If you’re joining the HIIT Transformation Challenge, you might want a simple approach to food, dieting and working out to maximise your results (*Before you begin this program, please consult your physician). You will end up looking at food differently and make smart choices with your diet. There are no special tricks to dieting, as long as you keep to one simple rule: you need to consume less calories per day than you burn.
So, how many calories should you burn in one day? That varies on age, physical activity, height and your current weight. Most men burn 2,200-3,000 per day while women burn 1,800-2,200. As we progress during the challenge, we can tighten the details. Ideally you want to eat healthy (vegetarian, Keto, Paleo, Vegan, etc.) so there’s a balance. I don’t recommend drinking shakes only, as your body will respond and control cravings better with natural, un-processed foods. This topic can get very technical but just make sure it’s fresh and natural. If you do purchase a processed meal or food, I prefer a simple rule: no more than four ingredients. Remember, this is your challenge and your diet and you can be as strict or flexible as you like as long as you keep to this important rule! You burn more calories than you consume.
Here comes the reality check.
No matter your size, a pound of body fat is 3,500-3,600 calories. Yes, you can fast for two days and lose about a pound of fat, but that isn’t healthy physically or mentally. So what is the best way? Patience. You’re in it for the long term, with the biggest challenge being the first month. My suggestion is that you keep yourself around 500 calories in the negative per day. That’s one pound per week for a total of four pounds during the challenge. Easy and super safe!
Keep in mind that we are not counting some of the water you will normally lose and gain back, so in a good month you can get 7-10 pounds of fat and water. How do we lessen the blow to our mental wellness? We begin to pick and choose our calories in order to focus on managing our hunger. For example, I am a fan of fat because it helps keep your appetite under control longer! Therefore I choose to consume a little fat with all meals.
But here’s the real secret.
Choose foods that are not dense in calories (eg. fat ). You need very little to ward off hunger; the following is an example of how we can make better choices:
1 cup of rice is approximately 200 calories
1 cup of raw spinach is approximately 10 calories
1 cup of cooked spinach is approximately 42 calories
1 Snickers bar (1.56 ounces) is approximately 215 calories
From the above, I would choose the spinach and eat five times or less to equal the rice; it will fill me up more and keep my blood sugar down (but that’s a conversation for another blog). The best part is to end the day with less calories but not feel as hungry as compared to having a Snickers. Sounds simple, right? That’s because it is, though it does take some getting used to.
A final bit of advice.
Download one of the many free phone apps that count calories – it will help and no doubt become your best friend!
Good luck and let’s get it done before summer; see you online and on social media!
