Fall Fitness Challenge with Christian Castano [Week Five]

The word fitness is rather interesting. It can mean so many things to different people.

To some it means the daunting task of trying to fit into a size zero dress for a special occasion and looking as skinny as possible. For others it is about finding the ultimate platform for discovering the wealth of a healthy lifestyle every single day.

I am a lifestyle and entertainment reporter. My job is to be social and to be at the hottest and happening scenes in America. The career sounds so glamorous by the nature of it. The job is to be at exclusive film premieres and gallery openings. Your responsibility is to report to the boss what you saw at the most fabulous after parties on the planet. Mingle with celebrities, get their quotes all while being surrounded at events by the offerings of top chefs and renowned by mixologists. It sounds fabulous, but when you are on a fitness quest it is truly difficult to maintain and resist.

For over a month now I have been training with celebrity Fitness Trainer Christian Castano. While we have been busy in the gym and learning the core principles of dynamic movements and focusing on body development of arms, legs and core; we as a team have also been acquiring a shift in diet principles. This new educational tool is as important as sweating it out with cardio and weights.

I am a fighter and I actually find a thrill in hitting the gym with such an amazing trainer as Castano. Yes, it hurts. It burns to do his leg squats and I squeal in angst when he makes me do thirty leg movements in a row. I burn fat and sculpt muscle and then do it all over again with him.   Doing a super set or 20 extra minutes of cardio to hit my 1,000 plus calorie-burn a day is something I can handle for some reason. The hardest thing is sticking to the diet when surrounded by delicious, mouth-watering food and drinks every single night. As Christian has taught me, I could work out all day long, but If I don’t do something about food consumption my body will never get healthier. This amazing trainer makes me realize that there is more to life than eating up free five-star food when at work..

Castano as a trainer by the grace of the gods puts in to your head that food tasting at a party or a work meeting is a fleeting sensation. The calories you consume will fight against your fitness battle. Thanks to this coach I now think about everything I put in my mouth at an event. I could easily put that fluffy crab cake or $100 glass of champagne. Rather because of Christian I think twice about those calories and what it takes at a session with him to burn it off. I process, instead, about having to Snapchat him what I am consuming. It goes through my head that he will not be pleased that a moment of bliss on the lips will take me far away from the journey we are on during the Fall Fitness Challenge.

My weight and body shape continue to change because of him. We are getting closer and closer to the final weeks of the challenge and I am not stopping because he simply inspires me not to.

I can defy the odds and pass on the appetizers. And, if I do get hungry and crave the bad stuff I just have to remember – fight the urge. Instead, look forward to one of Christian’s favorite well-balanced meals full of nutrition and detoxifying elements – steamed asparagus and sweet potatoes along with delicious grilled asparagus.

You don’t need five-star food to feel red-carpet ready. You just need to think like a super star.

For more information on Christian please check out his site or follow him at @christiancastano. Gym information can be found here.