21 Day Lean Eating Challenge:
Build a Foundation for Healthy Eating
Simple to follow, Challenging to fulfill. This challenge isn’t about measuring and micro-managing your food. It’s about practicing principles. The principles are simple, though by no means are they all easy to follow.
Stick to these rules for 21 days.
If you break the rules, start again at Day 1.
The Facebook page is intended as a place to find and express mutual support in facing this challenge. You are invited to post news of your successes, your setbacks, and words of encouragement to help others to success with the challenge.
Here are the rules of the Challenge:
1. Eat Breakfast. Every day. For many, It's hardest to get in a good breakfast. If you can't figure out how to eat vegetables first thing in the morning then go for a smoothie.
2. Eliminate all refined sugar from your diet. Replace this with whole foods (the exception to this rule is for foods consumed during a workout and immediate post-workout drinks and food). Hints: avoid eating things that come in boxes; shop the periphery of the grocery store (this is generally where you will find vegetables, fruits, animal foods); eat things with a short list of ingredients and none of which were purchased from a laboratory; if your grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food then it probably isn't (cultural issues aside).
3. Drink more zero calorie fluids (like water and green tea). Avoid juice. If you drink alcohol – drink 50% less. It’s just 21 days.
4. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. Eat a good source of protein with every meal. Eats fruits or vegetables with every meal. Consuming the same overall daily volume of food in more frequent smaller meals has been shown to increase metabolic rate and also will help ensure a more steady insulin level. Boiled eggs and canned fish are convenient ways to get in protein frequently when you are on the move or at work.
5. Consciously and progressively start to reduce carb intake from grains and starchy sources. Reduce these carbs by a few bites per meal. It’s okay to leave it on your plate. Get as many of your carbs as possible from vegetables and fruits. Eat as many carbs as you want when it comes to vegetables. Instead of consuming alot of one or two "superfoods" it is suggested that you strive for variety instead. Speaking of variety, try and eat across the rainbow which means eating as many different colours as possible.
6. Make sure that you are eating enough healthy fats, 25-35% of your energy intake. No need to measure it for this challenge, just be honest with yourself and strive to eat plenty of healthy fats. Good sources include include olive oil, avocados, fish oils, flax oil.
7. If you think it’s not a good food choice, then DON’T eat it.
8. The exception to all of this is the “cheat meal.” Once each week, for a period limited to 45 minutes, eat whatever you want. No guilt.
Credit must go to both John Berardi (www.johnberardi.com) and Dave Tate (www.elitefts.com) for inspiring many of the guidelines which have been incorporated into this challenge.
Standard disclaimer: Please consult a knowledgeable health professional if you have concerns about your diet or whether you should be following any particular eating strategy.
Stick to these rules for 21 days.
If you break the rules, start again at Day 1.
The Facebook page is intended as a place to find and express mutual support in facing this challenge. You are invited to post news of your successes, your setbacks, and words of encouragement to help others to success with the challenge.
Here are the rules of the Challenge:
1. Eat Breakfast. Every day. For many, It's hardest to get in a good breakfast. If you can't figure out how to eat vegetables first thing in the morning then go for a smoothie.
2. Eliminate all refined sugar from your diet. Replace this with whole foods (the exception to this rule is for foods consumed during a workout and immediate post-workout drinks and food). Hints: avoid eating things that come in boxes; shop the periphery of the grocery store (this is generally where you will find vegetables, fruits, animal foods); eat things with a short list of ingredients and none of which were purchased from a laboratory; if your grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food then it probably isn't (cultural issues aside).
3. Drink more zero calorie fluids (like water and green tea). Avoid juice. If you drink alcohol – drink 50% less. It’s just 21 days.
4. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. Eat a good source of protein with every meal. Eats fruits or vegetables with every meal. Consuming the same overall daily volume of food in more frequent smaller meals has been shown to increase metabolic rate and also will help ensure a more steady insulin level. Boiled eggs and canned fish are convenient ways to get in protein frequently when you are on the move or at work.
5. Consciously and progressively start to reduce carb intake from grains and starchy sources. Reduce these carbs by a few bites per meal. It’s okay to leave it on your plate. Get as many of your carbs as possible from vegetables and fruits. Eat as many carbs as you want when it comes to vegetables. Instead of consuming alot of one or two "superfoods" it is suggested that you strive for variety instead. Speaking of variety, try and eat across the rainbow which means eating as many different colours as possible.
6. Make sure that you are eating enough healthy fats, 25-35% of your energy intake. No need to measure it for this challenge, just be honest with yourself and strive to eat plenty of healthy fats. Good sources include include olive oil, avocados, fish oils, flax oil.
7. If you think it’s not a good food choice, then DON’T eat it.
8. The exception to all of this is the “cheat meal.” Once each week, for a period limited to 45 minutes, eat whatever you want. No guilt.
Credit must go to both John Berardi (www.johnberardi.com) and Dave Tate (www.elitefts.com) for inspiring many of the guidelines which have been incorporated into this challenge.
Standard disclaimer: Please consult a knowledgeable health professional if you have concerns about your diet or whether you should be following any particular eating strategy.
