Participants for the March Shred!!!

Alright people, we need to finalize the March Shred List so that I can e-mail out the tracking sheet to everyone. Here are the people I have on the list who said they'll be doing the Shred. If your name isn't on this list, and you want to join, please reply in a comment below, or e-mail me. Sorry, the list is not in alphabetical order :)

Kalli Harrison
Kim Oliver
Julian Magee
Wendy Castenell
Mary Munnerlyn
Mike Abele
Lauren Robbins
Melissa Jinright
Courtney Williams
Nathan McMullin
Steve Abele
Vanessa Rogers
Anita Jones
Meredith Renfro
Beth Warren
Matt Abele
Leight Abele
John Drosyk
Bethany Freeman
Nicole Adams
Tracy Allgrove
Bobby Brown
Jessica Drosyk
Glenn Fowler
Jeanetta Fowler
Audra Laking
Lacresha Merkle
Nick Merkle
Brandon Morehouse
Jon Owen
Melissa Prickett
Danno Allgrove
Melissa Woodall
Robby Tate
Todd Clark
Lisa Griswell
Hayley Lavendar
Carole Nettles
Alyson Yarema
Barry Jones
Rachel Jones
Kristin Dyson

I'll plan on sending out the tracking sheet e-mail tomorrow...and we start this thing on SATURDAY!!!

March Shred Rule #5: Plan Your Food Every Day!

Missed the Introduction to the March Shred? Click HERE.

Plan your food every day!

If you don't have a plan for success, you have effectively created a plan for failure. Plan out all of your food for the day at least the day before and then stick to it. Impulse eating is so dangerous because you probably won't impulse eat a few broccoli crowns...it will be cookies or candy or something like that. It is amazing how much we plan various areas of our lives, but sometimes when it comes to something like food, we fly by the seat of our pants and then throw whatever looks good into our stomach. This is a bad plan. If you are married, sit down with your spouse and plan your meals for the upcoming week. You are going to need to have your spouse's buy in on this if you want to be successful. If you are single, you just have to convince yourself...good luck with that :)

How I suggest you start planning your food

Matt & Leigh's meal plan for the January Shred

If you really want to be successful, plan out your dinners for the ENTIRE MONTH. I know that will take a little bit of time, but it will be well worth it, and you might also save some grocery money because you can eat leftovers! How about that?!?! Get in better shape and save some money! #WINNING!

If you have a calendar, write down what you plan to eat each evening. While you are at it, plan out which days of your week are going to be the "rest days" where you aren't doing Boot Camp or strength training. These are your low carb days, so you'll definitely need to plan well for those days. Not sure what has carbs? You may need to do a little research and learn how to read food labels; but fruits, sugars, breads and starches are things you'll want to avoid on a low carb day. Basically, stick to lean meats and veggies and you're likely to be successful there.

As you can see, the photo to the right is the meal plan Leigh and I came up with when we did the January Shred. This is only dinners, but I had a plan for lunch as well...mostly a sandwich, sometimes a salad or leftovers from dinner. The dates that are circled (Tues & Thurs) were our low carb meals. You'll notice there are no potatoes and rice on those days. You'll also notice I can't spell very well without spell-check...so if you feel the need to call me out on that go ahead, you won't be telling me anything I don't already know :) You will also notice that I can basically eat the same types of foods over and over without going completely insane. That is both good and bad. If you have a lot more variety in your meal plan...awesome! I'll freely admit we don't experiment a whole lot with food, so our "go to" healthy meals are fairly limited. We have added a few new meals though for the March Shred, so that will be good.

How you know if you are performing Rule #5 successfully

In order to avoid losing a point for not properly performing Rule #5 on a given day, you'll need to have a plan for what you are going to eat by at least the night before. That means before you wake up tomorrow morning, you have already planned out your meals and any snacks that you are going to eat for the day. Then the kicker...you have to stick to it! If you break the plan and impulse eat on something you shouldn't, you cannot take credit for successfully completing rule #5.

Helpful Tip

Don't go to the grocery store on an empty stomach. Bad choices that you could normally pass on look down right irresistible when your stomach is growling. Try to shop after a meal, and make a list and stick to the grocery list! If there is bad food in the house, I'm going to find it and I'm going to eat it. The solution? Don't put bad food in the house!

March Shred Rule #10: Eat Out Less than Twice Per Week!

Missed the Introduction to the March Shred? Click HERE.

Eat out less than 2 times per week.

In my humble opinion, this might be the most difficult of all of the 10 rules. This is a tough one because it requires extremely good planning and discipline. Even without trying, I probably eat out 5 or more times per week. Some people I know eat out every single day...seriously...every day. The problem is out to eat food is designed to taste really good, and to not spoil quickly. Therefore, these foods are typically LOADED with calories, unhealthy carbs and fats.

Truth be told, there really aren't many healthy options out there...but there are a few. For your out to eat during the week, make a good decision. For example, a low calorie sub at Subway on wheat bread. Like anything else though, you have to watch the condiments. For your out to eat meal on the weekend, you are allowed to cheat in order to keep your sanity...but just restrict it to that one meal...not an all day calorie stuffing binge.

What about that cheat meal?

So much to say about the cheat meal... First of all, if you somehow think the cheat meal will spike your metabolism, throw your body off balance and actually help you burn more fat and lose more weight...you're fooling yourself. It's a great thought, but a cheat meal where you consume a bunch of calories does in fact work against your goals. Then why even have one? Well...if you don't need one, don't take one. But, some people will simply quit if they don't get a pizza or a burger from time to time...so in the long run, cheating once per week is a whole lot better than quitting the plan all together. Especially since the way some of us eat...every meal is a cheat meal :)

At your cheat meal, anything is allowed. That means if you want to drink a coke or a tea...go for it...that won't count against your points...BUT eating out will count against the points you can earn each week for not eating out at all. If you want dessert with your meal...do it! BUT...the rule is you need to keep it to 1 meal. Not a window of a few hours where you just eat whatever you want. We want to try to minimize the damage somewhat.

Saving some serious cash!!!

Even though we have a budget and try to avoid out to eat food...we usually spend $200 to $300 a month on out to eat food. Kinda ridiculous since I already think we spend too much on groceries. If you don't budget, or aren't really trying to limit how much you eat out...you are probably spending even more! So what happens if you cut it down to eating out 2 times per week or less? You save a bunch of money!!! So what are Leigh and I doing with the extra money we are going to save this month? DUH...celebrating April 1st by going out to eat and dropping some mad cash on dinner...and that isn't an April Fools joke!

How you know if you are performing Rule #10 successfully

Alright now, some of you campers out there (you know who you are) are really stretching on this one. I had someone ask me if they bought a salad at Chick-fil-a if it counted as eating out. Um...yes...if you purchased your food from a restaurant, you ate out. So here is the breakdown of how you can earn points for this rule each week.

If you don't eat out at all in a week, you earn 7 additional points for the week.
If you eat out one time in a week, you earn 6 additional points for the week.
If you eat out two times in a week, you earn 5 additional points for the week.
If you eat out more than two times in a week, you don't earn any additional points for the week.

Helpful Tip

WARNING: Some people end up adhering much better to a plan when they DON'T CHEAT AT ALL. Sometimes, having that cheat meal just wets the appetite for more bad stuff. So, know what works for you, and do what you know is going to be best for you to be successful on the Shred!

March Shred Rule #9: Eat 2-3 Servings of Green Vegetables Every Day!

Missed the Introduction to the March Shred? Click HERE.

Eat 2-3 Servings of Green Vegetables Per Day

Say what? Green veggies? Does eating 3 slices of supreme pizza count? Seriously, when is the last time you ate 2-3 servings of green vegetables in a day? Can't remember can you? Now look, I'm not about to go all vegetarian or vegan on you, but most likely you don't get nearly enough vegetables in your diet. If I'm being honest...neither do I...and that is to our detriment. Green veggies are extremely low calorie, but are also nutritious and very filling. When you make it a point to eat 2-3 servings of these little beauties each day, you are helping to avoid the more calorie dense foods that can throw off your weight loss and fat loss plan. "Well I don't like green veggies...they taste nasty!" (insert whinny 5 year old voice here and begin stomping feet). Changing  your body is going to require you to change some of your habits. If you keep doing what you've always done, your going to keep getting what you've always got!

So, try adding veggies to some lean protein and you have a filling meal that is also low calorie! Some ideas: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, green beans, peas, lettuce, collards, leeks, etc.

How you know if you are performing Rule #9 successfully

Simple...I'll even break it down step by step for you. 1) Go to grocery store. 2) Put green veggies in your basket. 3) Purchase green veggies. 4) Take green veggies home with you. 5) Store green veggies in refrigerator. 6) Find serving size for appropriate green veggies. 7) Prepare and eat 2 to 3 of said servings of green veggies every day. If you do this, you earn your veggie point for the day. If you don't, start back at step 1 and repeat until you get this right!

Helpful Tip

You have to find out what veggies you like so you don't feel like you have to choke down a handful of sod at every meal. Broccoli is my go to. I love this stuff. We have a pampered chef steamer and it only takes 5 minutes to steam a bunch of broccoli. Put a small amount of butter and a little salt or lemon pepper seasoning and BOOM! Low calorie awesomeness. If you are unfamiliar with how to prepare various veggies, just go online and do some google or youtube searching.

March Shred Rule #8: Eat Plenty of Protein!

Missed the Introduction to the March Shred? Click HERE.

Eat at Least .5g of Protein per Pound of Body Weight (or 150g if you weigh 300lbs or more)

One of the keys to burning fat and maintaining a low body fat % long term is maintaining your lean muscle mass. The more lean mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be, and the more calories you will burn at rest. Every day you should try to get plenty of protein so that you are able to maintain, and possibly even build lean muscle. Shoot for .5g or more per pound of body weight. Those who are doing heavy strength training and looking to put on muscle mass may shoot for .8g or more per pound of body weight. Getting your protein through lean meats (chicken, fish, lean pork, lean ground turkey, lean beef) is the best source. After lean meats, egg whites and low fat dairy (skim or 1% milk, low fat mozzarella cheese and Greek yogurt), and then of course you can supplement through protein powders/shakes. Protein is also the most satiating macro-nutrient, so it will make you more full than carbs and fats.

Basic Info about Protein Supplementation

I've had someone ask me a few questions about protein supplementation, so I thought this post was appropriate to address some of those questions.

Should I take protein powders?
If you are unable to obtain enough protein through your diet, then I think supplementing through protein powders is a good strategy. If you are able to get enough protein without supplementation, then save your money.

Which is better, whey or casein?
The primary difference between whey and casein protein is the speed at which your body is able to break it down and utilize it. Whey protein is absorbed faster and therefore is usually the choice by most people who workout as a pre and post-workout supplement. Casein breaks down more slowly, and is usually marketed as a supplement that you take before bedtime that your body will break down slowly while you sleep. Is one better than the other? Eh...not really. Many protein powders actually offer a mix of whey and casein, such as MusclePharm Combat Protein. There are also powders made with Soy protein, but generally that is considered a lower quality protein, and from my experience, the taste is terrible.

What brand is best?
Depends on which supplement company you ask :) There are plenty of good protein blends out there. Everyone has their own preferences, so I'd probably just leave it at that...find something you like. The only piece of advice I'd offer is look at the nutritional values. You want to find something that has very few carbs and fats...and is primarily protein. Optimum Nutrition is one of the cleanest (low calories, carbs and fat) protein powders I've found that also tastes good.

How you know if you are performing Rule #8 successfully

Pretty simple. Track your protein and eat at least .5g every day. Or, if you weigh 300lbs or more, you will want to get in 150g of protein, but no real need to go above that. If you eat less than that, you don't get credit for completing rule #8 and no points for you!

Helpful Tip

Build all of your meals around a good lean protein source (meat). Consider boiling some egg whites and eating those if you are needing to fit some more protein in (6g protein per egg white). Low fat mozzarella cheese sticks have about 8g of protein and are usually about 80 calories.

March Shred Rule #7: Low Carb on Your Rest Days!

Missed the Introduction to the March Shred? Click HERE.

Consume Less Than 50g of Carbohydrates on Your Rest Days

We are burning fat EVERY DAY while doing the March Shred and a rest day is not a rest day for fat burning! On the days you don't do Boot Camp or strength training, try to go as low carb as possible. You'll definitely need to plan ahead for these days as the majority of the foods you probably like to eat are loaded with carbs (I know that is the case for me). If you have to have a few carbs that is ok, but shoot for 50g of carbs or less on these days. You will also want to restrict your calories as much as possible on these days. All you are really looking for is lean protein, some healthy fats, and only carbs through your veggies (not starches like potatoes though). On low carb days you will probably be hungry and tired...basically, low carb days are no fun...but in 31 days they will all be worth it!

How I suggest you go low carb

You will have 2 to 3 low carb days per week. If you don't plan ahead of time for your low carb days, you'll inevitably struggle to stick to less than 50g carbs. I'd suggest trying to eat as few carbs as possible earlier in the day and saving the bulk of your carbs for dinner. Why? Because by the end of the day your body will be screaming for carbs, so if you only eat 10 during the day, you can eat 40 at dinner and you'll go to bed much happier. Also, I'd suggest not having low carb days back to back for adherence purposes. Try to alternate low carb days with regular days and it will be much easier for you to keep on track.

How you know if you are performing Rule #7 successfully

Pretty simple. Track your carbs and eat less than 50g on your rest days. If you eat more than 50g of carbs on a rest day, you don't get credit for completing rule #7 and no points for you!

Helpful Tip

A number of tips on your low carb days:

• Coffee is your friend! You may need some extra caffeine on these days because your energy levels will be lower due to the reduced carbs. Creamer, however, is not your friend. That is just sugar...which is carbs. So go black, or go very light on the creamer.
• Drink LOTS of water. This will help with your appetite.
• Go as low calorie as you can. Cut out any unnecessary snacks and just eat your meals.
• If possible, take your 30-45 minute walk during the fasted period of your day before you break your fast. This will increase your fat burning success because you are burning more calories while you are in a fat burning state.
• GET YOUR HEAD RIGHT! Stay disciplined and stick to the plan!

March Shred Rule #6: Don't Eat or Drink Empty Calories

Missed the Introduction to the March Shred? Click HERE.

Don't eat or drink "empty" calories

If you want to lose weight, you are going to need to consume less calories than you burn. The 10 simple rules of the March Shred essentially provides a strategy to do that, without forcing you to count calories. One of the most important pieces of this plan is to avoid consuming calories that aren't beneficial to your goals. We'll call these "empty" calories. Any kind of junk food falls into this category. Start off with this one by not drinking your calories. That means coke, tea, and alcoholic beverages are off limits. They simply add calories that will prevent you from burning more fat. Next, avoid any junk food. This includes but is not limited to: chips, cookies, snack cakes, pop-tarts, most granola bars, ice cream, brownies, and yes even those 100 calorie "healthy" cookies or snack cakes that aren't...am I making you sad yet??? 

Also, avoid any unnecessary snacking even on non-junk food items. You don't need to eat every few hours just for the heck of it. The myth of having to eat 6 times a day has been sufficiently debunked (Click HERE for more info on that subject). It really is ok if your stomach growls a little in between meals...I promise you won't die.

How you know if you are performing Rule #6 successfully

In order to get credit for completing rule #6, you'll need to avoid drinking calories that come from soda, tea and alcohol. Natural fruit juices and milk are fine, but watch your serving sizes because the calories can certainly add up quickly. Also, the junk food is off limits. If you are going out to get a healthy lunch at Subway or Chick-fil-a, that means no soda/tea/lemonade and no chips/fries. What? Did you think shredding fat was easy? GET YOUR HEADS RIGHT! You can do this for 1 month!

** EXCEPTION: On your weekend cheat meal you are allowed to eat the above prohibited items without losing a point. Keep in mind that while you don't lose a point by the plan, a cheat meal is definitely not helping your overall fat shredding plan. Then why have one? Good question...only do it if you need to keep yourself sane. I would much rather you cheat once per week than quit after the first week.

Helpful Tip

If you have junk food in the house, either eat it by Feb 28th or throw it away. I wouldn't even recommend saving it until April 1st...it will become too tempting sitting on the shelf starring at you each and every day. On low carb days it will basically be begging you to eat it! If I have junk food in the house I'm going to eat it...so tonight, we are trashing the junk! I strongly suggest you do the same!

March Shred Rule #4: Intermittent Fasting

Missed the Introduction to the March Shred? Click HERE.

What is intermittent fasting?

Before I give you my explanation, please go HERE and watch a short video where Dr. Mercola explains some of the benefits of intermittent fasting. You might read some of the article as well.

Intermittent fasting (IF) in layman’s terms is basically having a period of time each day where you don’t eat. The concept is involves forcing the body to burn fat stores for energy during the fasted period of the day. To understand how this is possible, you first need a very basic understanding of how the body burns calories for energy. The body will always prefer burning carbohydrates first, then fats, and then proteins. Carbohydrates quickly break down into glycogen which your body will always burn before it digs into fat reserves for energy. If there is no available glycogen, your body will convert fat stores into energy…which is what we want! However, at some point if there is still no available glycogen, your body may begin to dig into intramuscular fat and catabolize your muscle (protein). This is what we don’t want and one of the reasons we don't want to have an extremely long fasted period (20+ hours).

Now that you understand the priority of your body’s energy usage, you can understand that depleting glycogen reserves will cause your body to burn more fat for energy. Through much research, case studies, and personal tweaking, a nutritional consultant and personal trainer named Martin Berkhan developed the “LeanGains” program. Berkhan, who operates a blog (www.leangains.com), has essentially written the book on how to effectively use I.F. for fat loss while gaining muscle. He has found that a fasting window of 16 hours for men, and 14 hours for women is the most effective way to burn fat while maintaining muscle. Sure you can push the window out further and go for 18 to 20 hours fasted, but that becomes very hard to do practically for long periods of time.

This is going to be a massive over-simplification, but right after you eat, your body stops burning fat. It doesn't need to burn fat for energy because it has energy available through the absorption of carbohydrates. A few hours after eating, your body might begin to burn a very, very small percentage of fat, but still almost all carbohydrate. After sleeping for 8 hours, you are burning more fat, for ease of explanation, let's say 50/50. After 16 hours of fasting, you are burning mostly fat. This is why 14-16 hours is the sweet spot.

How I suggest you start intermittent fasting

Unlike Dr. Mercola, I think you can jump into IF pretty quickly and get to your 14 hour or 16 hour fasting window in a day or two. Start off with a 12 hour fast on the first day, then as you assess your success move to 14 and then 15 or 16 hours. You can do this by setting a cutoff time for food in the evening. I suggest 8pm. If you start with a 12 hour fast, you can eat the next morning starting at 8am. My intermittent fasting schedule is from 8pm until 12pm noon the next day (16 hours).

How you know if you are performing Rule #4 successfully

During the first week, as long as you have a 12 to 16 hour fasting window for men and a 12-14 hour fasting window for women, you are successfully completing rule #4. However, after the first week, for men you'll need to have a 16 hour fasting window, and 14-15 hour fasting window for women. Remember, during the fasting window, you cannot consume any calories. The exception is a little creamer in coffee or calories contained in pre-workout mixes. Regardless, these exceptions still need to be less than 75 calories. The idea is to burn fat everyday during your fasting window.

Helpful Tip

Drink LOTS of water during the fasting window as this will help you deal with the hunger you are likely to experience. Don't worry, you aren't going to die if your stomach growls a little. After a few days the hunger begins to be much easier to deal with...and eventually you won't even notice it.

March Shred: Rules #1,2 and 3 - Exercise!

Missed the Introduction to the March Shred? Click HERE.

Your Exercise Plan!

Rule #1: Perform at least 2 high-intensity exercise sessions each week.

Rule #2: Perform at least 2 strength-training exercise sessions each week.

Rule #3: Walk 30-45 minutes on your rest days (non high-intensity and strength training days).

Your exercise plan each week should have at least 4 days where you are performing either high intensity exercise or strength training, leaving you with at least 3 "rest" days where you will be walking 30-45 minutes. Just like planning your meals, plan your exercise for the entire week...and preferably the entire month. 

Just to give you an idea, here is how my plan is going to look. Keep in mind, I love to do strength training, so I end up doing some additional strength training after Boot Camp:

Sunday: Strength Training (Chest, triceps and shoulders)

Monday: Boot Camp + Strength Training (Back & Biceps)

Tuesday: Rest (walk) Day

Wednesday: Strength Training (Legs)

Thursday: Boot Camp

Friday: Strength Training (Back & Biceps)

Saturday: Strength Training (Legs)

How you know if you are performing Rules #1, 2 and 3 successfully

While I'm not going to put a time requirement on your high intensity and strength training workouts, I'd suggest that if you aren't doing those for at least 20 or more minutes, you probably aren't burning as many calories as you could or should. Other than that, these 3 exercise rules are pretty simple. Basically, you will be doing some form of exercise every single day of the month.

Helpful Tip

If you want to burn more calories...by all means do so! So if you want to mix up your 30-45 minute walk with some light jogging every few minutes...GO FOR IT! Or, if you want to do an extra day of Boot Camp instead of a walk day...awesome. Keep in mind though that you will be going low carb on your "rest" days so you probably won't have the same energy level as you would on a day where you are consuming more carbs. Also, spread out your rest days so that they are not back to back. Adherence on low carb days is challenging enough...but going 2 days in a row without carbs? No thank you!

Also, if possible, perform  your 30-45 minute walk during your fasting window. That means before you eat during that particular day. More calories expended while you are in a fat burning state provides you a better opportunity to burn more fat!

THE MARCH SHRED IS ON!

I am trying to find some time to do a March Shred video...but until then, you can check out the video I made for the January Shred HERE. It is pretty similar, but I made a few tweaks for the March Shred.

Our January Shred was so successful, that we are bringing it back in March! Summer is just around the corner, and now is the time to drop those pounds and shred the fat so that you aren't afraid of the beach or the pool this summer. 

Remember, the March Shred is not a crash diet...it is 10 simple rules that you'll need to follow every day during the month of March. Fair warning, while the plan is simple, that doesn't mean it won't be tough. There is no magic pill you can take to get in shape, and the only free thing I know of is salvation. Other than that, you've got to put in the work for whatever it is that you want. This will take hard work and a whole lot of discipline, but if you stick with it, you'll see some fantastic results and gain some serious momentum toward your health and fitness goals!

Here are the 10 rules:

The first 3 are exercise related, and the last 7 are nutrition related. That isn't by accident. Exercise is very important, but you can't out-exercise bad eating habits. 

1. Perform at least 2 High-Intensity exercise sessions each week - Boot Camp is considered a high-intensity exercise session, so for those of you doing Boot Camp, don't miss a workout! Click HERE for more details on Rule #1.
2. Strength training at least 2 days per week outside of Boot Camp - Strength training provides a "double" calorie burn because you burn calories while performing the exercise, and you continue to burn calories at rest while your body repairs the muscles you broke down during strength training. Click HERE for more details on Rule #2.
3. Walk on your rest days - On the days you don't do Boot Camp or strength training, get in a 30-45 minute low intensity walk. This will help you burn more calories without sacrificing your body's need to recover. Click HERE for more details on Rule #3.
4. Intermittent Fasting - Say what? Yes, a daily fast. Because intermittent fasting (IF) is not mainstream (yet), you may not have ever heard of it. Intermittent fasting is a going to be a major key to your fat burning potential. Click HERE for more details on Rule #4.
5. Plan your food every day! - If you don't have a plan for success, you automatically have created a plan for failure. Plan out all of your food for the day at least the day before and then stick to it. Impulse eating is so dangerous because you probably won't impulse eat a few broccoli crowns...it will be cookies or candy or something like that. If you really want to be successful, plan out your meals for the entire month. Also, never go grocery shopping when you are hungry! Click HERE for more details on Rule #5.
6. Don't eat or drink "empty" calories - Start off with this one by not drinking your calories. That means coke, tea, and alcoholic beverages are off limits. Also, avoid any unnecessary snacking. You don't need to eat every few hours just for the heck of it...and if your stomach growls a little here and there that isn't a bad thing. Click HERE for more details on Rule #6.
7. Avoid carbs on your rest days - On the days you don't do Boot Camp or strength training, try to go as low carb as possible. You'll definitely need to plan ahead for these days as the majority of the foods you probably like to eat are loaded with carbs (I know that is the case for me). If you have to have a few carbs that is ok, but shoot for 50g of carbs or less on these days. BTW...you may need some extra caffeine on these days because your energy levels will be lower due to the reduced carbs. Click HERE for more details on Rule #7.
8. Eat plenty of protein - Every day you should try to get plenty of protein. Shoot for .5g or more per pound of body weight. If you weigh more than 300lbs, shoot for a total of 150g protein per day. Getting protein through lean meats (chicken, tuna, lean pork, lean ground turkey, lean steak) is the best source. Next is egg whites and low fat dairy (milk, cheese), and then of course you can supplement through protein powders/shakes. Click HERE for more details on Rule #8.
9. Eat 2-3 portions of green veggies per day - Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, green beans, peas, lettuce, collards, leeks, etc. Green veggies are extremely low calorie, but are also nutritious and very filling. When you make it a point to eat 2-3 servings of these little beauties each day, you are helping to avoid the more calorie dense foods that can throw off your fat loss plan. Add veggies to some lean protein and you have a filling meal that is also low calorie! Click HERE for more details on Rule #9.
10. Eat out less than 2 times each week - This is a tough one because it requires extremely good planning and discipline. Even when you eat out, make a good decision. For example, a low calorie sub at Subway on wheat bread. You are allowed 1 cheat meal per week, but restrict it to a cheat meal...not a cheat day. Click HERE for more details on Rule #10.

So there you have it. 10 simple rules that are much easier to type out than they are to follow. If you can keep all 10 rules for the entire month of March, you are going to shred some serious fat.

Want to join in? Here is what you need to do:

E-mail me at matt.abele40@gmail.com to let me know you are participating in the March Shred. I'd also suggest taking a picture of yourself, weighing yourself and trying to get any measurements you can. That way if you get big results at the end of the Shred, you can see on paper exactly how much weight/inches you lost, etc.

Oh yes, we are keeping score!

We are going to be keeping score, and each week you'll be able to track your points to see how well you are doing. Those who are participating will receive a tracking spreadsheet and will report points on a weekly basis.

Join the SHREDDERS Group on Facebook!

One of the very best things we did during the January Shred was form a Facebook Group where we can all encourage and hold each other accountable. If you are on Facebook, you NEED to join this group...it will help you make it through the month successfully! LET'S DO THIS!

RESULTS from the January Shred!

Let me start off by congratulating each and every person who completed the January Shred! I have to say that I am blown away by the results that our "Shredders" achieved in just 31 short days! I expected some of the most disciplined Shredders to lose about 5 lbs, which would equate to about 1 lb per week during the program. Me of little faith! We had 3 people lose double digits, and many others weren't far behind them at all. What was so great about this program was it didn't involve counting calories. Yes, to lose weight our Shredders moved into a caloric deficit, but they did so by keeping up with 10 simple rules each and every day, versus having to count and track everything they ate for an entire month. You think counting calories is easy? Try it for more than 2 weeks and tell me if you don't go crazy. The 10 rules were challenging, but easier mentally to wrap your head around. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, HERE is the initial January Shred post with the video and all of the rules. Now, onto the final points, the results, and a few comments from our Shredders.

The Points

The point system was more for accountability and competition than anything else. However, those who kept up with their points certainly fared well on the shred. Here is how our final point totals looked . I'm only going to include the top 10 for space:

NAME	WEEK#1	WEEK#2	WEEK#3	WEEK#4	WEEK#5	TOTALS
Lacresha Merkle	35	40	56	51	45	227
Nick Merkle	35	40	56	51	45	227
Jessica Drosyk	28	50	50	51	47	226
Vanessa Rogers	25	52	49	50	47	223
Matt Abele	31	50	49	48	43	221
Audra Laking	29	49	46	51	45	220
Leigh Abele	31	47	48	47	41	214
John Drosyk	26	47	47	46	42	208
Carole Nettles	20	39	42	42	38	181
Barry Jones	31	49	47	38	0	165

The Results

The results are what we are really after. Ultimately, burning fat was the goal of the program, but not everyone had the benefit of calculating their body fat % before and after. However, the scale is a pretty good indication of what kind of results people are achieving. Therefore, I'm going to sort this list by weight loss.

NAME	LBS LOST	MEASUREMENTS
Jessica Drosyk	12	Lost 3.5 inches in waist, 4 in chest, 2.5 in hips, 2 in thigh and 1.5 in arm.
Barry Jones	10	Lost 2 inches in waist.
Carole Nettles	10	Lost 2.5 inches in waist, lost 1.5 inches in waist.
Leigh Abele	8.8	Lost 2 inches in waist, 2% body fat, 1 inch in waist.
Bobby Brown	8	Lost 2 inches in waist.
Nathan McMullin	8	Lost 2 inches in waist. Starting to see ABS!
Audra Laking	7.5	Lost 3 inches.
Cindy Greer	7	Lost 5.5 inches.
Nick Merkle	6.5	Did not measure.
Matt Abele	6.4	Lost an inch in waist. Lost 1.52% body fat. Now at 10.15%.
Tracy Allgrove	6.2	List 2 inches in waist and 1.25 in hips.
Lacresha Merkle	5.5	Did not measure.
Vanessa Rogers	4.2	Lost 2 inches in waist and 2 inches in hips. Lost 7.5 overall.
John Drosyk	4	Lost 2 inches in waist, 2.5 in hips, gained 1/2 inch in biceps!
Julie Owens	4	Did not measure.
Natalie Ivy	4	Lost 1 inch in waist.
Daryl Greer	2.2	Did not measure.

Comments from a few Shredders

Jessica Drosyk (Lost 12 lbs, 3.5 inches in waist, 2.5 in hips)

"Matt, I really can't say thank you enough for your encouragement and support. This shred was the best idea ever!! Intermittent Fasting (IF): This was the biggest change for me. I have always been a breakfast person and would eat oatmeal or eggs within 30 minutes of waking up. The first week of IF was pretty tough. But, I did enjoy having extra time to get ready (or sleep late) since I wasn't preparing and eating breakfast AND eating more at lunch/dinner while still staying in my calorie goal was pretty nice too. The Rest of the Rules: The rest of the rules were easy to follow. Not that I didn't struggle with temptation but they weren't a big lifestyle change. I think most of the success (for me) with the shred is that it wasn't low carb everyday. Having only 3 LC days a week made it do-able. Accountability: FAVE!  Accountability works. I don't have to tell you that. It's just easier to have a community to celebrate and commiserate with. Positives: Increased energy, Positive outlook (overall happier), Great skin. I've had 4 people tell me this month that my skin looks amazing. (all that water and no junk... who knew :D), Closer to my goal and totally motivated to keep going!!

John Drosyk (Lost 4 lbs, 2 inches in waist)

"I am glad I did the January shred. I originally did it to help motivate Jessica, but toward the end I could see how much I benefited from it as well. The toughest part for me was the IF as well as the low carb/empty calorie rules. I am a cereal and chocolate milk junkie. I would usually eat a large bowl of cereal after dinner right before I went to bed as well a couple of bowls in the morning. I would drink several glasses of chocolate milk all though the day. Cutting out those items as well as fasting at night and into the morning was a challenge. It eventually became easier and now feels normal. I plan on continuing many of the shred rules going forward so I can get my six pack. I know that abs aren't made in the gym but in the kitchen. Glad I did the shred. It made my heart-shaped cookie dough filled doughnut this morning that much better. :)"

Cindy Greer (Lost 7 lbs and 5.5 inches overall)      

"Drum roll.............................I lost exactly 7 pounds and 5.5 inches!  And if we were on Biggest Loser that would be a 4.7% loss.  I have no pictures.  I am thrilled with my results.  I started cutting back on December 26 and had lost 1 pound before we began the shred -- so just personally, I have lost 8 pounds.  I have been at this weight and even lower, but I lost my focus and let myself gain a pound here and there. My point totals probably don't lead you to believe that I would have good results, but I was trying to be totally honest with them.  If I forgot to plan my meals for the next day or if plans changed, I didn't get a point.  That doesn't mean that I ate poorly, though.  If I had a few grams too low on protein, I didn't get a point, but I still had a large amount of protein.  The one thing I didn't do very much were the low carb days. I love to cook and I love to eat.  I would love to visit most every restaurant in Montgomery just to experience it.  Dining is my recreation.  This month, though, I tried to look at food more as fuel and less as entertainment.  I stayed hungry much of the time, but it wasn't stomach hunger, it was emotional.  So, it took me about 2 1/2 weeks to break that 'addiction'.  Since then, though, I have not felt hungry.  I have eaten the right foods in the right amounts."

Vanessa Rogers (Lost 4.2 lbs and 1.52% body fat)

"Following the 10 "simple" rules isn't too far from my normal clean eating regimen. Tracking with the points held me accountable for my problem areas--eating out (although I try to eat clean even then....it's still not as good as eating at home) and ensuring I squeeze in some type of strength or HIIT workout.  What was different from my normal routine was tracking carb and protein intake. I found it much more difficult to get the protein in than it was to cut back on the carbs. But after a few days, you tend to learn what you can and cannot eat and what you need to eat more of. I didn't have any problems with the I/F, not in waiting 14+ hours to eat. My struggle was trying to get all of my necessary foods in before I started fasting each night. I always went to bed full (content, not stuffed). My absolute favorite part....going to bed full but waking up with a flat tummy! It made getting dressed each morning much easier. Most women will probably agree, but what we usually choose to wear depends on how we feel physically when we wake up. As in....'where is the bloating this morning? What area do I need to conceal? A baggy, blousy shirt to cover the tummy? Loose slacks to avoid the muffin tops?' and so on...During the shred, I didn't have those concerns because I woke up each morning feeling leaner and leaner."

Matt Abele (Lost 6.4 lbs and 1 inch in waist)

I have to say, I'm really excited about the way the shred turned out! I had planned on doing something like this just for myself to cut back after the ridiculous feeding frenzy I had over the holidays, but I'm so glad that nearly 40 other people joined me. As Jessica said, accountability is HUGE! I wouldn't have had nearly the success that I did had I been doing this on my own. We all banded together to console each other on low carb days, and many of us held strong on our goals because we didn't want to let down the other Shredders who were counting on us to be right there with them. Could I personally have done better? Sure...but overall I stuck to the plan much more often than not. I was hoping to get down into the single digit body fat % again...it didn't happen, but I'm awful close. I definitely think all of us learned more about healthy eating. I am so proud of what everyone accomplished, and I hope that the success continues! I know it will!