Hi Friends,
Ever since I can remember I have been sensitive about my body. Maybe you can relate, but I found this post very hard to write as it is outside my comfort zone to share shirtless imagery. However, this post is not about my insecurities- it's about anyone who is looking for inspiration to make a change. My journey began two weeks ago when I was so unhappy with my body that I started to feel depressed and this is my story about how I turned things around.
In general my philosophy in life is to workout hard and to eat as you please. I go to the gym so I can enjoy guacamole and drink wine, not so I can be a perfect specimen of a human being. However, my job involves a lot of travel and for me travel is a time when my routines get shifted and I tend to gain weight. Over the course of a year that weight can slowly build and when my clothes start getting tight, that’s when I start to lose my confidence. I can avoid the scale and even mirrors, but the daily tightnessof myclothes cannot go unnoticed.
For me when it comes to weight I don’t think of myself as ‘fat’ or ‘skinny’ – I think of myself as happy or unhappy and when I am happy I am confident, comfortable and in control. For me, happiness is key.
Below is my personal two-week journey, day by day, of how I lost 16lbs to take back my body and regain my confidence. I hope my tips and advice motivates anyone who is stuck in a rut to bounce back to a place of happiness. Please note I am not a nutritionist so if you have health conditions please check with your doctor first.
A DIET TO TAKE BACK YOUR BODY
THE HARDEST PART
The hardest part of a diet is actually selecting one. A few years ago a friend of mine told me about a medical diet from the 1970’s named the Scarsdale that she had done and seen great results. Skeptical, I did some research and found it to be very interesting and actually reasonable. I liked that you could still eat nearly all the food groups and that the meals were different each day. By switching up the foods, apparently your body is 'tricked' and cannot expect what is coming so it forces your metabolism to speed up and work harder.
I luckily discovered this amazing website that is a modern take on the diet and I use it religiously as a guideline for meals and for motivation. Even though it’s not the prettiest site, it really lays out all the details in a simple way that you can reference anytime from your phone and also has advice and motivational boards for when you need support. This is the website that allowed me to build my diet that I have listed out below.
PLAN AHEAD
One important piece of advice is not to start a diet on an impulse. Think about it first and know that you're ready to make a commitment. Look at your social calendar and consider what plans you have over the forthcoming two weeks- it’s best to limit eating out and traveling to make it easier for yourself.
Be sure to plan ahead before you start the diet. Research recipes for each day and purchase all of the goods in advance. Having the right foods on hand makes all the difference! Also, make sure to clear out any junk food from your home. A clean and healthy refrigerator is your best friend.
STICK TO THE RULES
On average, people see between 8-15lbs of weight loss in the two weeks. The key to hitting that higher amount is not breaking any of the rules. Stick to exactly what this website says and substitute accordingly. The only rule I have to break is putting skim milk in my coffee each morning, otherwise I really make sure to stick to the rules!
WORKING OUT
This is a diet that you actually don’t have to work out on to lose weight. In-fact, you should really limit your workouts depending on your energy levels. Personally, I love fitness so I worked out each day, switching between different group classes like bootcamp and cycling. However I didn’t give each class 100%, I did the best I could using the energy I had. For some reason this made going to the gym so much easier and even made the classes go by faster. Bottom line- if you change your point of view, a workout can be less stressful and more enjoyable especially if you know it's helping you hit your goals.
MY PERSONAL TIPS OF ADVICE
-If you choose to workout, layout your workout clothes the evening before. Pick clothes you feel comfortable in to help ease any worries. Even fill your water bottle and put it in the fridge! This sets your intention and makes you all the more confident when your alarm goes off in the morning.
-Try to avoid any luncheons, social drinks or dinner plans. If you already have plans, try to switch them to a coffee instead. Or, if not changeable, look at the restaurant menu in advance and go into the meal with a game-plan knowing what to order. Sometimes I get a side of pickles as an appetizer when everyone else is enjoying a starter. Iced tea is always a good choice too. The weekends are definitely the hardest but I try to socialize with friends over physical activities such a hike, playing tennis, or a visit to a local dog park. There are ways to have a good time with friends that do not involve being around food or beverage.
-Share your story on social media. It helps encourage you and keeps your friends respecting and understanding your journey to lose weight. This time I took to Snapchat (graymalin) to share pictures each day of what I was eating and how much weight I was losing. It was so nice to have the support of friends as well as an outlet to seek attention when I needed it most.
-Write on your mirror your weight each day. I used a crayon pencil to write my main motivation sentence which was TAKE BACK YOUR BODY! And then wrote my weight each day from Day 1 to Day 14. It’s so incredible to wake up each morning and see your weight loss thus far – it really motives you!
-Chew gum after to dinner to satisfy that sweet tooth if you’re really struggling. Also, an afternoon decaf coffee or tea is a really nice daily boost when craving something before dinner.
-Always have a bottle of water on you. I also recommend buying flavored sparkling water. In the evenings after work I usually love to have a glass of wine but instead I would have a glass of sparkling lime flavored water with a big lemon slice in it. Tasted just like a cocktail to me!
-You can eat as many carrots, celery sticks and pickles as you want in between meals. It's really smart to just have a bag of carrots with you at all times just incase you want to snack it up.
MY PERSONAL MEAL BREAKDOWN
Please reference this website for exact rules of what to eat each day for this diet. Below are the meals that I ate that were my favorite and hope you might enjoy some of them as well.
Breakfast
The breakfast is the same every day. You are allowed one-half of a grapefruit and a piece of wholegrain toast along with coffee and tea. Skim milk is not technically allowed but I used it, but no sugar – only stevia or other type sweeteners. I love Ezekiel sesame bread and it’s great toasted.
Monday Lunch
Slices of fresh roast turkey (as much as you would like) and sliced tomatoes with a little bit of seasoning on them (as many as you would like). I like to pair lunch with a flavored sparkling water.
Monday Dinner
Fish or shellfish of your choice with grilled asparagus. I made a blackened mahi mahi with some herbs from a recipe I found online. It was delicious. No heavy oil is allowed when you cook, just spray the pan lightly with some olive oil and use as much seasoning as you would like. Note though that the less salt you use the better so your body doesn't retain too much water. Another evening I had sautéed shrimp over a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and cauliflower.
Tuesday Lunch
Fruit Salad. I combined a large healthy portion of fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries into a big bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of light sour cream with a half cup of cottage cheese. Sprinkle 4 crushed walnuts into the mix and then pour and stir it in with the fruit. It sounds bizarre but it actually tastes like a fruit sundae when you eat it.
Tuesday Dinner
Turkey Burgers! Buy very lean turkey meat and mix in seasoning before making into a patty. I recommend this seasoning called 'bump up your burger' if you see it at your local grocery store. Grill and serve with mustard, sliced tomatoes, pickles, and no more than a tablespoon of ketchup. Pair with sautéed brussels sprouts.
Wednesday Lunch
Tuna fish and grapefruit. Purchase two cans of tuna fish (water based, not oil) and drain out the water. Chop up a half-cup of onion and deli pickles. Mix it in a bowl and sprinkle some dill and then add a few splashes of worstershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and I like to add a little bit of water from the pickle jar to moisten it up. Mix it all together and even though it’s not the best, it does fill you up and all the vegetables mixed in add a nice touch. Also feel free to add chopped celery. Eat along with half a grapefruit.
Wednesday Dinner
Roast Salsa Chicken with sautéed spinach. Marinate a chicken breast before you leave for work in a salsa of your choice. I love salsa so I bought fresh salsa from the grocery story and mixed it with a chunkier style. In the evening preheat the oven to 400. Place the chicken with salsa chunks into a pyrex lined with tinfoil. Bake on one side for 10-12 minutes. Then flip, and cook the other side for 10-12 minutes. I also recommend using a little garlic and salt in the spinach sauté.
Thursday Lunch
My favorite lunch! Two scrambled eggs, a cup of cottage cheese, grilled zucchini and a piece of grain toast. I like to mix a little chopped onion in with the zucchini and I use plenty of pepper with the cottage cheese.
Thursday Dinner
Grilled chicken or turkey. I usually roast an extra salsa chicken breast the night before and slice it up, but you can also use fresh sliced turkey from the deli and cut it up. Mix together greens with a chopped green bell pepper, tomato and pour 1 table spoon of low fat yogurt ranch salsa dressing with 4 table spoons of fresh salsa. Toss and serve.
Friday Dinner
Fish or shellfish of your choice. I made albacore steaks one night but another night I ordered my favorite sashimi from a local sushi place (sans rice) and laid it out over a bed of greens with a lite soy ginger dressing. Try to pair with broccoli or some other green vegetable with lots of fiber.
Saturday Lunch
Fruit Salad. You can really eat any fruits but I like to stick to berries since I personally like them and they are technically the best fruit to be eating on this diet. I combined a healthy portion of fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries into a big bowl. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of light sour cream with a half cup of cottage cheese. Sprinkle 4 crushed walnuts into the mix and then pour and stir it in with the fruit. It sounds bizarre but it actually tastes like a fruit sundae when you eat it!
Saturday Dinner
Turkey Tacos and grapefruit. Sautee lean turkey meat with about ½ the amount of a normal taco seasoning packet (less sodium the better). Pour a cup of salsa into the pan to help add flavor. While cooking, rinse iceberg lettuce and peel off pieces to use as the taco. Once the meat is done, pour it into a strainer to remove the excess juice. Add some chopped carrots with crunch and serve warm with the lettuce wraps. I like to so this family style where you make each lettuce taco at a time, eating until full. Eat the half grapefruit for desert.
Sunday Lunch
Roast turkey slices with sliced tomatoes and roasted broccoli.
Sunday Dinner
Steak, salad and Brussels sprouts. You can choose any cut of steak you want but the leaner the better. Marinate it as far in advance as possible (8-12 hours) with garlic, mustard, worstershire sauce, and seasoning. Broil in the oven, flipping it half way and serve sliced with your choice of green salad and Brussels sprouts.
Second week- repeat the week before but you can try different recipes and vegetables. I would recommend repeating your favorite meals and then possibly coming up with new ones. For example you could do a shrimp salad instead of a chicken salad. Or roast lamb instead of roast chicken. Reference this website for more recipes and guidelines that are helpful.
I know dieting is hard but I can tell you that the Scarsdalediet is effective, realistic and provides excellent results. It’s tough – but no diet is easy. I am proof that if you are in a rut and need to shed some pounds to get back to a place where you feel happy and confident, this is one way that can help you achieve your goals! I hope this post motivates you in some way and if you do go on a diet please share it with me on snapchat orsocial media: @graymalin
Stay tuned for more lifestyle posts from me and my team every week day. I love photography but I also love sharing stories and fresh new content aboutthe 360 degree perspective of the GM Lifestyle. Glad to have you here, I hope you come back for more :) Cheers friends, x Gray
