Take Back Challenge Week 1

Here is the first week of the plan. Read carefully. Plan accordingly. Work hard. Have fun.

Here we go! This is the beginning of the NEW YOU. Read carefully. Pay attention. Plan and Prepare. Work hard. Focus. Have fun!

WEEK 1 GUIDELINES & MEAL PLAN

Follow the guidelines as closely as possible and make good decisions. Spend a few minutes planning what you’ll eat for the week and do your best to make sure you have these foods in the house or access to them if you’re not going to be home. Proper preparation prevents poor performance.

GUIDELINES

Eat all of your foods within this timeline: 2 hours after getting up and stop 2 hours before going to bed. You’re allowed to have coffee (50 calories or less, unflavored water, and unsweetened herbal tea during the 2 hours in the morning) -eg. if you get up at 6, then don't eat until 8AM. If you got to sleep at 10, then your last meal must be before 8PM.

You DO NOT have to eat all of the food that’s listed. Eat enough to satiate, but DO NOT stuff for force feed yourself.

Do your best to fulfill the exercise requirements for the day. You can always break up the exercise into 2 sessions. What is key is that when you are exercising, you are actually exercising. Don’t include your breaks in the exercise time.

Beverages:

You can have fresh juice (1 cup per day), herbal tea (unsweetened), unlimited plain water (still or fizzy) 1 cup of lemonade per day, 2 cups of milk (soy, low-fat, skim, reduced-fat, coconut); 2 cups of coffee per day (each coffee must be 50 calories or less)

NO white bread (100% whole-grain or whole-wheat bread allowed)

NO products made with white flour

NO white pasta

NO soda (regular or diet)

NO alcohol

NO donuts, cake, brownies, pastries, muffins NO creamy salad dressings

NO white potatoes NO frying

Week 1 Day 1

MEAL 1

■1 cup of lemon water. Pour 8 ounces of water, either hot or cold. Squeeze the juice from half a small lemon directly into the water. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Mix well and drink.

■1 cup of raspberries, sliced strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries

Choose one of the following. Your choice must be 250 calories or less and no sugar added.

■1 fruit smoothie

■1 protein shake

SNACK 1

■150 calories or less

MEAL 2

Choose one of the following:

■3 servings of vegetables with a cup of brown rice (Remember, a serving is about the size of the average person's fist.)

■1 large green garden salad (no croutons, no bacon bits, 4 tablespoons of fat-free or low-fat dressing)

■l protein shake (300 calories or less)

SNACK 2

■150 calories or less

MEAL 3

Choose one of the following:

1 bowl of soup (300 calories or less; no potatoes, no cream) with 2 servings of veggies 6-ounce piece of chicken (no skin, no frying) with 2 servings of veggies

6-ounce piece of fish (no frying) with 2 servings of veggies

6-ounce piece of turkey (no skin, no frying) with 2 servings of veggies 4 servings of veggies

SNACK 3

150 calories or less

EXERCISE

⸞12,000 steps to be completed throughout the day

⸞15 sets of stairs (up and down equals 1 set)

Week 1, Day 2

MEAL 1

■1 cup of lemon water. Pour 8 ounces of water, either hot or cold. Squeeze the juice from half a small lemon directly into the water. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Mix well and drink.

■1 piece of fruit or ½ cup of berries.

Choose one from the following:

■1 cup of cooked oatmeal (optional: milk, raisins or blueberries, ½ tsp brown sugar)

■1 cup of Cream of Wheat or Farina (optional: milk and ½ tsp sugar)

■1 cup of cold cereal with milk

SNACK 1

■150 calories or less.

MEAL 2

Choose one of the following. Your choice must not exceed 300 calories if it’s a smoothie or shake; no sugar added.

■1 protein shake

■1 fruit smoothie

■1 cup of soup (no potatoes, no heavy cream). Good choices are chicken noodle, vegetable, lentil, chickpea, split pea, black bean, tomato basil, minestrone. Always be careful of sodium content!

SNACK 2

■150 calories or less

MEAL 3

■1 large green garden salad with 2½ ounces of sliced chicken (3 cups of greens). You may include a few olives, shredded carrots, and ½ sliced tomato or 5 grape tomatoes. Only 3 tablespoons of fat-free dressing, no bacon bits, no croutons.

■1 cup of whole grain or chickpea pasta in a meatless tomato sauce with 1 serving of veggies mixed into the pasta

SNACK 3

■150 calories or less

EXERCISE

Amount of exercise today: minimum 40 minutes. If you want to do more, all the better! Work as hard as you can! The key is to avoid doing steady-state exercise such as walking on the treadmill at the same speed and same incline for a period of time. Instead, try to vary your speed, your incline, the distances you cover. The goal here is to do high-intensity interval training.

Choose two of the cardiovascular exercises below, for a total of 40 minutes of exercise. Choose a combination of the items below to fulfill your exercise requirement:

Gym Options

⸞15 minutes walking/running on treadmill

⸞15 minutes on elliptical machine

⸞15 minutes on stationary bicycle

⸞15 minutes swimming laps

⸞15 minutes on stair climber

⸞15 minutes of spinning

⸞15 minutes of rowing machine

⸞20 minutes treadmill intervals

Non-Gym Options

⸞15 minutes jogging outside

⸞225 jump rope revolutions

⸞15 minutes of brisk walking

⸞15 minutes of walking up and down a staircase of at least 10 stairs; walking up and down the staircase is considered to be 1 set (rest between sets as needed)

⸞15 minutes of Zumba

⸞15 minutes of riding bicycle outside

⸞15-minute hike

⸞15 minutes of any other high-intensity cardio

⸞15 minutes alternating between running and walking. Run for 1 minute, then walk for 1 minute, then run again and walk again. Repeat the cycle for 15 minutes.

Week 1, Day 3

MEAL 1

■1 cup of lemon water. Pour 8 ounces of water, either hot or cold. Squeeze the juice from half a small lemon directly into the water. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Mix well and drink.

Choose one of the following:

■12 oz fresh smoothie (300 calories or less)

■protein shake (300 calories or less)

■1 cup of steel oats with sliced apples and walnuts optional

SNACK 1

■150 calories or less

MEAL 2

Choose one of the following:

■2 cups of tomato, cucumber, onion, black or white bean salad with 3 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

■Lettuce, cheese, tomato sandwich on 100% whole-grain or whole-wheat toast with your choice of spread

SNACK 2

■150 calories or less

MEAL 3

Choose one of the following:

■Cauliflower and brown rice stuffed peppers (both halves of a small pepper)

■Portobello mushroom steaks (first marinade in spices and soy sauce or balsamic vinaigrette with a touch of olive oil to cook in and salt and pepper to taste)

■6-oz grilled or baked fish with 2 servings of vegetables

SNACK 3:

150 calories or less

EXERCISE

Rest

Week 1, Day 4

MEAL 1

■1 cup of lemon water. Pour 8 ounces of water, either hot or cold. Squeeze the juice from half a small lemon directly into the water. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Mix well and drink.

■1 piece of fruit or ½ cup of berries

Choose one from the following:

■6-ounces of low-fat, plain Greek yogurt with sliced fresh fruit

■1 egg-white omelet (made with 2 egg whites or ½ cup of Egg Beaters; little butter or cooking spray is allowed)

■1 cup of cold cereal with milk

Optional: 1 piece of 100-percent whole-grain or whole-wheat toast

SNACK 1

■150 calories or less

MEAL 2

Choose one of the following. Your choice must not exceed 300 calories if you choose the smoothie or shake; no sugar added.

■1 protein shake

■1 fruit smoothie

■1 cup of soup (no potatoes, no heavy cream). Good choices are chicken noodle, vegetable, lentil, chickpea, split pea, black bean, tomato basil, minestrone. Always be careful of sodium content!

■1 large green salad with veggies, but no croutons or bacon bits (NO creamy salad dressing)

SNACK 2

150 calories or less

MEAL 3

■1 cup of brown rice

■1 cup of cooked beans, chickpeas, or lentils (no baked beans) and 1 serving of vegetables

■Large garden green salad (optional: grapefruit slices, nuts, peppers, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, sunflower seeds)

SNACK 3

■150 calories or less

EXERCISE

⸞14,000 Steps

⸞15 sets of stairs (up and down equals 1 set)

Week 1, Day 5

MEAL 1

■1 cup of lemon water. Pour 8 ounces of water, either hot or cold. Squeeze the juice from half a small lemon directly into the water. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Mix well and drink.

■1 piece of fruit or ½ cup of berries

Choose one from the following:

■1 cup of cooked oatmeal (optional: milk, raisins or blueberries, ½ tsp brown sugar)

■1 cup of Cream of Wheat or Farina (optional: milk and ½ tsp sugar)

■6- ounce low-fat or fat-free Greek yogurt; add fresh fruit

SNACK 1

■150 calories or less

MEAL 2

Choose one from the following:

■3 servings of vegetables

■One 5-oz turkey or veggie burger on whole grain bread (cheese, tomato, lettuce optional)

■1½ cup of soup (no potatoes, no heavy cream). Good choices are chicken noodle, vegetable, lentil, chickpea, split pea, black bean, tomato basil, minestrone. Always be careful of sodium content!

SNACK 2

■150 calories or less

MEAL 3

Choose one from the following:

■6 ounces of turkey, chicken , or fish (grilled or baked, no skin, not fried) with 2 servings of veggies

■Vegetarian plate of 4 steamed vegetables and 1 cup of brown rice

SNACK 3

■150 calories or less

EXERCISE

Amount of exercise today: minimum 40 minutes. Work as hard as you can! The key is to avoid doing steady-state exercise such as walking on the treadmill at the same speed and same incline for a period of time. Instead, try to vary your speed, your incline, the distances you cover. The goal here is to do high-intensity interval training. Remember, you can always break up the workout. For example, if you don't have time to do it all at once, you can do 20 minutes now and 20 later or whichever combination works for you.

Choose a combination of the items below to fulfill your exercise requirement:

Gym Options

⸞15 minutes walking/running on treadmill

⸞15 minutes on elliptical machine

⸞15 minutes on stationary bicycle

⸞15 minutes swimming laps

⸞15 minutes on stair climber

⸞15 minutes of spinning

⸞15 minutes of rowing machine

⸞20 minutes treadmill intervals

Non-Gym Options

⸞15 minutes jogging outside

⸞225 jump rope revolutions

⸞15 minutes of brisk walking

⸞15 minutes of walking up and down a staircase of at least 10 stairs; walking up and down the staircase is considered to be 1 set (rest between sets as needed)

⸞15 minutes of Zumba

⸞15 minutes of riding bicycle outside

⸞15-minute hike

⸞15 minutes of any other high-intensity cardio

⸞15 minutes alternating between running and walking. Run for 1 minute, then walk for 1 minute, then run again and walk again. Repeat the cycle for 15 minutes.

Week 1, Day 6

MEAL 1

■1 cup of lemon water. Pour 8 ounces of water, either hot or cold. Squeeze the juice from half a small lemon directly into the water. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Mix well and drink.

Choose one of the following:

■1 grilled cheese sandwich on 100% whole-grain or whole-wheat bread

■1 cup low-fat or nonfat plain Greek yogurt with 1/3 cup granola or muesli and ¼ cup berries

SNACK 1:

■150 calories or less

MEAL 2

Choose one of the following:

■Black bean wrap with avocados, diced tomatoes, lettuce, and brown rice on whole grain tortilla

■large garden green salad (optional: grapefruit slices, nuts, peppers, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, sunflower seeds)

SNACK 2

■150 calories or less

MEAL 3

Choose one of the following:

■4 servings of 4 different steamed or raw vegetables

■1.5 cups whole grain spaghetti with all, some, or none of the following (diced zucchini, squash, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli) in a marina or lemon-wine sauce)

SNACK 3

■150 calories or less

EXERCISE

Rest Day

Week 1, Day 7

MEAL 1

■1 cup of lemon water. Pour 8 ounces of water, either hot or cold. Squeeze the juice from half a small lemon directly into the water. Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Mix well and drink.

Choose one of the following. Make sure it's 300 calories or less if you choose the smoothie or shake; no sugar added.

■1 fruit smoothie

■1 protein shake

■1 cup cold cereal with milk

SNACK 1

■150 calories or less

MEAL 2

■1½ cup of soup (no potatoes, no heavy cream). Good choices are chicken noodle, vegetable, lentil, chickpea, split pea, black bean, tomato basil, minestrone. Always be careful of sodium content!

■medium garden green salad (optional: grapefruit slices, nuts, peppers, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, sunflower seeds)

SNACK 2

■150 calories or less

MEAL 3

Choose one of the following:

■6-ounce piece of skinless chicken breast grilled or baked 6-ounce piece of fish (no frying)

■6-ounce piece of turkey (no skin, no frying)

■6-ounce grilled or baked fish

All of the above come with 1/2 cup of brown rice and two servings of veggies.

SNACK 3

■150 calories or less

EXERCISE

Amount of exercise today: minimum 30 minutes. If you want to do more, all the better! Work as hard as you can! The key is to avoid doing steady-state exercise such as walking on the treadmill at the same speed and same incline for a period of time. Instead, try to vary your speed, your incline, the distances you cover. The goal here is to do high-intensity interval training. If necessary, you can always break up your workout into two different sessions.

Choose two of the cardiovascular exercises below, for a total of 40 minutes of exercise. Choose a combination of the items below to fulfill your exercise requirement:

Gym Options

⸞15 minutes walking/running on treadmill

⸞15 minutes on elliptical machine

⸞15 minutes on stationary bicycle

⸞15 minutes swimming laps

⸞15 minutes on stair climber

⸞15 minutes of spinning

⸞15 minutes of rowing machine

⸞20 minutes treadmill intervals

Non-Gym Options

⸞15 minutes jogging outside

⸞225 jump rope revolutions

⸞15 minutes of brisk walking

⸞15 minutes of walking up and down a staircase of at least 10 stairs; walking up and down the staircase is considered to be 1 set (rest between sets as needed)

⸞15 minutes of Zumba

⸞15 minutes of riding bicycle outside

⸞15-minute hike

⸞15 minutes of any other high-intensity cardio

⸞15 minutes alternating between running and walking. Run for 1 minute, then walk for 1 minute, then run again and walk again. Repeat the cycle for 15 minutes.