GMO spoke with certified nutritionist, Erica Robinson, to get some special tips on how to get into shape for the New Year. She provides readers with a special three-day meal plan and quick and easy exercises to help you all reach your New Year’s resolution weight goal.
Erica’s 8 Tips for Losing the Holiday Weight
1. Do set a New Year’s resolution of losing weight but start with a small goal. “Don’t say you’re going to run a marathon.” Set a weight goal for the week or every two weeks that you want to lose and make a commitment to achieving that goal.
2. Make your commitment public. “It’s good when people are following you and encouraging you during your weight loss resolution. Post progression pictures on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.”
3. Don’t deprive yourself. “It’s OK to have a cheat day.”
4. Make it a priority to cook all your meals. “To make this easier, cook all your food like chicken or fish on Sunday so that if you don’t have time during the week to cook a healthy meal, it will already be pre-cooked.”
5. Find a workout that’s fun. “If you like dancing, sign up for a Zumba class. Find fun exercise DVD’s to make your workout fun. You can even dance to a video of Beyonce.”
6. Stick to the rule “less and more.” “Eat less by eating smaller portions. Eat more by eating more times a day.”
7. Be consistent. “Be mindful of trying to be consistent and sticking through it. Diets don’t work, it’s a lifestyle. It’s all in the mind.”
8. Live by the 80/20 rule of health. “Losing weight is 80 percent nutrition and 20 percent exercise. If you’re looking for a quick fix to just lose a couple of pounds in a couple of days, I would suggest doing a juice diet, which is more like a quick cleanse.”
Erica’s suggested 3-Day meal plan to help you stick to your weight loss goal
Day 1
Breakfast: Breakfast burrito: scrambled egg whites (about 4-5) and sprinkle in red crushed pepper, and cook ½ garlic & about 1 cup of washed spinach with a whole grain tortilla
Lunch: Salmon and spinach salad with cranberries and raw quiona with balsamic dressing
Snack: Three slices of organic turkey w/1 cup of berries
Dinner: Baked chicken with grilled peppers & onions. (tastes best if you sauté the veggies separately or even bake with the chicken).
Day 2
Breakfast: 3 egg white “omelet” or scramble with green peppers and tomatoes. W/one piece of whole grain toast (can add peanut butter to toast if you have it)
Lunch: Baked chicken, baked sweet potato (you can bake the two together) slices, asparagus
Snack: Yogurt w/berries
Dinner: Tuna steak with green beans amande (make 2 servings of green beans for lunch tomorrow)
Day 3
Breakfast: Breakfast parfait: 1 greek yogurt, 1 cup of blueberries, 1 cup of strawberries, 2 table spoons of honey, 1 cup flax cereal. When you finish mixing, place sliced oranges on top
Lunch: Lemon garlic shrimp with veggies
Snack: 1 cup of chips (blue chips or organic tortilla chips) with a trader joe’s homemade salsa
Dinner: Stuffed green peppers: black beans, ground turkey, tomatoes, low fat parmesan cheese…I would cook the ground turkey and simmer it in a tomato sauce as if you were going to make spaghetti. Cook enough for lunch tomorrow. No rice! Can add 1 tbsp of quinoa if you desire.
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Quick Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 large red bell pepper and green pepper diced
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1lb of raw shrimp
2 tablespoons of parsley
6 chopped garlic (can cut down depending on how many servings you make)
First cook and sauté all veggies and add as much asparagus as you want. In another sauce pan add shrimp and garlic and cook until slightly brown. Mix everything together and enjoy for lunch and dinner.
Three Easy Exercises to Lose Weight
Burpee: A fully body exercise that works the abdominals, legs, and arms that can burn up to 563 calories per hour. Start in a plank position with hands directly under shoulder.
Jump just your feet forward to where your knees touch your chest. Then jump straight up to your highest elevation. To finish, jump back into plank position and repeat. 5 sets of 5 burpees.
Squats: Squat down as if you were sitting in an imaginary chair with your chest out and knees behind your toes. Keep weight in your hands and arms at a 90 degree angle, keeping your elbows parallel with your shoulders. Burst upward and stand tall. Repeat. 5 sets of 10 squats.
Exquisite Crunch: Lay down with your legs spread apart and fists at your ears. Slowly bring your knees into your chest and slowly go back to starting position and repeat 3 sets of 10.
You can follow Erica to get more healthy food tips and exercises at her blog: www.windemarie.tumblr.com. You can also follow her on Instagram: @iamemarie and her YouTube: emarieisfit. For personal meal plans to better suit the diet you are going for, you can email Erica directly at
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*Photo Credits: Rashadd McCants with Immaculate Perception Photography www.ip-images.com
