The Badass Body Diet: The Breakthrough Diet and Workout for a Tight Booty, Sexy Abs, and Lean Legs (34 page)

BCAAs are metabolized differently from all other amino acids. They bypass your liver and are metabolized directly in your muscle tissue, meaning that they more directly fuel the muscle-building process.

Getting these amino acids to your muscles after a workout helps muscles grow and develop—a benefit that has been well documented in research. In one study, athletes took BCAA supplements, or a placebo, over an experimental period of 21 days. By the end of the trial, they had increased their lean mass by 1.5 percent and better maintained the size of their arms and legs. Plus, their leg strength increased, as compared to those taking a placebo.

Best of all, it looks like BCAAs just might help the body burn fat. This is good news if you’re among the women who seem to find it harder than others do to lose those stubborn pounds. One strategy might be to use BCAAs to complement the Badass plan.

There’s some pretty good science out there to support this strategy. A study of wrestlers showed that those who supplemented with BCAAs, in addition to following a reduced-calorie diet, lost more weight and body fat (especially in the belly) than those in a control group who didn’t supplement or diet.

Okay, BCAAs seem to work for wrestlers, but what about us women?

Again, the news looks promising. A study out of the journal
Age
showed that a dose of 12 grams of leucine in combination with some good fats—oleic acid and DHA (found in fish oil)—resulted in a close to 4-pound weight loss within two weeks in women over age 38. The researchers chose the BCAA leucine because of its effects on fat loss in other studies.

Of course, more research is needed, but these studies make a pretty solid case for BCAA supplements when you want to burn a little extra fat.

BCAAs work best when you stay active. I take mine before my workouts and or after. After I started adding BCAAs to my supplement program, I did notice a difference. I had more energy in my workout and I improved my body composition.

FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS

I take these because there’s just so much research out there that supports their benefit, I feel it would be foolish not to. Fish oil, of course, comes from fish, a supersource for omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital for brain and heart health. They also work as natural anti-inflammatories, and thus are a great treatment for sports injuries or aching joints.

There’s a fat-burning benefit from fish oil supplements too, especially if you’re an exerciser. In a 2007 study published in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
, Australian researchers looked into the benefits of fish oil and exercise, alone or in combination, on body composition and cardiovascular health. Approximately 80 overweight men and women participated and were randomly assigned to one of four groups. They blindly took either 6 grams of fish oil a day or 6 grams placebo (sunflower) oil. Within each oil treatment group, some were also instructed to exercise three times a week. The study continued for three months.

The results of the study were impressive. Both the fish oil and exercise independently reduced body fat. Plus, supplementation improved the volunteers’ heart health: it lowered triglycerides, increased the good HDL cholesterol, and improved the pumping action of the heart.

So, to possibly improve your heart health and alter your body composition, consider becoming an Omega Woman: Get more omega-3s through diet and supplements. There are two kinds of omega-3s found in fish oil: DHA and EPA, which are responsible for the benefits of fish oil. Only 25 percent of us get
any
DHA or EPA in our diets on any given day.

You want a high-EPA fish oil! The higher ratio of EPA to DHA provides all the inflammation reduction and recovery benefits you expect from a high-quality fish oil while avoiding the body fat increases associated with excessive intake of DHA. Look for brands that carry 750 mg of EPA per dose.

Even though I might eat a couple of servings of omega-3-rich fish a week, I still pop 1 to 3 grams of fish oil daily, with emphasis on the EPA.

SUPPLEMENTATION IS ONE OF
the easiest moves you can make, and takes only seconds a day. Added to a nutrient-rich diet and a consistent workout program, supplements can help you boost your health, and quite possibly assist your body in fat burning and muscle building. Supplements are definitely worth considering in your quest to become a Badass.

Living the Plan

IF YOU’RE LIKE MOST
of the people I work with, believing in and following the Badass plan has changed you inside and out. I love hearing from women who tell me that they’ve lost pounds and inches, reshaped their bodies, and gotten tighter, sexier booties. And not only has the Badass plan strengthened their bodies, it has strengthened their spirits. Women become more confident, more focused, and brimming with greater self-love.

When you first start out on a program, usually the experiences and initial successes are new, fresh, and exciting. The question is: How do you keep it going year after year after year? Another way to ask it: How do you continue to live the Badass lifestyle for a lifetime?

There are countless ways to do this, and I’ll share my suggestions with you here.

THE BADASS PLAN ALLOWS “CHEATS”

Once you’ve stayed on one of the Badass plans for 21 days, you can “cheat,” but only if you want to. Let me define what I mean by “cheat,” and how to do it without blowing the whole plan.

When I say “cheat,” I’m talking about an individual meal or snack, not a whole day or week of cheating. A cheat meal is simply one where you add a food to your plan that you might not otherwise eat. You can cheat on the Minimalist or Modifier plans, for instance, by eating a carb that’s not a primo carb, perhaps at dinner. That “cheat” carb might be some pasta or a baked potato. Or you might add a slice of pie to your Badass meal.

Schedule your cheat and stick to it. If you don’t want it and don’t use it, you lose it. Basically, if you’re going to cheat, stick to
planned cheating
—periodically going off the plan and permitting yourself to eat foods that typically are not thought as “plan” or “primo” foods (such as pizza, ice cream, fries, desserts, and so forth). In some ways, this strategy isn’t really “cheating” per se, because you’re scheduling it, but I stick with that word because people can relate to it, and the idea of being able to cheat gives people a little psychological boost.

You have to be careful with cheat meals, though. They can turn into cheat days that turn into cheat weeks, and before long, your favorite all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant will be sending you flowers and coupons. That’s why I don’t recommend cheat meals more than once a week at the most. Give me a couple of cheat meals a month, and I’m completely happy. I believe in real-world dieting; I just want the option to eat what I want—occasionally.

Cheat meals don’t even have to be junk food; they can include any food that’s not in the primo category. Personally, I don’t even like junk food. Clean eating does that to you; the more you eat clean, the less junk you want to put in your body. I feel like crap if I eat too much junk.

Here’s how I cheat. On Friday for a snack, I might treat myself to a cupcake, but only if I plan to have it. On a Sunday, if I go out for brunch with my girlfriends, I order scrambled eggs and veggies; then we all split an order of French toast for the cheat. (I spread mine with peanut butter to balance out my protein, carbs, and fat.) The entire brunch is a heavenly scenario that gives me freedom, dietary leeway, and enjoyment of a meal with friends.

When you decide on your cheat meal, make it worth it—something you really enjoy and can eat without guilt.

I put a couple of other stipulations on cheat meals: First, don’t eat a cheat portion so large that you stuff yourself to the point of discomfort. Eat until you’re satisfied, but that’s it. If you’re leaving the table saying “I’m stuffed,” or if you’re feeling sick, or if you have to lie down because you overdid it, that’s when you know you messed up and blew the plan.

Second, if you suffer from binge eating or another eating disorder, cheat meals may not yet work for you until you’ve got your condition cured or under control. This is because cheat meals can lead to binges in susceptible people. But that’s usually a very small minority of dieters. Ninety-nine percent of people are ready and motivated to hit the plan hard after a cheat meal.

THE BADASS PLAN IS AN “ANYWHERE” PROGRAM

Quite often, the downfall of any diet or workout program is dining out or traveling. People tend to throw in the towel in these situations and use them as excuses to overeat or not exercise.

Not with the Badass plan—you can take it anywhere and do it anywhere. If you’re someone who eats out often at restaurants, have no fear. You’ve got the green light to eat at just about any type of restaurant on the planet; just make healthy choices. Those include: grilled meats, poultry, or fish; grilled vegetables such as broccoli or green beans; salads with dressing on the side; baked potatoes or sweet potatoes; and small portions of rice or pasta (no bigger than a handful). Make those sorts of selections and you’ve just ordered a great Badass plate.

Some other tips:

• Just say no to the bread bowl. Ask the waitstaff not to serve you bread, or if they come to your table with it, politely ask them to take it away.

• Be inquisitive about your meal. Ask the server: How many ounces are in the salmon? How is it cooked? How large are the servings?

• Ask for substitutions. For example, replace mashed potatoes with mixed veggies or the veggie of the day. Don’t want any starches? Order a double portion of veggies instead of the usual combo of one veggie and one starch.

• Be sure to have a fat of some sort with your protein and carbohydrate. Most places will have avocado or guacamole; ask to add it on. You need the fat to help prevent overeating.

• Stay off the booze. At restaurants, I order my “Pretend and Tonic.” That’s a glass of club soda on the rocks with a wedge of lime. It looks like I’m having a cocktail, but I’m really not. (At home, you’ll find yourself not needing to decompress with that nightly glass of wine. On the Badass plan, you’ll feel so much more even-tempered and patient that you won’t desire any sort of alcoholic beverage.)

• Avoid cream soups or cream anything! Soups are fine if they’re broth based, but many soups have cream in them to help make them be more filling.

HAVE BADASS, WILL TRAVEL

I’m on the road several months out of a year, so I know how challenging it can be to stick with your plan while traveling. But it’s completely doable. Some strategies I’ve found to be helpful:

• Invest in a good lunchbox or cooler and some good containers. Smaller containers are generally better so you can have a nice snack without pulling out the fridge from your cooler. I like to use 1- to 1½-cup sizes, for ease of keeping food items separate.

• Prepack your meals. Yep, during your meal prep for the week, go ahead and prepack your travel meals. If you can premeasure and layer one meal in one container, that’s ideal. For example, try sweet potato hash on the bottom and rotisserie chicken on top for 2 bricks. I bring an avocado with me, or single packets of peanut butter. (Note for fliers: The TSA doesn’t allow peanut butter in a package over 3 ounces to pass through security. I’ve tried it and failed! So you have to carry little packets of peanut butter and let them go through security with all liquid toiletries.) Foods that travel well include hard-boiled eggs, deli meat (turkey or ham), apples, individual-size containers of applesauce, grapes, avocados, and individual packets of butter.

• Look for “plan” foods on the go. Use my dining tips strategies above to order foods that work with the plan. If you’re grabbing a sandwich on the go (at an airport, for example), request that it be lettuce-wrapped (no bun). At home, choose a sandwich made with flatbread or pita bread; these are typically healthier. Ask for double meat, too, for some extra appetite-curbing protein. Also, try eating half the sandwich and saving the rest for later, especially if you find yourself in an emergency situation where there’s no food around and you’re ravenous.

• Drink plenty of water while on the road. Flying is dehydrating, and drinking enough water will prevent that. Water also fills you up and keeps you from getting too hungry.

• Do your Badass workout. My exercises are mostly body weight moves, which means they can be done anywhere, anytime. Clear some space in your hotel room and get moving! Working out while on the road will keep you mentally and physically energized, focused, and alert. Plus, you’re less likely to gain any travel or vacation weight on the trip.