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Fitness is part discipline and part technique. Some women just have a harder time losing weight no matter what they try. Tracy Anderson was one of those women. Her mother is a ballerina and has been slim and fit all of Anderson’s life, but her father has been overweight for just as long. Though her original focus was to become a professional dancer like her mother, a stubborn extra 40 pounds got in the way of that dream. After trying hard and failing to lose the weight, Anderson decided to make fitness her career of choice, thinking she could somehow find a solution to her dilemma.
The weight just never seemed to drop, though she stayed consistent in under-eating and over-exercising. But then, something happened that allowed her to crack the code. She thought back to her parents, how one was fit and one wasn’t. She suspected that genetics was playing a role in her struggles, and she was right. One day Anderson observed a rehabilitation doctor helping to ease injured pro athletes’ pain by strengthening the smaller muscles that supported the larger muscles. It gave her inspiration. Keeping the smaller muscles engaged was a challenge that normal exercise routines just couldn’t meet, but relying on her background in dance, Anderson found a way. The excess weight finally began to melt away.
Then along came Gwyneth Paltrow. After having a baby, she had pounds she just couldn’t seem to lose. She turned to Anderson for help and the problem was solved. Paltrow was so impressed and thankful that she invested in helping Anderson expand her fitness business. Tracy Anderson has continued to be a top trainer ever since, releasing several DVDs, opening studios across the globe, and serving as a personal trainer to celebrities such as Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie, Kate Hudson, Gisele Bündchen, Courteney Cox, and several others.
Tracy Anderson Diet
Anderson definitely keeps her eating under tight control. Though the diet plans she puts together for her celebrity A-list clients vary according to the needs of the individual, what Anderson herself eats is a very light diet that includes a bit of every food group. She usually begins the day with a vanilla-flavored wellness shake. Sometimes she adds kale and a banana, and sometimes she adds chocolate syrup. An example lunch for her is an organic corn tortilla quesadilla with organic cheese, topped with cilantro and cherry tomato salsa. For dinner, it’s baked flounder with mashed potatoes and a side of sauteed Brussel sprouts. Her snack is an organic chocolate bar.
Anderson is gluten-free, but that’s due to her own physiology. For others, she has given out 15 rules they can follow for rapid weight loss results (3). Though there are those that pertain to fitness, some of them are about nutrition. For example, she says to keep things simple by only eating organics. She also advises not to restrict or be focused on calories. The only restriction should be junk and processed foods. According to Anderson, drinking is only for special occasions. Soda should be avoided, but chocolate can be used to refuel after a workout. As well, Anderson says that fasting isn’t good for the metabolism.
The Workout
With over 160 workout DVDs and a long list of private clients for who she creates custom workouts, a lot of variety goes into keeping Anderson in shape. One of the things that makes her so remarkable and popular as a trainer is her unique approach to traditional moves. She challenges muscles that might not get as much of a workload otherwise. This she does by mixing up a few angles in the position and adding what looks like a lot of flares to the exercise moves most can recognize.
Take the simple leg lift, for example, the one where the person is on all fours and stretches one of their legs either straight back or back and up. Anderson instructs the person to place one hand on top of the other. With the feet spread wide, the knees should be pointed towards each other. Then the leg is kicked back and up while maintaining this remarkable angle (3). With Anderson, it’s like working out the same way but in a whole new way – a way that gets results even when nothing else works.
Why You Should Be More Like Tracy Anderson
Tracy Anderson didn’t let stubborn excess pounds get her down for long. While it meant a career change away from her dream job, she was determined to find a solution and she did. She sought out the knowledge that she needed to overcome her obstacle and achieve the physique she knew she should have. Then, when she did find the solution, she took her newfound knowledge and used it to the benefit of others. Today there are thousands, if not millions, of women who were able to overcome their weight loss frustrations thanks to Anderson. Though it seems as if she has no interest in returning to her dance career, she has become a major success.
Some people complain that Tracy Anderson’s diet is a starvation diet. Anderson eats chocolate and recommends that others do so as well. She doesn’t call for calorie restriction, just clean, sensible eating. She eats three meals per day, which has been long been the convention. And her meals consist of carbs, proteins, fats, and fruits and vegetables. When a new client comes into one of her studios, Anderson interviews them much like a shrink would She then used that information to create a custom diet and exercise program for their needs, meaning that she doesn’t believe in there being one set way for everyone.
Though Anderson believes in customizing your diet and fitness routine, anyone can benefit from her hundreds of workouts thanks to her unique, signature approach to the moves. And, when it comes to eating, her rules for eating clean can also prove beneficial. Following her teachings has proven to transform bodies and lives for the better.
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