September Challenge

Football season is here and while that adds a big element of excitement to our weekends, it also brings more opportunities to get our eating habits out of whack.  For that reason, this months challenge is just that…CHALLENGING…but we have added expert support as well.  Tammy Beasley will be at Sweat on September 7th to do a hands-on nutritional workshop to help you construct your fat loss plate.  Sign up here.

September begins our Week Day Warrior Challenge:  

This means that 5 days a week you will eat:

1.  Lean protein at EVERY meal or snack.

2.  No less than 5 servings of vegetables/day.

3.  No more than 1-2 servings of starchy carbs/day.

These 3 are NON-NEGOTIABLE!!

Begin September 2nd by following these steps:

Step 1- Commit to our Sweat challenge by writing your name on our challenge mirror.

Step 2- Pick 5 days to strictly adhere to the rules above…Sunday-Thursday or Monday-Friday.  The other two days of the week are on your own terms.

Step 3-  All questions about food selection, hunger, energy, cravings should be asked directly on the Sweat FB page and/or at Tammy Beasley’s nutritional workshop.

Recommended but Optional Step 4-  Take before pics on your phone by September 2nd.  It should be done before you have exercised or eaten anything.  4 pics-Front, both sides, rear.  Guys shirtless in shorts and girls in bathing suits.  Take pictures 14 days later and at the end of the month.  This method of self accountability is an awesome way to stay on track.  You won’t notice changes daily but capture your start point and you will be surprised what 2 weeks of clean, controlled eating will do for you!

Best choices FAQs:

A.   What should I consider a lean protein?  A lean protein is a protein dominant food source, with very little starch or fat that does not interfere w/ hormones.

1.  chicken

2.  turkey

3.  pork

4.  beef

5.  eggs

6.  venison

7.  buffalo

8.  fish

Based on the definition above, soy should be avoided and milk products should be limited.

B.  What starches am I watching out for?– It should go almost without saying that a packaged carbohydrate is almost always going to be a bad choice.  The list below is a list of whole food starches of which to become mindful.  NONE of the foods below are BAD for you.  Please view these healthy foods as an EASY RESOURCE for glucose/sugar and therefore should be eaten within the Weekeday Warrior guidelines.  Just because a food is healthy doesn’t mean your quantities won’t impact results.  Limit to ¼-1/2 cup serving sizes at meal times.  Read labels to know the appropriate serving size for one of these foods.  One size doesn’t fit all.

  1. beans
  2. grains
  3. whole grain breads, crackers, tortillas
  4. vegetables like yams, sweet potatoes, winter squashes (acorn, butternut, pumpkin)
  5. alcohol (red wine is your best choice)

C.  What about fruit?  Once again, there is NOTHNG wrong with fruit.  You simply must realize which choices provide an easier source of energy without providing the satiating and nutritional punch of fiber.  Fruit is not a limitless food item when you want fat loss.

Your high fiber lower sugar fruits are:

  1. apples
  2. berries
  3. cherries
  4. grapefruit
  5. lemon/limes
  6. pears

The fruits above are great choices to keep in stock and eat not only for smoothies but to help quench a sweet tooth after dinner, prevent or lower cravings in the afternoons, or sweeten water or yogurt.

Your highest sugar and lowest fiber fruits are below:

  1. bananas
  2. grapes
  3. mango
  4. papaya
  5. pineapple
  6. watermelon
The fruits above are ALWAYS a better option than eating a candy bar or cookie.  If they help keep you on track, don’t try to eliminate these options from your life.  Simply become food aware.  The first list is not ‘THE GOOD LIST’ of fruits any more than the second list is ‘THE BAD LIST’ of fruits.  For example, If you are about to dive into a bowl of ice cream, a banana or mango are the two fruits I’d hit.  Blueberries would not pack that immediate gratification to keep me away from the Rocky Road.  Post workout however, when I’m feeling good and a craving is no where in sight, list one is where I’m headed to sweeten my smoothie.

***  If needed, this is a great Supermarket guide  to look through.

I look forward to seeing LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of names on the mirror this month!!!

 

 

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