Fitness: Let Prom Motivate A Healthier Lifestyle

How to prepare for the dress to which your svelte body will say "yes."

The most discouraging thing is to find the perfect gown that you feel was made just for you but you can�t quite get it to fit over your hips.

Can you believe that another year has come and gone and it is again time to begin preparing for the prom! Time passes so quickly and before you know it you will be dressing for that special night. I am sure that every one of you is thinking about that special gown that you would absolutely love to be able to wear. Well, you can and the time to start preparing is NOW!
     Now is the time to begin preparing those legs to look absolutely awesome in the gown that has a split up the side, front or back. Now is the time to trim down those hips and thighs to fit into that form fitting gown that will show your fantastic body that you have worked so hard to achieve. Doesn�t this sound great? It makes you want to go out there right now and get that gown, right? Wrong, not so fast.
      The most discouraging thing is to find the perfect gown that you feel was made just for you, but you can�t quite get it to fit over your hips. It just won�t quite zip all the way and it has those terrible wrinkles around the waist, back, upper thighs and pelvic area that always occur when the dress is too tight. You know exactly what I am talking about because this has happened to you. You have found that outfit that you could "almost" wear. Remember how discouraging it was when you left the store without it? Remember that drive home from the mall thinking how much you wish you could have purchased it?
     Well, we are not going to let that happen this time. You�re not going to the prom wishing you were wearing the other gown that you really wanted but due to your size you settled for the second choice. No, this year you are going to wear that dream gown. You are going to have the hips and thighs that will fit that gown. You are going to have great legs to show off and you are going to look absolutely stunning when you arrive at the prom! You are going to do all of this because we are going to become a team to accomplish this goal. I am going to give you the tools you need and you are going to use them and give me 100 percent commitment in return! So let�s get started.

Here is the game plan that you are going to follow from now until prom time.
1 You will begin making a major improvement in your nutritional habits.
2 You are going to begin a cardiovascular program to burn off excessive body fat.
3 You will begin toning your body three to six times a week.

Nutrition: Starting today you will stop eating red meat. No more hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. Fatty, greasy fried foods or foods high in sugar like fries, pizza, ice cream, cookies, cakes, and candy must also be taken off your menu. You will now replace these items with white meat or fish that can be baked, grilled or broiled, such as chicken, turkey, and fresh fish. You will also enjoy baked potato, pasta, vegetable, fruit, salad with fat-free dressing, fat-free yogurt, and Jell-O.

Cardio: Starting today you will begin a cardiovascular program at least four times a week and, if possible, up to six times a week. Remember that no matter how toned and tight your muscles are, you will not be able to see them if you do not burn off the body fat that now covers them. I suggest you start off your cardio routine by walking at a fast pace for 30 minutes. Do not overdo this training. You should never get to the point that you cannot complete a sentence without gasping for air. Remember that your goal is to burn body fat, not have a heart attack! I suggest you begin training with your target heart rate at 70 percent. Your target heart rate can be determined by subtracting your age from 220 and then multiply by 70 percent. Example: 220 - 20 = 200 x .70 = 140 BPM (beats per minute). As you become more aerobically fit, you will increase your target heart rate to 80 percent and increase your time from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

Muscle Toning: Start off by exercising your upper body (shoulders, arms, back, and chest) three time a week, every other day. Each exercise should consist of 3 to 4 sets. Perform 10 to 12 repetitions per set. More than likely you will need to use lighter weights for your arms and shoulders (3-lbs. or 5-lbs. dumbbells) and slightly heavier weights for your chest and back (8-lbs. or 10-lbs. dumbbells). For your lower body (stomach, hips and thighs) I suggest you do 4 to 5 sets, 15 to 20 repetitions per set. Use light weights (3-lbs. to 5-lbs. dumbbells) or no weights at all.

Wow! Are you surprised at what is actually involved in fitting into that gown? You will not only be wearing that special gown for the prom; you will also have your body ready for swimsuit season. Summer is right around the corner and your body is ready. Not only are you wearing the gown of your dreams, you are now ready for that bikini that you have always wanted to wear but always had to put back on the rack because your body said "No way!" Now your body says, "Go ahead and wear it!"
Finally, the most important thing to remember is this: Not only will you have a great body and wear all of the outfits, gowns, swimsuits, etc., you�ve always wanted to wear, you now have a healthy body and lifestyle that will increase your years of good health and slow down the aging process.

Mike Mauney, owner of Body Design By Mike fitness center in North Carolina, is a Personal Fitness Trainer certified by the National Federation of Professional Trainers. Mike specializes in Personal Fitness Training for women of all ages. For twelve years he has been training dancers, models, cheerleaders, pageant and swimsuit contestants of all ages and competition levels (local, state, national, and international). His daughter Michelle Mauney was Miss North Carolina USA 1995. Some of Mike�s training credits includes the following: Carrie Stroup, Miss World representative 2001, Chelsea Cooley, National Titleholder, Janice Ward, Mrs. United States 1999, Vanessa Minnillo, swimsuit winner and Miss Teen USA 1998, and Michelle Warren, 1st runner-up Miss America Pageant 1998.

Click below to visit Mike's own website located at...

http://www.bodydesignbymike.com