Can we agree to keep this simple? It’s only 13 days (our first day is establishing a baseline).
After day 1, you’ve got two choices:
- No added flavors for 13 days
- No more than half your baseline of average flavors each day
I really encourage you to participate fully with number 1. Also keep in mind that this is NOT a fat loss challenge. Fat loss is not the goal. Sure, as you cut out processed foods you will likely see favorable changes in body composition but this is about resetting your palate and eliminating cravings. This is not the time to stress about things like “The Golden Rules” or whether or not beans are fat loss friendly. Sure, you can absolutely follow The Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss if you’re used to them, but understand that the purpose of this challenge isn’t fat loss.
Before a hundred million “what about…” questions come in, consider the following question: Is this directly derived from an animal? Is it a fruit or vegetable? Is it grown from the ground or picked from a tree?
If the answer to any of those is no, please try to avoid it for the duration of our time together.
REAL FOOD. Please, eat real food.
What can you eat?
- Fruit (avoid canned fruits as they often have flavors & sweeteners)
- Vegetables (same canned rule applies)
- Raw, unsalted nuts (avoid roasted/salted so you can truly appreciate the flavor of the nuts)
- Meat (avoid processed meats like sausage or cold cuts)
- Chicken
- Fish
- Eggs
- Single origin oils such as extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, etc
- Full-fat unflavored dairy products (cheese, heavy cream, butter)
- Herbs & spices (avoid spice blend packets with “flavorings” or MSG)
- Coffee (skip the sugar/sweetener but feel free to add unflavored dairy)
- Beans (preferably not canned as many have added flavors or MSG)
What should you avoid?
- Added sugar in all forms (honey, sugar, molasses)
- Artificial sweeteners (including stevia)
- Alcohol
- Processed foods (this includes processed bars, shakes, etc)
- Fried foods (unless you’re frying yourself with whole foods)
- Condiments with added flavors (ketchup, for example, usually has sugar)
This leaves you with TONS of options! I put together a recipe list for you here.
Don’t hesitate to keep things simple. Canned salmon stuffed inside an avocado is one of my favorites. Brussels sprouts with over-easy eggs is another great, simple idea. Omelets. Steak. Roasted chicken & veggies.
Complexity is the enemy of execution so keep it simple!
If you stumbled upon this page & want all the details of the challenge, you can register for free here.
