If you follow the 60day at Life Time and you read the success stories, you can’t help but drop your jaw a little after seeing the physical transformations that can happen in just 60 days. 

And because plenty of person ask us how the participants actually do it, we took a moment to chat with Joshua Pruitt, one of our Master Trainers who coached Chuck C., a recent 60day winner. 

Joshua explained what someone actually needs to do to create these life-changing results and sustain them. Plus, he gave us his personal go-to breakfast recipe that you’ll definitely want to check out. 

1. Looking back, what do you see as the 3 main reasons for Chuck’s success?

“He was really motivated because he had reached rock bottom and he was depressed with his current state at the time upon our meeting.”  

“I would say 3 main reasons for his success were a willingness to learn, a willingness to change and persistence. They are all easy to say but not easy to do, but he had all 3.” 

2. How did you set up a plan together? 

“We met weekly and because he was so overweight I knew a majority of it was nutrition. So I had him start to record his nutrition and go over a workout program. 

“When we started just getting in the pool and swimming, a lap was difficult. So then we would talk about heart rate training zones and then nutrition. Then advanced pool time to walk and bumped that up, and then started talking about specific cardio and nutrition plans. 

“Education is a big part of the journey. I had him start reading. Right now he’s reading deep nutrition. And he was traveling 2 weeks out of the 60 days. He found Life Time in North Carolina and in Canada, and he used the hotel gyms. But we had a session before he left for travel and found grocery stores and made lists for what he would eat and meals.” 

3. What about nutrition — did he stick to a program or see a dietitian? 

“Number one thing he’s been working on is nutrition. Because he was so overweight, I knew a majority of it was nutrition. 

“He started with the GUT.FIX™ and D.TOX℠ programs. I absolutely love them and think they are fantastic programs. And then education. It’s more complex than what’s better for me — pizza or salad. 

“He worked with me with nutrition, and he traveled a lot, but our main point of education was that he needed to start realizing what he was eating and what it was doing to his body at a molecular level. 

4. What kind of time commitment does a participant need to make to get such drastic results? How many days a week and hours a day are we talking?

“To see results that quickly and drastically calls for extreme measures. Chuck worked out 2 to 3 times per week 6 days a week with 1 rest day per week. 

“Would I generally recommend that to person? No. So when the 60day ended, I told him that I wanted him to take the next 2 weeks and all he was allowed to do was go on hikes or a casual bike ride — stay in zone 1 or 2. And go to yoga or Pilates, because I knew his body was exhausted. And you need both active and mental recovery.” 

5. How realistic is it to maintain these results? Do you need to keep up with the same intensity?

“Chuck has kept off his weight and lost much more. We looked at measurements yesterday and he was down to the 20s in body fat for the first time. He has lost 110 pounds since we started working together.

“After the 60day he had the mind-set that he had to come to the gym that many times a day to see results, but I made him come to the gym one time a day. And he continues to work out one time a day and has a rest day.

“It really goes back to his motivation, and why, and continual education.” 

6. What do you suggest to keep clients from burning out? 

“You need to have a strong burning reason why you want to change. It all comes back to why they’re doing it. Their ‘why’ is everything. If they don’t have a motivation for why, when things get tough it’s harder to move past challenges.

“I would have them sit down with someone for an hour to figure things out.

Figure out a goal and find out their why, because that’s everything. It all comes back to why they are doing it.” 

7. When you talk to person about eating well, what are your golden tips?

“Eat real food. But what is real food? The topic becomes exciting and fun. Determining what’s real food is difficult in our society. Things you thought were good for you may not be. Find out what is good for you and what is not. If you eat real food, you will become healthier. 

“I’ve read quite a few nutrition books, I’m not a dietitian or a nutrition coach, but real food to me actually has nutrients. Then again, for example, what’s the difference between a hamburger that’s organic vs. a free-range and grass-finished burger? Is what I’m eating real food, too?”  

8. If someone is looking for weight loss or muscle gain but has been feeling like nothing has been working for them lately, what would you tell them?

“Everyone is different, but if you are looking for weight loss or gaining muscle, it all comes back to nutrition — and nutrition could always be better. If your goal is weight loss a lot of times I’ll tell person, look, you could see results if you literally just focused on eating as healthfully as you can. If you eat well you will see results.

“I would say if time is the issue, you should meet with a professional as often as possible. Everyone is different, so meet with someone to get it personalized and use your time efficiently.”

9. What do you do to keep fit? What’s your “why”?

“I’m passionate about what I do so I want to lead by example. I want to be as healthy as possible and I want to always be learning. person think as trainers we are working out 7 days a week, but that’s not the case. I probably work out 3 to 5 times a week. I always get help from other person. I love having a trainer as well, and I love to learn constantly. 

“I’m always improving. I just started a new strength training program, but I’m more excited about my nutrition and educating myself. I’m eating a lot of veggies and it’s hard to explain how much better I feel. If you get your gut and your brain to work together, you feel like a super human. Just ask anyone who has lost weight before. They always say they have fewer headaches, need fewer coffees — and it only gets better. That’s why I’ve been excited about learning more about serotonin and the gut. 

“I’m currently working on eating more veggies. I probably eat 15 servings of veggies a day. For breakfast, I had a giant bowl of salad. This past month to month and a half, throughout the week, I’ve only had salads. I’ll add avocados, sweet potatoes. But I’ve pretty much been eating salads and seeing how my body can transform. 

“The number one thing I’ve noticed is mind clarity and focus ability, and that is my goal right now.”

JOSH PRUITT’S BREAKFAST SALAD

Salad

• 1 cup organic Italian salad mix
• 1 cup organic kale
• 1organic avocado
• 6 Tbsp. raw pecans
• 1 cup organic carrots, cut or shredded
• 1 cup organic mushrooms
• 1 cup organic sweet potato, cubed and cooked in ghee seasoned with cinnamon and Himalayan sea salt. 

Dressing

• 2 Tbsp. organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. organic apple cider vinegar

Want to join us for the Summer 60day? Find out more and sign up here.  

ABOUT JOSHUA PRUITT 

Joshua Pruitt has been in the fitness industry for 5 years and with Life Time for 2. But he’s not new to the industry. Growing up he started working out with his dad, who was a trainer at the Life Time in Houston, Texas. His mom worked for a nutrition company, and his uncle and aunt were body builders.

He played baseball in high school, but decided not to play college baseball. Instead he chose to work toward getting certified as a personal trainer.

“I had a buddy who was in college playing baseball at Houston as a pitcher and he had to drop out because he was dealing with some addiction issues. I heard he was back house so I invited him to come work out at the gym with me.

“We started going every day together and then I noticed he was eating fast food, so started to teach him how to cook. He lost about 15% body fat. And when I ran into his mom she said her son had totally changed. And because he was working out and cooking and didn’t have time for things he was doing before, she was crying and said I changed his life.

“It was more than getting bigger biceps, it was life-changing. And that’s when I knew that I was doing the right thing to become a trainer.”

Click here for more info about Josh.

In health, LTWL Staff

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader. 

As a dietitian, nothing makes me prouder than turning a skeptic into a Brussels sprouts lover. 

As a vegetable in the Brassica family, this nutritional powerhouse is one of my all-time favorites for its metabolic benefits.

Not only does it contain 4 grams of dietary fiber per cup and ample amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and folate, but it’s also a nice source of glucobrassin. After it’s been chewed and moves into the acidity of your stomach, glucobrassin undergoes amazing chemical changes until it converts to a compound called 3,3’-diindolylmethane (DIM).¹ 

Why does this matter? DIM is widely known for its anticancer properties and ability to metabolize excess estrogen.² I’d say that’s a pretty nice reason to get your veggies in! 

With bacon as the special ingredient, see below for an easy, savory crowd-favorite Brussels sprouts recipe. Don’t let the cooking time fool you — this recipe is a 3-ingredient 1-pan win-win.   

ONE-PAN BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND BACON 

Time: 1 hour
Serves: 6

Ingredients 

• 1 package preservative-free bacon (ideally from pastured pork)
• 5–6 cups raw brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, discolored leaves removed 
• Fine-ground pink Himalayan sea salt to taste  

Method 

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place bacon strips on the sheet in a single layer.
2. Put the baking sheet in a cold oven; set the oven to preheat to 400 degrees and set a timer for 15 minutes. The bacon will begin cooking during the preheating process and continue once the oven reaches temperature. 
3. At the 15-minute mark, check the bacon for desired doneness. Allow to continue to cook if needed, checking every 2 minutes. Once done, remove from oven and drain bacon strips on paper towels, leaving the drippings behind in the pan.
4. Carefully add the halved Brussels sprouts to the pan in a single layer. Be careful, as the grease is hot. Spread the sprouts halves around in the grease. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
5. Return the pan to the oven. 
6. After 20 minutes, stir the Brussels sprouts and place back in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the Brussels sprouts are tender on the inside and crisp and bronzed on the outside. 
7. Top with crumbled bacon strips and enjoy! This recipe is best served immediately. 

Nutrition

Calories 115 | Carbs 8g | Fiber 4g | Fat 6g | Protein 9g

In health, Samantha McKinney — Life Time Lab Testing Program Manager

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3935417/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048776/ 

What do you think of when you hear the word “hormonal?” Sadly, most person immediately associate the adjective with “emotional,” and often relate it to a woman’s menstrual cycle or perimenopausal years. But from a physiological (and therefore accurate) perspective, “hormonal” pertains to the many different types of messenger compounds the body produces that stimulate action at another site in the body. These can include everything from estrogen, testosterone and progesterone (often referred to as “sex hormones”); to cortisol, one of the main stress hormones; to thyroid hormones (critical for calorie burn); to insulin, a hormone critical to regulating blood sugar and more.

Make no mistake, hormonal imbalances can absolutely cause emotional roller coasters, as well as changes in libido, PMS symptoms, fat distribution and fertility. Specifically, a category of hormones sometimes referred to as “women’s sex hormones” (although they are found in both women and men) — such as estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone — may be misbehaving. In my experience as a dietitian, I’ve had countless clients who discovered that an imbalance in hormones was to blame all along for a frustrating weight-loss plateau and unwanted symptoms — and working in conjunction with their medical team to address it ended up being key to their success. 

HOW DOES THE BALANCE WORK? 

For those of you interested in the physiology of what happens during the course of the month, here’s how these sex hormones work in premenopausal women when all is well: 

• The first half of the cycle is often called the follicular phase, and is dominated by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen. Progesterone is low, and estrogen is relatively high, so this is sometimes described as the “estrogen-dominant” part of the cycle.
• Around mid-cycle, there is a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) which stimulates ovulation, or release of an egg.
• In the second half of the cycle, referred to as the luteal phase, estrogen drops off while progesterone rises. As a result, it’s the more “progesterone-dominant” part of the cycle.
• Assuming there is no conception or pregnancy, FSH, estrogen, LH and progesterone all get cleared toward the end of the cycle (with the help of the liver, gallbladder and digestive tract), triggering menstruation and the start of the next cycle.
• After menopause, FSH and LH are high while estrogen and progesterone are lower. The ovaries no longer release hormones needed for pregnancy, and the adrenal glands (in charge of the stress response) take over.

The above description only scratches the surface of the delicate balance of women’s sex hormones and, as you can imagine, imbalances are pretty common and can happen for a variety of reasons. Some common issues are challenges in releasing FSH or LH (often related to stress), sluggish clearance of hormones toward the end of the cycle (often related to detoxification), inflammation (can be related to lifestyle, processed foods or blood sugar issues) and constipation (since the digestive tract helps clear used hormones). 

WHAT CAN I DO? 

The most important thing to know from the physiology outlined above is that a healthy balance of these hormones depends on healthy blood sugar control, support of detoxification and a happy digestive tract. Certain habits can help lay the foundation for a healthier balance of hormones and can be beneficial whether you are a woman still menstruating regularly, approaching menopause or postmenopausal. Here are 5 practical ways to set yourself up for success: 

1. Manage your blood sugars 

Balancing your intake of carbohydrates, fats and proteins (sometimes referred to as “tracking your macros,” or macronutrients) is paramount to keep blood sugars steady. Make sure to consume a healthy source of protein about the size of the palm of your hand at each meal. Think organic, pastured chicken; eggs from chickens raised on pasture; wild-caught fish; legumes/lentils; or even a high-quality protein powder (free of artificial colors and sweeteners) if you’re in a pinch. Include a source of healthy, unprocessed fat such as avocado, olive oil or raw nuts/seeds. Carbohydrates should ideally be based on your activity level (you likely need less if you’re not active), and ensure that carb intake is from whole-food sources such as fruit, starchy vegetables or unrefined grains like steel-cut oats or quinoa instead of cereal, breads and pasta. Avoiding added sugars, especially in unexpected places such as fruited yogurt and coffee creamers, is also key to keeping blood sugars in check.

2. Hydrate

Your body depends on adequate hydration to detoxify well. If you’re a coffee lover like me, be extra mindful to get enough filtered water daily. Most person feel best by aiming for half of their goal body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water daily. When well hydrated, urine is usually the color of lemonade. If yours is darker, drink up. One of my favorite tips is to use the same glass or stainless steel water bottle daily, determine how many fill-ups are needed to hit your water goal daily, and put that many rubber bands on the outside of it each morning. Each time you finish a fill-up, take a rubber band off to keep track.

3. Focus on fiber

For women, fiber intake should be a minimum of 25 grams per day (often more). Aim to get the majority of fiber from non-starchy vegetables, beans, and some berries, nuts and seeds. Fiber helps bulk up the stool and move things along in the GI tract, which is critical for detoxification of hormones. When working on increasing your fiber intake, take it slow. A rapid increase in fibrous foods can cause some digestive upset, bloating and gas. If you use protein shakes, adding some prebiotic fiber is one of my favorite hacks for boosting fiber intake (and helping with satiety).

4. Include cruciferous vegetables

Most cruciferous vegetables come from the Brassica family and include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. These veggies contain a compound that gets converted to DIM (3,3’-diindolylmethane) after being chewed and mixed with the enzymes in the stomach. DIM is known for its ability to support healthier estrogen metabolism, which is an important implication in cancer risk, and it can also be found in supplement form.¹

5. Get your hormones checked

If you’re a woman struggling with extreme cramping, significant mood swings, a tanked libido, irregular periods, hot flashes or night sweats, testing your hormone levels is a critical first step. Hormone balance is like a symphony (each one impacts the rest), and an objective view of the hormonal interplay can help you work better with your medical provider to game plan a personalized solution. Evaluating estradiol, estrone, testosterone and progesterone is a good first step, and pairing it with blood sugar markers (like Hemoglobin A1C) might give a fuller picture. Regular testing can help provide the insight you need to track changes and make pivots in real time. (Side note: If you are still menstruating and your periods are regular enough to predict, aim to test at the same time of your cycle each time. Most of my clients aim to test three-quarters of the way through their monthly cycle, i.e., day 21 if the full cycle is 28 days.) 

WRAPPING IT UP

Regular testing, management of blood sugars, hydration, a higher-fiber diet and more cruciferous vegetables in your nutrition program may seem simple, but that does not always mean it’s easy. Some out-of-the-box thinking, coaching and support can go a long way in implementing these habits without feeling like you’re in a trap of daily steamed broccoli and tracking every bite you eat in perpetuity. Prioritizing these habits the right way can be sustainable and can taste nice.

One of my favorite ways to reset my own habits is with the Life Time D.TOX℠ program. It’s a higher-protein, fiber-rich approach that focuses on whole, unprocessed foods for a minimum of two weeks. When I find that my habits are slipping out of my “ideal” routine, the focus and commitment — as well as the simple and easy recipes — are the perfect way for me to reprioritize what I know I should already be doing.

If you’re struggling with a fat-loss plateau, are not feeling your best or have questions about your hormones, lab testing options, coaching or the Life Time D.TOX program, we’re here to help. Reach out to our team of registered dietitians any time at weightloss@lt.life. Thanks for reading!

In health, Samantha McKinney — Life Time Lab Testing Program Manager

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048776/