6 Week Challenge Starter Guide

Are you ready to start the 6 week challenge as outlined in the book Eat to Live? You have to read the book. That's where you will get your FORTITUDE! It's how you will get the WHY answered. Why should you lose weight (besides wanting to look better) and more. Here's your starter guide. Good luck. We ALL want you to succeed. I'm hoping my past and present challengers add to the list!!!

1. Make an appointment with your doctor for some pre assessment data. When you call, tell the nurse you want some lab work done: full cholesterol, A1C and blood glucose, and Vitamin D check at the very least. And you want an appointment to discuss the results. At that point you can tell your doctor about your 6 week plan. Whatever you do, don't let them talk you out of it.

2. You need a shopping list. Click here for my shopping list.

3. Clean out your pantry. If you read the book (and you NEED to read the book), you know what you need to get rid of but here's some help:

• dump the processed foods (all of it--all the cake mixes and frostings, all the cereals (because they probably all have sugar in them and refined grains)
• dump the refined flour and sugar
• dump the juices and sodas (unless you have the pomegranate juice from Costco...100% which you can use in smoothies)
• dump the crackers and cookies (unless they are made form 100% whole grain and unless you are a champion label reader you can't really tell because labels are tricky)
• read the labels and if there is flour, sugar, salt, oil DUMP IT
• read the labels and if there are words you can't pronounce DUMP IT
• get rid of your crystal light and slim fast, get rid of your log cabin syrup and lite and dark corn syrup
• dump all those pudding and jello boxes
• You're not going to want to go back to eating the "old way". Trust me. I haven't met anyone who has done the full 6 week challenge that wants to go back. Their lives are changed. Ask them!

4. Clean out your refrigerator. See the lean out your pantry (#3) and follow similar guidelines. Plus:

• if it's oil or butter or crisco or lard, DUMP IT
• if it's jam or jelly or liliko'i butter, dump it
• if it's a meat product give it to your dogs (haha)
• if it's got mold growing DUMP IT (that's just good practice and the Mom in me couldn't resist putting that)

I know. You feel bad. You paid money for it. Maybe you want to just give it away. That's possible. Go contribute to someone else's poor health. Or go feed the mongoose, native bird killers that they are. Just get rid of it and see it as savings on medical costs.

Don't go shopping in Walmart. I went there and they do not sell one lick of healthy food. Did you ever notice that? I swear they do not. Try it.

If you are in Hilo and you're a teacher, go to Island Naturals and get your teacher's discount card. Just take them your school ID card or a pay stub. 10% off. Check with your local health food store and see if they have similar discounts. You never know. Or if you are on the cusp of senior citizen status, just lie about it :-)

Eat out places?
I like to stick to Thai food because they always have great vegetarian choices and brown rice. Sometimes Italian places have good options. I like to use Yelp on my iPhone and I just type in vegan and see what they come up with. In Hilo going to Bueno Burrito is a good bet. It's kind of like a Subway but burrito style. We have several challengers that go there regularly so now all I have to say is that I want a challenger burrito. I'm waiting to see it on the menu. Of course, you don't want to be a downer in a group of people going out. If it's a restaurant they are really good at making accommodations. A Mexican restaurant will always have beans and lettuce and tomatoes and salsa. And all of that combined makes for a delicious salad. Just make sure you say you want a HUGE salad of all of that. You gotta do what you gotta do. Stick as close to the challenge as you can when you go out but know that it's not the best option. Eating at home is your best option.

Check out youtube videos. My favorites are Chef AJ and Julieanna Hever. They are TOTALLY nutritarian. But there are other good youtubes. You won't know until you try.

That reminds me, a great cookbook is Unprocessed by Chef AJ. And Appetite for Reduction.

Learn food substitutions. Some examples: flax seed and water = egg in baking. Applesauce = oil in baking. nutritional yeast = a great cheezy taste. Dates, food processed with equal parts water = date syrup = a great sugar replacer. You can saute just using water. YES! I do it all the time. Just make sure you add a little water and then when it evaporates you add more. Totally doable. Or use vegetarian broth. Eventually you'll be able to take a favorite recipe and make it taste nutritarian delicious. Your taste buds are going to change, you know that, right? You're going to prefer the nutritarian food because the regular food is too salty or sweet or oily.

Here are some great blogs for recipes:
Happy Herbivore
JL Goes Vegan
Mrs. Sexy’s blog
Oh She Glows
Post Punk Kitchen 


Or do a google search for vegan low fat recipes or vegan no oil recipes.

If you're a guy you'll love Jonny O's blog or the Engine 2 Diet blog.

Do you have a question about the best cereal or frozen fruit or what to buy at Jamba Juice? ASK HERE! Leave a comment. If I don't answer right away (and I will) I am sure someone else will.

This post is way too long and yet I feel like I could go on. But won't. You are not alone. It is totally doable. And you are on your way!! Plan to succeed!
E ola! LIVE!