Official iLoveKickboxing Blog

Sunday, December 13, 2015

The Winners of the 3rd iLoveKickboxing 45-Day Body Transformation Contest!! (Pics Inside)

Well – at long last, we have the winners of the 3rd iLoveKickboxing 45-Day Body Transformation Contest!

Not only that – we have snippets of their incredible stories of transformation, overcoming obstacles, and fighting temptation to finish the 45 days strong.

A HUGE congrats to our winners. In this post you’ll find their pictures and stories to help you on your fitness journey, too.

But first: A “sneak peek” at our NEXT contest coming January 1, 2016!! Once again it’s a 45-day body & life changing extravaganza…

Only this time – first place gets $20,000!!
(Say what??)

Stay tuned. More info coming soon. For now, let’s talk about our winners.

First, a recap of the contest…

So just to remind you, we judge on 3 fronts:

  1. 1. Appearance (How dramatic are the before and after photos?)
  2. 2. Pounds lost
  3. 3. The story of inner-transformation

Why these 3 categories?

Well, if we only judged on pounds lost, that wouldn’t be fair. Depending on body type, genetics, etc. – everyone has a different amount of pounds they can healthily lose.

So we look at the overall appearance in the before and after photos…

And we look at what the person went through on the inside to achieve their goals.

All three combine to give us our winners.

And speaking of our amazing winners – here they are!!

 


1st place: Lauren Pluchino: $5,000!!

  • – 36 years old
  • – 13 pounds lost

01

Lauren suffered from bad news about both her father’s and grandmother’s health. She realized she was not okay, and needed an outlet to help her regain her zest for life.

She had this to say:

“iLoveKickboxing has completely turned my life around!  I am no longer a slave to fatigue, depression, or stress.  I go to class weekly with my boyfriend which has totally revived our (especially my) zest for life!  I have lost 4 inches off my waist, two inches off each thigh, and amazingly two inches off EACH arm.  I’ve lost 13 pounds in a matter of 45 days and have more energy than I can ever remember having.  I feel incredible!!”

 

2nd PLACE: vhanessa lee: $1,000

  • – 34 years old
  • – 18 pounds lost

02

Vhanessa is a single mother of 4 kids who also runs two small businesses – and her weight has suffered from a hypoactive thyroid.

She had this to say:

“My breaking point was when we took pictures for our website and my face was so big I didn’t even recognize myself. Then my amazing boyfriend, who loves me big or little, mentioned getting married… all I could think was how awful the pictures would be…

“[After the contest] I wore an outfit the other night I never would have dreamed of fitting into and it made me feel amazing and proud. I have lost over 10 inches from my body and 18 pounds.”

“I am so much stronger and my posture is better than it has been in years. I feel confident in my own skin…something I never thought I would feel again. I love kickboxing!!”

 

3rd PLACE: Maggie Ankoudinova: $500

  • – 17 years old
  • – 22 pounds lost

03

When Maggie told friends she was entering the contest, they laughed at her and said she’d just give up. That fueled her fire even more.

She had this to say:

“I told lots of people I was doing this challenge… I was met with either a “Why?” or people laughing at me and telling me that I’d give up after a week. What these people did not know was that these comments actually provided even more motivation for me. I was determined to prove them wrong…

“I never imagined myself as one of those girls who exercises all the time or eats healthy. But as this challenge went on, I found myself becoming this girl…

“For once in my life, I believe in what I’m doing, I know what I’m doing, and I love what I’m doing, and there’s no way I’m going to give up. And to those people that said I couldn’t do it, I say thank you for giving me the final push in changing my life, and making it the best it’s ever been.”

 

4th Place: Maria Vazquez: $200

“I now feel amazing, sexy, comfortable in my clothes. And love to look at my fit figure everytime I walk by a mirror :-).To date I have lost 16 lb’s. Putting me at 142 lbs. Also losing 3 inches from my waist, 4 inches from my hip’s , 1 inch from my arm’s , an inch from my chest, and 1.5 inces from my thigh’s.  My journey will continue as my goal weight is 130 lb’s. Thank  you ILKB TEAM.”

04

 

5th Place: Vanessa Sweazey: $200

I can’t remember a time that I have felt this happy and confident… I look forward to getting dressed instead of trying to find something that will cover my rolls,I bought smaller pants and tucked in my shirts…what?!? I lost 19 pounds!!! I see muscle definition, and feel lean, I feel light, emotionally and physically. This challenge reaffirmed to me that it is never to late to take control of your life, one workout at a time…”

05

 

6th Place: Anthony Arato: $200

“This challenge has changed my life… In the past 45 days I have lost a total of 20 pounds and I have more energy than I have had in the past 15 years.  I tell anyone who will listen about my journey and about all the fantastic people I have had the privilege of training with.”

06

 

7th Place: Monique: $100

“45 days ago I started this challenge, I had no idea I would actually stick to it and complete it. I feel amazing, better than I ever have.. Ilovekickboxing has helped me lose 14 pounds in just 45 days! I’ll be 30yrs old next week and I don’t remember feeling this good since high school!”

07

 

8th Place: Andrea Fairman: $100

“I felt embarrassed about the way I looked in shorts or a swimming suit… I decided to try iLoveKickboxing instead of spending endless hours running… my fiancé said he could see real differences in my body in that I was much more toned. The pounds started to come off and I wasn’t spending two hours running everyday.  I was just going to kickboxing class 2-3 times per week with light exercise on the other days.”

08

 

9th Place: Ashley Avila: $100

“Right now I am feeling sore from all those burpees and push ups, but I feel great. I am very proud about sticking through this challenge and pushing myself everyday… My friends always ask, ‘Did you lose weight?’

09

 

10th Place: Jimmy Tan: $100

This year, I have completed an Obstacle Course Race and will be doing another one in November 2015. Before coming to ILKB, I would not have even thought about it. Now, I am more energized, stronger and better prepared to tackle those races. I want to thank the whole ILKB family for helping me to be in the best physical shape possible”

10

 

A huge Congrats to our winners.

And even those who didn’t get cash prizes: Congrats on giving this contest your all and taking your fitness journey to the next level.

Because if you really tried your best – you can’t lose this contest. After all, you gain so much energy, strength, and confidence in yourself.

How about showing these amazing guys and gals some love? Leave a comment below and tell them how proud you are!!



from Official iLoveKickboxing Blog http://bit.ly/1P27Vpv
via IFTTT

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Win $5,000! The 2015 iLoveKickboxing Body Transformation Contest!

Registration Opens September 1, 2015!

On that date, registration will be open at this link:
Contest Registration.


The 3rd Annual iLoveKickboxing.com 45-DayBody Transformation Contest is here. It starts Sep. 1, 2015, so if you’re serious about burning fat, getting healthy, and transforming your body, mind & life – read on. This is for you…

By the way… There are 10 prizes in total! They range from $5,000 to $100. Details are in this blog post…

Introduction:

The ILKB.com 45-Day Body Transformation Challenge is designed to help all contestants win. How? Because whether or not you win prizes, you win weight loss, health & FUN.

(With that said, there are some pretty awesome prizes! Read on for details.)

You get added accountability. You get a new community amongst all competitors. And you get to watch your body change before your eyes.

Or, as our Brand Ambassador Teresa Oxford puts it…

Keeping motivated is essential for growth.

Although a lot of motivation lies within – everyone needs encouragement, and healthy competition gives you the opportunity to make the friends you need to help each other grow.

And it holds you more accountable. After all, in a place where “everybody knows your name”, they also know when you’ve missed a workout! Building a support system for those who enter the contest will provide a sense of security. Even though it’s a competition – together we all succeed.

Transformations are judged in 3 ways:

  1. Change in appearance
  2. Pounds lost
  3. Personal growth

Notice that how many pounds you lose is NOT the deciding factor! It’s just one factor. That’s because someone who is very overweight can lose pounds much more easily than someone who is not very overweight. That’s why we judge transformations in more in-depth ways.

The following are instructions and information on each part.

Part I: Appearance

To judge your appearance, you will take a photograph at the start and end of the contest (before & after photos). 

Your photographs must be with a newspaper!

This is the only way we can verify when the photo was taken.

Follow these sample pictures to take your own pictures.

Guidelines for Women:

– Two-piece swimsuit is acceptable
– Sports bra and short gym shorts (like in the picture) are acceptable

Guidelines for Men:

– No shirt
– Short gym shorts are acceptable
– Boxer briefs are acceptable

“Why such a strict dress code?”

To judge your transformation accurately, we need to see it! This is really the only way.

Photos must be taken no earlier than September 1. 

Part II: Pounds Lost

This one is pretty self-explanatory. You weigh yourself at the very beginning of the contest, and at the end. Then, you tell us how many pounds lighter you are ;-).

Part III: Your Story

Finally, at the end of the contest, you’ll record a video of yourself as well as write your thoughts talking about any personal transformations you encountered throughout the challenge. If you dealt with painful emotions, experienced a newfound freedom, broke through food addictions, conquered challenges and cravings or anything else – this is the place to share it.

Video + Written are MANDATORY as some people are better at expressing themselves in writing, and others in speech.

Here are some questions to help you along:

– What motivated you to buckle down and lose the weight NOW?
– Why now? Why this contest? What changed?
– What obstacles did you overcome to make it through the challenge?
– How do you feel now? Are you proud of yourself? Are you disappointed?
– What kind of results did you get? How many pounds did you lose? What changes did your body undergo?

Don’t hold back! Your story is just as important as your physical results.

Also, make sure you’re wearing your iLoveKickboxing.com branded gloves and any apparel you have (i.e. t-shirt). 

You can use a smart phone, web cam, or camcorder. Film yourself in GOOD lighting. Don’t film yourself in a dark room, for example. Outside, in natural sunlight, is best.

It’s okay if you don’t have a high-quality camera. What’s important is your message.

The Prizes 😉

Let’s not forget the amazing prizes.

– 1st Place: $5,000!
– 2nd Place: $1,000
– 3rd Place: $500

But it doesn’t stop there…

– 4th, 5th & 6th place: $200
–  7th, 8th, 9th & 10th place: $100

There are 10 prizes in total!

Entering the Contest & Submitting Your Results

On Sept. 1, the registration link at the beginning of this post will go live!

That website will have everything you need to enter the contest, upload your photos and submit your results.

Start + End Dates

The contest begins: September 1, 2015 at 12:00am EST

The contest ends: October 15, 2015 at 11:59pm EST

Deadline for turning in your photos and other deliverables: September 5, 11:59pm EST

You can enter the contest late, but you can’t finish late!

Cost = FREE!

You just have to be an iLoveKickboxing.com member! But there are no added costs on top of your membership to participate.

Required Workouts.

An average of 2 iLoveKickboxing.com workouts per week are required. This means that to qualify for the contest, you must attend 12 ILKB classes throughout the 6 weeks of the contest.

Why a required number of workouts? The point of the contest is to give you extra accountability to help you reach your goals. By setting this guideline, you’re ensuring that you’ll attend at least 2 classes per week.

KEYS for Success


Nutrition is key for doing well in the transformation. In fact, someone who ate right their entire life, and never exercised, would look much better than someone who exercised daily and ate junk food every day!

Think about that. Nutrition + exercise is the winning combination. But nutrition is just as important–if not more so–than exercise.

Exercise is still CRITICAL though. We recommend no less than 3 iLoveKickboxing.com workouts per week for the competition. 

iLoveKickboxing.com has prepared this guide for you to help you make the right food choices throughout the challenge.

Click to download the meal plan & nutrition guide: iLoveKickboxing Nutrition Guide & Meal Plan

Remember:

Whether or not you win any prizes, the most important thing you will win is HEALTH, toned muscle, and ENERGY. You can’t lose in this contest.

You can either win, or win and get awesome prizes too ;-).

Try your hardest. It’s just 45 days out of your life. Buckle down for these 45 days, and give it all that you’ve got. If you need help, your instructors will be happy to help keep you motivated and inspired every step of the way.

45 days from September 1, you can look back and think, “Woohoo! I actually did it!” Or you can think, “I wish I did it.”

Which will it be? The ball’s in your court.

We’ve got your back, like always. If you need support, encouragement or advice, we’re here for you.

Questions?

Post them below!

Good Luck!!!



from Official iLoveKickboxing Blog http://bit.ly/1J4T6zE
via IFTTT

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Fitness Myths busted!!!





EXERCISE AND NUTRITION MYTHS BUSTED




There are a few common misconceptions, when it comes to fitness and nutrition, which I want to help you understand the truth about!
We all want better bodies and to look OH so good in our skinny jeans (Ladies you know what I’m talking about)!!
We are going to go over 5 common mistakes and hopefully it will help you improve.




Myth #1- Your cardio machine is giving you an accurate calorie burn.
Fact:  No it’s not. Caloric burn is based on one’s age, fitness level, BMI, and sex. Different sexes at different fitness levels and BMI’s burn calories at different rates. Some machines don’t even ask for weight or sex.





Myth #2- Chug a protein shake after your workout.
Fact:  While protein shakes are good in a pinch, they are a very low quality processed product. The best way to get your protein is through foods like turkey, greek yogurt and nuts.



 







Myth #3- You can eat whatever you want as long as you workout.
Fact:  Losing pounds and burning fat happens when you have a caloric deficit. However, intense caloric deficit works the opposite way. Your muscles need to feed, so your food intake should be a balance of fats, proteins and carbs.



 



Myth #4- You have to do cardio in the morning on an empty stomach in order to burn fat.
Fact: Your body’s metabolism is at its lowest in the morning because you haven’t eaten for 8 hours. Eat a balanced breakfast and you will be able to exercise longer and your body’s metabolism will already be working.






Myth #5- Drinking ice cold water burns fat.
Fact: There is no proof that cold water will shock your system and force your body to burn fat in order to stay warm.






These may not seem like much now but the small changes you make today, add up to major changes in your future self!


 


Stay focused, stay motivated and stay educated! Comment below with other myths you've busted.