Program Guide
INSIDE YOUR PROGRAM GUIDE... 1. The Pilates Workout Plan 2. The Nutrition Plan 3. Tools to Track Your Progress 4. Program Tips 5. Getting Started WHAT'S 6. Pre-Program Action Items INSIDE
THE PILATES PLAN Welcome to The Balanced Life Reset! I know it may feel a bit daunting to join a 3-week program, but I have no doubt that you will love what you discover about your body and health over the next 3 weeks. You've made an incredibly wise decision. My guess is that you spend a lot of time focusing on other areas of your life - career, family, friends, finances, and other responsibilities - and taking time for yourself has a tendency to fall by the wayside. Over the next 3 weeks, we're going to focus on YOU and how you can care for yourself best so that you can feel healthy, confident, and strong in all of the other areas of your life. The videos in this program are strategically designed to re-shape, tone, and strengthen your entire body. Within 3 weeks, you ll see new definition and discover muscles you never knew you had! Each week they will progress in intensity and pace, but as is true in Pilates, every workout can be a hard workout if you are giving it your total focus and best effort. In 10 sessions, you will feel the difference. In 20, you will see the difference. And in 30, you ll be on your way to having a whole new body. Joseph Pilates
WHY PILATES? There are a lot of different exercise programs out there, but I believe Pilates is the most effective and functional form of exercise there is. You can see incredible results in a short amount of time because when done properly, you engage your entire body in every exercise. Pilates also provides incredible mental health benefits as you learn to connect with your body and breathe deeply on a regular basis. Getting in tune with your body through your workouts will make it easier for you to make healthy decisions when it comes to your diet. This is often overlooked but it s true, and quite amazing - pay attention and watch what happens. THE PILATES COMMITMENT Complete the designated Pilates workout at least 4x each week. (More if you re feeling ambitious.) Cardio is fantastic and encouraged but NOT required for this program. Make it a goal to be more active on a daily basis. If you choose to do cardio to accelerate your results be careful that it doesn t cause you to over-eat in an effort to fuel your workouts (this is really common and I do it to myself, if I m not careful). WHAT'S
THE NUTRITION PLAN Created by certified holistic nutrition consultant and health educator, Madeline Given, this flavorful and easy to follow food plan is made up of whole, nourishing, and seasonal foods with strategically balanced protein/fat/carbohydrate ratios to support your Pilates training, reduce inflammation, curb cravings, and increase your body's fat burning potential. In addition to more than 40 recipes and quick & easy meal ideas, each week you'll receive a curated meal plan that is clear and flexible. "The meal plans created for The Balanced Life Reset program are designed to balance blood sugar with an ideal ratio of protein, healthy carbs & healthy fat for each meal and snack. The meals and recipes highlight nutrient-dense and delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins, while limiting various inflammatory foods, including gluten, dairy, and soy. " WHAT'S
FREQUENTLY ASKED NUTRITION QUESTIONS WHERE DO I START? Login to your Balanced Life account, click on "My Programs" from the profile dropdown menu, and select "The Balanced Life Reset." There, you will find the Meals + Recipes for the entire program. Each Saturday during the program, I will release a meal plan, specifically curated for that week. HOW FLEXIBLE ARE THE MEAL PLANS? All of the TBL Reset recipes/meals are designed to balance your blood sugar, reduce inflammation, curb cravings, and reduce excess weight. Therefore, they are all interchangeable. I encourage you to make this meal plan work for you. CAN I DRINK COFFEE AND/OR ALCOHOL? I recommend that you try to reduce your intake of caffeine and alcohol. However, since this isn't a cleanse program you don't need to eliminate them completely. Make it a goal to cut back. The less alcohol you drink, the better results you ll see. It s that simple. For maximum results, eliminate alcohol entirely for the next 3 weeks. Your sleep will improve, your cravings will dissipate, and your skin will glow. WHAT'S HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I BE DRINKING? Make it a goal to drink at least 64 oz. of water per day to stay hydrated and nourished.
THE NUTRITION COMMITMENT Follow the nutrition plan as closely as you can. It is strategically designed to change your body so a bunch of little extras here and there will affect the way your body is metabolizing the food. All meals are interchangeable so the good news is that you can tailor it to your liking. If you want to eat the same thing for breakfast every day to simplify and save money, great! If you re not used to meal planning and cooking, this will feel like a big change to you at first, but I promise you will end up loving it in the end. These are key elements in a healthy lifestyle so they must be learned. It will feel like a breeze by the end of week 3. WHAT'S Batch cooking: I highly recommend preparing extra lunches and breakfasts over the weekend to have on hand for the week ahead. Put on your apron, turn up the music, and enjoy a nice, relaxing afternoon in the kitchen. It s therapeutic!
TOOLS TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS There are a number of ways to track your progress. Regardless of whether or not you choose to participate in the weekly weigh-ins, I strongly encourage you to track your progress so that you stay in tune with your body and know how it responds to your Pilates training and dietary changes. 1. Measurements 2. Organization WHAT'S 3. Getting Started
TAKE MEASUREMENTS Since the scale can fluctuate due to water weight, muscle mass, and time of the month, a good old-fashioned tape measure is a great way to track your progress. We'll be measuring your arms, waist, hips, and thighs. This visual guide should help you get started. Refer to your TBL Reset Progress Log for details. KEEP IT ORGANIZED Sometime before you start the program, put together a binder to organize all of your resources for the next 3 weeks. The binder will be your go-to guide and meal planning life saver. (I made a meal planning binder 5 years ago and I still use it every week!) Print out all of the materials, make your own notes, and personalize the meal plans to fit your preferences. Within your binder, create separate tabs for each of the following: - Program Guide - Goal Setting Guide - Progress Log - Recipes & Meal Ideas - Weekly Suggested Meal Plans
HOW TO GET STARTED Whether you want to start today, next week, or next month, I am here to help you stay on track. You can click on the "Start TBL Reset Now!" button within your program to begin receiving weekly reminders and encouragement throughout the 3-week program. I ll also be active in the Facebook group to answer your questions, share tips, and keep you motivated. (You ll receive an email about the private Facebook group soon.)
MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU The most important thing is to find a way to make this program work for you. Some of you are single, some are feeding a whole family, and some are jet setting across the country on a weekly basis. Undoubtedly, you will need to make some tweaks to make the program work for you. It may feel overwhelming at first but it will get easier as the weeks go on. I promise. When you run into a road block, find a way around it. Don't use it as an excuse to give up. You have everything you need to reach your goals over the next 3 weeks. You CAN do this. We're all in this together! IT'S TIME TO MAKE SOME CHANGES... There is no way around it - I'm going to start you out with a little tough love. You WILL have to make changes in your daily routine and habits during this program. Some of them will be easy and some of them will be challenging. A large part of this program is creating new, healthy habits and with that comes change. I'm telling you this up front so that you can remember it when you find yourself making excuses along the way. If nothing changes, nothing changes. You can't expect your body to change if you don't make changes to your routine. It's as simple as that.
PRE-PROGRAM ACTION ITEMS Let's get started! You're going to love this program and the way you feel over the next 3 weeks. Please remember to take care of these action items prior to starting the program. 1. 2. 3. Fill out your Goal Setting Guide. Log your starting weight and/or measurements in your Progress Log. Get a cute binder + hole punch to keep your TBL Reset resources together in one place! See you on your mat soon! Copyright 2018, The Balanced Life, LLC www.thebalancedlifeonline.com