December 24 Day Challenge Winners

The 24 Day Challenge is a jumpstart to healthy eating, working out, and shedding body fat! Our most recent contest was November 29 – December 22.

Highest % of Weight Lost: Jessie Donahue – lost 8.73% – 13.6lbs
“Both my husband and I fit way better into our clothes! We are back on track!”

Highest % of Inches Lost: Jim Donahue – lost 6.4% – 12.625 inches
“I feel better! I got my nutrition and workouts back on track.”

Most Classes Attended: Kristen Koch – 13 classes – lost 4.6lbs & 4.5 inches
“It helped me keep my workouts a priority!”

Most Miles Accrued: Kari Schultz – 79 miles – lost 8.6lbs & 6.25 inches
“I have way more energy and no more fear of the clothes dryer! I don’t have to do the wiggle dance to put my jeans on anymore!”

Gaining Weight the Healthy and Safe Way

How do you gain weight safely & healthy if you have fast metabolism?

Trying to gain weight, just like trying to lose weight, can be very frustrating. There are 3 things you can do to get started.

First, you need to figure out how many calories you are consuming each day. Log down everything you are eating and drinking, then figure out how many calories that totals at the end of the day. The next day add 200-500 calories to that total. Keep logging your food and figuring out calories to be sure you are adding calories each day.

Second, eat more often. Six meals a day is not unheard of for those with a fast metabolism, but you must not skip this step. Adding calories is a must!!

Third, Weight Train!! This will ensure that the extra calories you are consuming are used to build muscle, not stored as fat. Be sure to seek the advice of a professional to be sure you are doing this right. Good luck!

Jumpstart Your Metabolism!

Are there certain foods that will help increase metabolism?

The answer is YES!

The types of foods that boost metabolism are known as negative calorie foods. This means that you burn more calories from digesting the food than the food is actually worth.

For example, if you eat a food containing 100 calories and you find out that the food will burn 120 calories, you have burned a net of 20 calories just by eating that food. AWESOME!

Negative Calorie Foods

Foods that are capable of producing negative calorie results include:

Fruits

  • apples
  • blueberries
  • raspberries
  • strawberries
  • grapefruit
  • lemons
  • mangos
  • pineapple
  • oranges
  • tangerines

Vegetables

  • carrots
  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • lettuce
  • cabbage
  • asparagus
  • beets
  • spinach
  • onions
  • celery
  • zucchini

Warning: Avoid “empty calories” (junk food) or calories from foods with poor vitamin and nutrient content. These types of foods have a reverse effect on our metabolism; they add more to our body fat because they require fewer calories to digest than the amount of calories they contain. End result – slower metabolism.

The best way to jumpstart your Metabolism is Exercise!

Sheila Rolling, Personal Fitness Trainer and Owner of Fit for Life – Fitness Club in Faribault, MN.