Hi friends!
I hope you’re having an amazing week! Today, I want to share a powerful testimonial with you from BTES Girl Taylor Parnell. Taylor has been on her fitness journey for 13 years now. Since she was 12 years old she was made fun of for her weight & struggled with eating disorders ever since.
Let's hear a little more about her story...
"Let me tell you guys, I was literally at a point of giving up on myself. I was pushing just over 170 lbs. and I felt like I tried everything. Every diet, workout, weight loss pill out there and a lot of bad things I did to my body and nothing seemed to get better and nothing seem to keep it off. I even tried a lot of Tik Tok and YouTube trends and eventually I just lost interest. I wanted more variety and something to stimulate my brain, the music would get repetitive and I would just get bored.
One day I was on YouTube and I found Rebecca Louise. Let’s get this right off the start, her energy, WOW is EVERYTHING. I saw her thigh gap workout video and I was like oh I can do this! Little did I know through the workout video I would be cursing her the entire time.
When I saw her channel it was filled with so many workouts and everything I was looking for. When I tell you guys I have tried everything, I’m telling you I have tried everything! I was addicted, not only did I start to see results, but I became addicted to every workout video. You feel like she's there, cheering you on, improving your mindset.
She recently released an app called BTES that stands for Burn, Tone, Elevate and Strengthen. Its an amazing app. You don’t even have to think about what workout to do! You just copy her and you have your own little account that earns you points. There are daily workouts, as well as a calendar with more options of workouts, recipes, nutrition, mindset. You can even have a shopping list and a journal to track your progress. You earn points as you go and you can spend them in the most darling store with a bunch of little goodies.
Before starting her workouts and program, I was 170 lbs. worked out 7 days a week, tried everything. For 13 years I never saw results or was able to keep it off. Once I started my nutrition plan I lost 40 lbs, gained confidence and I finally feel alive!"
Check out Taylors full vlog down below!
Can you relate to Taylors story at all? Have you tried everything and can't seem to get the results you wanted?! This is exactly why I created the BTES App! To make it easier on you and get you on the fast track to results. What are you waiting for, JOIN NOW!
Starting a fitness plan.. here's what to expect.
We all have to start somewhere: whether you've never committed to regular exercise or have an on-again/off-again relationship with physical activity (or work out all the time but want to try a new routine!), you might notice some things happening with your body right away...even after the first day!
Increased Hunger: You're trying to get in shape, maybe slim down for a special event or better overall health, but all you can think about is your next food fix! Don't stress, it is a totally normal byproduct of breaking a sweat and it's important to not deprive yourself of proper nutrition because you're trying to reach a body goal. You need plenty of protein, good carbs, and beneficial fats to reap the rewards of exercise -it is important to fuel yourself with a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner options as well as three different light snack ideas to remind us to stay fed throughout the day. Your body will regulate the feeling of hunger more when your fitness program is in full swing!
Sore Muscles: When the body is made to work harder than usual or in a different way that it normally operates, resulting microscopic damage to muscle fibers can lead to soreness & stiffness. Don't let the word "damage" fool you - this is the same process which will eventually create muscle tone and definition! The BTES App fitness calendar has full-length workouts every day of the month, and each one includes a warmup and cooldown for this reason. We need to stretch out and target different areas of the body, both before and after an exercise session, in order to prevent injury and promote muscle repair.
Improved Sleep: Get ready for better snoozing! It might feel like this new exercise plan is zapping your energy levels, though it's only because your body isn't used to the physical exertion. Sticking to a fitness routine will help you fall asleep and stay asleep when you rest your head at the end of the day.
Pimple Popups: Sweating more can lead to breakouts, though there are plenty of ways to prevent spots from popping up. Perspiration itself won't cause acne, but these things will:
- Touching your face or body during a workout can spread bacteria from the environment onto your skin.
- Using towels or clothes that aren't fresh out of the laundry can initiate an eruption, and if you have a clean cloth on hand, definitely don't set it on the floor or drape it over dirty gym equipment (and avoid using washing detergents with harsh chemicals)
- Wearing makeup while exercising can clog pores in a big way, so make sure to get your face squeaky clean before the sweating starts (having wipes on hand is so convenient!)
Fire up your fitness ambitions and follow through with a plan. You will feel amazing knowing that you've stayed dedicated to your program!
6 Tips To Getting Results
So you’re trying to lose weight and doing (what you think is) enough to make that happen - changing exercise and nutrition habits. You may have even seen great progress for the first few weeks or months, though the last 5-15 lbs are sticking around. These are my top six tips to think about when you’ve reached a goal plateau!
1. Start a Food Journal
When starting your diet, did you pay close attention to nutrition facts and portion sizes? Sometimes we can get a little too confident about our ability to assess these factors before eating, and it could be that accuracy is missing from the equation. A daily food diary can help you stay accountable and keep your goals on track!
2. Don’t Skip Meals
If you cut back too many calories, the body starts to believe it’s not going to get much food from now on. Our systems are biologically programmed to slow down the calorie-burning process during “starving” times, so it’ll be harder to shed pounds if you’re skipping, or skimping on, meals.
3. Try a Protein Shake
Replace one or two meals a day with a nutrient-dense protein drink! You can definitely take a minute out of your day to mix it up, so you’ll never be able to use an excuse like limited time preventing you from a healthy diet. Also, when you make a shake, you know exactly what goes into it - no hidden ingredients!
4. Avoid Restaurants
You can try to be diligent about what meals you select when dining out, though it’s pretty hard to get a good estimate of how many calories you’re consuming as well as take account of some sneaky unhealthy ingredients - there can be a lot of hidden fat and sugar in standard dishes. Steer clear of restaurants for a few weeks to see how this lifestyle change impacts your results; if you must go, fill up on nutritious foods beforehand and drink a lot of water to curb cravings.
5. Amp Up Your Cardio & Strength Training
Building muscle increases your metabolic rate, so if you’ve been diligent about your exercise for a while, you’re probably in better shape than when you started working towards a set goal! This means it’s probably time to step it up in the fitness department - more intense physical activity will help you target & attack fat at the same rate as when you started, since you might not be burning calories like you used to.
You can join the current monthly challenge right now! It's time to get fit with daily workouts, meal plans, motivation, & more!
6. Check Your Body Composition
You could actually have reached a healthy body weight/size already! Muscle is denser and takes up less space than body fat, so if you’ve been building muscle, your body fat could be within the normal range for your height, age, etc (even if you think you might weigh more than you should). It’s also important to think about how hormones can effect progress - you can consult with a licensed physician about possible imbalances if you think this could be factoring into your fitness plateau!
The ultimate fitness goal for most people is to lose any unwanted fat, gain muscle, and maintain a healthier lifestyle. Also, for most people, that’s easier said than done! Full motivation and dedication is needed to see all of these goals through. You may find yourself getting stuck at that “last” 5-10 pounds you have been struggling to lose.
It doesn’t necessarily matter what your exact goal is, whether you are trying to get in shape for a bodybuilding contest or just wanting to feel comfortable in your own skin, achieving fat loss can be a struggle! I am here to be your biggest cheerleader so you don't give up! The results you want are out there, you just have to keep going. Just like Taylor, find what work for you, and run with it!
Let me know in the comments about your fitness journey and what you do to stay on track!
xoxo Rebecca
Carolyn A Vallerini
November 02, 2021I am 55 and relatively thin. I have an extra 10-12 pounds on me since menopause. My stomach is very very bloated, please help. I need a diet to follow. I get headaches without diet coke.