"Not This Holiday Season!"
Unfortunately, that phrase is the all-too-familiar battle cry that falls quiet once I've sedated my enthusiasm with piles of cake, stuffing, gravy, cookies, candy, hot chocolate...
I spoke yesterday about the importance of forgiving ourselves for the holiday indulgences, but that doesn't mean we can't be proactive about preventing holiday weight-gain.
So in that spirit, I'm challenging myself - and by extension you - to 21 days of no-sugar-added paleo and mixing up my workout routine. We start December 2nd, so we'll be wrapping up the challenge days before Christmas. Hopefully this'll give us all a bit of wiggle room in our Santa pajamas for plenty of hot cocoa and cookies on Christmas Eve.
The challenge has two parts: Eat + Move
This post will outline the first part, and a second post will talk a bit about the workout plan.
FOOD
If you're like me, the thought of 21 days without added sugars or sweeteners seems nearly impossible. Preparation gives you the best chance for success, so clear out your fridge and stock up for the next 3 weeks based on the foods listed below:
Eat Me
Beverages: almond milk, coconut milk, coffee, tea, seltzer
All meat, seafood, eggs
Full fat dairy
Green Veggies, Squash, Cabbage, Leafy greens, Tomatoes, etc (basically all veggies)
Fruit: lemon/lime, avocado
All nuts and nut butters except peanuts and cashews
Other: cocoa, chia, coconut flour, seeds, coconut oil, broth, mustard, yeast, spices, herbs, vinegar
Limit Me
Veggies: acorn squash, beets, butternut squash, green peas, pumpkin
Fruit: green bananas, grapefruit, green apples
Grains/Legumes: Amaranth, beans and chickpeas, Quinoa, Rice
Coconut water/juice
Don't Eat Me
Breads, brownies, cakes, candy, cereal, granola, chips, couscous, crackers, oats, orzo, pasta, pita, rice cakes, popcorn, tortillas, corn, plantains, soy beans, sweet potatoes, barley, flour (spelt, wheat, etc), sweet fruit, cashews and peanuts, condiments/canned stuff
Aaaaand, the real kicker: no alcohol
Now, you can use the lists above to create your own meals based around the foods you love, but if you need some specific ideas, here are links to recipes created by the 21DSD author (click the picture):
Breakfast
Beef, Pork, Lamb
Poultry
Miscellaneous
That about covers the food portion. I'll follow-up with some ideas for easy and quick meals. I'm a little overwhelmed with the meal plan and recipes that accompany the 21DSD book, so I know I'll be making some stripped-down versions.
Here's a sample meal plan for Week 1:
M: Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins (make ahead on Sunday, freeze extra)
Chicken (bake extra from making muffins) salad with favorite veggies, dressed with oil + vinegar
Mexi-Meatloaf with brussels sprouts
T: Leftover meatloaf crumbled into omelet with 1 or 2 eggs
Chicken and leftover brussels sprouts
Salmon Cakes and green salad
W: Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffin
Leftover salmon cake, sliced avocado
Leftover Mexi-Meatloaf crumbled over salad greens with Avocado Ranch
R: Sausage and scrambled eggs with sliced green apple
Turkey and Bacon Cobb Salad
Spaghetti Squash with the 21DSD Spaghetti Sauce and crumbled sausage
F: Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffin
Leftover spaghetti sauce and sausage over steamed veggies
Smoky Mexican Tortilla-less Soup
Sa: Zucchini Pancakes
Leftover soup
Steak and Veggie Kabobs with garlic butter mashed cauliflower
Su: Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffin or leftover pancakes, sausage, etc
Leftover luncheon (clean out the fridge)
Slow Cooker Roast Chicken and green veggies
Snacks: Throughout the week, keep some seasoned, roasted nuts (no sugar), jerky or green apples handy for between-meal snacking.
Let me know if you have any questions about this post. Keep an eye out for a post detailing the exercise portion of the "Not This Holiday Season" 21 Day Challenge!
bgt
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