Me with a sub bigger than my head
I LOVE food! I love food so much that I would rather spend all of my money on delicious meals than clothes. I'm not even kidding. When people ask me how I can possibly eat as much as I do and stay tiny, my answer has always been "Crossfit"and being mostly Paleo (hunter-gatherer diet). However, as tiny as I am, I have never accomplished a super flat tummy. Muscles, yes. Flat tummy, no. It wasn't until I sat down with my dear friend Chris DiVecchio, a personal trainer and owner of Premier Mind and Body in Manhattan Beach, California, that I realized I wasn't eating enough food to achieve the results that I wanted. I was alarmed at first. How could I not be eating enough? I eat A LOT! My boss would even joke around with me and ask me if I was already eating my third lunch of the day but after observing my eating habits for one week, I realized Chris was right. I was not eating enough. I was waking up, rushing to the gym, rushing to work and, before I knew it, it would be 3:30 in the afternoon when I was just starting to think about lunch. Then, I'd get home at around 6:30 PM, cook a huge dinner and only had an appetite for two or three bites. I didn't feel like I was starving myself, but I was and it had to stop.
So, Chris devised a meal plan according to my work and workout schedule, he asked me to be patient and promise I would follow his program to the tee. I made my promise and, with his help, I started to notice a huge difference in my appetite and body.
Day 1
It took me a full week to mentally prepare myself for this eating challenge. Not only was I re-introducing grains into my diet (which is so not Paleo), Chris was putting me on a schedule and the last thing I am is a schedule kind of person. This program was asking me to become a creature of habit. A creature of good habits. I'm not going to lie, the first week was not easy. I decided to start his program on a week I was traveling and the stress of packing my protein and worrying that TSA would take it all away made me panic. Chris calmed me down, assured everything would be okay, and I went through the security check without any issues. He had to adjust my plan a few times while I was away and he showed me that I couldn't make any excuses to not follow the plan.
Day 1 vs Day 18
I'm not really a meal prep type of girl, so bringing lunch is not something I do too often. I love fresh cooked meals and I hate to heat up food in the microwave. So, I have two delis that I order breakfast from and a few healthy restaurants that I order from on a regular basis. As long as you follow the plan and order from really healthy restaurants, eating out shouldn't be a problem. Following a meal plan isn't easy, but Chris is a great motivator and has been keeping me on track.
Day 1 vs Day 33
If you're considering going on a meal plan, here are a few tips that can help you along the way:
1) Make grocery shopping a weekly or bi-weekly thing and make sure your refrigerator is stocked up with everything you need for the entire week and if you live with other people, make sure you remember to order more of whatever you really need just in case they eat your food (I now have to buy two dozen eggs versus one dozen eggs per week).
3) Keep snacks in your car, purse, backpack, locker, desk at work and at home.
4) Pack everything you need the night before! I like to put all of my snacks, vitamins and my lunch (if I feel like bringing leftovers) in one bag that I can grab out of the fridge while I'm on my way out the door. I make sure to pack my protein every night and will store it in my backpack.
5) Set alarms. Time flies, especially when you're busy. Setting alarms will help ensure you are eating when you are supposed to.
6) Keep a huge water bottle at your desk. If you have a small, you will end up drinking less water throughout the day.
7) Try new recipes. Eating the same thing over and over again is boring. Find recipes that you love and keep them in rotation.
8) Stay focused. It's so easy to give in to temptation. If you stay focused, you'll see results and you'll realize that all that hard work is really paying off!
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or reach out to Chris at info@premiermindandbody.com.
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