6 Week Clean-Eating Ladder

If you have stepped foot in a Relentless class, there is no doubt you've heard your coach discuss nutrition. As much as we want to believe that if we workout we can look exactly how we want, this is rarely true for most. My 8am Tu/Th Athletic Training class at Barton Hills is coming together to support each other on their nutrition goals. Below is the plan I mapped out for them to get started. It is a 6 week process and each week builds upon each other.

I know there are those few people who can jump in cold turkey and eat super clean and not think twice about it; however, for the ones of us who need structure and a step-by-step process to change our eating habits, I think balance and small changes over time lead to tremendous success. Knowledge about nutrition is great, but if you have no clue how to implement that knowledge you are spinning a vicious cycle.

1. Week 1: protein packed breakfast with veggies as carbs. No fruit at breakfast. Drink a minimum of 1 gallon of water daily.
2. Week 2: same as week 1 + protein packed mid-afternoon snack. No fruit at snack.
3. Week 3: same as week 1, week 2, + 3 salads per week at lunch or dinner. Salad includes lots of kale, spinach, olives, avocado, chicken/beef/fish, artichokes, mushrooms, olive oil & vinegar as dressing, etc. No fruit or cheese on salad.
4. Week 4: same as week 1, week 2, week 3 + max of 1 dessert a week
5. Week 5: same as week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4 + 3 dinners per week full of protein, vegetables, and healthy fats. No bread, pasta, rice,  or white potatoes at these 3 dinners.
6. Week 6: same as week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5 + 5 salads per week at lunch or dinner & 5 dinners per week full of protein, vegetables, and healthy fats. No bread, pasta, rice,  or white potatoes at these 5 dinners.
7. Week 7 and on: Maintenance. Apply the guidelines from week 6 and challenge yourself to go an entire 6 days of eating clean for all meals.

Feel free to jump in with my class and take on this 6-week journey. Share your successes in the comments section below. 3, 2, 1 GO. No excuses.