Maintaining Your Lean Body

Body Leanness Program

Q.I’m a 40-year-old woman with a teenage son and daughter. My husband and I both want to lose 10 pounds and the children would also like to lose some weight. Can I put the whole family on the program?

A.It would be great if you could, but you cannot. The number of calories per day is the problem. Teenagers require significantly more calories each day than 1500, which is the highest level. Check with a registered dietician (RD) for appropriate recommendations.

Q.What happens after six weeks? How do I continue the program if I need to lose more weight?

A.You should repeat the program for as long as it takes you to reach your goal. There are, however, a few guidelines and modifications to apply.

Repeat the eating plan exactly as before: Men, go back to 1500 calories a day for two weeks. Women, go back to 1200 calories a day for two weeks. Then, descend your calories in the same manner.

Keep your super-hydration schedule at the highest level. In other words, sip 1 5/8 gallons of ice-cold water each day.

Q.I’m pleased that I lost the fat I wanted to lose. What do I do to maintain my new body weight?

A.Once you’ve lost your excessive fat, your next task is to maintain that status. The following section shows the adjustments you need to make to your current practices.

Adhere to a carbohydrate-rich, moderate-calorie eating plan.

Instead of eating from 1000 to 1500 calories a day, you’ll be consuming from 1600 to 2400 calories per day. Maybe you can eat even more after your new body weight has stabilized. Trial-and-error experimentation is a must. Women should start with 1600 calories, and men with 2000 calories per day. Note what happens after a week. If your body weight keeps going down, raise the calories by

100 or 200; depending on how much weight you lost during the last week.

Soon, you should reach a level where your body weight stabilizes. That level is your daily calorie requirement. Naturally, you’ll be able to consume other foods than those listed in the Body Leanness Program eating plan. By then, however, you should know the value of being a smart shopper and a wise eater. Read labels. Compare nutritional information. Be conscious of the ideal 60:20:20 ratio for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Eat smaller meals more frequently.

You’ve been limiting your five meals per day to 300 calories if you’re a woman, or 500 calories if you’re a man. You may now up the calories by

100.What happens if during a single meal you eat more than 400 calories if you’re a woman, or

600calories if you’re a man? Don’t panic. Simply understand that you will sometimes backslide. Learn to anticipate these urges and take corrective action.

Drink at least 1 gallon of cold water each day.

You should realize by now the benefits of consuming plenty of water each day. Make your water bottle a permanent part of your lifestyle.

59	Bowflex® TreadClimber® Owner’s Manual