M A C R O S F O O D S

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Ilene Gilbert
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1 M A C R O S F O O D S

2 The Guide to Macros and Foods for Fat Loss The 6 Week Challenge Nutrition Plan by Matt April Owner/coach, Bent On Better The information contained in this guide is for informational purposes only. I am not a nutritionist or a registered dietitian. Any health or dietetic advice that I give is my opinion based on my own experience. You should always seek the advice of a professional before acting on something that I have published or recommended. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, transmitted, or sold in whole or in part in any form, without the prior written consent of the author. All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing in this guide are the property of their respective owners. MAPRIL Enterprises, LLC b/d/a Bent On Better and its subsidiary and other affiliated companies, and their employees, contractors, officers, and directors will not be liable for any claims, and expenses, including attorney's fees, that arise from your use or misuse of any information contained in this text.

3 Before we begin, let s cover the basics: Over the next 6 weeks, you ll be following a real, wholefoods based meal plan. Whether your goal is fat loss, weight loss, toning, or a combination of any of those goals, great nutrition is the foundation of great results. During our 6 week challenge, your main focus is going to be on eating high-quality protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, nutrient dense greens, and nutritious fruits. Fat is a vital part of your diet, our bodies require fat in our diets for: -Energy -Cellular signals -Structure and membrane function -Regulation of uptake and excretion of -Precursors to hormones nutrients in the cells Protein is going to be your best friend for the 6 week challenge. Our bodies require protein in our diet for: -Energy -To build and repair body tissues and structures -Weight management -Synthesis of hormones -Synthesis of enzymes and other regulatory peptides Carbohydrates, also known as, carbs. Our bodies require carbohydrates in our diet for: -Energy -Muscle gain -Fitness and exercise performance -Regulating the digestion and utilization -Fat loss of protein and fat

Let s Get Started Water intake: Staying hydrated is one of the BEST ways you can possibly take care of your body. Water is essential for every single cell in our body to function at its highest level.

Your body is about 60% water... and just a small 2% decrease can significantly impair performance and the way you feel. Make sure you're drinking a good amount of water throughout your day.

4 Let s Get Started Water intake: Staying hydrated is one of the BEST ways you can possibly take care of your body. Water is essential for every single cell in our body to function at its highest level. Water helps increase your energy levels, promote weight loss, flush out toxins, improve the quality of your skin, improve digestion, can help relieve joint pain, and can even help relieve headaches! Your body is about 60% water... and just a small 2% decrease can significantly impair performance and the way you feel. Make sure you're drinking a good amount of water throughout your day. Your goal for this challenge is to drink at least HALF YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN OUNCES PER DAY. Do not exceed a maximum of 2 gallons per day. Example: If you weigh 160 pounds, you should be drinking a minimum of 80 ounces of water each day.

5 Personalizing Your Plan: Men and women metabolize food differently. Not only that, but our daily energy requirements vary quite substantially. To help you get the BEST results, you ll need to adjust your meal plan according to what your body needs. Protein (meat) Serving Sizes: Women: 4oz 6oz Men: 6oz 8oz Starchy Carbohydrates: Women: stick to the plan Men: Add 1 2 cup of starch when the plan calls for starch at each serving (this includes items like sweet potato, quinoa, rice, etc.) Vegetables: You can eat as many vegetables as you want on this meal plan. You can also replace any vegetables listed with any green vegetables you prefer. (i.e. swapping broccoli with string beans) Healthy Fats: Women: stick to the plan Men: Add roughly 1 Tbsp of olive oil or macadamia oil to 2 meals per day. Why Are There Different Options? When following a new structured program, having options gives variety. Variety helps to ensure you do not get bored with your program. Here is an example of how it will work: For meal one on any given day, you can choose to have 1 carb choice and pair it with 1 protein choice. The way you pair each meal with the choices is all up to you.

6 Macronutrient Manipulation (Carb Cycling) Cycling carbohydrates helps regulate hormones related to hunger and allows your body to restore its muscle glycogen stores (the energy stored in your muscles). This is very helpful when strength training (and many of the workouts we do), as glycogen is necessary for energy during exercise, and more importantly, for recovery afterward. Eating healthy carbs on certain days keeps your metabolism charged up, and sticking to mostly protein and vegetables along with some healthy fats on the days in between keeps insulin low enough that you can burn fat without losing muscle (YAY!). Eating low carb teaches your body to burn its own body fat for fuel instead of relying on dietary carbohydrates. Once your body increases its ability to burn fat, your occasional high carb days won't derail this ability and you will lose weight. Your carb cycling basically should go: high carb (HC), medium carb (MC), low carb (LC), repeat. If you decide to track using either the MyFitnessPal or LoseIt! app, your macro breakdown can be adjusted within your app. For example Monday: HC, Tuesday: MC, Wednesday: LC, Thursday: HC, Friday: MC, Saturday: LC, Sunday: MC/LC (based on your activity level that day), then repeat. Your MC/LC days are going to be challenging and quite honestly, the LC day will be tough your first one or two times. Try to always follow a LC day with a HC or MC. Example Weekly Structure Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Medium/ Low Carb High Carb Medium Carb Low Carb High Carb Medium Carb Low Carb

Meals for HC days MEAL ONE (BREAKFAST) MEALS FOR HIGH CARB (HC) DAY OPTION A OPTION B OPTION C 1 2 cup rolled oats (Dry) w/ water or unsweetened almond milk 3/4 cup liquid egg whites (about 3-5 large

7 Meals for HC days MEAL ONE (BREAKFAST) MEALS FOR HIGH CARB (HC) DAY OPTION A OPTION B OPTION C 1 2 cup rolled oats (Dry) w/ water or unsweetened almond milk 3/4 cup liquid egg whites (about 3-5 large eggs) + 1 yolk 1 slice of Ezekiel bread (or Alvarado Street bread) w/ 1 4 Tbsp. butter or 1/2 Tbsp natural almond butter 2 scoops protein powder w/ water or unsweetened almond milk 1/2 Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain English Muffins 1 scoop protein shake w/water, and 1 hard boiled egg MEAL TWO Plain Greek yogurt with berries: 8 oz (227g) plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup of berries (any) 1 medium apple OR banana w/ 1 Tbsp natural almond or peanut butter green smoothie (choose from recipes provided) MEAL THREE (LUNCH) 1 2 cup of brown long grain basmati rice, cooked, 1/2 cup vegetable 1 chicken breast, boneless skinless 4 oz 1 medium sweet potato, 1/2 cup vegetable 94% fat free ground turkey, 4 oz 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked, 1/2 cup vegetable Salmon or tuna (if canned, white albacore) 4 oz MEAL FOUR 1 fruit of choice w/ palmful (1 oz) of raw almonds, sunflowers seeds, or walnuts Plain Greek yogurt with berries: 8 oz (227g) plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup of berries (strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries) Cottage cheese w/ sliced apples: 1 2 cup low fat cottage cheese, 1 apple (cinnamon optional) MEAL FIVE (DINNER) 1 2 cup of brown long grain basmati rice, cooked, 1/2 cup vegetable 1 chicken breast, boneless skinless 4 oz 1 medium sweet potato, 1/2 cup vegetable 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked, 1/2 cup vegetable 94% fat free ground turkey, 4 oz Any seafood of choice, 4 oz MEAL SIX OPTIONAL (IF HUNGRY) Protein shake: 1 scoop protein w/ water OR unsweetened almond milk

8 Meals for MC days MEAL ONE (BREAKFAST) MEAL TWO MEAL THREE (LUNCH) MEALS FOR MEDIUM CARB (MC) DAY OPTION A OPTION B OPTION C 1/2 Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted whole grain english muffins Omelette: 3/4 cup liquid egg whites (about 3-5 large eggs) + 1 yolk, bell peppers, onions, spinach, 1 oz. cheese 1 fruit of choice w/ palmful (1 oz) of raw almonds, sunflowers seeds, or walnuts 1 2 cup of brown long grain basmati rice, cooked, 1/2 cup vegetable 1 chicken breast, boneless skinless 4 oz 1 slice of Ezekiel bread (or Alvarado Street bread) w/ 1 4 Tbsp. butter or 1/2 Tbsp natural almond butter 2 scoops protein powder w/ water or unsweetened almond milk Cottage cheese w/ sliced apples: 1 2 cup low fat cottage cheese, 1/2 apple (cinnamon optional) 1 medium sweet potato, 1/2 cup vegetable 94% fat free ground turkey, 4 oz 1 2 cup rolled oats (Dry) w/ water 4 hard boiled egg whites, 1 yolk Green smoothie (choose from recipes provided, page ) 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked, 1/2 cup vegetable Salmon or tuna (if canned, white albacore) 4 oz MEAL FOUR MEAL FIVE (DINNER) CARB: Romaine lettuce salad and/or baby spinach (as much as you want) w/ dressing Dressing optional Balsamic vinegar w/ 1 tsp virgin olive oil, or lemon juice, or salsa 1 chicken breast, boneless skinless 4 oz asparagus, squash, and broccoli sautéed in 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil seasoned (w/ seasoning optional) 1 chicken breast, boneless skinless 4 oz 3 hard-boiled egg whites, include 1 yolk red peppers, onions and spinach sautéed in 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil seasoned (w/ seasoning optional) Tuna (full can, white albacore) 4 oz Brussels sprouts, garlic, onions, and peppers sautéed in 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil seasoned (w/ seasoning optional) 94% fat free ground turkey, 4 oz Any seafood of choice, 4 oz MEAL SIX OPTIONAL (IF HUNGRY) Protein shake: 1 scoop protein w/ water OR unsweetened almond milk

9 Meals for LC days MEAL ONE (BREAKFAST) MEAL TWO MEAL THREE (LUNCH) MEALS FOR LOW CARB (LC) DAY CHOICES (VEGGIE SNACK): OPTION A OPTION B OPTION C Green protein smoothie of choice (this is one complete option) Cucumber (as much as you want) w/ 3 Tbsp hummus Romaine lettuce salad and/or baby spinach (as much as you want) w/ dressing Dressing optional Balsamic vinegar w/ 1 tsp virgin olive oil, or lemon juice, or salsa 1 chicken breast, boneless skinless 4 oz 1 slice of Ezekiel bread (or Alvarado Street bread) w/ 1 4 Tbsp. butter or 1/2 Tbsp natural almond butter one 5 turkey sausage link (or two 2 ), w/ scrambled egg whites (about 2-4 large eggs, include 1 yolk) Celery (as much as you want) w/ 1 Tbsp natural almond butter asparagus, squash, and broccoli sautéed in 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil seasoned (w/ seasoning optional) 92-94% fat free ground turkey or beef, 4 oz 1 2 cup rolled oats (Dry) w/ water Omelette: 3/4 cup liquid egg whites (about 3-5 large eggs) + 1 yolk, bell peppers, onions, spinach, 1 oz. cheese 1 whole carrot (14 baby carrots) w/ 1 Tbsp Marzetti Simply Dressed dressing (your choice) Brussels sprouts, garlic, onions, and peppers sautéed in 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil seasoned (w/ seasoning optional) Salmon or tuna (if canned, white albacore) 4 oz MEAL FOUR CHOICES (VEGGIE SNACK): Cucumber (as much as you want) w/ 3 Tbsp hummus Celery (as much as you want) w/ 1 Tbsp natural almond butter 1 whole carrot (14 baby carrots) w/ 1 Tbsp Marzetti Simply Dressed dressing (your choice) MEAL FIVE (DINNER) asparagus, squash, and broccoli sautéed in 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil seasoned (w/ seasoning optional) Steak (sirloin or London broil), 4 oz red peppers, onions and spinach sautéed in 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil seasoned (w/ seasoning optional) 92-94% fat free ground turkey or beef, 4 oz Brussels sprouts, garlic, onions, and peppers sautéed in 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil seasoned (w/ seasoning optional) Any seafood of choice, 4 oz MEAL SIX OPTIONAL (IF HUNGRY) Protein shake: 1 scoop protein w/ water OR unsweetened almond milk

10 The Go-To Winning Tips 1. When in doubt, water. If your tired, drink more water. If you re sore, drink more water. If you re hungry, drink more water. If you have a headache, drink more water. Whatever ails you, drink more water. 2. Consistency is KEY If there was a secret when it comes to seeing and feeling the changes you want to start to see in fat loss and weight loss, it would be: CONSISTENCY! You have to be consistent with making healthy choices. There is no quick fix or magic pill, and there s not one particular food that s going to do it all for you. All you have to do to make the changes you want to see is stick to your commitment to your healthy eating and fitness. 3. You MUST eat! One of the greatest mistakes that occur when people are trying to get lean and lose weight is that they do not eating enough! In addition to this mistake, when they do eat, they don't eat the right stuff!! I want you to think about eating like this, if you owned a Porsche or Ferrari, would you put regular gas in it? Of course not! You d only put the best gasoline in a Porsche or Ferrari. So, if you want to make amazing changes to your body, you have to fuel it with top notch nutrition! Workouts are important to burn fat and stimulate muscle growth, but it s the foods in this meal plan that contain the building blocks to sculpt a new you! 4. If you re still hungry, add more protein. If you find that the food allowed in the meals are not enough, you can up the calories by increasing your protein by 2 oz. (i.e. eat 6 oz of chicken instead of 4 oz)

11 Additional Helpful Hints & Food Swaps: Caffeine: Consuming a cup of black coffee OR unsweetened tea at mid-day on medium and low carb days is very effective for breaking through any fatigue. Try not to exceed 400mg of caffeine a day (one 8 oz cup of black coffee is about 95mg). If black coffee doesn t satisfy your palate, you may consider adding a serving of half and half (on a MC/LC day, make sure there are no added sugars or sweeteners, the simpler the better) or some unsweetened almond milk. Stevia may also be used in moderation. Additional Swap Options Exchange a protein for a protein Carbohydrate for a carbohydrate Fruit for a fruit Vegetable for a vegetable Healthy fat for a fat Want spice? You can add herbs and spices, such as: paprika, smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, chili, basil, parsley, thyme, mixed herbs, chives, garlic/onion powder, yellow curry. Additionally, there are lots of tasty seasoning blends out What can I cook in? Measure out any oils you use to cook. Olive oil, macadamia oil, coconut oil, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and a small amount of butter are all good options. there.

12 Green Smoothie Recipes Quick tip: Blend the liquid and greens FIRST, then add the rest of the ingredients (each recipe makes 1 serving) Berry Green Protein Smoothie (green) 1 cup of water, 1 2 cup mixed frozen berries, 1 2 frozen banana, 1-2 cups spinach, 1 serving protein powder (chocolate or vanilla) (optional sprinkle of chia seeds) Vanilla Almond Protein Smoothie (green) 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla), 1/2 banana, 2 handfuls spinach leaves,, 1 serving vanilla protein powder, 1 tsp honey (or stevia to taste) Chocolate Covered Cherries (green) 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 handfuls spinach, 1 2 cup frozen pitted cherries, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (optional stevia to taste) Bumpin' Banana (green) 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla), 1 4 avocado, 1 2 banana, 1 handful baby spinach, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 4 tsp cinnamon (stevia to taste) Pumpkin Pie Smoothie 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/3 cup pumpkin puree, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice Shopping List On the next page you will find your starter shopping list, to make going to the store easy for you. You don t have to buy everything on the list if you aren t going to eat it, and there may be things you want to add. So, make sure you go through the meal plan to decide what meal options you are going to follow.

13 Weekly Groceries Starter Shopping List Item Qty Store Rolled Oats Fruit (fresh or frozen) Eggs Egg Whites (pasteurized) Unsweetened Nut Milk (almond, cashew) Plain Greek Yogurt All Natural Nut Butter Quinoa Rice Vegetable (fresh or frozen) Avocado Potatoes Raw nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts) Salmon Lean Ground Turkey (92% or higher) Ground beef (92% or higher) Chicken Breast (Boneless Skinless) Tuna

14 Flexible Clean Eating in a Modern Age Our lives practically revolve around food. As much as you may want to deny it: you need food to live. In this day in age, we have become so far detached from what real food is and we have become desensitized by clever packaging and branding techniques to think we re consuming healthy foods. I do agree that life tends to be best when you live in moderation and I believe moderation is the key to happiness (when we re talking on the subject of food, specifically). We want you to fuel yourself right and give yourself the best nutrients you can find. But, with that being said, there are certainly times when we re in a pinch for healthy foods or we are just craving our favorite indulgence, and that is exactly where the flexible part comes in. How to Handle Your Flexible (a.k.a. cheat) Meals: Flexible meals are a way of not feeling deprived from any of your absolute favorite foods. You don t have to have it, but it s something I highly recommend you for both psychological and physiological reasons. Flexible meals have a positive impact on your hormone levels when they re planned into your weekly schedule. On this plan, you are only allowed to have your flexible meal on a High Carb Day (HC). I only recommend one flexible meal on this day. Anymore might create too much of a caloric surplus.

Remember, you will never out train a bad diet. You do NOT want to ruin all of your hard work and preparation in a single flexible meal, so stick to the plan and cheat with one meal on a High Carb day.

In a nutshell, just don t do anything that you will regret. No matter what, take each day one at a time and enjoy the journey.

15 Remember, you will never out train a bad diet. You do NOT want to ruin all of your hard work and preparation in a single flexible meal, so stick to the plan and cheat with one meal on a High Carb day. Feel free to indulge a little bit... but make sure NOT to go overboard. No more than 2 flexible meals per week (if you decide to cheat on both high carb days). In a nutshell, just don t do anything that you will regret. No matter what, take each day one at a time and enjoy the journey. Don t make your workouts or you meals a penalty for something you did (or didn t do). Have fun, make it count, and when times get tough and you want to give up remember why you started. Always here to help if you need anything. Never hesitate to reach out- that s why I m here. Your favorite coach, Matt April, Bent On Better Owner/coach

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