Then again, from a business standpoint, it’s a darn good idea. Someone will buy them. Actually, lots of people will buy them. Last year, I thought more people would think twice about the value, or maybe lack thereof, of Sketcher’s Shape-Ups. Where do I begin with what, in my opinion, is this year’s soon-to-be shoe phenome-‘duh’?

Most of my readers already know this, but the difficulty in losing 30 lbs is NOT because a person isn’t wearing the right shoes. Independently, shoes like this will do absolutely nothing for weight loss or “toning”, as the ads claim.

If you want to lose fat or “tone” up, it starts and ends with what you eat and how you exercise. Combining resistance and cardiovascular training only enhances the gains you’ll experience (physically, mentally, spiritually, etc). Of course, that’s the Cliff’s Notes version, but the point is that no one should believe that buying these shoes, without putting in the physical and nutritional effort, will help them reach their goals.

Vibram 5 Fingers are a good example of shoes that are durable AND beneficial, and for more information on what those benefits are, I’d be glad to share my resources. Every day that I wear mine, people point and make funny faces, but these shoes are great!

If you are struggling to lose weight, or have fallen victim to shoes with crazy moon-bounce features, scales, etc., check out my Biggest Loser program that is starting this Monday, October 18^th. Take a look at what the 1^st and 2^nd place winners have to say about the program.

Mark D lost 54 lbs in 12 weeks

Transformation

Andrew lost 33 lbs in 12 weeks

His transformation click here

Program Details:

Grand Prize

The person with the greatest combined percentage of bodyweight lost, AND has the greatest reduction of body fat percentage, will win $500!!

Who Is It For?

Anyone who is looking to seriously commit him or herself to a 12-week program can join! To have a good shot at winning the contest person should be looking to lose at least 5% of their bodyweight. For example, a 200 lb person could aim for losing at least 10 lbs of total weight.

Rules of the Contest:

• Regardless of which package you sign up for, you will be eligible for the Grand Prize.
• First weigh-in is October 18^th and 19^th (no weighs-ins after 10/19).
• The final weigh-in is January 10^th and 12^th (no weighs-ins after 1/12).
• Mandatory weigh-ins scheduled every two weeks; failure to do so will disqualify contestant from Grand Prize.
• A minimum of 10 participants is required to run the contest. A full refund will be given to each participant if the minimum requirements are not met.
• No refunds will be issued once the contest has begun.
• The participant who loses the greatest percentage of bodyweight + body fat percentage will win the Grand Prize.
• A $200 deposit is required at the time of registration – remaining balance is due by November 19^th.

Packages:

Silver Package:

• Complete Exercise Program (strength training, cardiovascular, and flexibility) with videos of each exercise, designed by Personal Trainer & Fitness Nutrition Coach Mark Shields
• 4 individual personal training sessions to be used any time during contest (limited to 9am-10pm)
• Diet Guide designed by Fitness Nutrition Coach Mark Shields
• Grocery list of ideal food choices
• Supplement Guide for Fat Loss – covering two of the MUST TAKE supplements for fat loss
• Cost: Members – $397, Non-Members – $476

Gold Package:

• Everything that the Silver Package contains
• Plus two additional personal training sessions
• 4 passes to “Cardio Killers”, a 30-min group training session ($60 value)
• Small group cooking demo with a Fitness Chef ($100 value)
• Supplement Starter Kit- one bottle of each of the “must take” supplements for fat loss ($40 value)
• 30% off all nutritional services from Mark Shields
• 1 recipe per week emailed by Fitness Chef
• Unlimited fitness and nutrition support via email
• Cost: Members – $550, Non-Members – $660

**IMPORTANT NOTE: Contest begins with the first weigh-in on October 18^th or 19^th