Congratulations on making it to the end of your seventh week on my 8-Week Fat-loss Figure Trainer. That’s a huge achievement! You’ve now reached the point where you’ll perform one more week as you prep for a competition or photos. You should already be very pleased with the results you’re seeing, and this final week should be all about fine-tuning.
With that said, here is the list of things you should do today:
YOUR DAY 49 TO-DO LIST:
WEIGH YOURSELF: Don’t forget to weigh yourself right after you wake up—before you take in any fluids, protein, or food. The key is to see how much your weight has shifted since your weigh-in last week—again you don’t want to be dropping so much weight that you’re reducing muscle mass rather than body fat.
Here are some quick bullets for Day 49, as you head into your last week:
* Don’t panic. The last thing you want to do is begin to make radical changes over the course of the last week. Continue to check in with your journal and see what’s working and what’s not. Emphasize the foods that are really supporting fat loss while helping you maintain muscle mass.
* Consider your calories. Do you need to reduce calories just a bit, or are you fine where you are for the last week on my 8-Week Fat-loss Figure Trainer? As I get to this point in my program I sometimes increase the amount of steady-state cardio I perform. That’s another way to control your calories rather than by making adjustments in your diet. At this point, you can take your cardio up to 30 minutes a day if you think that will help.
* Keep your sodium intake the same for the next 3 or so days. We’re going to begin to cut sodium over the last few days of the program. It’s important that you understand that cutting sodium will cause you to drop water, and when you integrate sodium back into your diet it will cause you to retain fluid. For that reason DO NOT cut sodium until just a few days before your contest or photos. I’ll remind you about that in the coming days.
* Remember that you can still consume raw vegetables and protein products such as Kasein and Micropure Whey Protein Isolate to help fill the hunger gaps. Fiber supplements also prevent hunger by slowing digestion to help you feel full for longer.
TAKE PHOTOS: Take your photos today to keep up the record of your progress. You should take these photos the same way you did during your prep on each of the other Rest and Reevaluate Days. That means wearing the same clothes, using the same photographer (even if that’s you). Shoot yourself from the same angles in the same place with the same lighting. And position your body as you did for your previous photos. And, of course, take these photos at the same time of day.
UPDATE YOUR JOURNAL: Make sure that you’ve recorded all of your workouts throughout the week. Also make certain that you’ve included all of the foods and supplements you’ve taken during the week. This record is a huge benefit in helping you fine-tune your program as you head into the last week of my 8-Week Fat-loss Figure Trainer.
CHEAT MEAL
Even though you’re only a week out from your photo shoot or contest, I still want you to get in your cheat meal today. It doesn’t matter what time of day you take in this meal. No matter when you consume it, you’ll find that it will fuel you for the workouts at the beginning of this upcoming week. That’s because a cheat meal helps rev your metabolism and restock muscle glycogen for the intense training you’ll perform.
You can take in the standard 5 calories per pound of your target weight for this meal. However, if you feel that you should be cutting calories a bit more than you have, then go with 4 calories per pound. That means if your target weight is 140, you should keep this meal to about 560 calories. Make the choice that’s right for you at this stage.
Remember to stay away from sugar, and emphasize foods that contain some starchy carbs such as pasta, bread or even pizza. Getting in a balance of carbs, protein and dietary fats during this meal will help fuel you into the coming week.
REST ACTIVITY
Even though we’re approaching the end of this Trainer, you can still perform some activity today. Just because it’s a rest day, that doesn’t mean you need to sit at home on the couch. Take your kids or dog for a hike; enjoy the day or the evening with your significant other. The key is to give your body a break from your typical weight-training and cardio routines. You’ll be back in the gym tomorrow.
