Do the following in this order for maximum results. It is better to take a few weeks to get this down right, than try to rush through it, get frustrated & quit. Once you have the first step fully integrated ONLY THEN do you want to move on to the next one.
1. 8 consecutive hours of sleep each night. (Sleep Cycle is an amazing iOS app that I highly recommend for helping with this one. I also recommend trying Valerian Root for the first two weeks to help get your body on the right schedule).
2. Manage your water intake:
- Keep a bottle of water by your bed & the second you wake up in the morning, sit up and pound 8 fl. oz. (this will boost your metabolism so be prepped for a big breakfast soon after)
- For optimal brain function drink no less than 2 liters throughout the day (you should notice unhealthy cravings dissipating as you increase your water intake).
- For every 15 minutes of intense sweating, drink one liter of water
- As you are increasing your water intake, eliminate your intake of sugary sodas, sports drinks & juices. If you are going to have juice either mix 1:1 with water or buy a juicer.
3. Organize your meals according
- Breakfast - Medium
- Lunch - Large
- Dinner - Small (if existent)
4. Take up a Kosher diet, according to Leviticus 11 (there is such thing as beef bacon. So no, you will not have to go vegetarian at breakfast).
5. No white: bread, rice, noodles, potatoes, flour, sugar, etc.
6. Avoid anything labeled "diet", "low-fat", "fat-free", "sugar-free". Run from it! Flee for your life!!!
- It tastes gross, why expose your tastebuds to such torture?
- The crap they put in there to make it lower in fat, or whatever, IS NOT NATURAL. If you can't pronounce the ingredient without a degree in Biochemistry, you should NOT be eating it. Your body won't recognize it as food and will just store it as fat.
7. Three colors. Ideally you want to have three (naturally) different colored fruits and vegetables at each meal, but if that is too much to ask, shoot for three different colors throughout the day. And no, white does not count as a color so throw out those Irish potatoes.
8. Try Paleo (or Paleo for athletes)
9. Cook with a splash of water, top the dish off with olive oil. In Italy they make fun of Americans for thinking it is healthy to cook with olive oil.
10. Trade out your post-workout sports drink for a coconut water