FOR THE CORE ENVY PROGRAM TO WORK, you will need to eat fewer calories, creating a caloric deficit that leads to weight loss. When your calories are highly nutritious, you can get more out of every sculpting and cardio session and see the results in the mirror. To this end, I have created a fat-loss protocol that relies on nutritious, affordable foods that are easy to find at home or on the go—in fact, most of the Core Envy foods are readily available on restaurant menus. Of course there are countless foods that could help you achieve your goal, but by narrowing the field, I hope to make this diet less daunting and streamline the process of calorie counting. If you stick with the Core Envy foods, you can save yourself the time and trouble of hunting down nutritional information and more easily hit your daily calorie goals.
KNOW WHAT AND HOW MUCH TO EAT
To successfully execute the Core Envy Diet, you will need to know how to hit your numbers. Each day you will make sure that you eat the recommended number of servings from each food group. You will also need to know how many calories you are eating.
Calculating your DAILY CALORIC GOAL
Step 1. Calculate your resting metabolic rate by following the Mifflin equation (see “How to Find Your Resting Metabolic Rate”).
Step 2. Multiply this number by the Activity Factor to account for the level of exercise you will do on the plan (see “How to Find Your Resting Metabolic Rate”).
Step 3. Subtract 500 calories from the total to achieve weight loss.
RMR × ACTIVITY FACTOR – 500 = YOUR DAILY CALORIC GOAL FOR WEIGHT LOSS
This is the number of calories you need to eat each day to lose 1 pound of fat every week.
Remember that no matter what number you get from the RMR equation, you should not consume fewer than 1,400 calories per day on a regular basis—your metabolism will slow down and you will run the risk of losing muscle instead of fat, which will ultimately increase your body-fat percentage. The entire purpose of the Core Envy plan is to lower your body fat and get you a sexy, lean core, so make sure you’re providing your body with sufficient fuel to accomplish this goal!
You are free to combine the foods in whichever way you please as long as you are meeting the daily requirements. Do that and you can then pick from your favorite foods on the list to get the rest of your calories. In my sample meal plans, I have laid out options for three meals and two snacks each day. You’ll see that there are no guidelines around when you eat these meals and snacks—at the end of the day, it comes down to calories in versus calories out. You can consume them whenever you like. That being said, most people (me included!) enjoy eating every 3–4 hours, and by eating small portions on a regular basis, you are more likely to avoid that “starving” feeling at the end of the day that often leads us to make poor dietary choices. No matter when you choose to eat, the key to a healthy, successful diet is planning. If you don’t know where and how you’re getting your next meal or snack, you run the risk of grabbing something convenient and unhealthy.
For each of the foods, I have specified a portion that is equivalent to 100 calories. Thinking of your diet in 100-calorie portions makes it much easier to keep track of your calories for the day. The Core Envy Baseline template consists of 1,400 calories plus as many low-sugar veggies as you please (these are outlined on the “Core Envy Foods” chart). If your goal is 1,700 calories, then you would start by eating the portions noted in the baseline template and add three more portions from the Core Envy foods list to get the extra 300 calories. Pretty easy, right?
Vegetables are the primary focus of the Core Envy nutrition plan. Highly nutritious yet low in calories, vegetables add up to weight loss. Almost all the veggies included in my list are so low in calories and sugar that you can eat unlimited amounts of them and not have to worry about counting those calories. Vegetables that are naturally higher in calories—such as Brussels sprouts, carrots, and peas—while still nutritious, must be counted toward your daily caloric intake. If you want to avoid fretting over servings with your veggies, simply focus on those listed as “zero calories” in the chart. Your goal is a minimum of 5 servings of vegetables every day. By simply eating a vegetable with every meal and snack, this goal should be easy. Make vegetables a priority when choosing what to eat. Pick your veggies first, then fill in the rest of your plate around them. Once you have your vegetables, the rest of your calories will come from a nice balance of fruit, lean protein, healthy fats, and whole-grain carbohydrates.
If you want to simplify the calorie counting, follow the sample meal plans that I have put together for you. These plans assume a total of 1,400 calories a day, so if your personal number is higher than that, you will need to add the appropriate number of portions. In the guidelines for how to utilize the meal plans, I’ve included some helpful hints for how to choose which foods to add. I have made every effort to keep the meals straightforward and easy to prepare; in several instances there is an “on-the-go” option that lets you stay on the plan when you’re running out the door or don’t feel like cooking. On the flip side, if you love trying new recipes, I encourage you to follow some of the slimming recipes that I’ve created. You can make enough to feed your whole family or use the leftovers to get more out of your time spent in the kitchen These meals are so delicious that you will find it hard to believe they are so good for you!
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER!
To have a lean body, you need to eat healthy foods in the right quantities, but you also need to be well-hydrated. I learned firsthand about the importance of hydration in my own pursuit of an enviable core. One of my first mentors in the personal training field competed in bodybuilding competitions. He was an expert at manipulating body composition, and I watched him coach his clients through dietary changes that produced astounding results. One of his most important rules for fat loss was hydration. At the time I thought this seemed counterintuitive—wouldn’t I feel bloated and bogged down with water weight if I drastically increased my water intake? As it turns out, not drinking enough water can actually cause your body to store more fat, and here’s why:1
The body can mistake thirst for hunger, meaning that it will signal you to eat when you really need to drink water.
Chronic dehydration causes your metabolism to slow down in order to conserve water and energy, which also causes your liver to store more fat.
Dehydration places stress on the body, signaling it to release insulin and cortisol, both of which cause the body to store extra fat.
In order to ensure adequate hydration, you should aim for a number of ounces that is half the number of pounds of your body weight each day (for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces per day). If you sweat a lot during your workouts, you will need to drink even more to replace that loss in water. A general rule is to add 20 ounces for each hour of intense workout.
YOUR METRICS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Stay within your daily calorie goal by tracking your food.
Eat at least one portion of vegetables with each meal/snack.
Drink half your body weight in ounces every day.
A few years back, I worked with a woman in her late 40s who came to me in desperation. She was consistently eating clean, healthy foods, yet she could not lose the 15 pounds she had put on since having her two children 10 years earlier. I asked her to keep a food journal so that I could figure out which items were the culprits. Week after week, she submitted one of the healthiest, most calorie-conscious food journals I have ever seen. She was working out regularly, including three days a week of fat-incinerating interval routines, yet the pounds wouldn’t budge. We removed dairy from her diet, and the pounds stayed on. We eliminated corn and soy products, added water, added fiber, and drastically cut sodium, but the scale didn’t move a tenth of a pound. I was frustrated that I couldn’t figure it out, and my client was frustrated that she was working harder and harder and still not seeing results. Eventually she decided to stop training with me. I felt defeated.
Several years later I ran into her at the grocery store. It was obvious that she had finally dropped the weight—she looked lean and healthy. I had to know how she had done it. She looked me in the eye and said, “I quit lying in my food journal.”
Be honest about what and how much you’re eating. If you grab a few M&Ms from your colleague’s candy bowl, write it down. If you munch on some chips while you’re preparing dinner, write it down. Your weight-loss efforts will pay off if you avoid mindless eating and a few extra bites here and there.
To help guide you in keeping track of your daily calories, I’ve created a Core Envy log that makes it easy to check off the baseline requirements and fill in the rest of the day’s calories. Review the sample that follows and use the method that works best for you. At the end of every week, check your measurements. There’s a chart for tracking your body composition and waist, hip, and belly-button measurements. It might take a few weeks for your waistline to begin to tell the story of how hard you’ve been working. Be warned that if you lie in your food journal, your weekly measurements will deliver the hard truth.
You might be wondering if there’s room for the occasional indulgence—a small piece of chocolate, a glass of wine, anything at all? In fact, I encourage you to enjoy “cheating” once a week. I don’t believe in following a diet protocol that is so rigid that there is literally no room for error; this is dangerous both physically and mentally. You need to have a plan that is sustainable on a daily basis and that you can adhere to for the long term, not just a crash weight-loss program that is too extreme to follow for more than a few days. For these reasons, I want you to have the luxury of looking forward to a little indulgence once a week, knowing that you have worked hard to earn it.
There’s just one caveat—if you overdo it on your cheat meal, you could ruin all the progress you made in the previous six days. If this sounds overly dramatic or calorically impossible, think about the cheat meals that you have enjoyed in the past. Based on both my own failed diet attempts and those of my clients, it could look something like this:
Basket of warm bread with butter or olive oil on every slice (500–700 calories)
3 pieces of sausage-and-mushroom pizza with thick crust (800–1,000 calories)
3 glasses of red wine, 6 ounces each (450 calories)
Large piece of cheesecake with whipped cream (1,000–1,200 calories)
If you were to eat all of this in one sitting, it would add up to as much as 3,350 calories! If a daily 500-calorie deficit is the goal, that amounts to a 3,500-calorie deficit each week. Our hypothetical cheat meal is dangerously close to 3,500 calories, effectively zeroing out the caloric restriction that you worked so hard to create.
I’ve seen cheat meals sabotage progress more times than I can count. To avoid this scenario, cash in your weekly cheat for a single food, not an entire meal. This means your cheat will consist of a couple hundred calories rather than a couple thousand. Stay focused on obtaining an enviable core, and don’t let the concept of a cheat meal equate to a carte blanche for consumption.
READY-MADE MEAL PLANS
These plans are based on a 1,400-calorie diet, so if your personal caloric intake that you calculated using the formula in “Calculating Your Daily Caloric Goal” is higher, then you’ll need to add the appropriate number of 100-calorie portions to reach your final goal. You might find yourself wondering which types of foods to choose to get to your number. Here are a few basic guidelines to help you decide:
If you’re following the Level 3 cardio plans and are generally very active, add a combination of carbohydrates and fats.
If you want a little treat after dinner or are craving something sweet, add fruit.
If you want to stabilize your blood sugar or work on lean muscle and toning, add protein or legumes.
Each breakfast, lunch, and dinner option equals approximately 300 calories. Each snack option equals approximately 200.
Choose 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner, and 2 snacks each day. This will total 1,300–1,400 calories. If your personal daily caloric intake is higher, add another snack or another meal to get to your number.
If you want to eat the same breakfast every day, go for it! Consistency is key, especially when you’re first starting the Core Envy program.
When possible, make your lunch from dinner leftovers the night before. Cook once and eat twice . . . or maybe three or four times!
Each recipe lists the number of total calories as well as the number of Core Envy food portions, allowing you to easily keep track of how many veggies, fruits, proteins, fats, grains, and legumes you’re getting each day.
Don’t forget to enjoy a cheat item one or two times a week! Your cheat food should be no more than 400 calories maximum. The rest of your day needs to follow the Core Envy Diet protocol.
MEAL PLANS
