Welcome
Hi there,
Firstly I want to say thank you so much for entrusting me to help you through your health and fitness journey.
I really look forward to working with you and sharing my ideas, tips and tricks via our facebook community. Please remember that you can email or ask me questions on the community at any time. Remember no question is too silly to ask. I’m here to support and guide you through your health and fitness journey.
I can not wait to see you flourish through the next 6 weeks. I’m so excited to be sharing with you how i have come to find a great balance in lifestyle and fitness.
Over the next 40 days you are going to see some great changes physically and mentally! I am aiming to help you set some foundations to a healthier way of living. I hope to give you positive changes that you can continue on with after this challenge is over.
GETTING STARTED
You will find I have made up a pantry essentials list which is items you should keep in your pantry. This will help make things easier for you week to week. Make sure you check your pantry each week so you are stocked up on these items.
TIP : I have a shopping list with a pen attached to my fridge (or you could attach in your pantry) when I run out of something I immediately put it on the list so it isn’t forgotten! (I got this from Kmart)
The Snacks list contains ideas and regular go-to snacks that I live by. I have provided you with a list so you can pick and choose each week what you want to eat! Make sure you add the snacks you wish to eat to your shopping list each week. If you have other favourite snacks please share them with me!
Download pantry essentials list
TRACKING YOUR PROGRESS
I have provided you with a measurement chart. The image on the chart shows you were to measure yourself. I recommend measuring at the start, middle and end of the challenge! If you want to keep track of your weight then you can also write this down on the chart. I don’t like to use weight as a measurement as we fluctuate so much and we are not defined by a number on the scales.
You will also find the fitness testing sheet below, be sure to write your results and keep in a safe place so you can re-visit and re-test at the end of the program.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
If you are doing my programs from home or the park, I suggest you have the following equipment
Dumbbells (one set will be fine. Make sure you can lift them over your head!)
Kettlebell (optional, you can use dumbbells in place of this!)
Skipping rope
Step (hopefully you have a step or bench or esky of some sort that you can use!)
Timer (I use a free app called TABATA to time intervals)
Mat
SETTING GOALS
It’s really important to have some goals in mind. Having goals allows you to create a clear vision of where you want to go and what you want to achieve. By stopping to examine what you want to achieve, you create a vision for how you are going to get their one step at a time.
It is important to write your goals down and revisit them over the next 40 days, that way you will constantly be reminded of what you want to achieve.
Take the time to write down you goals for this challenge.
WORKOUTS
I have provided you with 5 days of workouts, plus a bonus live workout with myself on a Saturday morning. Please be aware if you are just starting your fitness journey, then ease into this program with 3 days a week of exercise. Make the other days “active rest” days by walking. It’s more about getting your body moving at this stage.
If you are regular to exercise and workout outs then please try and stick to the program as best you can. But always remember to listen to your body. When you are tired, have an active rest. By active I mean go for a slow walk!
FOOD GUIDELINES
For the next 40 days we are going back to basics! That means eating food in its most natural form & eliminating processed and packaged foods.
You want to know what you are putting in your mouth, so keeping it simple is the key. My rule of thumb when buying food, if I don’t know what an ingredient is, then I probably don’t want to eat it, hence don’t buy it! Go find something that is a better choice.
ENERGY BALANCE
One of my goals in this challenge is making sure you get enough nutrition/fuel to meet your body’s needs. We aim to nourish your body so it is functioning at a level needed to get you through your day.
I like to go by the Goldilocks theory.
Not too little, not too much, but just right!
It’s so important to listen to your body and eat mindfully. Make the call when you have had enough food - you don’t need to be feeling hungry or uncomfortably full. It’s important to make sure you are getting enough food to nourish & sustain you throughout the day and for your workouts. Make sure you fill your day with nutritious foods that will help to keep you full, satisfied and energised.
MACRO’S (KEEP IT SIMPLE)
Eating food in its most natural form usually means, vegetables, fruit, lean protein and alternatives, healthy fats, low fat dairy products and non dairy alternatives and some quality whole grains and cereals.
These can be broken down into the following categories called Macronutrient’s or Macro’s for short.
MACRO’s
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fats
Here is a basic diagram of how your meal/plate should look. Mainly vegetables, then a good source of protein and a varying amount of quality carbohydrates depending on your goals.
PROCESSED & REFINED FOODS
I like to refer to these as “discretionary foods”.
It is really important for us to be aware of processed foods and really eliminating these from our diet when possible.
Limit eating food that are heavily processed or have large amounts of saturated fats, added sugars or alcohol. They are energy dense and very easily stored in the body so they will promote fat gains. They are also very addictive so it makes it difficult to stop once you’ve started!
Make sure you are including a diverse mix of fruits and vegetables in every meal. Aim for 2-3 different colours per meal. For example, lettuce, tomato & carrot.
Eat the rainbow….
“Count your colours not your calories”
TIP: always, always, always have water handy or nearby. I carry a water bottle with me all day. Work out how much you need to drink each day and count back. Eg 2L per day - need to drink 1L before midday.
SUGAR & PROCESSED FOODS
We are going to eliminate as much processed sugar as possible! We all know sugar is not good for us, so lets cut back on it. The less you have the less you want. If you are craving something, then go for a healthier alternative. There are some great choices out there. Feel free to ask me about the right choices and alternatives to make.
TIP: No need to completely remove sugar. Slowly cut back - your tastebuds will adjust with you! If you are currently adding 1tsp of sugar to your cuppa, adjust to 3/4 tsp in the 1st week, 1/2 tsp 2nd week, 1/4 tsp 3rd week and by the 4th week you won’t even need it!
COFFEE & ALCOHOL
I understand that we all have to live life! Coffee is still no worries to have on this challenge. After all its about creating life long habits.
However if you are consuming 2 or more coffee’s per day then we need to look at why you are doing this and if we can substitute for another fluid?
I personally have one or two black coffee’s a day. Once or twice a week I will have a Latte. This is a personal preference, and you can just incorporate this into your day if it’s something you can’t live without!
ALCOHOL
I’m not saying you need to give this up, however choose when you need it and when you can go without it. I usually have 1-2 days a week where I will have a glass of wine or two. If you are drinking every day then this is probably a habit that we need to review. You need to look at why you are doing this? What steps can we take to cut back on the number of days you drink?
At the end of the day it’s a balanced lifestyle we are looking for, let’s try and create some life long habits over the next 40 days. Take a note of how you are feeling with less intake of alcohol.
CALORIE COUNTING
In this challenge we won’t be calorie counting, I don’t believe in this process. I believe it can mess with our minds, mental state and put extra stress on our bodies and minds that we don’t need. It’s so important to listen to our bodies and know when we are full, hungry or satisfied.
Like I mentioned earlier the Goldilocks rule is a great concept to live by. Focus on what food you need to get in rather that what we are cutting out.
SLEEP
This is an extremely important part of lifestyle. Did you know as adults we should be getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night? Are you getting the required sleep?
Sleep is so important for us to function at our best. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. this will form consistent habits for our bodies - helping us to go to sleep and wake up more easily.
STRESS
Lifestyle isn’t just about fitness and healthy eating, its also about your mental health. Stress plays a huge part on our wellbeing. If we are in a constant state of stress it will make it ver difficult to eat healthily and workout regularly. Plus, if we are looking to lose weight high levels of the stress hormone cortisol will make it very difficult for your body to do so.
With this said, we do need a little bit of good stress to help keep us driven and motivated, just make sure that it’s not too much. If you find yourself feeling too stressed try to work out what those triggers are and find potential solutions to it happening again. Also make the time to incorporate things that keep you calm and relaxed. My favourites are walking outside, getting a little bit of sunshine, enjoying nature, listening to music, getting a massage, laughing, being with friends, snuggling my dog, taking a bath or incorporating some mindfulness or meditation each day.
Please ask me any questions you have and I will endeavour to answer them as best I can, or if you have any requirements that are specific to you please shoot me an email or message and I will endeavour to find the answer for you.
Good luck over the next 40 days and I can can’t wait to get stuck into the program along side you.
Mel x