Hi there. I’m not extraordinary in any way. I am just your average, run-of-the-mill six-pack at the ripe old age of … I’m not telling. I belong to Robin Hall. He is not a bad boss. In no way is he perfect, and God knows he has abused us over the years with junk food, smoking and other nefarious activities, but, bless him, he does make an effort to live well and live as an example to his clients.
He is not a chef, no, not a chef at all, but with my guidance I have trained him to whip together relatively healthy meals quickly and simply, and in this topsy-turvy crazy age of go, go, go, quick and healthy is key. I hope these recipe ideas provide you with some inspiration to get your diet a little more in line with keeping a healthy lifestyle and a trim, toned and tight torso.
These recipes are meant to be a guide for you. When I have listed the ingredients, assume it is for two servings. Use these meal ideas as a base structure, a foundation. Play with them, but always keep this in mind: low calories and high nutrition. Although there is meat and cheese in these meal ideas (hey, nobody’s perfect), I do encourage you to be as vegetarian as possible.
I have set the daily limit at 1,500 calories. This is a great figure for woman to aim for. Boys, you have a few more calories to play with, but it is better be to be on the safe side and strive to stay on or under 1,800. You should be exercising each day.
Check with your doctors and check with yourself if these calorie counts are healthy for you, and remember: If you keep to a diet plan and count your calories but aren’t losing weight, you have two options — up the exercise or lower your calories or both!
Abs are made in the kitchen. Your diet is important for your figure, but more importantly it is vital for your long-term health. In fact, your diet in many ways is your health. So peruse this diet plan and find something that works for your body that is not hard to maintain. We want you to have abs for life, day in day out. Each moment of our existence should defined by doing our best.
Breakfast (330 calories)
Oatmeal is a go-to. I love this stuff. Slow-burning complex carbs give you sustained energy throughout the morning. I usually add a teaspoon of chia seeds. Chia seeds are a concentrated food containing healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants and calcium. They also swell in liquid, expanding in your tummy to make you feel full for longer. Bonus!
I also add some blueberries, some slivered almonds, a few raisins and, if I am feeling crazy, a few slices of banana.
Top Tip: Fruit are indeed your friend, but even natural sugars turn to fat quickly so don’t go bananas with bananas.
I also have to have my coffee to kickstart my heart and a glass of water (or two). I have a glass of water first thing in the morning. This is important as you have to rehydrate the body after it has been doing its thang while you were sleeping.
Mid-morning snack (120 calories)
Carrots and hummus and an apple. This never fails to please. Don’t get too crazy with the hummus. Dip those carrots in with judicious delicacy. Two tablespoons per serving is a good measure.
Get in two glasses of water. That’s right, two!
Top Tip: If you are like me, sometimes you find drinking half your body weight in ounces of water is a tough ask, but that is what your body and yes, your abs require just to maintain their healthy functioning. So if you are by the water cooler or pouring yourself a glass, double up and pound two down. You need it! Drink water like its your favorite cocktail!
Lunch (200 calories)
Don’t you just love how easy salads are to prepare? I grab the already-washed organic mixes from Trader Joe’s. A combination of the baby spring mix, the power greens and a bag of spinach is my favorite base. A couple of cups of each of these, and then I quickly chop up a cucumber, finely dice some red onion (up to half according to your taste or your need to maintain fresh breath), and I also throw in some reduced-sodium black olives and then I go just a bit crazy with some cherry tomatoes.
I then crumble just a small amount of fat-free feta cheese on it (just enough to give it a some sharp flavor, around 50 grams for two people) and hand-toss it with a fat-free balsamic dressing (two tablespoons per serving).
Top Tip: Hand-tossing coats all the leaves with a little dressing, which makes the salad more flavorful, and you lose less dressing. Win win! Trader Joe’s has both a good fat-free feta and good fat-free balsamic dressing.
Another Top Tip: Fat-free is a bit of a mislabeling debacle. Even if a product is “fat free,” it can contain a lot of sugar and simple carbs, which turns into fat pretty quickly in the body, thus being in reality far from “fat free.” However, these products are usually lower in calories. Remember to wash it down with a glass of water (or two). Don’t forget that water!
Mid-afternoon snack (185 calories)
I love juicing. Lots of whole fruit and veggies blended up, well, you just can’t beat it. You get a real hit of fantastic vitamins, and you can feel your body tingle with the goodness you are consuming.
Ingredients: I throw in some pineapple chunks, an orange, apple, cucumber, spinach, carrots, a bit of ginger and the juice of a lemon and just a bit of mint to taste and there you have it. Deelish!
Be creative! Find combinations that you love. I like to keep the pulp and fiber in my juices, so I just blend it all up like a big nutritious margarita. That reminds me, be generous with the ice; it makes it extra refreshing. I would encourage you to have a nutritious green drink each and every day! It really does provide your body with a jolt of nutritious zest. Your body needs fresh fruit and vegetables. Give it what it needs!
Don’t forget: Keep drinking that water throughout the day!
Dinner (650 calories)
Yes, that’s right. Pizza can be enjoyed by those that want to maintain a tight-and-trim waistline. In fact, I often prefer my homemade pizza over the more-decadent and greasy products you get from the delivery boy or girl. Pick up a pizza dough from your grocery store (Trader Joe’s has a great whole-wheat dough). You only need half a pack between two people, and roll it really flat. I don’t know how to stretch a pizza base out traditional style, so I use a rolling pin and work it out until it is nice and thin. Set the oven to its highest heat, like 500 degrees, and invest in a pizza stone to get a crispy crust. I use a low-sodium pasta sauce and use it sparingly, and then I top it with just a little cheese with a bit of basil, salt, pepper and some oregano to taste, maybe some sun-dried tomatoes and pepperoni. The side salad can be a quick combination of your favorite veggies.
Get into homemade pizza. It is a great treat, and it proves you can be healthy and still indulge in sensible and sensational comfort food. Go crazy and wash it down with a glass of wine or two and two glasses of water. I do usually have a drink or two with my meals. It helps me relax and slow down at the end of the day — but remember to include your drinks in your daily calorie count. You don’t need more than two drinks on a weeknight, do you? Of course not! Make sure you get at least a couple of glasses of water in at the end of the day. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
To your best abs and to your best you!
Robin J. Hall is a contributing journalist for TheBlot Magazine.
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