Weight Loss Inspiration Kelsey Byers Weekly Routine + Total Fitness Guidelines!

Say Hello To Trimmed and Toned’s New Columnist: Kelsey Byers

Kelsey Byers is a 50-pound weight loss success story, an Oxygen Magazine cover girl, NPC Bikini Competitor and a Labrada Nutrition Sponsored Athlete. In the weeks to come, she will be sharing her knowledge on nutrition and training.

Kelsey Byers’s Weekly Routine

What does it take to get me through my week? Well, here it is!

I am a full-time employee, graduate student and fitness enthusiast. I will tell you that I have become very good at time management skills with this schedule. It does require discipline but it is possible for anyone. I do believe it takes some time to ease into a healthy lifestyle if it is not something you are accustomed to. Make small changes each week and you will be surprised at how easy it becomes. We are creatures of habit.

Diet

The most important part! What you look like is 80% nutrition.

Every Sunday my husband and I cook in bulk. First, we cook our protein. We cook chicken in several ways- grilled, baked and even use our crock pot with Mrs. Dash’s salt free seasonings. Another protein favorite is extra lean ground turkey, which we brown on the stove-top. Other proteins I may eat during the week include scrambled egg whites (cooked every morning), tilapia and extra lean beef.

Complex carbohydrates can be cooked in bulk as well. My favorites are beans, brown rice and yams. I also like oatmeal and grits, but I cook those on the day I eat them. Although it is best to eat fresh vegetables, I tend to buy frozen bags of steamable vegetables for the work week. One of my favorite fresh vegetables to eat is sliced cucumbers with spicy mustard.

Once the cooking is finished, we store our food in large tupperware in the fridge. We may even freeze a few meals to make sure they are still fresh for the end of the week.

Daily Routine

Each morning I wake up before work and pack my meals, measuring my portions using a food scale and measuring cups. My nutritionist designs my portions to meet my goals. I pack my meals in my cooler to get me through the day and go to work at my full-time job as a Marketing Director.

Packing my meals for the day frees up more time to do what I want. For example, if I didn’t bring my meals, I would spend my entire hour lunch break going out to eat. Bringing my own meals allows me to eat quickly then get other things done on my lunch break. For example, workout, go shopping, read, do college homework, etc. The point is, I have time for ME, which makes me day less hectic.

Eating To Be Lean

I eat every three hours, five to seven meals a day. This keeps my metabolism high and keeps my body fueled for the gym. I eat the same way whether I work out or not. If I am awake late at night on the weekend and it’s been three hours since my last meal, I eat. I don’t worry about the time. If I am hungry, I eat. It’s that simple. My meals consist of a lean protein and complex carbohydrate every 2.5 – 3 hours. I also eat veggies most meals. If it’s late and it’s my last meal, I might choose to leave out my carb and only eat protein and veggies.

Water

Drinking plenty of water keeps the weight off. My husband and I have seen a significant difference in our body fat percentages when we don’t focus on our water intake. On the weeks we aren’t as disciplined with each drinking our “gallon a day,” our body fat percentages are higher. Water flushes toxins out of our bodies as well, which keeps illness away. Stay hydrated!

Training

My training varies depending on my goal.

GOAL: Burning Fat

Cardio: If I am training for a competition or just trying to burn fat, I wake up early for AM fasted cardio four to five mornings a week. I simply throw on my workout clothes and shoes, grab my water bottle and iPod, then I jump on the treadmill at home.

Before I had my treadmill at home, I would wake up a little earlier and drive to the gym. Having my treadmill at home saves me time in the morning.

My AM cardio workout usually consists of walking uphill for 45 minutes. Every other day I add a 40 second sprint in every 10 minutes (with no incline). That high intensity interval training (HIIT) keeps my heart rate up and burns fat efficiently. I basically walk for 10 minutes on the highest incline, drop the incline to zero, sprint for 40 seconds, then repeat for the entire 45 minutes. IF I am unable to get up for morning cardio, I perform cardio later that day immediately after I lift weights. I eat a meal one hour before my workout.

Weight Training

I typically lift weights five nights a week year round. I choose three or four exercises per muscle group. If I am trying to build muscle, I do less cardio. I also perform fewer sets and lower reps (3 sets of 8-12 upper body, 4 sets of 12 lower body). If I am leaning out for competition, I add more cardio and lift lighter weight, higher reps (4 sets of 12-15 upper body, 4 or 5 sets of 15-20 lower body).

Example Of My Workout Plan:

Monday: Shoulders And Abs

Shoulders- 4 sets of 12-15

Exercises: Military Press, Lateral Dumbbell raise, Rear Delt machine, Front Raises

Abs – 3 sets of 50

Exercises: Crunches, bicycles, scissors, floor hip raises, leg lowers

Sample Ab Workout From Kelsey

Tuesday: Legs And Glutes – 4 Sets Of 15-20

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Chest, Triceps And Calves

Chest- 3 sets of 12

Exercises: Dumbbell bench press, standing cable fly, pushups

Triceps- 3 sets of 12

Exercises: Cable push down, dips on bench with body weight, dumbbell kickback

Calves- 4 sets of 15

Exercises: Seated calf raises, standing calf raises

Friday: Legs And Glutes (Day 2)

Note: I do an extra day for my weakest body part. I usually do the same exercises as I did on Tuesday, I just lift a little lighter and do more of a circuit workout. For example, I might do 15 leg presses, then move to 15 bench step ups, then 15 hamstring curls (all with no rest).

Saturday: Back And Biceps

Back- 3 sets of 12

Exercises: Assisted pullup, seated row, seated pulldown, back extension

Biceps- 3 sets of 10-12

Exercises: Dumbbell curls, hammer dumbbell curls, preacher curls

Sunday: REST

GOAL: Maintaining

If my goal is simply to maintain, I don’t change my plan much. I stick to eating clean meals every three hours. I still lift five days a week and I perform cardio three days a week. I monitor my body fat by visiting my nutritionist and also by how my clothes fit. I limit cheat meals to once every two weeks.

GOAL: Muscle Growth

I recently competed in my fifth NPC bikini competition at the Arnold Bikini Amateur in Columbus, OH. Moving forward with my goals, I am giving myself a “growth” period. This means that my goal is not to burn fat, it is to add some shape to my body. I teamed up with my nutritionist to increase my complex carbohydrate portions to build muscle. This is the first time in my fitness career that I’ve allowed my body a growth period, so I’m really excited about the possibilities. I will still be lifting five nights a week but with no cardio for the first 4-6 weeks. I’m really stepping outside my comfort zone with the “no cardio” plan, but I’m willing to try it.

Identify Your Goals

I have maintained a lean physique for three years with the plan I listed above. Before you start a plan, it’s important to identify your goals. The most common phrase I hear from women is, “I want to tone, not bulk up.”
Women are not born with the amount of testosterone in their bodies that men are. That’s why it’s easier for men to put on muscle. I was afraid of lifting at first, but my husband encouraged me to pick up the weights to stimulate fat burning. It works. Combine lifting weights with clean eating and you will be shocked at your results. Ladies, lifting weights creates shape and curves on your body. It is the best way to create definition. The more muscle you have, the less cellulite. I encourage you to give it a try. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and lift heavy. I keep a notebook in the gym that lists my exercises, amount of weight lifted, sets and reps. That way I can continue to push myself every week and aim at increasing the weight I’m lifting.

Ditch The Scale

Don’t rely on the scale to make you feel good. When I hired my nutritionist, I went from
24 percent body fat down to 15 percent within four months. I did this by eating the portions she told me to eat. I basically cut my body fat in half, but the scale still said I weighed 140 pounds. I relied on measurements, the fit of my clothes, progress pictures and the body fat measurements my nutritionist took.
Thank you for reading my weekly routine, along with my tips for getting and staying fit. I hope it helps you find a structure. I will be adding workout videos to my YouTube channel weekly, so be sure and watch for them. Eat clean and follow your dreams!

Follow Kelsey:

YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/KelseyByersFitness
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitnessmodelkelseybyers
Website: www.kelseybyersfitness.com
Twitter & Instagram: @kelseybyersfit

Kelsey’s nutritionist is available for phone and Skype consults: Email info@eatingmanagement.com and ask for Kim Porterfield.