Hey gang - I created this last year and it was an awesome jumpstart to get ready for bikini season! I need to do a little more editing and add some more details but I thought I would post and see who wants to get on board with me for this challenge!
Disclaimer: What works for me may not work for everyone – I am NOT a dietician, nutritionist nor personal trainer. Feel free to ask me questions but
ultimately if you have concerns contact your doctor/nutritionist/personal
trainer. Just have to throw that in there. :)
This will not be easy, but I let in some things that some
diet plans cut out. My goal is to make this doable, to make you feel
accomplished and not that you have failed in any way. I do not promise overnight results because frankly, they don’t exist. I do promise that after you
read this…. And you go take a bunch of before pictures (seriously go do this and don't forget! It makes this so much more fun!) in 7 weeks you will look
in the mirror and not be able to say much more than “wow”.
I am only human too and rely on you all to keep me on track
– we all motivate each other we are a team… a fit family. The more you
participate the more you will get out it! Share your tips, your trials, your
recipes!
After the 49 day challenge submit your pictures to be considered to win a prize pack of a bunch of healthy goodies! mikaelaacrist@gmail.com Subject: Operation Six Pack Photos
Operation 6 Pack: 7 Week Challenge
General Guidelines:
-Plan ahead! If you are not used to eating every 3-4
hours then really focus on planning your next day ahead. It's ok to start small and soon
you’ll be planning your next week ahead without a problem. Keep healthy snacks in your gym bag, in your car, at work.. keep them available and accessible.
-Eat breakfast (IMPORTANT) and try a minimum of four other meals a day.
Breakfast provides energy after eight hours of fasting and kick-starts your
metabolism for the day. Eating regularly throughout the day ensures your energy
levels do not drop. Your body expends energy to process and assimilate each
meal, thus raising your metabolism. Do not deprive yourself of food in the mistaken
belief this will help you lose belly fat. Lack of food will cause your
metabolism to slow down as your body seeks to conserve energy. This causes fat
gain, which can obscure your abdominal muscles and sabotage your attempt to get
a six pack.
-GET ACTIVE: Honestly, it's just that, get active. If you can’t get in
the gym do a home bodyweight workout (I have some on instagram and will post more). Hike, yoga, rock climb, ride a bike, jump rope, run
your dog, crossfit, bootcamps, whatever will get your blood pumping. Start with at least 180 minutes a week that translates to about 25
minutes a day but work it the way you want to. If you want to train an hour one day
because you have some days where you don’t have the time? No problem. Try
to do something active every day. When I have my 15 hour work days I do crunches,
push-ups and pull- ups before bed even if it's 5-10 minutes at least I got something in. Invest in some resistance bands (cheap at
Marshalls/Ross), a jump rope, stability ball, pull-up bar to use at home if you do have a crazy schedule.
-WEIGHT TRAIN - Even if not traditional weight lifting, USE YOUR MUSCLES. (No, you’re not going to get bulky if you’re
female- It takes INTENSE determination to get that kind of definition.) Muscle
burns fat even at rest. You want a 6-pack? Guess what? Abdominals will show more
if worked hard just like any other muscle. You don't even need a fancy gym membership many bodyweight exercises can achieve the same results.
-Cook with coconut oil - Avoid cooking sprays (Ie: Pam). According to a study by Kagawa
Nutrition University reported in the November 2001 issue of the "Journal
of Nutrition," coconut oil suppresses the accumulation of body fat. The
medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil also provide an alternative energy
source and do not cause fat gain. I get a big tub of organic coconut oil for about $16 delivered from Amazon and I have heard Costco has a great deal on it as well.
-Use spices that add flavor without the calories: black
pepper, cayenne, herbs, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, lemon, curry, Mrs. Dash seasonings, 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's are all great!
-Drinks a lot of water. I can not stress this enough. They say somewhere around 75% of the time you think you're hungry you are actually thirsty. Chug a glass of water first, wait a few minutes and see if that satisfies you before unnecessary snacking. The first thing I do when I wake up is pound a glass of water it's a great way to wake your organs up and rehydrate your body after fasting all night.
-I personally follow the paleo diet pretty strictly (What is Paleo? http://robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/) but there are some things on the grocery list that are not paleo. Again, what works well for me may not be right for you but if you'd like to follow my plan check my instagram 99% of what I post is paleo.
First 2 weeks
KICKSTART: Get that metabolism fired up!
NO Cheats - detox your body. No sugar, processed foods, fried foods, potatoes,
refined flours, sugars, and you should never consume anyway: hydrogenated
oils, corn syrup, fast food.
Try to stay away from prepackaged meals as they are usually loaded with sodium and preservatives. For example: canned soups, frozen meals, hot dogs, chips, white rice, most breakfast cereals (loaded with sugar), candy, cookies, crackers (whole grain no added salts/sugars - hard to find but they're there like Mary's Crackers), none to very limited dairy (no cheese, milk, ice cream, sugar loaded yogurts. See notes below about greek yogurt and cottage cheese), soda, excess juice (if you're usually a soda drinker try 80% Seltzer water and 20% all natural no sugar added juice), and please never drink diet
drinks loaded with splenda, aspartame and chemicals.
Banana’s only 1-2 times a week - if desired
1 oz 70%+ dark chocolate allowed 2-3 times a week
NO ALCOHOL (Some said this was the hardest so throughout the first two weeks how about 1-2 glasses of red wine or a clear alcohol cocktail. NO beer during the whole challenge {trust me I love beer, it's not easy}).
Try not to eat carbs within 4 hours of bedtime (honestly this has dramatically helped my sleep too!)
On the last day of the kickstart feel free to take it off and enjoy it! Don’t go overboard but you've earned a little indulgence. What you'll realize is many of your cravings will have started to fade and you won't want to indulge and ruin your hard work.
The next three weeks:
Lowering body fat increasing muscle & definition
All of the above except:
Allowed ONE cheat meal a week - again don't get too crazy.
If you're craving it a potato/potato dish (not loaded with cheese!) is allowed twice in the three weeks
Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and if you're someone that needs that little bit of milk in your coffee go for it..
Twice during the three weeks - whole grain or gluten free pasta is ok but load it up with good stuff – better to eat this as a lunch time meal so you’re
not sleeping on those carbs!
1 oz 75% plus dark chocolate is allowed 3-4 times a week
1 night a week you can have a glass of red wine if desired
The last two weeks!
HOME STRETCH! MAKE IT COUNT!
Kick up your cardio and work outs as you should have built up
some stamina by now! Do something active 6 days a week - even 7 if you can. Of course we all need rest so don't overdo it! Get outside and go on a hike not every day has to be a strenuous workout.
Allowed one cheat meal a week but make it a “healthy cheat” –
you’ve worked so hard don’t throw it away!
1 night a week indulge in a few glasses of wine or 2 clear cocktails if desired
Keep your starches to a minimum (no potatoes, no pastas, no flours)
Keep your fruits minimal - fruit is good for you but many people overdo it - an apple before a workout, some berries in a smoothie is fine but go for more protein in snacks as the sugar in fruit
Kick up your water intake
-----The Good Eats List-----
Black Coffee
Herbal Teas
Oatmeal (steelcut/old fashioned oats, no added sugar use cinnamon, spices & raisins)
Brown Rice (eat quinoa whenever you can or mashed cauliflower instead!)
Quinoa
Sweet Potatoes & Yams
Eggs (Do not eat egg whites only. Egg yolks contain protein,
together with vitamins, minerals and fat-burning omega-3 essential fatty acids.)
Turkey Breast (stay away from deli meats unless you find nitrate free
& reduced sodium)
Ground Turkey
Chicken Breast
Ground Chicken
Buffalo
Bison
Fish
Seafood
Grass Fed Beef
Pork Loin
Bacon (uncured preferred. Try to keep to no more than twice a week)
Beans (not refried – WHOLE)
Flax Seeds
Hemp Seeds
Chia Seeds
Cottage Cheese
Almonds
Pistachios
Avocado
Apple
Berries
Oranges
Peanut Butter – With no added anything should just be nuts!
Almond Butter – “ “
Sunbutter- “ “
Green Tea
Lots of Water
Supplements I use:
A good multivitamin
Fish oil or CLA
Raw Protein Powder like SunWarrior for immediately after my workouts (or if you have a favorite that isn’t
full of sugar and additives whatever you prefer)
Green Superfood powder (wheatgrass, spirulina, algae’s,
seaweeds etc)
Get on the instagram following and facebook group and I'm always here to support you too!
Love & Health,
Mikaelaa
Don't waste pumpkin! It should be a crime!
Kick-Ass Fall Paleo Pumpkin Soup:
3 carrots chopped (adds sweetness)
After that add in your carton of chicken broth (4 cups), carrots, celery and bring to a boil. Boil until carrots and celery are soft - while waiting for that to happen scoop your pumpkin from the skin into a bowl. 
