I hope you had a good first week. Our focus this week is on consistency. If you missed a workout or didn’t do as well with your nutrition as you expected, don’t worry. Building your health and wellness is a process. It isn’t something that magically happens. It is something that you work at. If you make a mistake, miss a workout, or take a month off (or more), don’t dwell on it. Get back on track, and continue to work toward your goals.
This second week of the challenge, the workouts and the expectations are the same. The goals are to get in 5 workouts and 5 days of good nutrition this week. You can work out more than 5 days if you wish, but be sure that you don’t overdo it. Take at least 1 day off. If you are feeling driven and motivated and you don’t want to take a day off, then have an active recovery day. This means exercise, but keep it light and easy, like going for a casual walk. In regard to nutrition, the 80/20 rule still applies, so don’t ruin your hard work by overindulging on your 2 “cheat” days. Have a treat, but control the portion size and continue to eat nutritiously during your other meals/snacks.
So what changes about the challenge? Just a few details. This week, I want you to try getting in 5-6 small meals per day. That means eating every 2-3 hours, which might look something like this:
7:00 am breakfast
9:30 am snack 1
12:00 pm lunch
3:00 pm snack 2
6:00 pm dinner
8:00 pm snack 3 (optional)
Breakfast does not have to be traditional. It can simply be a piece of fruit with a handful of nuts, or a slice of toast topped with hummus and sliced peppers. If you have the time and feel the urge, breakfast can be oatmeal with scrambled eggs and a small glass of juice, or whole grain pancakes with diced grilled chicken and salsa. Try to think outside of the box with your breakfast. Make it fun, but nutritious as well. If you’ll notice, I try to incorporate a fruit or vegetable and protein into each breakfast choice, and the optional complex carbohydrate (i.e. whole grain, not sugary cereals). The choices may not be traditional, but they are nutritious.
Lunch and dinner will be similar to the breakfast options. You want to have carbohydrates (which come from fruits, vegetables, rice, grains, pastas, and cereals), but you don’t want to have too many processed carbohydrates (in the form of white breads, white pastas, etc.). I like to have a vegetable stew (usually tomato based), sautéed vegetables, steamed vegetables, or salad as the largest portion of the meal. I then couple this with a complex carbohydrate, like brown rice, quinoa, couscous, or whole grain bread. I can do with or without meat, although I do love a good steak. I usually have meat at either lunch or dinner, occasionally both, sometimes neither. If I am having meat, I usually have a small portion (3-4 ounces), and I try to stick with seafood, shellfish, or lean meats.
Snacks are fairly simple. It is tempting to grab a snack pack that is commercially made, but often, these snack packs contain excess sugar, salt, and calories. Even the low calorie snacks tend to be lower in nutrients than something you could quickly make at home. If time is the issue, than opt for those quick grab and go snacks. Remember that processed foods can have a negative influence on your health, and on your weight loss, if that is one of your goals. I like to prep snacks on grocery days. If I buy grapes, then when I get home, I toss them in the strainer in the sink, squirt or spray them with veggie wash, let them soak for a bit as I continue unloading bags, then give them a good rinse before placing them in the refrigerator. I do the same with other fruit. I try to buy plenty of fruits and vegetables that can be used in meals or as snacks. I take another evening (usually an evening that I don’t have much to do) to cut and wash all of the fresh veggies that I may need during the week. It makes my life easier, because later in the week, if I want to sauté some vegetables, I can just grab the pre-cut and pre-washed veggies out of the refrigerator and get cooking.
A few more points on nutrition…You probably already know this, but monitor your intake of salts, fats and oils, and processed foods. In addition, try to limit your intake of fried foods, and unhealthy snacks, such as chips, cookies, etc.
Nutrition can be very confusing. Every day there is a new diet out there to try. I believe in clean eating, whole foods, and mindful eating (as opposed to mindless eating). If you are feeling a bit confused and overwhelmed, don’t be alarmed. There is a lot to think about, and a lot to learn. I look to those that are more knowledgeable than myself for advice. Some of the folks or sites that I follow for nutrition education are WebMD, Mayo Clinic, Jon Barron, George Mateljan, and Dr. Fuhrman. I take everything I read with a grain of salt. Research is always changing, and the things people write (including myself) can be motivated by emotion. For that reason, I encourage you to explore nutrition on your own, ask questions, and seek the guidance of a professional to determine what is right for you. When it comes to achieving your health and wellness goals, a dietician may be one thing that you are missing.
I hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any questions or comments, contact us, or leave your thoughts below. Thanks.
~ Cece
Tags: 5&5 Challenge, exercise, fitness, food, fortunes, nutrition
Posted in Challenges
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