The secret to overcoming Lazy Cheats is to have healthy strategies in place. Valerie Waters, celebrity trainer and creator of the Valslide, said, “Strategy trumps willpower.” Next time you find yourself tired and hungry, reaching for the take-out menu, turn to the strategy that works to keep you on track.
Keep menus on hand of go-to restaurants where you know you can get a healthy meal. I have a whole stack of menus in my car. If I've had a busy day with no plan for dinner, I’ll call ahead and place an order, then pick it up on my way home.
Replace Lazy Cheats with Easy Meals that you fall back on at these times. One of my Easy Meals is a chicken breast with a can of lentil soup. I grill up the chicken breast, heat up the soup, and pour it over the chicken breast—done!
It’s also okay just to have a healthy shake for dinner. Blend up a scoop of protein powder and some fruit or peanut butter, and enjoy.
Plan out your week ahead of time, including your splurges. Your week should include 10 percent of meals where you can indulge—so don’t waste them!
Day 24
TODAY'S FOCUS
ACTION: De-emphasize dinner.
Tonight eat a light dinner. The goal is to eat more of your food earlier in the day. If you eat a good breakfast and lunch, you’ll be fine with a small dinner. Try it this week. If you find that you are always starving at dinnertime, you probably haven’t eaten enough earlier in the day.
WORKOUT
PHASE 1: STRENGTH 1
This is the last time you’ll do this routine, so really go for it! Push yourself to get the most out of it before you start a new routine next week.
MENU PLAN
Take supplements: 1 to 2 grams omega-3s, multivitamin, and 1,000 IU vitamin D
Plus 1 serving of Greens+
* * *
Breakfast
Breakfast Wrap
1 cup diced melon
Snack
1 string cheese
1 apple
Lunch
2 slices Ezekiel bread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 pear
Snack
Post-Workout Shake
Dinner
4 ounces cooked chicken breast
2 cups roasted or grilled vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper)
Day 25
TODAY'S FOCUS
Checkpoint: Posture Check
Stand up straight, pull your shoulders back, engage your stomach muscles, and squeeze your butt. You have been working so hard on building all of these muscles up, so start using them to stand tall every day. Having good posture instantly makes you look like you’ve lost 10 pounds!
WORKOUT
DAY OFF— Active Recovery or complete day of rest.
MENU PLAN
Take supplements: 1 to 2 grams omega-3s, multivitamin, and 1,000 IU vitamin D
Plus 1 serving of Greens+
* * *
Breakfast
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup fresh fruit
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
Snack
2 pieces Laughing Cow cheese
A handful of baby carrots
Lunch
Beet Salad
1 banana
Snack
Post-Workout Shake
Dinner
6 ounces wild-caught salmon (skin removed), roasted*
2 cups steamed or roasted broccoli
¾ cup cooked quinoa
*Brush with mustard and roast at 400°F for 20 minutes.
Day 26
TODAY'S FOCUS
ACTION: Snack smart.
What are you leaning on too much? Nuts? Nut butter? Cheese? Are you finding yourself grabbing one of these more often than you should be? If so, then it’s time to cut back and find a different option. One of my clients said, “No more scooping.” She was referring to the multiple spoonfuls of peanut butter she ate each day. Look through the menus and get new ideas instead of scooping or grabbing a hunk of cheese. A handful of raw almonds is an excellent snack.
WORKOUT
PHASE 1: STRENGTH 2
This is your last time on this program. Really push yourself!
MENU PLAN
Take supplements: 1 to 2 grams omega-3s, multivitamin, and 1,000 IU vitamin D
Plus 1 serving of Greens+
* * *
Breakfast
1 slice Ezekiel bread, toasted
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
1 orange
Snack
A handful of raw almonds
Lunch
3 ounces canned (water-packed) tuna mixed with ½ cup chopped celery, 1 tablespoon olive oil mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard to taste
A handful of baby carrots
5 ak-mak or RyKrisp crackers
Snack
Post-Workout Shake
Dinner
1 cup cooked rice pasta topped with 4 ounces roasted chicken, 1 cup diced tomatoes, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil
Day 27
TODAY'S FOCUS
ACTION: Put supplements front and center .
Have you been taking your multivitamin and omega-3 supplements every day? This is an easy action step that is also easy to forget. Keep the bottles handy in your kitchen or bathroom where you’ll see them every day. Make it a priority.
WORKOUT
PHASE 1: COUNTDOWN METABOLIC
MENU PLAN
Take supplements: 1 to 2 grams omega-3s, multivitamin, and 1,000 IU vitamin D
Plus 1 serving of Greens+
* * *
Breakfast
1 cup Greek yogurt topped with 1 cup fresh fruit and 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
Snack
2 pieces Laughing Cow cheese
A handful of baby carrots
Lunch
2 slices Ezekiel bread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 pear
Snack
Post-Workout Shake
Dinner
4-ounce cooked turkey burger in an Ezekiel English muffin
Side Salad and 1 tablespoon Homememade Vinaigrette
Chicken Fajitas
2 teaspoons canola oil
6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
½ red onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
2 corn tortillas
Salsa
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the chicken, onion, and bell pepper; season with salt and black pepper and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken mixture wrapped in tortillas, with salsa. Makes 1 serving.
Day 28
TODAY'S FOCUS
ACTION: Treat yourself!
You’ve completed 1 month on this plan. Congratulations! Use the great feeling today to motivate you for Month Two. Read through your new workout for the coming week, shop and prepare for your meals, and get ready to attack the week. Take some time today to do something to reward yourself—perhaps get a pedicure or buy a new workout outfit. You have done fantastic so far and deserve a treat. Indulge a little today.
WORKOUT
DAY OFF— Active Recovery or take a complete day of rest. Enjoy!
MENU PLAN
Take supplements: 1 to 2 grams omega-3s, multivitamin, and 1,000 IU vitamin D
Plus 1 serving of Greens+
* * *
Breakfast
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup fresh fruit
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
Snack
A handful of raw almonds
Lunch
Avocado and Chickpea Salad: 3 cups mixed greens, ½ cup chickpeas, ½ cup sliced cucumber, ½ cup diced avocado, ½ cup chopped bell pepper, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice or vinegar to taste
Snack
Post-Workout Shake
Dinner
Chicken
Fajitas
Stay the Course
LYNNEA CLARK > dropped two sizes in 12 weeks
When I started Drop Two Sizes, I had 20 pounds of pregnancy weight to lose, and at 46 years of age, my metabolism isn’t what it used to be. The first week of the challenge wasn’t difficult because it was new and I was determined to get off to a brilliant start. But by Week Two, I was a little discouraged about facing 11 more weeks of the plan. I slipped up when I ate five homemade cookies and some larger meal portions at the end of the week.
By Week Three, I started coming to the gym every day and found out that motivated me more. I can’t always stand up to hunger, but working out every morning was something I felt I had more control over.
Drop Two Sizes explains how, in our culture, we tend to want things now. I needed to throw out that mind-set.
Not being allowed to step on the scale helped me to focus on hitting my stride and not get caught up with the invariable fluctuations of weight readings that can so often be confusing and discouraging. I embraced the change, and the results followed!
"I've learned I can push myself beyond what I thought were my limits. I make time to work out. I sweat! My new habits are my new lifestyle. I’ve shed weight and gained energy and confidence I never expected to have. I like it! I’m sticking with it!”
—JAMIE CORSETTI, DROPPED TWO SIZES IN 12 WEEKS
Congratulations on completing the first month of this plan! You have started to build great habits and should notice a significant difference in the way your clothes fit now. As you move into the next phase of the training, remember all the things you’ve learned and continue to apply them on a day-by-day basis.
PHASE 2: Road Maps
Read through the following weekly road maps before you get started, and then go through them again each week as you follow the plan. Commit to following the next 30 days of this plan as closely as possible. Get yourself hooked on feeling fit, rather than focusing on trying to reach a number on the scale by the end of the second month.
WEEK 5 (Days 29-35)
WEEK 6 (Days 36-42)
WEEK 7 (Days 43-49)
WEEK 8 (Days 50-56)
PHASE 2: Menu Plan
You’ve made it through the first 30 days of this plan; built strong, healthy habits; and set up successful strategies to continue on this path over the next 8 weeks and beyond. But that’s not to say things are any easier now! At about this point, I usually hear complaints from my clients that they are getting bored with eating the same foods. This book offers fantastic menus specifically designed to keep you interested and help you avoid getting stuck in a rut. If you feel yourself getting bored and eating the same thing every day, try a new recipe or add a new vegetable into your menu during this phase.
Remember: You may not be able to stick to the menus exactly, and that’s okay. Do the best you can, but feel confident in your ability to swap meals or repeat those you know work with your schedule and preferences.
GOALS OF PHASE 2:
Continue with the momentum you’ve built in Phase One.
Stay focused now that the starting line is long behind you and the finish line still seems off in the distance.
Bump up your vegetables to 6 to 8 servings a day.
PHASE 2: Workouts
The following is your plan for the next 4 weeks. It’s laid out here to make sure you can plan ahead and make time for all the workouts, to achieve the best possible results. Do not add anything, change anything, or skip anything. All you need to do is commit to taking it one day at a time!
PHASE 2:
Workouts at a Glance
RAMP
Strength Workout 1
Strength Workout 2
Timed Metabolic Workout
Complex Metabolic Workout
PHASE 2:
RAMP
Perform one set of each of the following warmup exercises before you start each workout.
1 Foam Roller/Self-Myofascial Release Full Body
2 Hip Flexor/TFL Stretch (Hold 30 seconds on each side)
3 Marching Hip Bridge (8 reps, holding for 1 second at the top of each rep)
4 Quadruped Hydrant (8 reps on each side)
5 Bent-Over Reach to Sky (8 reps on each side)
6 Squat to Stand 1 (8 reps)
7 Scapular Pushup (8 reps)
8 Toe-Raised Ankle Mobility (8 reps)
9 Forward/Backward Jump (10 reps)
10 Alternating Single Leg RomanianDeadlift (8 reps on each side)
11 Lateral Jump (8 reps)
12 Cross-Behind Lunge (8 reps on each side)
13 Dynamic Lunge with Overhead Reach (8 reps on each side)
14 Lateral Shuffle (8 reps on each side)
RAMP 1: Foam Roller/Self-Myofascial Release
Hopefully you purchased a foam roller for your home (or a lacrosse ball, which can be used as a massage ball). These tools work great to massage your muscle without having to fork over big bucks for a professional masseuse.
As you go through the RAMP stretches and movements on the following pages, notice where you feel tight—you can use the foam roller or ball to massage that area. Eventually you can work through your entire body. In addition, you can roll out your tensor fascia latae (TFL) and iliotibial (IT) band by lying on your side and rolling the outside of your leg from your hip to your knee. This tends to be a pretty sore spot, but you'll be glad you did it!
Your muscles will probably be tender the first time you roll them out, so don't push through any pain if it becomes excruciating. If it is so painful that you're tensing up, the exercise won't work as designed. Each time you use the foam roller it should feel less uncomfortable. Ideally, you'll want to use the foam roller a few minutes each day.
Use it regularly to avoid injury and feel great after your workouts! Focus on rolling out 3 to 5 areas that feel tight.
Calves
POSITION: Place your left calf on the roller and support yourself, putting as much weight on the calf as you can. Turn your left leg in and roll so you are massaging the inside of your left calf. Then turn your toe straight up and roll and finish with your toe turned out. Repeat on the opposite leg.
Hamstrings
POSITION: With your leg straight out and your hands behind you with your weight back on your arms, roll from the top of your leg where your hamstring goes into your hip right down to your knee. Put your weight on one leg and roll up and down, and then massage the other leg.
Quads
POSITION: Roll right over so the roller is on the tops of the fronts of your legs and lean to one side. Roll up and down and then switch to the other side.
Hips
POSITION: Sit on the foam roller, cross your left leg over your right, and lean toward your left hip, putting your weight on your left hand. Roll on your glute and stop if you feel a spot that feels like a knot. Switch sides.
Lats
POSITION: Lie on the roller so that it is under your armpit, and roll from your armpit to your hip along your lat with your bottom arm extended or bent behind your head.
Thoracic Mobilization
POSITION: With the foam roller across your upper back, place your hands behind your head to support your neck. With your elbows up and out, roll slowly up and down your upper back as you extend and relax back onto the roller.
RAMP 2: Hip Flexor/TFL Stretch
START: Stand on your left leg with your right foot back.
MOVEMENT: Lower yourself down in a lunge until your knee is resting on the floor. Squeezing your glutes and keeping your hips stacked under your torso, lunge forward, pushing your hips slightly forward and keeping your torso upright. You should feel a stretch in the right front of your hip. To intensify the stretch, turn your body away from your back leg or raise your right arm over your head and lean away from your back leg.
RAMP 3: Marching Hip Bridge
START: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips off the floor to form a straight line f
rom your shoulders to your knees. Your arms should be on the floor with your palms facing up.
MOVEMENT: Maintaining that straight line, lift your right leg, then return it to the starting position and lift your left leg, and continue alternating. As you lift one leg, your opposite hip will want to drop, but keep your gluteal (butt) muscles contracted the entire time to hold your hips square. It’s as if you’re marching while keeping your hips extended. This is to wake up your glutes.
RAMP 4: Quadruped Hydrant
This is a progression from the Side Lying Clam Shell in Phase One.
START: Get down on the floor on your hands and knees.
MOVEMENT: Keeping your elbows straight, raise your right leg out to the side. Move only at your hip, not your lower back. Repeat to finish your reps. Continue with the opposite leg.
RAMP 5: Bent-Over Reach to Sky
START: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend over at your waist with your back in a neutral position and your knees slightly bent. Your arms should hang straight down in front of you with your palms facing each other.
MOVEMENT: Keeping your arms straight, lift one arm out toward the ceiling as you rotate your torso around to look at the ceiling. Your hand will be pointing straight up to the ceiling with your palm facing out, while the opposite hand remains pointing straight down to the floor. Return to the start position.
RAMP 6: Squat to Stand 1
START: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
MOVEMENT: Bend over at your waist to touch the floor between your feet, keeping your legs straight and stretching out your hamstrings. Keeping your hands on the floor, drop your hips down into a squat position. From here, stand up to return to the start position and repeat.
Drop Two Sizes Page 11