Today, I wanted to address a question that I often receive due to my fitness brand, GO6PACK Fitness.

Many of you have reached out and asked me about the timeline for developing six-pack abs. I wanted to take this opportunity to share my answer, which remains consistent and reflects the realistic approach I take in my training programs.

​Now this is a very common question I always get asked. “How much weight have you lost since the start of your fitness journey?!” Uhmmmm. The truth is that I have stayed almost the exact same weight as when I started. As weird as it may sound, my weight has not fluctuated and if anyone were to ask me just how many kg’s I have lost.... the truth is none. 

This is living proof that the number on the scale is not an accurate measure of progress. Although I may have been the same weight in both the pictures, it is pretty clear that I certainly do not look the same. You see, this is why I find the scale to be so problematic. It does not take into account SO many factors, like for example how much of your weight is actually muscle and how much is fat, the time of the day you are weighing yourself, the time of the month, whether or not you have eaten etc. ​

​At the start of my fitness journey, I remember placing so much emphasis on that number on the scale. Losing a few kgs meant the world to me and gaining was a terrible fear.
​
These days my approach could not be more different. I hardly ever weigh myself, and if I do it’s in hope that the scale will actually go up (muscle gains 💪). How do I measure my progress?

​Besides taking progress pictures, my main benchmark is according to how I FEEL. I feel energetic, full of energy and confident- these are my main pointers of progress! So, ladies, don’t let a pesky number on the scale dictate to you yourself worth. It is not accurate and can often.
hinder your progress. ⭐️⭐️

Leanne didn't see any change on the scale when she toned up, showing that weight can't always measure progress.

​*For all the people that don't read the post... YES TWO POUNDS. Body recompositing. Lost fat gained muscle! NEGATIVE COMMENTS ARE DELETED AND BLOCKED*.

​People have been messaging me telling me they've seen this pic all over 😬like on Facebook pages and groups, twitter, other accounts here etc.

I don't mind people sharing it!! But I DID NOT use anyone's products to do this...in fact I didn't even diet to do this 😂 this was all hard work in the gym lifting heavy weights and intermittent fasting. 

​And for anyone just seeing this for the first time YESSS really 2 lbs., the scale doesn't measure fat vs muscle! Keep going girls 🙌🏼💖💜

​This my journey to date. In the first photo I did no little to no exercise and had a terrible diet. I felt crappy - physically and mentally. Currently, I do 5 x weight training sessions per week and follow a flexible dieting approach. I feel strong, healthy and happy 😊

This transformation shows us why the scales aren't a true measure of progress alone. In the time between these photos, I have completely changed my body composition - even though I still weigh exactly the same.

 The reason why I look smaller is that muscle is much denser than fat. What this means is that 1kg of fat takes up a lot more space in the body than 1kg of muscle. 
​
"When you build muscle and lose fat you may not notice much of a change in the scales, but you will notice a big change visually and in your body measurements." 

​So, ladies, don't rely on the scales as your main measure of progress! It's all about how you look and feel, not what you weigh! 💪🏽

Osuna shows the scale can't account for your body composition. As she writes in her caption, she lost fat and gained muscle by hitting the gym, lifting heavy weights, and practicing intermittent fasting.

Let's talk food and calories 👀🙌🏼 I get lots of questions about how much you should eat. It is not easy to answer this question. It depends on a lot of things: your weight, your height, your age, how active you are during the day, how often and how intensive your workouts are and what your goal is. But one is definitely easy to estimate. It's how much you shouldn't eat. You can't starve yourself ‼️ When I see people saying that they eat 800-1200 kcal, this seriously scares me. You won't get any results on a long run with this number of calories. Your body and you need enough fuel to feel good, to take challenges and to achieve goals. Let's start the calculations with RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate), basically the number of calories you burn when at rest (or in different words - you need to stay alive). The more active you are during a day, the more calories you should eat to maintain your weight. It is normal that when you want to lose fat you decrease your calories intake. However, you should be smart doing that. Don't put your body in a high calorie deficit straight from the beginning of the process. 

​You will not have much to cut later on when you hit a plateau and you don't see any progress anymore. I would suggest starting at 10% of your calorie intake caloric decrease per day for a few weeks. If you look at my progress on the pictures, it happened mostly because I changed my eating habits (and started to workout out). In 2015 my eating was a total mess. There were days I forgot about food (too much work and stress) or I could eat the whole box of donuts only for lunch. When I switched to linear calories intake per day my results rushed. And the consistency and regular eating was the key. If you are now at a very low-calorie intake and you don't see progress, try to eat more. It may be a little bit difficult at the beginning, you may gain weight but when your body adjust to it, you will see only benefits 💁🏼♥️🤗 ​

​Although Sphere increased her calorie intake to tone up, she reminds her followers that there's no one correct answer for how many calories you should eat . It depends on your weight, height, age, how active you are, and how often and how intensive your workouts are.

Do you want to know why it’s STILL hard for me to post these? Why after 2.5 years of sharing my personal transformation photos, it STILL demands a deep level of vulnerability?? Look at my face. My body on the left was beautiful!

THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY BODY.

But there was EVERYTHING wrong with the way I viewed it, and how I treated it. 😔 It makes my heart ache to look at that girl on the left and remember how she was feeling and what she was thinking, and it’s not something I’m proud of. 

But guess what else I’ve learned through sharing my journey? THERE IS MAGIC IN VULNERABILITY. There is magic in finding the courage to genuinely share our struggles and strengths and lessons with others, and in doing so we not only liberate ourselves, but we open our hearts to human connection. 

​We can learn from each other, strengthen each other, and THRIVE TOGETHER. Empowered women empower women. But what do you think makes women so powerful in the first place??

Being EMPOWERED doesn’t mean you don’t struggle. It doesn’t mean you’re perfect and it sure as hell doesn’t mean you are without life’s challenges. No, STRUGGLES breed strength. Why am I rambling on about these things on a transformation post??
​
​"There was nothing wrong with my body, but there was everything wrong with the way I viewed it,"​ 

For anyone fretting over “holiday weight” this is your reminder to screw the thing scale!

🖕🏽That number means nothing. 🙅🏼‍♀️What’s important is how you FEEL. If you’re being kind to your body (and mind). If you’re nourishing yourself with proper nutrients and letting your body sweat ❤️ Can you check any of those boxes? GREAT!

The rest will follow. 😁Here’s where I have to plug for specifics on what I’ve done, Scroll back in time or visit my blog when it launches very soon! (Or look at my hashtags 😆) xoxo ❤️ 

"This is your reminder to screw the thing scale! That number means nothing, what's important is how you feel, if you're being kind to your body (and mind), if you're nourishing yourself with proper nutrients, and letting your body sweat."

​​BECAUSE THAT IS MY BIGGEST TRANSFORMATION. These photos, to me, are simply a physical representation of all the ways I’ve changed and grown that matter SO MUCH MORE. In the YEARS between these photos, I truly empowered myself through fitness. Little by little I strengthened my self-love and self-confidence just as I strengthened my muscles. And it all began by simply making the decision to GET HEALTHY. When I started to care for myself and my body, I began to believe I was worth taking care of. If I can make a massive lifestyle change babes, so can you. Time to get on team with your goals and start seeing the power within yourself. 🖤🙏🏼

At the end of the day, you shouldn't rely on your weight to measure your progress toward your fitness goals. Your weight doesn't really matter. What does matter is that you feel happy and healthy.

Can I just take a second to say SCREW THE SCALE?! Numbers lie ALL THE TIME. What you see on that scale is NOT a true indicator of your health!!! Ok?? See these two pictures? I weigh the same in both yet, I have more muscle tone in the right and I’m fluffier on the left.. yet.. the numbers are the same. I stopped weighing myself a few months ago and only do so when my doctor makes me at the office. But I no longer obsess over this stupid number! Take measurements instead because that will give you a truer representation of how you’re doing in your fitness journey.

​Cooper takes measurements to measure her health because, as she writes, they "will give you a truer representation of how you're doing in your fitness journey."

​When trying to burn fat and lose weight, many people decide to wear a sweat suit when exercising, or at other times, to try to increase their fat-burning.

​While many people feel like wearing a sweat suit is helping them burn fat faster, it may not actually help at all.

Sweat suits, sometimes called sauna suits, are usually made from rubber or plastic and are designed to keep in heat.

When wearing one your body temperature increases, which causes you to sweat and, theoretically, lose more weight.

​As sweat suits can be quite expensive,  many people opt to make their own by using garbage bags, which can create the same effect.

Sweat suits are synonymous with athletes who have to drop a significant amount of weight in a short span of time.

It is common for boxers, martial artists and weightlifters to wear sweat suits right before a weigh in or even during pre-contest training to lose a few extra pounds.

Companies use this trend as a way to promote their suits as fat-burning aids.

When wearing a sweat suit, you may well lose a lot of weight in a very short space of time, but this weight loss is simply water weight lost through sweat. This is not fat loss.

​Any weight loss results from wearing a sweat suit are temporary, and the weight will return once you are rehydrated.

The only way to shed pounds permanently is to eat a sensible calorie-restricted diet and partake in an intensive exercise regimen.

Fat loss can take time and should be seen as a long-term goal, not as a task that is suited for quick fixes.

​Aim to lose 1 to 2 lbs. per week from dieting and exercising.

While sweat suits may have some benefit for dropping weight before a sporting contest, there are many risks involved.

Sweating profusely and losing water will cause your body to become dehydrated and overheated and will lead to a mineral and electrolyte imbalance within the blood.

In the past, sportsmen have even died from excessive dehydration before competitions.

​If you must use a sweat suit, only wear it for as long as you have to and be sure to rehydrate at the earliest opportunity.

Summer is not too far away. It is almost time for shorts, tank tops, and bathing suits. Time to prepare the body for not only looking good in such few clothes but preparing the body for the effects of the heat and sun. Three important steps to this preparation include exercise, eating foods high in antioxidants, and drinking plenty of water. 

The National Weight Control Registry and a Consumer's Report survey of 32,000 people both show that people who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off have all followed some consistent guidelines, which has included regular exercise, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, following a low-fat diet, and eating primarily healthy fats.

​The advantage of regular exercise not only includes weight loss, but more important is that consistent exercise results in body fat loss and development of muscle tone, which shows most when clothes are skimpier. This improvement can be felt quickly, as the muscles are worked and get used to the demands made of them. When you feel more fit, you start to hold yourself up, stronger and prouder. Posture improves and you just look better, overall. 

For someone who has not been exercising regularly, after a quick checkup by your doctor, simple walking can be a great way to get started! But, in order for it to be effective, you have to do it on a regular basis; at least 3-5 days a week. When just starting out, 3 days a week of 20 minutes per walk may be plenty. It may even be a challenge at first! If you keep it up, though, shortly it will get easier. As it gets easier, progression to 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week will be more effective. If someone started walking 4 miles per hour (15 minutes per mile) for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, they will start burning roughly an extra 1500 calories a week. Although this will only result the loss of a few pounds in 10 weeks, the increase in your resting metabolic rate will also increase with regular exercise. Your resting metabolic rate is how many calories you burn at rest. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn when just sitting! So, without even changing the way you eat, you're already working towards some weight loss.

​This brings us to the second step for preparing the body for summer, which is making some changes to the diet by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. There are three advantages to a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
1. these foods are rich in antioxidants, which help protect the skin from the harmful, oxidizing effects of the sun and toxic chemicals from the hot air,
2. they also have been shown to help fight against heart disease, cancer and obesity, 
3. finally, they will fill you up on fewer total calories because they are high in fiber and bulk. If a person were to eat 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, which is the recommendation of many health organizations, today, they would feel fuller on fewer net calories by the end of the day. ​

Theoretically, they could end up eating 200-500 fewer calories per day, which further helps with weight loss. Plus, you would feel better, your hair, skin and nails would look better, and you would become more regular.
​​
The final important step to preparing for summer is to increase your intake of water. Sixty percent of our body is water. Studies have shown that a diet adequate in water helps with weight loss, helps moisten skin, decreases dryness, can help prevent the development of wrinkles, keeps the hands and lips moist, can help fight heat exhaustion, and even has shown to decrease bladder cancer in men. Although there is a lot of debate over just how much water each of us needs, a good individual rule of thumb is to drink enough water so that your urine is clear by the afternoon. Worry about staying up all night going to the bathroom? Then drink most of your water in the first half of the day. Don't like water? Then experiment with various temperatures of plain water, or add a slice of lemon or orange to your water. Perhaps you can find a flavored (not sweetened) water. Even eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables and getting plenty of other fluids can be adequate for some, because these foods and other fluids also provide free water for the body's needs. 

Now is the time to start getting ready for summer! It is not too late. If you start on these steps now, you will be well on your way to feeling great, looking great, and be prepared for a new you this summer, strutting your stuff in those brand new shorts that are sitting in your closet​​

Your program should consist of a combination of resistance exercise (weight training) and cardiovascular exercise (aerobic).

​One or the other won't usually be enough for long term fat loss.  

As stated above, the body likes to burn muscle before it burns fat. 

Weight training forces your body to conserve and build muscle, thus preserving it. 

​ If you weight train, your body wills not burn muscle tissue for energy! 

Now your body just has 2 things to burn:  glycogen and fat. 

How do we get the body to burn the fat?
Aerobic exercise!  This consists of any low to moderate intensity, long duration activity. ​

Cycling, jogging, rowing, dancing, stepping (stair climbing) are all aerobic activities. These primarily burn fat, after the glycogen is used up.

How do we use the glycogen up?
​This is where the weight training comes in.

​The trick is to do your weight (anaerobic) workout first, which burns most or all of your glycogen and then do your aerobic exercise!

​The body then has nothing left to burn but fat (remember, it won't burn the muscles because it needs them for the weight training). 

You can still burn fat from cardio without weight training first, but it takes the first 15-20 minutes to burn off the glycogen before it even starts to burn fat. 

This glycogen is put to better use to power a weight session and cuts the duration of your cardio by 20 minutes. 

​Since you are weight training anyway it makes sense to add just 15-20 minutes of aerobic exercise after your workout.

​To put it simply: Do an intense weight workout for about 45 minutes and proceed immediately to your aerobic activity (cycling, Stairmaster etc.) for at least 20 minutes. 

This will supercharge your body and keep it in the "fat burning mode" for several hours after (your body can't easily store fat while it's burning fat). 

You can sip a carbohydrate drink as you do the aerobics and have a high protein meal or shake within one hour of completion. 

​Be sure to drink lots of water throughout. I suggest workout 3 times per week for fast benefits.

1. You are not doing a real exercise program.
Doing a couple of exercises without a plan or schedule won’t produce good results. For the best results, you should design a detailed workout plan.

2. You are on a diet without exercising.
You must combine a good diet with exercise. A diet alone may help you lose weight, but eventually you could gain it back. Exercise helps tone your muscles and raises your metabolism rate. By raising your metabolism, you can increase your weight loss. Exercising along with a diet plan is the best way to achieve and maintain a healthy body.

3. You are exercising without a balanced diet.
You must eat a balanced diet to achieve and maintain the results you desire. Working out without dieting properly will only lead to frustration, mainly because of lack of results. Dieting combined with exercise is a must for the full body transformation process.

​4. You are not eating enough calories.
Under-eating is one of the obstacles in the fight to lose weight. Many believe if you decrease your calories you will lose weight. Your body requires a minimum amount of calories to function properly. If you don’t provide your body with that amount you will not see results. 

Even the smallest person should consume at least 1,200-calories a day. Your calorie intake is determined based upon your weight and activity level. To lose weight you have to eat balanced meals with enough calories.

​5. You never change your routine.
You must change your routine often to help you improve. For example: If you are exercising on the elliptical machine everyday at the same speed, eventually you will reach a peak and stop progressing. You must perform a variety of cardiovascular and weightlifting exercises. When the results slow down or stop, switch your routine to give your body another challenge. If your body is not stimulated by change, it will stay the same.

​6. You are a complainer.
Most people suffer from some form of pain and discomfort at times. Try not to use excuses simply to avoid using a machine or doing an exercise. If you minimize the whining, you will see better results.

7. You are arrogant.
Some individuals are too arrogant to improve. If you desire excellent results, you must be able to take constructive criticism and move forward. 

Everyone has something that can be improved about their body. Remember, you are only hurting yourself if you don’t diet and exercise, not the professional trying to assist you. IT’S YOUR BODY!

​8. Making excuses about time and money.
The top two excuses for slacking on health and fitness are “not enough time” and “not enough money.” And they are exactly that: Excuses. Women spend crazy amounts of money on hair, make-up, nails and clothes, none of which will produce a lifelong change or improvement in your health. It’s time to toss the excuses, ladies. You can always find the time and the money for the things that we really want. If you arrange your schedule correctly you can find one hour to workout. Or you could adjust your budget to spend your hard earned money on something very important- Your Health! Can you put a price tag on your health? It is easier to make an excuse than it is to just workout, or to spend your money on junk, instead of health foods.

If you are serious about improving your body, analyze this list and make attitude adjustments if needed. Losing weight and toning muscles it’s not easy, but the results could change your life. You must use effort to get results.

This seems to be the question on everyone's mind, and for good reason, fat is so easy to acquire and so hard to get rid of. Most bodies love to store fat; it's good security for when you run out of food. This is unlikely, but your body doesn't know that. Unfortunately, the body loves storing fat so much that it will burn anything else available (muscle tissue, stored carbohydrate, etc.) before digging into the fat reserves, unless you trick it.

The first thing your body will burn is stored carbohydrates in the form of glycogen. The next is muscle tissue, only then does it grudgingly dip into the fat stores. This is why most diets don't work, especially "starvation" diets. When you suddenly cut off the food supply, a survival mechanism kicks in causing the body to store every little bit of fat that it can!  This results in weight loss, but not much fat loss, and as soon as you DO eat something, it immediately gets stored as fat to replace any that was used. This is NOT what you want, so you have to fool the body into thinking it doesn't need fat. Here is a list of effective ways to do this, and you won't even have to starve yourself! It's never easy though.

Change your eating habits. Don't diet! Make a permanent change in how you eat

1) Limit, but don't cut out high fat foods: Dietary fat can be stored if taken in excess; however, some fat intake must be maintained to prevent the body from storing every bit of fat it does get. (See #6 below).

2) Limit high sugar and high glycemic index foods (including fruit): Simple sugars (and many "complex” carbohydrates) get easily converted into fat, and can also be the cause of high cholesterol. Glucose, fructose, and sucrose are all simple sugars and malt dextrin (common in many "weight gainer supplements) has a very high glycemic index putting it in the same category as simple sugars.  I'm not saying not to eat fruit, as they contain many beneficial vitamins, just don't overdo it. Keep it to 2 or 3 pieces a day.

 2)  Limit high sugar and high glycemic index foods (including fruit): Simple sugars (and many "complex” carbohydrates) get easily converted into fat and can also be the cause of high cholesterol. Glucose, fructose, and sucrose are all simple sugars and malt dextrin (common in many "weight gainer supplements) has a very high glycemic index putting it in the same category as simple sugars.  I'm not saying not to eat fruit, as they contain many beneficial vitamins, just don't overdo it. Keep it to 2 or 3 pieces a day.

3) Eat more frequently: Yes, you read that right!  Eat 5 or 6 smaller meals a day (or 3 main meals and 2 -3 healthy snacks (protein shakes work well). There are several reasons for this, they are:

· With smaller servings, your stomach will shrink, and you will get full faster.

· Digesting burns a surprising number of calories, eat more often and burn more calories! 

· When you eat a large meal, the body takes what it needs, and saves the excess as, guess what? FAT. Smaller meals prevent this even if you eat the same amount overall.

4)   Never eat before bed: Plan your last meal to be at least 2 hours before bed. The body likes to store fat while you sleep if you eat too soon before bed.

5) Eat slowly: It takes your stomach about 20 minutes to signal the brain after it is full. If you eat too fast you will think you are still hungry and eat more. If you're still a bit hungry after eating, do something to take your mind off food for at least 20 minutes and you'll most likely forget about the eating.

6)     Don't totally cut out fat: Keep some fat in your "non diet", as it helps get your body into a "fat burning mode". Keep it "low to moderate fat" not "no fat".  Try to stick to the "good" fats such as those from fish, flax oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, olive oil, peanut oil.

7)     This won't be easy so sometimes give yourself a break. Allow yourself one "treat" per week, or even a day when you can eat whatever you want, and really enjoy it! 

​8) Eat foods that take lots of energy to burn: These include most vegetables (especially the fibrous ones) and protein sources such as meat. Cut the visible fat off red meat and remove the skin from chicken. Water-packed tuna is very good (if you like it). 

9) Take it easy on complex carbohydrates as any excess gets easily converted to fat. This includes rice, pasta, potatoes, and any "starchy foods". Eat these regularly, but not too much at one time. If you want to lose fat faster, cut down on these foods and replace with protein and good fat (for example: olive oil, almonds, etc).

10) The breakdown should be about: 40% protein, 30% complex carbohydrate, and 30% fat. This can be varied but keep the protein high and control your body fat by manipulating the carbohydrate content. Most of the fat in your diet will come from the protein sources.

Remember: BREAKFAST" means break the fast. 

This is your most important meal of the day. You have not eaten anything for more than 6 to 8 hours. As mentioned above if you don’t eat your body will be burning your hard-earned muscle tone until it gets the fuel it needs.