink each day? Start with 7-9 glasses of water per day (56-72 oz). Add fruit, tea and natural sweeteners (Stevia, agave, etc) to your water for more flavor. Haven’t been drinking much water? Start by adding a few more glasses a day to your normal routine and work your way up. You don’t have to drink a gallon of water a day to be hydrated. (If you have health issues, (kidney or bladder related-issues especially), follow your doctor’s orders when it comes to drinking water.)

Week 2 (Dec 6-12) Commit to feeding your body, NOT your emotions. If you are dealing with emotional eating, stress eating, overeating or food addiction, get to the REAL root of your issues.

For the second week, I want you to focus identifying the junk food, fast food, sugary foods and highly processed foods that you haven’t been able to let go of. Ask yourself, what are the real reasons that you can’t let go of these foods. Take the time to really think about your connection to food, emotional eating, stress eating, overeating/binging and even food addiction. If you are medicating with food and using it to soothe and comfort yourself, that’s not really a food issue. That’s a lifestyle and mindset issue and you have to approach it as such. If you can’t commit to totally cutting these foods out, keep your indulging to a minimum and use portion control. However, be real and truthful about how much junk you’re really eating and why you are eating it if you want your lifestyle and habits to change.

Week 3 (Dec 13-19) – Decide on a plan for eating and meal planning.

What is your current plan? What is your plan for 2016? Will you go raw vegan, low carb, paleo, keto, vegetarian, or eat clean? Will you be following a specific book or plan? Will you create your own plan for your own needs? If you haven’t done your research and embraced an eating plan, it’s time to do that. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. One of the number one reasons people don’t get results, is because they don’t go into weight loss with a clear plan and clear, reasonable goals in mind. When it comes to eating, it’s very easy to get off track, eat too much or eat too little food.  If you haven’t lost weight in 2015, could it be that you didn’t commit to a balanced eating plan and give it time to work? Could it be because you really couldn’t find a way of eating that worked for you? Let’s change that before you make your New Year’s resolutions. There are tons of recipes and meal plans online for free to help you get started.

Amazon Affiliate

Don’t worry about doing anything new Dec 20-26. Spend time with your family and focus on having fun.

Week 4 (Dec 27-31) – Decide on your exercise plan for the next 60 days. Workout at for at least 30 minutes, 3-4 times a week (minimum).

This week you will decide on your exercise plan for the next 60 days. No one can tell you what exercise routine will work best for you. Just like an eating plan, you have to do your research and figure out what will work for Y-O-U. However, there is no room for excuses. From home workout DVDs, to YouTube videos to fitness magazines, there are tons of workout resources out there at your disposal. Walking, jogging, HIIT, Tabata, cardio, Zumba, weight training, etc. If you’ve been exercising regularly, but haven’t challenged yourself in a few months, it’s time to consider more intensity. Online resources:

Fitness Blender on Youtube XHIT Daily on Youtube
Darebee on Youtube BWLW Workouts and Exercise Tips
Bodybuilding.com Oxygen Magazine
Body Rock on Youtube Tiffany Rothe Workouts on Youtube

Now that you’ve done the work, write down your plan and commit to working hard for the next 60 days (or more)

Tip: Give yourself a gift! December is a great time to buy good book on weight loss and wellness. Don’t just focus on diet books. There are some great fictional titles, devotionals and self-help books on emotional emotional eating and our relationships with food.

December Challenge – Shai is motivated by the Change 3 wristband

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Shai wrote in to let us know that our Change 3= Change Your Life Wristband has been great motivation for her during out December Holiday Slim Down Challenge!  She also sent in a progress photo.

“Good evening. I just wanted to share my progress from the Holiday Slim Down Challenge. I started the second week of November. This challenge is really helping me by educating myself on what I put into my body!!! Oh…The Thought=Action=Habits wristband is a lifesaver. I look at it every time temptation surrounds me.”

I’d love to hear from anyone else with a wristband testimonial.  Leave a comment below or inbox us on Facebook.

Ladies, Get Yours Today!

Shai change wristband

Change 3 = Change Your Life and Don’t Eat That! Wristbands

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All wristbands currently out of stock

Weight Loss Motivation Wristbands – Wear our Change 3 and “Don’t Eat That!” wristbands to help you stay on track and remind you of your goals.

Get the December Challenge Wristband – I’ve created a wristband for this challenge.  Get it for just $3.50 (includes shipping and handling).  The band says, “Thought = Action = Habits    Change 3 = Changed Life”.

wristbandDec13 change3Dec

Don’t Eat That! Wristband – Wear this as a constant reminder to stay on track with your healthy eating goals!  Just $3.50 each (includes shipping and handling).  The band is embossed with the words “Don’t Eat That!”.

don't eat that wrist