I am a true believer that it takes two weeks to get your body cleaned up and ready to make changes. Many people give up on a diet and exercise program after just one week because they try so hard and expect so much. Yes, the wait is frustrating but the results are worth it! After two weeks of eating a CLEAN, balanced diet, your cravings will be minimized, you will have more energy mentally and physically, and you will see the number on the scale go down :)
Here are some tips to help you with the 14-day challenge:
1. Don’t choose a diet and workout program you cannot stick to for two weeks. If the diet is a crash or crazy diet, you WILL NOT SUCCEED long term.
2. If both diet and exercise are too much, start with just the diet for two weeks, then incorporate exercise gradually.
3. Write out your plan BEFORE you start the 14-day challenge or hire a trainer to help you.
4. Know ahead of time what your obstacles are going to be and be ready for them when they come. For example: you know you have business dinners coming up, so plan ahead of time to check out the restaurant’s menu to see what you will have for dinner.
Sample 14-day Challenge
Clean Eating: I prefer clean eating instead of “DIET” because that word “DIET” has taken on a different and negative meaning in today’s world. Below is a sample of what clean eating looks like. You should consume a small meal every three hours, trying to reach five meals. No snacking between meals!
Meals 1, 3, and 5: Protein, Complex Carb, Veggie, Fat
Meals 2 and 4: Protein and Complex Carb
Drink 2 liters of water and 1 liter of Hydrolyze water (hydrolyzeultra.com).
Sample Diet (Note:portions below are just an example and will be different depending on weight and weight-loss goals)
Meal 1: 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg, spinach, 1/2 cup oats
Meal 2: Protein shake, 5 strawberries
Meal 3: Chicken, 3 oz sweet potato, asparagus, 1/4 cup almonds
Meal 4: Cup of Greek yogurt, 10 blueberries
Meal 5: Fish, 1/3 cup brown rice, broccoli, 1 tbls olive oil
Exercise
Try to exercise one hour, five days per week. Make your exercises enjoyable as possible and don’t be scared of change.
Two-Week Workout: Choose about 3-4 exercises per body part and set a number of reps and sets that meet your needs. Then week two, change the number of reps and sets again with the same exercises.
Day 1:
30-min cardio treadmill
30-min leg workout
Day 2:
30-min cardio elliptical
30-min back/bicep
Day 3:
30-min cardio stepper
30-min shoulder/triceps/chest
Day 4:
30-min cardio bike
20-min plyometrics
Day 5:
Total-body workout
