Mark and Ana make gains a year after transformation

People always ask me how do people maintain their results after a successful body transformation. My answer is always the same: Continue to follow the basics and blend the fitness principles I taught into your everyday life and you will keep the body you worked hard to get. One great example of this is Mark and Ana Poore. 

Mark and Anna commuted from New Castle to participate in our 12-week body transformation last November. A year later, they are still in great shape and continue to make improvements. So what's the secret that helped them keep the gains they made? I thought it would be beneficial to ask them, so others facing the same challenge could be inspired to do the same.

“You just can't stop when the program is over and you reach your goal. You have to keep going," said Mark.

Mark dropped 30 pounds during the transformation and had to buy an entirely new wardrobe, dropping from size 2XL to Large. He is still the exact weight he was when he finished last March, and he continues to get stronger on a consistent basis.

“For me, it was monitoring the carbs and learning how to include healthy choices, like sweet potatoes, red potatoes and brown rice. I still eat every two to three hours, get lots of protein and drink eight to 10 glasses of water every day,” he said.

Mark also knows when to cheat, but it's a treat, not an everyday thing.

“Every Friday night is a cheat meal. I'll have Chick-fil-A and some fries, but after that it's back to business."

"For me, sugar was the problem,” said Ana. "I would have seven to eight sugars with my coffee first thing in the morning, but after the transformation, that all changed." Ana has now lost 30 pounds and went from a size 12 to a size 6. She has even lost an additional 10 pounds since she finished the transformation in March, which proves you can maintain without giving up everything as long as you continue to work out and follow a sound nutrition plan.

“Pizza is my favorite cheat meal, so every Friday I indulge, and then I get back on track for the rest of the week,” she said.

Like most people, Mark and Ana have other responsibilities and kids to take care of, but they always set aside time to get their workouts in. On the average weeknight, they split up and take the kids to practice, come home, get them showered and ready for bed, then it's off to the gym at 9 p.m. to make sure they get their exercise in for the day. 

"On average we go to the gym three to four days to work out with weights and follow up with 30 to 40 minutes of cardio,” said Mark, but he adds that's a small price to pay for a healthy life. “I feel great, and being afraid to go back to the way I was before is plenty of motivation to keep me on track."

“We sleep so much better, and I think we motivate each other as a couple, and that makes it so much easier to stay with the plan,” said Ana.