30 Day Slimdown Challenge + Eating Plan

I don’t know about you all, but I celebrated the 4th of July holiday with a little too much indulgent food, three margaritas too many, and a belly ache. It’s so easy to do overindulge when the weekends are filled with summer BBQs, dinner parties, happy hours, and the like.

 And that has tended to be the norm ever since a few months past our honeymoon. It felt so good to let loose after our wedding that I never really honed it in on a consistent basis. I loved moving in with Adam after the wedding where I enjoyed cooking delicious meals, inviting friends over, baking up a storm, and rushing home after work every night to spend time with him.

 So all that hard work of a nightly gym regimen, eating copious salads with grilled chicken, and feeling good in my body flew right out the window.

The wake-up call for me has been three-fold… 

1//  Not feeling comfortable in my own skin (heck no, I don’t want to wear tank tops with flabby arms!)
2//  Those skinny jeans are getting a bit too snug, and I’m waiting for the button to pop off...
3//  The most unflattering photo of me ever taken of me during 4th of July weekend
(I almost didn’t recognize myself.)

{original image}

Thank goodness Adam and I were on the same page when we both discussed a little lifestyle change boot camp was majorly needed. With a Christmas trip to Hawaii planned (more details to come soon!) and my high school reunion approaching this next year, what better motivation than to start our journey together now.

We have been talking about how we want to approach this plan for a few weeks, and found something that is working out great for us so far! We are kicking it off with a 30 day challenge of following the plan with no cheating to jump start the road to healthy.

Here are the deets below to in case you are looking for good way to spark your healthy eating motivation. I will be sharing our grocery shopping list + favorite recipes next week!


Breakfast - 8AM //
- Protein
- Complex Carb
- Fruit
- Multi-vitamin

Meal examples:
- 2 eggs over easy, whole wheat english muffin (minimally processed), and berries
- 1/2 cup steel oats, 1/2 cup almond milk, blueberries, cinnamon, stevia (overnight oats)
- protein shake (no sugar), fruit


Morning Snack - 10:30 AM (if needed) //
- Protein + Fruit

Meal examples:
- string cheese & apple
- 1 oz. cashews & fruit
- cottage cheese and bing cherries
- hard boiled egg and berries


Lunch - 1 PM //
- Protein
- Complex Carb
- Vegetables

Meal examples:
- spinach salad with veggies and grilled chicken breast
- whole wheat tortilla (minimally processed), seasoned ground turkey, hummus, lettuce, cucumbers
- tilapia fillet, steamed broccoli, half sweet potato


Snack - 3:30 PM (if needed) //
- Protein, or...
- Protein + Complex Carb (if working out)

Meal examples:
- whole wheat rice cake, tablespoon almond butter, half sliced banana
- almonds & fruit
- celery sticks, hummus, turkey deli slices


Dinner - 6 PM //
- Protein
- Vegetables
- Complex Carb (if needed)
- Omega 3 Supplement

Meal examples:
- greek yogurt chicken, roasted squash & zucchini
- baked salmon, mixed steamed veggies, sweet potato or brown rice
- hummus crusted chicken, roasted garlic brussels sprouts, steamed broccoli
- mexican seasoned ground chicken, black beans, tomatoes, mixed greens, sauteed peppers and salsa (taco salad)


Evening Snack (if needed) //
- Protein, Veggies, or Fruit (in moderation)


Dailies
- water (half of your body weight = how many ounces to drink/day minimum)
- daily vitamin supplements
- exercise (minimum 30 minutes 4-5 days/week)
- no caffeine, sugar, white flour
- one drink/week at social gathering (if at all)
- no cheating!
- track food, exercise, and progress on My Fitness Pal (add me and we can do this together!)

.:::.:::.:::.:::.:::.

Believe it or not, just in 4 days I am already feeling like I have more energy, am less bloated, have better focus, successfully ate out on plan, and have conquered the few cravings for sweets and junk food. The bonus? I am down 3 pounds already - loving this. Who knew that with a healthy diet and some exercise you could feel so much better?! ;)

We both took body measurements at the start of the week so that we can compare our success with where we started. Sure, it will be great to see the number on the scale go down as my body adjusts to the new lifestyle, but losing inches and building muscle is more important to focus on. And we got brave by taking before photos - what an eye opener!.

Looking forward to feeling like myself again, and so glad I have a partner in crime along the way.
Wish us luck! :)


What helps you keep a healthy lifestyle?
Any great tips you try to stick to?


 

Follow along here:  BlogLovin, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest

________________________________________________