The Cruise Control Plan

Transcription

1 The Cruise Control Plan A Fast & Healthy Weight Loss Plan Lose Weight Consistently Get Comfortable With a Healthy Lifestyle Enjoy Healthy Eating It is the recommendation of this author that you seek a medical consultation before starting this or any diet. This diet does not guarantee weight loss. The author disclaims any personal liability or risk in the use of this information.

2 What Is The Cruise Control Plan All About? The Cruise Control Plan is a seamless continuation of the 7-Day Momentum Plan. You will stay on Cruise Control until you reach your weight loss destination. The idea behind this part of the SPIRAL Diet is to get comfortable with eating a healthy diet. When this is achieved, weight loss stops being a burden and starts being an acceptable means to an end. In Cruise Control, you will be adding a few food items that make life on a diet more comfortable (i.e. dairy, red meat & dried fruit). During the SPIRAL plan, your body has been changing. Removing processed foods, sugars and unhealthy fats from your diet has allowed your liver time to remove toxins that were inhibiting fat loss and favoring fat storage. In other words, because of the healthy food choices you made in the earlier diet plans, your body has gone from being an efficient fat maker to an efficient fat burner. You can now direct your attention to finding healthy foods that you enjoy eating and preparing. The Cruise Control Diet will require work, but will allow you to fall into a healthy routine that runs with less conscious effort. This is much like what happens when you set your car on cruise control. The car s engine still has to work, but it runs on autopilot. This makes your travel smoother and easier. This plan shares exactly what to eat for the Cruise Control Diet. Try many recipes and star your favorite ones. The main goal is weight loss, but an equally important goal is developing a level of comfort that allows you to say, This works for me.

3 OVERVIEW On the Cruise Control Plan you will eat the same foods allowed on the 7-Day Momentum Plan, with some additions. This week you will add: Red Meat (up to 3 servings per week) Dairy Products (up to 3 servings per week) Dried Fruit (up to 1 Tablespoon per day) Recipes that contain small amounts of Oil, Fruit Juice and Sugar Red Meat and Dairy Red meat and dairy products are sources of vitamin B12 and calcium. But, they are also high in substances that promote heart disease and cancer, such as saturated fat, cholesterol, arachidonic acid, and IGF-1. These foods have a place in your diet because they add variety and flavor; but because of their downside, you consumption will be limited to 3 servings per week. Three times this week you can substitute red meat, for a lean protein. If you choose not to eat red meat, that s fine. Feel free to stick with the other approved protein choices, which include: beans, poultry, fish or eggs. Serving sizes for protein: 2 whole eggs ½ cup beans 4 oz. chicken, fish or red meat for women (6 oz. for men) Are you wondering about calcium? No worries, you will get plenty from the whole plant foods (i.e. vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds) you will be eating this week. A Serving of Red Meat: 4 ounces of women and 6 ounces for men A Serving of Dairy: 1 cup of milk 1 cup of yogurt 1 cup of cottage cheese 1 ounce of natural cheese (about the size of a pair of dice)

4 Dried Fruit There is a right way and a wrong way to add dried fruit to your diet. The wrong way is to use them as snacks. The right way it to add them to salad or include them in recipes Dried fruit can jazz up salads and add sweetness to recipes. However, these tasty treats should not be eaten as a snack; it s too hard to avoid overeating. You will limit your intake to 1 Tablespoon per day. But, feel free to pick any kind you enjoy: Cranberries, Dates, Figs, Mango, Pineapple, Prunes, Raisins. Check the ingredients list before you buy dried fruit to avoid packages with added sugar. Oils Foods like nuts, seeds and avocados contain natural and beneficial fats that suppress your appetite. The SPIRAL Diet provides these whole food fats. These nonprocessed fats are rich in antioxidants, which slow the aging process and protect against heart disease. In contrast, refined oils (olive oil, vegetable oil and all other varieties) have been stripped of their antioxidants leaving them with a whopping 120 calories per tablespoon and few, if any, health benefits. You should use oils rarely or avoid them entirely. This is easier than your think. For example, vegetables can be sautéed in water, instead of oil. And, if oil must be used, cutting the amount in half will often produce the same result. These simple tricks can save you hundreds of calories a day. Fruit Juice and Sugar Fruit juice should be avoided as a drink, but a few ounces can be used in recipes. Sugary snacks and desserts should be avoided, but a few teaspoons can be used in recipes.

5 Here s how you ll eat on the Cruise Control Diet Plan. You ll continue to have three meals a day. Your focus will continue to be on consuming salads, soups and recipes that provide large portions of cooked and raw non-starchy vegetables. You can have three servings of protein per day. Aim to make one serving a type of bean. These can easily be served in one of the approved recipes or used as a salad topping. Red meat can replace a lean protein choice three times a week. This can add some options to your diet. For example, you could double up on protein and have steak and eggs for breakfast. You could have steak and seafood for dinner. Or, have an occasional burger. Just watch your portion size (4 oz. for women, 6 oz. for men). Continue to limit starchy foods (i.e grains and starchy vegetables) to one serving per day (i.e. about 1 cup or 1 slice of whole grain bread). This requires planning. If you plan on eating a whole wheat burrito for dinner, then forgo the starch at breakfast and lunch. You will continue to consume ½ ounce of raw nuts/seeds each day. Sprinkle them on oatmeal, sliced fruit or salad. One tablespoon of dried fruit can be added to salad for a bit of sweetness. You might want to try one of the homemade salad dressings that use dried fruit as an ingredient (see approved recipes). Continue to work on eating enough at your meals to minimize the need for snacking. If you need a snack, fruit or non-starchy vegetables are still your best options. Fruit juices are allowed, but not by the glassful. Instead think of fruit juice as an ingredient. For example, if you have a recipe that calls for a small amount of fruit juice, then feel free to follow the recipe. The same goes for oil and sugar. A serving of dairy can be added three times this week. You could have a serving of yogurt for breakfast or an ounce of cheese on your salad, but keep track of your intake throughout the week to avoid going over three servings. During this phase you will continue to avoid sugary treats and alcohol. Let s take a closer look at your plan.

6 THE PLAN During your Cruise Control Plan you will follow a basic eating schedule. Three meals Snacks, only if needed Eating fruit in the morning is still a good idea, but can be consumed at a different meal or as a snack. Eating a sufficient amount of non-starchy vegetables (unlimited) at lunch and dinner continues to be your goal. (No more than 50 calories of dressing for a full size salad) Three servings of protein are allowed. Lean protein choices (i.e. beans, fish, chicken and eggs) are your top options, but red meat can be substituted 3 times a week. Dairy foods (i.e. milk, yogurt, cheese) can be consumed three times a week. Adding raw nuts, seeds and dried fruit to your salad adds sweetness and flavor. One starch per day will remain a rule until your goal is reached. Plan out your daily meals, some ways to make one starch per day work are below: Have non-instant oatmeal for breakfast Have a sandwich on pita bread for lunch Make one of the approved recipes with quinoa or a starchy vegetable for dinner. Pasta and cereals should be avoided because they are calorie-dense and too easy to overeat. Aim to drink plenty of water each day. Other non-calorie drinks are allowed. No alcohol is allowed during the Cruise Control. Feel free to use any of the recipes from the 5-Day Accelerator and 7-Day Momentum Plans. See a list of additional recipes here: SPIRAL Diet Plan Approved Recipes.

7 Sample Meal Plan Layouts: Sample #1 Breakfast: Yogurt with fresh fruit and raw nuts Lunch: Mango Salad with Black Beans (see recipes) Dinner: a serving of fish, side salad and 1 serving of Comfort Veggies (see recipes) Sample #2 Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit Lunch: 4 cups of salad greens topped with unlimited non-starchy vegetables; chicken breast; ½ ounce of raw sunflower seeds; 1 Tbsp. dried fruit Dinner: Dad s Easy Chili and a side salad Sample #3 Breakfast: Vegetable omelet with whole grain toast and fruit Lunch: Southern Comfort Salad Dinner: Easy Stir-Fry (see recipes) Sample # 4 Breakfast: 2 servings of sliced fruit with up to 7 walnut halves Lunch: Beef Vegetable Soup (see recipes) and a side salad Dinner: 1 serving of fish with a small baked potato and mixed vegetables.

8 A summary of the rules: 1. Eat 3 meals daily 2. Avoid snacking or use a lifeline (i.e. fruit or non-starchy vegetables) 3. Eat 3 servings of lean protein (i.e. beans + fish, chicken, or eggs) red meat can be substituted 3 times a week 4. Eat 1 serving of starch (i.e. one cup of starchy vegetables or grains) 5. Eat ½ ounce of raw nuts or seeds 6. Up to 3 servings of dairy products can be consumed a week 7. Drink water daily. Other non-calorie drinks can be added 8. Fruit juice, oil and sugar can be consumed, but only in recipes 9. No alcohol 10. No refined carbohydrates are allowed in this stage. This would include, hard candies, sweets, pastries, potato chips, pretzels, or other foods not made with whole grains

9 At-A-Glance: The Cruise Control Plan Eat Unlimited Amounts: Non-starchy Vegetables: Cooked and Raw Eat Limited Amounts: Lean Protein (3 servings/day; one serving should be beans; substitute red meat up to 3 times/week) Fruit (2 servings/day; more can be eaten as a lifeline) Starch (i.e. grains and starchy vegetables; 1 cup total) Raw Nuts & Seeds (1/2 ounce/day combined total) Dried Fruit (1 Tablespoon per day) Salad Dressing (less than 50 calories for a meal-sized salad) Dairy (3 servings/week) Eat Rarely (as a recipe ingredient only): Oil Fruit Juice Sugar Avoid Completely: Processed Foods Refined Carbohydrates & Sugar Alcohol & Fruit Juice Continue to follow the Cruise Control Diet until you reach your goal. You can then follow the The Cruise Control Maintenance Plan.