Week 12: Turn in Final Progress Check

There is no finish line!  The BodEvolve program was designed to help you find the right path, so you can stay on it and keep moving well beyond these 12 weeks.  Consistently putting one foot in front of the other is the only way to keep moving forward on this path.  There will be days when you take a step off the path for a detour, and that's ok!  As long as you get back on that path and stay on it about 80% of the time, you will continue to move the right direction.   

We've made it to the final week!  However, this isn't the finish line... stay on this path and keep moving forward!  I hope that over the past few months you have learned what a balanced, healthy nutrition plan looks like, and have also learned how to fit it into your lifestyle.  We've had to move fast to get all of the healthy habits into place so you probably haven't really had time to truly establish each individual goal as a habit.  Moving forward, you should go backand focus on one goal at a time for several weeks, until it becomes effortless.  Once it has become a habit (usually about 3 weeks of consistency), then move on to the next goal.

Your only added assignment this week is to complete your final progress check!  I will send the link to the form on Monday evening, so you can do it anytime during the week.  Then, next week, I will work on compiling your progress and goal compliance info so you can see what you've accomplished over the past 12 weeks!

Week 11: Meal Plan & Prep Schedule

To make things easier for you this week, I've created a meal plan and am including the recipes and shopping list.  Don't worry, I have kept it simple for you so you won't be spending hours in the kitchen!  Feel free to move things around as you like, though.  The PWO meals may not align with your workout schedule, so move the post workout meals to any days that are appropriate for you.  Also, feel free to double or even triple some recipes so you'll have plenty of leftovers!  If you plan to do that, just be sure to add to your shopping list accordingly.

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Meal Plan

Monday 

Yogurt parfait (AT)
Green salad with sauteed chicken (AT)
Apple with nut butter (AT)
Chicken Tortilla Soup (AT)

Tuesday

Chia Pudding (AT)
3 Bean Tuna Salad (PWO)
Fruit (AT)
Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce (AT)

Wednesday

Smoothie (AT)
Leftover Spaghetti Squash or Chicken Tortilla Soup (AT)
Beef Jerky and nuts (AT)
Cinco de Mayo Pork with avocado, and sauteed peppers & onions (AT)

Thursday

Bircher Meusli (PWO)
Whole wheat wrap with chicken, hummus, and sauteed peppers & onions (PWO)
Dark Chocolate (AT)
Salmon with Sesame Broccoli (AT)

Friday

Protein Oats (PWO)
Leftover Cinco de Mayo Pork (AT)
Fruit (AT)
Pesto Chicken Pizza (PWO)

Saturday

Smoothie (AT)
Pesto Chicken Pizza with hummus (PWO)
Dark Chocolate (AT)
FREE MEAL
 

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Shopping List

Produce

2 lemons
1 large spaghetti squash
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch cilantro
4 Vidalia onions
2 each- red, green, yellow peppers
fruit for snacking and breakfast bowls
salad greens
3 avocados
1 head garlic
broccoli florets
1 bunch asparagus

 

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Pantry

oats
raisins
1/2 cup beef broth
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce
14oz canned chopped tomatoes
2 cans tuna in water
1 can each- kidney, navy, black beans
sun dried tomatoes
dijon mustard
pesto
mixed nuts, for snacking
raw honey
stevia glycerite, if desired for breakfast bowls
nut butter
chia seeds
olive oil
coconut oil
sesame oil
beef jerky
protein powder
 

Meat

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6)
1 rotisserie chicken
1 pound ground beef
3 pounds pork shoulder

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Frozen

wild salmon fillets
berries for smoothies
whole grain tortillas

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Refrigerated

unsweetened nut or coconut milk
plain Greek yogurt
hummus
feta cheese

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Spices

chili powder
cinnamon
cumin
paprika
turmeric
fennel
black sesame seeds (or regular)

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Prep Schedule

Saturday/ Sunday

1. shopping

Sunday

1. Saute all chicken breasts, and satue the onion and bell peppers that aren't going into the chicken tortilla soup.
2. Roast spaghetti squash.
3. Make meat sauce for spaghetti squash.
4. Cook chicken tortilla soup in slow cooker Sunday night.

Monday

1. Prepare chia pudding for the morning.
2. Make 3 Bean Tuna Salad.

Tuesday

1. Put Cinco de Mayo Pork in slow cooker to cook overnight.
2. Prepare bircher meusli for morning.

Everything else can be prepared on the day of...  That's it!

Week 10- Tidy up!

9 weeks down, 3 to go!  Woot woot!  You guys have learned a lot so far, and have been trying to implement so many new habits.  It's a lot of stuff to squeeze in and try to adapt to, in such a short period of time.  In talking with some of you, it seems as though you've been treading water and just trying to stay afloat, and are now starting to drift under.  I can see that you're getting overwhelmed, and I want to throw you a lifeline!  Don't give up!  

Rather than add even more goals on top of ones you are already struggling with, I want you to evaluate how you're doing on the goals up to this point, and refocus on one that you're struggling with.  To help you do that, I've created a quiz below to guide you.  Watch the video for further explanation, then click on the button to take the the quiz!

I know, I said we're going into week 9 (in the video), but even I'm getting thrown off track!  We are FINISHING week 9 and going into week 10.  Ok, now you can listen...

Individualizing the program

Several of you have asked about how to individualize the nutrition plan specifically for you, so here's an explanation of how to do just that.

Also, I'm setting aside time at 9:30am on Saturday to meet with any of you who would like more guidance!  Bring your food journal with you and I can look over it and give you some pointers.  Bring any questions you have! 

Main points

Establish some basic nutrition guidelines to follow (this is what we've been doing with the AT and PWO meals!).

Take regular progress measurements.

Are you giving it enough time?  It takes 2-4 weeks on a program to start seeing results.  

If you aren't seeing progress, assess your compliance with the nutrition guidelines.  Are you strictly following it?  This is what the daily and weekly check-ins are for; to see how many AT meals, PWO meals and freebies you are having.  Remember anytime you have a freebie, it means you are not sticking with the nutrition guidelines.  Start by cutting back on your freebies.

If you've been strictly compliant with the guidelines for at least 2-4 weeks and aren't seeing progress, then you can start tweaking the guidelines.  Try swapping a PWO meal out and replacing it with an AT meal.  Try dropping one serving of fat per day.  Just make one or two changes, stick with it for 2-4 weeks, and keep progress checks going so you can figure out what works for you! 

About the sleep issue...

So, I'm a little worried that after reading the sleep goal for this week, and finding out just how important adequate sleep is for body composition goals, you may be ready to throw in the towel completely.  You figure that you're a lousy sleeper, there's no way you can get 7 hours of sleep each night, so this whole "eating right" thing is a complete waste and you're ready to go back to donuts and pizza.  Stop right there...

Yes, a lack of sleep is a huge stressor on the body, but so is poor nutrition.  Stress has a cumulative effect, so eliminating stress anywhere you can will help!  You only had 4 hours of sleep last night?  Well at least you ate whole, nourishing foods so that your body is better equipped to handle the stress of your sleep deprivation.  Oh wait... you only slept 4 hours and you feasted on beer and chili dogs, after running 12 miles?  Ok, well, that's not so good.  You'll probably wind up with achy joints and a fever because your immune system is shot and your body is so inflamed.  

Do you see the point here?  Eating right, drinking right, and sleeping well are all vital to your health!  But it's not an all or nothing deal.  If you truly can only accomplish one of those items, that's better than nothing.  So don't give up!  And while you're working on improving all of these key contributers to health and a rocking physique, here are some tips to help with better sleep:

Lights out

This means a pitch black bedroom, with no light sources.  Not even an alarm clock.  A sleep mask won't cut it!  Believe it or not, your eyeballs aren't the only part of your body that can register light.  There are proteins in your red blood cells that can detect light and carry that information to the brain, which can block secretion of the hormone melatonin.  You may have heard of melatonin- it tells your brain that it's time for sleep, and helps you stay asleep all night.  Do you know what works in direct opposition of melatonin?  Cortisol- the stress hormone.  When cortisol is high, melatonin is low (this should be happening in the early morning when it's time to start waking up), and when cortisol drops, melatonin is elevated (this should be happening toward the end of the day, when it's time to get ready for sleep).  When you are overly stressed, cortisol remains elevated, keeping melatonin from being released, so you lay there staring at the ceiling all night.  And then, your cortisol/ melatonin production winds up being flipped, so that you're exhausted in the morning and wired at night.  Eliminate stress wherever you can, people!

No screens

Avoid looking at your phone screen or a tv screen for up to 2 hours before bed.  I know, this is how everyone winds down for bed!  But these screens emit bright, blue light, which signals to the brain that it's day time, time to get up and at 'em!  If you have trouble falling asleep, switching to reading rather than watching TV would probably be helpful.  If you can't handle the thought of no screens before bed, download the app f.lux.  This free app automatically dims bright white and blue light on your phone, tablet or computer and emits a warm light that won't shout "DAYTIME" to your brain.  There are also blue blocking glasses you can wear to prevent the daytime-looking light from your TV and lightbulbs from entering your eyes.  There are many out there- just do a search for blue blocking glasses.

Avoid sweets and alcohol before bed

Consuming sweets or alcohol close to bed time can cause a middle of the night sugar crash, which can wake you up and make it nearly impossible to fall back asleep.  I know, that nightcap sure is great for helping you fall asleep, right?  Maybe, but it's not good at all for helping you sleep all night!  You're better off without it! 

Temperature

Make sure the temperature of your room is cool enough to send you off to sleep.  Your body temperature decreases to prepare for sleep, and a cooler room temperature can help facilitate this process and thus, your ability to fall asleep.  How cool does your room need to be?  Studies have shown that temperatures between 60-67 degrees are ideal.  Go ahead and splurge on the energy bill to keep your night time temps low!  Your sleep is worth it. 

Exercise

Some people can really konk out and get a great night's sleep after a tough evening workout, while others feel totally amped up and can't settle down for several hours post workout.  Know what works for you and get in your exercise, either in the evenings or early in the day!  Everyone should be shooting for 3-4 workout sessions per week, but avoid high intensity exercise daily, as it can wind up being another source of stress, rather than stress relief.  It's all about balance... be sure your are giving your body time to rest and recover between workouts.  How quickly you are able to recover is greatly dependent on your overall stress load (good nutrition and sleep mean you'll be recovered and ready to workout again sooner!)  

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A note about the 7 hours sleep goal...

Ok, so now you have some tools to work with to try to improve your sleep.  But what if you lay there and stare at the ceiling all night?  As long as you are in bed with lights out for a solid 7 hours, then you have met your goal for the purposes of this program.  So just GET to bed 7 hours before you have to wake up in the morning, and you can check the "yes" box on the sleep goal.  Got it?  And keep in mind that 7 hours is the absolute minimum required!  If you can get more, please do!  

Week 9- Sleep

It's time for your 8 week progress check!  Take those measurements and photos, and upload them here.  Only 4 more weeks to go!!

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Now that you understand your food and water intake, you must get caught up on sleep!  Getting adequate amounts of sleep is just as important as the types of food you're eating, when it comes to hormonal balance and body composition.

Inadequate sleep is one of the largest contributing factors to consistently elevated cortisol levels, aka, STRESS!  The result of elevated cortisol levels on a consistent basis are high blood pressure, under-active or overactive immune system (autoimmune responses or allergies, anyone?), weakened connective tissue strength (which means wrinkles!), and blunted insulin sensitivity (inching you closer to diabetes).  If that's not enough to make you eager to get to bed, just one single night of missed or inadequate sleep is sufficient to make you as insulin resistant as a type 2 diabetic.  Say what?!  ONE NIGHT OF INADEQUATE SLEEP IS ALL IT TAKES TO MAKE YOU AS INSULIN RESISTANT AS A TYPE 2 DIABETIC!   Insulin resistance results in MORE insulin being released to control blood sugar, which means fat gain and inflammation.   The CDC has even announced that shift work (because of the lack of sleep) is a known carcinogen.  That's all some pretty scary $h*t.  Good luck losing fat, defying wrinkles or staying healthy while sleep deprived!

We all need to get a MINIMUM of 7 hours of sleep every night.  I know, this is a tough one for me, too.  In fact it is THE toughest goal for me in this entire program!  Getting up at 4:15am for the 5am class means that I need to be in bed, lights out, by 9:15pm.  But it needs to be prioritized, and I learned that the hard way...

In the summer of 2015, I had a grand mal seizure, and we have discovered that sleep deprivation was a trigger.  I'm not saying that you'll have a seizure if you don't get enough sleep... but I AM saying not to wait for a scary wake up call before you learn to set everything else aside, and just get to bed on time.  I know, there are kids to tend to, kitchens to clean up, shows to watch, yada yada... I don't care.  My kids have learned that I am officially off duty at 9pm and if they need help with homework or studying, it must be done by 9pm.  Moving my schedule up has forced my kids to move theirs up, as well.  Some nights, I even go to bed before my kids do, simply because I refuse to wait on them to get their chores finished and be in bed and ready for tuck-ins.  If they aren't in bed by 9pm, they're on their own because I'm out!  Of course, my kids are old enough to handle getting to bed by themselves, so this is what has worked for me.  My kids don't get me after 9pm, but in return, they get a much better, healthier, less stressed out version of me the next day!  I'm doing them a favor by cutting them off at night!

This week, your goal is to prioritize your own sleep over EVERYTHING else at night!  You are required to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every single of night.  If it doesn't seem doable... do it anyway.  MAKE IT WORK.  This one is super important, guys!

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Summary

1- meal plan and prep

2- eat slowly and stop at 80% full

3- eat 3-4 meals daily: all anytime meals on non workout days, and up to 2 post workout meals on workout days

4- 100 oz of water daily

5- record daily: AT meals, PWO meals, freebies, and water intake

6- fill in with supplements on any days you don't get in all of your meal requirements

7- get at least 7 hours of sleep every night

My food log

Today was a busy day for me, without much time for meals, so I thought it would be a good idea to show you guys how I managed my food! 

I didn't eat breakfast this morning... just had coffe on my way out the door.  Sometimes, I prefer to wait until after my morning classes at the gym to eat. 

Lunch was meatballs I had cooked in the crockpot the day before,  with store bought Muir Glen organic tomato sauce on top of a pile of sautéed spinach. It took about 7 mins from the fridge to my bowl!

2 protein (meatballs) + 3 fruit/veg (2 fist sized raw spinach and 1 fist sized tomato sauce)

For a snack, I had half of a banana topped with dark chocolate and a little bit of flaked coconut and walnuts. I created a post on Instagram and Facebook about making these!

0.5 fruit/ veg (banana) + 1 fat (dark chocolate)

I ran into Starbucks before the kids' soccer games and found a pack of meat and cheese, and had a bottle of green veggie juice with it.  Score!  Whole veggies are best when you can, but when you can't, the juice will help get in those nutrients! 

1 protein + 1 fat (cheese) + 2 fruit/veg (that bottle is two veg servings!) 

Tonight was Johnny's Pizza pig out night for the middle school, so we stopped after the games to pick up pizza for the kids.  I dug through the fridge and threw this together for myself.  It's 1 cup of organic cottage cheese (this stuff is packed with protein!) and I added pumpkin (seasoned with pumpkin pie spice and stevia) and topped it with flax seed and chia seed to add a boost of fiber and a bit of healthy fat.  If you can't stomach the cottage cheese, this is even better with plain Greek yogurt, too!   

1 protein (cottage cheese) + 1 fruit/veg (pumpkin) + 1 fat (seeds) 

Total= 4 protein + 6.5 fruit/veg (0.5 was fruit) + 3 fat

Even though I did a workout today, I didn't have any carb servings.   That was by choice, and that's my norm, because I feel much better with more fat and less carbohydrate.  It's not for everyone, though... find what works for you!

See?!  It doesn't have to be complicated. It can be done even on the busiest of days 😉. I'm going to have my fish oil supplement, too, since I didn't get it in food form.  

Week 8- Supplements

The definition of a supplement is, "something that completes or enhances something else when added to it."  Nutritional supplements do just that... they complete or enhance your diet, but are not replacements for a healthy diet.  

Through the first 7 weeks of BodEvolve you learned what a healthy, balanced nutritional plan looks like.  Adequate amounts of protein, fruit and veggies, and the right fats and carbohydrates will help your body thrive.  But you aren't perfect, and there will be days when you don't get all of your servings of each of those items in.  This is where supplementation comes in!

There are tons of supplements available, but for the purposes of this program, there are three supplements you should keep on hand:

1. Protein powder 
2. Greens supplement
3. Omega-3 fish oil

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1. Protein

My personal preferences for protein powder are Bone Broth Protein and a "clean" whey protein.  By "clean", I mean that there isn't much else in there.  Check the ingredient label!  Bluebonnet is a brand I tend to gravitate toward because it contains whey protein isolate, natural vanilla or chocolate, and stevia.  Nothing else!  There are other brands like this, too.  You just have to read the ingredient labels!

On days you miss a protein serving, add in a scoop (2 for guys!) to supplement!

2. Greens Supplement

There are many greens/ superfood supplements on the market, so experiment with them to find one you like.  I like to use Green Superfood by Amazing Grass.  Again, just check the ingredient label to be sure there aren't any added chemicals in there that you don't recognize.  And also be sure the ingredients are organic!  You don't want to supplement with a concentrated dose of greens that have been treated with pesticides.

Add a scoop of greens on days you haven't been able to get in all of your veggie servings.

3.  Omega-3 Fish Oil

Quality is important when it comes to all supplements, but especially with your fish oil!  Don't go for the less expensive brands you can find in the drugstore or grocery store.  Fish oil can be contaminated with PCBs and mercury,  and it goes rancid easily, so you need to be sure your oil is pure and fresh.  (More about that here.  Unfortunately, the recommended brands aren't available in Monroe!  I use Nordic Naturals from Fiesta)    If your fish oil has a really fishy taste, it may be rancid and you shouldn't take it.  It's always a good idea to store your fish oil in the fridge after you get it home.  

I take 2-3g of fish oil on days that I don't eat a serving of fatty fish, like wild salmon or wild sardines.  

This week, your job is to start using your supplements to fill in the gaps on days your eating is less than perfect.  Always shoot for getting in all of your nutrient needs from foods, but learning how to fall back on supplements is a valuable tool to have in your toolbox!

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Summary

1- meal plan and prep

2- eat slowly and stop at 80% full

3- eat 3-4 meals daily: all anytime meals on non workout days, and up to 2 post workout meals on workout days

4- 100 oz of water daily

5- record daily: AT meals, PWO meals, freebies, and water intake

6- fill in with supplements on any days you don't get in all of your meal requirements

Week 7- Hydration

I know the food goals over the past 4 weeks have been a bit of a challenge.  We've been moving quickly to get all those goals in, and I promise that things will be simpler from here on out!  You still need to focus on those protein, veggie, carb and fat servings, but we'll be adding easier goals along with them, so you can continue to really work on getting those right.

For week 7, your goal is to get in 100 oz of water every day.  But keep in mind that only plain, clear water actually counts as water!  Tea isn't water, and neither is coffee.  You can still have those, but only in addition to your 100 oz of water!   Watch the video for all the details, or keep reading below the video.  But be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page for a couple of printable resources!

Uploaded by Shannon Dahlum on 2016-10-14.

The rules

You need to avoid any calorie containing or artificially sweetened beverages.  This means avoid juice, soda (diet, too!), Crystal Light, Gatorade, and yes... even alcohol.  Hold on, don't quit on me yet!  Keep reading, and I will show you how to fit in some freebies.  The exception to this rule is milk (nut milks, coconut milk, cream in your coffee, etc) and coconut water that you may be using in your smoothies and protein shakes.

Zero calorie beverages that are sweetened with stevia (like Zevia) are ok in moderation.  La Croix, San Pelligrino and other flavored unsweetened drinks are ok, also.  Just be sure to check your ingredient label!  Some San Pelligrino waters are sweetened!  And even though these are all ok in moderation, they still may not replace any of your water requirements.  You can only have one of these in ADDITION to your 100 oz of plain, clear water.

"But you said something about freebies."  Yes, I did.  Keep reading, we'll get there...   

Rather than continuing to write down everything you ingest in a food journal, you're now going to check off whether your meal was an "anytime" meal, a "post workout" meal, or a "freebie".  Your protein + veggie + fat meals are your "anytime" (AT) meals, and your protein + veggie + carb meals are your "post workout" (PWO) meals.  Anytime you eat something that doesn't fit into the AT or PWO meal categories, or drink something that isn't an allowed beverage (ahem... glass of wine?), you will mark it as a "freebie".  You will also be checking off your water intake.    

Resources

Need help figuring out your AT and PWO meals?  Here's a cheat sheet to help!  Download and print it out, or take a screenshot so you can refer back to it.

I also made a meal journal sheet you can use, to replace your food journal.  Print it out and check off the boxes as you go!  Using this sheet isn't a requirement- use whatever method works best for you.

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Summary

1- meal plan and prep

2- eat slowly and stop at 80% full

3- eat 3-4 meals daily: all anytime meals on non workout days, and up to 2 post workout meals on workout days

4- 100 oz of water daily

5- recor d daily: AT meals, PWO meals, freebies, and water intake

Week 6- Fat

This week, you'll be focusing on adding healthy fats into your diet.  You need to add in one thumb sized portion of fat at every meal in which you are not eating a serving of carbohydrates.  Remember that you should be eating 1-2 servings of carbs on workout days, so you need to add your fat serving in to every other meal.  Watch the video for more explanation!  And be sure to scroll down this page to see lists of fats you should be eating, as well as a handy meal planning guide to make building your meals simple!

Uploaded by Shannon Dahlum on 2016-10-07.

Smart Fats

EAT A VARIETY OF THESE
avocado
nuts and nut butters
pasture raised eggs (2= 1 fat serving)
fatty fish (like salmon and sardines- wild only!)
dark chocolate, at least 70% (yay!!)
oil- more info below
butter and full fat dairy from pasture raised animals

Use the right oils!

FOR COLD USES
avocado oil
nut oils
olive oil
sesame oil

FOR HOT USES
coconut oil
palm oil
grassfed butter
other grassfed animal fats

AVOID
margarine
all "buttery spreads"
hydrogenated oils
canola oil
corn oil
grapeseed oil
safflower oil
grapeseed oil
soybean oil
sunflower oil
vegetable oil

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Clearing up the carb confusion...

In case you missed it, here's the banana bread recipe I posted to the BodEvolve group on Facebook. 

How much to eat
1-2 servings per day on workout days- a serving is one cupped handful.  If you aren't working out at all right now, then add your carb servings in 2-3 days per week.  Later, we will get into how to tweak your carb intake to be appropriate for you, because everyone's needs are different.

Carb Sources
Breads and pastas (100% whole grain only)   
Grains- wheat, oats, rice, barley, rye, quinoa, grits, buckwheat, etc (100% whole grain only)
Potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams
Corn
Plantains
Legumes, beans and lentils (I forgot to mention beans earlier!)

What does NOT count as carb sources
Veggies and Fruit

Yes, all fruits and veggies do have carbs, but not as many as grains and starches, so we aren't counting them!  Bananas are frequently categorized with starches, and I did mention bananas in the video explaining this week's carb goal, but I'm changing that!  Sorry, I know that doesn't help with the confusion.  I don't think they are high enough in carbs to ban them from your fruit servings.  So continue to have them as one of your 2 allowed fruit servings each day, if you'd like!

What about refined/ processed carbs?  
Your goal is to eliminate all refined carbs completely for now!  This includes white bread, pasta, chips, cookies, white sugar, etc.  

I can't make it through this program without some treats!  Can I have any kind of treats?
Yes!  You CAN make your own treats out of real, unrefined food ingredients, and eat them in moderation!  This would be like the paleo banana bread recipe I posted to the Facebook group.  It doesn't contain any refined ingredients, like white flour, white sugar (or any other kind of refined sugar) so it's allowed!  You can make anything you want, as long as it doesn't contain processed or refined ingredients.  As far as sweeteners go, this means that honey and maple syrup are safe.  Paleo recipes are always a good choice, because they are grain free, and contain only natural sweeteners.  But remember that these items, paleo or not, are TREATS.  Just because they're made of real food doesn't mean it's ok to eat them in unlimited quantities.  These are "extras"!  You still need to get in all of your protein, fruit/veggie and carb servings, so any real food treats are "extra" items.  And keep in mind that the more "extras" you have, the slower any weight loss progress will be.  

Week 5- Carbs!

It's time for a progress check!  You need to submit your current weight, waist and hip measurements, and progress pics.  Click the button below to head to the form!

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This week is all about carbs!  Your goal is to add in one serving of carbs to 1 or 2 meals on workout days.  On non-workout days, you won't add any!  You only get to eat the carbs you earn, and you earn them by training for them.  For all the juicy details, watch the video!  I tried several times, and just couldn't figure out how to put it into words on the screen, so I decided to tell you about it instead...

Uploaded by Shannon Dahlum on 2016-09-30.

What counts as carbs?

Whole Grains & Starches

Whole Grains- brown rice, whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, oats, barley, rye, corn
-->optional: leave out the grains if you prefer to use a Paleo approach and get all your carbs from starches

Starches- potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, bananas, plantains

Avoid all refined carbs

White bread, white pasta, white rice, chips, baked goods made with white flour, etc, do NOT count toward your carb servings!  If you buy packaged goods, look for "whole grain" in the ingredients list.  "Enriched wheat flour" is refined, wheat flour, and that won't count!     

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Summary for week 5

1- meal planning and prep
2- eat slowly and stop at 80% full
3- 1-2 servings of protein per meal
4- 1-3 servings of fruit and/ or veggies per meal
5- 1 serving of carbs at 1-2 meals on workout days
6- continue your food journal

Week 4- Start your food journal!

This is a goal I wanted to work into the program, but I wasn't sure where to fit it in.  There are so many important pieces to the puzzle that I wanted to get you started on from the beginning, that it was hard to decide what needed to come first!  So I'm going to go ahead and add in a second goal for this week that I want you to get started on.  In addition to the fruit and veggie goal for this week, you're going to start keeping a food journal.  You can jot it in the notes app on your phone, you can snap a photo of everything before you eat it and save the pics in a food journal album, you can use the MyFitnessPal app or something similar, or you can go the old fashioned route and just write everything in a notebook.  You can even make notes on your meal plan.  It really doesn't matter where you record it, but you must write down everything you eat AND drink every day in a place where it won't get lost.  Make it as easy as possible for yourself so this will become effortless.  It doesn't need to be complicated!

Food journaling is going to be an important part of the process as we move along.  Recording what you eat will help you to be aware of everything that you're ingesting (or not ingesting!) and will help you hold yourself accountable.  It's also vital to know exactly what's going in, in order to know what's working for you and what  you need to change.  Your food journal, along with your progress stats (your initial weight, measurements and photos) will be your keys to unlocking what good nutrition means for you.  

Week 4- Eat fruit and/ or veggies at every meal

Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals andy phytochemicals that are essential for your body to function optimally.  The fiber is also needed to keep your digestive system healthy.  Not only this, but plant foods provide an alkaline load to your blood, which balances out the acid load contributed by protein and grains.  Maintaining an acid/ alkaline balance is so important, because an acidic state will contribute to bone and muscle loss.  

The standard American diet (SAD for short, with good reason!) is loaded with acidic foods.  Not only protein and grains, but sugar, processed foods, fried foods, and alcohol also contribute to an acid load in your blood.  If you don’t balance your acidic foods with alkaline foods, your body will figure out how to create a balance on it’s own, and this means leaching calcium from your bones and teeth.  If Americans ate a more balanced diet, I’d be willing to bet we’d see far fewer cases of Osteoporosis!  

In order to maintain a balanced diet, you need to be getting 1-3 servings of fruit and/ or vegetables with every meal (the ultimate goal is 8-10 servings per day!).  Keep in mind that fruit has more sugar, and if you have weight loss goals, you should keep your fruit servings to 2 or less per day, and the rest of your servings should come from vegetables.

What does a serving look like?  The size of your balled up fist.  More specifically, it would be 1/2 cup of chopped fresh veggies or fruit, and 1 cup of raw, leafy greens.  But let’s keep things simple, and if the fruit or veggie portion you have looks approximately the same size as your fist, then it’s a single serving.

I know you’re probably thinking, “Crap, Shannon, how am I supposed to do that?!  I’m still learning how to get protein in at every meal!”  It doesn’t have to be complicated.  An example day could look like this:

1. Greek yogurt with a handful of berries (1 fist) on top.
2. Salad greens (3 fists) with chopped tomato, cucumber and bell pepper (1 fist combined), and chicken strips.
3. An apple (1 fist) with peanut butter. 
4. Fish with green beans (1 fist) and cauliflower (1 fist).

That’s 8 servings right there, and no more than 2 of fruit.

However, the fruits and veggies that count towards this goal are only the fibrous, non-starchy ones.  This means that bananas and plantains, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams do not count (we’ll cover that stuff in an upcoming week).  Everything else is fair game! 

Fresh fruits and veggies are best, so go with those when possible.  The next best option are frozen ones, and last on the list are canned.    

Summary for week 4

1- Meal planning and prep
2- Eat slowly and stop at 80% full
3- 1-2 servings of protein per meal
4- 1-3 servings of fruit and/ or veggies per meal

Week 3 questions and comments...

"Hectic days lead to less than three meals per day and insufficient protein...how can i get a score in the WIN column even if my food intake isn't a win?"

Yep, hectic days make it really tough to get those meals in.  Keeping some convenient foods on hand, even if they're less than ideal, is always a good idea!  Gulp a protein shake or eat a stick of beef jerky, or even a handful of nuts.  (Read through the response to the next question for another approach to this problem!)

As far as getting a "win", you are getting your win every day that you do your check in form!  Whether you check the "yes" box or the "no" box, you are working on improving your eating habits, and that's a win.  Having you consistently doing the check ins is what I'm after, because it means that you will get into the habit of at least thinking about the goals every day.  While you may not hit the goal every time, you are aware of it, and slowly improving on it.

"I feel like I am getting my protein in ok, but it may not always be at all three meals. Some meals may have more intake than others. In other words, I may not always have the full serving at one meal, but may have more than one at another. I guess getting in the full daily requirement is the bottom line or goal? And is it just me, or is it difficult to take in that much protein a day? Seems like a lot. ?? Lol"

Yes, that's right!  If you're getting in 3-4 servings of protein per day, exactly when you eat it isn't so important.  Trying to work one serving in per meal is an easy way to approach it, but it isn't the only way to do it!  This also applies to the question above... if you can't get your protein serving in at lunch because of a hectic day, you can always make up for it by having a larger serving of protein with breakfast and dinner.  Find what works with your schedule and go with it!  Setting the goal of 3-4 servings of protein a day, rather than one per meal, is perfectly acceptable!

A lot of people do find it hard at first to get in all that protein, but it's because it's something you aren't used to!  Protein is the most satiating macronutrient (it makes you feel more full, and for longer, than either carbs or fat do), which means you don't usually feel like eating a lot of it!  But once you get used to it, your metabolism will ramp up and you'll have more of an appetite for it.  This is a good thing!

If you wind up not getting in every serving of protein every day, it's not a failure!  Remember that eating right takes practice, just like any other skill, and consistent practice will make you better at it.  If you're getting more protein in now that you were before you started this program, then you're making progress and that's what counts!

 

Another nice little perk from getting in your protein...

Protein is the most thermogenic food, meaning that your body expends a good deal of energy just to digest it.  In fact, you only absorb about 70-80% of the calories in protein dense foods, because you burn the other 20-30% off just by digesting it!  Digestion from carbs only burns off about 5-10% of the total calories, and only 0-3% of the calories from fats are burned off.  So basically, just eating more protein increases your metabolism, and should help you eat less of the carbs and fat, because you aren't as hungry after getting in that protein!

Week 3- Eat protein at every meal

Proteins are the building blocks of life.  They are present in every single cell of your body, and are responsible for everything from your structure, to your hormones, to your enzymes, to your immune chemicals.  Without adequate protein in the diet, your body will break down it’s own enzymes and structural proteins to get what it needs to keep functioning.  Without ANY protein in the diet your body would literally cease to function.  You can’t live without protein, and you certainly can’t function optimally with inadequate amounts of it.

So what exactly are optimal amounts of protein?  Our dietary guidelines suggest that 0.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight is sufficient for a sedentary, healthy adult.  This means that a 150 pound adult should consume about 55g of protein daily.  However, this is the minimum amount of protein needed to prevent deficiency.  Research suggests that higher amounts of proteinmay be vital for immune function, metabolism, satiety, weight management, and performance.  Because of this, many experts recommend intakes of 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. 

This week, your goal is to have 1-2 servings of protein at every meal (3-4 meals daily).  A serving size is 20-30g, but counting isn’t necessary- visually, it’s about the size of the palm of your hand, so you can just eyeball it.  Women should be going for one serving per meal, and men should get two servings per meal.  

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Ideal sources of protein

• All forms of meat, poultry and seafood*
• Eggs- local, free range, and/or organic, if possible
• Dairy, such as cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, cheese, etc (avoid added sugar!)
• Beans, peas, legumes, tofu, tempeh, etc
• Protein supplements- I recommend Blue Bonnet whey protein, or Bone Broth protein (both available at Fiesta).

*For beef and pork, choose grass-fed as much as possible.  When you have to get conventionally raised meat, choose the leanest cuts possible.  For poultry, try to find organic and/or free range.  Wild caught seafood is best.

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To summarize, here’s what you should be doing for week 3, beginning on Monday, September 19:

1. Meal planning and prep done by Monday night.

2. Eating slowly and stopping at 80% full.

3. Having 1-2 servings of protein at every meal (3-4 meals daily).

Week 2 questions/ comments

I know the meal planning and prep thing really isn't easy, but it's far easier than trying to throw together a good, quick dinner every night with whatever you just happen to have on hand!  Getting it done at the beginning of the week is a real game changer, and it seems that most of you are realizing that.  Keep it up!  I promise it will continue to get easier!

I had a question about substituting one meal with a protein shake, and which meal is best to sub it for.  Real food is always best, but when that isn't an option, a protein shake is certainly better than nothing!  It's a great way to get in some nutrients when you truly just don't have time to eat.  As for the best meal to have the shake, I'd say the meal that's the hardest to get in!  Time of day really isn't important here.  Whatever works best for you and your schedule is what you're going for.

Slowing down and eating seems to be a challenge for many of you.  I get it!  The days are so busy, it's hard to make time to just sit and eat.  Just do your best.  If you can set an alarm for lunch time and stop what you're doing even for 5 mins to eat, DO IT.  Fifteen minutes would be better, but 5 is better than nothing!  Schedule your meal times on your calendar if you have to, just as you schedule time for everyone else.  You deserve to be on your schedule, too!  But there may be meal times when you truly have zero time, and that's ok.  As long as you are making an effort to eat slowly and stop at 80% full every time, then you're making progress!  You don't have to be perfect in achieving every goal every day, but you do need to be conscious of the goal, and doing the best you can to achieve it.  Doing better than you did last week is a great step in the right direction!  So don't beat yourself up if you don't get it right every single time.

BUT... even if you don't meet the goal for the day, I still need to you to fill out check-in the form I text you in the evening so that we both have record of what you are able, or aren't able to do.  This is the only way you will know what is or isn't helping you make progress, and it will also help me see what's going on with you and try to help you find other solutions when something just isn't working for you.  I'm not using these forms to judge you if you check the "no" box.  I promise!  Think of this as your own science experiment to find out which eating habits get you closer to your goal.  First, you need a baseline (your intake form- finish those if you haven't yet!!!), then you need detailed information on what you're doing (your daily check-ins), then you will compare your next progress check to your baseline to see if anything is changing.  The information is vital!  The forms can be done right there on your phone, and shouldn't take more than a minute or two.  If you're having any issues with them, please let me know and I'll see what I can do to help :) 

Week 2- Slow down!

Before we can even begin to discuss WHAT you eat, we need to fix HOW you eat.  Everyone seems to be speeding in on two wheels everywhere they go these days, and none of us have any free time for "fancy" stuff, like eating.  Seriously, though, we all tend to treat meals as an afterthought, and don't give the nourishment of our bodies the respect it deserves!   How frequently do you scarf food while checking email, driving down the road, or rushing between meetings?

The problem with eating at warp speed is that it causes you to override your body's natural "I've had enough to eat" mechanism, and you wind up eating far more than you need.  Your gut and your brain "speak" to each other, but this communication takes about 20 minutes to happen.  It's as if you have a feeble old man living in your gut, and when your food gets down to him, he slowly starts climbing the steps to your brain, where he knocks on the door to let it know your belly is full.  Often, by time the old man finally gets word to your brain that your belly has had enough, you've already eaten far too much and need to change into your Thanksgiving stretchy pants.

Since you can't get the old man in your belly to climb the stairs to your brain any faster, the only way to fix this problem is to eat more slowly.  Sit down at a table to eat your meals, set your fork down after EVERY bite, thoroughly chew your food, taste it, and enjoy it.  Also, stop eating when you're no longer hungry... don't wait until you feel FULL.  Meals should take about 15-20 minutes to finish, and you should stop when you feel about 80% full.  

Slowing down and stopping when you notice that you're 80% full can make a huge impact on greatly reducing your consumption while increasing your satisfaction.  Beginning on Monday, September 12, your new goal is to focus on this every time you eat; eat slowly and stop at 80% full.  Of course, you'll be adding this to your goal from last week, which was the weekly food prep.  So get your prep for the week done by Monday night, and start slowing down your meals!

Stress Eating

For a lot of you (me included), the cravings really hit when you're stressed, so the question is how to deal with this situation.  First of all, it helps to know WHY this happens.  Certain foods are addictive- they stimulate the pleasure centers of your brain, just like drugs.  There is a pretty immediate release of some feel good hormones and you wind up with this nice warm, fuzzy feeling, which is really what you're craving when you're stressing out.  Some people reach for alcohol, some reach for drugs, and some reach for food to get their high.  We are a society of food abusers, people!

So when you're stressed out, you aren't really craving chocolate (or Doritos, or cake, etc); you're craving the warm, fuzzy FEELING those foods stimulate.  The key here is to find other ways to stimulate those feel good hormones, and to deal with stress before it gets overwhelming.  Deep, belly breathing (like the box breathing we did, or the ujjayi breath in yoga) actually stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which essentially turns off the body's stress response.  Exercise, laughter, gratitude, helping others, and connecting with friends all release feel good hormones.  Adequate amounts of quality sleep help you handle stressful situations better,  and excessive caffeine can exacerbate feelings of stress.

If stress eating seems to feel out of your control, it's not a food problem; it's a problem of dealing with situations you find stressful.  Your best bet is to work on ways to keep your stress in check daily.  Don't wait until your head is about to blow off before you decide you need to work on it!  Some things to try: work on getting adequate amounts of sleep; take 5 minutes out a few times each day to focus on deep, slow breathing; start a gratitude journal; find ways to make someone else's day brighter; exercise regularly; laugh with a friend.  The list goes on.  And when you do get into a situation where you're feeing overwhelmed and all you care about is chocolate, just know that it's not the chocolate you need- it's the relaxed, happy feeling you get from it.  So have a glass of water, take a few deep breaths and a walk if you can, find something you're grateful for (there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for), and figure out how to deal with your situation one single step at a time.

Week 1 questions

Hey guys!  You all seem to be doing really well so far!  Most of you have your intake forms complete and have your meal planning done for the week.  Some of you couldn't get to it until today, and that's ok- just get those items checked off ASAP!  And for those of you on Facebook, keep using the BodEvolve group page to communicate with each other and share your experience so far.  This will be a great tool for you all!

In yesterday's check-in form, I left a space for you all to ask questions or make any comments for me.  I'm going to address those here, because I think all of you will benefit from seeing the questions that were asked and my responses to them...

What are some good snack choices?  What would be a good yogurt to add in?

Good snack choices can be fruit and veggies (maybe carrots with hummus to dip?), nuts, protein shake or bar, etc.  Whole foods are always the best choice, but when that isn't practical, shakes and bars will work.  Greek yogurt is a good choice, because it has a good amount of protein.  Just avoid any added sugar- plain greek yogurt is best, and you can mix in fresh berries and sweeten with a couple drops of liquid stevia or some raw honey, if you'd like.  

Will you be making suggestions based on our individual needs and goals?

The first part of this program will be helping you guys make the switch to high quality foods.  We will work on which foods you should be adding in... and once we get the QUALITY of food covered, then I will give you tips on the QUANTITY of food you should be aiming for.  Typically, once you focus on quality foods, quantity will take care of itself.  We have built-in mechanisms to control how much we eat, but those mechanisms only work properly when we feed our bodies the food we were built to eat.  Processed foods override our natural hunger/ satiated signals.  Think about it- how often do you over eat on whole foods?  When you binge, is it on chicken and broccoli?  Probably not.  

Biggest concern at this point is being away from home and the kitchen three nights a week.  But I do feel certain I will find some solutions :)

This is tough!  Most of us do have busy schedules with the kids that keep us from being able to have time in the evenings to cook dinner.  This is why prepping in advance is so important!  Having some protein and veggies already cooked and in the fridge to heat is an easy solution, or you can toss a meal in the crockpot in the morning so it's ready when you get home.  A salad can be thrown together quickly, a wrap, or even some spaghetti (I like to buy the brown rice pasta) with a jar of sauce and ground beef that you already have browned.  When you know you'll be out late, be sure you have some sort of snack with you so you aren't absolutely ravenous when you get home.  It takes a bit of time to build this habit of preparing ahead, but it will get easier, and you will all figure out what works for you!

Looking for a healthy ranch salad dressing- is Whole 30 ok?

Yep!  Any homemade dressings should be great, and if you're getting a store-bought dressing, just check the ingredients and look for things you can understand!  If there are things in there you can't pronounce, put it back on the shelf.  

It seems that the biggest concern I'm seeing is wondering about what foods to eat.  Don't worry too much about that yet!  We will get there, I promise ;)  Just focus on making your plan and using it through the week to stay on track!