Fat Loss – Body Transformation – Advanced Nutrition

Last week, I posted that I was going to hold a 2 Week Challenge with the purpose of not only helping people get started with a simple to follow nutritional program, but to also help individuals clean up what they may be doing now.

Why?
-Because two weeks may need the spark a lot of people can use to turn it into 3 solid months. Three months may not have you fitness show ready, but that’s a long enough time to make a drastic change.

What is it?
-I’m going to lay some basic nutrition guidelines out and a few rules that I’d like people to try and follow. It’s two weeks. What do you have to lose?

Who is this for?
-Anyone who has struggled in the past with fat loss. Anyone who is sick of fad and starvation diets. Anyone that has wanted to get started and didn’t know how to eat.

What do I get for trying it?
-You get started. You will have more energy. You will start to feel how your body functions better when you eat the right foods at the right times.

Is it easy?
-Easy is for the weak. No, I’m not letting you drink. I’m not letting you eat fast food. If you’re going to try that, just leave the site now. When you look like you want to look, you can do those things, but if you want to make a drastic change, you need to take drastic measures.

I’ve posted much of this up before, but I’m going to fine tune it to make it more for the masses. This is not tailor made. I am not considering current fitness levels or goals. This is for fat loss and it is what I’d call a “Kickstart Program”.

Training
-I recommend 3 days of resistance training. I don’t mind if you break the body into parts or train the whole body each time, but I do want the entire body trained over each week. Read: do legs. Focus mostly on compound exercises such as the squat (and variations), bench press (and variations), leg press, dead lift, etc. Don’t waste a lot of time with isolation work.

Cardio
-3 days per week, first thing in the morning. Wake up 30 minutes early. Drink some water, moderately intense (meaning you can’t hold a conversation without inhaling deeply before speaking). Sweat. 30-40 minutes. Not longer, not shorter.

Eating
-First, the food list:
Proteins
chicken breast
turkey breast
lean ground turkey
swordfish
orange roughy
haddock
salmon
tuna
crab
lobster
shrimp
top round steak
top sirloin steak
lean ground beef
buffalo
lean ham
egg whites or substitutes
trout
low-fat cottage cheese
wild-game meat

Carbohydrates
sweet potato
yams
squash
pumpkin
steamed brown rice
steamed wild rice
whole grain pasta
oatmeal
barley
beans
kidney beans
strawberries
melon
apple
orange
fat-free yogurt
whole-wheat bread
high-fiber cereal
rice cake
whole grains

Vegetables
broccoli
asparagus
lettuce
cauliflower
green beans
green peppers
mushrooms
spinach
tomato
peas
brussels sprouts
artichoke
cabbage
celery
zucchini
cucumber
onion

Fats
avocado
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
cold-water fish
natural peanut butter
pistachios
almonds
almond butter
olive oil
fish oil
flax oil

-Don’t forget to drink PLENTY of water. Before, during and after every meal and workout. That means all the time. The goal is 1oz per pound of bodyweight.
-For fat loss, eat at LEAST 5 meals per day!!! There are NO exceptions here. You should be eating every 2-3 hours.
-Sugars, juices, sodas, and sports drinks are a big NO (maybe a sports drink + protein post-workout, but at no other time). They’re empty calories and they WILL MAKE YOU FAT.
-Alcohol? Only if you want your fat burning to come to a complete hault for 72 hours after your drink. Stop it, cut it out, and don’t do it. If you want it once per week, we can live with that, but you’re better off without it.

Guidelines:
-Foods are simply grouped under their 4 headers above: protein, carbs, veggies, fats. I realize that some things actually have protein and carbs or proteins and fats – in my diet, that is irrelevant. Each food is under one heading. Don’t overcomplicate this! When a meal calls for a protein + carb, that means a source of protein and a source of carbs from the above lists, not “A glass of milk”.
-Center each and every meal around protein. That means every single meal must have a portion of protein from the above list. How big is a portion? For simplicity’s sake in day to day life, it’s the size of your closed fist. With that being said, I’d recommend measuring occasionally just to see how much food a certain amount is.
-Three meals MUST have one portion of carbohydrates: breakfast, the meal immediately before your workout (within 2 hours) and the meal immediately following your workout (within ONE hour).
-No carbs in the final meal of the day (unless it’s immediately after you workout, then cut the portion in half).
-Veggies are unlimited and can be eaten during every meal and used as snacks. This is VEGGIES only, not fruit.
-You will NEVER eat a source of carbs without protein. Never, ever..
-Do not combine fats and carbs in the same meal. One or the other.
-If you workout first thing in the morning, your first three meals can have a source of carbohydrates.
-Spices and seasonings that I recommend are any dry herbs, Mrs. Dash, Worcester, pepper, etc.
-The less dairy the better.

On the first Saturday, you can have a 4 hour window to eat whatever you want. The next Saturday, you get a two hour window to eat whatever you want. This is a WINDOW. Not to be spread out.

Couple of things:
If you have any questions for me, post them in the comments. If you want to have me check over your diet, I will need you to list the times you are eating, the foods, the time of day you wake up, go to sleep, and train. Same with a food question – if you want to know, feel free to post it in the comments section below. For the most part, attempt to stick with what is on the list.

It’s just two weeks. The only thing you have to lose is a little fat and lethargy!

Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454