Goals:
1. To be
fit.
2. To loose
fat.
3. To eat
healthy.
4. To
feel great.
5. To
look even
better.
Exercise:
3 x Cardio per week
3 x Weights/resistance per week
3 x Abs per week
These do not have to be on different days, two rest days per week is recommended.
How much cardio?
30 - 60 minutes per session.
How hard?
Your goal HR can be calculated as follows:
(220 - your age) x 1.6
for example: 20 YO
220 - 20 = 200 x 1.6 = 160
Optimum HR for a 20 year old is 160 bpm.
I will be using my heart rate monitor.
If you don't have one, you should be exercising so you are still able to talk, but not sing!
Weights?
Each session focusing on a different muscle group: 1 x legs + 1 x back and biceps + 1 x chest and triceps.
Specific exercises will vary but a routine of 6 - 7 exercises will be completed per session.
Sets of exercises will change every three weeks.
Abs?
Exercises can vary but include:
Plank (increasing time by 15 seconds each week) - standard and oblique.
Crunches (various types)
Parallel leg raises
Food:
We all know how to do it, lets make the effort.
Aims?
1. Minimise (remove) fructose intake.
This 12 week program will remove fructose from your diet. If you don't think this is necessary check out Sarah Wilson's blog
here or check out David Gillespie's book Sweet Poison.
If you still think this is unnecessary or you've already detoxed from sugar you can include 1 - 2 pieces of fruit per day - one at breakfast - but stick to low fructose:fibre ratio fruits like berries and avoid high fructose fruits like apricots and watermelon.
2. Eat whole foods.
Foods straight from the earth to your plate are the best for you. We've been told before.
3. Find healthy eating habits that you can
do for the rest of your life.
There is no point 'dieting' for three months, being gorgeous, then going back to your old eating habits.
"Dieting" is pointless. Give it up now. You're going to
change your life and make these habits stick.
This means finding food choices you are comfortable with, that don't make you feel like you're missing out.
I calorie count. This is controversial, I know, but in my opinion it's the best way to become familiar with appropriate portion sizes.
For my weight loss I aim for a
daily target of 1200 - 1500 calories.
I split these between meals:
300cal for breakfast/150cal morning snack/300cal for lunch/150cal for afternoon snack = 700cal
I personally allocate 500cal for dinner. This is not ideal and if you are controlling all your meals you should reallocate 500cal for breakfast and 300cal for dinner - but as dinner is often prepared for me I feel 500cal should cover what is usually provided.
Total? 1200 calories. This leaves me 200 or so to play with - maybe an evening snack, maybe lunch will contain a little extra something, etc.
Breakfast: 300 calories
Option 1 (300cal)
1/3 cup oats + water + 2 tsps LCA (linseed-chia-almond meal) + tbsp seeds (sunflower + pepitas)
Option 2
2 Weet-bix + 1 - 2 cups
unsweetened almond milk
Option 3 (100cal)
Green Smoothie:
Leafy green mix (spinach/kale/endive) + tbsp chia + 1/2 lemon + 1/2 cucumber + handful icecubes + 2 cups water - blitz (recipe to come)
+ extra morning snack of fruit-free bar or sugar-free muffin, for example.
Snack 1: 150 calories
Option 1
3 falafels/veg balls + 6 cherry tomatoes
Option 2
Fruit-free muesli bar (restrict to twice a week max)
Option 3
Carrot + celery + 2 tbsp hummus
Option 4
75g tin chickpeas or 4 bean mix
Option 5
6 almonds + 6 walnuts.
Try my spicy varieties to be posted soon.
Option 6 - NOT VEGAN
Tin tuna (check ingredients for sugar free - I find chilli or lemon pepper are usually best)
Lunch: 300 calories
Option 1
Salad: lots of leafy greens and other salad ingredients (cucumber/tomato/capsicum/pumpkin/radish etc.)
Optional: add half a cup of lentils/chickpeas/beans/wholegrain like quinoa or freekeh
NON-VEGAN option: add a tin of tuna
Option 2
Soup.
Make a couple of varieties at a time and stick them in the freezer to take out when you want a salad free day.
I currently have carrot and broccoli soups in my freezer.
Option 3
Last nights leftovers.
Afternoon Snack: 150 calories
Choose from morning snack options!
Or come up with your own snack - vegies are great!
Dinner:
Here's my big issue..
I'm not usually in control of what is available for dinner - I often eat at my parents or partners parents house.
Aim for 1/2 plate of vegies (try to avoid high fructose veg like beetroot/peas/carrots).
If you must have carbohydrates restrict this to 1/4 of your plate.
It's not rude to ask to have veg-packed pasta sauce WITHOUT the pasta. And I doubt people will be offended if you don't eat your rice.
When cooking try to ramp up the vegies and reduce sugar-filled sauces.
Make your own sauces using your spice cupboard and fresh ingredients.
Make stir-frys without noodles.
Try my recipe for vegan lasagne to come.
If you can have tofu, go for it.
Chickpeas and lentils are awesome.
Desperate for after dinner something? try to keep it at 150calories
Option 1
Sugar-free jelly with a spoon of coconut cream from the fridge (add a few macadamias and you have one of my fav desserts).
Option 2
4 nuts. Just have 4. Nibble them. They're surprisingly satisfying.
Option 3
Need a chocolate fix?
Mix a tsp of cocoa powder with some coconut cream. Enjoy.
Option 4
Drink some tea!
Other Points
Try not to eat within the last 3 hours before bedtime.
I know this is hard, especially if you work nights like me and don't get home until an hour or so before you'd like to go to bed.
It's good to develop 5 recipes to use regularly, rather than try to find something new to cook every day.
Listen to your body. It knows what it wants. (It's NOT asking for chocolate. That is your stupid sugar-addicted brain).
Reduce your coffee intake to 1 cup in the morning.
Find a green tea that you like and swap half the black tea you usually drink with a green alternative.
Find an exercise time that suits you.
I am going to be posting my progress - hopefully daily - with what I am eating and my exercise for that day (and the set of weekly exercise I'll be following). It would be awesome to hear from people that are doing something similar - or something different. I will be accountable!
more to come....
