The Abs Diet

I started working out with a personal trainer in July and ever since, he has shown up three days a week to torture me physically. During the workout I whine, complain and make excuses but after each workout I always feel great. I know that even though the workouts are hard, they have had a great effect on me. I have been less stressed and most importantly my overall health has improved. Not to mention I am in much better shape. I went from barely making it through 10 minutes of cardio to being able to run 15 minutes on the treadmill. Go me!

But there is just one problem: my weight on the scale has not changed since July. I weighed in at 163 lbs. back then and the last time I weighed myself, I was still that same weight.

They say a sign of insanity is when you keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result. Well clearly I have been acting crazy for months. I have been doing my 3 workouts but, at the same time, eating whatever I wanted and would be shocked when the scale wouldn't move. My main excuse for my eating is that I COOK healthy. I never fry foods, I cook lean meats and I always include vegetables in my dishes. But all of this healthy cooking and eating doesn't cover up the fast food I may eat a couple times a week or the wine and vodka cranberries I have on the weekends. It is quite clear to me that, now that I have my fitness routine set, I need to change the way I eat if I really want shed pounds.

When I told my trainer this he gave me The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko. He actually gave me the book a few months ago, but this past weekend I actually sat down and read it because it just so happens that my belly is the part of my body I like the least. I don't know if it's hereditary or what but all of my weight goes to my middle and I feel like if I can shed the belly fat and maybe 10-15 pounds, this would be a body I would be proud to walk around in.

In an afternoon I read The Abs Diet cover to cover and I learned alot of useful information; most importantly I learned specific foods, he calls them "Powerfoods," that I should be eating to get rid of the belly fat. I also learned that the best way to burn belly fat is to boost metabolism by eating 6 times a day (3 meals and 3 snacks). Another thing that Zinczenko recommends to be successful is to plan your meals and snacks for 14 days in a row. This is what I spent most of yesterday doing; planning my meals and snacks that incorporated the "Powerfoods" as much as possible.

I decided to share this new endeavor on my blog because this diet is not only going to change how I cook but it's also going to change what I cook. I plan to be on this diet for a minimum of 8 weeks and the recipes I post will most likely be light dishes that incorporate the "Powerfoods." I also hope that posting the details of this process will help keep me on track and perhaps I can inspire you all to think critically about what you eat and maybe you will even try out some of the recipes I post.

Today marks Day 1 of my first 14 days. I have posted my stats below and a few new strategies I am using in the next 2 weeks to make sure the number on the scale moves.

Stats:

1/30/11

Weight: 159.6 lbs (1st thing in the morning, no food or drink)

Waist: 33"

Middle of Abs: 35"

Lower Abs: 36.5"

Strategies:

1. Eat 6 times a day (3 meals, 3 snacks) and try not to eat anything after 7:30pm.

2. Add 1 more day of exercise-3 with my trainer and 1 on my own

3. Cut waaaayyyyyy back on the booze-I am allowing myself 1 day a week to drink. This week it will be Superbowl Sunday.

4. Eat as many Powerfoods as possible. Here are the one's that are already in my 14 day meal plan:

• Green Tea:almost Daily
• Oatmeal: 4 days a week (I bought Better Oats organic raw oats w/ Flaxseeds)
• Berries: Put on top of my oatmeal and in smoothies
• Dairy: Yogurt as snack and in smoothies
• Almonds: almost daily
• Fish: Salmon for Dinner, Tuna on Salads for Lunch (The book says that if you eat fish for lunch, you will consume 11% less calories at dinner b/c fish keeps you fuller, longer.)