fit
gIrl’s
guide
The 28 DayJumpstart
A Fit Girl’s guide eBook
This eBook is licensed to a single-user only. This product is subject to copyright protection.
You are not authorized to share or distribute this product.
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Without written consent from the owner of FGW Media, Ltd.,
no portion of this copyrighted eBook may be reproduced or copied.
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The publisher and author do not assume, thereby disclaiming,
any liability to any individual for any loss or damage caused by inaccuracy.
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This book does not contain medical advice. Consult your physician for matters relating to your
health. The exercises contained in this eBook, like all exercises, do pose some inherent risk, and the
author urges readers to take into consideration their individual levels of experience and training
before attempting any activities described in this eBook.
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Copyright © 2014 FitGirlsWorldwide, FGW Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
Book Design and Production by FGW Media, Ltd.
Written by FGW Media, Ltd. Fourth Edition.
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www.FitGirlsWorldwide.com
Hey Girl! Let’s Get Fit!
This isn’t a diet. This is an event.
This is the first 28 days of becoming the Fit Girl you’ve always dreamed about. Every girl
has an inner Fit Girl and we’re gonna help you find yours! And we’re gonna make the
journey as fun and yummy as possible — pizza, dark chocolate, and dance parties
anyone?
The 28 Day Jumpstart is a Challenge that will help you build fitter eating, exercising, and
living habits in a way that’s easy to follow and really really pink. Forming new habits
doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process. The positive decisions we make every day take us
closer and closer to turning Fit Girl habits into our habits. At the end of the 28 days you’ll
be on your way to having a bod that’d make you totally jelly.
The Challenge is a detailed eating plan (that can be made vegan, vegetarian and glutenfree friendly!) combined with a kick-in-the-booty exercise Jumpstart. It’s designed to get
you results you’ll notice so you’ll be stoked to keep going on your Fit Girl journey. It
introduces you to way of life that leads to lasting fitness, not flash-in-the-pan “omg I
looked so fantastic for a week and then it all went away” fitness.
OK, so that’s why the Challenge isn’t a diet. Here’s why it’s an event …
#1 — Cuz friends. You’re not alone in this, Fit Girl! You’ll have a buncha Fit Girl friends online
for the Challenge and can follow each other’s journeys on Insta at #FitGirlsGuide. We’ll give
you lots of little thoughts along the way about things to share!
#2 — Cuz rewards. Ditching old habits is an accomplishment and we want you to pat
yourself on the back at the end of every week for meeting your eating and exercising goals.
Yeah, we’re being a tad excessive, but we think it’s great to reward ourselves a little bit extra
in the beginning. Just because our Fit Girl bodies are the biggest reward doesn't mean
treats aren’t a fun bonus! And by treats we don’t mean food-related treats. We’re girls, not
puppies. (But we do love puppies. Hold on a sec. We have to go look at a picture of puppies
brb.) We’re back, sorry. What were we saying? Oh, right. Rewards! Rewards that push us
further toward our Fit Girl goals. Here they are. Coming right up. Drumroll please …
M
This is the picture of
puppies we just looked at.
the rewards
A
A
A
A
WEEK ONE Get a mani in a color or design you don’t normally get. A new look for the
new Fit Girl you! Now you’re literally wearing a reminder of your accomplishments.
Whenever you look down at your hands think about where you’re going! (Frugal Girl
Tip: DIY with Sally Henson Salon Effects Strips. Love.)
WEEK TWO Go shopping for a new workout outfit that makes you feel amazing.
(Frugal Girl Tip: TJMaxx, Target, and Forever 21 have adorb workout clothes on the
cheap. Must. Resist. Temptation. To. Go. Online. And. Shop.)
WEEK THREE Your body’s been working hard for you. Time to pamper it! Treat
yourself to a massage and get your muscles geared up to keep going. (Frugal Girl Tip:
Look for sweet deals on Groupon and Groupon-esque sites or hit up those massage
people in the middle of the mall. They’re usually really good!)
WEEK FOUR Celebratory shoes for crossing the Challenge finish line! Pick out a pair
that make you feel really special. Then keep walking toward your Fit Girl future!
(Frugal Girl Tip: DSW aka shoe heaven. Hit the clearance section for double frugal.)
Ok, so are you majorly stoked now? We are!
Grab your besties and come on in to the Challenge! It’s time to get fit!
The
Index
Living
page 9 Goals
page 10 Sleep
page 15 Weigh Ins
page 18 Muscle V. Fat
page 19 Tracking Progress
page 20 Body Shape
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Eating
Please invest in reading
to page 106 before getting
started. It won’t take
long. We put in lots of
pretty pictures. Reading
the book is super
important to succeeding
during the Challenge!
page 24 Eating Principles
page 28 Clean Food Chart
page 34 Portions
page 37 Chocolate
page 39 When to Eat
page 41 Salt
Page 42 Emotional Eating
page 44 Restaurants & Events
page 49 "Cheating"
page 51 Success Tips
page 55 Beverages
page 63 Bonus Drinks
page 65 Beverage Chart
Exercising
page 67 Exercise Principles
page 70 Girlventures
page 73 Burn More Calories a Day
page 76 The 28 Day Challenge
page 80 Exercise Calendar
page 81 How To Use the Calendar
page 85 Extra Credit
page 87 Exercise Descriptions
page 96 Sun Salutation
!
The Meal Plans
page 99 Nutrition Information
page 100 How to Measure Food
page 101 How to Succeed
page 102 How to Contact us
page 103 Substitutions
page 111 Week One Plan
page 140 Week Two Plan
page 165 Week Three Plan
page 187 Week Four Plan
page 212 Final Thoughts
here we go,
future fit gIrl!
!
Srsly. Read the Book Before Getting Started!
part i: living
Those Goals look great with that Skirt.
What’s the first step to getting fit? Eating right? Exercising? Nope — crafting! “Crafting?
Have you completely lost your minds?” Maybe. It’s debatable. But we’re definitely right
that crafting is the first step to getting fit. To be a Fit Girl you need to 1) Craft your goals
and 2) Craft your goals.
First, craft your goals. Why are you doing the Challenge? What are your goals? Write
them down. Be as specific as you can. Getting yourself pumped and goal driven is step
one to becoming a Fit Girl. Keep it positive! No writing goals that are body-shaming or
self-hating in any way. You can write that you want thinner thighs but you can’t hate on
your current thighs. K? K.
Second, craft your goals. Cut a heart out of a piece of pretty paper and write your goals in
the middle. Decorate around the edges till your crafting heart’s content then go hang it
somewhere where you’ll see it every day and smile!
Tag us on Insta at #FitGirlsGuide with a picture of your heart!
Also use #GoalHeart to add it to our amazeballs Fit Girl collection!
Audrey Hepburn loved to sleep ...
… and you should too. Sleep might sound like the total opposite thing you need to do to
become a Fit Girl, but it’s not. Your body does all sorts of amazing free repair work for you
while you sleep — and that repair work makes you fitter.
“Wait, you’re telling me that lazing around in bed makes me fitter? Shut the front door.”
Um, it is shut. We don’t want strangers to come in, duh. And yes that’s exactly what we’re
telling you. Not getting enough sleep messes with our metabolisms. Those carb and sugar
cravings we get when we’re tired? That’s because our hunger hormones are thrown off.
We’re more likely to lose fat and control our appetites when our bodies are properly
rested. We’re also more likely to have the energy to exercise, another thing that makes
metabolisms happy. 7-9 hours a night. Do it. Your body will majorly heart you. (Hearts!)
PS: And sleep really does make you more beautiful. That free repair work we mentioned?
That includes repairing your skin. Well-rested skin looks more youthful and has fewer fine
lines and dark circles. Sleep is the best free beauty treatment on the market next to water.
(We’re gonna talk a lot about water later but why don’t you go ahead and have a glass
right now to pre-game. Mmmmmmm.)
“off to go get
fit and pretty.”
5 Tips for a Fitter Night’s Rest
If you’re thinking, “This sleep thing sounds amazeballs and I wanna get me some but
I’m like the worst sleeper ever,” here are a few tips to get you going. Or rather, not going.
1. BEDTIMES AREN’T JUST FOR KIDS. Having consistent sleep/wake schedules is just
as good for us now as it was when we were child people. If you have way diff sleep/
wake schedules on weekends and weekdays, you might be experiencing what
researchers call “social jet lag.” Your body literally thinks you’re taking it between
time zones. Staying as consistent as possible with your schedule will keep your body
from thinking you’re going to Europe and back every weekend, unless you are going
to Europe and back every weekend in which case we’re tired just thinking about it
and we hope you’re good at sleeping on planes.
2. GO OLD SCHOOL. Using things with screens too close to bedtime gets in the way of
sleep. The light from the screens combined with the mental stimulation makes it
really hard to wind down. Aim to go technology-less an hour before bed — yes, this
includes your phone. Especially your phone. No, seriously, your phone. Turn that
phone off. And the tv.
!
3. CAFFEINE DON’T GOT YOUR BACK. Caffeine stays in your system a lot longer than
you think it does and wants to ruin your sleep. After all, that’s like its job. Reduce
overall caffeine intake and cut it off completely by 3pm. The earlier the better. #sofit
#sopretty.
4. EXERCISE IS SLEEP’S SORTA BFF. Regular exercise is fab for getting your zzz’s. But
exercising within a couple hours of bedtime makes it harder to get your nighttime
Zen on. Plan your exercise jive sessions to jive with your sleep schedule — you know,
that regular one you’re gonna start keeping on both weekends and weekdays like a
rockstar. (Wait, bad analogy, don’t listen to us. Not like a rockstar, they have the
worst sleep schedules. Mega social and legit jet lag.)
5. GET YOUR MIND TO CHILLAX. If your mind goes into hyper thinky-mode the second
it hits the pillow, try writing down the things that are on your mind before you climb
in bed, whether it’s tomorrow’s to-do list or bigger worries and woes. A calm mind
makes a calm and sleepy body. A calm and sleepy body makes a fitter, healthier,
prettier you!
Bonus Tip: Gentle yoga or light stretching — in bed. Great for waking up too!
“what kind of day
will i have?
Weighing yourself every day is So 1927.
Ok, now that you’re all rested, let’s talk about what happens after you wake up. Do you
hop on the scale every morning? Does the number on that scale determine your mood for
the day? A lower number and it’s a good day, a higher number and it’s misery? It’s time to
end the tyranny of daily weigh-ins.
GRRLS IN FLUX. Why are daily weigh-ins a bad idea? Well, for starters our weight
naturally fluctuates a couple pounds every day — and even within the same day —
depending on what food and beverages are inside of us, how much sodium we’ve eaten,
and whether we’ve used the ladies’ room. Chug down 16oz of water? That’s an extra
pound inside you right now. Have you gained a pound (or 0.453592 kg for our metric
friends)? No, of course not. But if you stepped on the scale the number would say you did.
SODI-DUM-DUM-DUMMMM. “Wait, why does sodium make our weight fluctuate?
Sodium doesn’t have calories.” What sodium has is worse than calories. It has the power
to turn us into girl-shaped water balloons. Excess sodium makes us retain water aka
weight more aka be bloaty. We’ll have more to say about sodium in the eating section. For
now let’s keep on with the scale.
PERIOD TALK. A lot of women gain a few pounds before/during their periods. If you’re
drinking lots of water, exercising, eating a healthy diet of fruits, veggies, nuts, and whole
grains, getting plenty of sleep, and limiting caffeine, and sodium (aka everything we’re all
about in this book), then it’s just water weight and will go away after your period’s over. If
you’re not doing the above things and binging your way through PMS cravings, then
some of this is real weight gain that you can control by changing your habits. Basically the
things that makes a Fit Girl also lead to happier periods, if there is such a thing. Maybe
you’re the only girl ever who enjoys her period. That’s cool for you. We def don’t. (PS: The
hot lemon water we talk about in the beverage section also helps with bloating.)
THE MORAL OF THIS STORY? Don’t friggin weigh yourself right before or during your
period unless you’re in the mood to make yourself feel unhappy and defeated for no
reason whatsoever, which is just cray.
SANE GIRL WEIGH-INS. Weighing yourself isn’t necessary to becoming a Fit Girl (there
are other ways to track your progress that we’ll talk about in a sec), but if you want to
weigh in, try monthly or x2 monthly weigh-ins that are timed with your period. For
monthly weigh-ins, do them right after your period. For x2 monthly weigh-ins, do them
right after your period and exactly two weeks later. This will free you from letting
numbers control your daily life while also giving you more accurate readings. Snaps!
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Nekkid
That whole Muscle / Fat Thang.
The other big reason weights are tricky is because of muscle. You’ve probably heard
people say, “Muscle weighs more than fat.” Ok, so that’s not technically true but their
hearts are in the right place. A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat just
like a pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of bricks — they all weigh a pound.
When people say “muscle weighs more than fat” what they’re really trying to say is that a
pound of fat takes up a lot more space than a pound of muscle.
What does that mean? Two girls who are 5’4 and weigh 130 pounds can have completely
totally different bodies. The one with more fat will look significantly larger than the one
with more muscle. Your ideal Fit Girl body could be one that weighs similar to what you
do now — only with the weight in muscle rather than fat. And that’s why weight doesn’t
tell the whole story.
Bonus: The girl with more muscle also burns more calories in her resting state, aka by not
doing anything. Yay! Building lean muscle is one of the tricks to being able to eat more
once you get to Maintaining Fit Girl Bod Mode. We’ll talk more about strength training
when we get to Exercising. For now, a few more notes about tracking your progress.
Other Ways to Track Fit Girl Progress!
THE MEASUREMENT TEST. Measurements, like weight, are a good general
guide. Their hiccup is also related to muscle. A rounder booty, for instance,
takes up more space than a flatter one. Still, like we said, a good general
guide. When measuring, measure the smallest part of your waist and the
fullest part of your hips, upper thighs, chest, and upper arms. Once a month
right after your — yes — period is a good time to measure.
THE CLOTHES TEST. If your clothes feel looser and it’s not because you’ve
been sitting in front of the tv with your legs tucked up in your shirt (oh, how
many shirts we’ve ruined this way) that’s a sign you’re getting your Fit Girl on.
This is great for girls who want to quit the numbers game. Fit Girl Project:
Take a picture of yourself in a tight outfit at the beginning of the Challenge
and take a progress picture at the end of every week and then collage them!
THE PHOTO TEST. Before & After photos are another fab way to track
progress. No numbers for this one either. B&A pics are best taken a month
apart in the same outfit with the same background, same pose, and same
angle for the most accurate comparisons. We (again) recommend the day
after your period for happiest results. (PS: Share your B&A pics with us on
Insta at #FitGirlsGuide or email us at pink@fitgirlsworldwide.com!)
Bananas and Apples and Pears, oh my!
Knock knock. “Who’s there?” Banana. “Banana who?” Banana why are we always talking
about women’s bodies as fruit? (And how did Hourglasses rando get mixed in? Probs cuz
no fruit looks like an hourglass — except maybe kinda butternut squash?) Anyway, we
don’t know who started the whole “Women are Fruit” thing but we like fruit so we’re
gonna play along because it’ll help us talk about something super important that gets
majorly ignored.
GENES AND JEANS. We all have genes. And they impact how we look in our jeans. It’s
important to remember the role genetics plays in the Fit Girl journey. How your body
looks depends not only on how much weight you carry, but where your body carries it.
Some girls carry more weight on top (Apples) and some more on bottom (Pears). Some
have straighter bodies (Bananas) and some have curvier ones (Hourglasses). We can
dramatically alter our shape through eating and exercise, but we can’t completely erase our
genes. Nor do we get to pick where we lose fat from. (Sry.) A Pear doesn’t get to say, “Imma
go for a jog and burn this extra weight off my thighs” any more than an Apple gets to say,
“Imma go for a jog and burn this extra weight off my arms.” Sure, fat will come off those
areas, but not just those areas. It’ll come off a little from all over. (Even your boobs, sry
again.) Our bodies each have their own fav places to store fat. Just how they roll.
PRACTICE SAFE FRUIT. We want everyone’s Fit Girl journey to be as happy feelings
making as possible. (Sparkles! Unicorns! Rainbows! Penguin kisses!) So just a friendly
reminder to look to your own fruit when getting your Fitspiration on and setting your
goals. There are great-looking Fit Girls of every natural body shape. Again, you can
absolutely dramatically alter your shape through Eating and Exercise, but if a Banana is
looking up to an Hourglass, it ain’t ever gonna happen without a lotta plastic surgery. And
you don’t need that, Banana! You can be an awesome sexy Fit Girl Banana! We love
bananas! Especially with almond butter. #yum (PS: To be clear, that was not a threat to eat
you, capital B Bananas. We are just getting excited to talk about food. And have a snack.)
BE YOUR OWN FIT GIRL. That’s the message we want to leave our Living section on. The
Challenge isn’t about getting everyone to rock the same ultimate fitness goals, it’s about
getting every Fit Girl to rock her own goals. That’s why we didn’t write your hearts for you.
The Challenge welcomes all healthy fitness goals and shapes and sizes. The Eating and
Exercise sections you’re about to read are a Jumpstart blast to help everyone start losing
fat and building lean muscle tone — two things that will help Fit Girl progress toward any
goal. After the Challenge you can further go after exactly what kind of body you
ultimately want. You’ll have an amazing base of healthy habits to build from! And some
rockin’ strength. Go forth and Be Your Own Fit Girl, Fit Girls. Rock those hearts.
ps: remember to wear sunscreen.
SPF 30. Every. Single. Day. Forever.
part ii: eating
Team Food for the Win!
What’s more important to becoming a Fit Girl, eating habits or exercise? “Exercise!” Did you
not read the heading? We totally gave away the answer. “Oh. I skipped that. Can I change
my answer?” Sure. “Eating!” You’re right. What you eat is more important than exercise.
Like, way more important. Way way. And that includes what you drink. Unless you’re a legit
professional athlete (in which case it’s super weird that you’re reading a book about
jumpstarting your fitness), you’re never gonna find the time to burn off all the excess
calories you’re consuming. “Awesome! So you’re saying I don’t have to exercise. I love this
book!” Um, no, that’s not what we’re saying. Exercise is the cherry on top of the strawberry
smoothie that is eating. It’s what helps us lose fat faster, build slimming muscle tone, and
keep our hot Fit Girl bods once we get them. Also, it’s great for our overall health.
BAD MATH. Most people majorly overestimate how many calories they burn working out
and majorly underestimate how many calories they eat and drink. No bueno. This is why a
lot of people who work out regularly don't lose weight — or worse, gain weight. And we’re
not talking about muscle weight, we’re talking about fat. Yes, many people who work out
consistently continue to gain fat. Maybe you’ve noticed this happen to you, or maybe it’s
happening to you right now. We can fix that. That’s what the Challenge is all about.
STOP US IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE. Girl Z is trying to get her Fit Girl on. She goes on a
solid morning run for 30 minutes. She’s feeling great about herself. A+. She got her exercise
in for the day and it’s not even nine o’clock yet. Woot! On the way to work, she rewards
herself to a caramel coffee frap with whip. She deserves it. She was a baller this morning.
It’s true, she was. Only here’s the prob. Her hard job running burned about 350 calories and
her drink was about 400 calories. She’s not gonna lose an ounce. She’s gonna slowly gain
weight. She drastically overestimated what kind of “reward” she deserved for her run. (And,
again, we’re all about ditching food and drinks as “rewards” for fitness goals because, this.)
“BUT SHE JOGGED SO HARD!” I know. She did. She was legit. But the cold truth is that it’s
time-consuming to burn calories and it’s not time-consuming to eat them. We can pound
down 600 calories of fries in 10 minutes, but it takes an hour of hard exercise to burn them
off — and that’s just a side dish and with a very rigorous hour workout. It would take about
2.5 hours of walking to burn off those fries. Restaurant meals often crush the 1500 calorie
mark. Post-dinner marathon, anyone?
CUTER MATH. The Challenge is here to get your eating on track so that you finally start
seeing the Fit Girl results you want. We’re taking you on an eating and exercise adventure
that turns bad math into cute math. Cute math is gonna change your life. Get ready.
This is our assistant, Ray.
He likes chasing moving
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objects, high fives, and naps.
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Fit Girl!!!
Clean is the New Pink.
JK. Nothing is. But Clean Eating is pretty rad. And it’s what the Challenge eating plan is all
about — detoxing our eating habits of heavily-processed foods while enjoying favs like
pizza, tacos, lasagna, and grilled cheese in a revamped sexy Clean way.
“WAIT, WHAT ARE HEAVILY-PROCESSED FOODS?” You know those foods with tons of
ingredients on the label and a buncha strange long words nobody knows how to
pronounce? “Yeah.” Those are heavily-processed foods. Heavily-processed foods typically
contain a lotta white flour and sugar. White flour and sugar are high in calories and low on
making us feel full. They also make us crave more white flour and sugar. Quick trick:
Heavily-processed foods are (generally) the ones on the inside aisles of the grocery stores.
“SO WHAT’S CLEAN?” The foods on the outside aisles! You know, the ones that look closer
to how we find them in nature: fruits, veggies, meat, eggs, dairy, whole grains. (It’s great to
buy organic when you can for meat, eggs, and dairy because the animals are more
humanely raised and haven’t been pumped full of hormones.) We’ve made you a little chart
on the next page with some of the many many Clean Eating foods. There are way too many
for us to list, for instance all fruits and veggies and beans are Clean, but you’ll get the idea.
“THIS SOUNDS SCARY!” Stay calm. Do not freak out. Breathe. “Bu-bu-but my favorite thing
to do is pass out on the couch unwrapping Starburst while I guzzle from a liter of soda and
suck down Cheetos.” We get it. We’ve been there. We used to eat embarrassing amounts of
junk food. (Whoa. Flashback: Cheese from a can. Lots of cheese from a can. Empty cheese
cans littered all around the room. Tripping over empty cheese cans. Injuring selves from
tripping over empty cheese cans.) If this is you, the Challenge might be a shock to your
system — but it’ll be a good one! This is food the way food was meant to be and we’re
gonna show you how life-changing, body-changing, and taste bud-changing it is.
“ARE YOU TRYING TO BRAINWASH ME?” Yes. And we’re gonna succeed. The Challenge is
gonna rewire you. It’s gonna show you how you can be full on less food when you eat highprotein Clean meals filled with whole grain carbohydrates, fruits and veggies, and healthy
fats. It’s gonna give you a new direction for your future, one that you can actually maintain
so that all your hard work doesn’t go to waste once the 28 days are over. Like we said, the
Challenge isn’t a diet. It’s a new way of life. Welcome to the party, Fit Girls!
“CAN I RSVP MAYBE?” Sorry not sorry we already RSVP-ed for you. It’d be totes rude not to
come. If breaking eating habits was easy, everyone would be a Fit Girl. You picked up this
book and you wrote down your goals and you’re gonna freakin reach them. You are a future
member of the Fit Girl’s Club. Now let’s go get you there!
over-processed food is scary…
…like these giant creepy dolls.
Umkay, here’s how this is gonna go down.
The Challenge has four different Meal Plans, one for each week. The Meal Plans are
designed to introduce you to a variety of Clean Eating ingredients and recipes so you’ll
have tons of go-to ideas for after the 28 days. We want you to be ready to keep going
toward your Fit Girl goals when day 29 rolls around!
THE MEAL PLANS. Each week’s Meal Plan has one breakfast option, one lunch option
(with suggested daily variations), and two alternating dinners. Breakfasts are comforting
good morning hugs designed to hold you over until lunch. Lunch is a detox meal of lean
protein, grains, and vegetables, and dinner is a Fit Girl makeover of an Every Girl favorite.
All meals are high in protein to keep your energy up and help you build lean muscle tone.
There’s also a daily power snack for when you need a little boost.
FIND YOUR INNER CHEF. The Meal Plans aren’t just going to help you reach your fitness
goals. They’re going to help you find your inner chef, if you haven’t already. Every Fit Girl
has one. We’re gonna let you in on our easy secrets to making food that looks and tastes
wayyy more difficult and calorie-filled than it actually is. You’ll be hosting dinner parties
in no time! (Also, bonus, cooking burns off a few extra calories!)
CRASH COURSE. The meal plans are designed to be easy enough for the beginning chef,
but they do involve a small bit of basic cooking knowledge. Namely, that you know how to
sauté vegetables, fry an egg, and cook a chicken breast (unless you want to buy pre-cooked
ones). If you don’t yet, have no fear! There are about 10 million people on YouTube who
want to teach you to how to do each of these things. (Or, like, 5 people in your real life.)
PREP MADE EAZY. Each week we’ll give you a suggested meal prep schedule to limit
kitchen time for Fit Girls on the run. There are even many meals that you can prepare
multiple days worth of at a time and pack in ready-to-go containers. You don’t have to be a
celebrity to have your own ready-made meal service. You can be your own!
GROCERY LISTS ON THE READY. Each week we’ll also give you a grocery shopping list.
Some leftover ingredients from one week carry also over into later weeks to cut down on
wasted food and extra expenses. Frugal Girl snaps! Depending on the brands that you
choose, quantities may vary, but we’ve done our best to make your shopping as easy as
possible. (Pssst: Remember to adjust your list for any substitutions you make or bonus
ingredients or beverages you add!) For additional savings, substitute fruits and veggies
and proteins that are on sale for the ones on the menu. Our Meal Plans are highly flexible
and you can adjust them to whatever you desire to spend or is seasonal near you!
WE HEART OUR VEG FRIENDS. The Meal Plans can be made vegan and vegetarian
friendly. We’ll be talking about general substitutions in a few pages, but we’ve also put
lots of specific vegan and vegetarian tips within the actual recipes.
“this is gonna be so
fun, isn’t it coco?”
Double, double, toil and trouble ...
Portions are the potions to Fit Girls success. Shhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone but you can lose
weight eating Twinkies — so long as you’re not eating more Twinkies than you burn off.
“Hella yeah! I wanna get me on that Twinkie eating plan. Hook a sister up.” No. “Yes!” No!
Look, that wasn’t the point of us telling you this and we’re sorry we ever did. “Gimme
Twinkies!” We’re trying to make a bigger point here, so can you like just forget about the
friggin Twinkies for a sec and keep reading? “Fine.”
Just because we can lose weight on junk doesn’t mean we’ll feel great, or that it’s good for
our health. In one sense a calorie is just a calorie, but in another sense what kind of
calories we eat does matter. They matter for making us feel full rather than triggering
sugar and carb cravings and for giving us the energy we need to do all the stuff we want.
And again, our health, obv.
Even when we’re eating healthy, though, it’s still all about the portion size. And portion
isn’t fundamentally about the quantity of food on our plates — it’s about the calories on
our plates. That’s why we’re Clean Eating brainwashing you. You’ll get to eat more food for
less calories and feel more full.
Let’s take a couple questions from the imaginary audience in our head …
“I THOUGHT I COULD EAT AS MUCH AS I WANT IF IT WAS HEALTHY?” Whoa. Who told
you that? “The Internet, my mom, three friends from work, this one talking cat I know.”
What’s your name? “Kacie.” Hi, Kacie. I’m sorry the but Internet, your mom, your three
friends from work, and the talking cat lied to you. Maybe not intentionally, but they did.
(Can we meet the talking cat, though?) The myth that you can eat whatever you want if
it’s healthy is one of the worst weight-loss myths ever and we’re sorry it’s still out there.
It’s why a lot of people get weight-loss disappointed when they try switching to healthier
foods and still don’t lose weight. Similarly, a lotta people also mistakenly think a vegan or
vegetarian diet alone will help them lose weight — nope. A calorie is still a calorie.
Whether it’s white rice or brown rice, meat or tofu, you gotta measure it.
This is the talking cat,
whom, yes, we totes got
to meet.
“THAT DOESN'T COUNT FOR NUTS, RIGHT?” Grrl you cray? It especially
counts for nuts. Don't be another casualty in the “nuts are a great
snack” trap. Nuts are a great snack, but you only if you eat a tiny
handful. Eat a couple regular handfuls and you've got 500-600 extra
calories to burn off. “That's nuts!” Um … yes.
Ok, that's all we have time for. Be a Fit Witch, know your portion potions.
(Or just, like, cast a spell on yourself, obv. #shortcuts #magic)
M
“i totes didn’t cheat
and use a spell.”
BTWS, you also get to eat dark chocolate.
Every. Single. Day. This is another thing we stole from Audrey. She loved to savor a midafternoon square of dark chocolate. We almost never go a day without one. (Sometimes we
even eat ours as a morning snack. We’re doing that right now. Shhhhh. We’d share but we
don’t have enough for everyone and our moms said that’s rude. Sry.)
And by dark chocolate we do mean dark chocolate. Most “dark chocolates” are more along
the lines of semi-sweet chocolate (about 55% cocoa content). That means they have a lot of
sugar in them. We want you to get your taste buds to love the 85% variety — but if you’re
not ready to go there 70% is fine. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more chocolatey
goodness and less sugar. A square of 85% dark chocolate has less than 2 grams. Huzzah!
PS: All brands are sized a little different, but most squares are 60 calories. If your brand has
teeny squares, just treat yourself to a 60 calorie portion. (Hint: It’s also great melted and
drizzled onto the fruit that’s part of the Meal Plan!) If you don’t like dark chocolate, 1) who
are you? “Tara!” (that was a rhetorical question) and 2) you can have 60 calories of fruit.
“Fruit?! Boo! I want candy.” Well, dark chocolate actually has health benefits so the best sub
is fruit not candy. “Okaaay.”
ahem. we said one piece.
Eating on the Reg.
There’s a lot of talk about how many meals a day we should eat, what time we should eat
them, and whether we should be lounging in a hammock when we do. (We made that last
part up. We’ve never heard anyone say that. But could somebody please say that? We really
want an excuse to get a hammock. Maybe we’ll just get one anyway.) We think how many
times a day you eat is fundamentally a personal choice about what makes you feel the most
satisfied, so long as you’re consistent fueling and not letting yourself get famished before
hitting the food. Some people prefer the Old-Fashioned 3 larger meals and a snack, and
some people like the New-Fashioned 5-6 mini meals.
CONGRATS! EVERYONE WINS A PONY!
“OMG. This is the best day of my life. I’ve
always wanted a pony but like my parents
wouldn’t get me one and now it’s finally
happening like I knew it would and OMG when
does my pony arrive? I’ll be waiting outside for
her. What’s her favorite color, does she like —”
Whoa there, Fit Girl. By “pony" we just mean that our Meal Plans are bi-fashioned and you
get your pick of which way you want to eat. “I don’t understand [eyes welling up].” We were
joking. “There’s no pony?” Uh … no. “But you said —” Sometimes people just say things.
“[Inaudible through hysterical sobbing].” Ok, clearly this went totallllly different than we
were hoping and we tapped into something major. We just thought you’d like to see a cute
picture of ponies. We feel terrible now. Um, here’s a tissue. Take all the time you need.
~ 2 HOURS LATER ~
“I’m great now! We can go on. I went out and adopted 6 dogs. If you add them together it’s
like having a pony!!!” Great. Whatever makes you happy. I hope you have a spacious house.
So, really, all we were trying to say before the whole P-O-N-Y debacle was that the Meal
Plans are set up the Old-Fashioned way for prep convenience and Old-Fashioned eaters, but
they can easily be eaten New-Fashioned by dividing lunch in half and having it as two
smaller midday meals, having the fruit from dinner as an evening snack, dividing the
official snack in half and having it as two smaller snacks — or whatever division of the day’s
food makes you feel the most happy! A few of the meals also have hard-boiled eggs, which
make great mini-meal pick-me-ups. The important thing is that you’re sticking to the
amount of food on the plan. How you eat it throughout the day is Fit Girl’s Choice.
Send your salt shaker a breakup text.
All right, it’s time. More of “the sodium talk.” Following the Meal Plans accurately also
means not adding extra salt. “But I love my salt shaker!” He’s not good for you, ok? End it.
Our bodies do need some sodium, just not nearly (like not even remote nearly) as much as
we give them thanks to all the added sodium in fast foods, frozen meals, and other heavily
processed foods. The Meal Plans have plenty of sodium in them without shaking on more.
Remember: Salt is one of the main things not making you look as fit as you want to. So
push your salt shakers aside, Fit Girls. It’s not you, it’s them.
This might be an adjustment at first if you’re a salt fiend — but your tastebuds will reset
over the course of the Challenge. When we eat lots of sodium we lose our sensitivity to it.
(The same goes for sugar.) The Challenge is gonna reset your sensitivity to both sugar and
salt. This means you’ll be satisfied with less of them and foods that are overly salty and
sugary will taste like major overkill if you encounter them in the future.
“Great, so you’re condemning me to a life of bland food.” As if! We would not stand for
that. Lowering sodium doesn’t mean lowering taste. Do you know how many flavors are
out there besides salt? Like a whole lot. Our recipes are full of things like garlic, onion,
ground pepper, fresh herbs, and spice that make things taste flavorfully delicious! And
you can always add any herbs, hot peppers, or spices you want. You’ll be fine. Great, even!
“One plateful of feelings, please!”
Emotional eating is one of the biggest obstacles for a lotta girls who are trying to get their
Fit Girl on — it was one of ours too. “What’s emotional eating?” It’s when we eat for reasons
other than hunger. Like when we’re excited or bored or sad or stressed or nervous or tired.
“Ohhhh. I totes do that. Frowny face.” Don’t stress. (Or stress eat!) Like we said, we used to
emotionally eat too. You’re Fit Girl-izing all sorts of habits this month, let’s Fit Girl-ize this
one too!
You already have a set Meal Plan for the month. Try making a set eating schedule to go with
it. This eliminates you from thinking of food as an emotional option during other parts of
the day. And when you’re tempted to emotionally eat, reach for your water instead. (Why
don’t you go drink another glass of water right now to keep pre-gaming for that upcoming
water discussion we told you about? Woot!) Drinking water satisfies the desire to consume
something, but does it in a Fit Girl friendly way. Tea is another good go-to.
Food is fuel. It can be delicious and fun, but it’s fun-damentally fuel. (Yeah, sorry. We’ll
stop.) It feels so good to eat for nourishment rather than emotion. It even makes your food
taste better! Our feelings aren’t food, so let’s stop trying to eat them.
what did we
just say?
In the Event of a Fit Girlmergency.
You have a work event.
Or a friend’s birthday dinner.
Or a holiday party.
Or (gasp) you forget your meal at home.
Fear not, we have a solution! It’s virtually impossible to find a 28 day stretch where there’s
nothing special going on — and that’s a good thing. After all, what’s the point of being a
Fit Girl if you don’t have a life to go out and live? Even if that nothing special 28 day stretch
existed, there’s still that chance of forgetting to take your lunch to school or work. So let’s
go over all the scenarios for when you can’t have your Fit Girl meal so that you make the
best choices for staying on track with the Challenge!
YOU HAVE A RESTAURANT EVENT. This one’s easy, so long as you have the willpower to
avoid the breadbasket and order like a Fit Girl — which you do! OK, so what does a Fit Girl
order? She orders things that have the ingredients you see on the Clean Eating list. She
orders lean proteins with lots of vegetables and a small serving of grain, sauce on the side
(and she only uses a dollop of the sauce, like the portion we use in the recipes).
She is cautious toward salads. “Salad” sounds like the ultimate Fit Girl friendly of all foods,
but a lot of restaurant salads are as high in calories as their other meals — and it’s not just
because of the dressing, although that’s part of it. It’s all the cheeses, nuts, dried fruits,
and fried fixins they often load them with. If salad strikes a Fit Girl’s fancy, she pays
attention to the ingredients and looks for one with lots of veggies that’s topped with
unbreaded and unfried protein. And, of course, she also gets that dressing on the side.
The other main thing a Fit Girl watches out for at restaurants is portion size. Restaurants
often serve 2-3 meals worth of food in one serving. Hopefully by the time your first
restaurant event rolls around you’ll have gotten the hang of Meal Plan portion size and be
a savvy judge of a Fit Girl friendly meal size.
YOU FORGOT YOUR LUNCH. You have a lotta good options here. You can hit up a grocery
store that has a salad bar and make your own Clean Eating masterpiece. Also at the
grocery store, you can go for a low-sodium frozen meal from an organic brand like Amy’s.
You can grab take-away from a place that has Clean Eating friendly foods. Fast food isn’t
preferred, but it works in a pinch due to their expanding healthier menus. Look for
something that’s under 400 calories and has the most Clean Eating happy ingredients.
And then there’s always this easy option: 150 calorie protein shake + one piece of fruit +150
calories of nuts. Have your pick!
“i totally forgot
my meal at home.”
YOU HAVE A HOLIDAY PARTY. Pop quiz. What’s a holiday party? “Are you asking me?” Yes,
you, you in the pink top. (Pink!) “An event where I go binge on anything I want to lalalala
parties are for stuffing my face omg my mouth is getting so full just thinking about all the
food imma put in it at that party. Nom nom nom.” No! That is not a Fit Girl friendly answer,
but we love your pink top. It’s important to ditch the mindset that holiday party =
bingefest. Binging can really set us back in our fitness goals, mentally and physically. It
promotes an unhealthy relationship to food, re-triggers emotional eating habits, and
undoes our hard work — and fast.
There are almost always Clean Eating friendly foods to be found somewhere at parties. You
can even bring one to share if it’s a potluck! But even if you only bring your willpower, you
can stay on the Challenge at parties. Take a look at your goals before heading out and focus
on the companionship over the food. Having your Fit Girl meal before going and then
snacking on veggies as you mingle is a great option. It may not sound like the sexiest eating
adventure, but it will keep you on track as you finish rewiring your eating habits.
FOR GIRLMERGENCY USE ONLY. These guidelines are intended for girlmergency use only.
Only veer from your Meal Plans when you need to so that you build your meal prepping and
cooking skills for the future! (But, obv, if being at events and restaurants is your job,
learning to eat Fit out and about will be your main priority.)
“i cheated.”
In the Event of the Dreaded C-Word.
You “cheated.” Ok. That’s not ideal, obvi, but it’s also not the end of the world. The best
thing you can do is get right back on track and not skip your daily workout.
The quicker you get back on track the less damage you’ve done.
Record this on your phone and play it on loop while you sleep. Kidding — kinda. Here's
what absolutely not to do: Binge the rest of the day away, ditch working out, and tell
yourself you’ll “start again tomorrow.” We don’t know who popularized this way of thinking,
but it’s completely ridic and needs to go so far away. It turns what should have been a little
problem into a big one. There’s nothing magic about a new day. You don’t need a new day to
start over. You just need a new second.
This is you loving yourself.
PS: Also, let’s ditch the word “cheat.” It’s a super negatively
charged word and we think it’s bringing girls down. Let’s
replace it with “got off track.” If you get off track, get positive.
Immediately. Get so super positive. Encourage yourself. Be nice
to yourself. Think about all the good decisions you’ve made.
Reflect on why you got off track and write down a plan for in the
future. You’re building new Fit Girl habits and the next second is
a chance to keep building them. You got this, Sister. Keep on
keeping on!
do you want more tips
for meal plan success?
“yes please!”
Tip 1: Chew like we’re paying you.
If we told you we were going to pay you one dollar for every time you chewed, you’d chew
more, right? Ok, we’re not gonna actually do that because that’s way beyond our budget —
but pretend. (If you’re rolling your eyes right now thinking, “Chewing? Please. I’m an adult.
I think I know how to chew my food.” No, you don’t. You’re not chewing enough, and it’s
holding you back in your Fit Girl goals.)
Chewing is actually more than just chewing — it’s the first step of digestion. The more
fully we chew our food, the easier it is for our bodies to digest, which greatly reduces
bloating and indigestion. You want a flatter tummy? Chew your food. This is especially
important when eating vegetables and whole grains, which you’ll be eating a lot of. Your
body needs extra help breaking down the fiber.
“How do I know if I’ve chewed enough?” Kindergarten Girl Trick: Say the alphabet slowly
while you chew, one letter for each chew. (Say it in your head, not out loud, silly — we
don’t want to see that and your friends probs don’t either. Also they’ll get really sick of
hearing the alphabet over and over again.) Once you get used to how much you need to
chew, you’ll do it naturally and can skip the ABCs!
Tip 2: Slow down, G.
Chewing is also one of the things that slows us down when we eat. “Why should we slow
down?!! Time is money!!! Tick tock!!” Whoa girl, you’re stressin' us out. But we’ll answer
anyway. Slowing down helps our brains register when we’re full (it takes them a little while
to catch up), which prevents us from overeating, which helps us get fit. Chewtastic!
The other thing that helps us slow down is actually paying attention to our food while we’re
eating. Ever eaten lunch at your desk then looked down at the empty plate and wondered
where your food went and not have any satisfaction of having eaten it? Been there. Practice
eating without distractions — as if every meal is at a restaurant and the purpose is to enjoy
the meal. By taking the time to experience your meal, you’ll feel more satisfied after you
finish it. That’s why we take a little extra time to plate our food pretty in the Meal Plans.
When you get your food dressed up, it seems more fun to party with.
PS: If you don't already, practice putting down your fork between bites.
Sometimes we even like eating with chopsticks to keep our bites smaller.
Chopsticks also make any meal feel a little bit special! Unless you eat with
chopsticks all the time in which case it won't feel special at all. Just norm.
Tip 3: Brushing your teeth, bonus edition.
We all know that we’re supposed to brush our teeth after meals. Happy gums, fewer
cavities blah blah blah. But! Brushing our teeth after meals also helps make us a Fit Girl.
When we brush our teeth after eating, it gives a sense of closure to the meal and stops us
from mindlessly grazing. It’s hard to crave food when our mouths feel clean and delicious
and minty fresh! Give it a try. It’s made a big difference in our sense of meal satisfaction.
And our dentist has been sups impressed at our checkups. Curtsey.
Tip 4: If you feel hungry, drink.
No, not as in get drunk, as in drink water. (Why don’t you go have one last glass of water to
pre-game for that water talk we promise is almost here?) Our bodies often think they’re
hungry when they’re actually just thirsty. They get confused. When in doubt, drink. Staying
hydrated helps you feel full and energized. Having a glass of water a half hour before you
eat is another great Full Girl trick. We have a lot more to say about beverages. Actually, you
know what, now seems like a good time to get into that …
let’s talk beverages.
You are what you Drink.
What you drink during the day is just as important as what you eat. This is so important
that we're going to say it again in magical unicorns. What you drink during
the day is just as important as what you eat. You
can completely wreck your Fit Girl goals by packing on extra calories in beverages —
especially in seemingly “healthy” beverages like juice. And don’t even get us started on the
Fit Girl disasters going down at coffee shops right this second. (One drink in particular is
positively shaming the color pink. You know who you are, Drink.)
PASS ON FRUIT JUICES. Fruit juices are exceptionally high in calories and sugar. Like higher
than soda high. “Cray!” Major cray. Even though fruit is a naturally occurring sugar, it’s still
a sugar. Ditch the fruit juice. Don’t worry, we’ll give you plenty of actual fruit in the Meal
Plans. You’ll be well fruit-ed. And actual fruit is more appetite satisfying anyway.
ENJOY COFFEE IN MODERATION. If you’re a coffee drinker, limit coffee to 1-2 small cups
with an optional splash of milk or unsweetened milk alternative. Skip the sugar and faux
sugar. “What!?! No sugar?!? My life is overrrrrr.” You’re fine. Your new Fit Girl body will
convince you you’re fine. Try playing around with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and
extracts like vanilla bean and almond instead.
ENJOY GREEN OR BLACK TEA IN MODERATION. You can also have a few cups of green or
black tea, again with an optional splash of milk or unsweetened milk substitute. Moderate
amounts of coffee and tea can legit make you happier and more productive — and recent
studies have found all sorts of other health benefits to both beverages. Too much caffeine,
though, can make you irritable, lead to overeating and anxiety, and as we already talked
about, wreck your sleep cycle. Reducing caffeine will take a little while getting used to if
you are currently hitting it hard (and you may experience headaches the first few days), but
you got this! (And obv you can also go caffeine-free if you prefer.) Herbal aka non-caffeine
teas are also great to drink. Have as much of them as you want any time of day. There are a
zillion kinds to pick from. We’re currently going through an “anything peach” phase.
PASS ON SUGARS AND SUGAR WANNABES. Skip all beverages with sugar and faux sugar.
This means all sodas and pretty much everything you buy in a bottle or can that isn’t water
or unsweetened iced tea. “But diet soda’s totally chill. Woot!” No. It totally isn’t. Woot!
“You’re mean.” Sry. We’re just trying to help. We’ll talk more about diet soda in a bit.
“FINE BUT CAN I AT LEAST HAVE A DRINK?” Are you 21? "Are you for serious carding me?"
Yes. [Hands over ID.] Oh, you're 24. "Duh." You look really young. "Thanks!" Yeah, you can
drink a tiny little bit. But before we tell you about that you have to read about water. No
skipping ahead.
you and water built
together on your
honeymoon.
P
Water is so fetch!
This is the sandcastle
You love water. You want to marry it. You want to carve your initials in a tree with “+ Water
4evr” and then carve a heart around it with an arrow going through. You and water are like
Allie and Noah without the breakup period because you were not even remotely tempted
by Lon and/or dissuaded by your family’s classist values. “Who the F are Allie and Noah?”
WHAT? Do you not speak girl? The Notebook. Watch it while you stretch. Burn some extra
calories crying your friggin eyes out. You’re welcome. #Gosling #Abs
“Why are you asking me about water? I want to get fit. I don’t care about water.” Aha! We
knew it! You aren’t drinking your water. You probably didn’t even drink the three glasses
we told you to drink before getting to this section. “We were … busy. What’s so great about
water anyway?” Only everything. Water does all sorts of wonders. It makes your skin look
prettier and younger. It makes your kidneys happy. It keeps your digestive system moving.
It makes you less bloated. (Sounds like it would be the opposite, but it’s not. When your
body doesn’t get enough water it retains water.) And like we already talked about, water
helps control your appetite. So start getting down with water ASAP cuz you are totes
gonna marry it and love, honor, and cherish it for the rest of your life and have its babies.
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
YOUR FIT GIRL WATER MISSION. Drink at least 8 cups (64oz) of water a
day, throughout the day. The throughout part is important. That's what
keeps your body energized and from feeling confused about whether it's
hungry or thirsty. If you chug all your water in a couple sittings you'll just
have to go to the bathroom a lot. Boring.
“UGH. DO I HAVE TO COUNT? I HAVE ENOUGH ON MY MIND.” You totes don’t have to
count. Try this trick: Fill two liter-size bottles in the AM. Take them with you and make sure
they’re empty by the end of the day. Voila! No counting! “Uh, you just counted to two.” Yeah,
ok, you have to count to two. Why are you being so snippy? “Because you won’t let me have
sugar or diet soda and you’re making me drink water.” You’re gonna so love us for it in a
month. You’ll see. “Whatever.”
“HOW DO I REMEMBER TO DO THAT CONSISTENT THING?” Try the same method only
draw four evenly spaced marks on each bottle and label them with hours. IE: 7am, 9am,
11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm, 9pm. Just finish each portion of water by the listed time. Happy
dance! (PS: Draw hearts next to the marks to remind you of your goals slash to make your
water bottles look extra adorbs. But don’t accidentally use a dry erase marker because we
did that once and ended up with a lot of ink on our faces and had to completely redo our
makeup and were late to a meeting. #learning #lesson #inkonfacesucks)
drink water like this
girl buys hats.
Did we hear someone say Makeover?!?
Flavor water — it’s not like regular water, it’s cool water! If you’re still freaking out at us for
making you drink water, give flavor water a try. All you do is put a small handful of fruit (or
cucumber or herbs) into water and let it marinate. Add your ingredients the night before
and store it in the fridge for bonus flavor. Wake up to water that tastes magically less like
water! Drink through a cute straw for best results. #yum #awww #adorbs #iwantit
Try whatever flavor combos you want. If it’s a fruit you like in real life, you’ll probably also
like it in flavor water life. You can even drop fruit into a water bottle for flavor water on the
run. Go ahead and eat a tiny handful of the fruit a day — just a tiny handful. We trust you.
!
!
!
*! Origami fruit not recommended.
Our all-time fav flavor water is Spa Water (cucumber, orange,
lemon & lime slices) because 1) it’s delicious and 2) it helps us
make-pretend that our whole life is one big spa experience. For
further spa-delusion fun, cut a couple extra cucumber slices for
your eyes to use during your coconut bubble bath later tonight.
PS: Most store bought flavor waters contain real or faux sugars. Companies are shady with
what they try to pass off as “water” so read labels carefully.
And now it’s time to say goodbye.
… to diet soda. “Not yet. [Chug.] Just one more moment. [Chug.] Have a soul! [Chug, chug,
chug.]” Ok we’re gonna take that can now. Come on. Leggo. Ok. You’re strong. Got it!
Whew. “Diet soda has zero calories. I don’t understand you. I think you’re just trying to
make me sad.” You’re right we’re just trying to make you sad. Here’s your diet soda back.
“Really?” No, not really. “Then like what’s so bad about it?”
First off, you’re pumping a lotta excess carbonation aka air into your tummy, which is
keeping it from being as flat as you want it to be. But that’s not even the real problem. The
real problem is that it’s made with faux sugars. They’re bad news. They come disguised in
cute little “oh look at how adorable I am I have no calories” packages but they mess with
your body — everything from dulling your taste buds to real sugar with their way sweeter
taste to increasing carb and sugar cravings to lowering metabolism.
“So you just want me to like, what, stop?” Yes. 100%. That. “I wouldn’t even know how to
start.” Oooo! Call on us! We’re raising our hand. “Ok, you.” When the need to fizz strikes,
grab an unsweetened flavored bubbly water like Peach Pear La Croix instead. (We really
are in a peach phase.) You’ll still be getting the carbonation, but it’s way better than faux
sugar. Eventually cut back to 2-3 cans a week. “I guess I could tryyyy…” You can more than
try. You can succeed. Fit Girl for the win. “Ok, I have to go now see you later.”
um we can
totally see you.
“So what’s that you said about Alcohol?”
Did you throw out that diet soda? “Yes. Promise. Now tell me more about this drinking!” Since
you've been doing such an amazing job drinking water, limiting your caffeine, and are five
seconds clean from lying to us about your diet soda drinking, we want to make sure you're also
having a little fun this month. (Tweenies, this isn't for you. Close your eyes. “Why?” Because
you're 18 and live in the United States. Go have a Starbucks with your friends and come back
and teach us some new slang, ok? “Totes!” We already know that one. We'll be expecting
something new. [Runs off.] Wait! Sry. Come back! “Yeah?” Go read the UNDER 21 section on the
next page first so you make Fit Girl coffee shop choices! “KK!” xoxo)
DRINKING LIKE A FIT GIRL. All right, legal Fit Girls who like to have a drink, two nights a week
you get to have one — ONE — drink. That's two drinks total a week. And, sups important, it
can't be any drink. Most cocktails are filled with sugars and creams and have more calories than
a meal. They will destroy your Fit Girl dreams. Legit Challenge drinks are drinks under 150
calories. Think: a Corona, a 5oz glass of wine (not a “the bartender thinks I'm hot” glass of wine),
or 1.5oz of hard liquor with club soda & a splash of juice. Yes, we said the J-word. We're not
trying to trick you. A splash is fine to snazzy up your drink.
DRINKING LIKE A FIT GIRL — UNDER 21/NON-DRINKERS EDITION. Hey under-agers and
Fit Girls who don’t like to get their alcohol on. We want you to have two special drinks a
week too! Same rules apply. Under 150 calories, still staying as Clean as possible. If you’re
the proud owner of a coffee-stained “I Heart Coffee” t-shirt, you’ll prob want to use your
drinks at the coffee shop. Skip both the ‘light’ drinks (they’re packed with faux sugar) and
the blendy ones (heavily processed). Lattes and cappuccinos are the most Clean friendly.
Have the barista throw in one packet of honey or agave if you want a little bit of sweet.
Check the calorie info at whatever store you go to. If they don’t have it, you’re always safe
with a 12oz 2% milk latte or cappuccino.
We can’t even drink it. All we can do is look
at it and talk to it like it’s a new friend. Hi
M
new latte foam friend Chet!
“I HATE ALCOHOL AND I HATE COFFEE!” Then whip
yourself up a 150 calorie fruit or protein smoothie!
Most of the ones you get out-and-about have tons of
calories and are made with sugary mixers. You can
make a way Cleaner, yummier one at home.
Kombucha is another fab choice for people who take
to its tang. Another drink we love is a Green Tea Latte
(1t matcha powder + 1 cup any milk + 1t honey). If juice
is legit your special thing, you can use the bonus
drinks to get your fix!
BeVERAgE RecAP
Whew! That was a lot of beverage talk. Let’s recap everything just so we’re all
clear. Like we said, what you drink is as important to getting results as what you
eat. So be super mindful of what you’re drinking during the Challenge.
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
Required 8+ glasses of water a day
Optional 2-3 sparkling waters a week
Optional 1-2 small cups of coffee a day
Optional green, black & herbal tea
Optional two 150 calorie bonus drinks
No diet soda, soda, or sugar water
No fruit juice (except as a bonus drink)
PS: We love to start our mornings with a mug of hot lemon water and you’re
welcome to join us. This simple drink of one tablespoon lemon juice and hot
water is a great way to get the digestive tract going. To protect your teeth from
the citric acid, you can drink it only slightly warmed with a straw.
part iii: exercising
Britney Spears is your Spirit Animal.
We’ll get to the specific Meal Plans a little later, but first let’s talk about the second part of
the Challenge. Exercise! Like we said, Exercise is the cherry on top of the strawberry
smoothie that is Eating. Actually, justa sec. Hold please. We wanna change our metaphor.
Ok, here we go: Exercise is the little blue cocktail umbrella on top of the piggy bank that is
Eating. It may be little but it’s still important — else you just have a piggy bank. All that
stuff we said about speeding up fat loss, building lean muscle tone, maintaining Fit Girl
bods, and making health happy? “Yup. I remember.” Awesome. Ok, so that stuff. That’s the
stuff this section of the Challenge is about.
Don’t worry. It’ll be shorter. Because when you first go
Fit Girl — or are returning to your Fit Girl glory —
what matters most in terms of exercise is super
simple. Moving more and building strength. It’s
important to take it slow if you haven’t been
exercising regularly so you don’t get injured. We want
you to stay healthy so when Day 29 rolls around you
can keep going strong toward your goals!
YOUR CHALLENGE MISSION. Ok, here we go, Fit Girls. Your Challenge exercise mission,
should you choose to accept it (jk we already accepted it for you) is to work out for at least
30 minutes a day, 6 days a week. You have the choice of following our DIY no-equipmentrequired, no-gym-required plan at the end of this section or making your own. You can
split your workout into two 15 minute workouts, three 10 minute workouts, or do it all at
once. As long as you’re getting your heart rate up and adding in some strength training at
least two days a week, we’re happy. (Savvy Girl Tip: Make an exercise plan at the beginning
of the week and write it down. You won't have to think about when you’re going to exercise
— it’ll already be on your fit-genda! Snappity snap snaps. #jazzhands)
YAY LIKING THINGS. It’s way easier to stick to exercise goals when we’re doing things that
we like. We’ve found there are two ways we like exercise. The obv way: When we’re doing
something we enjoy. The non-obv way: When we’re doing something that gives us results
we enjoy or that we know makes us feel great after. In conclusion, if the gym makes you
want to tear your hair out, don’t go there. You have such pretty hair, and you don’t need a
gym to get fit. You just need to get moving.
“WAIT SO WHY IS BRITNEY MY SPIRIT ANIMAL?” Please, grrl, why isn’t she. “Are you
going to take my question seriously?” Yeah. Sry. Um, because she’s amazing to work out to.
Have you ever listened to “Work B**ch!” and not wanted to do a set of crunches? That.
“we’re on a girlventure!”
Operation: Girlventure.
Ok, so if you’re all “but I don’t know what I like, I mean I’ll totally follow your plan for now
but I’d love to actually know what kind of jumping around type things I like” then it’s time
for a Girlventure. Grab a friend! Let's go! There are so many jumping around type things
waiting for you to explore!
Girlventures are a totally optional but completely encouraged part of the Challenge. And
thanks to the Groupon-y websites, there’re tons of fab deals that make it easy to try Fit Girl
things without breaking the Frugal Girl bank — not to mention there’re a lot you can have
right at home. We’re excited for you to figure out what makes your Fit Girl swoon!
Here’re just a few of the many many Girlventures out there for the taking …
If you want to tone up your abs and feel like a kid again, join the adult world hula
hooping fad. Weighted hoops + familiar swirly delights = legit workout.
If you’re tired of walking and want a low-impact cardio alternative, slip on some
skates at your local ice rink. Burns way more calories too.
If you’re feeling sporty, pick a sport. Any sport. The more running around the
better. You can even join a recreational team if you want to go big.
If you’re looking to improve your flexibility and tone up all over, try Vinyasa yoga
aka Power Yoga aka Yoga Flow. It’s the bomb.
If you’re want a killer tummy and lean muscle tone, Pilates. Pilates, Pilates,
Pilates. Nothing does core quite like Pilates. Pilates owns the core.
If you want a big strength challenge, try rock climbing and Boot Camp. (But totes
be prepared to get yelled at at Boot Camp. They aren’t kidding with the name.)
If you’re feeling bouncy, holla trampoline!
If you have some aggression to get out, cardio box.
If you want to reconnect with your childhood dancer self, do it. There are tons of
classes for adult beginners and they’re great for overall fitness. Ballet, jazz,
modern, hip hop, salsa, swing dance, take your pick.
If you want to get your 19th-century on, chop fire wood. (We just wanted to see if
you were still reading but it’s for real intense exercise.)
And as for the at home portion of the Girlventure, there are awesome DVDS for many of
these activities that you can rent online or at your library.
So go forth and Girlventure! The world of fitness is yours! (And the world of fitness is also
yours even when you don’t want to Girlventure. Read on …)
“what? i’m just looking
for more exercise.”
Life, Active Edition.
Look around you. What do you see? Your office? Your dorm room? Your house? Wrong. You
see a calorie-burning jungle gym and it’s always open for business. All the moving around
we do during the day adds up to faster Fit Girldom. You say, “I have to go grocery
shopping.” We hear: “Imma go burn some calories moving around a food maze.” This
doesn’t count as part of your 30 minutes, but every move you make during the day counts
as Fit Girl extra credit. And you know what that means? Yup! MERMAID STICKER!
Easy Ways to Earn Mermaid Stickers
1. TEN OF SOMETHINGS. Take mini-breaks every hour to do Ten of
Something. Esp if you work at a desk. 10 calf raises, 10 wall pushups,
10 desk tricep dips, 10 mini-jumping jacks, 10 standing crunches. So
many options. Our bodies hate sitting around all day. Ten of
Something makes them happy and earns major mermaid stickers.
2. WOBBLE CUSHION. Oh! And have you tried a wobble cushion?
We’re wobbling around on ours right now. It’s a free core workout
and your back will heart you for it. And it makes sitting still more
fun — cuz you don't have to sit still! “Brb Googling that now.” Do it!
3. ATTS. Always Take the Stairs.
4. BAD SPACES ARE GOOD. Park far away when you’re running
errands. Bonus, you don’t have to wait for that chick to pull out of
that space. Double bonus: Nobody scratches your car. (Unless there’s
some jerk going around keying cars that are parked far away.)
5. FLATS ARE FRIENDS. When you wear flats you’re more likely to
walk more during the day. Extra walking is one of the easiest ways
to build up your extra credit bank. #stickerlove
6. THE WALK AND TALK. Have a call to make? Make it on a walk. Can’t
get outside? Do the walk and pace. (Bonus: If you walk briskly and
get your heart rate up this counts as part of your 30 minutes.)
These upcoming two also count as part of your 30 minutes.
“Will you still give me a mermaid sticker?” Sure.
7. FRIEND DATES. Move friend dates from the restaurant to the street.
Walking with a bestie is like getting paid to hang out in exercise
dollars. #freemoney
8. “FRIEND” DATES. Your TV character friends are almost as good of
an exercise distraction as your real ones. Get any last minutes of the
day’s workout in while you zone out.
Tag yourself earning mermaid stickers at #mermaidsticker!
(Legit go buy/make mermaid stickers. Trust us. It’s way fun.)
now presenting …
the d.i.y. home challenge
The 28 Day DIY Home Challenge!
Here it is, Fit Girls, your no-equipment-required, no-gym-required 28 Day Jumpstart
Exercise Challenge! It’s a little bit cardio, a little bit strength, and a lot bit “Imma be a Fit
Girl hella yeah.” And it only requires you to learn 12 moves — 12 amazing moves for getting
toned and slimming down. You’ll see a noticeable change in your body at the end of the
month if you keep up with them — and probably start going around like a frat guy being
all, “Punch me in my strong abs. Srsly. Do it. Punch me.” (We did this once and the person,
not to name names but it was our friend Julia, punched a little too hard and we’ve cooled it
a bit on the “hey punch me in the stomach” game. Let that be a lesson — or go forth and
learn from your own mistakes.)
“WHAT EXACTLY WILL I BE DOING?” We’ve written it all out for you on a calendar that’s
coming up in a couple pages. Cuuuute! (We got a little carried away. Sorry. Kinda. Not really.
We never apologize for crafts.) All you have to do is follow along. You’ll find detailed
descriptions of each exercise as well as pictures to go with them at the end of this section.
The plan is broken up into 5 cardio/strength days, 1 cardio only day, and 1 rest day where
you mill about a field picking wildflowers then stretch a little. (Not really but you can
totally do that if you want.) Let’s talk more about each of these …
CARDIO/STRENGTH DAYS. The days of the week listed as Arms, Booty, Abs, Bootycore,
and Armcore are your cardio/strength days. The days are are, obv, named after the area
we’re targeting each day. These are, not obv, also kinda not. Why? Because the exercises
we’ve picked out for you are amazeballs and all have almost-full body benefits. You’re
welcome. We heart you. And we want you to heart your new body. (PS: Booty day is also
thigh day but booty is so much more fun to say than thigh so that’s why we named it booty
day. Just sayin’. ) These cardio/strength days are the days when you’ll be following the plan
on the calendar. *** Read the pages after the calendar for how to do the DIY Challenge. ***
CARDIO DAY. This is the day you get to pick your choice of 30 minutes of cardio. It can be
an exercise DVD you own and love, a new one you’re trying out, a Girlventure with your
besties, or just a brisk walk. If you’re walking, jog a block every now and then to get more
out of your walk. “Ew.” Or don’t, the brisk walk is fine. “But like maybe I’ll try a couple
blocks of jogging once in awhile.”
Obvs don’t pick wildflowers if
you’re going to this field.
MILL ABOUT THE FIELD/WILDFLOWER DAY. Ok, actually, on the
calendar it’s just called Stroll & Stretch. This is your rest day. It’s
still good to move around a bit and stretch, though. A 15 minute
gentle walk and 15 minutes of stretching will do — 30 of each if
you have a phone call to make and a show to watch is even better.
Def take it easier this day. Your body needs a break.
r
YOU HAVE SUCH NICE FORM. Even if you think you know the moves in our plan,
please hear out what we have to say. Proper form is what makes exercises work. And
prevents injury. Engaging the core is the secret to a lot of proper form — and it helps us
get a flat tummy faster. Shaza. Less reps with good form gets better results than more
reps with bad form.
EXTRA CREDIT. We’ve included some Extra Credit exercises for more experienced Fit
Girls. These are intended for people who are already familiar with the proper form for
these moves. Don’t worry if you don’t know them. If you’re just getting started the
regular program is plenty. Trust us. Your burning inner thighs will tell you that after
those Sumo Squats. If you’re more experience, feel free to add some extra credit on to
our program. “Do I get a —” Yes. You get a mermaid sticker.
THE GOLDEN PINK RULE. The little things you do every day go a long way toward Fit
Girldom. It’s all about sticking with it. Results that we get super quick are usually the
ones that we lose super quick. The Challenge is all about helping you build habits that
will lead to a lasting Fit Girl life. We hope you enjoy the exercise part of the Challenge.
Stay safe, listen to your body, make modifications and/or substitutions for exercises
when you need to — and remember, like anything else, these moves are skills you get
better at with practice. Enjoy the ride, Fit Girls!
“i love your new
workout shoes.”
“thx.”
The d.i.y. home challenge
m
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
ARMS x3
BOOTY x3
5 PUSH UP
20s PLANK
10 MT CLIMBER
8 TRICEP DIP
Day 5
Day 6
ABS x3
BOOTYCORE x3
ARMCORE x3
10 BRIDGE
30s SWIMMER
20s WALL SIT
10 SUMO SQUAT
20s SIDE PLANK
5 ELBOW-KNEE
10 RUSSIAN
15 CRUNCH
10 SUMO SQUAT
20s WALL SIT
20s SIDE PLANK
10 CRUNCH
10 RUSSIAN
8 TRICEP DIPS
15 MT CLIMBER
5 PUSH UP
ARMS x3
BOOTY x3
ABS x3
BOOTYCORE x3
ARMCORE x3
6 PUSH UP
40s PLANK
20 MT CLIMBER
12 TRICEP DIP
12 BRIDGE
30s SWIMMER
30s WALL SIT
12 SUMO SQUAT
40s SIDE PLANK
8 ELBOW-KNEE
15 RUSSIAN
20 CRUNCH
12 SUMO SQUAT
30s WALL SIT
40s SIDE PLANK
15 CRUNCH
15 RUSSIAN
12 TRICEP DIPS
20 MT CLIMBER
8 PUSH UP
ARMS x3
BOOTY x3
ABS x3
BOOTYCORE x3
ARMCORE x3
8 PUSH UP
60s PLANK
30 MT CLIMBER
15 TRICEP DIP
15 BRIDGE
30s SWIMMER
40s WALL SIT
15 SUMO SQUAT
50s SIDE PLANK
12 ELBOW-KNEE
20 RUSSIAN
25 CRUNCH
15 SUMO SQUAT
40s WALL SIT
50s SIDE PLANK
20 CRUNCH
20 RUSSIAN
15 TRICEP DIPS
30 MT CLIMBER
10 PUSH UP
ARMS x3
BOOTY x3
ABS x3
BOOTYCORE x3
ARMCORE x3
10 PUSH UP
80s PLANK
40 MT CLIMBER
20 TRICEP DIP
20 BRIDGE
45s SWIMMER
60s WALL SIT
20 SUMO SQUAT
60s SIDE PLANK
15 ELBOW-KNEE
25 RUSSIAN
30 CRUNCH
20 SUMO SQUAT
60s WALL SIT
60s SIDE PLANK
25 CRUNCH
25 RUSSIAN
20 TRICEP DIPS
40 MT CLIMBER
10 PUSH UP
!
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Day 4
CARDIO
#FitGirlsGuide
CARDIO
CARDIO
#FitGirlsGuide
CARDIO
!
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!
!
!
!
!
!
Day 7
STROLL
+
STRETCH
STROLL
+
STRETCH
STROLL
+
STRETCH
STROLL
+
STRETCH
how to do the
diy home challenge!
Start the stopwatch on your phone.
Then follow these four steps:
#1 Warm Up
#2 Strength
#3 Cardio
#4 Stretch
#1 WARM UP
Put on a song that makes you wanna get up and
jump around, cuz you’re gonna get up and jump
around. Pick any 3 moves from the list below
and switch between them whenever you want
throughout the song. This is a form of active
stretching, ie: stretching through motion. It’s
getting your body warm and loose and giving
you a cardio jolt.
!
The moves you get to pick from …
•Jogging in place while air punching
•Skipping in place & swinging your arms up
•Butt Kickers (kicking your butt as you jog)
•Pretend or real jump roping
•Jumping jacks
•Dancing with lots of arm movements
!
When the song’s over, you’re done! Take a 60
second rest and have a sip of water.
#2 strength
Now comes the strength circuit. “What a circuit?” A circuit’s when you do short bursts of
one exercise and then move on to a few others and then repeat them all again. Your
circuits are the 4 moves on the calendar (with reps that slowly increase throughout the
month as your strength increases) and you will repeat each circuit 3 times, resting for 60
seconds between each. AKA you’re repeating all the moves and all the reps 3 times.
Except for The Swimmer and The Mountain Climber, slowwww is wayyyy better. When
you work slowly, you make your muscles work harder and get more out of the exercises.
You are also less likely to get injured. Slow double wins. #jazzhands
Though we suggest completing the full circuit without breaks and then taking a 60
second break in between, that’s just a goal. Take breaks as often as you need to —
especially when first starting. If you can only do one or two circuits at first, that’s fine.
Stop when your body needs to stop. Don’t move onto the higher rep days until you can do
the lower ones perfectly. It’s ok to repeat weeks multiple times before moving forward.
You definitely want to push yourself, but not to injure yourself. Stay safe, Fit Girls!
#3 cardio
The warm up and circuits won’t ever take you the full 30 minutes (unless you’re listening
to, like, a symphony as your one song warmup). However many minutes are left on your
stopwatch, go do some cardio until you reach 30 minutes. Here are some ways to finish
the rest of your workout:
!
1. GET IT DONE OUTSIDE. Head out for a brisk walk, jog, ride,
!
2. GET IT DONE INSIDE. Stay in and do another couple songs of the
!
3. FINISH IT LATER. You can finish your workout later in the day.
!
skate, or swim. You exercise for the day is now complete!
cardio until you hit your 30 or pop in a fav workout vid. #boom
Like we said, breaking your workout up is peachy with us. (OMG
peaches. Love.)
If you’re going to do your remaining minutes now, wait until you’re done to do The Home
Stretch. If you’re going to go about your day and sneak in the other minutes later, do The
Home Stretch now. Your workout’s not done without it! (PS: For faster Fit Girl results, do
a full 30 minutes of cardio after the warmup and strength circuit.)
#4 stretch
And now we stretch. “Noooo!” Yesssss. Stretching is what means you get to exercise again
tomorrow. Cuz without it you’ll be crazy sore and will not only have a hard time working
out — you’ll have a hard time moving around. Just like what you drink is just as
important as what you eat, stretching is just as important as exercising. Also, it’s part of
exercise. Stretching burns calories. Don’t skimp. (No, stretching doesn’t count as part of
your 30 minutes.)
General rule: Active stretching before you work out and passive stretching (aka
traditional stretching where you hold stretches for 15-30 seconds) after when you’re
super warm. And sneak in as many little stretch breaks throughout the day as you can.
You can stretch just about anywhere — in bed, in the shower, at your desk, waiting in
line. We're stretching right now. Ahhhhh. It feels so good. #mmmmm
All we’re asking is that you stretch for at least one song (can you do two? that’d be rad)
after your circuits. Stretch everything. Relax into your stretches. Enjoy them. You’re
preparing yourself to fight the good Fit Girl fight another day!
the extra credit
These are just a few of our fav exercises to help more experienced Fit Girls kick our exercise
Challenge up a couple notches. Newbies, pls, for reals, don’t try to be a hero(ine) and end up
getting hurt. Our regular program is plenty challenging.
Arms Extra Credit
•
•
•
Add 20 plank jacks into circuit.
Add 10 diamond push ups into circuit.
Add 10 Spiderman push ups into circuit.
Booty Extra Credit
•
•
•
Add 30 calf raises into circuit.
Add 20 regular squats into circuit.
Add 20 clamshells into circuit.
Abs Extra Credit
•
•
Add 10 roll ups into circuit.
Add 30 reverse crunches into circuit.
Bootycore Extra Credit
•
•
Add 20 lunges into circuit.
Add 20 straddle criss-cross leg lifts
into circuit.
Armcore Extra Credit
•
•
•
Add 30 standing crunches into circuit.
Add 10 froggie jumps into circuit.
Add a Pilates 100 at the end of circuits.
Stretch Extra Credit
•
•
10 minutes of foam rolling.
3 songs of stretching.
bed stretching for
serious counts.
This is our imaginary friend Sam.
arms
She’s really good at exercises and
M
will be helping us out.
The P lank
THE PLANK. Start in the top of a pushup then lower to
your elbows. Now, imitate a plank of wood by tilting
your pelvis forward and squeezing your abs. Continue
to squeeze your abs as tight as you can throughout the
whole plank. This is what gets you results and what
keeps your lower back and shoulders safe. No arching
that lower back. Keep your neck in line with your
plank, look between your hands and breathe. (PS: No
booties in the air pls, xoxo.)
THE PUSH UP. First off, you can totally do these with your knees
on the ground. That’s how we still do them most of the time
because it helps us keep perfect form. And that’s what you want
above all with the push up (and everything). Perfect form. Just like
the plank, you’re holding your abs in and making your body one
straight line with no arch in the lower back. (After all, the push up
is a form of plank. It starts and ends in high plank.) Breathe in as
you slowwwly lower down close to the floor and breathe out as you
slowwwly push up. Breathing is the secret to exercise. Your body
can do way more when you feed it air. Learning how to breathe
right will rock your world. (PS: No booties in the air and no
dropping or arching necks xoxo.)
The Push Up
arms
THE MOUNTAIN CLIMBER. Start at the top
of a push up — tummy engaged, one straight
line, you know the drill. Now bring your right
knee up. (Sam is just showing us the
beginning of the motion. She’s going to keep
bringing her knee forward until she touches
the ball of her foot on the ground.) Jump and
switch the position of your legs so the left leg
is bent and the ball of the left foot is touching
the floor. That’s one rep. For this exercise, you
can go faster once you ace the form — just so
long as you keep a perfect plank and keep
your tummy engaged. Cardio + full body
toning = we’re obsessed.
Sam is letting her back
curve and her booty tilt
forward. We keep telling
her about this. Get that
back straight and that
tummy engaged! You want
to be one line straight up and
down. Sam’ll get there.
q
r
e
b
m
i
l
C
n
i
a
t
n
u
o
The M
THE TRICEP DIP. Sit on the edge of something stable.
(We use our couch. Heavy chairs also work.) Slide your
booty off the end and hold yourself up, keeping a teeny
bend in your elbows. You want to be right up against the
couch, chair, whatever. Tummy engaged. (Yes, proper
form makes everything a secret core exercise.) Breathe in
as you dip down until your arms almost make 90 degree
angles. Breathe out as you push back up, still keeping
that tiny bend in the elbows when you reach the top.
Make sure your shoulders stay down and stay pointed to
the wall behind you. #sexyarms
The Tricep
Dip
“we have lifted booties.”
BOOTY
Sam is giving you the thumbs up but you
The Swimmer
M
can keep your palms open if you want.
THE SWIMMER. Nothing like a living room swim to
tone the booty (and everything else). Stretch out like
Superman, arms and legs off the ground. Pull your
abs in as tight as you can, like you’re trying to peel
your belly button off the floor. Now flutter like you’re
swimming! Breath in-2-3-4-5, breathe out-2-3-4-5. (PS:
Keep your shoulders from scrunching up and and
your neck in line like Sam’s.)
THE BRIDGE. Start with your back on the floor and both legs bent on
the ground with your knees together. (Sam is one step ahead of us.)
Arms can be at your sides or out like Sam’s. Lift one leg, keeping it glued
to your other leg. Now slowly raise up into a straight line. Keep your ribs
pulled into your tummy. (Sam rocks this one. Look at how straight she
is.) Squeeze your glutes. Hold for 5 seconds. Slowly lower. If this is too
intense (and it prob will be if you’re brand new to bridges), do a twolegged bridge first. You’ll still get amazing results. It’s almost the same
thing — it just means you’ll be keeping both feet on the ground. You’ll
want to keep them shoulder-width apart for this one. It’s really
important for the bridge that you’re squeezing the glutes and holding
your core super firm and tucked in. (Bonus: Strong glutes keep the
pelvis from tilting and make tummies look flatter.)
The Bridge
BOOTY
The Sumo
THE SUMO. Sumo squats are super fab for your
inner thighs, legs, and booty — and we’re adding in
a calf-toning, cardio-blasting jump! (The jump is
optional for people who want a bigger challenge.)
Stand with your legs wider than shoulder-width and
your feet turned out about 45 degrees. To do the
regular sumo, slowly squat down low (you don’t
have to go down as far as Sam) and slowly come
back up. Breathe. To do the sumo jump, blast off
from the bottom of your squat and land back in a
squat, then take a sec to recover and blast off again
and land back in a squat. Start with the basic sumo
and see how it goes, then build in the jump if you
can! (PS: Keep your abs engaged.)
THE WALL SIT. “You just want me to sit with my
back against a wall? [eye roll]” Yeah, go try it then
come back and mock us. 30 seconds later: “OMG my
legs! My legs! I'm sorry I mocked you.” We forgive
you. Yes, this exercise is just sitting with your back
against a wall, legs at a perfect 90 degree angle,
tummy engaged, upper body one straight line. But
it's got major punch. (PS: You'll get through it
easier if you breathe. “You guys are like obsessed
with breathing.” Um, yeah.)
The Wall
Sit
“hahahaha. we’re so silly.”
“and fit.”
Sam is doing extra credit. You can absolutely
abs
keep both feet on the ground, either on top of
The Side P lank
r
each other or one in front of the other.
THE SIDE PLANK. Lay on your side then push up on
your forearm. Now you’re a plank of wood on its side!
Belly button and ribs pulled in super tight, head in line
with everything else. Squeeze those abs so hard you
think your belly button’s gonna make out with your
spine. (PS: When we do two-leg Side Plank, we add
small hip dips to work our obliques even harder. All
you do is dip your hips a few inches, then raise them
back to starting position. #sexywaist)
THE ELBOW TO KNEE. This is another one that’s gonna whittle in
your obliques, as well as work your entire core and get a little arm
action in. Start at the top of a push up — aka high plank. Ribs
pulled in, tummy engaged, shoulders not scrunched up. Keeping
your perfect form, bring you right knee toward your left elbow.
Actually touch it to your elbow if you can without losing your
form. Then repeat, left knee to right elbow. That’s one rep. If you
want to start with something a little easier, do same elbow to
same knee. To get even more out of this exercise, hold each
position for three seconds. (PS: Remember to squeeze your abs
the entire time. That’s when the magic happens. The magic of flat
abs! #weheartmagic)
e
e
n
K
o
t
w
o
b
l
The E
abs
Sam got tired and had to
take a break. This is our
other imaginary friend,
Sam. Tip: Don’t name
both your imaginary
friends the same name. It
feelings get hurt.
q
gets really confusing and
The Russian Twist
THE RUSSIAN TWIST. There are two ways to do this. Our
buddy Sam is doing the advanced way where you lift your
feet off the floor. Go ahead and try that if keeping your feet
on the ground gets too easy for you. Remember: Form first!
It’s way more effective to do a basic version of an exercise
well than an advanced version sloppy. To do the Russian
Twist, sit on the floor leaning slightly back with your back
completely straight and tummy pulled in tight tight tight.
Now twist from one side then the other keeping your legs
perfectly still. That’s one rep. All the movement is coming
from your core. This takes practice to master. Don’t be
frustrated if your legs want to move at first. As you learn to
engage your abs harder, you’ll be able to keep your legs
stiller. This is an awesome exercise worth investing
practice time in!
THE CRUNCH. Last but not least, The
Crunch. Ah, the poor misunderstood crunch
that gets done in terrifying, neck-hurty ways
— ways that don't even properly engage the
abs. Here's a path to a healthier crunch: Get
in crunch position on the floor. Now, adjust
your shoulders further back to stretch out
your spine as long as you can. This is going to
help you engage your deep abs, the ones that
make tummies flat. Nature's own Spanx. Pull
your ribs like we've been doing in the other
exercises and engage your lower abs as tight
as you can. Bend your elbows and put your
hands to the outside of your ears, not behind
your neck. You're not gonna be using those
arms at all. These crunches are all abs, Fit
Girls. We're not doing a lot, but we're doing
the good ones. Stay looking at the ceiling
and breathe out as crunch to lift your
shoulders off the floor. They may not come
off very far at first. That's ok.The ab squeeze
alone is a workout! (Last exercise! You made
it through! Go team!)
rest day.
namaste
As a parting thought before we get into the Challenge, a little Sun Salutation fun for our
Yogi friends. Add 3-5 rounds into your day as a morning wakeup, an evening rejuvenation, or
a post-workout meditative stretch — or all three!
The Sequence: Mountain Pose, Chair Pose, Forward Fold, Halfway Lift, Chaturanga, Upward Dog, Downward Dog, Warrior 1,
Chatarunga, Upward Dog, Downward Dog, Warrior I, Chatarunga, Halfway Lift, Forward Fold, Chair Pose, Mountain Pose
get ready for takeoff!
part iv: the meal plans
Nutrition Information
If made according to our exact recipes, the Meal Plan averages 1450 calories a day
(that includes your daily 60 calories of chocolate and two 150 calorie weekly bonus
drinks). The breakfasts in the Challenge are approximately 350 calories. The lunches are
400 calories. The dinners are 400 calories. The snack is 200 calories.
This is not enough for everyone.
If you are pursuing a hardcore exercise regimen or need more calories for any reason,
add calories to the plan by adding additional snacks. If you know you need a 1250
calorie plan, skip the snack. 1200 is the lowest calories recommended for a woman and
we only recommend that if you know you need a 1200 calorie plan for a particular
reason. Eating too few calories does not help your progress. It slows it down.
You can mix-and-match any of the meals from different weeks or sub Clean meals of
your choice. You can switch the order of your meals. Do whatever you feel is best for you.
This is your plan. The Challenge is a guideline to a new life not a rulebook.
‘Sup Guys? Men following the program with their women should add additional
snacks or have larger portions of meals. Most men prefer 1800-2000 calories if trying to
lose weight alongside their ladies, more if they’re just trying to eat healthier.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have any special medical conditions, consult
your doctor for medical advice before beginning a diet or exercise program.
How to Measure fOOd
The recipes in the Meal Plans have been carefully portioned so that you can have
maximum taste and get maximum results. But this only works if you follow our recipes
super duper carefully like your Challenge results depend on it. Because they do. So,
Fit Girls, get out your measuring cups and spoons and scales and let’s rock this mother
Beyoncé style! (PS: C means “cup” and is an American unit of measurement. Use a free
online metric converter if joining us from abroad!)
All recipes in the Meal Plan are for one serving for one person. All grocery lists
are also for one person. If you are cooking for two, double the amount of produce you
purchase and use your best judgment concerning the other ingredients.
Lightly place grains and shredded cheese into measuring cups, don’t pack them
down. Packing things down drastically alters portion size. Make sure your tablespoon
and teaspoon measurements are exact, not heaping. “T” means tablespoon and “t”
means teaspoon. It’s important not to confuse the two. (Cute Tip: The little “t” is the
littler measurement! #aww) When ingredients are listed as “prepared” or “cooked” it
means you measure them after they’re cooked.
It’s ok if fruit and veggie measurements overflow a bit, except for avocado and
potato. The main reason to stick closely to veggie quantities in the recipes is so that
everything in the recipe assembles properly. Hungry Girl Tip: Adding extra veggies to
meals and snacks is a great low-calorie way to add extra food to your day!
How to SuCCeed
1. Read the whole book. You won’t get all the info you need from just this section.
It’s a quick read! Lotsa pictures! You’ll have fun. Cross our hearts. It’s also very helpful to
read through each week’s Meal Plan before starting each week.
2. Make it your own. Use the substitution lists on the following pages to change
up any ingredients you want or anything that’s not in season near you. Again, the
Challenge is a guideline to a new life not a rulebook.
3. Don’t compare yourself to others. Girls who have previously been eating
high calorie processed food diets will notice more drastic immediate results than girls
who have already been eating similarly to this book. Everyone starts from a different
place, has a different body type, and a different metabolism. No two women make the
same exact progress. Embrace your own journey so you can cheer on others!
4. Lay off the scale. Reminder: End the tyranny of daily weigh ins. Weigh yourself
once a week maximum or skip it all together. If you are pursuing an intense workout
plan that involves strength training, the scale is not your friend. You will gain muscle as
you lose fat. Use multiple measurements to track your progress not just a scale.
5. Do. Not. Quit. Everything’s not going to go perfect. It’s ok! Pick yourself up and
keep going. Be super duper nice to yourself. You’re building a new healthy life! This is
about way more than the 28 Days. Whatever you do, do not quit. Do not quit, do not
quit, do not quit. Even if you follow the Challenge 25% that’s still a HUGE DEAL. That’s
an amazing accomplishment!
How to Contact Us
Please contact us at pink@fitgirlsworldwide.com with your order number
if you need to get in touch during the Challenge. We respond within 48 hours. We
do not use our Insta DM due to the spam we receive as a large page. Please do not
use the comments section on posts to ask questions since we don’t see all of them.
We want to make sure we see your message!
Everything we have to say about substitution questions is right here in the
book on the following pages. We’re sorry but we cannot answer individual
questions about substitutions as we have literally put all our advice right here and
have no more advice to offer beyond this. You have all the tools you need to
succeed! The Meal Plan is totally customizable. If an ingredient you want to sub for
isn’t listed use a free online calorie counter to look up the calories in the ingredient
and sub something of equal calories. There are also bonus alternate meals located
within the weekly Meal Plans that you can use as meal substitutes whenever you
want. Follow the guidelines and you’ll be totally awesome!
m
SUBSTITUTES
Chicken
120 calories of any alternate protein
Eggs
60 calories of any alternate protein per egg
Sliced Turkey
30 calories of any alternate protein per 1oz turkey
Greek yogurt
Regular plain yogurt if necessary,
but nothing matches the protein of Greek style
Cheese
Equal calories of alternate protein or non-dairy Cheese
Ricotta cheese
Same quantity cottage cheese
Vegetables
Same quantity of any alternate vegetable
except potatoes or sweet potatoes
Sweet Potato
Same quantity regular potato, equal calories protein,
or twice as many other vegetables of your choice
Fruit
Equal calories of any alternate fruit
Pomegranate Seeds
1/3 cup of extra veggies
“I can’t find a good avocado!”
Same quantity of store-bought guacamole
“I’m allergic to avocado!”
25 calories of whatever you want per 1T avocado
m
SUBSTITUTES
Brown Rice
Equal quantity of quinoa or black rice
Quinoa
Equal quantity of brown rice or black rice
Polenta
1/2 cup pasta, quinoa, or brown rice
Whole Wheat Products
Use regular versions if you can't find whole wheat
English Muffin
Equal calories whole wheat bread
Almond Butter
Any other nut butter
Almond Milk
1% milk or any unsweetened alternative milk
Nuts
Equal calories of any non-nut ingredient
Honey
Same quantity of agave or maple syrup
Beans
Equal calories of anything you prefer
“My ingredient isn’t listed.”
Look up the calories in the ingredient you want to replace
and use something of equal calories.
“I don’t like this meal.”
If you ever don't like a meal, do the Build-A-Bowl from
Week Four, sub another Meal Plan meal, or create your own!
m
SUBSTITUTES
Gluten Free
Sub gluten-free breads, pastas, and oat products for the ones
in our plan. Read labels carefully. Skip white rice-based
products and get ones made from brown rice, quinoa, and
bean flours. We love eating gluten-free products.
!
(PS: You also have the option to substitute equal calories of
brown rice, black rice, or quinoa for bread products. Our bread
dishes taste great “bowl style” too! Anyone who prefers
quinoa and rice to bread can do this too!)
To Soy or No to Soy?
That is the Fit Girl question. There's a lot of conflicting
research on soy and people have different experiences with
how it makes them look and feel. We find it makes us
lethargic and bloated and stick to an almost totally soy-free
diet. But if you're vegan or vegetarian you're going to need to
make protein substitutions in the Meal Plan and a lot of
protein substitutes contain soy. So we want to talk about your
best options, both soy and soy-free. See the next page for all
the details!
m
SUBSTITUTES
Soy Protein
If you have a positive relationship with soy, you can sub
in tofu, tempeh, and edamame for Meal Plan proteins.
Avoid meat-imitation products. They’re processed veg
junk food. Stick to the pure stuff. Organic soy veggie
burgers made with whole grains are ok, too, but most of
them have much less protein and higher calories than
tofu, tempe, and edamame and are more like eating a
grain than a protein.
Other Veg Protein
Unsweetened pea, rice, and hemp protein powders are
rad. Vegetarians can also eat extra eggs and Greek
yogurt, as well as whey protein. Nuts and beans have
some protein in them, but not nearly as much as these
others. We encourage non-soy vegans to have one
protein shake a day to keep up with their protein points.
(Actually they’re called protein grams but protein points
sounds funner. Like we’re playing a food game with prizes
— which we totally are.)
go after your goals!
(Get it? Hearts!)
Snack Time!
Each week’s menu has one 200 calorie snack a day. Pick one from the
options below or design your own Clean snack that’s 200 calories! You
can also split your snack up into two 100 calorie snacks if you want!
Sweet
1 cup frozen grapes and
1 piece of string cheese
200 calorie store bought protein
or snack bar
1/2c cottage cheese and
1 cup of diced pineapple
200 calorie protein shake
Two Doughettes
(recipe on the next page!)
Savory
Nutty
150 calories hummus and all the
raw veggies you can eat with it
200 calories edamame
100 calories tuna and 100
calories whole grain crackers
Rice cake with 1/4 avocado, 1 egg
& crushed red pepper flakes
200 calorie salad w/protein
Two celery spears with
2T peanut butter
22 cashews or 28 almonds
100 calorie bag of popcorn
and 14 almonds
1 banana and 1T nut butter
mashed together and frozen (you
can melt and drizzle your
chocolate square on top!)
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
!
G
t
i
F
#
e
d
i
u
ir lsG
Chocolate Chip Cookie
Doughettes !
Mix 1/3 cup almond butter or peanut butter,
2T honey, 1t vanilla extract and a pinch of
salt in a bowl. Pour in 1/2 cup oats (whole or
lightly ground in a food processor) and 2T
mini-chocolate chips or finely chopped dark
chocolate. (Or raisins if you want.) Mix it all
up. Using your hands is totally allowed.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (No, staring at
the fridge will not make time go faster.) Use
a tablespoon to measure out portions of
dough and roll them in your hands into
perfect little Doughettes.
You can also roll them in some sprinkles if you're feeling extra adorable. (You'll have to press
them into the sprinkles to get the sprinkles to stay on. Don't be shy!) Store in the Fridge
Nutrition Note: We measured ours in slightly heaping tablespoons and got 10 Doughettes out of
the batch. If making 10 per batch, these come out to almost 90 calories per Doughette (100 if
adding sprinkles). #FitGirlsDeserveCookieDoughToo
PHOTO IDEAS
Grocery haul
crazy location wall sits
GOAL HEART
Mermaid stickers
meal prep
mani/pedi
dOODLES and drawings
two week progress pic
lunchbox notes
note jar
fOOD
Bff
vision board
swolemate
pretty water
same outfit progress
Fit Girl Mastot
(aka pet)
fun videos
anything else you want!
week one
Week One Menu
!
BREAKFAST
Cherry Pie Fridge Oats
!
LUNCH
Roasted Veggie Power Bowl
!
SNACK
200 Calorie Snack
!
DINNER
Sweet Potato Street Tacos
(Day 1/3/5/7)
aa
a
!
Pita Pizza Party
(Day 2/4/6)
a
Grocery List
1 bag spinach
1 bag kale
1 bell pepper
1 avocado
1 container mushrooms
2 sweet potatoes
1 container pre-diced onion
2 apples
1 package strawberries
vegetables for roasting
* 1 dozen eggs
2 16oz 2% Greek yogurts
* 1 brick mozzarella cheese
1 container hummus or dressing
7 3oz servings of chicken
1 can black or any kind of beans
1 jar marinara sauce
1 unsweetened almond milk
or any milk of your choice
1 pkg whole wheat pitas (160 cal)
1 pkg hard or soft corn tortillas (60 cal)
1 bag frozen cherries
* brown rice
* 1 bag old fashioned or rolled oats
* 1 bottle Cholula or jar of salsa
* 1 bar 85% dark chocolate
* 1 bag chia seeds (recommended)
* 1 jar almond butter (recommended)
!
!Stock your pantry with olive oil, balsamic,
!honey, garlic powder, fresh ground pepper,
!cumin, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg,
!cayenne pepper & cooking spray.
a a
!
!
Don’t forg
et to add
!
your
Ingredients with a * also
be used in future weeks!
snacks!
a
Look for bread products that say ‘whole wheat
flour.’ ‘Wheat flour’ means white flour. White
flour technically comes from wheat so they’re
not lying lying but they’re being tricky. (I know
tricks. Do you want to see my #tricks?!)
Look for marinara sauces with as few
ingredients as possible. I don’t recommend
using the same jar of marinara after a week.
Buy bricks of mozzarella cheese and shred
your own. Pre-shredded cheese has a bunch of
extra ingredients in it. Also, it doesn’t last as
long. Also it’s not as #delicious.
Don’t use fat free dairy products because they
aren’t as satisfying and typically have more
additives. My motto: “Use less dairy, use the
good stuff. #Arf!”
Trader Joe’s is a great place to get swank deals
on a lot of the ingredients in the Meal Plans, if
you have one nearby. They also make a
delightful creamed honey.
#Remembs the Internet is your bro. They’ll
hook a dog (or human) up with anything.
This is our other
assistant, Bentley.
He likes chasing his
tail and picking out
ripe avocados.
M
Shopping Tips from Bentley.
Frozen fruits and veggies are fine when you
don’t have access to fresh. Just make sure they
don’t have added #sugar and #salt.
Ricotta is best used within 3-5 days of opening,
that’s why you’ll need 2 containers during
Weeks Two and Four. Try to find a friend — or
even a sworn #enemy — who wants to share!
I buy fruits and veggies twice a week. Because
my cart is small. Also because I like them extra
#fresh. Also I like extra #. #hashtag #lol
PS: Bread products in grocery lists and on
recipes are labeled with calorie counts to give
you an idea of what portion size we used.
itG
#F
ide
Gu
irls
mmmmm. water.
Week One Meal Prep
THE NIGHT BEFORE DAY 1
Make 3 Cherry Pie Fridge Oats and 7 hard-boiled eggs.
Make 3 Roasted Veggie Power Bowls. Ziplock makes a Frugal Girl version of
divided storage containers. (That’s what we used in the pictures!) We
recommend investing in four for easy lunch meal prep.
Prep the strawberries and sweet potatoes for 2 days of Street Tacos and prep the
bell pepper and grate the cheese for 1 day of Pita Pizza Party. (Prep just means
to cut them so they’re quicker to use later!)
•
•
a
a
•
•
•
•
a
THE NIGHT OF DAY 3
Make 3 Cherry Pie Fridge Oats.
Make 4 Roasted Veggie Power Bowls. (The Mayo Clinic does not recommend
keeping leftovers for more than 4 days, so don’t do all 7 at once.)
Prep the strawberries and sweet potatoes for 2 days of Street Tacos and prep the
bell pepper and grate the cheese for 2 days of Pita Pizza Party.
THE NIGHT OF DAY 6
Make 2 Cherry Pie Fridge Oats. (Yes, this means 8 total. You’re making one extra
for Day 1 of Week Two. We’ll explain at the beginning of Week Two!)
•
“weee! i’m getting fit!”
BREAKFAST — WEEK ONE
Cherry Pie Fridge Oats
! ! !
! ! 1/3c
1/3c
1/2c
1t
1/2T
1t
1/2c
old fashioned or rolled oats
unsweetened almond milk
2% plain Greek yogurt**
chia seeds (optional)
almond butter (optional)
honey
chopped frozen cherries
e
d
i
u
G
s
l
r
i
G
t
i
F
#
Refrigerator oatmeal is one of our fav foods and we’re super excited to share it. It’s like
having dessert for breakfast! #yesplease You can make it with any fruit you want. See
Week Three for more varieties! Fridge Oats are eaten cold and made the night before.
They stay good for up to three days. (**While we strongly recommend plain, you can
use vanilla Greek yogurt and skip the honey if you’re not ready to take the plunge. If
omitting the chia and almond butter you have 70 extra calories to use during your day.)
Our favorite way to make refrigerator oatmeal is in an adorbs small mason jar, but a
bowl works just as well. Layer the uncooked oats first then the milk, chia seeds, honey,
almond butter, Greek yogurt, and cherries. Stir everything together. A butter knife
works great for this if you’re using a jar. (We left it as a parfait because it looks cuter.)
Cover and put in the fridge. All you have to do is take it out in the AM and eat it.
Ultimate Lazy Girl breakfast. (PS: The jar in the picture is a 12oz Ball Quilted Jelly Jar.)
BREAKFAST — WEEK ONE
“Help! I Don’t Like Refrigerator Oatmeal!”
Many girls get so addicted to Fridge Oats that they ask us if they can eat them the whole
Challenge. (The answer is: “Yes, you can.”) If you’re one of the ladies who doesn’t vibe with
them you have loads of options. Try these: 1) Blend everything into a shake. 2) Sub 100
calories of granola or cereal for the oats and make a parfait. 3) Make the oatmeal hot, top
with the fruit, and have the yogurt and honey as a side. 4) Make the breakfast from Week
Two or Week Four. 5) Have any 350 calorie breakfast you love! #weeeeee
Smart Girl Tip:
After taking the foil off the 16oz yogurt
container, draw an X on the top of the
yogurt with a spoon. Scoop out one of
the four sections. It’s a prefect 1/2c
serving. No messy measuring cups!
You’ll have exactly the amount of yogurt
you need for all eight breakfasts.
Vegan Fridge Oats
Vegan Fridge Oats are just as yum as
their dairy cousins! Just cut out the
Greek yogurt (obv) and use an extra 1/3c
almond milk. Don’t use non-dairy
yogurt. It’s loaded with sugars and not
very high in protein. Add a 100 calorie
protein shake on the side instead so you
start your day off with the same jolt of
protein that’s in the original recipe!
“please. i never rush
through a meal.”
#FitGirlsGuide
LUNCH — WEEK ONE
Roasted Veggie Power Bowl
! ! !
! ! 3oz
1/3c
2T
1c
3T
prepared chicken breast
prepared brown rice
your favorite hummus
roasted veggies
canned black beans*
cooking spray
your choice of spices
handful of steamed kale
hot sauce (optional)
Lunch Box Note
Feeling powerful? You will be after you eat this bowl loaded with filling protein, whole
grains, veggies, and beans — and it’s great for lunch on the go! It’s also a terrific detox
lunch as you begin your journey to Clean Eating. To pack ahead, arrange all the
ingredients in the container (that’s paprika we put on the hummus and cracked pepper
on the chicken) and stir together in any combo you want when lunchtime comes, using
the hummus as your dressing. (Tip: Sub 60 calories dressing if you don’t like hummus.)
The Roasted Veggie Power Bowl is great cold or heated, depending on your mood.
Keep reading to see how all the ingredients break down. These are some of the staples
of Fit Girl friendly eating that we’re going to come back to throughout the Meal Plans,
so we’re taking a few extra moments to explain them. Don’t worry, almost all the other
recipes in the Meal Plans will only be one recipe card. Cross our hearts!
!
* You can use 1/2c rice instead of 1/3c rice if you don’t like beans.
LUNCH — WEEK ONE
KALE. Kale is one of the super raddest of veggies. It has all sorts of vitamins and
minerals that make for healthy bodies and glowing skin. It’s like hyper-spinach. It’s
hearty and versatile and comes in a variety of types. (Don’t worry, Spinach. We still
heart you and will prove it by putting you in some of our recipes too.)
Here’s how to steam kale: Put a steamer basket in a pot, add a couple inches of water,
and toss in your kale. (Kale also comes out fine if you don’t have the basket, in our
opinion.) Cover and bring to a boil. You can throw in a finely chopped clove of garlic for
extra flavor, which is delish. Let cook about 8 minutes, until the kale is bright green.
You can cook less if you want a crunchier kale or more if you want a softer kale. Give it a
taste test and find the kale that you like best. (Rhymes!) Cooked kale is great hot or
cold and an awesome way to add veggies to almost any dish. (PS: We find raw kale a
little too prickly for our taste but if you like it raw, feel free to use it that way, too!)
BROWN RICE. We use microwavable bags of organic brown rice when we’re feeling
Lazy Girl and make rice in our rice cooker when we’re not. (Although the rice cooker is
so easy it’s basically still Lazy Girl.) You can also cook rice on your stove or use boil-inbag. Just make sure it’s brown rice. That’s the good stuff. You’re welcome to add any
spices or herbs to your rice, just no oils. Cilantro and a squeeze of lime makes a great
combo, fresh dill is yummy too. Have fun experimenting! Whatever form of rice you
choose, follow package directions for prep.
LUNCH — WEEK ONE
CHICKEN. Chicken is a terrific source of lean protein for non-veg Clean Eaters. It’s
another versatile power food that you can dress up or down according to your mood.
And — Lazy Girl cheat — a lot of grocery stores sell prepared chicken strips in the
fridge section. Applegate Naturals makes yummy organic ones. Just make sure
anything you buy is unbreaded and unfried and doesn’t have added sauces.
If you're preparing your own chicken, you can use any spices, herbs, citrus, or lowsodium (under 100mg) flavor rubs that you want with 1t olive oil. We like making
chicken on our mini-electric plate grill (holla George Foreman!) and in our crock pot.
(Marinara sauce + chicken breasts in crock pot = yum.) Changing up your chicken
seasoning drastically changes the taste of the power bowl and adds variety to the week!
Here are a couple simple 1-2 hour marinades we enjoy …
FRESH: 1T lemon juice, 1t olive oil, pinch of pepper & fresh parsley
TANGY: 1t balsamic, 1t olive oil, pinch of pepper, paprika & garlic
SPICEY: 1T lime juice, 1t olive oil, cayenne, cumin & garlic
Remember to be über food-safety conscious when handling raw chicken. If you’re not
familiar with raw chicken safety, study up on it before making chicken. Salmonella is
no joke. The government’s food safety website (foodsafety.gov) has great resources,
especially their essay “Chicken from Farm to Table.” Check it out! We want our Fit Girls
to be Safe Girls. (PS: We love recycling, but never re-use used marinades.)
“we wrote you a new warm up song.”
LUNCH — WEEK ONE
ROASTED VEGGIES. No veggie tops a roasted veggie, at least in our humble opinion.
They’re so delish they’re worth making the kitchen toasty for even in summer. We used
cauliflower, mini-zucchini, and pre-cut butternut squash in the picture, but you can
choose another 3 veggies if you like (except any kind of potato).
Other suggested roasting veggies:
mushrooms
broccoli
asparagus
zucchini
tomatoes
carrots
bell peppers
yellow squash
eggplant
Here’s how to roast veggies: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut your veggies into
even pieces for even roasting. Cover a jelly roll pan or baking sheet with parchment
paper (for super easy cleanup), spray with cooking spray, and spread the veggies out in
a single layer. If you put them on top of each other they steam rather than roast and
you don’t get the deliciousness. Just spray the veggies with cooking spray and sprinkle
with garlic powder. Add in a little onion or sprigs of rosemary for extra flavor. Roast for
15 minutes. Check to see if the bottoms are browned and they’re to your desired
tenderness. If not, give them a couple more minutes and check again.
#RoastedVeggies4Life (That’s not a real hashtag we want you to use, that’s just how we
feel about roasted veggies.)
LUNCH — WEEK ONE
LUNCH BOX NOTES. “What? That’s not a food!” No, it’s not, but it’s part of your lunch
recipe! We know you’re looking at your heart everyday and keeping your eye on your
goals, but we want to make sure you’re giving yourself a little extra special
encouragement throughout the day as well! Each day, write a new positive energy note
to yourself and pack it with your lunch. Keep it in at your desk or in your purse or
pocket (if your outfit has one — not enough girl clothes have pockets, right?) and look
at it throughout the day. At the end of the day put your note in an empty jar. It’s your
Spirit Jar of awesome energy that you’ll keep adding to as the month goes on!
Remember to keep your notes positive. Write whatever it is you think you need to hear
that day to keep going.
“IS THAT YOUR DARK CHOCOLATE I SEE?” Obvi! We never leave home without it! We
even broke it into four smaller pieces for maximum savorage. If you’re heating your
bowl, just remember to take it out first or else it’ll be a puddle. We did that once. It was
still delicious, but I don’t think the way we licked it out of the container would have
made Audrey proud.
m
Can’t wait to see what you write and cook up! m
LUNCH — WEEK ONE
One Meal / Many Ways
Pasta Primavera Bowl
There are endless ways to add variety to
the roasted veggie power bowl by using a
different protein, a different bean (just
use the same quantity of any bean you
want), a different sauce, and changing up
the veggies you roast mid-week. If you
want specific ideas, try one of these!
To make this version, all you have to do is
add a box of whole wheat or gluten-free
pasta to your grocery list. You have all the
other ingredients! Sub 1/3 cup cooked
pasta, 1/4 cup marinara, and 2T
mozzarella cheese for the hummus, rice
and beans. Mix it all together and —
hello Italian deliciousness!
“I Love Potatoes!” Bowl
Sub 2/3 cup of diced potato (any kind of
potato you like!) for the rice and black
beans. Sauté the potatoes with 1t olive
oil, garlic, and fresh ground pepper. Serve
hot with the roasted veggies, kale,
protein and hummus or dressing.
#spudlove #owningthepotatocraving
Faux-Potle Bowl
Burrito Bowl in da houseeeeee! Sub
lettuce for the kale and 2T cheese & 2T
salsa for the hummus. Add cilantro and a
squeeze of lime to your brown rice and
chop your protein into cubes. Your Frugal
Girl fast food is served!
raise your hand if
you like bubble baths.
“i do!”
#FitG
ir lsG u
ide
DINNER 1/3/5/7 — WEEK ONE
Sweet Potato Street Tacos
! ! !
! ! 2
3T
1/2c
1c
1/2c
2T
corn tortillas (60 cal each)
mozzarella cheese
sweet potatoes
baby spinach
mushrooms
chopped onion
5
1
1t
2
1t
sliced strawberries
hardboiled egg (not pictured)
olive oil
slices avocado (or 2T guac)
hot sauce (or 2T salsa)
spices
It’s BYOTS (Be Your Own Taco Stand) week! This is another recipe you can make a ton of
diff ways. We’re currently hearting this one, and not just cuz it's pretty. But that too.
Coat a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray. Sauté mushrooms and onions for 2-3
minutes. Add sweet potatoes, olive oil, and a small sprinkle of cumin, oregano, and garlic
for a taco flavor. Cayenne too if you want a little spice. (Tip: We partially pre-cook our cut
sweet potatoes in the microwave for easier sautéing. 1-2 minutes in a bowl with a splash of
water does the trick.) Sauté a few more minutes until everything is a nice golden brown,
stirring occasionally. When the veggies are almost done, add the spinach. It will quickly wilt
before your eyes. When it does, you’re done!
Set the veggies aside and put the corn tortillas in the pan (which will have a little oil left in
it). Sprinkle half the mozzarella cheese on one side of each shell and heat on medium.
Cook until melted and the tortillas are soft. Fill with veggies, avocado, and hot sauce or
salsa. Enjoy with a side of strawberries sprinkled with cinnamon and a hard-boiled egg!
DINNER 1/3/5/7 — WEEK ONE
Adventures with Hard-Boiled Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are one of a Fit Girl's power secrets. They're cute little portable protein
capsules that are perfect for snacking or pumping up any meal. Lazy Girl Tip: You can buy
ready-made hard-boiled eggs at the grocery store, but they're really quite simple to make once
you get the hang of it — and a lot cheaper. Just put your eggs in a pot of cold water. Make sure
there's about an extra inch of water on top of the eggs. Bring the water to a boil without the lid.
Once the water's boiling, boil for exactly 1 minute. Take off the heat and cover. Leave covered for
20 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. You can eat them right away or store them in the
fridge for later. We love making multiple days of eggs at a time. It's a great way to cut down on
meal prep time. (Psssst. Food Safety Tip: The FDA advises to eat hard-boiled eggs within one
week, so don't make too many at once.)
Shirts v. Skins
“I’m too hungry to cook!”
Yup, that’s right. we left our sweet
potato skins on. If you’ve never left them
on before, give it a whirl. It’s not only
one less prep step, sweet potato skins
are loaded with nutrients and tastiness!
Sometimes so are we. Why don’t you see
the hard-boiled egg in the picture? Um,
because we ate it while we cooked dinner.
A little protein is a great way to tide
yourself over while you fix up your tacos!
A SPECIAL MeSSAgE AbOuT AVOCADoS
Avocados are not only hella good, they’re also loaded with potassium, amino acids, and the
healthy monounsaturated fats that your body needs. Since we’ll be using a lot of avocado in
the coming weeks, we wanted to share a few avocado tips for your Challenge journey.
TO TELL IF RIPE. Ripe avocados have a slight softness when you give them a gentle squeeze.
If they feel super soft, they’re rotten. You can also pop off the little stem button on top if it’s
still there. A ripe avocado will be green underneath the stem. If it’s brown underneath,
that’s a rotten one. It’s fine to buy hard avocados and wait for them to ripen at home.
TO RIPEN FASTER. Put the avocado in a brown paper bag with a banana or apple and store
at room temperature. Ta-dahhhh! Magic! (Actually, it’s science. The ethylene of the bananas
and apples helps the avocado ripen faster.) Note: Avocados will not ripen once cut open, like
most other fruit. (Yeah, avocado’s a fruit! It’s nicknamed the “Alligator Pear” because it looks
like if a pear got dressed up in alligator skin. Ok, we know too much about avocados, we’re
gonna stop now.)
TO CUT. Cut your avocado in half. Take the half without the pit in the palm of your hand.
Slice or cube it inside the shell with a dull knife. Scoop out the part you want with a spoon.
It’ll scoop out in cute little pieces. You’ll get the hang of cutting pretty avocado in no time!
TO STORE. Store with the pit still in the avocado and wrap it in foil. If you only use part of
the non-pit half, put the halves back together before wrapping. #avolove
don’t forget your zzz’s.
(Lion cub and lamb optional.)
#Fi
tG i
r lsG
uide
DINNER 2/4/6 — WEEK ONE
Pita Pizza Party
! ! !
! ! 1
whole wheat pita bread (160 cal)
3-4T your favorite marinara sauce
1/4c shredded mozzarella
1/4c diced mushrooms
handful of sliced bell pepper strips
1/2c baby spinach
1/2
sliced apple
1
hardboiled egg
garlic power
There’s no such thing as life without pizza, even in Fit Girl world. This is one of our easy
Pizza makeover favs. We’ll do another variety in Week Three because — pizza.
Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees F. While the oven is preheating, cover
a non-stick pan with cooking spray. Sauté the mushrooms and yellow pepper. Add the
spinach after the veggies are almost done to your liking. (We like ours to get a little
golden brown around the edges.) When the spinach is wilted, give all the veggies a
light dusting of garlic powder.
Place your pita on a baking sheet and spread evenly with sauce. Top with the sautéed
veggies and cheese. Bake 6-8 minutes until cheese is bubbling. Serve with a side of
sliced apples and a hardboiled egg (we sprinkled ours with chives and paprika). You
can shake on some oregano and red pepper flakes and bring out your red-checkered
table cloth for the full pizza parlor effect! (Note to selves: Buy red-checkered table cloth.)
DINNER 2/4/6 — WEEK ONE
Green Girl Tip:
Pita bread usually comes in packages of 6 and doesn’t stay fresh after the first week. Like
we said, we’ll be having another Pita Pizza Party in Week Three, so freeze your 3 extra
pitas and you’ll already have them ready to go! A couple bucks at the store saved and no
guilt over wasting food. You can even freeze your pitas in their original bag. Just wrap it
in foil first for best results. You can also freeze any leftover marinara sauce in a freezer
bag or plastic container (not in the glass jar) at the end of the week. Not to mention the
obvious option of legit having a Pita Pizza Party like with actual other people. #besties
“I don’t have time for this!”
Busy Girl Method #1: Put your pita in a
frying pan, top with your ingredients, and
heat until the cheese melts. Busy Girl
Method #1: Cut your pita in half, stuff all
the ingredients inside, and microwave
yourself a Pita Calzone Party!
Gluten-Free & Vegan Tips:
Gluten-free pita bread can be hard to
come by. You can still make a delish
pizza using a brown rice tortilla or
gluten-free English muffin! Vegan
friends can use Daiya cheese and sub
in a 60 calorie serving of protein — or
skip the cheese and make a 140
calorie side of protein.
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week two
Week two Menu
!
BREAKFAST
Egg McFitfun
!
LUNCH
Salade Niçoise Redux
!
SNACK
200 Calorie Snack
!
DINNER
Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls
(Day 1/3/5/7)
aa
a
!
Dreamy Polenta
(Day 2/4/6)
a
Grocery List
1 2% Greek yogurt (optional)
1 package sliced swiss or Monterey Jack
2 small containers ricotta
1 pkg whole wheat Eng muffins (150 cal)
4 5oz cans tuna (or sub chicken)
1 can pumpkin
1 jar marinara sauce
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
* 1 bag polenta (or cornmeal or grits)
or 1 tube of pre-cooked polenta
* 1 bag sun-dried tomatoes
Don’t forget to pick up your snacks!
!
!
Rememb
er to adj
!
ust
!
for subs!
Ingredients with a * also be
used in future weeks!
a
a
a
4 red peppers
1 bag green beans
1-2 containers cherry tomatoes
1 bag or bunch kale
2 1/3 cups small potatoes
bunch of Bibb or other lettuce
1 avocado
pomegranate seeds (optional)
2 tomatoes
1 bunch grapes
3 packages raspberries
bottled lemon juice or lemons
1 bag fresh or frozen peas
1 bunch parsley
fresh basil
3 servings your choice of protein
* 1 container eggs
Week two Meal Prep
THE NIGHT BEFORE DAY 1
Make 4 Salade Niçoise Redux, but only 2 days of the tuna stuffing. It’s better
fresh. Pack the dressings in separate tiny containers. (PS: Take the dressings
out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before you eat them.)
Wash, dry and freeze your grapes in a baggie.
THE NIGHT OF DAY 1
Make a double serving of Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls at dinner. They keep
awesome in the fridge and you won’t have to cook dinner on Night 3!
THE NIGHT OF DAY 2
Make 2 days of tuna salad stuffing.
THE NIGHT OF DAY 4
Make 3 Salade Niçoise Redux. Again only 2 days of tuna stuffing.
THE NIGHT OF DAY 5
Make another double batch of Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls. Dinner for Night 7, done!
THE NIGHT OF DAY 6
Make 2 days of tuna stuffing. (You’ll have one extra serving and one extra half
of red pepper. Sub for a snack Day 1 of Week 3 or share with a friend!)
•
•
•
•
a
•
a
•
a
•
“you got this girlfriend!”
remember to do your ten of
somethings.
BREAKFAST — WEEK TWO
Egg McFitfun
! ! !
! 1
whole wheat English muffin (150 cal)
1
egg
1
slice heirloom or regular tomato
1oz Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese
2T avocado (or 3 very thin slices)
optional hot sauce
#FitGirlsGuide
This is a quick hot breakfast we make for Leo [-nardo DiCaprio] whenever he stays over.
Start off by prepping the tomato and avocado and setting out your cheese. Cook the
egg over-medium (or however you desire) in a non-stick frying pan using cooking
spray. While that’s cooking, toast your English muffin. You can add the tomato to the
other side of the pan for a few seconds if you want it heated up.
Right after the muffin comes out of the toaster, put the cheese on the bottom half so it
starts to melt. You can microwave for 15 seconds if it doesn’t melt enough to your
liking. Layer the cheesy side with the tomato, egg, avocado, and a few shakes of hot
sauce, if desired. Neat Girl Tip: Mash the avocado before putting it on top of the
tomato for a less slidey-aroundy sandwich. That’s how we eat it in front of Leo.*
(*Sry, we were still asleep. Leonardo DiCaprio has never spent the night at our house.)
BREAKFAST — WEEK TWO
Mind your Fridge Oats
Remember to eat Cherry Pie Fridge Oats for Day 1, then move on to Egg McFitfuns. English
muffins come in packs of 6 — the perfect amount to last for a week (almost). We make up
for the “almost” by doing one extra day of oatmeal. Bonus: It lets us use the last serving of
Greek yogurt and prevents us from having a meltdown about package quantities at the
grocery store à la Steve Martin in Father of the Bride. (One of our absolute favorite movies.
And great to watch while you stretch or work on your awesome incoming abs!)
PB&B McFitfun
Missing your sweet breakfast from
Week One but need a break from
oats? Try a PB&B McFitfun! Toast
the muffin then add 1T peanut
butter (or almond butter), 1 sliced
banana, and a teeny drizzle of
honey. #mmmmmm
Get in the Ring!
Egg rings are one of our fav discoveries because
they give eggwitches that extra special “look
how cute I am” final touch. You can get them
super cheap at most stores that sell kitchen
supplies. Regular fried eggs are totes fine too!
You just have to fold them a bit. (PS: Poached
eggs are also yum for this if you have that skill
in your repertoire.)
“are you remembering
to drink your water?”
“i totally am.”
#FitGirlsGuide
LUNCH — WEEK TWO
Salade Niçoise Redux
1/2 5oz can low-sodium tuna in water
2T 2% Greek yogurt (or 1t olive oil)
1T diced sun-dried tomatoes
1T cooked peas
1t
finely chopped parsley
handful green beans, cherry, Bibb lettuce
1/2c raspberries
1
hard-boiled egg
2/3c little potatoes
1/2
roasted red pepper
Balsamic Vinaigrette (next page)
Lunch Box Note
Bienvenue en France, Fit Girls! Salade Niçoise (pronounced: nee-swazhs) literally
means salad in the style of Nice, a city on the southern coast of France. It was a favorite
of Julia Child. The classic Niçoise uses plain tuna, but we think it’s fun to serve with a
stuffed-pepper twist. This is another great make-ahead, easy-to pack lunch. Bon appétit!
First the STUFFED PEPPERS …
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the red peppers in half, remove seeds and
membranes, give em a spritz of cooking spray and sprinkle of garlic (if desired). Roast
with the cut-side up for 20 minutes. Let cool.
Mix tuna, sun-dried tomatoes, Greek yogurt (or 1t olive oil), cooked peas, parsley, and
fresh ground pepper to taste. Stuff into 1/2 of the red pepper. (It prob won’t all fit. Pack
the extra on the side for a snack. You def want to eat it all because holla protein.)
LUNCH — WEEK TWO
Now for the VEGGIES …
Steam the green beans exactly like we did the kale. Again you have your option of how
crunchy or not crunchy you like them. Take your pick! After they’re done to your liking,
you can run them under cold water in a colander to cool them down faster.
To make the potatoes, pop them whole in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook 5-15
minutes depending on size. We used super tiny ones that cooked in about 5 minutes.
The potatoes are done when you can poke them with a fork. They should feel like a
potato that you’d want to eat. Check them early to be safe side so they don’t turn to
mush. You can also run these under cold water in a colander for quicker cooling.
And the VINAIGRETTE …
Mix 1t olive oil, 1t lemon juice, 1t honey, 1T balsamic & pepper to taste. Shake it up!
Want another option? “Sure!” Apple Cider Vinaigrette: 1t olive oil, 1t honey, 1T apple
cider vinegar, dill & pepper to taste. (You can also use 60 calories of your fav dressing.)
And the ASSEMBLY …
If eating now, arrange the tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, egg, and stuffed pepper on
a bed of Bibb lettuce. Drizzle with dressing. Très jolie! (You can pick the stuffed pepper
up like a sandwich or cut it with a fork and knife, real Proper Girl like.)
If you’re packing your lunch in a 3-part container, pack the egg and the extra tuna on
the side. (We cheated a little so we could show you all the ingredients. You still love us,
right? Awesome, thx.)
LUNCH — WEEK TWO
Chicken Niçoise
Chopped Niçoise
Don’t like tuna? You can easily make this
a chicken salad stuffed pepper by using
90 calories of cooked chicken breast
(about 2oz) instead of the tuna. Dice the
chicken really tiny and make the recipe
exactly the same way. C’est bon!
Looking for a more traditional salad?
Leave the pepper raw. Chop up the
veggies and egg and toss them together
with the dressing. You can stir in the
tuna salad or put it on top. (You can also
sub 120 calories of any protein for the
tuna salad to change things up!)
Vegan Niçoise
This is Nice. Where we’d like to be right now,
q
Go Veg Niçoise with just a few simple
substitutions! For a soy option, sub 120
calories sautéed tempeh with 2T hummus
for the tuna salad. (This also counts as your
egg sub.) For a non-soy option, sub 1/2 cup
beans, 2T diced avocado & 1T hummus for
the tuna salad & egg. Or fill the peppers
with any 180 calorie sauté of your choice!
writing this book on a French guy’s yacht.
LUNCH — WEEK TWO
Bonus Alternate Lunches!
Quickie Fried Rice
Here are some other options for this
week’s lunch if you want to let your inner
chef out to play! With each recipe you can
also have 1/2 cup fruit for dessert. #mmmm
(PS: You can stick with any of the bowls
from Week One, jump ahead to next
week’s lunch, or do a Build-A-Bowl! Pick
something you’ll love!)
Sauté 1 cup of your favorite veggies (we
recommend shredded carrots, onions,
sliced pea pods, and broccoli) with 120
calories chopped tofu or pre-cooked
animal protein, 1/2 cup cooked brown
rice, 1t sesame oil, minced garlic, and red
pepper flakes if you want to feel the
heat. Top with 2t soy sauce and break out
the chopsticks! #holla
Abs Salad
Kickin’ it old school. Lay down a couple
handfuls of lettuce, top with 1 cup of your
favorite veggies, 120 calories of your
favorite protein, 1/2 cup potatoes sautéed
with 1t oil (or 1/3 cup brown rice or
quinoa), and 80 calories dressing.
Five Sec Wrap
150 calorie tortilla + 2T hummus + 2 oz
reduced-sodium deli turkey + 50 calories
of cheese or avocado + all the veggies
you can fit on top = Operation Five Sec
Wrap complete.
“oh hey, i’m just getting
a little exercise in
while i sit here.”
#FitG
ir lsG u
ide
DINNER 1/3/5/7 — WEEK TWO
Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls
! ! !
! ! 2
lasagna noodles (200 calories) 2T
shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4c part-skim ricotta
1/4c your favorite marinara sauce
1/4c canned pumpkin
spices
Every girl ever in November’s all “OMG I heart my pumpkin latte imma Insta 100 pics of
this cup,” but true pumpkin fans know that pumpkin is a woman for all seasons. So is
lasagna. Love connection! XOXO. Let’s make some pumpkin lasagna rolls!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the noodles according to the package
directions. Mix the pumpkin and ricotta cheese with a teeny pinch of nutmeg and a
light sprinkle of garlic powder. When the noodles are done, rinse with cold water till
they’re comfortable to touch. Lay the noodles on a cutting board covered with a paper
towel and pat off excess water. Spoon half of the ricotta mixture evenly onto each
noodle, covering the length of the noodle, then roll them up into cute little coils. (You
can add some extra veggies to the filling if you want! Spinach is a great addition!)
Next, put a few spoonfuls of marinara down on your pan (a loaf pan works especially
well). Place the lasagna rolls on top, seam side down. Top with the rest of the marinara.
(Cover the whole noodle if you don’t like crispy edges.) Top with cheese and bake for
20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and they’re heated through.
DINNER 1/3/5/7 — WEEK TWO
Notta Pumpkin Fan?
Notta problem! You can also do these with butternut squash, either fresh-cooked mashed
or canned. If you’re no bueno on squash altogether you can add in another veggie you
prefer. Broccoli is great, as is spinach. You can also try mushrooms, bell pepper, and
cauliflower. Just chop these veggies finely and sauté/steam/roast first. If using another
veggie, aim for about 1/2 to 1 full cup. Like so many of the foods we’re making, lasagna
rolls are friendly with lotsa peeps. #mostlikelytohangoutwitheveryone (PS: Adding other
veggies to the pumpkin rolls is also yummy and totally allowed! Let your inner chef play!)
Ready Set Veggie Side!
Don’t forget to have some veggies on
the side to complete the meal! We did
a handful of steamed garlic kale with
2T pomegranate seeds and cherry
tomatoes — but you can do 1 cup of
whatever veggies or salad you desire!
If making a salad, keep the dressing
under 40 calories and skip the pom.
Vegan & Gluten-Free
For vegan rolls, sub 2T non-dairy cream
cheese for the ricotta and use 2T non-dairy
cheese on top. For gluten free, use 200
calories of any gluten free pasta if you can’t
f i n d l a s a g n a n o o d l e s a n d e n j oy a
Deconstructed Lasagna Bowl. (This is great
with veggies mixed in!)
get your move on!
#F
itG
ir
ide
lsG
u
DINNER 2/4/6 — WEEK TWO
Dreamy Polenta
1/4c
1/4c
1c
1/2t
dry polenta/cornmeal/or grits*
part-skim ricotta
diced cherry tomatoes
olive oil
Fit Girl’s Choice of protein
garlic
10 frozen grapes (not pictured)
fresh basil (optional)
You will dream about this polenta. You will dream about riding around on the cloud
that is its ricotta creaminess. And as you ride around on your cloud, you will high-five
people riding around on their clouds. And you will become cloud-riding besties.
At least that’s what happened for us. Regardless, polenta is a cinch to make — Lazy Girl
like a mother. Put the polenta in a bowl, add 1 & 1/4 cups water, microwave for 5-7
minutes. It will have a slight nuttiness but mostly taste creamy. Add a little extra water
if it’s too thick. The sec the polenta is done, stir in the ricotta and a teeny tiny pinch of
salt. (Yes, we said the s-word.) Add sautéed garlic and onion for more sass.
While the polenta is cooking, sauté the tomatoes with olive oil and a light dusting of
garlic powder. Pour onto the polenta. Toss with some chopped fresh basil, if available
— and if you like it. (It wasn’t available for us, but oh do we like it. We get down with a
lot of dried herbs, but not basil. Ain’t nothing like the fresh thing.) Enjoy some frozen
grapes to end the meal! Sweet dreams, Fit Girls. #clouds
PS: You can sub 130 cals of the tube polenta. Heat it, smash it up, and make the recipe
the same way. Or you can bake or sauté it in slices then layer with ingredients!
DINNER 2/4/6 — WEEK TWO
Polenta Plating 101
“How do you get the polenta to be all even and cute like that?” Easy peasy can’t wait to
share! Right after you’ve stirred the ricotta into the polenta, pour it onto the middle of the
plate. Then take the back of a large cereal spoon and press gently into the top of the
polenta and slowly make wider and wider circles until you’ve smoothed the polenta out
over the whole plate. (Yes, it’s cray how much food 1/4c polenta and 1/4c ricotta becomes.
Cray awesome.) I-Hate-Dishes Girl Tip: Leave the polenta in the bowl and pour tomatoes on top.
Fit Girl’s Choice of Protein
Options, Options
We’re giving you your choice of 120
calorie protein for this meal. You’re
welcome. We used a veggie burger
because we had them in our freezer
being all noisy and “Please eat us!
Please!” but a filet of salmon makes a
lovely pairing. (Pssst: Remember not to
use more than 1t oil in your prep.)
Change up your polenta using whatever
sautéed veggies and spices you want! You can
also add marinara sauce on top to sauce-y
things up. And vegan/dairy-free girls, we
haven’t forgotten about you! You can sub 2T
Daiya cream cheese for the ricotta — or 3/4T of
non-dairy butter. This will get your non-dairy
Dreamy on. #clouds
DINNER 2/4/6 — WEEK TWO
pOlenta anD I Do NOt like EaCh Other
Have a rocky relationship with polenta? No problem. Try one of these ideas! You can also, of
course, sub a Build-A-Bowl from Week Four or any 400 calorie Clean Meal of your choice.
Remember: This is YOUR Challenge. Make everything as yummy for yourself as possible.
LASAGNA FEVER. If you’re loving the Lasagna Rolls you can make things super easy on
yourself and have those for every dinner this week. Make a big pan using different fillings to
add some variety! You can also switch up your veggie side to shake things up even more.
THE PICKY GIRL FEAST. Have it 100% your way with the Picky Girl Feast! Serve your Fit Girl’s
Choice of Protein with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat (or gluten-free)
pasta and 1 cup vegetables sautéed in 1t oil and your favorite spices. Tip: For bonus flavor,
add the rice/quinoa/pasta into the veggies as they’re almost done cooking and sauté
everything together for a minute. Have 1/2 cup of your favorite fruit for dessert.
RICOTTA PRIMAVERA BOWL. Another low cal pasta option for the pasta lover! While your
whole wheat or gluten-free pasta is cooking, sauté 1 cup of your favorite veggies in 1t olive
oil and fresh garlic or garlic powder. Stir 2T ricotta and your veggies into 1/2 cup of piping hot
pasta. Top with fresh basil and serve next to your Fit Girl’s Choice of Protein. (PS: You can
also make this with 1/2 cup brown rice for a risotto feel.) Enjoy 10 frozen grapes for dessert.
congrats. you did it!
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week three
Week three Menu
!
BREAKFAST
Apple Pie Fridge Oats
!
LUNCH
Quinoa Cleanse Bowl
!
SNACK
200 Calorie Snack
!
DINNER
Growed-Up Girl Cheese
(Day 1/3/5/7)
aa
a
!
Superfood Pizza Party
(Day 2/4/6)
a
Grocery List
1 tomato
1 bag kale
1 bag broccoli
1 small sweet potato
2 avocados
1 bag sugar snap peas
2 bell peppers
chives
1 bunch asparagus
4 peaches or nectarines
2 apples
2 large containers strawberries
2 small containers blackberries
pomegranate seeds (optional)
* 1 brick mozzarella cheese
* 1 container regular sour cream
2 containers 2% Greek yogurt
butter or vegan butter
7 3oz servings of chicken breast
11oz low-sodium deli turkey
1 loaf whole wheat bread (100 cal)
1 small bag chopped pecans
1 can artichoke hearts
1 unsweetened almond milk
a a
1 can lentils
1 bag raisins
* 1 bag quinoa
Adjust for
your
Snack ingredients
dressings!
!
!(Add: Marinara sauce and
!pita bread if you don’t have
in your freezer!)
!
a
Ingredients with a * also be used in
future weeks!
Week three Meal Prep
THE NIGHT BEFORE DAY 1
Make 3 Apple Pie Fridge Oats and 3 Quinoa Cleanse Bowls.
Prep the artichoke hearts and chopped kale for all 4 Growed-Up Grilled
Cheeses and the sweet potatoes and broccoli for all 3 Superfood Pizza
Parties. Just chop them up. Don’t cook them. This’ll make things faster for
when you do!
•
•
THE NIGHT OF DAY 3
Make 3 Apple Pie Fridge Oats and 4 Quinoa Cleanse Bowls.
•
a
a
a
THE NIGHT OF DAY 6
Make 2 Apple Pie Fridge Oats. (Yes, again this makes 8 total. You’re making
one for Day 1 of Week Four because of an English muffin-esque situation.)
•
“i heart wearing
the same outfits
to celebrate the
halfway mark.”
“right?”
BREAKFAST — WEEK THREE
Apple Pie Fridge Oats
1/3c old fashioned or rolled oats
1/3c unsweetened almond milk
1/2c 2% Greek yogurt
1t
chia seeds (optional)
1t
honey
1T raisins
A quarter of an apple diced
Tiny pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
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#
Refrigerator oatmeal round two! Apple Pie à la Fridge Oats. All y’all know how this
goes: Layer the oats, almond milk, chia seeds, honey, raisins, Greek yogurt, cinnamon,
apple, and nutmeg in a small mason jar or bowl. Stir it all up, cover and pop in the
fridge. Take out in the AM and eat them oats! (This breakfast is only 300 calories so you
can either add 50 calories of nuts on top or add them to your day anywhere you want!)
PS: If you’re grooving on the Fridge Oat train, here are couple 350 calorie oat-tastic
options to try in the future: Pineapple Cream Pie (sub 1/2 cup diced pineapple for the
apple & raisins, add 2T shredded coconut, skip the spices and chia seeds) and PB &
Banana Parfait (sub half a banana for the apple & raisins, add 1/2T peanut butter, skip
the spices).
“this clean eating is
making me so tiny.”
#FitGirlsGuide
LUNCH — WEEK THREE
Quinoa Cleanse Bowl
1/3c cooked quinoa
3oz diced prepared chicken breast
1/4c diced bell pepper
1/4c sliced sugar snap peas
Dressing (next page)
2T canned lentils or beans
5 strawberries
2T pomegranate seeds (optional)
3T diced avocado
Lunch Box Note
Quinoa — KEEN-wah! — is a teeny powerhouse of fiber, iron, protein, and magnesium,
among many other things that make bodies happy. It’s also gluten-free and makes a
killer sub for couscous in Tabouli Salad. You can use it to vary up any dish you’d
normally use rice in. (Quinoa Fried “Rice” = yes please. More on that in a sec.)
The Quinoa Cleanse Bowl is the ultimate Lazy Girl meal, especially if you use cheats
like frozen quinoa and precooked chicken. All ya do is mix everything together and eat.
It’s even more delish if you let it marinate for a few hours. Dress your bowl in the
morning, go about your business, and by lunch it’ll be full of flava. #flavadance
PS: We like to use cooked sugar snap peas. And, yes, there’s a Lazy Girl cheat for that,
too. They make fresh sugar snap peas that you can steam right in the bag. Frozen sugar
snap peas ain’t too shabby either. They’re quite delish.
PPS: You can also enjoy this bowl hot. Just eat the pom and avocado as a side!
LUNCH — WEEK THREE
Dress It Up
In the Kitchen with Quinoa ...
Our fav dressing for this bowl is a simple
homemade tahini. (Tahini is made from
ground sesame seeds and you're most
likely to find it in health food grocery
stores.) To make a low calorie Tahini
Dressing use 1t tahini + 1t olive oil + 1t
lemon juice + 1T water + optional
chopped parsley. If you don't like tahini
(or don't want to shell out for a jar — it's
pricey but it lasts a lonnnnng time), you
can use 70 calories of any other dressing
you like! You can use one of the
vinaigrettes from last week or bring out
our inner chef and create your own. You
can also use 2T store bought hummus or
a Clean store bought dressing for added
convenience. Salsa is also yummy if you
leave out the pomegranate seeds!
Cook quinoa according to the package
directions for the stove or rice cooker. You
can use low-sodium veggie broth instead of
water if you’d like. Tossing in a few strings of
saffron also makes us happy. You can freeze
any leftover quinoa and save it for after the
Challenge. Quinoa freezes like a champ.
... Or Not.
If you don’t like quinoa or can’t get your
hands on any (but, like, srsly check out that
internet, Fit Girl, you can get your hands on
anything — even Unicorn Meat and flying
slingshot monkeys), you can use 1/3c rice
or pasta instead. Boom.
LUNCH — WEEK THREE
One Meal/Many Ways
You can easily turn the Quinoa Cleanse
Bowl into different tasting meals by
changing up how you flavor your chicken,
subbing another protein, using different
dressings, or using alternate veggies. You
can also go back to any of the lunches from
Weeks One and Two or look ahead to next
week's Build-A-Bowl! And here're two more
meals to throw into the ring …
Souper Quick Lunch
Have 1/2 of the Five Sec Wrap on page 152
with 200 calories of your favorite lowsodium soup. Leave the hummus off the
wrap so the other half will be fresh the
next day for a second lunch!
Fried Rice Quinoa
If you haven’t tried Fried Quinoa, now’s
your chance! You can make it using almost
the same ingredients from the Quinoa
Cleanse Bowl. All you have to do is leave
out the pomegranate, avocado, and
lentils. Then, use 2/3 cup quinoa (instead
of 1/3 cup) and add 1/4 cup peas (which
you have from last week) and 2T chopped
onion. Sauté 1/2T sesame or vegetable oil
with onions, a double portion of the
Quinoa Cleanse Bowl veggies, and a clove
of minced garlic or a sprinkle of garlic
powder. (A pinch or two of fresh ginger is
great too.) Add in 120 calories chopped
tofu or pre-cooked animal protein once
the veggies have cooked for a few
minutes. Top with 2t soy sauce and have
the strawberries for dessert!
stop stalling
go exercise.
#F
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ide
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DINNER 1/3/5/7 — WEEK THREE
Growed-Up Girl Cheese
1
piece whole wheat bread (1oo cal)
2oz low-sodium deli turkey
1/4c diced canned artichoke heart
1/2c finely chopped steamed kale
1t
butter
garlic powder
3T
1T
1T
1
1t
1t
shredded mozzarella cheese
regular sour cream
cut chives
peach or nectarine (xoxox)
pecans
honey
Confession: We used to think Grilled Cheese was called “Girl Cheese.” After all, we were
girls and we liked it — why would it not be called Girl Cheese? We know better now but
we’re giving snaps to our little girl selves with this growed-up girl treat.
After you’ve made the pretty fruit, butter one side of the bread and sprinkle with garlic
powder. Place in a non-stick pan covered with cooking spray. Put the turkey on the
other side of the pan. Heat on medium until the turkey is warmed and the bottom of
the bread is golden brown. Flip the turkey once for more even heating.
Meanwhile, microwave the kale and artichoke heart for 2 minutes. Immediately stir in
cheese, sour cream, and chives. Take the bread out of the pan, top with the turkey, kale
mixture, and a slice of tomato. Put it on your plate next to your fruit. Eat the pretty!
(PS: You can also use your sour cream as a spread between the turkey and the bread.
That’s what we did in the pic. We like it both ways.)
DINNER 1/3/5/7 — WEEK THREE
Fun with Kitchen Scissors
Kitchen scissors are the shizzle. They’re scissors you … keep in the kitchen. IKEA has some
good cheap ones. They’re great for cutting up things like chives. We basically use them
whenever we can. Because cutting food is ridiculously fun and is like saying, “Hi food. You’re
my craft project. Muahahahah. I will craft you.” You can even scissor cut pizza. Once you start
cutting food with scissors you will try to cut all foods with scissors. And might even get so high
on your scissor powers that you decide to give yourselves those new bangs. Oooooops.
Veg Alts.
Vegetarians, make it the same
w a y, j u s t u s e 2 T e x t r a
mozzarella cheese. Vegans, sub
1T non-dairy cream cheese for
the sour cream and use a 140
calorie veggie burger sub for
the cheese and turkey. Just as
good. #promise
Hunny Craft
That would be the Winnie-the-Pooh spelling of
honey. (Homebear knew how to party.) Ok, so,
how’d we get the honey to look all streamy like
that? We used something called creamed honey
(#sogood) and put it in the corner of a ziplock
baggie. Then we cut off the baggie tip (with our
kitchen scissors #highfive) and squeezed it out
like icing. You can totes just normal drizzle the
honey on. We were on a crafting high.
dance party!
don’t forget to stretch.
srsly.
#F
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uide
DINNER 2/4/6 — WEEK THREE
Superfood Pizza Party
1
3-4T
1/4c
1/4c
1/4c
whole wheat pita bread (160 cal)
your favorite marinara sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
diced broccoli
diced sweet potatoes
1oz
reduced-sodium deli turkey
Handful of steamed asparagus spears
1/2t
olive oil
1/2c blackberries
garlic powder
As promised, your second round of Pita Pizza Party! This one’s the Superfood Edition.
More on that in a sec. First, let’s eat.
Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees F. While the oven is preheating, sauté
the broccoli and sweet potatoes in the olive oil. (Dice em both up real small. The
potatoes will be so small that there’s no need to pre-cook in mic.) When the veggies
are done to your liking, dust with garlic powder.
Place your pita on a baking sheet and spread evenly with sauce. Top with the sautéed
veggies and cheese. Bake 6-8 minutes until cheese is bubbling. Serve with a side of
steamed asparagus spears wrapped in turkey (we sprinkled ours with cayenne pepper
for a little jazz — #jazzhands) and blackberries. Oregano and red pepper flakes
welcome, always.
PS: Flip back to Week One’s Pita Pizza Party for a reminder of the shortcut edition!
DINNER 2/4/6 — WEEK THREE
“What’s a Superfood?”
“Superfood” is nutritionists’ way of saying “totes amazeballs foods loaded with tons of
great stuff that makes your body and mind happy and your skin pretty.” Eggs, almonds,
lentils, dark leafy greens, strawberries, brown rice, quinoa, Greek yogurt, turkey,
raspberries— all of these are superfoods. Ok, you caught us. We’ve been feeding you super
foods for three weeks. Clean Eating is superfoods. That’s why it’s such an awesome way to
eat. Also, we’re (obvs) big fans of the word super so why wouldn’t we want it with our food?
And it’s fun to think of our foods wearing sexy latex costumes that show off all of their hot
muscles. Actually, no, it’s not. It’s just fun to think about how hot Chris Hemsworth is.
Lazy Girl Tip:
You can steam asparagus in the
microwave. Some grocery stores
even sell asparagus that you can
steam right in the bag. Music to
our Lazy Girl heart. #swoon
Fit Girl Fruit Roll-Ups
Yes, we mean reduced-sodium deli turkey. Roll it
up and eat it as a snack while you cook if you’re
feeling peckish. Have a glass of water while you’re
at it. You’ve had your 8 glasses today, right? Go
ahead, have one more for good luck! Peace, Love
and Baby Unicorns!
congrats. you did it!
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week four
Week four Menu
!
BREAKFAST
Spinach Feta Wrap
!
LUNCH
Build-A-Bowl
!
SNACK
Fitberry Shortcake
Or 200 Calorie Snack
!
DINNER
Mediterranean Polenta
(Day 1/3/5/7)
aa
a
!
Fajita Zucchini Boats
(Day 2/4/6)
a
Grocery List
1 bag of spinach
1 bag of kale
1 bell pepper
2 sweet potatoes
3 zucchini
1 bag shredded Brussels sprouts
tomatoes (or salsa)
bunch of cilantro
7 pears
1 1/2 cups your choice of fruit
2 containers strawberries
1 lime
1 dozen eggs
1 block feta cheese
2 containers ricotta (or snack sub!)
4 servings Fit Girl's Choice protein
1 pkg whole wheat tortillas (150 cal)
1 can black beans
+ Ingredients for your Build-A-Bowls
(Hint: You have rice and quinoa!)
!
(Add: Sun-dried tomatoes, sour cream,
polenta, and mozzarella cheese if you don’t
have any leftover, but you totally should
unless your boyfriend, roomie, Mom, or
second-cousin Stacey ate them.)
!
No ingredients have a * because
there is no next week! #tear
a
a
aa
a
Finish
strong
Fit Gir
ls!
a
Week four Meal Prep
THE NIGHT BEFORE DAY 1
Make 3 Build-A-Bowls and prep the sun-dried tomatoes for 7 days of Spinach
Feta Wraps, the sweet potatoes for 2 days of Mediterranean Polenta, and 3 days
of strawberries for Fitberry Shortcake.
•
THE NIGHT OF DAY 2
Make a double serving of Zucchini Boats at dinner if you don't want to cook
dinner on Day 4. They reheat well — and taste good cold!
•
a
a a
THE NIGHT OF DAY 3
Make 4 Build-A-Bowls.
Prep the sweet potatoes for 2 days of Mediterranean Polenta, the bell pepper for
2 days of Zucchini Boats, and 4 days of berries for Fitberry Shortcake.
•
•
“oooo! we’re almost there!”
BREAKFAST — WEEK FOUR
Spinach Feta Wrap
1
1
1T
2T
1/2c
1
whole wheat tortilla (150 cal)
egg
finely diced sun-dried tomatoes
crumbled feta cheese
thinly sliced spinach
sliced pear (not pictured)
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#Fit
What’s red, white, yellow, and green and wears a tan overcoat? Spinach Feta Wraps!
Here we go: Lay out your tortilla on a plate. Sprinkle the feta down the center. Sauté
the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes in a non-stick pan covered in cooking spray. It’ll
only take a sec. Pour them on top of the feta. Spray the pan again and cook your egg.
Put it on top of the veggies and cheese on the tortilla.
(Tip: We like to do a fried scrambled egg for this one — aka crack the egg into the hot
pan and scramble it while it cooks. It’ll be done super quick and tastes like the egg you
get in fried rice. Traditional scrambled eggs and fried eggs also work great for this.)
Now here’s the key part for max delish. Wipe out your pan then put the ingredientcovered tortilla in. Heat until the tortilla gets a bit crispy. Slide out onto your plate, fold
in half or wrap like a burrito and enjoy with half of a sliced pear. #hellogorgeous
BREAKFAST — WEEK FOUR
Wraps Got Tricks
We’ve given you the Spinach Feta Wrap in its purest form, but there are lots of ways to trick
it up. You can add sautéed bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions into the mix. You can also
add a dusting of garlic powder. Hot sauce too if you’re feeling the heat. We usually like it in
its basic form because it highlights the taste of the feta and sun-dried tomatoes. But you’re
welcome to add in some extra veggies and spice! Don’t worry, it’s ok. This is a totally
approved measurement snub. We’ve got your back. (PS: Tortillas also come in packs of 6 and
that’s why we’re doing Apple Pie Fridge Oats for Day 1. Crisis averted. All is well. Namaste.)
Vegan Style
More Protein, Pls
For a happy morning vegan wrap, load up on
extra veggies and sub 1/2 cup of your favorite
bean for the feta/egg. Our favorite combo is
chickpeas with diced mushrooms, broccoli,
and red pepper (as well as the spinach and
sun-dried tomatoes, of course). Only eat 1/2
the pear and add two slices of avocado for
veg perfection. And def a shake of Cholula!
Sure! If you want a protein bump,
only eat 1/2 pear and have two eggs
in your wrap instead. We recommend
adding a little extra spinach and
tomatoes if you’re going to do that so
the eggs don’t overwhelm the flavor.
(Again, totes a measurement snub
we approve. You all good.)
“have you strength
trained this week?”
LUNCH — WEEK FOUR
Build-A-Bowl!
!For your last lunch on the Challenge we
!want to give you the recipe for infinite
!wisdom. Master the art of the 400 calorie
!Build-A-Bowl and you hold the secret to the
Fit Girl universe in your hands. You can
!
make Build-A-Bowls for lunch or dinner —
!
or even breakfast if you’re an “all foods are
!game for breakfast” type of person. It’s a
!great go-to for whenever you don’t know
!what to make or want to make a few meals
!in advance. And it’s a great way to use up
whatever’s in your fridge and freezer. Come
!
on, Fit Girls! Let’s go build! m
LUNCH — WEEK FOUR
Build-A-Bowl Etiquette
To Build-A-Bowl, just pick one option from each category, combine, and power up!
Step 1 Protein 120 calories chicken, turkey, fish, tempeh, tofu, edamame,
eggs w/1t oil allowed for prep
Step 2 Grain
1/2c cooked whole wheat pasta, quinoa, brown rice or …
3/4c diced potato or 1oz brown rice noodles or soba noodles
Step 3 Greens 1c kale, spinach, chard, or other leafy greens
Step 4 Veggies 1c sautéed, roasted, steamed or raw veggies
Step 5 Beans
3T any choice of cooked bean
Step 6 Dressing 50 calories cheese, hummus, sauce or dressing of your choice
Step 7 Note
Lunch Box Note #always #4evr #heartyourself
We’ve created three bowls for you and named them after our favorite characters from
80s girly movies. Veronica from Heathers, Lynne from Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, and
Andie from Pretty in Pink (obv we had to do that one — pink!). Pick one of our bowls
and follow the portion potions on this page, or build your own. Hence the name!
Tag us on Insta at #FitGirlsGuide or email us
at pink@fitgirlsworldwide.com with pics of your Build-A-Bowls.
m
PS: Don’t forget to include the recipe! m
LUNCH — WEEK FOUR
The Lynne
The Andie
Pre-cook diced potato and carrots
in microwave 2 minutes. Sauté
with 1t olive oil, diced tempeh,
kale, bell pepper, and squash until
you have some pretty brown
edges. Toss with black eyed peas
and 1T light Goddess Dressing.
(We like Annie’s!) #FitGoddess
Sauté kale, shredded carrots, bell
pepper & shredded cabbage with
edamame in 1/2T sesame oil. Toss
with prepared diced chicken or
tofu, boiled soba noodles, 2t lowsodium soy sauce & 1T rice
vinegar. Top with optional cilantro
and scallions. Great warm or cold!
#whatsyourdamage
#di
noce
s
sary
The Veronica
Sauté broccoli, portobello
mushrooms, cherry tomatoes,
spinach, and 1t olive oil with a
dusting of garlic powder. Toss
with prepared chicken,
chickpeas, and spiral whole
wheat pasta. Top with a sprinkle
of parmesan cheese and eat!
#flo
ralp
owe
r
SNACK — WEEK FOUR
Fitberry Shortcake
1/4c
1t
1c
1T
part-skim or low-fat ricotta cheese
honey
sliced strawberries (or any other fruit you prefer)
chopped pecans (not pictured)
For your last week of the Challenge, we wanted to give you an extra special snack. This
little ricotta number makes us twirl around and say “mmmmm” like we’re in one of
those yogurt commercials where girls are pretending their Lemon Bar diet yogurt
tastes like a Lemon Bar. (Ok, we’re guilty of naming our Fridge Oats after “real” desserts
too. But we think they’re way more deserving of it.)
All you do here is stir the honey with the ricotta and scoop on top of the berries. Or,
even easier, put the berries on top of the ricotta. Sprinkle with nutmeg if you’re a fan.
Your snack awaits! (PS: You have 50 calories left … 1T pecans is the perfect addition!)
PS: Yes, those are flowers on top. Edible ones. We were feeling über-girly and saw them
at the grocery store and went, “Squeeee! Pink!” We got a few looks, not gonna lie.
Anyway, Edible Flowers add nothing to this and we don’t recommend them but now
you know Edible Flowers are real, if you didn’t already. Use them as a garnish for a
dinner party when you want to get all Pretty Pretty Princess.
swinging is fun.
(So is drinking water!)
#F
itG
ir lsG
uide
DINNER 1/3/5/7 — WEEK FOUR
Mediterranean Polenta
1/4c dry polenta/cornmeal/or grits
2T feta cheese
1/2c sweet potatoes
1t
olive oil
3/4c shredded Brussels sprouts
Fit Girl’s Choice of protein
Another Lazy Girl-tastic polenta meal! This one with a Mediterranean twist! If you’re
not feelin’ the feta, goat cheese does a the job proud. So does parm.
Put the polenta in a bowl with 1 and 1/4 cups water. Microwave for 5-7 minutes. Add a
little more water after if needed. The second the polenta comes out, stir in half the
feta. Plate it. (You know what to do.) Add sautéed garlic and onions for more sass.
While the polenta is cooking, sauté the shredded brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes
with olive oil and a sprinkle of garlic. (Reminder: Pre-cook them in the microwave for
1-2 minutes with a little water for easier sautéing.) When the veggies have golden
brown edges, add on top of the polenta and sprinkle with the other half of the feta.
Serve with your choice of protein and enjoy your feast!
PS: You can also save 1/2 of your pear from breakfast and have it for dessert sprinkled
with cinnamon. (To be clear, the cinnamon goes on the pear. We cannot vouch for the
flavor of cinnamon in the polenta. But now we’re kinda curious … and it’s inspiring us
to invent a Moroccan Polenta.)
DINNER 1/3/5/7 — WEEK FOUR
“People shred Brussels sprouts?”
We can’t speak for people, but the Trader Joe’s elves for sure do. They magic pack them in bags
next to the cabbage. (Pre-packaged Elf-shredded Brussels sprouts — ten points for team Lazy
Girl! High five! #dancingcat) If you want to shred your own at home, we’ve heard tell you can
do it by holding the sprouts by their stems and grating them on a cheese grater. Alternately,
just slicing them really thin. Alternately, quartering them. Alternately, using easier-to-comeby pre-shredded white or red cabbage. Lotta alternates. Your call, Fit Girl. But if you’re only
quartering them, do a 2 minute pre-cook in the microwave with a little water so they don’t
take forevs to sauté. Unless you have a lot of extra time on your hands, in which case can you
please come Swiffer our house instead? We’re totally behind on Swiffering.
Vegaterranean Polenta
What to do for the feta? Try 50
calories of non-dairy sour cream so
you get some tang. We rec a veggie
burger or lemon-garlic sautéed
tempeh as a protein with this one.
Fit Girl’s Choice of Protein
100 calorie Fit Girl's Choice of protein for this
polenta (+ 1/2t oil for prep). We used our final
veggie burger (cleanin’ that freezer out — no
veggie burger left behind!), but a chicken
breast with lemon marinade is delightful, as is
a piece of white fish.
go fight win!
#Fi
tG i
r lsG
uide
DINNER 2/4/6 — WEEK FOUR
Fajita Zucchini Boats
1/2c
1/2c
1T
3T
1T
prepared brown rice
beans
feta cheese
mozzarella cheese
sour cream (not pictured)
1
1/4c
1/4c
2T
1/2c
zucchini
finely diced bell pepper
finely diced kale
salsa or diced fresh tomatoes
Choice of Fruit (not pictured)
What’s your hobby? Ours is stuffing veggies into other veggies. Also, re-connecting with
our Skip-Its, smelling all the candles at Target, and anything with glitter crayons.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the zucchini in half and gently scoop out the
seeds, leaving about a half-inch rim all the way around. Put the zucchini on a baking
sheet coated with cooking spray, white side down. That’s how you get the nice brown
around the edges. Spray the zucchini again and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake 15
minutes and check to peek if the rim is golden brown. If not, let bake a little longer.
Meanwhile, sauté the bell pepper and kale with cooking spray and a small dash of cumin,
oregano, and garlic. After the veggies are done, mix with the feta and salsa or tomatoes.
Time to fill the boats! Press the mix down so it stays put, and top with mozzarella cheese,
again pressing it down a little. (We also added red-pepper flakes for a little heat.
Jalapeños are also delicious.) Put the boats back into the oven for 5-8 minutes until the
mozzarella is melted. Serve over black beans and cilantro-lime rice with sour cream!
DINNER 2/4/6 — WEEK FOUR
A Boat-load of Awesome
Zucchini Boats are one of the newest additions to our Fit Girl food-genda and they look
good in any neckline, re: cuisine. They work great as pizzas, lasagnas, and eggplant parms.
As Caprese salads. As tacos and enchiladas. You can stuff them with the kale-artichoke dip
from our Growed-Up Girl Cheese or the tuna salad from our Niçoise. They make a mean
quinoa vessel, ditto rice. You get the idea. And these are really great for guests because they,
happy heart face, look so much more kitchen skill-y than they actually are. We’ll drink one of
our two weekly glasses of wine to that! (Not you, kids. Here’s a latte. JK it’s after 3pm we were
just testing you. “Mean!” Sry. Here’s an almond milk peach smoothie. #peachesforeveryone)
Cilantro-Lime Rice
Pump Up the Protein
All ya gotta do to make cilantro-lime
rice is toss your cooked rice with some
chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze
of lime juice. Yeah, it's that easy. We
didn't really even have to tell you, we
know. But hi! Nice to talk to you.
Want to pump up the protein? Only use 1/4
cup beans and 1/4 cup rice. Now you have 100
calories leftover to protein your heart out.
Some sautéed chicken or beef strips? Tempe?
Fish? Whatever you're in the mood for! Go get
dem protein grams!
OMG GueSS WhAT
wooooo!
end of the challenge.
w
e
n
o
l
l
e
H
!
s
e
Sho
Hel
lo n
ew
ME!
final thoughts
Ahhhhh! We’re so proud of you! Like, legit. You know how many girls talk about
getting fit and you actually started doing it. #yay #doubleyay #snaps #jazzhands
#dancingbabyanimals
We’d like to tell you to go out and get an “I Survived the 28 Day Challenge” tattoo on
your arm but you’d probably just regret it in the morning if not immediately,
probably also during. “Please, my Fit Girl bod is my tattoo.” That’s right, Sister, it is.
“So what happens now?” You can repeat the 28 Day Jumpstart again, continuing to
add additional reps to the exercises and make the meals with different variations for
a totally new flavor month. Or you can move right on to our Bikini Body Challenge!
No matter what, we recommend continuing to eat as Clean as possible. Try for at
least 80%. The Challenge is a good jumpstart, but 28 days isn’t enough to fully kick a
habit. It’s easy to slip back into the heavily processed dance once you “go there.” The
longer you eat Clean, the more Clean becomes a way of life and processed foods
become foreign “what are these triangle orange powder covered things?”
Remember that even when you’re eating Clean, portion potions are everything.
Everyone needs a different level of calories to maintain their bod or to continue
losing weight. If you’ve been losing fat during the Challenge and now want to
maintain, add a little more food to your day and figure out your magic daily calorie
number. If you’ve been losing weight during the Challenge and want to keep losing
weight, stick to a 1400-1500 calorie program.
Ok, one last pat on the back to you. You did amazing. You’re gonna keep doing
amazing. Be the Fit Girl you’ve always dreamed of being. Cheer yourself and cheer
your Fit Girl friends. Enjoy the journey. Rock those hearts.!
xoxo,
Fit Girl’s Guide
PS: Please share your story with us and all the future Fit Girls out there! Email us
your Before & After photos and comment your testimonial on our testimonials page
at www.fitgirlsworldwide.com. Your stories mean so much to us and the other girls
who read them. Thank you for being part of our truly amazeballs community!
see you soon, fit gIrl!
PHOTO CREDITS
!
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