Xyngular has something they call an 8 day challenge. It includes all the supplements you need for about a month of use (even though the challenge is 8 days long) and a food plan for the first 8 days. The first 6 posts of this blog have some diary like comments - I leave it to you to read about what was going on with me for those first 6 days.
The 8 day challenge diet is pretty simple: the first 2 days are lean protein only and days 3 through 8 add back in complex carbs. The company offers a money back guarentee you will lose 5-15 lbs in those eight days. I lost 13 during that time - which is really what got me hooked.
Since then, I have taken a really hard look at my diet - what did I have to do to maintain a good weight loss?
I would love to say that I did a bunch of research, carefully mapped out a plan that included protein, carbs and good fats, plenty of sleep, and a formula for getting in the water I needed. The truth is, I didn't - at least not at first. I was pretty clueless about how to turn this into a sustainable program for myself. I really hated the idea that I was "dieting" - I hate diets. In the end, I just faked it until I realized I was actually making it.
Somethings were pretty obvious - avoid calorie dense foods in general, avoid non-nutritional calories like the plague, get a lot less calories from fat, and so on. I was generally applying the common sense approach (if there is such a thing) and seeing what happened.
In January, the Xyngular company ran a contest called the "Transformational Challenge". Basically, it was 3 30day "who can transform their body the best" contests in a row - with one grand prize. The awards are not big cash incentives ($250 for the winner) but that got me to thinking "Where do I want to be?".
Don't misread this - my quality of life had already improved a lot. I was down 2 pants sizes, a shirt size, had a TON of energy and more. Even with that, I discovered a goal - a great one for me - that would help me formulate a plan to get there.
My goal is that I wanted to get my body fat percentage to around 12% - whatever the number is that gives my abs definition. For men, it looks like the body fat percentage to have "ripped abs" varies from 8% to 14%. I have no clue what it is going to take for me - but this helped me figure out a plan to get there.
I figured that 2 lbs a week is a healthy weight loss rate. January 3rd, I had my body fat measured (using the caliper method) and came in at 38%. Doing some simple math, I calculated I had about 80 lbs to go (understanding that is a gross estimate - I would likely lose some muscle mass along the way if I wasn't careful).
I also know that I won't be able to systematically maintain that 2 lbs a week weight loss - but it gave me a great thought that I could be at my goal in 40 weeks! I fantasize about being at (or at least close to my weight goal) by mid-October!
It takes a calorie deficit of about 3500 calories a week to burn a pound of body fat. So - take your weekly BMI and substract 7,000 calories and divide by 7 to get your daily calorie range. But there is a catch - you have to keep your metabalism running or you can EASILY eat too little food and not lose a pound. Also - exercise SIGNIFICANTLY affects your metabalic rate. So does the supplements I am taking (in a good way). So - cutting to the chase, I decided on a target calorie range of 1800-2000 per day.
My typical day looks like this:
Breakfast: either steel cut oats (never instant oats) or egg whites. Some kind of fruit, and if eggs, some veggies like peppers and onions.
Mid-morning snack: protein shake or food bar (minimum 15 grams of protein)
Lunch: 5-8 oz of lean protein. Sometimes will add low fat cheese. More veggies like peppers, cucumbers, etc. I do like salads with spinich and kale as well. Non-fat dressing only (and even then, a small amount - usually half a serving). I eat a 6" Subway sub a couple of times a week.
Mid-afternoon snack: jerkey (beef or turkey) or almonds (sometimes a protein shake or food bar)
Dinner: 6-8 oz of lean protein. I get in at least 3 meals of fish a week (prefer salmon or tuna). I generally eat a cup of steamed veggies (or a salad)
Post workout snack: Protein shake (30 grams of protein)
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