Tuesday, June 28, 2011

the “crystal miracle diet”

Although I love the sound of that title, it’s highly inaccurate. This is not a “diet”, it’s a way of eating, long-term. And there’s nothing “miraculous” about good ol’ fashioned healthy eating and exercise. But the day I’m as tiny as Crystal (the person who shared this food wisdom with me) will definitely be a miracle!

Let me start out by saying this food plan can be boring at times, but you should remember that “food is for fuel, not for fun”. After following this plan every single day, you should start to see some changes after about 30 days. In addition to the change in diet, you should also try to work out at least 3 times a week, more if possible.

So, to begin, here are “The Rules”…all 16 of them!

The Rules:

1) DO NOT EAT OUT (No more then once a week at most. Try to keep it to once every couple weeks.)

2) Cook all your lunches and even a couple dinners on the weekend for the following week. Package them all up so when you are running out the door you can just grab it and go. This is one of the most important things to do other than the next tip...

3) When grocery shopping, only shop on the outside ring of the store. This means nothing processed! If it comes packaged, you don't need it. You will need to shop once a week due to the fact that these foods will go bad. Stock up on lean meats when you find them on sale and fill your freezer so you keep your grocery bill down. Buy lots of veggies, fruit, meat, yogurt (greek is the best but make sure it is a lower calorie one).

4) Eat as if you are Gluten Intolerant and eat NO breads or pastas....EVER!

5) Only drink water. Coffee is ok but if you are going to Starbucks make sure whatever you get is non-fat milk and sugar-free flavoring. No soda or juice...EVER!

6) The only salad dressing you should have is balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Try using salsa as a salad dressing...it's amazing and very low calorie.

7) Fruits taste much better then veggies but limit it to one or two pieces a day because they have a ton of sugar in them.

8) Eat every 3 hours but keep them to small meals and snacks.

9) If you eat potatoes, try to have sweet potatoes.

10) Eat at least one salad a day.

11) Limit your cheese intake and try to have more white cheeses like fat free feta or mozzarella.

12) Make sure to eat a healthy fat every day.

13) Eat carbs only in the morning.

14) Sip on hot water all day long.

15) Make sure you eat protein with at least 3 of your meals for the day.

16) Keep your calories under 1,500 a day.

You are allowed one cheat day per week, but you’ll still need to keep your total intake for the day under 3,500 calories. I’ll probably save my cheat days for Saturdays because, let’s face it, I drink a lot of beer.

And now, to see this plan in action, here are two examples of daily food plans:

Example Day 1:

Breakfast: Quaker steel cut oats 1/2 c. dry + 1 cup water. Once cooked, add 1/4 scoop of vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, raisins, and a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Coffee with a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

2-3 hours later: Strawberries. Natural granola bar (KIND bars are great. You can find them in the natural section of the grocery store or by the protein bars. Any kind will work as long as they are made with whole nuts, sweetened with honey, etc.).

Lunch: Salad made with baby spinach, tomatoes, cut up snap peas, a pouch of tuna, and fat-free cottage cheese to moisten it and act as a dressing.

2-3 hours later: Bell pepper with hummus.

2 hours later: Greek yogurt.

Dinner: 3-4oz grilled chicken breast and broccoli.

Example Day 2:

Breakfast: 3 egg whites plus one whole egg with sliced mushrooms and baby spinach topped with salsa.

2-3 hours later: carrots and snap peas.

Lunch: 3-4oz chicken breast and some sort of veggie.

2-3 hours later: apple and 2 Tbsp peanut butter (only eat the natural kind or it is awful for you!).

2 hours later: Greek yogurt.

Dinner: Grilled chicken salad (don't forget to only eat balsamic or salsa as dressing).

Doesn’t sound too bad, right? I just started this morning, and although it’s only 11:30am, I think I’ve done pretty well. For breakfast I had four hard-boiled eggs (with only one yolk) on a bed of spinach, topped with salsa. It was pretty good! Then for my morning snack I had a KIND bar. I brought enough veggies, hummus, and Greek yogurt to work to last me for the week. Last night I baked 4 chicken breasts so I can use them in salads or for quick dinners throughout the week. I also boiled 18 eggs so that I can easily eat them in the mornings before I leave for work. (I don’t want to be that person who eats smelly hard-boiled eggs in the office!)

Crystal’s Miracle Diet has left me super inspired, so I just wanted to pass it along to anyone else out there interested in trying something new! Good luck!

Sound like too much work? Here's some motivation for you:

(found on google images)
UPDATE: It's been almost two weeks since I started this new way of eating. The first four days were great! I was packing tons of healthy snacks for work every day, and baking chicken for dinners. I was never starving, and I felt less bloated than usual. Then came 4th of July weekend. This was tough, as I went to multiple barbeques and other activities over those four days. Halfway through the weekend I decided to just throw in the towel and eat whatever I wanted, within reason. After all, it was a holiday! During the week that followed, it was a little tough to get back on track. I definitely wasn't as strict with myself as I was during the first week. Then the weekend came, which meant a 3-day trip with the girls to Leavenworth. Again, I threw in the towel and ate what was in front of me (thanks, Laura!). Today I'm back to square one, and trying to be strict again. It's only been 6 hours, but I've done very well so far! Hopefully I can stick it out long enough to see some results this time! Stay tuned...


2 comments:

  1. Where did you get that picture of my stomach?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think I'm going to try too - just not sure when I'll start :)

    ReplyDelete

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