7 Day Slim Down Recap
I made it! The first 7 days of the Tone It Up meal plan were pretty intense, since I decided to do the 7 Day Slim Down to kick things off. While the diet was pretty strict, I can honestly say I didn’t feel hungry, and I had plenty of energy. I did cheat a little here and there (had to have a little wine on Saturday, what can I say…) but overall, I followed the plan pretty closely.
So here’s what a typical day looked like on the Tone It Up 7 Day Slim Down.
Breakfast
I tried protein shakes and egg scrambles, but I think my favorite was the protein pancake. It was a little dry, as is to be expected, but not bad. If you want a really good protein pancake, try these. Not exactly the same as the one in the plan, but pretty close, and less dry.
Morning snack
I typically ate half a grapefruit unless I was eating at my desk, then I’d usually opt for an apple since it was a bit less messy.
Lunch
This wasn’t too far from my normal lunch, but instead of adding feta to my salad, I added a better source of protein. I tried tempeh, tofu, and black bean burgers. I think my favorite was Twin Oaks tofu, sauteed in liquid aminos, with a little teriyaki sauce. This was eaten with a little fruit.
I was always surprised at how satisfying the lunch was, considering it was fairly low in calories. I guess it was the protein!
Afternoon snack
Typically this was a Think Thin bar. (amazon affiliate link) I’d never tried these before, but they tasted pretty good for a protein bar. They’re higher in calories (about 240) but pack in 20g of protein, so definitely kept me full! I liked the creamy peanut butter flavor a lot. This was one of the bars that was approved on the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan.
Dinner
The goal was to avoid starches after 2pm, so dinners were usually lots of veggies and protein. (Are you noticing a theme here?) Since I didn’t want to be stuck eating at home every night, I had to find some places I could go for dinner, that had healthy options. Ellwood Thompson’s is a definitely favorite.
I went there more than once over the course of the 7 day plan, and had lots of greens tofu, and kale salad. Their raw kale salad is one of my favorite things. The tofu salad was interesting. I loved the dill seasoning.
Evening snack
The Tone It Up Nutrition plan didn’t encourage a lot of snacking after dinner, but there were a couple of times when I hadn’t had a chance to eat much dinner, where I’d have some plain greek yogurt or something like that. But overall, I really cut out evening snacking, which was a big change for me. I found that I wasn’t actually hungry. Most of the time, I had been snacking just because I was bored. I often had a mug of tea or something to keep me distracted, but I didn’t actually snack much.
Even though the 7 day slim down is over, I’m still planning on following the regular Tone It Up meal plan for awhile, because I’ve noticed how their meals have been keeping me full and energized throughout the day. The regular plan gives me a little more flexibility, and I’m sure I’ll have meals that aren’t “on the plan” but overall, I think the focus on veggies and protein is exactly what my body has been craving!
So far, this new years resolution is going well!
For more Tone It Up Meal Ideas, check out some of these What I Ate posts:
- Tone It Up Week 1
- Tone It Up Week 2
- Tone It Up Week 3
- Tone It Up Week 5
- Tone It Up Week 4
- Tone It Up Week 6
If you made any resolutions, how are they going?
For more healthy inspiration, follow me on Instagram @iheartveggies!
Love that you went out to eat to keep yourself from getting bored. Definitely a good approach 🙂 One of my goals this year was to try and get a little bit more variety in my diet instead of eating the same thing all the time, and so far, so good 🙂
Heck, looks like a bunch of good food! I could totally do that plan–especially if protein pancakes are involved. Going to go check out your recipe!
Way to go with all of those veggies, girl!
i actually really love the chocolate think thin bar, which is unlike me because I usually hate fake chocolate protein bars!
Have you tried adding pumpkin into the protein pancake? (40 cals per half cup) and it really keeps it moist! I have been suffering an influx from my diabetes so had to cut out a lot of late night sugary beverages (my favorite being hot cocoa). I’m hoping I’ll be able to add it back it soon actually (which sounds a bit weird adding more sugar into my diet LOL)
I find I generally focus on veggies and protein lately, but I do love my grains…and I am SUCH a nighttime snacker/eater. I do waffle back and forth with whether or not I want to try and cut that out of my routine, or just go with it, since my body seems OK with my meal patterns. I like to think that usually I really AM hungry when I’m eating at least. [Usually.]
P.S. I have never been to Ellwood Thompson’s. Shall we?
Call me late to the party, but I love the new look!
Great job, Liz! I love that you’re eating clean without depriving yourself. Go you!
I am trying to cut down on my sugar intake, particuarly post-dinner time. So far so good. I find that drinking a ton of water after eating helps, as does brushing my teeth earlier in the night.
Nice going on sticking to the 7 Day Slim Down plan! Did you notice any difference on the scales/in the fit of your clothes?
Love Think Thin bars- and I’m always pleasantly surprised at how filling they end up being!
So colorful! I’ve tried the think thin bars once when I was flying home and didn’t have time to get a dinner lol wasn’t a huge fan myself, but I can def see how they’re filling!