It’s week 3 of our lifestyle change & I must be honest, last weekend wasn’t so hot for me. Stress, cravings, and a need to “let loose” got the best of my good intentions. Oh yeah, and cravings as in that time of the month – so add a little attitude on with it, and by Monday morning, I needed some straight up damage control.
Good thing I have a go-to 4 Day-Slimdown that works like a charm. I should just call it 4-Day-Gotta-Get back-on-track-since-I-just-ate-a-cow. Anyways, the point of this is that I am proud of myself for not “throwing in the towel” and giving up. I’m human, slip-ups happen. I know I will succeed, but if I gave up, I would never give myself that chance. So, Monday morning, I started my little 4-Day Slimdown. Results? Got rid of all the water weight from all the food I had, and back on the plan quickly!
I love this little Slimdown because you are eating real food, a lot of it. I eat every few hours to keep my metabolism up, so my body knows that it doesn’t have to conserve any energy. The trick is that it is all whole, unprocessed, food that is high in vegetables and fruit. It I will explain why I do everything that I do, because there is a rhyme to the reason.
I follow my workout plan here, based on SELF Drop 10, making sure to include cardio, HIIT, and weight training!
**Note that I am not a registered dietitian or doctor, this is just what works for me! It follows the same caloric guidlines as the amazing SELF Drop 10 here **
Hayley’s 4 Day Slim Down
Breakfast: Warm Lemon water + Cinnamon Oatmeal + Egg Whites
- Lemon Water: Heat 1 Cup of water with juice of ½ a lemon.
- Benefits: Lemon is a natural diuretic, flushing toxins out of the body. It also helps with digestion, helping to make you feel light and de-bloated. Also, it balances your pH, making your skin super clear! It has so many other health benefits, but these are some of my favorites!
- Cinnamon Oatmeal: Cook ¼ cup of oatmeal with 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of Chia Seeds.
- Benefits: First of all, oatmeal is so filling and has enough complex carbohydrates to make you feel energized and full for packed mornings. The carbohydrates release slowly, so no sugar crashes! Chia seeds are great because they expand with water – this makes your oatmeal almost double in size, keeping you full. Chia seeds are packed with Omega-3’s, antioxidants, and are known for their power to keep you satisfied. Top with cinnamon, because not only is it delicious, it adds a little natural sweetness and boosts metabolism. Add a little stevia too, if you like it sweet ;)
- Egg Whites: cook 3-5 egg whites or 1 full egg
- Benefits: Egg whites are 100% protein; this helps you maintain lean muscle mass and also lowers the total glycemic index of your meal. This helps stabilize blood sugar, allowing you to digest slowly and let your body burn fat. Serve ‘em up.
Mid-Morning Snack: Green Detox smoothie!
Blend 1 cup (about a handful) of kale, 1 handful of spinach, ½ cup of mixed berries (frozen works good on a budget), ½ an orange (or banana), 1 tablespoon of grated ginger, 1 cup of water, and a few ice cubes. Blend!
- Benefits: So many:
- Kale & spinach both have more iron than red meat, so you will feel energized all day. Also it has more calcium than milk! WHAT. Yep! So many others, but the antioxidants in it are amazing and your body will love you.
- Mixed Berries, with their fiber and beautiful colors, mixed berries are high in cancer fighting antioxidants and will make the smoothie taste delicious.
- Ginger is high in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, minerals as well as vitamins A, B complex, and C. It also stimulates digestion, letting you absorb more vitamins from all the other good foods you are eating! . Besides helping digestion, ginger is also used to give symptomatic relief from stomach cramps, diarrhea, and bloating caused due to gas. We all know sometimes we can use that! Plus, it tastes so fresh!
Lunch: Green Power Bowl + Fruit
- Green Veggies: Make big bowl topped with unlimited green vegetables. That is right – as many as you like of spinach, kale, spring mix, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, and green beans. Green vegetables are loaded with powerful antioxidants and calcium. They are very low in calories but high in vitamins, so load your plate until your heart’s content!
- Extra Veggies: Add in 1 cup of other veggies of choice, this can be bell peppers, jicama, brussel sprouts, squash – anything you want.
- Protein: Top with 4oz of any type of lean protein you’d like – think grilled chicken breast, salmon, tilapia, tempeh, tofu, garbanzo beans, edamame. I love doing tempeh or tofu to keep it 100% plant based. The benefits of protein is to maintain lean muscle mass, rev up your metabolism, and keep you full. **Note – Sauces are very high in calories in sugar normally, so try using a low sodium seasoning to cook with!**
- Goddess-Detox: Mix 1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar + ½ Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive oil + Juice of ½ Lemon + 1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar + 1 teaspoon of Dijon + Garlic powder + pepper to taste. Use this to top your big bowl in place of other dressing.
- Fruit: Have a piece of fruit with this for dessert – your choice!
- Benefits: The real power in this is the Apple Cider vinegar, which is a “miracle” vinegar that clears skins, detoxes the body, whitens teeth, boosts metabolism, alkalizes your pH balance – and SO many other things! Extra virgin olive oil is also so good for your skin, hair, and has healthy fats that are known to help burn off belly fat. I love this dressing, also – it is delicious!
Snack: Your Pick! Since afternoons are normally super busy and on the go, this is your choice. What it needs to be is a good mix of protein + carbohydrates around 200 calories.
Ideas:
- 1 cup nonfat greek yogurt + 1 tablespoon of almonds
- Green smoothie from above
- Apple + 1 tablespoon of nut butter (peanut, almond, sunflower)
- Think Thin Bar, Larabar, Luna Bar, KIND Bar – the less ingredients, the better
- Hardboiled Egg + Fruit
- Sliced veggies + 2 tablespoons of hummus
- 1 cup of almond milk blended with 1 scoop of protein powder and ice cubes
Dinner: 4 oz. Lean Protein + Asparagus + Unlimited Greens Salad
- Just like lunch, choose a lean protein and an unlimited green salad with the Goddess- detox dressing. Serve with steamed asparagus, which is not only super high in antioxidants, but is a natural diuretic, so you will wake up feeling unbloated!
Dessert: Nonfat Greek Yogurt + Tea
- Have ½ cup of nonfat greek yogurt, you can add either cocoa powder or cinnamon to mix in with a little stevia! The protein in the yogurt will help repair your muscles while you sleep. Have a mug of cinnamon or chamomile tea, this will help relax your body and lower your blood sugar before be – prepping your body to burn fat while you sleep.
I followed this for 4 days and loved it!! My clothes fit great, my skin is even clearer, and I have a ton of energy – can’t complain :) It was so good to learn how quick it is to get back on track, with whole foods that my body was craving.
Bottom line: we all have slip ups, we are not perfect. The important thing is that we don’t give up! So if you ever feel like you need a little damage control – try this out!
Have a great weekend! Don’t forget to keep your goals in mind.
xo,
Hayley