Week 2
How do you feel after your first week? Did you feel overwhelmed? This is perfectly normal. You are implementing something new in your life and it takes time to get used to. I have given you a lot of information so that you can learn how to continue this on your own as a lifestyle change without the need to track your food and “diet” all the time. It’s okay to fail, get frustrated, and be a bit overwhelmed at first. It is not okay to have negative self-talk, get down on yourself, and it’s definitely not okay to quit.
If it isn’t challenging, nothing is going to change.
Trust the process and just keep trying and doing your best. It takes about 2-3 weeks to start getting the hang of it. This is THE ONLY way to learn how to make the right choices with your foods, get results and be able to maintain this on your own. It is not easy at first but it will all be worth it when you feel as good as you do at the end.
Check-In
How are you feeling?! Are you feeling a bit tired and hungry? Don’t worry, that’s normal and it WILL get better! Remember, we are reprogramming our bodies not severely restricting (not dieting). This takes time, 2-3 weeks on average but it varies for each person. If you are under a lot of stress, are not getting enough sleep, or if you have hormone imbalances, it takes longer.
How are your workouts going?
If you are doing the HIIT workouts for cardio, during the high intensity portion you should be pushing as hard as you can, maximum effort. Then, during the 20 minutes of lower intensity you are training your body to go to fat for energy to burn fat.
During your strength workouts, you should be lifting heavy enough so by the end of your reps your muscles should be on fire. If the exercise calls for 12 reps, you should be lifting heavy enough so you are feeling the burn by rep 8-10. If you need adjustments in the nutrition plan or your workouts please let me know.
Protein Problems?
Protein problems?
Don’t forget about your Macro cheat sheets.
If you are not vegan, try some collagen peptides. My favorite brands are on my recommendations page. You can add these to water, coffee, tea, any beverage or soft food item.
Here are some non-meat/fish options since we already know meat and fish are a good source of protein.
HIGH CARB DAY-steel cut oats, yams, brown rice,edamame and edamame pasta, chickpeas, chickpea pasta, dried flavored chickpeas, quinoa, beans, protein powder smoothies
LOWER CARB DAY-tofu, eggs, nuts, full fat Greek yogurt, seeds, nut butters, make your own protein/nut butter bars
Tips on Getting More Protein in your Diet
Add meats or egg to your salad
Have larger serving sizes of protein at your meals
Add spinach to the greens for your salad, your eggs in the am, or your smoothies
Add nuts or seed on top of salads, stir-fry, or a veggie side dish, overnight oats, or yogurt
Have some nuts, nut butter, cheese, or seeds for a snack
Add nut butter to fruits or veggies as a dip
Eat Lean Jerky for snacks
Munch on flavored, dried edamame, or chickpeas for a snack
Eat your protein first when eating your meal
Eat Greek Yogurt instead of traditional yogurt
Have a protein bar or shake for a snack
Mindset Task
Create a gratitude practice and daily positive self talk
Starting a gratitude and positive self talk practice can be a game changer in your health and happiness. There are some that you can purchase, or you can simple use a plain notebook. It might feel a little awkward at first.
Keep a small journal next to your bed or in your bathroom and every morning write something you are grateful for and one thing that you like about yourself or one thing that is positive about YOU.
“I am grateful for … I am ….”
Maybe you will have to stop there for a minute and wait because you just can’t think of anything. But just wait. Surrender to the moment. Something inside you will shift. The words will come.
Do this for a week and you will begin to see a shift and the longer you do this you will begin to change your thought patterns and form the habit of gratitude
So much of how we experience life is a matter of our perception and perspective.
Health Task
Intermittent fasting
I am covering this topic in preparation for next week. This is OPTIONAL and not required in this program. It is not for everyone and will only be for those who this technique is appropriate to implement. If you would like to try, reach out to me to see if this is appropriate for you.
Week 3 brings in the intermittent fasting option. Intermittent fasting is optional in this program. I only recommend you trying intermittent fasting if I feel this is medically appropriate, you are consistently getting close to your macro goals and you are eating enough every day. If you are not, then you should not implement this strategy. This is ONLY for those of you who have reached out to me and I have deemed this appropriate for you to start.
If you are not comfortable in consistently hitting your macro goals in a full day, then shortening this eating time will only lead to frustration. You can always implement this strategy later. Slow and steady wins the race.
Intermittent fasting is exactly what it sounds like: short periods of fasting, intermittently. You will be fasting for 16 hours.
This goes against Much of what we’ve been taught by the health and fitness industry. We are often told to workout intensely, eat every 2-3 hours, and restrict our calories.
Unfortunately, while this will get results initially, it will also mess with your hormones in some pretty significant ways and eventually slow down your metabolism. Medial research has shown that this can have negative effects on your body.
Your body is always in one of two states: fasted or fed. When you eat several meals throughout the day, your body is always in a fed state. While in the fed state your insulin levels are elevated, which makes it more difficult for your body to burn fat effectively and your body becomes dependent on eating frequently.
However, after about 12 hours of not eating, your body goes into a fasted state. When you fast, insulin levels drop and human growth hormone increases. When you increase your growth hormone it helps your body burn fat and gain muscle.
You also increase the function of lipase which helps your body break down fat. Short term fasting also improves your metabolism which allows you to burn more calories which also helps your body burn fat.
Studies have shows that intermittent fasting causes weight loss, loss of inches around the abdomen, AND causes less muscle loss than just cutting calories alone.
Studies have also show that IF (Intermittent Fasting) can improve your blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and inflammation and reduce the risk of heart disease. IF also has important benefits for brain health and may increase growth of new neurons in the brain and protect the brain from damage. Fasting intermittently also helps your cells get rid of waste material and influences genes that prevent disease.
Bottom line… Intermittent Fasting
Can help you burn FAT
Can prevent muscle loss and breakdown
Can Improve your metabolism
Can be beneficial to your overall health
Fasting might sound a little scary, but I promise you...it isn’t as bad as it sounds!
Next week, some of you will be starting to intermittent fast. This means you will be skipping breakfast and eating within a 6-8 hour time window. You can start gradually eating later in the morning now if you would like.
You eat the SAME AMOUNT of food and you have the SAME goals but you eat your food in a shorter amount of time.
I suggest that you fast cardio days and rest days, strength days are OPTIONAL (especially if you workout first thing in the morning). Continue to do your workouts when it works in your schedule. Optimally, you should aim to do your cardio workouts when fasting or 2-3 hours after eating.
On strength days you have choices. You do not need to fast on strength days, it is optional. If you choose to fast on strength days, you can fast until normal time, or as long as you can. You should then focus on eating the meal highest in carbs as you first meal after working out. Doing this your body will take those carbs and immediately redirect them to your muscles, not to your glycogen storage tanks.
Bread Info and Tips
Here is a great article... I have copied the main points here without all the ads
The Best Bread: Tips for Buying Breads, How to decipher labels and choose the healthiest bread. By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
Choosing the best bread can be confusing. Here are three bread myths that help make it that way:
Bread Myth No. 1: If it looks brown and has the word "wheat" in the name, it has lots of fiber and whole grain.
The Truth: The first ingredient listed on the ingredient label tells the story. If it's "wheat flour" or "enriched bleached flour" (or similar), that tells you white flour was mostly used, not "whole-wheat flour."
Bread Myth No. 2: Breads with healthy sounding names like "seven-grain" or "100% natural" are the best choices.
The Truth: Just because the name of the bread on the package sounds super-healthy, it doesn’t mean the bread actually is. Oroweat’s seven-grain and 12-grain breads, for example, list "unbleached enriched flour" as their first ingredient. Nature’s Pride 100% Natural Honey Wheat bread, likewise, is mainly made with "wheat flour," not whole wheat.
Bread Myth: Rye bread is a 100% whole-grain, high-fiber choice.
The Truth: The first ingredient listed on the label of most brand brands of rye bread, from Russian Rye or Jewish Rye to Dark Rye or Extra Sour Rye, is none other than unbleached enriched flour. The second ingredient is usually water, and the third, rye flour. That explains why most rye breads have only 1 gram of fiber per slice (one dark rye in my supermarket has less than that). So, rye bread isn't usually 100% whole grain (although there might be some enlightened brands out there I haven't seen yet). I wouldn't call them high in fiber, either.
How to Buy the Best Bread
Best Bread Tip No. 1: Go for 100%
Just "whole wheat" doesn't cut it. Neither does "made with whole grain," Look for labels that say "100% whole wheat" or "100% whole grain," and don't settle for anything less. If it’s 100% whole wheat, the first ingredient listed in the ingredient label will be whole-wheat flour or 100% whole-wheat flour.
You want whole grains because they're naturally low in fat and cholesterol free; contain 10% to 15% protein, and offer loads of healthy fiber, resistant starch, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and often, phytoesterogrens (plant estrogens). With all those nutrients in one package, it’s no wonder whole grains provide so many health benefits, including protection from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers.
Best Bread Tip No. 2: Watch the Sodium.
Most bread products come with a dose of sodium, which is added to help control the yeast activity and for flavor. If you eat three servings of whole grain bread a day, and each slice has about 200 milligrams of sodium, that contributes 600 milligrams to your daily sodium total. It may not sound like much, but it represents one-third of your limit if you're trying to stay within 1,800 milligrams a day.
The good news is that there are plenty of breads with 200 milligrams or less of sodium per slice. See the table below for some of your best bread choices that aren't too high in sodium.
Best Bread Tip No. 3: Serving Size Matters.
When comparing bread products, look carefully at the serving size on the label. Some bread slices are much larger than others.
Best Bread Tip No. 4. Diet or "Light" Isn't Always Better.
There are several brands of bread that are promoted as being lower in calories. They usually have the word "light" in the name or on the packaging. Often, "light" bread means a smaller serving size and a product that is pumped with some extra fiber.
In addition to the other post about what to look for on bread labels, here is another article that is helpful with ingredient information as well as brands to avoid and brands to look for. I am a fan of Ezekiel bread and Dave's Killer Bread.
This one is too long to share here without the ads so here is the link...
https://pickyeaterblog.com/how-to-find-the-healthiest-bread-to-eat/
Assessments
Each week you are responsible for completing an assessment. This help you stay accountable, helps you maintain the right mindset, and helps you and I track your progress through the program.
Click the button below to complete the assessment for the end of Week 2.
