Let me guess… It’s 4pm and you’re sitting at your desk still recovering from a post-holiday sugar coma. Your favorite “skinny jeans” are tight. And you are trying to convince yourself you didn’t eat that many Sparkly Lemon Cookies. But you finally admit, “Maybe I did get a little boy crazy with the Gingerbread Men…” (Ha! You showed him.) Now the hunger pains set in. But you think (dramatically), “No! I’m not eating ever again!” False. Skimping on meals is not going to get you back in your skinnies any sooner. If anything, it will mess up your metabolism even more than your holiday binging. Rather, focus on eating nutritious, balanced meals and working out. It will help get your metabolism pumping and your body burning calories, which will have you back in your skinnies before you know it!
Here’s my 7 Days to Skinny Jeans Plan:
The Rules
- Commit. Keep your eyes on the prize (a.k.a. those darn skinny jeans) and if possible, enlist a partner in crime. It’s always easier when you have a buddy for support!
- Drink lots of water! At least 8-10 glasses a day.
- Pick one exercise to do every day (save one day for rest).
- Pick one meal from each category for each day.
- Pick one snack for each day. (I like to have a snack between lunch and dinner, but the timing is really up to you.)
- If possible, try to sneak in your exercise before breakfast. Otherwise, just make sure you squeeze it into your schedule. This is the important part!
Breakfast Options
- Greek yogurt topped with walnuts, a handful of berries (or sliced banana) and a light drizzle of agave nectar
- Steel cut oatmeal with 2 tablespoons of dried apricots, 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds and a splash of almond milk
- Veggie omelet with a slice of whole grain toast (Click here for my favorite omelet recipe!)
- Breakfast smoothie
- Half an avocado stuffed with cottage cheese and a side of sliced tomato
- Ezekiel toast topped with 2 sliced up hardboiled eggs served with half of a grapefruit
- Breakfast Quinoa (Make a big batch and eat it for breakfast for a few days. It’s delicious!)
Lunch & Dinner Options
- Whole-grain pita filled with chicken, arugula, sliced tomato a teaspoon of crumbled feta and a drizzle of olive oil; serve with a side of grapes
- Grilled Bruschetta Chicken with a small side salad (use a mixture of lemon, olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the dressing)
- Zucchini “Pasta” with a side of quinoa
- Two slices of cauliflower crust pizza with a side of steamed vegetables
- Sesame-Tofu Stir-Fry (Another excellent meal you can make a big batch of to last a few days.)
- Beet, Orange & Fennel Salad with a side of quinoa
- Healthy Chicken Salad served over lettuce or on a slice of whole-grain toast
Snacks
- 1 medium apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
- 1 cup of red grapes and a low fat string cheese
- ¼ cup of almonds
- ½ cup of bran cereal (or Grape Nuts) with milk and a few berries
- Raw veggies with 3 generous tablespoons of hummus
- 1 hardboiled egg with a few whole-grain crackers
- Celery with a tablespoon of almond butter and a few raisins
Exercise Options
- 30 minutes of cardio (running, kickboxing, elliptical, swimming, step aerobics etc.)
- 1 hour of yoga or Pilates
- Intervals: run for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds (repeat 8 times)
- Circuit: 100 jumping jacks, 20 crunches, 20 squats, 10 push ups, 25 bench dips (you can do this using a chair), 60 second wall sit, 60 second plank (repeat two times)
- 1 hour hike with steady incline
- Quickie: 20 lunges, 50 jumping jacks (or swap out jumping jacks for jumping rope for 2 minutes)
- Semi-Quickie: 15 minute jog, 20 squats, 20 sit-ups
Sadly there’s no way to un-eat what you’ve already eaten over the holidays. But thankfully there is a solution: If you make a conscious effort to have healthier eating and exercise habits, your body will bounce back in no time! Be sure to follow this plan for seven days straight. It will be tough, you will be tempted and you will probably slipup a few times. Once you’re done, try to maintain this healthy lifestyle (but reduce your exercise regime to 3-4 times per week). I’ll be starting the plan tomorrow so we can all do this together.
http://www.laurenconrad.com/post/shape-up-my-7-days-to-skinny-jeans-plan
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