Chapter 4: Fit for a King

Diet without exercise is a set up for failure, plain and simple. Food or “diet” control is only half the battle the other half is exercise. If you want to be successful with this or any diet, you have to exercise too. Most diet programs fail because there are no exercise plans designed into the program, or the dieter is doing the same routine over and over without variation, or just the bare minimum.

Exercise is something your body can grow a custom to and develop a tolerance for and the routine eventually stops working for them. If you are doing the same routine day in and day out, it will not have the same effects as it did in the beginning, because your body will have adjusted to it. You have to be ready to shake up your metabolism and keep it awake, otherwise you will reach an unbreakable plateau, get frustrated and you will take it out on your food. So be ready to vary your routines and literally go that extra mile.

 However, before we can even go that extra mile, we must determine your level of activity now and then later vary it in the future. With Diet Royale, there only five levels of exercise as mentioned Chapter 3, in the section on Calories.

Level	Activity Level That Best Describes You and The Activity Planned
I	Sedentary: little to no exercise
II	Active Light: Light exercise and/or sports 1-3 days a week
III	Active Moderate: Moderate exercise and/or sports 3-5 days a week
IV	Active Hard: Hard, very active exercise and/or sports 6-7 x a week
V	Active Extreme: Extreme exercise 7 days a week plus a physical job and/or extra training

Level I: Sedentary

Most people are at level 1 and believe it or not, it is a good place to start and heal. When you are at Level I, you are living, breathing, working, and experiencing life as usual. When you are at this level, you can plan for the next level. However, it is critical that you do not stay at Level 1 for more than a week, because it can lead to the same behaviors that made you fat to begin with.

Level I is a place where you can do some research and explore exercising possibilities. Purchase new equipment or even map out a new routine. Once you have a clear picture in your mind about what you are going to do the following week, design yourself a plan of how you are going to participate in the next Level and push it to its limit.

Level I can also be a place of healing. The body needs time to heal as it is redesigning itself. If you are at Level II-V for too long, without rest, your body finds another way to rest and this is what leads to plateaus, because your body will regulate itself and decide for you, that this is the normal level of activity and stop working towards losing weight.  Healing is critical to your well-being and we do it with rest. Staying in Level II-V without rest is a prescription for failure and even dis-ease. So remember, give yourself a break every 4 weeks.

A good activity for Level I is meditation. Meditation can help relieve stress and give you focus in the coming weeks ahead. Meditation is an excellent activity to work on breathing and putting your mind in the right Will Power. If your mind is in the right place, the rest is a piece of cake!

To better prepare you, try planning the kinds of workouts you are going to do this week or next:

	Sun.	Mon.	Tues.	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.
Activity
Duration

Level II: Active Light

Now that you've made a plan it is always a good idea to start at Level II after a Level I rest period. If this is your first week at Level II, here are some basics you will want to remember.

•   It's not about quantity, it is about quality. Exercise for 20-30 minutes Sessions without stopping, for no more than 3 times during Level II.
•  Be sure to stretch for 5-10 minutes before starting a Session and wear the appropriate clothing and shoes.
•  Work on cardiovascular (cardio) activities like walking, jogging, jump-rope, cycling and elliptical training, and try to meet your target heart rate.
• Work on your core with a balance ball, sit-ups, yoga, palates or crunches.
•  Build up your arm strength with low level weight lifting.
• Housework and yard-work are considered Level II if high level of activity is involved.
• Get 8 hours of sleep every night!

It is recommended that you stay in Level II for no more than two weeks. It is a good idea to advance to Level III or Level IV after Level II, so you can keep your metabolism and your body working hard towards weight loss.

Level III: Active Moderate

Level III is a good place to shake things up in your workout routines. A moderate activity level is considered to be working out and exercising 3-5 times a week. Those consistently active in sports are at this Level or higher on a weekly basis. However, most of them are used to it and their body is no longer losing weight. For this Level of activity, it is recommended that you only stay at this level for only 3 weeks at a time if you are trying to lose weight. Be sure to take it down to Level I for at least 5 days before starting another Level of activity or returning to Level III.

• Like Level II, Level III is not about quantity, it is about quality. Exercise for 20-30 Sessions minutes without stopping, for no more than 3-5 times during Level III.
• Be sure to stretch for 5-10 minutes before starting a Session and wear the appropriate clothing and shoes.
• Work on cardiovascular (cardio) activities like speed walking, jogging, running, jump-rope cycling and elliptical training, step aerobics, aerobics, or stairs climbing.
• Push your cardio workouts to the limit with an active aerobic workout.
• Participate in sports like basketball, football, soccer, hockey (ice or field), lacrosse, swimming laps, hiking, or any sport that maintains a consistent level of high energy and movement.
• Advanced core activities with a balance ball, water aerobics, rowing, or crunches.
• Build up your arm and leg strength with moderate levels of weight lifting.
• Get 8 hours of sleep every night!

Before proceeding to Level IV, be sure to give yourself 5 days of Level I give the body time to heal. Drink plenty of water. Drink plenty of water. Drink plenty of water. Drink plenty of water. Drink plenty of water. I can't stress that any more.

Level IV: Active Hard

Level IV is only recommended for no more than two weeks. This is a Level of serious burn and energy usage. Activity level is high, intense and lasts between 6-7 days a week. It is critical that after two weeks of Level IV that you return to Level I for some well-deserved R&R, before attempting to do it again. If you don't get rested in between levels, you will start to harm your body more than improving it. It is very easy to advance into a Level V workout if you are not careful with Level IV activity.

• In this Level, it is a good idea to exercise for no more than 30-50 minutes Sessions without stopping, 6-7 days a week. Any more than this level and you will advance to Level V.
• Be sure to stretch for 10-15 minutes before starting a Session and wear the appropriate clothing and shoes.
• Consider using the expertise of a professional trainer before proceeding with hard activities.
• Work on cardiovascular activities with activities listed before for longer time and distance. Advance cycling such as mountain biking is considered hard to extreme. Enjoy a small 4-5k run/walk race.
• Participate in sports that maintain a consistent level of high energy and movement.
• Build up your arm, abdominal and leg strength with harder levels of weight lifting.
• Drink plenty of water and be sure you are providing your body with enough calories for fuel your energy. Get plenty of protein and carbohydrates as your body will need them.
• Get 8 hours of sleep every night!

Before proceeding to Level V, be sure to give yourself 7 days of Level I-II to allow the body time to heal.

Level V: Active Extreme

Level V is only recommended for no more than 1 week. This level is exactly what it implies, Extreme. It means that in addition to a physical job, you are also working out 7 days a week with great intensity and energy usage. It is critical that after a week of Level V, that you return to Level I-II for a minimum of 7 days before returning to any other Level of activity. Your heart, your joints, your body and your muscles can only take so much of Level V activity before they start to burn out and lead to serious medical problems. Talk to your doctor or a professional trainer before participating in a Level V activity level.

• In this Level, you are exercising for no more than 60 minutes without stopping Sessions, 7 days a week.
• Be sure to stretch for 15-20 minutes before starting a Session and wear the appropriate clothing and shoes.
• Drink plenty of water and be sure you are providing your body with enough calories for fuel your energy. Get plenty of protein and carbohydrates as your body will need them.
• Activities include, extreme cardiovascular workout sessions, marathons, extreme weight training with a spotter or trainer, rock climbing, and any extreme sport.
• Get 8 hours of sleep every night!

Basic Exercises, for Level II-IV

Now that you know what activities there are and what is involved in each level. It's time to give you the tools to do the basics of at home exercising in Level II-IV.

Level II

	Sun.	Mon.	Tues.	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.
Activity		Elliptical		Brisk Walking		Balance Ball
Duration		20 min. or 2000 steps		3 miles or 30 min.		30 min.

Level III

	Sun.	Mon.	Tues.	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.
Activity		Elliptical	Balance Ball	Elliptical	Balance Ball	Brisk Walking
Duration		20 min. or 2000 steps	30 min.	20 min. or 2000 steps	30 min.	3 miles or 30 min.

Level IV

	Sun.	Mon.	Tues.	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.
Activity		Elliptical	Run/ Walk	Elliptical	Run/ Walk	Elliptical	Balance Ball
Duration		40 min. or 4000 steps	4 miles or 50 min.	40 min. or 4000 steps	4 miles or 50 min.	40 min. or 4000 steps	40 min.

You will need to develop your own fitness sheets for level five.