What's it all about anyway?

So 5 short weeks remaining in Dream Team and I'm seeing a lot of different things.  Some people are pushing harder than they ever have, some people are keeping the same intensity and schedule as week 1 (which could be a good or bad thing) and unfortunately some people are shutting down a bit.
At this time I think it's important to remember what Dream Team is all about.  Our goal here is to create a healthy lifestyle of exercise and proper nutrition and during the 4 months of Dream Team, we strongly urge you to step your game up a little , set some ambitious goals for yourself and see what you can do.  I mean after all, where else in your adult life do you get a chance to be in a fun contest with your peers and maybe even receive an award and get recognized for all your hard work.

This year we will be crowning our 13th Dream Team champion and although only one team gets a first place trophy, all the teams have an opportunity to push each other, sacrifice and bond to what I think makes for a great Dream Team experience.  It's up to you and your teammates to bring fun, enthusiasm and energy to the training sessions (coincidently that usually shows in results as well) and this is what makes Dream Team great...the bonding.  Trust me, I speak for every trainer when I tell you it's not all about the most points, but also witnessing the comradely and many small victories from our clients.

So the question is, with 5 weeks to go, how are you doing as a team?  How are you as a teammate?  For many of you this is crunch time. What are you going to do?

My Advice

With just a little over 6 weeks left in Dream Team, I'm reminded of some advice that I once gave our very own trainer Susan Maloney when she was preparing for a bodybuilding competition.  She said "How am I looking Bill?"  to which I replied "Well you still have 6 weeks, but you only have 6 weeks."  My point of course is 6 weeks is plenty of time to make some real major changes to your body, but at the same time, 6 weeks goes by real fast.  Plus think about it, you can do anything for 6 weeks, right?
Here is some more food for thought (maybe I used the wrong word there, are you hungry?) We will be having a blast and celebrating our accomplishments at the banquet on May 3rd (be sure to mark that date) and trust me, it's not about who wins or who gets what award.  This contest is all about you and your team working hard and pushing yourselves and each other toward a goal.  And when it's all said and done, I know you want to be proud of not just your accomplishments, but probably even more so, the effort you put in.  For myself, I know I always enjoyed the preparation for my bodybuilding shows way more than the show itself and that's because in the immortal words of Steven Tyler "Life's a Journey , not a destination."  So do everything you can to hold your head up high on May 3rd and say I gave it my best shot.
Before ending this, I should add that Susan went on to look awesome at her show.

At this point...

Well here we are ready to start the second half of Dream Team and I'd like to give all of you step by step the same advice I've been giving the teams that I train.
1.) At this point, you should, without doubt have a meal plan written down that you follow.  If not, it's not too late, but you need to do that today and remember to follow the rules from my previous blog.
2.) From this point on, you should be down in bodyfat% every single week. If not, the question I'd ask you is "What calorie cuts are you going to make this week?"  The logic is simple.  If you have a solid plan and you follow it, you should be down.  If not, you need to skim about 100 calories out of your plan. 
3.) How to cut these calories.  First, keep in mind, that if you actually follow your plan, you may not need to cut a single calorie for the duration of dream team, but if you do need to cut, here is the order in which you should do that:
a. Any "extra's you may be doing (i.e. creamers, sauces, cheese, etc. b.) cheat meals c.) Any starchy carbs outside your 3 hour window (potatoes, rice, toast) d.) dairy products (milk, yogurt)  e.) fruits (bananas, apples) f.) pre workout oats (Cut back in portion size or have core PRO instead of core MRP) g.) fats (oils, avocados, peanut butter) h.) at this point you really should be losing, but if not, start making your portions smaller (i.e.1/2 scoop of protein instead of 1 or core pro instead of MRP), .  DO NOT CUT OUT ENTIRE MEALS!
nutrition tip: do not cut out your post workout shake at all
4.) Keep in mind that if you step on the scale and you know you went off your plan somewhere, just tell the trainer and don't make that same mistake the following week, but if you didn't cheat, you need to make a small calorie cut.
5.) You can make a lot of changes in 8 weeks and who knows, this could be you