It’s the final count down until I go to Marbella! I’m excited for a holiday, but heading to such a glamorous destination with some equally glamorous girls… you can imagine the food blogger is feeling a little nervous! I’ve worked very hard this year and got some great results, but I’ve got a couple more weeks to knuckle down
After my recent visit to York, judging the MK Food Awards and a messy night in Birmingham I needed something to get me back on track. Enter The Engine Plan: set up by seasoned model and qualified nutritionist Stina, who has created a number of diet plans ranging in length to help customers reach their goals. The shorter plans are designed for fitting into that dress or feeling great on that special occasion, whilst the longer plans are for complete body & lifestyle overhauls. I was sent the 7-day Engine Plan to follow and review.
I received a nicely written E-document complete with an introduction on secrets to staying slim, portion control, a shopping list and a comprehensive plan of meals for each day. On first impressions the shopping list is huge, like really, really long. You need to read through the meal plans before shopping, because the meals sometimes offer two choices. Once you’ve got an idea of which option you’ll pick, the shopping list becomes a little more manageable.
The 7-day plan alternates between 4 days of meals and 3 juice days.
Juice days are pretty tough and water is your best friend for staving off hunger! I had to improvise a little with the veg as my blender wasn’t cut out for turning things like carrots into liquid.
The other days are low calorie, small portioned meals. They’re balanced with protein, fruits & veggies and complex carbs. Meals are quite varied too; breakfast is different every day for example. Snacks however are generally off the cards so I found myself pretty hungry in between meals.
Okay so let’s get down to the important bit: did this diet work? (I’m feeling pretty nervous about revealing this part, please be kind!)
Before
Weight: 10st 4lbs
Arm: 30.5cm
Bust: 89cm
Waist: 68cm
Hips: 104.5cm
Thigh: 59cm
After
Weight: 9st 13lbs
Arm: 30cm
Bust: 86.5cm (Nooo!)
Waist: 67cm
Hips: 103cm
Thigh: 58cm
Total loss: 5lbs in weight and 6.5cm in measurements.
5lbs in one week? Pretty damn impressive! I had concerns that it was just water weight; of course some of my weight loss is just that, but the reduction in measurements backs up that I’ve lost some fat too. My before & after pictures (Eeek!) show some subtle differences: my stomach is certainly tighter and has a little more definition.
I can’t say this diet was easy for me as I did feel very hungry! I admit in places I added some extra protein to my meals such as an egg or some chicken breast as I was concerned about losing muscle from the juice days. I did not exercise during this period so the results are 100% that of the diet plan. Despite taking me out of my comfort zone, I’m very happy with the results and this has been the kick start I needed to see me through to my holiday.
I admit I’m looking forward to having a little more food freedom back once I return from my holiday; I think the content of my blog looks forward to it as well! Have you noticed cobwebs growing in the baking section?!