If you’ve been thinking it’s time to lose some weight, get ready for some inspiration.

Warning! These stories may motivate you to kick-start your own fitness journey.

Enjoy some of our favorite V Shred reviews and transformations.

My V Shred review: 460 pounds and out of hope

“My whole life, I struggled with my weight…ever since I can remember…I was someone who was always bigger than others…”

After seeing 460 pounds on the scale, 43 year old Conrad needed a radical change. Something for the sake of his health and his family. But after yo-yo dieting and many failed attempts, Conrard was losing hope.

Then out of nowhere, V Shred popped up on his Facebook feed

“I saw it, and it was a light bulb moment that said, this is it.”

And through the right nutrition, workouts and supplements, Conrad lost over 200 pounds.

But it wasn’t just weight he lost. Conrad reduced his metabolic age by 4 years.

But the real defining moment was having the confidence to reconnect with a lost love.

Conrad’s story shows the power of taking your health into your own hands. In his V Shred review, he urges others not to wait for the perfect time to start.

“If you’re mentally ready to go on a journey and do extraordinary things for yourself and set goals and achieve them, this is it.”

My V Shred review: 460 pounds and out of hope

“Everything is up to you. If you want it hard enough and you work for it, you’re gonna get it.” 

You wouldn’t guess by looking at her now, but 19 years ago, a drunk driver shattered Amy’s body. The damage was so extensive, Amy needed open heart surgery. 

Doctors didn’t think Amy would live, let alone walk again. They also believed that having children wouldn’t be possible for her after the accident.

Fast forward to today and Amy has defied the odds. She’s not only walking again and has since had two children, she’s in the best shape of her life.

In just 90 days, Amy shed 17 pounds along with her physical limitations and failed diet attempts.

But more than physical strength and knowing how to eat, she gained a renewed sense of empowerment. 

Now, she encourages others: “If you want lasting success, you have to do something different.” 

My V Shred review: I’m a mom of 4 and I lost 22 pounds in 90 Days

While some say they don’t have time, Renae was busy losing 22 pounds while being a wife, full-time mom of four and career professional.

But it was V Shred’s unique dieting approach that hooked Renae in.

“I was interested in the fact that I could still eat carbs and do the carb cycling, and that was really an important part to me.”

One of the first things Renae did to set herself up for success didn’t cost a single cent. She looked within to discover her why.

And it was in defining this “why” that helped Renae transform in such a short amount of time. What started as “feeling good in a swimsuit” evolved into wanting to like pictures of herself.

Completing Toned In 90 Days, Renae lost 22 pounds,  She didn’t just lose weight — she gained lean muscle, too.

At 43, she rocked a bikini photoshoot, and the pictures speak volumes. 

Renae feels healthier than ever and can’t imagine returning to her old ways.

What’s her advice?

“V Shred works, but success requires effort. Don’t fear setting big goals, and for women, embrace lifting weights.”

My V Shred review: My self worth went through the roof 

“I did the full jiu-jitsu for like an hour and a half, and I wasn’t out of breath. I barely broke a sweat, and I was ready to go some more.”

Whether you’re always making excuses or you have an aversion to the gym, you can use Eric as your inspiration.  He made the decision to reshape his life, as well as his diet and body.

And aside from the physical changes; Eric could see how this was the start of a healthier, more confident and fulfilling life.

As a single man, Eric enjoyed his newfound female attention.

“It’s nice to get looks from the ladies…The confidence that it gives you is kind of… Non-verbal communication is huge.”

But it wasn’t only his romantic relationships but the bond with his children that strengthened.

“My kids’ relationship towards me, which has always been wonderful.

I’m a loving dad. I care for them. But they’re opening up more to me about their own personal struggles…You can’t put a price on living longer for your kids.”

My V Shred review: I lost 9 Inches in 12 weeks

“When I first started V Shred, it would take me about 14 to 15 minutes to get through a mile, and now it takes me about eight minutes.”

Having battled her weight for years, at her heaviest, Ashley weighed over 400 pounds. 

But these days, age 36, Ashley has abs for the first time in her life.

Once she found V Shred, Ashley lost 21 pounds in 8 weeks (including 6 pounds in her first week) and an amazing 9 inches from around her waist.

But as a military wife with no family nearby, it was the V Shred community that supported Ashley.

“…It’s not the exercise plan or the meal plan or the supplements or any of that stuff, it’s the community. That’s what I was looking for.”

Now she has so much confidence, she’s walking with sass. And even though she’s been with her husband since they were 15… Their relationship has never been better. 

“I’ve been with my husband since I was 15… he’s seen me at my youngest, my fattest… and now he’s gonna see me at my best, and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

My V Shred review: I’m half the woman I used to be

“I’ve been part of the V Shred Accelerator program. I’ve lost 33.5 pounds. I’ve learned so much about myself…But more importantly I’ve learned how to eat.”

Brittany was often telling herself she “was supposed to be big” and that she had “big bones” but those excuses no longer served her.

And when she dropped these beliefs and tried something new, Brittany lost almost half her body weight.

“My start weight was 185.5 pounds and now I am 146.2 pounds consistently. My original goal weight was 170 pounds because ‘I was supposed to be big’ and ‘I have big bones.’”

In 2019, Brittany was 280 pounds. And though it’s been a long journey what Brittany has lost in weight she’s gained in confidence, joy, energy, and self-love.

“I can look back and love the big version of myself for making this decision, for starting this journey.  And I’m sitting here at the end of it so proud of all I’ve accomplished.”

The last time Brittany lost weight, she got to 185.5lbs doing restrictive diets – and hating food and herself for wanting it. 

V Shred found Brittany during her most challenging binge eating/diet cycle.

4 years later, she’s half the woman she was then.

“If I could go back and, and talk to that girl who was crying at the computer, it would not even be a hesitation. I wouldn’t have even had to explain the logic if she could see where I am now.”

My V Shred review: 72 pounds lighter in 33 weeks

“This is not a fad. It’s real. The only person you can thank is yourself for trying this. You will love it. You will see the results…You will love yourself again, and that is important.”

At 305 pounds, Rich was repulsed by his reflection.

And after trying and failing at various diets, Rich was skeptical about V Shred’s approach. Eating fast food 3-4 times a week, Rich wanted to change but had tried and failed every single time.

But it was something in a V Shred ad that resonated with Rich..

“There was a story. Someone said V Shred was life-changing for them, and I have always loved the saying — when you change the way you see yourself, you change the way you see the world. That is kind of what I got from that interview you had there. So I said, let’s go, let’s try it.”

Rich took the plunge and two rounds of Fat Loss Extreme later, Rich shed 72 pounds and gained a whole new lifestyle.

“When you hate looking at yourself in the mirror, it’s impossible to feel confident in yourself. It sucks. I don’t feel that way anymore. I actually don’t want to put on a shirt when I go anywhere.”

And of course it wasn’t always easy. There were some days the workouts got the best of him both physically and mentally. 

But Rich’s victory isn’t just about weight loss but a newfound happiness. Infact, his influence was so positive that his wife started her journey too.

“My whole life has changed. I’m happy again. I’m smiling again. This is not a fake smile. It’s a real smile, and I’ve got it on all the time.”

Extreme results are featured. Some customers extend their programs to achieve their results. See our Testimonial Support Page for typical results.

Even though these are diverse stories and individuals, there is a theme.

It’s not just about the weight.

These stories are also about reclaiming vitality, confidence, and joy.

They’re about setting big goals and achieving them. And enjoying better relationships plus a huge surge in self-worth. V Shred is not just a fitness program — it’s the start of a better life for those daring to take the leap. Learn more about what people are saying about V Shred here. 

And tune in to the V Shred podcast for weekly content and tips for living a healthier lifestyle.

The post V Shred Reviews from Real Customers – What People Are Saying appeared first on V Shred.

V Shred offers a wide range of programs for a total body transformation. Whether you’re male or female, we have something that can help you lose weight, build muscle, and get you in the best shape of your life. Thousands of people have shared their V Shred reviews and transformations to date. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the top V Shred diet programs and how they work: 

Fat Loss Extreme for Women

Fat Loss Extreme gives you a comprehensive weight loss program. This version is specifically for women.

Fat Loss Extreme targets some of the unique challenges that women face on their weight loss journey. Pregnancy. Hormonal imbalances. Menopause. You get a weight loss program that’s designed for your specific needs.

So that the fat loss isn’t just rapid, but it also lasts. You get meal plans and short workout routines that can fit with any schedule. 

Fat Loss Extreme for Men

This one’s for guys that wanna burn fat and get ripped. The problem with most fat loss programs for men, is they also burn pounds of muscle mass. So we have created a unique approach that allows men to burn fat AND keep their muscle stores in the Fat Loss Extreme for men program.

You get a nutrition plan rich in protein, a day by day exercise gameplan, and a nutrient list that helps to keep your body toned. Out of all the V Shred Diet programs, this one is the best option for men looking to get rid of their “Dad Bod.”

Toned in 90 Days for Women

Toned in 90 Days is for those ladies who desire a sexy toned body. The kind they can proudly show off at the beach without having to feel shy about wearing their favorite bikini.

You get a 90 day program that can help take you from flabby to toned. You get a blend of resistance training, light cardio, and a diet that helps you to tone your stomach, legs, and arms. 

Ripped in 90 Days for Men

Ripped in 90 Days is the equivalent of Toned in 90 Days, but for men. This is for guys that want to get JACKED. Guys who want to pump up their biceps, their chest, show off a stomach of wash board abs.

Ripped in 90 Days comes with a HIIT training program, strength training plans, and diet programs all geared towards chiseling your body. 

V Shred Accelerator+ Coaching Program

The V Shred Accelerator Plus program is the ultimate program for men OR women who want all the support and coaching possible. This is like having a Hollywood Elite trainer who crafts all your meal plans, exercise plans, and keeps you in “Movies Star Quality Shape.” 

You literally get a customized training plan, personalized meal choices, and a coach that you work 1 on 1 with. There’s no better coaching program than the V Shred Accelerator+. Of all the V Shred Diet Programs, the Accelerator Plus coaching program offers the most support and transformation. Check out some of the incredible V Shred reviews and transformations from this program here.

Metabolic Assessment Quiz

Finally, there’s one more thing I recommend you try. It’s the V Shred Metabolic Assessment Quiz. 

You simply click the link below, and you take a 30 second quiz. This quiz acts like an “Obesity Screening” that checks your Metabolic Health. You’ll understand what might be blocking your body from burning fat…

And you’ll get tips to help raise your metabolism. The reason I like the Metabolic Assessment Quiz is because it helps ALL of the other programs – or anything you’re doing on your own – become that much more effective. If you’re interested in taking this quiz, I recommend you check it out here.

User Testimonials and Success Stories

We have a library filled with thousands of testimonials and V Shred reviews. You can spend hours browsing through countless success stories, before and afters, so that you feel 100% certain that we’re the right fit for you. 

The post V Shred Diet Programs – What’s Included? appeared first on V Shred.

A few years ago, you’d find people online debating whether creatine “worked.”

There’s no real doubt about that anymore.

Creatine has been shown in study after study to improve strength, power, speed, recovery— pretty much everything that makes a workout better, especially if you are doing one of our programs like Clean Bulk, Ripped In 90 Days, or Toned In 90 Days. 

These days, instead of asking “does it work,” the question has shifted to “Is there a best time and way to take creatine?” It’s a topic that is almost as heavily debated as “Are BCAAs a waste of money” — which you can read more about HERE.

For this article, we are going to clear up any confusion you have about creatine.

Creatine: Before or After a Workout? 

The funny thing about creatine is that there really isn’t a “best” time to take it in regard to your workout. As long as you take between 2-5 grams daily, even on non-training days, when you consume it isn’t as important.

That is because its effects are systemic, meaning that you need to have it build up in your system to work, over a period of days or weeks.

This sounds great, but the only problem with taking a supplement daily is that it can be easy to forget, especially on rest days.

That’s why we recommend taking creatine post-workout on training days: it’s easier to remember. And it’s why we put a precise amount of three different types of creatine in our Sculptnation Post-Workout. There is no guesswork! You get both a clinically studied dose of creatine AND other nutrients your body needs to properly recover after crushing a tough workout all in one scoop.

But if you’re in the “I’ll drink it whenever” camp or would rather slam a protein shake after your workout, we’ve got you covered there, too.

Sculpt Nation Creatine is designed to be a single-dose of the most research-backed form of creatine, which is creatine monohydrate. Each scoop has 5g, which is all anyone needs.

Should I load with creatine?

Some people recommend starting off by taking creatine with what is known as a “creatine loading protocol,” which is typically 4-5 doses a day for five days.

Is it effective? Sure, but unless you’re desperately seeking muscle size, most people should skip it.

Here’s why: Some people experience temporary side effects from creatine loading, like bloating or an upset stomach — and these pretty much always happen during loading protocols.

The answer: Keep it simple!! Just take 3-5 g every single day, and you’ll load your muscles just as well without any of the side effects some experience with “creatine loading.”

Not to mention, supplements only play a small part in reaching your muscle-building goals. You should first and foremost make sure your nutrition is on point. You can find out how much and what you need to eat to reach your goals in the V Shred App for IOS or Android. Make sure you get that squared away before you consider supplementing.

If Creatine Is Necessary For Your Goals? 

If you are looking at all this advice and just saying, “just tell me what to do, please,” that’s why we have the V Shred personal trainer and nutritionist team. 

Maybe you are a female mainly looking to lose body fat and not sure if creatine is needed? Or are an Ectomorph body type and unsure if you need more creatine to help reach your muscle-building goals?

Not only does our expert team make personalized diet and workout plans for thousands of people every day, but they can also help you pick the best supplements for your body type and goals.

You can get your personalized meal plan here or email coaching@vshred.com to learn more. 

The post When Should I Take Creatine? appeared first on V Shred.

If you are one of our clients/customers, we hope that we’ve been able to clear up some of that for you with our free body type quiz and easy-to-follow programs, and recipe-based meal plans.

 If you are new around here, you can find out more information about our dieting approach at the end of this article. 

Today we hope to clear up any confusion you may have about a term being used a lot in the diet and fitness space — Metabolic Confusion.

Don’t worry. It’s really not confusing at all.

The term “confusion” comes from what this eating style has the potential to do for helping create a healthier metabolism, which is essential for burning more calories and promoting fat loss.

Some studies show that metabolic confusion can help your metabolism work harder, possibly leading you to lose weight easier or bust past a weight loss plateau. 

While metabolic confusion is technically a type of “diet,” — it’s really more of an eating style where you alternate your daily calorie intake instead of aiming to eat the same number of calories each day.

The best part is that you can use this approach with whatever diet is best for you, your body type, and your goals. 

Maybe you’ve heard of it, or perhaps this is the first time you’ve seen it mentioned. Either way, it’s a topic worth educating yourself on!

Let’s dive into what metabolic confusion is and if it’s something you might want to consider, as well as two different ways to easily incorporate it into your healthy lifestyle, especially if your goal is fat loss! 

WHAT IS METABOLIC CONFUSION

As the name suggests, metabolic confusion is when a person attempts to “confuse” (and hopefully improve) their metabolism.

Eating too few calories (dieting) for an extended time can cause a major decrease in your metabolism. Basically, your body learns to  “adapt” to fewer calories. If this happens, your weight loss may slow or stop.

To break this plateau, some experts believe you need to adjust your diet or exercise routine to start losing weight again.

Metabolic confusion is one way you could potentially do this. 

The theory behind a metabolic confusion diet is that by varying your calorie intake from day to day instead of eating the same amount of calories daily, you’ll trick your metabolism, so it doesn’t get used to the calorie deficit you are in while dieting, leading to an increased basal metabolic rate (the number of calories your body needs to survive.) 

Metabolic confusion does not restrict food groups and can be achieved by using several different eating approaches that mix high and low-calorie days, also known as  “calorie shifting.” 

We will dive into three different methods you can use a little further down in this article. First, let’s talk a little bit about why it may be an approach you want to consider and what the experts have to say about it. 

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO CONSIDER METABOLIC CONFUSION

Anyone can incorporate this eating style, but if fat loss and a healthier metabolism are your goals, incorporating metabolic confusion is certainly something to consider. 

Or maybe you’ve tried different styles of dieting, from keto to intermittent fasting or even a flexible dieting approach, and still find it hard to lose weight — then a metabolic confusion diet is no doubt worth trying out! 

You can adopt this eating style anytime you wish; however, we think it’s a great idea to incorporate it BEFORE a plateau occurs. 

Our favorite method of metabolic confusion is carb cycling, but there are numerous approaches you can take, which we will dive into in just a second!

But first, we want to tell you what science says so you can better decide if it’s an approach you want to consider.

WHAT DOES THE SCIENCE SAY ABOUT METABOLIC CONFUSION

To date, there isn’t a ton of research that supports whether or not calorie cycling has a significant impact on your resting metabolism. 

There have been studies done that show using a metabolic confusion dieting approach does positively affect a person’s resting metabolic rate, as well as body weight — compared to eating the same number of deficit calories every day. 

The theory is that on a typical low-calorie diet, where you stick to a set calorie deficit (the same calories/macros) every day over a specific period, your metabolism will adjust to these low calories at some point, and your weight loss may slow or stop. 

They have concluded that to break this plateau, confusing your metabolism can help you start losing weight again, or even better, prevent plateaus from happening.

Despite little scientific backing, many nutrition experts swear by it, and at V Shred, we believe in using this dieting method because we’ve seen it work for hundreds of thousands of our clients and customers. 

DIFFERENT EATING STYLES TO ACHIEVE METABOLIC CONFUSION

There isn’t one set way to incorporate metabolic confusion into your diet, and it isn’t something you need to do forever. 

Most people incorporate this type of eating a few times a year – anywhere from a month to several months at a time. 

Here are the two most common methods used for creating a metabolic confusion diet.

Calorie Cycling

One approach to metabolic confusion is simply varying your calorie intake by splitting your week into high and low-calorie days.

Unlike carb cycling (which we will touch on next) – these calories can come from any macro (protein, carbs, or fats.)

However, we don’t suggest you take calories away from your protein macros. It’s best to set your protein intake and leave it alone and only adjust your calories from fat and carbs. 

How would you go about this?

For instance, let’s say your daily calorie value to lose weight is 1500 calories per day. This is just an example. You would need to use your own personal calories. 

1500 calories per day =  10,500 calories per week.

When you are on a “normal” diet, you would eat 1500 calories every day, and by the end of the week, you would have consumed 10,500 calories. 

With calorie cycling, you would still get in 10,500 calories for the week, but you wouldn’t eat 1500 calories every day. Some days you might eat 1200 calories, and some days you might eat 2000. 

This can be achieved in many different ways. The most popular method is to have two back-to-back high-calorie days followed by 5 days at the low-calorie number. 

Example:
Monday-Friday: 1350 calories each day.
Saturday & Sunday: 1875 calories each day.
Total calories: 10,500

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: 1200 calories each day.
Wednesday & Thursday: 1350 calories each day.
Friday & Saturday: 2100 calories each day.
Total calories: 10,500

The combinations for calorie intake are limitless as long as you stay within your target weekly calorie range. It is also not suggested that you do more than two high days in a row.

Carb Cycling

Instead of calorie cycling, some dieters opt to cycle carb intake. You keep your protein and fat intake the same 7 days a week, and your carb intake is the only thing that changes. 

This is the metabolic conditioning eating style we prefer here at V Shred because solid research backs this strategy to be optimal for leptin – the hormone in your body that affects your metabolic rate.

The theory is that the extra calories from carbs on high carb days will temporarily boost leptin levels – leading to a boost in metabolism,  more satiety when you go back to a low carb day, and increased fat burn.

For this metabolic confusion strategy, you would eat low to moderate carbs some days and high carbs on other days. 

An example of a typical carb cycling eating plan is one day of moderate carb intake, followed by four days of low carb intake,  followed by one day of high carb intake.

Example:
If you typically eat 200 carbs every day, by the end of the week, you would have consumed 1400 carbs.

On a carb cycling plan, you may do this instead:

Sunday: 250 carbs (moderate carb day)
Monday – Thursday: 100 carbs (low carb days)
Friday & Saturday: 375 carbs (high carb days)

Monday-Wednesday:  100 carbs (low carb days)
Thursday: 250 carbs (moderate carb day)
Friday: 100 carbs (low carb days)
Saturday & Sunday: 375 carbs (high carb days)

Using either example above, your total carb count for the week would still equal 1400 by the end of the week. 

Just like with calorie cycling, the number of carbs consumed and cycle length varies by person.

But in general, most days should be low carb days, and it is best if you don’t have more than two consecutive high carb days. If you have a high carb day, the next day should be a low carb day, or at the least, a moderate carb day. 

FINAL THOUGHTS ON METABOLIC CONFUSION

While you can’t really “trick” your metabolism, incorporating a metabolic confusion eating style may help prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which can make it harder to lose weight.

It is still a diet where you are restricting calories, but most people like calorie/carb shifting because it allows for more flexibility and mimics a more “normal” eating style of eating more some days than others. 

There are also certain body types that may benefit from metabolic confusion more than others. For example, some studies claim that creating metabolic confusion through carb cycling is the best way to help endomorphs lose weight. While mesomorphs and ectomorphs might need to take a different approach.

If you don’t know your body type, below you will find a link to a free quiz you can take to find out in minutes! 

The biggest perk of adopting metabolic confusion into your nutrition plan is that it gives you a mental break from the daily grind of dieting without using methods such as “cheat meals” or “cheat days,”  which can create a negative relationship with food for some dieters. 

If all of this seems too complicated, or it would be a headache to vary your calories or carbs day-to-day, it might be best to stick to the same calories daily and incorporate a weekly free meal instead or have more frequent diet breaks if you are restricting calories for a long time.

If you would like to know if metabolic confusion is an eating style that would work for you and your unique body type… 

We have a BODY TYPE QUIZ anyone can take FOR FREE! 

It’s only a few questions; you get your results instantly and are given suggestions for the diet and exercise regime that can help you get results faster and easier! 

And if you still have questions or want someone to do the groundwork for you, we have a team of expert coaches here at V Shred that would be happy to create a CUSTOM diet and exercise plan for you that is best for your lifestyle, goals, and genetics.

The post Metabolic Confusion: Is it a metabolism hack or hoax appeared first on V Shred.

Emily Shares Her Inspiring Transformation Story During a One-on-One Interview with V Shred & Sculpt Nation Co-Founder Vince Sant.

“I rocked it. I went from a size 8 to a size 4. So that’s pretty exciting.” – V Shred Client: 39-year-old Emily

One thing we love about our V Shred family of clients is how different everyone’s needs are and how unique each transformation story is.

That is exactly why we never use a cookie-cutter approach here at V Shred and encourage everyone to start their journey by taking our FREE body type quiz so that you can find an exercise and dieting style that will work best for your own unique genetics!!

Sometimes we have customers that need to lose 100+ pounds. Other times, we have those who want to gain weight, but we also have many clients like Emily who are “in the middle” and are only looking to lose a few pounds and tone up. 

No matter the end goal, one thing that’s consistent with all of our clients is how amazed people are that….

• Living a fit & healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to break the bank!
• Weight loss is possible without doing hours of boring cardio!!
• Spending hours in the gym every single day is NOT necessary!
• You can get results working out at home!!
• You don’t need to overly restrict and cut out all your favorite foods!!

That is the story of our client Emily!

After 3 months with V Shred, she surpassed her weight-loss goal without a restrictive meal plan, hours of cardio, or even a gym! 

She achieved results with a lot of dedication and a plan that focused on creating a healthy and maintainable lifestyle, not some crazy fad! 

Whether you are trying to gain 5 pounds or lose 50 — we know her story will inspire you!

Emily’s V Shred Transformation Story

Emily is a 39-year-old mom of two (ages 18 and 13) who loves to spend her free time with family, hiking, biking, and gardening!

Emily says she knew she could stand to lose a few pounds and tighten and tone her physique but never thought much about it until summer 2020 when a friend suggested they become “accountability partners.” 

“I was texting with a friend who lives in Montana that said, be my accountability buddy and let’s workout. I think I lost 3 pounds in 3 months because I wasn’t super committed to it,” remembers Emily. 

After not seeing real results with the program she and her friend were using, Emily set out to find something different. 

She had seen some V Shred advertisements and finally decided to click the link and check things out.
Emily says our exercise programs and dieting approach seemed totally different from anything she had tried in the past.

She liked that there was an option to do the workouts at home, so she signed up for Fat Loss Xtreme and started putting in the work! 

That was September 2020. 

Fast forward approximately 3 months later, and after one round using the Fat Loss Xtreme program and working one-on-one with a V Shred trainer to clean up her diet….

 Emily lost 11 pounds, numerous inches all over her body, and 4 sizes!

“I’ve never been under 120 since before high school, so that is kind of a big deal for me,” exclaims Emily. 

Emily says she knows that 11 pounds may not sound like much, but at only 5-foot-2, she says it made a HUGE difference on her petite frame! 

And the best part?! 

Emily chose the home version of Fat Loss Xtreme, so she was able to transform her body without an expensive gym membership … and in only minutes a day!! 

“ I was surprised it was just 18 minutes, and I was like, oh, I can do that! It is manageable, ya know. You build up to it. I like how the videos are laid out so you can modify or start more of a comfort you can handle and build up to that,“ says Emily. 

The only extra thing Emily did off of the Fat Loss Xtreme home plan was add in some short HIIT cardio using a treadmill that she found on Craigslist! 

She also incorporated two Sculpt Nation supplements that she says were key in helping give her energy during the day and quality sleep at night!

“BURN is fantastic. I feel on fire during the day. I am alert, awake, and have energy throughout the day. I work 9-hour shifts, get home, take a breather, then I’ll do my workout, and by then, around 5pm, I’m toast and tired. With the BURN and BURN PM, I feel like I can sustain myself longer,” says Emily. 

Emily says another key in her successful transformation was the support she received from her one-on-one V Shred coach, who created her custom meal-plan and the thousands of new friends she made in our private client Facebook community!

“It’s an all-in-one bundle. I felt like if I ever had a question about anything, it would be answered. The meal plan was great. It was tailored to my diet. I’m vegan, so it’s hard to find a lot of programs that don’t encourage you to eat chicken or beef. I’ve been eating super clean, and I like that and learning portion sizes or macros … I never saw a program that put them all together,” says Emily

Emily completed Fat Loss Xtreme and has now shifted gears and is doing TONED IN 90 DAYS.

“I thought my goal would be to hit 120, and then I’ll feel really good. But I’m actually at 116 now and hoping to build up muscle and gain more muscle weight. So I’d be happy with muscle weight gain. Just to be more toned,” she says 

While Emily’s end goal is to be more toned and defined, she says that isn’t her ultimate goal. 

“My main goal is to not die old and sick. If I start now, maybe I’m in a good position to do that. I want to be healthy enough to live a long healthy life,” says Emily. 

Which ties into the advice Emily says she would give anyone hesitant to get started! She says to think of what could happen if you don’t take that step and start taking care of yourself.

“It’s expensive to be sick. Hopefully, it’s a trade-off. Whatever little bit of money I spend now is worth it to me because I’m helping myself in the long run,” says Emily. 

Emily says that she is so confident that V Shred programs work that if a friend was on the fence — she would pay for it herself!! 

“I’d loan them money. It’s not that expensive. You want long-term success and to be healthy, then this is a program that will help you get there. It’s fun, totally doable, the FB community is overwhelmingly supportive. There is always someone there to help you,” says Emily. 

We can’t wait to check back in with Emily in a few more months to see where she is after spending some time doing Toned In 90 Days and putting on some more quality lean muscle!!

And if  you want to get started on your transformation, CLICK HERE to start in the same place Emily did, with our BODY TYPE QUIZ! 

It’s free, only a few questions, and you will get your results and tips INSTANTLY! 

The post V Shred Review: “Woman Tries Fat Loss Extreme Program and Drops 4 Dress Sizes” appeared first on V Shred.

It is beyond frustrating to have a muscle group that won’t grow no matter how hard you train. 

When this happens, most people fall into the mindset that they need to work the muscle even MORE.

Extra volume can be a great way to focus on weaker muscle groups, but you want to be careful that you never OVERTRAIN. Even more important… you must ensure your muscles are recovering so they can benefit from your training sessions.

The word recovery could mean a lot of things:

• Proper Post Workout Nutrition
• Overall Diet
• Quality Sleep
• Taking Rest Days

All of those things are important…

However, there is a different type of recovery we want to talk about, because it’s something almost every gym-goer neglects!

Not taking advantage of this very short window of time when your muscles are begging for a little love… could be what is holding you back!

We are not talking about a supplement or post-workout meal.

This type of recovery is something you need to do BEFORE you jet home to feed your muscles. 

Even if you don’t have lagging body parts… skipping this step is most likely the reason you stay sore and stiff… despite sleeping, eating right, and taking rest days!

THESE 10-20 Minutes Could Hold The Key To Your Best Physique EVER!!

POST WORKOUT STATIC STRETCHING & SELF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE (SMFR)

Static Stretching is when you hold a stretch for a longer period of time. The goal is to hold the stretch as long as you’re comfortable. Ideally a minimum of 30 seconds.

There are two types of stretching, but this is the one you will want to focus on POST TRAINING. 

Self Myofascial Release (SMFR) is just a fancy name for using recovery tools (like a foam roller or compression round) to release tension in connective tissue (called fascia.)

Lifters usually rank these two things of low importance because of the extra time it tacks on to a training session.

Incorporating stretching and self myofascial release immediately following every lift shouldn’t be viewed as an option… it really is a necessity!! 

We get it .. you only have so many hours in the day to get it all done.

You are probably thinking there is NO WAY you are going to be able to spend any more time at the gym than you already do! 

We don’t want you to.

We believe that SMFR is so vital that we believe you should CUT YOUR LIFT SHORT… 

if that’s what it takes to get it done!

We aren’t saying that you should skip necessary or assigned lifts. But if you are doing extra training thinking it will help your lagging muscle group.. try ditching the extra set and use that time for recovery instead.

If you insist on keeping the extra volume… look for other ways to make your sessions shorter (put your phone on airplane mode, limit socializing, etc.)

Do whatever you have to do to include this crucial step into every single one of your training days. 

TIPS FOR POST LIFT STATIC STRETCHING & SELF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE

If you want to stretch and perform SMFR over your entire body .. go for it!  But it’s only necessary to focus on the muscle groups you trained.

• Start with SMFR first and then move into static stretching.
• Using a firm roller or compression round, slowly roll until you find kinks/knots and then sink into them. This is called compression. You can even do something called shearing, where you go slowly back and forth over the area. Do this until you feel the muscle release .. then move on. 
• GO SLOW! If you aren’t moving in a slow and controlled manner .. the muscles won’t have time to adapt to the pressure and you won’t release the tension. Do NOT rush!
  
• After you are done using the recovery tools, you are then ready to move on to static stretching. The ideal time to hold each stretch is 30 seconds or longer.
  

It is normal for SMFR to be a little bit painful. It should have the same feeling as a deep-tissue or trigger-point massage .. a GOOD KIND OF HURT!

If the pain is too intense… use less pressure.

If something feels “off”… stop. 

WHY POST TRAINING (and not before) 

We are always looking for ways to optimize (or should be.) Static stretching should ONLY be done when your muscles are warm. SMFR has benefits no matter when you choose to do it! However, post training is when you will get THE MOST benefit.

Taking time to incorporate SMFR and static stretching post lift will give you … 

• Increased flexibility & overall range of motion 
• Improved Blood Circulation 
• Elimination of Lactic Acid
• Enhanced Recovery (less delayed onset muscle soreness)
• Decreased Risk Of Injury
• Mental Clarity

Of course you can stretch and roll anytime! In addition to recovering after each lift, it’s never a bad idea to incorporate stretching and SMFR into your weekly plan.

We suggest a minimum of 1-2 days a week dedicating 20-30 min to your entire body.

Rest days are a great time for this!

But the crucial time to make sure you get it done… is as soon as you are done lifting!

One question you may be asking yourself is if you really need to do this the second you are finished training, or if you can get home and do it later.

It is best if you knock it out while you are at the gym. Once you leave, there is a much higher chance of making an excuse, or letting too much time pass. The prime time to do SMFR and static stretching is when your muscle is tense, worked, and warm. 

WHAT ABOUT PRE-LIFT

The type of recovery we are focusing on in this video and article is POST LIFT. 

Before you hit the weights, you do always want to warm up. But this will be a totally different type of session.

Before training you want to do something called DYNAMIC STRETCHING. This type of stretching is movement based. You aren’t holding a position like you would with static stretching… you go fluidly through an entire range of motion. 

If you want to learn more about this type of stretching, check out this video! 

SMFR does have its place pre-lift. There are benefits to spending a short amount of time loosening the fascia surrounding your muscles before a workout.

1-2 sets, spending at most, 15 to 20 seconds on whatever body part you are training is enough to work out any areas that may be bound up.

Many people also find great benefit in doing this between sets if they feel like they can’t get a muscle to activate! 

SKIP YOUR LAST SET (and do this instead)
You will feel better.. prevent injury.. and with time and consistency.. LOOK better! 

If you want to know more about proper nutrition and how you should be training, recovering, and supplementing for your body type — check out this FREE body type quiz!

It will tell you what training program is best for YOU and even what type of diet you should be following to achieve the best results .. in the quickest time!!

Would you like to see more videos on proper ways to stretch and perform self myofascial release? Leave a comment and let us know! 

The post Why I Stopped Doing My Last Set: The Most Neglected Key To Muscle Growth appeared first on V Shred.

There is nothing more frustrating than putting in the work and not seeing results!!

If you are pushing hard in the gym and eating the right diet based on your muscle-building goals, it is time to look at your supplement stack!

Supplements are just that .. they SUPPLEMENT.

They are not magic.

They can’t do the hard work for you.

BUT… the right supplement stack… can make building muscle much faster!!!

If you want your lifts to be more effective and see the best results possible, supplements can no doubt help!

It can be confusing! There are SO MANY products on the market! The truth is .. most are a total waste of money… but not all are hype!

There are 4 Science-Backed Supplements we stand behind for muscle growth!!

• Protein
• Creatine
• Beta-Alanine
• Natural Hormone Boosters (Specifically those to optimize Testosterone)

The quality of these products, full ingredient profile, dosage, and even the ideal time you consume them, are all very important! 

We put together a video that explains what science says about each of these supplements and how you should incorporate them into your plan.

We can’t stress enough…

 There are no short-cuts to building muscle or losing fat.

There is not a pill or powder that will create massive muscle gains if you aren’t putting in the work, and your nutrition isn’t on point.

The equation will always be…

Diet + Training + Supplements = THE BEST RESULTS

We have tons of programs you can check out HERE.

Before you pick a plan….. 

You need to understand how your genetics can impact your progress! Your body type may be the biggest reason you are a “hard-gainer” and not seeing results!

It is crucial that you are eating and training for YOUR INDIVIDUAL BODY TYPE! 

We have a FREE QUIZ that you can take that will break all of this down for you!

If you combine a body type-specific plan, with the 4 supplements we map out in THE VIDEO ABOVE, we have no doubt that you will be on your way to quality gains … in no time!

The post Maximize Muscle Growth: 4 Science-Backed Supplements appeared first on V Shred.

Booze and bad decisions … we’ve all been there!

The price we pay for a night out is often a spinning room, a pounding headache, cotton-mouth, nausea, and a feeling of downright regret.

You may feel especially guilty once you realize you may be too beat down to get in your scheduled workout. 

Not so fast ….

Pending how much damage you’ve done .. moving your body may help give you some relief

BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT STRATEGY!! 

We are going to give you THREE workouts you can do. Each one is designed based on your “beat down” level! 

First, we want to explain how a workout can help get you back to normal! 

In addition to just getting you out of bed and stimulating blood flow….your big night out may have slowed the release of endorphins, the feel-good hormones that can help regulate your mood.

Moving your body, even when you don’t necessarily feel like it, can help stimulate the release of endorphins, resulting in a better mood and a better state of mind.

You should use caution exercising following a big night out. If you went overboard, it is probably best to just call it a rest day!

But if you feel up for it, while exercise won’t help you fully bounce back, it can counteract some of the effects, and help you feel human again .. getting you back to your scheduled lifts .. faster!

HERE ARE THREE WORKOUTS
**pick one based on how bad the aftermath is **

MAJOR BEATDOWN – Yoga & Stretching.
Yoga may be your best bet because it’s gentle but still gets your body moving. Crawl out of bed (or just stay there) and do a short 10-minute full-body stretch or yoga sequence. Keep it nice and slow! You may want to avoid inversions (anything where your head goes below your heart.)Here are a few ideas….

CAT POSE
This one is great for relieving spinal tension. Which may help with your pounding headache!

BOAT POSE
This pose may help ease that “room still spinning” feeling … because it incorporates both balance and coordination. It also works your abs .. which could help with digestion and speeding up the detox process! 

KNEES TO CHEST
This is another one that can help out with a sour stomach and bloating. So it may help you if you feel a bit nauseous. 

CHILD’S POSE
This one is great for overall tension relief .. It promotes strong and steady breathing .. and improves blood circulation throughout the body. 

If all else fails… do the CORPSE POSE
For this one, all you do is lay on your back kinda spread eagle style .. breathe and meditate! 

MODERATE BEATDOWN – Low Impact Cardio.
You may not feel like pounding the pavement or jumping up and down, but a nice slow walk, swim, or cycle, will help get your blood flowing and give you a nice endorphin release.

Just jump on a treadmill, bike, cybex, elliptical .. or even better get some fresh air and go on a walk outside … for at least 20 min! 

LIGHT BEATDOWN – Light Full Body Circuit.
If you are feeling up for more than just some low to moderate movement, try a short, really basic full-body circuit workout.

One exercise per body part, just a couple sets of each in a moderate rep range, using lighter weight, bands, or even just body-weight. 

An example may be:

• Leg Extensions or Air Squats
• Hamstring Curls or Walking Lunges
• Calf Raises
• Bicep Curls
• Bench Dips
• DB Chest Press
• Lat Pull Downs
• Sit-Ups
• Rest and REPEAT for another round or two! 

We have tons of short workouts like this on our YouTube Channel that don’t require the gym at all .. so you can stay at home and sweat it out.

Save this article and use each “phase” over the days to come! 

Whether you plan to sweat it out post-party, take it easy, or wait and see what the dreaded day after holds … your body may be wiped out for more than one day!

It’s probably best that you start with the Light Workout in the video above and work your way up! 

While you are laying around in bed … this would be a great time to take our FREE BODY TYPE QUIZ! 

Knowing your body type will help you make the BEST decisions when it comes to picking your training and nutrition program! 

THIS QUIZ is only 5 questions and will immediately tell you your body type and give you the information you need to reach your goals faster… (after you are totally recovered from your night of regret!)

We hope this blog and these workouts give you an idea of how you can still stay on track… even after a night of bad decisions!!

The post Damage Control: 3 Hangover Workouts  appeared first on V Shred.

We are about to say something that may shock you.

It kinda goes against everything your parents probably told you growing up.

It is the opposite of what the food pyramid says.

It may even be  something different than what your diet coach or personal trainer has told you.

And that is .. You don’t have to EAT multiple servings of fruits and vegetables a day. 

What you need are the vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants these foods provide. 

But that doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to eat vegetables you hate with every meal, set aside a chunk of your daily carb allowance for multiple cups of fruit, or spend a fortune on a wide variety of organic produce.

We are NOT saying stop eating fruits and vegetables. You should prioritize whole foods and include them in your diet.

Think you are getting in enough? 

Think again.

When we saw the data of just how bad Americans are at eating enough produce .. we were blown away.

Most of us don’t even come close! Even those of us who eat a “clean” diet with our plates piled full of produce. 

We are going to give you those numbers in a second and explain how being undernourished can lead to a host of issues.

Believe it or not, not getting enough micronutrients could even be the main reason you aren’t seeing progress with your diet and training. 

If you struggle to eat enough of these foods, we also have a solution to tell you about. 

There is a beverage we have added to our daily routine and put in all of our client plans.

Vince put together a video above going over what makes this beverage more than a nutritional gap filler. He also talks about some other interesting ways it may help you reach your aesthetic goals. 

This special beverage we are talking about is, Sculpt Nation’s GREENS.  GREENS not only helps fill the nutritional gaps that could be holding you back from reaching your fitness goals, but it also has benefits that go beyond what any typical array of fruits and veggies could ever deliver.

GREENS can help .. 

• Improve digestion
• Diminish uncomfortable bloating
• Boost natural energy levels
• Support balanced pH levels (which is important for a bunch of things, including vitamin absorption)

It doesn’t take any planning or prep work, and you will actually enjoy the taste! 

Many of you are probably saying, go ahead and tell me more!  I know I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.

Or maybe you already drink a beverage that claims to help fill these gaps, but it tastes horrible. So, you are curious if there is really a greens beverage that doesn’t taste like dirt! 

But some of you may be tempted to click away. You think your daily salad, cup of broccoli, and banana is enough.

But hear us out .. we can guarantee .. you aren’t even close.

MOST AMERICANS ARE NUTRIENT DEPRIVED 

About 9 out of 10 of you reading this aren’t even close to giving your body the nutrients it needs.

According to the CDC, only 9 percent of adults meet the intake recommendations for vegetables, and only 12 percent eat enough fruit.

That number is alarming, but not really surprising when you look at just how much produce these health experts say we need to consume to be healthy.

Government dietary guidelines suggest adults eat anywhere from 5 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

They set a general recommendation of 10 full servings a day, but exactly how much you need depends on your age, gender, physical activity, and overall health.

If you continue to walk around undernourished, it will come with a cost to your health and your waistline!

Before we tell you about an easy solution, we want to tell you about a few ways that not getting in enough micronutrients could negatively affect you. 

CELLULAR BURNOUT

Being undernourished goes beyond being vital for your health. It could be why you aren’t reaching your fitness goals.

Yes, leafy greens are full of vitamins and minerals.

Yes, they are a good source of fiber (which keeps you feeling fuller longer.)

But have you ever heard of Cellular Burnout?

This happens when free radicals take over the body.

Free radicals are unstable molecules that can be produced in your body due to several factors. Most of which you have little control over … like pollutants in the air you breathe, or even pesticides used to help grow all that “healthy” produce you are eating.

When these free radicals are roaming through your body in excess, your cells become exhausted and STOP functioning properly. That is cellular burnout. 

It is important to avoid because our bodies are home to over 37 trillion cells that control everything we do! 

The health of your cells dictates the appearance of your hair and skin, determines your mood, impacts the gut, regulates metabolism, and more.

Have you noticed …

• You’ve not been feeling yourself lately.
• Your metabolism seems low, and it’s hard to burn fat no matter how healthy you eat or how hard you train.
• Your energy levels have tanked.
• Your joints ache.
• Your skin and hair aren’t as vibrant as they once were.

If any of these sound familiar, chances are your cells are damaged and in need of some serious repair.

The way to fight back against cellular burnout is to give your cells what they need to be optimal.

You do this by providing them good fuel through the wide variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.

You find these in quality, pesticide-free, fruits and vegetables. 

YOUR EXTERNAL GOALS START ON THE INSIDE

Cellular burnout from not eating enough micronutrients is only one way that being undernourished could destroy your physique. 

Not getting in enough micronutrients is no doubt the most significant issue holding most of our clients back when we first start working with them.

But once we fix this, usually by incorporating that simple daily beverage we’ve been talking about, they suddenly feel alive again!

Out of nowhere, they start seeing significant changes when they look in the mirror. Their stomachs are flatter, the fat starts coming off, and lean muscle starts to develop. 

How is this possible? 

How can your body composition change without adding in additional gym time or making drastic calorie drops? 

Simple .. 

You cannot expect your body to be it’s best physically or aesthetically .. if you aren’t fueling it properly. 

If you aren’t giving your body what it needs to be healthy on the inside 

you will never see the results you want on the outside! 

You will struggle with your lifts, continue to be exhausted all the time, have a sluggish digestive system, a slowed metabolism, and experience stalls and set-backs with weight-loss.

But if you fix this, by fueling your body with the nutrients it needs, we have no doubt you will end up like our clients.

Clients that tell us that  the pounds start to melt off .. their stomachs flatten .. they begin to see significant improvements in muscle mass … sleep better .. and even say they see improvements in work performance because they no longer have brain fog. 

Micronutrients matter .. more than you may realize!! 

MICRONUTRIENTS ARE CRUCIAL TO YOUR FITNESS GOALS

Maybe now you have a better idea of exactly WHY it is crucial to eat enough of these foods.

It goes much deeper than they are good for you. Not consuming them could be why you are stuck in your weight loss journey.

But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s hard, if not impossible, to consume the amount we need to achieve our goals. 

That is exactly why we started drinking one serving of GREENS every day to make sure we are getting ENOUGH. 

In some ways, this drink could actually be even better than whole foods because it contains superfoods most of us would never pick up at the supermarket.

Things like … spirulina, alfalfa grass, bitter melon, goji berries, rhodiola root, and much more! 

It even has a unique adaptogen blend of science-backed herbs shown to help fight inflammation and reduce stress, probiotics to keep your gut bacteria balanced, and a unique protein that you can’t find in fruits and vegetables, but is important for keeping your skin tight and joints healthy.

• It’s easy (no prep-work)
• It’s delicious (we guarantee you will want to drink it)
• It’s cost-effective (will only cost you just over a dollar a day.)

We would drink GREENS even if we figured out how to eat enough fruits and vegetables every day … because it goes WAY beyond filling nutritional gaps!!

BOTTOM LINE …

Your first priority, before you step foot in a gym or try to master following a meal plan or counting macros, is getting your body functioning properly on the inside.

If you are certain, you are eating 10 full servings of farm-fresh, pesticide-free fruits and veggies every single day….

If you are confident, you are getting enough variety by constantly rotating your fruits and vegetables ..

If you are already supplementing with inflammatory herbs like Turmeric, collagen for joint support, and probiotics for gut health ..

If you have the money to spend hundreds of dollars a month on produce ..

And if you enjoy preparing and eating that much food and your stomach can handle it without getting all distended and bloated …

Props to you .. you are doing great .. keep eating only whole foods!!

But if you are like over 90% of the world whose best efforts aren’t’ even coming close to cutting it … then you really should give GREENS a try. 

Even if you choose to not drink GREENS, we hope this article encourages you to figure out a way to get in the micronutrients your body MUST HAVE if you want to FEEL and LOOK your best!!

The post The #1 Secret To Reaching Your Aesthetic Goals (Not What You Think) appeared first on V Shred.

Do you dream of losing that baby weight you’ve held on to for years?

Or, maybe you look at your body and just feel like it’s soft and shapeless?

Do you want to change but don’t know how?

Have you tried every method under the sun and failed? 

If any of this sounds familiar, you are going to want to watch this video 👆!

We have a foolproof 3-STEP process that is guaranteed to help you lose fat.

Whether you have 100 pounds to lose or are struggling to drop those last 5 pounds of belly fat, this 3-step process is backed by science .. and works!

It’s a method our staff has personally followed for years and the formula we use with all of our clients. It has helped people just like you shed hundreds of pounds that they thought they would never lose. We are excited to share it with you today!

We will even be answering some of the biggest questions we receive when it comes to dieting.

• What diet is best for fat loss.
• How to determine YOUR individual calorie needs.
• How to calculate and count macros for weight-loss. 

FOOLPROOF 3-STEP FAT BURNING PROTOCOL

STEP 1:  Determine How Many Calories YOU Need

This first step is not only most important, it’s also the most controversial and confusing. 

Diet is a frustrating word for most people because we live in an age of OVERLOAD.

While one doctor may preach a plant-based diet, another says that carbs and sugar are the enemies. Then a different highly credentialed expert says you can’t build fat-burning muscle without a ton of carbs. Another big diet trend we see is intermittent fasting, but then you have others that swear you have to eat every 3 hours starting the second you wake up.

Then you have your friends and family that have seen results by hopping on the latest diet fad like paleo, keto, or carnivore.. so you think that must be the answer. 

Are any of these methods wrong? No!

Pretty much all of the diets we just mentioned have their own individual benefits to them.

But none of them are magic either!!

If appropriately done… ALL of these dieting methods share ONE THING. It is THE THING that is most important no matter what diet you follow.

And that is… CALORIES!

Your total daily calorie intake is what matters when it comes to losing fat!

Despite what you may believe, you can lose weight eating carbs!
You can lose weight by the eating foods you enjoy!
You can eat 3 times a day, or you can eat ten times a day, and still lose weight! 

You just have to know how many calories your body needs before it starts storing them as fat. 

INDIVIDUAL CALORIE NEEDS

This is probably going to sound complicated at first. We are going to break it down in the easiest way possible.

Be patient! Once you absorb this information, we promise that it’s pretty simple. 

Don’t try to figure out your numbers as you read. We suggest you just read first and then come back later with pen, paper, and a calculator to crunch your calorie numbers. 

And don’t worry, the next two fat loss steps we are going to give you after this one are much easier! 

To understand how many calories you need, you first need to understand what a calorie is.

Calories are simply the amount of energy in anything we eat. They come from the three main macronutrients (or macros ), and those are carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

We are going to go over how many calories are in each macro and how to go about deciding how many of each you need here in just a second. 

First, we want to drill into your head that it typically does not matter where your calories come from (carbs, protein, or fat) — when you consume more calories than you use, your body will store the excess as body fat.

Before you decide HOW you want to EAT your calories (more fat, less carbs. vegan, plant- based, keto, etc.) — you still have to START by determining how many calories YOU can consume each day without gaining weight!

This is what we will be referring to as your maintenance calories. 

Determining your maintenance calorie number is where many people lose patience.

But remember, anything worth having takes a little work.

Plus, once you understand this, you will be able to use your calories however YOU want!

You will be able to go on whatever “diet “ you can sustain, and you will lose fat.

Unless you have a coach helping crunch these numbers for you, or unless you go get a body scan that will break down what your resting metabolic rate is —  finding this number can take a little trial and error. 

Calorie maintenance levels are different for everyone because we all have different daily calorie requirements.

This can be impacted by a long list of factors:

• Gender
• Height
• Age
• Activity level
• Metabolism
• Hormones
• Gut Health 

Even if you are the same age, height, and weight as someone else.

Even if you have the exact same activity level … the number of calories YOU need to lose weight is most likely totally different!

So, how in the world do you know where to begin?!

There are a lot of calorie calculators out there. None of them are going to be 100% accurate. But then again, those body fat scans aren’t either because they also can’t determine ALL of the factors we just mentioned. 

The numbers these calculators and scans provide are a starting point.

Look at them as an accurate estimate. 

We are going to give you a simple calorie calculator formula that you can use to determine both your maintenance calories and weight loss calories.  

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR MAINTENANCE CALORIES

Here is a general calorie calculation you can use. It is super easy to follow on your own to determine your maintenance calories (the calories you can eat every day and not gain or lose weight.)

You are going to take your current body weight in pounds and multiply that number by both 14 and 17. 

Somewhere in between those 2 amounts will typically be your daily maintenance calories.

Let’s use 200 pounds just for an example. 

• 200 times 14 .. is 2,800.
• 200 times 17 .. is 3,400.

If you are female, a little older, or are less active .. then start off by using the lower end of that estimate.

If you are male, younger, more active, or feel you have a “fast metabolism” .. go with the higher end of the estimate.

If you’re unsure, just pick a number somewhere in the middle.

That is your ESTIMATED number of calories per day you will need to eat to stay at your current weight. 

We know .. you are trying to LOSE weight. We are going to get to that calculation in a second. 

But you have to know your maintenance calories first. So let’s go back to that for a second.

You will take what you believe is your maintenance calories and eat that number of calories every day for a couple of weeks.

Monitor what your weight does and how your body looks. If your weight stays the same, great, you’ve probably found your maintenance calories!

If it goes up or down, then you will need to slightly adjust your calorie intake in small increments (maybe 100 to 200 calories in whatever direction needed) – then wait another week or two and see what your weight does. 

When your weight stays consistent … then you’ll know you’ve found your daily calorie maintenance number. 

Also, you’ll probably need to use a food tracking app to log everything you eat – even little snacks here and there. Those add up! You must account for everything when trying to figure out your maintenance number.

Another thing that helps is weighing yourself daily. You must do this at the same time, under the same circumstances. Never weigh yourself in different clothes, at different times of day, or on different scales.  

The reason you should weigh yourself daily is that weight fluctuations are a normal part of life and happen to everyone. Don’t let them discourage you!

If you only weigh yourself once or twice during this trial, you may weigh in on a “high” fluctuation day. You are weighing yourself daily so you can figure out your weight average.  

Once you think you know what your maintenance calories are, then you need to do a little more math to create a calorie deficit .. so that you can lose fat.

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR DEFICIT CALORIES

Let’s say you are hoping to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week — which is a rate that experts consider safe.

Anything more, unless you are drastically overweight, isn’t a good idea. You could end up losing muscle instead of fat .. which is NOT the goal! 

To get that deficit number, all you will need to do is calculate a 20% per day deficit below your maintenance calories.

Here is how you do that,

You will take the maintenance calorie number you came up with and multiply it by 0.20.

So, let’s say you determined your maintenance calories are 3000.

• 3000 x 0.20 .. which equals 600. 

That means you need to eat 600 calories less a day .. to lose weight.

Using this 3000 calorie example .. 

• 3000 – 600 = 2400 calories a day. That is your deficit number! 

Next, you will do what you did when determining your maintenance calories. You will track your food using the new number you think will put you in a deficit. Do this for 2-4 weeks and see what happens.

If you are losing MORE than 2 pounds a week, or if you constantly feel like you’re starving, you are probably being a tad bit too aggressive. 

Unless you have 100 or more pounds to lose, or you just simply feel fine losing weight at that rate, try adding in 100 to 200 more calories a day and see what happens. 

If you aren’t losing with that number, you can either give it a couple more weeks in case you are a slow responder (which is very common), or try dropping that number down by another couple-hundred calories. 

Once you find your deficit number, you will want to stay there for a while .. even if you stop losing.

This is important! Because some weeks you may lose a lot and some you may gain.

Stay consistent for a little while before making further calorie cuts. 

We know that sounds complicated, but it really isn’t.

You just have to be patient and think LONG term if you want to lose fat, keep it off, and stop falling into the yo-yo diet trap of losing, only to gain double back. 

Knowing how many calories you should eat to reach your goals is a crucial first step.

Knowing this number will give you FOOD FREEDOM to pick the diet YOU want to follow. 

Which is actually what we want to teach you next!

HOW TO TRACK MACROS

Now that you know how many calories you need to eat to lose weight .. you get to CHOOSE how you want to eat those calories! 

As we mentioned earlier, calories come from the three main macronutrients: 

1. Carbohydrates = 4 calories per gram.
2. Fat = 9 calories per gram. 
3. Protein = 4 calories per gram. 

What we always recommend is setting your protein number first. This is because protein is satiating, necessary for muscle growth, and is considered to be a thermogenic food, meaning it takes more calories to digest. 

Here is the general suggestion for protein:

• Women – Anywhere from 0.8 to 1.2 grams per pound of bodyweight.
• Men – 1 to 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight.

We suggest staying somewhere  in the middle .. at around 1.25 grams. 

Let’s say you weigh 200 pounds ..Multiply 200 x 1 (or 1.25 or 1.5) – which means you will eat anywhere from 200 to 300 grams of protein a day.

Let’s go with that middle number.

• 200 x 1.25 = 250

So let’s say your daily calories are 3,000. Knowing each gram of protein has 4 calories, that means at least 1000 of your 3000 daily calories should come from protein.

Once you know how much protein you need to eat in a day, you get to choose how you want to spend the rest of your calorie budget.

For this example .. you would have 2000 calories left. 

Want more fat … go for it.

Prefer carbs .. that is totally fine .. eat that way.

Just remember that each gram of fat has 9 calories per gram and carbs have 4 calories per gram. 

While it is your choice, a good general recommendation for optimal hormone and brain health is not dropping your fats any lower than 20-30% of your daily calories.

The only other thing you need to keep in mind when picking your foods is that you do need to follow the 80/20 rule.

80% of the time focus on whole foods that will provide enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber! 

We generally suggest no-one eats less than 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. 

RECAP…

We know that was a lot of information, but we hope it helped you understand that ultimately

it doesn’t matter what diet you pick!!

As long as you are consistent and hit those calorie/macro targets that put you in a caloric deficit .. you should lose fat. 

If, after attempting to calculate your calories/macros, you are still totally confused .. we have coaches that can do all this work for you within our Custom Plan Programs.

All you do is fill out a short questionnaire explaining your body metrics, your food preferences, and your goals. They crunch all the numbers for you and provide you with the exact grocery list and meals you should be eating every day.

They also make adjustments along the way, so you continually get results. If you wanna check it out, CLICK HERE!

Okay!! The hard part is over! Steps 2 and 3 are not as complicated (shew, thank goodness.)

In fact, step 3 will only take you about 30 seconds a day!  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s dive into step two!

STEP 2: Exercise

No surprise here, but like diet, exercise does play an important role in losing fat. 

Notice we didn’t say that it has an important role in losing weight.

This is something you will need to keep in mind once you start weight-training.

But eventually, you will want to rely more on pictures, measurements, and how your clothes fit instead of what the scale says.

The most effective way to burn fat .. is to build muscle. 

Cardio is great, which we will touch on in a second, but you should ALWAYS prioritize resistance training over cardio! 

Lifting weights is the only way to build muscle. Muscle is the only way you can change the SHAPE of your body.

Nobody wants to just be a soft and skinnier version of their old self. The goal is to firm up your body and change its SHAPE. Weight training is the only way you can do that. 

Also, having more muscle speeds up your metabolic rate. This means that even when you aren’t training .. when you are doing nothing and even when you are sleeping .. your body is burning MORE FAT! Simply because you have more muscle that requires energy in the form of calories consumed! 

So, again, always prioritize weight lifting over cardio and all those boot camps and zumba classes. 

When it comes to cardio, the most effective method for blasting fat is no doubt using high intensity intervals .. or HIIT. 

This style of cardio is when you go all out with short bursts of any movement that will sky-rocket your heart rate for anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds, followed by a recovery period of anywhere between 20 seconds to several minutes.

These sessions, in total, are usually only 10 to 20 minutes and never longer than 30 minutes.

Time is one reason most people prefer this method. HIIT is much less time consuming and much less boring. 

The biggest thing to be aware of with HIIT is that you have to go ALL OUT during the work periods .. or it WILL NOT be effective. 

Most experts agree, when done correctly, HIIT cardio is better than steady state, which is any cardio where you keep a constant slower to moderate pace over a longer period. 

A lot of studies have been done comparing these two methods..

In one trial, researchers had 10 men and 10 women train 3 times per week. One group performed HIIT, doing 4 to 6 30-second treadmill sprints with 4 to 6 minutes of rest in between each. The other group did 30 to 60 minutes of steady-state cardio- running on the treadmill in the “fat loss zone.”

After 6 weeks, researchers found that the HIIT group’s fat mass decreased by 12.4%, but the fat mass of the steady-state group only decreased by 5.8%. That is almost DOUBLE the amount of fat loss in the HIIT group!

The exact reason HIIT seems to be superior is still sort of a mystery, but scientists have a few conclusions. 

They believe that HIIT can keep your metabolism ramped up for as much as 24 hours following the session. This means that you don’t only burn calories WHILE doing the cardio, you keep burning calories for hours or even days after.

They also found that HIIT helped improve insulin sensitivity in the muscles. You want to have a good insulin response. This will allow your muscle cells to be able to use all the food you are eating as fuel instead of storing them as fat. 

Researchers also believe HIIT can cause spikes in growth hormone, which also aids in fat loss.

Now, all this is not to say steady state is bad.

Those longer sessions, like running.. incline walking.. or step mill .. do burn calories and provide cardiovascular benefits.

Also, steady state may be the best option for beginners.

Because again, for HIIT to be effective, you need to get your heart rate spiking into that 80-90% max range during the work periods. This may be too much if you are just getting started.

Ease your way into HIIT if you need to.

But if your goal is to burn as much fat in as little time as possible, then HIIT is eventually the way to go.

We have TONS of free HIIT workouts on our YouTube Channel if you need a little bit of direction. Check out our YouTube channel HERE!!

We’ve covered steps one and two .. a calorie deficit using any diet that you can sustain and exercise with a focus on resistance training and HIIT. 

Those are the most important steps in fat loss. Nothing can substitute those two things.

You can’t just skip over these steps .. and expect this 3rd step to work.

It’s a process.

But once you do take care of those, this last step could be what puts your body into overdrive! It could be what helps you finally get rid of the fat in your stubborn spots or push past a plateau.

Step 3: Supplement With Science-Backed Thermogenics

Thermogenics contain ingredients that have been shown to increase your body’s natural metabolic response, so you burn MORE calories not only while exercising – but also while resting!

They also contain compounds that can increase body temperature, enhance energy production, and stimulate your central nervous system (which can help suppress your appetite and help banish all those abnormal cravings that lead to cheating on your diet) 

Thermogenics are usually labeled as FAT BURNERS, but you have to be careful!!

Many of these products claim to burn fat, but they don’t. They just help you shed a little water weight, or give you a jolt of energy. 

There are very few ingredients that researchers have deemed to be effective at helping enhance the efforts of diet and training. 

Finding a good thermogenic that actually works is tough, that’s why we created BURN EVOLVED. Our reformulated thermogenic fat burner, BURN EVOLVED provides support to help force your body to torch stubborn body fat from the inside-out. BURN EVOLVED is filled with ingredients to that are scientifically show to help you burn fat!  

BOTTOM LINE…

First, it doesn’t matter if you are eating only plants, eating no carbs, eating 6 meals or only 2 meals … you have to determine how many calories you need to eat in a day to lose weight. 

Next, you need to prioritize resistance training above all other exercise and incorporate some HIIT cardio if you are able. 

And last, if you want to enhance those efforts and tap into your body’s natural ability to burn even MORE fat and send your metabolism into overdrive … then start taking very specific thermogenics. 

SOURCES
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20473222/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21113312/
https://www.capsimax.com/capsimax-difference  (Capsaicin)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23308394/ grains of paradise
http://www.paradoxine.com/science.php  Paradoxine
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/87/3/778/4633440#111217122 (8b) green tea
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15438620600987106 (9b) Yo
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0014299981901230?via%3Dihub (10b) yo
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987701914598?via%3Dihub (11b) yo
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/increasing-fiber-intake
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5577766/ 

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