#LTADARESU Challenge + NIKE Air Max Prize & How to Get a Shredded Six-Pack

Happy Tuesday and congratulations to the lovely Beth from Beauty in Beta who
won the luxury Jo Malone Candle ?Sweet Almond and Macaroon? that I was
giving away as a little ‘thank you’ to all of you for helping me reach 500+ Followers on ‘Letters to Antoinette’.

While working on my Healthy Living Motivational Post I made the spontaneous decision to initiate a healthy living challenge #LTADARESU
with a great prize for some additional motivation ? an amazing pair of Nike Air Max (the
size and colour of the winner?s choice). Today I?ll be giving you some additional
information about the Challenge as well as details about the goal I?ve set for myself.

Deadline of the Challenge:
1st August, 2014

My Goal: To Get a Shredded
Six-Pack

And if you are now remarking with a puzzled expression ?A Girl + A Six-Pack?? ? don?t worry, I won’t be going to any extremes. The thing is that despite my
regular workouts I?ve always found it rather impossible to get well-defined abdominal muscles. What’s even more peculiar for me is that while I could
easily shape the other parts of my body (be it legs, arms, calves) this has never been the case with my belly.

So… that?s the what my body currently looks like (the photos were taken prior to my Zumba class a few days ago).

When I started reading around the subject (getting six-pack and all that) I came to the conclusion that while maintaining a healthy living lifestyle, there were a couple of mistakes that I was habitually making… Yes, a few essential ones which hindered me from getting perfectly shredded abs.

1. Increasing my protein intake

I was 15 when I stopped eating meat. When people ask me why, well, I find it quite difficult to justify my decision. I guess, at a certain point of my life I purely stopped craving it and instead chose to indulge in all things raw + dairy? be it vegetables, nuts, feta cheese.

However, if I?m to achieve my goal I should start supplying my body with more protein that comes from ingredients other than meat. So, the list of things I?ve stocked my fridge and shelves with after my Sunday shopping are: eggs (will consume primarily egg whites with only the occasional yolk, which is rich in fat), fish (salmon + tuna), chickpeas, lentils, yoghurt, raw nuts, seeds, quinoa.

Also, as I?ve mentioned before (here) some ?fats? are essential for the proper functioning of your body as well as for enhancing your metabolism. So, through supplying my body with the healthy fats found in the avocado, olive oil, salmon, raw almonds, and olives I’ll be getting a step closer to the abs I?ve always dreamed of.

From the carbs my choice is – whole wheat bread, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, while from my
all time favourite non-starchy veggies rich in fibres I’ve purchased asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, kale, arugula, carrots, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and eggplant. Ah, I literally cannot wait to experiment with these products, creating healthy & innovative salads and dishes.

2. New workout routine?

With not much fat stored in my body, I?ll be attending my Zumba classes a few times a week (2-3) which will be the only cardio I?ll be doing. However, if you have large amount of belly fat you should be spending more time doing HIIT (high-intensity interval training) which will help you ged rid of the fat you don’t need. Only then you?ll be able to make your abs come into sight.

My Abs Workout? 3 times a week I?ll be doing various ABS workouts at home and in the park. And, to debunk the widespread myth – crunches are anything but enough in your pursuit of shredded abs. For example the vertical chair knee raise + squats stimulate far more abdominal activity than the crunches we?re so used to doing. Not only do the former exercises burn more calories, but they will facilitate you getting the abs you’ve always dreamed of (Okay, okay, I’ve always dreamed of!).

3. Sugar intake?

Well, the human body is able to process not more than 3-6 grams of simple carbohydrates at a time or in other words around 1 spoonful of sugar. And when I say sugar, I don?t mean candy. Sugar is also found in alcohol, all dairy products (lactose), fruit (fructose), and of course processed candy (refined sugar) and unfortunately in my all-time favourite honey. The good news is that I don?t feel the urge to indulge in biscuits or any other processed sweets. However, I do love my honey, I do adore indulging in dairy products (feta cheese+mozzarella+parmesan) and my evening glass of Sauvignon Blanc. So rather than having them, I?ll be focusing on supplying my body with extra protein while simultaneously minimising my sugar intake. Also, I will completely remove the alcohol from my diet and the only sugar I?ll be providing my body with will derive from fruits + the honey I’ll be adding to my morning smoothie.

4. From 3 to 5 meals a day

Yes, rather than eating 3 regular meals a day, I?ll be having 5 smaller ones which will give me more energy throughout the day + boost my metabolism both things essential for helping my abdominal muscles finally become more structured and well-defined. Ah!!! I simply CANNOT wait to see the results!

I?ll be sharing photos of my progress on my facebook page (letterstoantoinette), instagram (antoinettepepe), and twitter (@antoinettepepe) always hashtagging them with #LTADARESU.

And lovely I DO KNOW how difficult it may be for you to actually start! To make yourself go to the gym and make better heathy eating choices. To make yourself introduce some positive changes in your life. Yes, I do know.

And that?s why I?ll be ‘challenging’ myself too, joining you in this exciting adventure that will hopefully motivate you to convert to a healthy living lifestyle.

A few girls have already shared their willingness to participate so ‘Good Luck’ to them!

Chrissy Lilly from Chrissy Lilly
Lauren from Lauren The Daydreamer
Sarah from Seriously Shallow
Cristina from My Cup of Tea
Eesha from Eesha’s Glam
Sharna from Perks of Being Sharna

So you, lovely reader, who is still mulling over the possibility of entering the challenge:

1. Choose your goal

2. Share it either by commenting below the post or dropping me an email at antoinette.pepe@gmail.com

3. Start sharing your progress with us vie social media hashtagging it #LTADARESU + @antoinettepepe that will be regularly featured on ‘Letters to Antoinette’ + linked back to you and your website.

You?re probably thinking ?Okay, okay? I?ll start from
tomorrow. Guess what