Your ultimate 3-week slimdown

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Overindulged on cronuts and Game of Thrones this winter? Same. No worries though – we’re here to help you get back on track with this simple diet and exercise plan.

After three weeks, you could be up to 3-4kg lighter, and continue to see progress thereafter. This slimdown program is so effective, you’ll lose weight even if you follow it 80 per cent of the time. Win.

Breakfast

Focus on Dairy, eggs, whole grains, fibre – generous portions

When you shift kilojoule intake to the morning, you lose weight and keep it off. So eat a large portion of your daily kilojoules (30-35 per cent of your total intake) for breakfast. If you usually skip brekkie, ease into it with something light, like a cheese slice or a glass of milk with wholemeal toast. Just make sure you start your day with protein and carbs to promote muscle growth and fat loss, and reduce inflammation.

If you don’t have the time or appetite to eat a big meal first thing, you still want to shift as many kilojoules as possible to the first third of your day. So if all you can manage is a glass of milk when you get up, give your brain and body a boost an hour later by eating a protein-packed meal that includes fruit or veg. For a shot of omega-3 and antioxidants, have walnut and flaxseed porridge with yoghurt and blueberries. If you’re about to hit the gym, a protein smoothie of fruit and a scoop of whey powder is your best bet.

Lunch

Focus on Vegies, beans, fruit, nuts, whole grains – packing in as many nutrients as possible

Lunch is the defining moment of your nutritional day. It’s also the meal where you have the least control over your food intake, especially at work. So be smart: aim for a lunch that has at least three representatives from the fruit, vegetable or legume category – they’re mainly water, fibre and vitamins, so they’ll keep you hydrated and full with healthy kilojoules. Salads and soups are the easy choices here. Then add in a combo of quality proteins, healthy fats, dairy, nuts and whole grains.

Dinner

Focus on Leafy greens and other vegetables, lean meat, fish and legumes

Studies show that if you start your dinner with a small side salad dressed in olive oil and vinegar, or with steamed folate-rich vegetables like kale, spinach or silverbeet, you’ll decrease your overall food intake by 12 per cent while taking in satisfying fibre and disease-fighting nutrients. Plus, folate-rich greens will give you a mood boost. Then you can move on to the main course: lean protein and whole grains. Twice a week, eat fish – it’s rich in omega-3, which helps lower heart disease risk, protect cells from damage and helps your body to absorb nutrients from other foods.

Snacks

Focus on Dairy, protein, fibre-rich grains, fruit, nuts, beans and legumes

Hungry people make bad food choices, so snacks can help keep you on track (think: protein, fat and calcium). Your snacks are where you should try to squeeze in extra servings of dairy. Choose plain yoghurt with blueberries, cottage cheese with red capsicum slices or milk with wholegrain cereal. Yum.

Pre- and Post-workout eats

Focus on Dairy, lean meat, grains, nuts – eating before and immediately after exercise

Eat one serving of carbs with one serving of protein about 30 minutes before your workout. An easy way to do this: down a protein shake. When you eat before a workout, those kilojoules go towards fuelling your body to work optimally while you exercise – plus you’ll improve your mood and give yourself the burst of energy you need to motivate yourself. Dutch and UK researchers found eating before your workout speeds muscle growth by blunting your body’s receptivity to cortisol, a fat-storing stress hormone. That speeds fat loss during your workout and 24 hours after that, according to scientists at Syracuse University, US.

After your workout, eating protein helps your body recover by providing a fresh infusion of amino acids to repair and build muscle. And carbs will raise your insulin levels, which slows protein breakdown and speeds post-exercise muscle growth. Eat one serve of carbs with one serve of protein 30 minutes after exercise.

Work out after work? Go grab a snack as you leave the office, then eat dinner after the gym. Prefer the mornings? Eat a light brekkie when you get up, then have something more substantial after you exercise.

Get your 5-day meal plan

Here’s what a week of workouts looks like. Reckon you can do 3 weeks worth? Yeah, man.

It only takes 3 days

Remember, you should only be strength training 3 days per week, with each workout taking 45 minutes or less. But a good sesh doesn’t end when you put down the weights – that’s when fat burning and muscle enhancing kicks into high gear. After lifting weights, your metabolism stays elevated for up to 48 hours after and the micro-tears in your muscles are repairing and growing stronger (post-workout soreness means it’s working).

So what counts as an active recovery day?

It can be almost any movement that gets your blood flowing, like mopping the floors or running around with your dog or:

Remember, always have at least 1 off day to give yourself a chance to completely relax. If you feel worn out, you can bump that up to 2 off days. Pushing your body too hard will slow you down and limit your results. Get some inspiration from our total body workouts.