Tired after week 1? It’s as expected with the five AM alarm that’s quickly followed with a trip to the gym for a session of fasted cardio. The whole idea of this process is to trigger your body to start burning fat and continue burning fat over the course of the day. After dripping sweat for about thirty minutes with only vitamins in my stomach, I crush a quality protein to ensure that I don’t burn any muscle. It’s all a delicate balance.

            Thankfully, coffee isn’t off limits, I keep it black to avoid any additional fats or carbs that I don’t need. So my heart rate is going for sure, but the meal plan for the rest of the day can slow you down if you don’t eat the right carbs, proteins and vegetables. Most trainers recommend to prep all your food early in the week, preferably weighed out on a scale and placed in plastic containers, so you can just grab and eat at your specified time. I’m confident that in a couple weeks, my energy level will catch enough so that my workouts stay strong and my fat level drops while lean muscle builds proportionally.

The grocery list might look a bit different too. Say goodbye to sugar, it’s not like you needed it in the first place. If you absolutely need a sweetener, vanilla extract or Stevia are highly recommended. As far as my diet, if I don’t need it, I won’t buy it. Even if my trainers recommend a weekly cheat meal; that will also be built to their specifications.

Just remember all this is totally achievable, no matter your genes or current physical state. I think once someone gets a taste of the stage…they may never leave it.