Week 9 of DAOFitlife meal and exercise plan has a few new twists. This week I have tweaked my diet in two ways:
I am starting to eat a little early breakfast before my workout. I do this by either eating a few bites of my oatmeal mix half an hour before my workout, or eating a date and a few nuts beforehand. A Medjool date is fairly big and good for a burst of instant energy. In my article on pre and post-workout nutrition, I outline the pros and cons of eating before the workout. I am going to as an experiment see how much my workouts actually benefit from eating a little beforehand.
The other major tweak to my diet has been NO SUGAR SUBSTITUTES. That means not just no artificial sweeteners, but also no “natural” zero sugar products like Stevia or Monk Fruit. This is purely a theory that I am testing, but I believe that these substances are robbing my body of energy I need from actual carbs and making me crave the sugar that I am not getting. In my post on protein bars, I rave about the “fake sugar” and its effect on our insulin sensitivity. Even though at first glance stevia and monk fruit may not have the same effect on insulin resistance, I believe that they are having a “sugar fake-out” effect on me.
Next week, I will report on how this went. I have to say after only a few days, I feel great. And am oddly less hungry. Hmmmm.
Another new trend my husband and I are trying, which is good for couples that live in urban areas, is ordering food for pickup instead of delivery. We live near Georgetown where there are lots of mainstream and specialty restaurants. Since the weather is getting so nice, instead of ordering in and waiting for the delivery, we can order pick up through the app and get a workout in. Singing for our supper!
DAOFitlife Meal Plan – Week 9
RECIPES AVAILABLE HERE (UPDATED FOR WEEK OF APRIL 28)
Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Links
- Customizable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template Google Sheet (updated for week 9)
- Downloadable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template Excel Document
- Printable DAOFitlife Meal Plan and Grocery List Template PDF
DAOFitlife Exercise Plan – Week 9
Exercise Template Links
- Customizable DAOFitLife Exercise Plan Google Sheet Template (updated for week 9)
- Downloadable DAOFitLife Exercise Plan Excel Document
- Printable DAOFitlife Exercise Plan PDF
Exercise plan
I continue to do the SomerFIt 30-day exercise plan on Fitplan. And just to make sure I do throw in some precision training, I am doing workouts from the Blogilates app (see my review here) and my online zoom barre class. If you are interested in trying that, you can go to their site – full disclosure, one of the teachers is my cousin. Fitness runs in the family! One of the magical effects of the pandemic is bringing people around the world closer. So my cousin started up this barre class after teaching at Pure Barre, and now I get to see her twice a week.
I keep the cardio to at least 30-45 minutes a day, mostly walking, with some jogging/running and elliptical.
Move of the week:
Bicep curl to shoulder press – this is a great compound movement that works the most visible part of your arms and gets your heart rate up. What’s not to love !
*Note: Please consult a physician before pursuit of any exercise or meal plan. This is solely intended as a meal and exercise diary, and is not prescriptive.
