8
Week 5 and Beyond
Now that you’ve completed the first four weeks of Mind Your Body and have taken many wonderful steps to establish a new way of living with presence, dedication, and diligence, it’s time to begin the next phase of the Mind Your Body way of life. Remember, the last and most important brain-boosting tool is self-reflection. That’s where you’ll start the next stage of change.
Retake the Test
To get started, retake the 10 × 10 Deserve Level Test and compare your scores. You don’t need to do an adjusted score, because you are now able to see your true self in your personal mirror. Write down the ratings in your notebook, making a chart like the one at right. In the final column, put what you would like your deserve level to be for each category.
Set New Goals
Where will you turn your attention now? Will you continue to work on weight loss goals, further improve your fitness, or is it time to turn your attention elsewhere? Jot down any ideas that come to mind. The more specific you are, the less obstructed the path to get there.
Using the numbers from your retest, fill in the chart below, then answer the questions that follow in your notebook:
Questions | Category | Rating |
1. Which category has the lowest deserve level? | ||
2. Which category showed the biggest change? | ||
3. Which category has the highest deserve level? |
Growth
1. What changes are you most proud of?
2. What were your biggest accomplishments?
3. What compliments did you receive?
Reflection
1. Looking back over the rules and tools in this program, what are your greatest strengths?
2. In what areas do you still need to improve?
3. How will you celebrate your successes? Write down three ideas for rewarding yourself for your hard work.
Goals
1. As you move into the next phase of your journey, what are three specific goals?
2. What will be your first step in implementing these goals? Write down three first steps in your notebook.
Feelings
Answer these questions in your notebook:
1. What three feelings are you experiencing now?
2. What three feelings would you like to be experiencing now?
What Now?
I designed the 4-week plan to be repeated. There is so much variety that you could easily go back to week 1 and start over. You could also mix up the weeks or do a week more than once. You could substitute week 2 for week 1, or if you love week 3, repeat it a few times. Any order is fine.
To take it a step farther, you can break the program down even more.
Moves
For the exercise portion, you can mix and match by week but not by day. Remember, I designed the workouts so your muscles have optimal time to recover and repair, hence you see maximum benefits in minimal time. So you can substitute week 2 for week 1, or week 3 for week 4, but keep weeks together to work every muscle from every angle. Turn to “The 4-Week Plan Moves: Quick Reference Guide” to pick exercises.
Mindset
You can rearrange mindset days in any order that works for you. I do suggest keeping a day’s exercises complete, because they are made to relate to one another.
Meals
Mix and match meals from the recipes in chapter 10. Be creative. Just aim to swap breakfasts for breakfasts, lunches for lunches, and so on. Pick your favorites to do your own menu design.
Making Your Own Meals
During the past twenty-eight days, you got plenty of variety. I designed your meals to provide maximum nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber, as well as the right proportion of healthy carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. That said, if you’re ready to design your own meals, use the planner and pick from the food lists to design your own meals. Also see “The Clock Method for Proper Portions.”
Write What You Eat and Lose More Weight
I have done all the footwork in designing your meal program for the last four weeks, but for you to keep progressing toward your goals, consider tracking what you eat each day in a food journal, or print and use copies of the daily menu planner. Why does writing work?
When you write something down, it works as sort of a mini-rehearsal. When you write down what you plan to eat, it triggers your brain to play out this scenario. Then, when it comes time to actually eat, you’ll be more likely to eat the healthy foods you wrote down. Plus, keeping a daily food diary can double the amount of weight you lose, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. While two-thirds of the nearly 1,700 dieters in the study lost an average of nine pounds, those who kept a food diary lost up to twenty pounds, more than twice as much as those who did no record keeping. Even though you have the idea that you’re going to eat healthy today, it can be easy to ignore this goal if it is just a thought in your head, whereas writing down every bite you eat keeps you on target.
How Much Should I Eat Each Day?
Aim for 30 percent protein, 30 percent fat, 40 percent healthy carbohydrates, and 30 grams of fiber per day.
But How Many Servings of Each Food Is That?
To figure out your calories and servings for the day takes a little more work. I want your body to feel satiated and your mind to feel content. Watch your mind to see whether you are being indulgent. Your nutrient needs are based on your age, height, gender, and activity level. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers some helpful tools to portion your daily allotment of food (see http://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate/index.aspx). Within a couple of minutes, you’ll have some general guidelines for counting out portions for the day.
What About Calories?
The general rule about weight loss, exercise, and calories—eat less, move more—is misleading. Your body does not work like a simple math equation. You process calories differently based on their nutritional makeup. There is not the same nutritional value in 120-calorie portions of chocolate cookie, chicken, blueberries, broccoli, and Greek yogurt. All calories are not created equally. Some take up a large amount of space, such as the blueberries and broccoli; others take much longer to digest, such as the chicken and Greek yogurt, while the cookie is just a little jolt of energy without any real nutritional benefit. At a deeper level, when you eat different foods, your body and brain respond by triggering hormones and neurotransmitters that tell you what to do with the food. Most alarmingly, refined carbohydrates and sugars tell your body to make fat, then they make you crave more of the same.
The idea to take away is that you can’t choose a given number of calories and then eat any set of nutrients and get the response you’re looking for. If you want to lose weight, build muscle, get fit, boost energy, balance your moods, and sleep well, then it’s best for you to minimize refined carbohydrates and sugars and maximize healthy proteins, carbs (fruits and whole grains), fats, and vegetables. Consult the Department of Agriculture website to get specific recommendations about your individual nutritional needs.
Mind and Body Nourishing Foods
Vegetables
Portion = 2.5 cups of vegetables per day
Dark green vegetables = 1.5 cups weekly
Orange vegetables = 5.5 cups weekly
Asparagus
Avocados
Beets
Bell peppers
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Collard greens
Corn
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Fennel
Garlic
Green beans
Green peas
Kale
Leeks
Mushrooms, crimini
Mushrooms, shiitake
Mustard greens
Okra
Olives
Onions
Potatoes
Romaine lettuce
Sea vegetables
Spinach
Squash, summer
Squash, winter
Sweet potatoes
Swiss chard
Tomatoes
Turnip greens
Fruits
Portion = 1.5 cups a day
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cranberries
Figs
Grapefruit
Grapes
Kiwifruit
Lemons/limes
Oranges
Papaya
Pears
Pineapple
Plums
Prunes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Watermelon
Nuts and Seeds
Best used as garnishes for salads and stir-fries in small amounts, or have eight to ten nuts as a snack
Almonds
Cashews
Flaxseeds
Peanuts
Pecans
Pili nuts
Pine nuts
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts
Protein Foods: 5–7 ounces per day
Beans and Legumes
Black beans
Dried peas
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans
Miso
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Seitan
Soy sauce
Soybeans
Tempeh
Tofu
Eggs and Dairy
Cheese, grass-fed
Cow’s milk, grass-fed
Eggs, pasture-raised
Yogurt, grass-fed
Seafood
Cod
Salmon
Sardines
Scallops
Shrimp
Tuna
Poultry and Meats
Beef, grass-fed
Chicken, pasture-raised
Lamb, grass-fed
Turkey, pasture-raised
Herbs and Spices
Portion = unlimited use
Basil
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Chili pepper, dried
Cilantro and coriander seeds
Cinnamon, ground
Cloves
Cumin seeds
Dill
Ginger
Mustard seeds
Oregano
Parsley
Peppermint
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Turmeric
Grains
Portion = 6 ounces a day
Barley
Brown rice
Buckwheat
Freekeh
Millet
Oats
Quinoa
Rye
Whole wheat
Fats
Portion = 2 tablespoons max a day
Extra-virgin olive oil
Grapeseed oil
Butter
Coconut oil
Flaxseed oil
*This Mind and Body Nourishing Foods table is for you to copy and keep handy.
The above table is for you to copy and keep on your desk, your refrigerator, or anywhere you will see it at least once a week. Part of eating healthy is to make sure to get plenty of variety. If you notice you haven’t had something in several weeks, put it on your shopping list. Choose organic, grass-fed, and additive-free products whenever possible. Portions are included in the table, but visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate/index.aspx to get a more accurate idea of proper portions.
Whole-istic Menu Planner | |
Meal or Snack | Item/Amount |
Breakfast (eat within thirty minutes of waking and aim for at least 7 grams of fiber) | |
Snack (three hours after breakfast, at least 3 grams of fiber) | |
Lunch (two to three hours after last snack, at least 7 grams of fiber) | |
Snack (three hours after lunch, at least 3 grams of fiber) | |
Dinner (two to three hours after last snack, and not within 3 hours of bedtime; at least 7 grams of fiber) |
Final Words
You did it! It has been a month since you started this journey, and you are now equipped with all the rules, tools, and components to be your own weight loss, fitness, and life coach, as well as so much more. In yoga there is a philosophy called Aparigraha that promotes nonpossessiveness—a deep understanding of not taking more than you need, knowing how to let things go when they no longer serve you, opening yourself up to fresh ideas and more harmonious ways of living and being. In other words, living the Mind Your Body way of life. With this knowledge in mind, you are ready to start designing your own Whole-istic plan composed of exercises for your mind and your body. You’ve learned so much about how to think, move, and eat for optimal success. What gift can you give to those you love that is better than being free of tension, positive, energized, and empowered? I’m so proud of you! I encourage you to hold on to the essential Mind Your Body philosophy: that the path to a richer life and to true success, happiness, and health is centered in your mind. May your journey continue to be bigger and better than you ever thought possible.