Spring is just around the corner…many of us are wondering how to drop a few pounds before the warm weather arrives. Do you have a plan in place to help you rev up your metabolism and lose those excess pounds? 

Here’s what you need to know:

• What to eat
• When to eat
• How much to eat

Register for the next Spring Smart Loss Session to learn more, talk with a personal trainer and get a link to our awesome menu-planning software!

What to eat

Chris Powell, author of “Choose to Lose” and the star personal trainer for “ABC’s Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition” suggests Carb-Cycling. Here’s how it works:

Each week, you will have two cycles of two low carb days followed by a high carb day, followed by a guilt-free day on the seventh day of the week. For example, if you want Sunday to be your guilt-free day then Monday & Tuesday would be low-carb, Wednesday would be high-carb, Thursday and Friday would be low-carb and Saturday would be high-carb. Of course, you can decide when you want your guilt-free day and assign the other days accordingly.

Every day for breakfast eat carbohydrates, protein and unlimited veggies regardless of whether it is low-carb or high-carb day. Your carbohydrate can be a piece of fruit or toast/English muffin. Your protein at breakfast could be an egg, however a protein shake, cottage cheese or any left-over protein from last night’s dinner would be great.

On low carb days, the idea is to focus on protein and vegetable consumption and avoid the smart carbs, which include whole grains and fruit (except for breakfast).

On high carb days, all five of your meals will consist of a carbohydrate, protein and veggies. Providing your body with a healthy source of carbohydrates helps replenish glucose stores in the muscle and tissue. High carb days also help prevent your body from going into “starvation mode” (which may lead to a decreased metabolism).

Your guilt-free day each week is the day you are allowed to eat the foods you have been craving all week! It’s ok to splurge a little…I met a person who was very successful on this program while eating pizza and Zesty’s custard once each week!

When to eat

Eat five times each day. Your meals should be spaced about 3 hours apart. This keeps your blood sugar level and keeps you feeling satisfied instead of hungry.

How much to eat

This program is great because you do not have to measure your food or count calories/grams. Instead, just take a look at your hand and remember that a serving of carbohydrate is the size of your fist, a serving of protein is the size of your palm and a serving of fat is the size of your thumb. You can eat as many veggies as you’d like, so you don’t have to measure them at all.

 Which Carbs/Fats/Proteins should I eat?

• Healthy carbs: fruit, whole grain bread, English muffins & tortillas, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes corn, couscous, long grain brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, whole grain cereals,whole grain pasta,  wild rice, milk (1% or skim), yogurt and legumes including edamame.
• Healthy fats: low fat cheese, feta cheese, olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil, fish oil, safflower oil, avocado, olives, almond butter (with salt), almonds (raw, whole), peanut butter (natural, with salt), peanuts (raw, chopped), pecans (raw, chopped), pumpkin seeds, sesame butter/tahini, sunflower seeds, soy nuts (roasted, lightly salted), walnuts (raw, chopped)
• Healthy proteins: chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, lean pork, cottage cheese (low fat), eggs, egg substitutes, Greek yogurt (nonfat plain), yogurt (low carb/high protein) and vegetarian options include  tofu, TVP and tempeh,

The key to success with carb-cycling is to plan ahead and know what you are going to eat at each of your five meals throughout the day. It’s important NOT to skip meals and remember that no one is perfect…if you slip up, don’t beat yourself up, just pick up where you have left off and keeping moving forward.

Contact us for more information on carb-cycling and we can help you plan for  a healthy spring!