The No More Excuses Diet (9 page)

2. WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING YOU EAT.
Accountability will prevent you from overeating and will give you a good idea of what you’re doing right and wrong. Writing down your foods will allow you to look back and fix areas that need improvement, especially when you hit weight-loss plateaus. Make sure you document the time, portion size, and estimated number of calories. Your diet will be responsible for 80 percent of your results, so it’s important to document your food intake.

If you see that there are tempting foods you tend to overeat, get rid of them! Nobody needs them there, not even your kids—no matter how much they protest at first. Get organized, plan your grocery list, prepare your meals, and keep healthy snacks in your car, at your office, and in your purse.

3.
WORK OUT THREE TO FIVE TIMES A WEEK.
Exercise sometimes gets a bad rap—it can take too long, make you uncomfortable, leave you sweaty—but that thinking has got to change! Exercise is a gift you give your body and your mind; it is your fountain of youth, your life’s game changer, and your most powerful weight-loss weapon. It will not only rev up your metabolism but also increase its at-rest burn rate. Besides building muscle and protecting your bones, exercise also releases endorphins, a happy hormone that
makes you feel less stressed and anxious. Devote 30 to 60 minutes a day three or four times a week (or more) at any exercise that focuses on flexibility, cardio conditioning, and strength training. You need all three components to build a balanced body.

Dedicating 30 minutes a day to moving your body takes only 2 percent of your total day. You can fit this in when you wake up in the morning, during your lunch break, while watching your kids at the park, or right after they fall asleep. Finding the time to exercise will make you more efficient at completing tasks, prioritizing your to-do list, and sacrificing unimportant activities.

4.
DRINK ONLY WATER.
Oftentimes we consume extra calories in the form of fancy coffee drinks, juices, smoothies, sodas, energy drinks, and sweetened teas. You can eliminate these calories and detox your digestive system simply by drinking only water. Diet sodas and beverages with artificial sugars are not allowed in this program. A Yale University study showed that consuming artificial sweeteners makes you crave sweeteners more; they also cause bloating and digestive issues, so it’s best to stay away from them and cleanse your body of toxins.

For the next three weeks, drink only water. You can also have 2 or 3 cups of black coffee or unsweetened tea per day. If you want to add flavoring, put some lemon or thinly cut fruit, mint, or cucumbers in the water. The acidity in lemons helps balance and detoxify your body. You may also indulge in one glass of wine a week, but outside of that, avoid the empty calories in alcohol, as that will slow down your weight-loss progress.

5. EAT
SMALL MEALS CONTAINING
PROTEIN, HEALTHY
FATS, AND
CARBOHYDRATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
Consume 30 percent protein, 30 percent carbohydrates, and 30 percent fats.
You can customize the last 10 percent to reflect your activity level and your short-term goals. Remember that each macronutrient serves a bodily function, so alter your intake depending on what functions your body is performing. For example, if your body requires more energy, it will need more carbohydrates; utilize the flexible 10 percent to carbo-load if you have an intense training schedule. More sedentary individuals might use that 10 percent for additional lean protein or healthy fats. If you ate well during the day and have allotted calories left over for a small splurge, enjoy a miniature chocolate bar or a small portion of your favorite snack. Splurges are allowed (more on this later).

This is not a starvation diet. It’s important to consistently fuel your body throughout the day with a balanced menu of whole, unprocessed foods. Don’t omit any of your essential macronutrients, as you need protein for muscle building, carbohydrates for energy, and fat for brain health. Eating small meals will keep your blood sugar levels stable and will minimize your chances of overeating.

Dieting is a progression. For example, you can’t expect to run a marathon without spending weeks or months training for it, and you can’t expect to overhaul your diet overnight. Like training to run a marathon, the diet starts slowly and makes small adjustments until you have established lifelong good habits. You need to build your mental discipline and physical strength to lose weight. If you weigh 200 pounds, you are eating an average of 3,500 calories daily, but starting immediately on a 1,200-calorie/day diet will doom you to failure. Your next weight-loss stop should be to eat like a 190-pound person, cutting down your total calories slowly. Start by consuming 3,000 calories a day and watch your body change. Change always begets change, and at each diet plateau you reach, you can lower your caloric intake or alter your proportion of macronutrients.

6. PLAN YOUR
TREAT MEALS, WHICH YOU CAN HAVE IN MODERATION.
If you follow a strict 30/30/30 diet plan, then the remaining 10 percent can be used for a light, planned splurge. A splurge is when you consume something outside of your normal diet. For example, since I am a busy working mother, moderation is my mantra. Normally my daily 10 percent (of my total daily intake) is used to eat the leftovers of my child’s meal or a square of dark chocolate. However, if I have eaten well all week, without any treats, I top off the week with a satisfying portion of chocolate cake! It’s up to you to apply the 10 percent to either daily intake or weekly intake.

Planned treat meals are different from unplanned ones because you
own
your action and you understand why it’s important for your overall plan. Most diets fail because they don’t leave room for change and, most of all, for balance. Being able to moderately splurge is my saving grace and will become yours also! When you treat yourself to a favorite not-so-healthy dish once in a while, it not only gives you mental satisfaction but it also surprises your body. And surprising your body improves your metabolism because it breaks the pattern of caloric deficit. A treat meal speeds up your metabolism and therefore speeds up the rate of weight loss.

However, a meal only works if you get right back on track immediately after it. There is no guilt involved, so don’t skip the next meals, overexercise to compensate, or beat yourself up for allowing that indulgence.

7. STOP EATING THREE HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME.
I say
stop eating before bedtime for a few reasons. First, there’s a lot of late-night snacking for many folks, especially in front of the TV. This can lead to mindless eating and taking in calories that you not only don’t need but also aren’t even enjoying consuming. If you stop eating after dinner, you’re less likely to plow through a quart of
ice cream or a bag of chips while watching your favorite show. Also, you’re giving your digestive system a solid break from processing foods, the welcome overnight fast that’s broken with breakfast the next day. As your body prepares for slumber, you become less active, requiring fewer calories. If you consume a lot of calories at this point and overcompensate for your body’s caloric expenditure, those extra calories turn into stored fat.

8.
MEASURE YOURSELF EVERY THREE WEEKS.
A number on a scale is not the only measure of progress! That’s why I want you to perform the
measurement tests I describe in
Chapter 4
every three weeks. I guarantee that you will see and feel a change; maybe you’ll be able to do more push-ups or get closer to touching your toes. Rather than be fixated on just one measure of success, you will appreciate the steady progress that your whole body is making with the good work you’re doing every single day.

9. REFLECT ON YOUR PROGRAM WEEKLY.
It’s important to take time each day to review and consider what you want out of this life. Dreaming of possibilities each day will keep you motivated and focused on the end result. Reflect on your past excuses. Were they that you lacked time to change your life? You didn’t have any support? You were under stress? For many people, the resounding reason they don’t fulfill their fitness goals is, in truth, that they lack motivation.

So, rather than fall victim to this, write down motivational quotes that will help you make better choices. Post them where you’ll see them regularly; for example, I have posted “Focus on Progress, Not Perfection” on my bedroom wall. I’ve put “Take Action” above my TV, and I have “Nothing Tastes Better Than Being Fit” on my refrigerator. Find quotes and role models that motivate and inspire you, and record them in your journal.

Not only does reflection help you define areas for improvement, but it also helps you document your progress and internal outlook. This journey is not just about attaining physical fitness; it’s about learning about you—what makes you motivated, weak, depressed, sad, excited, and, ultimately, successful.

This chapter is where you design the No More Excuses three-week
workout program that will challenge your body and yet be suited to your needs. Your workout will fit your schedule and match your strengths. Since a body constantly adapts to external stimuli, you will alter this program every few weeks to prevent getting stuck on plateaus. So, expect to change your fitness program four times in the next three months.

There are three things you need to focus on when creating a complete workout program: strength,
cardio, and
flexibility. You may excel in one or two, but to have a balanced program, you should incorporate all three. Critically important to developing your skills in each of these areas is
core training.

Strength helps build
metabolism-speeding
muscle. Building muscle protects your bones and molds your physique to be lean and toned. Cardio enhances your heart health, increases your
endurance, and burns fat. The third component, flexibility, keeps your body agile and nimble. Not only does routine
stretching prevent injury and relieve back pain but it also improves your circulation and reduces stress.

Exercises for these components can happen any time, any place, with any movement that is active. You don’t have to be in a gym, on a treadmill, or performing the latest fitness craze to see results. You just need strong intention. Be purposeful in waking each day with the specific goal of getting out of your physical comfort zone for at least 20 minutes. The only way to grow is to be challenged. So prepare to work for your best body and get excited about how awesome it’s going to feel when you start seeing results. That’s why it’s called a “workout.”

Depending on your mood and motivation, some days will be easier than others. Dance class, for example, rarely feels like work to me—it gets my blood pumping and my lungs gasping for oxygen, so I know my body is being put through the ringer—and I can do it while having fun. I also include some running in my weekly workouts because I’ve always found running to be challenging. When I run, there are additional benefits because my entire body is engaged and I am mentally forced to pay attention to my breath, my steps, and my motion. I love dance and I hate running. However, I do both because, in order to get results, I need exercise that keeps me motivated but challenged.

While finding the
fun factor is important for long-term success, challenging yourself to do something you don’t like will move you much farther ahead. There is a difference between moving your body and challenging your body. For example, I’m not a big fan of body weight exercises. I find push-ups, pull-ups, and weighted squats to be incredibly difficult. Although these strength moves often make me feel weak and inept, the mental and physical achievement feels amazing, especially when I break my personal record. Not only am I stronger when I perform these exercises but my body is also more responsive. Having a program of things I enjoy, like dance classes and circuit training, mixed with things I loathe, like body weight
exercises, running, and yoga, gets me closer to meeting my physical goals.