Instructions for a 6 Week Body Makeover

Setting Your Expectations

Everyone's body is different and keeping this in mind is essential to setting a realistic expectation level for the results of your six-week body makeover. This starts with setting attainable goals, make some short- and long-term goals in order to keep you spirits high and stay motivated throughout the process. You will also need to make a workout and diet schedule for the full six weeks. The more planning you do on the front end of the six-week body makeover, the easier the transition will be into the change. Schedule three full meals and two snacks for each day ensuring to keep your caloric intake at or under 2,000 calories. Your workout schedule should consist of five days of workouts a week and two days off.

Exercise

The only way to change or make over your body in a healthy way in six weeks is to exercise consistently. This will not be easy but it is a necessary part of changing your body. For your workouts you will want to balance exercises that build muscle, which is essential in speeding up the metabolism, and aerobic exercises that burn fat and get the heart pumping. Every exercise day should involve core training, which includes sit-ups, leg-lifts and abdominal work, in each workout. Not counting core training, 50 percent of your workout schedule should go toward the focal points of change on your body. For instance, if you really need work on your arms and thighs then half of your workouts need to involve exercises that specifically target these muscle groups. And 20 percent of your workout schedule needs to be dedicated to full body exercises such as swimming, dead lifts, and clean and jerks while the remaining 30 percent should be dedicated to aerobic exercise. Try to dedicate at least one hour a day (five hours a week) to exercise. Increase the workload each week of the makeover by either increasing weight or increasing the number of repetitions performed on each strength exercise. The first week will generally be to break your body into the routine of exercise and is one of the most critical to beginning to change your body.

Eating

What you eat is also important to help change your body and can give you the critical nutrients necessary to sculpt your body quickly. First of all, you will want to take a daily multivitamin each day during the six weeks. When planning your daily meals and snacks remember that each time you eat healthily is one step closer to a more beautiful you inside and out. Healthy proteins from beans, fish and chicken should be a staple. Snacks should consist of foods like popcorn, nuts, fruit, yogurt, carrots, raisins and celery in order to give you essential vitamins and fiber. Ideally the two days off during your weekly workout schedule will be used to shop for groceries, prepare your meals for the week and rest your body.

Motivation

At the end of each week you will want to track your progress. This serves at least two purposes--to mark your improvement and to keep you motivated. Schedule a weekly weigh-in and measurement on your day off to see how far you have come. Taking pictures of yourself using a digital camera in a bathing suit each week may also be helpful to compare the physical change your body is undergoing. Using a tape measure to see how many inches have been trimmed from areas such as your waist or thighs will also help motivate you. Do not get discouraged if there are gains in some areas because this may just be due to a gain in muscle which is heavier and bulkier than fat. These fluctuations are normal and will regulate themselves as your body makes its full transformation.

Resources

• More info on a 6 week body makeover
• Core exercises
• Tips on a makeover diet