The Lean Body Challenge (Lesson 2)

Success Factor One: The Right Information

You need to increase your metabolism before you can become a fat-burning machine, and stimulating muscle is the key. Muscle is very metabolically active tissue, which means that it burns a lot of calories even while you are at rest. Protein supports and builds muscle; therefore, consuming sufficient protein every day is extremely important.

Start with a protein source at every single meal.

Here are examples of protein sources your 'Lean Body Challenge Proteins, Challenge Proteins':
Scrambled egg whites or egg substitutes, chicken breast, turkey breast, lean ground turkey breast, fish, and fat free cottage cheese. You can also easily substitute Lean Body Replacement shakes or protein bars for your "mini" meals. They are a great source of high quality protein.

Q: How much protein do I need at Each meal? 
A: A portion the size of the palm of your hand.

One easy way to roughly measure out your protein serving size is to select a portion that is the size of your pal. Picture your hand without your fingers and thumb. It's that easy.

Next, we address your carbohydrate needs.
Include complex carbohydrates with every meal. Most of your energy calories will come from "carbs." Contrary to popular belief, carbs are not your enemy. But, sugar can be detrimental to your success.

Here examples of carbohydrate sources your 'Lean Body-Challenge Carbs':
Oatmeal (avoid instant or sweetened oatmeals), cream of wheat, brown rice, wild rice, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes (yams), beans, corn, peas, lentils, lima beans, barley, 100% whole grain breads and cereals, grits and corn tortillas.

Q: What should my carbohydrate intake be?
A: Eat a portion the size of your fist.

A good rule is to have a serving of carbs that is approximately the size of your fist with each meal. For example, a baked yam the size of your closed fist would be adequate for a meal.
Carbohydrate calories should not come from refined foods that are high in sugars. This is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make. Foods that should be avoided are processed foods such as cake, pie, ice cream, and other sugar-laden foods. Now, carbs have gotten a bad reputation recently, bit I would like to point out that carbs are good for you. They are necessary. Can that be? Absolutely, but there is a distinct difference between "good" complex carbs and "bad" simple carbs. Simple carbs raise blood sugar levels quickly, converting to fat much more easily. As such, they should only be eaten sparingly. This chart highlights the difference:

Good Carbs (Complex)
Yams             Brown
Corn              Baked Potato
Oatmeal        Lentils
100% Whole-Grain Breads and Cereals

Bad Carbs (Simple)
Pasta                   Chips and Crackers
French Fries        White Bread
Refined Cereal    Sugar/Candy
Flour Tortillas    Pastries/Baked Goods

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