I'm back from my vacation at the lake...and I was able to burn fat on holiday. And you can too...more on that in a bit.
The trip was great...and I went over 7 days without using the Internet. We just swam, read, used Kettlebells, stayed active, and yes, we got into a few CRAZY adventures as well, as you'll read below...
But our vacation got off to a rough start.
My old '97 Maxima is on last legs, and the battery was as dead as a doornail on Saturday afternoon when we went to start the 3 hour drive to Lake Muskoka.
And even after we got going, we ran into some nasty traffic that I wasn't sure Maxima would even make it through...but finally we got to our cottage on the water...and it was worth all the hassle.
Bally, my 2 year old Chocolate Lab and I went right down to the water for a swim. Things were going great, until he suddenly took off like a CRAZED animal.
I chased after him and tracked him down at the neighbor's cottage, where he had barged in and helped himself to some cat food. He'll eat anything, of course.
Another classic first impression. So we called it a night on the swimming.
I started the next day with a long dog walk and a Kettlebell workout. All my workouts last week were either Kettlebells or bodyweight exercises. Some days were high rep, other days were low-rep using the 70-lbs kettlebell.
Heck, we even trained with the Kettlebell in the lake one day.
Now I'll never give up my dumbell workouts, but in the summer, I'm a big fan of Kettlebell exercises for fat loss. Swings, snatches, and lots of total body movements.
Just another week or so and my friend Troy will have his Meltdown Kettlebell Fat Loss program ready for you.
After the workout, I did what everyone on vacation does, and went to get some burgers. Yep, even the TT Nutrition Plan was off on a small vacation this week.
However, we didn't stop our regular routine of eating plenty of raw and cooked vegetables and up to 10 servings of fruit per day.
Someone wrote in asking about the truth about fruit making you fat, because some other misguided expert told her to avoid it. Well, I'm here as living proof that fruit will not stop you from getting your abs.
Saying that fruit makes you fat is about as true as saying cardio and crunches are the best way to get you lean, or that you have to drink protein shakes to build muscle. None of that baloney is true.
I know you'll hear other experts disagree, but those are ALL things you can trust me on - I guarantee.
Now there was only one problem when I went to get burgers...I had no idea where they were in the grocery store. You see, when you shop according to the TT lifestyle, all you do is go around the outside for fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, nuts, and some dairy products.
There is no need to go into the freezer section or the bakery. Not when you are trying to burn fat. So after wandering around like a clueless dork, I finally found the burgers, buns, and condiments, and went for a classic cookout.
Which frankly left me a little disappointed.
I remembered burgers to be so much better...and honestly, when you build up great nutrition habits, which YOU WILL if you stick to your plan, you really end up wanting to eat healthy, not junk food.
And you WILL get used to it, I promise. So stay strong with your nutrition plan!
After lunch we went over to my friend Brad Pilon's cottage (Brad is the author of Eat Stop Eat).
And this is where I just about RUINED the vacation.
Silly me, I stepped on a nail on a boat dock and cut my foot. So Brad's father-in-law had to bring out the First-Aid kit and save the day...
All this time Bally the Dog and Brad's cute-as-a-button baby girl were hanging out and probably just shaking their head at the clumsy ol' guy who stepped on a nail.
What a turn of events!
After all the trouble Bally the Dog gets into, it was me that just about ruined the day! But it was just a small cut...although the trouble doesn't end there...
Fortunately for everyone, Brad convinced us that ice cream would fix everything, so we drove into the little town of Bala.
I left Bally with Brad's wife and went inside the ice cream shop to grab Bally a cup of vanilla ice cream and yes, a scoop or two of chocolate mint for myself.
But we weren't in the ice cream store for more than 30 seconds before Brad's wife came in the store with just a leash, but NO DOG!
Uh-oh.
Bally had broken off his leash and ran away.
But don't worry, he didn't go far.
As soon as he got loose, he charged right inside Jay-Dee's BBQ Restaurant. Fortunately, a strong guy was able able to pull him out before he stole any hot dogs or burgers. What a site that was...
With Bally under control, we finished our ice cream and headed back home. Two days and two adventures, what was he going to do next?
On Monday, I realized it had been 17 years since my last Tetanus shot, so we had to drive 30 minutes to the nearest hospital, wait for hours, and then finally get my shot, just to make sure cut from the nail didn't cause any problems.
Brad and his family came along to pet-sit Bally the Dog while I waited around wasting Canadian health care dollars, but Brad and his wife didn't mind because they used the day as their "Diet Day".
Doesn't "Diet Day" sound better than having to be on a diet 24-7?
Click here for more info on Brad's diet system
Finally, after all the excitement of those first two days, we all settled down and enjoyed a relaxing holiday - without too much else to report.
No more injuries, no more dog-running-away-in-search-of-food stories.
(I can't say there wasn't more ice cream though.)
I did my kettlebell workouts, went on hikes with Bally the Dog, and did lots of swimming.
But by the end of the week I was ready to get home to hear from you, all the TT readers, to find out how your progress was going. Heck, we have some TT Transformation Contestants only 16 days away from their "after photos".
Can you believe the 2nd TT Transformation Contest is almost over?!
And I also came back to dozens of powerful, motivating success stories. I'll be sharing one of these inpirational essays on this site each day this week.
In fact, I stayed up into the wee hours of Saturday morning reading all of your reports on your real-life results. You should all be very proud of yourselves for your committment and persistence.
If you haven't emailed to tell us about your results, please do so.
...And hey, why not let me know how you "TT" when you are on vacation? That would be great inspiration to show other folks how you can stay lean and still live life while on holiday.
Bottom line:
You can stay lean and even burn fat when you are on vacation, even while you allow yourself a few treats.
Just commit to doing these 2 things the rest of the year and you WILL SUCCEED!
1) Build healthy habits.
2) Make them into routines.
And you'll never have to worry about getting off track when you take a holiday.
I'm as lean now as when I left, and even more motivated to stick to the TT lifestyle for workouts and nutrition.
So every day take one little baby step (or bigger steps!) to creating lifelong fat burning healthy habits. If you do that, you'll be lean for life.
Join the TT Lifestyle for real-life results,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
PS - Here are two TT real-life, real-results stories you'll love to hear...
He's Lost 10 Pounds in 3 Weeks - & spends less time in the gym...
"I have been on the turbulence training program for just over three weeks now and have had great results. I am spending less than half the time in the gym and getting better results. I have lost about 10 pounds and noticing more definition."
Gus Hansborough
She looked great at her reunion...
"The true test of Turbulence Training for me was during a anniversary/family reunion I attended last weekend. Everyone commented on how great I looked and wondered what I've been doing. Of course I told them about www.TurbulenceTraining.com.
I have been using TT for the last six months and have been able to meet my first goal weight and maintain it. I am a stay-at-home mom of two preschool boys and I recently entered the world of politics by being elected as a school board trustee last fall.
My time is limited but I always make time for exercise everyday. I also believe it sets a good example for my kids. Both of my kids have joined me from time to time in rounds of jumping jacks, running sprints outside and even burpees. I have my free weights and stability ball set up in the basement so that I can watch the kids play while I exercise.
Turbulence Training totally fits my lifestyle and I always recommend it whenever someone comments on how great I look. Thank you, Craig, for all of your guidance and inspiration."
Rhonda Lafrance
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