Shifty Fitness

Level 5: No Pasta, No Sweets

I have a pretty good grasp about what’s healthy food and what’s not. I’m a smart person and I have made a few key changes to how I attack my daily nutrition.

Liquid calories have been removed for a while now. I now crave water as much as I used to soda!

For at least 6 days a week, I am no longer eating pasta, bagels, muffins, or other empty calories.

Candy and sweets are a VERY rare occasion. AKA ordering dessert after dinner is a treat every two or three weeks (instead of almost nightly).

Every meal has a quality protein source, and every meal has a vegetable. I’m still eating things like rice, potatoes, and some bread (though I’m cutting back on those things in favor of more protein or vegetables in some cases).

I can rank up to LEVEL 6 when: I have gone 12 out of 14 days without eating bread OR pasta, and 12 out of 14 days with a vegetable in every meal I eat.

PAST LEVELS

Level 4: Vegetables > Carbs

I’ve learned that fat is not the enemy, carbohydrates are, with sugar being the most evil of all.

For that reason, I’ve started working on minimizing consumption of sugar and unhealthy carbohydrates.

I’ve purge my freezer of any treats and ice cream and cleared the candy from my desk at work.

I’ve cut out almost all liquid calories. Other than the occasional alcoholic beverage on weekends, all I drink is coffee, tea, and water. I have cut back on diet soda too, as I know they oftentimes are filled with chemicals and preservatives that aren’t good for me.

I have started to learn about the importance of vegetables, understanding that they are what truly make my body function properly, and try to make myself eat at least one vegetable per day. I’m still not much of a chef, so I’ve picked ONE vegetable. I know how to cook and make sure I keep it in stock, even if it’s something as simple as frozen or canned veggies.

I can rank up to LEVEL 5 when: I consume a vegetable with every lunch or every dinner, replacing a normal carbohydrate or starch, for 10 total days in a 2 week period, and I go one week without eating pasta. Instead of french fries, I order broccoli. Instead of white bread, I’m eating asparagus.

Level 3: Liquid Calories Reduced

I have reduced liquid calories in my diet significantly.

I used to drink soda for caffeine, now I drink black coffee, diet soda, or tea instead. I know that skim milk, juice, and other drinks are akin to sugar water, and I’m working on cutting these back. Sure, I have a glass of red wine with dinner and some beer on the weekends, but otherwise I’m pretty good about this.

I drink a ton of water – more than I ever have in my life!

I’ve also started educating myself further on what “healthy eating” actually means. So, I try to make one meal per day healthy, and I try to make sure each meal has a protein source in it.

I’ve decided to start with breakfast, making sure it has a good amount of protein and some fruit, compared to my old breakfast which was bagels, cereal, muffins, and/or toast.

I’m getting much better at mindful eating. Instead of eating while watching TV or playing video games, I only eat! I understand that we can often eat WAY more calories than what we attend to eat when our mind is preoccupied elsewhere, so I do my best to JUST eat, having conversations with loved ones or perhaps reading a good book.

I can level up to LEVEL 4 when: I have swapped out grains completely at breakfast for a high protein breakfast for two weeks straight. Instead of a bagel, cereal, muffin, or donut…I eat a breakfast that is high protein: bacon and eggs, or a homemade omelet. Or scrambled eggs and fresh fruit. Or a whey protein smoothie.

Level 2: Awareness and Tracking

I don’t eat anything differently, but I’ve started counting calories and have tried to keep my food intake at a certain amount.

I know what carbs, proteins, and fats are (we walk you through this later). I still eat fast food, and I still order out a lot, but I try to focus on eating LESS food overall than I was eating before.

I know that cutting back 500 calories per day from what I was eating on average before can get the weight loss process started.

I can Level up to LEVEL 3 when: I start minimizing liquid calories for one week. Liquid calories are a HUGE problem for weight gain, and I’m going to work on cutting back on them. Whether it’s juice, gatorade, soda, or alcoholic beverages, I make a significant progress over a two-week period to drink less liquid calories.

Level 1: Help, I’m Clueless

I am a complete food newbie.

I eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I don’t really bother with portion sizes or learning about what’s good or bad. I just eat what I want!

I haven’t cooked a meal in forever, and most of my food comes from take-out or drive through. I know I should change HOW I eat, but I’m not quite sure where to begin. I’m not sure how to count calories. I definitely don’t bother figuring out how much protein, fat, and carbs I eat either.

I can level up to LEVEL 2 when: I spend two weeks tracking my food. I don’t make any changes, but I’m just AWARE of the foods that I am eating. Whether it’s taking pictures of every meal, or keeping a simple food journal, I track EVERYTHING I eat.

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