Tough Love Diet

Whilst I tend to advocate sustainable lifestyle changes that provide you with great health benefits as well as make you drop body fat, I am fully aware that there are times when we want to see results a bit  quicker – especially in the time following Christmas when we can put on weight at an alarming rate – it only seems fair to lose it at the same pace.....and much like Newton’s law where all things where every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, this “diet” is basically the opposite of eating over Christmas.

The rules are simple.  A long list of things you will not eat over the next month. A short list of things that you will be able to eat.  An exercise list.  This is not for the faint hearted, and in fairness, you can “cheat” a bit and keep some elements or not be so strict. But if you are really serious, then just go for it. I promise you will see results!

Rules: - Please eliminate the following items for the next month.  Alcohol (well, it is dry January!), builders tea (black tea with milk), coffee (please expect wicked headache for the first 3 days). All oils – no butter, cheese, mayo, salad dressing, etc.  Bread and pasta (it is only for one month and these will then be in your diet again)

You will need to eat 6 meals a day. Each meal will be of a small portion so get a small plate or a cereal bowl and make sure that your portion size for the main part of the meal is correct, however you are allowed unlimited veg and salad.

Exercise – start each day with - 20 lunges, followed by 20 jumps on the spot (you can decide how high!) and then 20 squats before breakfast. Add in another 30 minutes cardio in the day - this can be a walk, run, jog, spin, do an exercise class, and swim.  30 minutes weights 3 times a week. 3 sets of 12 reps of the following exercises – chest press, lat pull down, leg press and one other machine of your choice.  Either 30 – 60 second plank or 100 sit ups a day.

So your daily diet choices will look a bit like this.

Breakfast – Pitta bread with scrambled eggs (ideally the white bit only – you can buy tubs of egg white and save the faff) or half a wholemeal bagel with peanut butter and some blueberries, or porridge made with skimmed milk with strawberries or if you have a sweet tooth try it with flavoured protein shake (chose one that it low in sugar please).  Pancakes made with skimmed milk and high protein flour (you can source this on the internet or use wholemeal bread flour) and add fruits such as blueberries.  You can drink green tea or camomile – try not to drink green tea on an empty stomach as it can make you feel a bit sick.

Mid Morning – Greek yogurt, fruit and some nuts, or banana with some nuts, glass of skimmed milk, or 2 apples, or other half of wholemeal bagel with peanut butter and one apple, or Pitta bread (if you did not have for breakfast) with ham or tuna, or 2 small pancakes and fruit.  Please choose only one of these options.

Lunch – Pitta bread with tuna, or salad and chicken, or butter beans with red peppers, tomatoes and chilli, boiled egg with your Pitta and salad and as much green veg as you like! 

Mid afternoon snack – Please chose one item from the mid morning choices  

Evening meal – sweet potatoes and veg with meat or fish as listed above – if you are a vegetarian please use Quorn, or tofu.  Wholemeal rice or one baked potato, and as much green veg as you like! Please note that you will need to grill or oven bake your salmon or steak. Your green veg can be cold such as salads or hot such as steamed beans, peas, cabbage, and spinach. Add herbs and chilli for flavourings but no oils or butter, so you will need to roast your chicken in some stock and veg, have tuna with brine or spring water, steak to be grilled etc.

Late Night snack – cereal such as shredded wheat, bran flakes or special k with skimmed milk – although you can use your protein shake if you have a sweet tooth.

Please drink one large glass of water at each meal time. You can have as much green or herbal/fruit teas as you wish.

The key to this working is to be uber organised. You will need to pre-cook chickens and have them available in the fridge, buy you salmon and steak in advance and if you can the tubs of egg whites.  Cook batches and keep well chilled.

Make sure that you have all your meals for the day packed and ready to go the night before, so you just take them to work without being distracted by other foods stuff.  When you cook your evening meal, don’t forget to make extra so that you have some available for your lunch the next day.

For those with a sweet tooth, you can use flavoured protein shake (low sugar) with your cereal or even to make your pancakes with.

Ideally, get a calendar or tick sheet with a list of all your exercises and your meal choices. Keep a diary and weigh yourself once a week only – starting with the day you begin. Measure, bust/chest, waist, hips and thighs and re-do these measurements at the end of the month.

So the opposite Christmas Diet – tough love, but you may thank me for it....