OK, this is not from me. I’ll admit to borrowing this idea from a great abs-expert, David Grisaffi (www.flattenyourownabs.com). He wrote a few years ago (not exact quote): “tie a string around your waist so you can feel when you eat a little too much, clothes may stretch, a string won’t”.

He’s right of course, but being a girl, the idea of a string around my waist just didn’t sit right. I headed for the nearest “bling-store” and looked for a waist-chain. Sure, there were some, and some were cute too, but at the time … they were all too short for me! I guess that at 205 lbs you’re not expected to wear a waist chain … so what to do? I did not want that string!

Next stop, after having measured my then voluminous waist, was the hardware store. You read that right. They have sections of the store with different styles, types and thicknesses of chains. I chose one I found nice enough, rounded links, not too large but enough to hook something into to close it around me, and a little piece of hardware to do just that (there was a guy showing me different options, don’t remember what he called the things J but it kept the chain closed). Of course, I didn’t say what I was going to use it for!

My goal was to “get into” the nice bling-chain I bought instead of the hardware one, and I did. However, being fancy it broke very quickly. Those things just aren’t made to wear when you squat and lift, just to show off at the beach in a bikini, or with hip hugger jeans while strolling somewhere doing nothing. I was in the garden lifting some rocks and roots, and snap … no more bling.

Solution: hardware store chain again, but I added a small ring to it at a distance from the end to hook into, leaving the rest dangling. After a while I also found a metal bead to hang at the dangling end to make it look nicer if I wore something showing a bit of bare waist (since now I could!).

My main tools for achieving this “showable” waist, were BFFM (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle) for about 6-8 months, but I switched to a winning combination of EODD (Every Other Day Diet) and 7MM (7 Minute Muscle) that I’ve been following for the past year and a half and I don’t see any need to ever change to anything else as far as nutrition plan, and the workouts I’ll change a little just for variety’s sake.

You can get your own copies right here:

EODD   http://tinyurl.com/myEODD

7MM     http://tinyurl.com/7MinMuscl

BFFM    http://tinyurl.com.4ez2ga    

I still use the chain-trick too. When I know we’re going to a “do” where I suspect the presence of a lot of foods, I strap on my chain under my clothes and make sure it’s hooked up snugly. As soon as I feel it dig into me, I slow down on the consumption of the foods presented. And it works.

Believe you me, I’ve tried the

Detailed eating and drinking plan written down before I go

Note on my cell-phone set to go off during the meal to remind me to watch out

Writing my goal weight/ bodyfat percentage in my hand like a school girl’s cheat-note

Hubby telling me the goal-weight number during the meal if I reach for something I shouldn’t

Kicks under the table for the same things

The chain works better, because it’s a physical reminder which is there all the time.  I often didn’t hear the cell; hubby wouldn’t notice and warn me because he was caught up in a conversation and didn’t see I was having my third of something one would have been plenty of; the detailed plan, even well rehearsed, evaporated from my mind at the sight of a freshly made lemon pie; and the note in my hand? Heck, there was a fork in that hand people!

Just a little trick; but it’s often the little things, the details, which keep you on track. If you can, get a bling-chain (remember, no lifting while you wear it) or a sturdier hardware chain; or if you can afford it a length of gold or silver chain, why not!? I’ve made a silver one out of two necklaces and one bracelet (I had a set and mom had just the necklace but gave it to me years ago) for dressier occasions like a pool party in a bikini

Battles are won, battles are lost; what counts is to win the war – the declared war on excess bodyfat. This little trick is tool to help win one type of battle: the eating-party battle.

Until next time, train with purpose and eat clean!

Sarah, CPT

www.trainwithsarah.com

The6packSecret – Reviewed by CPT Sarah Hougen
http://yoursixpacksecret.com

Nice title for a book, no? We all want 6 pack abs, even the ladies (come on, admit it already). Even just a 4-pack would be nice, right? Yet somehow, we don’t seem to quite get there. We have this gizmo, that gadget, we try diet pills, nothing works. Why is that? The actors and recording stars advocating these things saying they look as great as they do because they use them … don’t they? 99% of the time, no. It’s all a lie. Like 99% of all commercials and other publicity, right?

But here’s a guy, who really sports a great set of abs, telling us what to do to get that look. I know, he’s not the first one to do so, there are other books available, some great, others good, and many mediocre to lousy, but this one places among the great. And Jamin is really a nice guy too!

Yes, I will go as far as to place Jamin Thompson’s abs book among the great abs books. Believe me, I have plenty of those little things stashed away on my computer, I’ve read them all (those that I have), I’ve used a few, mixed some with other programs, etc. I’ve read plenty of fitness books over the past 3-4 years, sometimes as many as 3 per month, rarely less than 1.