8 Week Kick Start

So many have asked what my eating plan is. This plan is basically an 8 week cleanse, of sorts. As I mentioned in my last post, my spin instructor was prescribed this eating plan to help rid her body of something that was causing allergic/intolerant reactions. I decided to go with it because she said her husband lost about 15 lbs... and I was willing to try anything. Also another side note, at the time I started this 'cleanse',  I was meeting with a licensed nutritionist at Intermountain Healthcare and following a plan called "The Weigh to Health". (You can find out more information about it here.) I asked her about it all and she said it was a sound, well-rounded eating plan. I am not a doctor. I am not a nutritionist. I am not an expert. But it worked for me, so it may work for you. Leave any questions you may have in the comments.

Drink 8+ glasses of water each day (8 oz.)

Try to consume no more than 1500 – 1600 calories a day. (If you are smaller already, you may have to eat less. But you  should  at least 1200 calories each day). 

Meat servings should be between 4 oz – 6 oz. only. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you should probably eat beans & soy from the very beginning for added source of protein.

I also didn't eat anything after dinner unless I was absolutely starving. However, I tried to cut myself from all food about 2 hours before bedtime.

WEEK 1-2: You  may eat only chicken, eggs, turkey (ground or breasts), fish, shellfish, eggs, and veggies. You can use olive oil and seasonings in your cooking. You may have almonds and cashews (in moderation). Almond milk and almond butter are okay if they contain no added sugar. I used a lot of red wine vinegar and pepperoncini juice for salad dressing. You may have avocados and tomatoes and sweet potatoes. 

WEEK 3-4: Add fruits. YUMMY. Strawberries will never taste this good in your life again. Fruit almost tasted like candy after 2 weeks of savory veggies. Make sure to eat more servings of veggies than fruit each day. I also tried to stop eating fruits before dinner. 

WEEK 5-6: Add legumes and lentils. Quinoa, and one serving of starchy veggies each day. You can add other nuts as well, but go easy on the peanuts. Popcorn is now on the list. It is a good treat (just steer clear of the butter).

WEEK 7-8: Add a 1-2 portions of whole grains. Oatmeal, steel cut oats, wheat tortillas, whole grain toast with your eggs. 

At the end of week 8, add back in anything else you may be missing. I chose to stay away from dairy all together. Leafy green veggies have plenty of calcium.  Your cravings should be gone and hopefully you'll want to continue eating this way on a regular basis. My one downfall is having Diet Dr. Pepper each day. I think I've almost convinced myself to quit drinking it (after the case in my fridge is gone, of course).

If you follow this plan, you should be able to kick-start whatever goal you have set for yourself. I lost almost 30 lbs in 8 weeks eating this way. I am starting again on June 11 if you want to join me.  I've found some pretty great recipes so it doesn't feel like you are always just eating a grilled piece of chicken with a salad. I'll share those, too. 

Start mentally prepping yourself. We can do it together!