7 Week Work Out and Motivation Plan (The Homecoming Edition)

By CocoaDiva on Sep 01, 2008 with Comments

Alright ladies and gents, for those of us who went to or are currently attending a HBCU (historically Black College and University), we all know Homecoming season is upon us. This is the time when we all open our closets, take a look at our clothes, step on a scale, and think……..GOOD LAWD!!!! I need to get on my situps, two a days, and get an eating plan. I need to fit into that pimp out fit to let my public know I still have it. You don’t want to be “that” person everyone whispers about ” Girrrrrrl what happened to him/her……..they let themselves go…and they used to be Sexual Chocolate.”

If you don’t want this to happen to you, I came up with a few tips to help you get it right get it tight. For me, the Spelman/Morehouse homecoming is 7 weeks away. I can’t say you will lose or firm up everything but you can start and probably lose 10 pounds, at the least, in 7 weeks. It only takes 6 weeks to break a habit. How hard you work out depends on your goal. Even if you aren’t gearing up for homecoming, here are a few tips toward starting a 7 week exercise and diet plan.

1. Set your Goal Weight -Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was the fat on your body. Set a realistic goal of what you can achieve in 7 weeks. You generally lose 1-2 pounds a week if you remain consistent with your plan. So, 10 pounds is a realistic goal but you can add on for good measure. I plan to try and lose around 12-15 pounds. If I lose more than my goal, I will be a happy camper but I won’t be disappointed and quit when I am not losing unrealistic goals of 5 pounds a week!!

You need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day through a low-calorie diet and regular exercise. Losing weight more rapidly means losing water weight or muscle tissue, rather than fat.

2. Determine your plan of attack- Evaluate your current habits. What are you eating? Are you carb heavy? Do you skip on water to drink sodas? Do you skip meals and only eat 1 -2 meals a day ( you need 3 meals and at least 2 snacks)? Do you work out? How many days a week do you work out? Once you answer these questions then make appropriate changes. (Check out a few Posh articles about eating below).

3. Develop your workout plan – If you are serious about losing weight rapidly it may benefit you to go to the gym 4-5 times a week. If you cannot do 4-5 days a week, try doing two a days. Two a days are a work out in the morning and the evening 3-4 days a week.

If you are a newbie or haven’t been exercising, 3-4 days will get you on the right track the first few weeks; however, you may want to pick up the workout schedule closer to your deadline. Healthy Eating has provided an exercise program for the newbies and most of the strength training can be done with items around your house. I think I would add about 30 minutes of cardio the first 3 weeks and 45 minutes of cardio the last 3-4 weeks.

Week 1-3 Week 4-6

I plan to try two a days my first week and see if I can fit that into my schedule rather than committing to 5 days at the gym. If not, I will do 3 days during the week and swim at my pool on the weekends ( hair days lol).

Tips for Reps

The number of reps you should perform depends on your goals.
4 to 6 Reps for Strength & Power
8 to 12 Reps for Building Muscle
15 to 25 Reps for Endurance

Tips for Sets

Performing one of the rep groupings above would be considered one set. How many times to repeat also depends on your goals and requires rest intervals of 30-90 second in between depending on intensity.
1 to 2 Sets for General Health, Deconditioned Individuals, Beginners
3 to 4 Sets for Fitness, Building Muscle, Fat Burning, Intermediate to Advanced
5 to 6 Sets for Endurance, Fat Burning, Advanced Bodybuilders

4. Change what you eat -Remember the few following tips and read some of P.O.S.H.’s articles about eating right and keeping portion size under control

Eat protein and vegetables with every meal
Plan your snacks when you are away from home. Pack a few and take them with you
Try and cut back on processed foods
Drink 10 -12 ounces of water every time you eat. (the easy way to get in your 64 oz of water, especially since you are supposed to eat 5 times a day)
Count your calories – you need to burn

Dieting alone can help you lose weight. Cutting 250 calories from your daily diet can help you lose about half a pound a week: 3,500 calories equals 1 pound of fat. But add a 30-minute brisk walk four days a week, and you can double your rate of weight loss.

Your current weight in pounds Daily calorie goal
Women Men
250 or less 1,200 1,400
251 to 300 1,400 1,600
301 or more 1,600 1,800

Women should not dip below 1,200 for weight loss
Try these articles to help you along!!! Can’t wait to see you in your Gettum Gear at Homecoming!!

Portion Control – Retrain your Mind

What’s in YOUR fridge?

Tips for the P.O.S.H. fitness challenge

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