Last week I wrote a bit of a long post updating you on some life changes I had decided to make so as to downsize the stress and the side effects of said stress. One of these was taking up the challenge offered to me by the PLAN H team - follow their diet for 8 whole weeks.
What is Plan H?
Some folks didn't quite understand the concept so let me elaborate:
Every single day, Every morning, you receive a BAG OF FOOD -
- Breakfast
- Morning Snack
- Lunch
- Afternoon Snack
- Dinner
Total Calories in One Bag - 1200 (women) 1800 (man). There is also an option for 1500 calories if you wish.
Everything is cooked fresh daily and the emphasis is on good nutrition - so no added sugar, no highly processed carbs, minimal fats and a good balance of all the things your body needs - like vegetables, fruit, dairy, protein, nuts .......
Some people I know have gone on this diet 5/6 days a week and had 1 or 2 cheat days. My challenge is 8 whole weeks, 7 days a week - yes ostensibly 56 days of no chocolate or junk food.
Week 1 Gone By
So it's been one whole week and I MANAGED. I have actually not eaten chocolate or crisps for an entire week which must be come kind of personal life record. The only times I cheated were with an extra couple of strawberries, I can never get enough of these, but otherwise I stuck to eating only what's in the bag and drinking a combination of water / wheat grass and green tea.
What I Liked Most
- The portions are larger than I thought they would be, so the best thing is that you're not hungry. Previous diet attempts had me restricting food intake such that I was always hungry and thinking about food. This last week, there were times when I ate simply because I had the food to eat rather than because I was really hungry.
- The best things are the snacks and breakfasts - I mean there's hummus dip with carrots, popcorn, greek yoghurt with fruit, carrot cake muffins, quinoa muffins. It's also different every day, so it's quite exciting to open the bag and see what there is.
Snacks and Bfast Slideshow
What I Found Hardest
- They're quite flexible and adaptable at catering to your likes and dislikes but you're not getting bread and chips, so if you're used to a highly processed carb diet and a certain amount of 'naughty food', you'll have to learn how to do without.
- Events and parties are hard, the good thing is you're not hungry but just looking at all that party food and cocktails... it's not easy.
- Weekends are harder - maybe because I had 4 different catered events this weekend or because I'm used to indulging myself more over the weekend but I experienced more cravings and some irritability this weekend. The good thing is that the hubby is doing this with me on weekends so we get to support each other.
The Best Part
I'm actually already down to 54.4 kg. from 55.5 and I've lost a whole inch off my thighs and hips, the hubby thinks my skin feels smoother and I look leaner and healthier. I don't know if I'll manage to not cheat for the entire 8 weeks but these results are most definitely very helpful in encouraging me.
For more info here's their facebook page
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