7 Days to Skinny Jeans

Hey lovelies! I recently found a workout and meal plan to get your body on track from stuffing it through the holidays! Those jeans just don't fit as nicely as they did back in August.

As my readers know I had spinal fusion over a year ago, but what they may not know is the toll it's taken on my body. Now by no means am I significantly over weight, but I have gained weight since my surgery. So this diet plan isn't only for those holiday munchies to be shredded away, but also for those extra pounds after a significant change in your life whether that be surgery, going to college, or even just a new job. A change in the way you live can effect your weight, even if your diet hasn't changed.

I've noticed that I'm always tired, lazy, and just bored. Why? Cause I'm not active or eating right. My body is basically begging for a change, but my mind is saying "Hey, let's just eat that LAST piece of pizza." Ever feel that way?

So after hours of searching on Pinterest for diet plans, workouts, and anything fitness related I found Lauren Conrad's 7 Days To Skinny Jeans. She breaks it down and basically hands you the holy grail of loosing weight in a healthy way! You can personalize the week to fit your schedule and get the most out of the week. Here's my take on the challenge.

The Rules: 

• Stay on Track: Remember what your goal is, if you have trouble sticking to your goals, write it down, set up reminders on your phones, get a planner, or even better...have a friend or partner join you! They didn't go through the holidays without you! They might be in the same boat!
• Bottoms Up: No! I don't mean booze, that was for New Years! Drink a lot of water, to be exact 8-10 glasses a day. If anything carry around a gallon of water with you each day. Get arm day worked in without even trying!
• A Exercise a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Pick one of the exercises to do each day except for just one day. You gotta have one day to rest and be just a tiny bit lazy!
• A Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Pick one of the meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even a snack. So maybe it's a little more than just an apple!

Exercise Options:

• Semi-Quickie: 15 minute jog, 20 squats, 20 situps
• Quickie: 20 lunges, 50 jumping jacks
• One hour hike with steady incline (At my house there is woods that makes up most of our property and it is very hilly, it's great for a workout)
• Circuit: 100 jumping jacks, 20 crunches (If you're a scoliosis warrior like me, just replace this with sit ups. If you haven't yet, check out my post on The Best Exercises for Scoliosis.)
• One hour of Yoga or Pilates (Again, if you have scoliosis check out the link above, certain types of yoga can cause more strain on your spine and only do more damage.)
• 30 minutes of cardio( Running, kickboxing, elliptical, swimming, etc.) 
• Intervals: Run for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds( Repeat 8 times) You could also start at repeating 5 times and work your way up. The weight results at the end of the week amy be less though.

Breakfast Options: 

Greek yogurt topped with walnuts, a handful of berries (or sliced banana) and a light drizzle of agave nectar

Steel cut oatmeal with 2 tablespoons of dried apricots, 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds and a splash of almond milk

Veggie omelet with a slice of whole grain toast

Breakfast smoothie 

Half an avocado stuffed with cottage cheese and a side of sliced tomato

Ezekiel toast topped with 2 sliced up hardboiled eggs served with half of a grapefruit

Breakfast Quinoa (Make a big batch and eat it for breakfast for a few days. It’s delicious!)

Lunch & Dinner Options:  

Whole-grain pita filled with chicken, arugula, sliced tomato, a teaspoon of crumbled feta and a drizzle of olive oil; serve with a side of grapes

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken with a small side salad (use a mixture of lemon, olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the dressing)

Zucchini “Pasta” with a side of quinoa

Two slices of cauliflower crust pizza with a side of steamed vegetables

Sesame-Tofu Stir-Fry (Another excellent meal you can make a big batch of to last a few days.)

Beet, Orange & Fennel Salad with a side of quinoa

Healthy Chicken Salad served over lettuce or on a slice of whole-grain toast

Snacks: 

1 medium apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

1 cup of red grapes and a low fat string cheese

¼ cup of almonds

½ cup of bran cereal (or Grape Nuts) with milk and a few berries

Raw veggies with 3 generous tablespoons of hummus

1 hardboiled egg with a few whole-grain crackers

Celery with a tablespoon of almond butter and a few raisins

Now the following of what I've shown you has almost come directly from her blog post, but I did some research on some other recipes for you to try! If you're like me and extremely picky you may be looking at this list like "WHAT?!? You expect me to eat THAT?!?". Never fear, I made it my mission to find other recipes for you to try.

Breakfast:

• Homemade Protein Pancake Mix (I literally CAN NOT wait to try this!)

Lunch & Dinner Options: 

• Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salad
• Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken
• Honey Glazed Salmon
  Eat all those with a side of steamed veggies

Some tips for those of you on the go and don't have the time to prepare healthy lunches. Swing by subway on your lunch break and enjoy a healthy sandwich. Skip out on the bag of chips and a cookie, as much as I want that too! For your meal plan check out my Free Meal Planner to help you keep track and stick to all of your wonderful food choices!

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