This post is brought to you by my sponsor, "Always Eat After 7 PM." The opinions expressed below are my own.
I'm back to update you on my progress with this awesome new plan I've been following for the past two weeks from
"Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion. I
told you a couple weeks ago about how I've been wanting to get serious about shedding some excess weight, increasing my energy and just feeling better on an everyday basis. I'm happy to report that after just 2 weeks of following this plan, I am down 9 pounds!! I never rely on just the numbers on the scale though - I like to take pics to see my progress. I had some serious stomach bloat going on when I started and that has been eliminated.
Yeeeessssss. I had also begun struggling with some acid reflux prior to starting this plan
(something that flares up when I'm not eating right), but I haven't had any issues since starting.
Yay!! My husband has been following the plan with me and he has also seen great results - down 10 pounds! We both agree that we feel great, this diet hasn't left us hungry
(even with a bit more physical activity) and we've truly enjoyed the meals we're eating, which includes some awesome new recipes from the book.
I've tried out a lot of the recipes from the book now and they are seriously delicious. So much flavor. And the best part is that I've been able to make these meals for the entire family, without needing to make the boys something completely different. These first two weeks, I've definitely added in some healthy carbs for them that we passed on, but having a main dish that feeds everyone and is on plan for us is perfect!
Yes. These are all delicious items we've been eating the past 2 weeks that you can find in the book! Honey garlic pork loin, spiced tilapia, pot roast tacos with chimichurri, turkey and bacon goulash, shrimp curry with cauliflower rice, garlic-roasted salmon and broccoli, turkey burgers, blackberry chia seed pudding, and chocolate buttons
(a fast favorite for all of us!). This is not a "salad only" kind of diet. I would not do well with that. Sure, I like some salads, but I don't want to eat them all the time. I love food, so I've thoroughly enjoyed the meals I get to eat on this plan. They really knocked it out of the park with the recipes they've included in the book. I'm excited to continue trying some new ones this coming week! Check out some of Joel's favorites below.
As I explained in
my last post, there are 3 phases to this plan. Today is our last day of the 14-day acceleration phase. I've phased out breakfast and I'm having a morning ritual drink
(on plan coffee for me!), lunch, dinner with dessert and a bedtime snack! I honestly didn't think I'd be able to get rid of breakfast and still be active in the mornings, but I've done surprisingly well with it. A part of this plan is following an intermittent fasting protocol. As Joel writes in the book:
Going without breakfast is part of intermittent fasting (IF), also called time-restricted feeding (TRF). IF is a pattern of food consumption that cycles between fasting and eating in specific time periods. There are various ways to do it; one of the most common is the 16/8 protocol, which involved 16 hours of fasting - typically done overnight - with an 8-hour window in which to eat each day.
I haven't been able to hit the 16/8 most days, but I've been doing at least 14/10 on a regular basis now, sometimes 15/9. Joel explains why this is helpful with weight loss:
Always Eat After 7 PM is a three-phase program that teaches you how to lose big by strategically eating big when you are naturally hungriest - in the evening. This may sound too good to be true, but let me assure you it is no gimmick. It's all about making strategic and smart food swaps, and you can still eat your favorite foods.
He goes on to say:
Those who ate breakfast ended up eating about 260 calories more a day, the review found. Those who skipped breakfast were about one pound lighter than those who ate breakfast. These findings led the researchers to conclude that eating breakfast isn't necessarily a good strategy for losing weight. The science isn't really there. Breakfast could very well be the least important meal of the day.
Another study found the following:
Late-night eating also curbs calorie intake the next day. In a four-week study, dieters added a snack to their daily regimen 90 minutes after dinner every night, and check this out: late-night eaters ate an average of 397 fewer calories per day.
Based on surprising science, Always Eat After 7 PM debunks popular diet myths and offers an easy-to-follow diet that accelerates fat-burning and allows you to indulge in your most intense food cravings: Eating majority of your calories at night. But don't worry, if you're a breakfast lover like I am, it's not gone forever. As part of the main phase, you're allowed one cheat meal, or day
(if you exercise), a week.
And it's actually encouraged! Breakfast that day is totally acceptable.
Yay! With a bit of tweaking, I can continue to enjoy some of my favorite breakfast meals I make for my family without feeling guilty. In short, this program is making dieting easy and eliminating my reasons for resistance. I think enjoying this cheat day once a week will be what allows me to continue with this plan instead of abandoning it like so many others I've tried. It won't feel as restrictive and won't make me give up everything I love for good. As long as I can stick to the plan 6 days a week, I can look forward to a little splurge at the end of each week.
Perfect.