Rules
The standing rules
The card tells you what to eat. No options anywhere in your view. Alternatives live in the program document and nowhere else.
Protein never drops below 150 grams. Every day, rest days included.
The window is noon to 8:00 PM. Sixteen fasted, eight fed. Nothing before noon, nothing after 8:00.
Three meals a day. Noon, mid afternoon, and dinner. Two are packed, one is cooked.
Coffee, tea, water and seltzer do not break the fast. Nothing with calories in it before noon, cream included.
Dinner is mostly cooked before you walk in. Home at 6:45 and the window shuts at 8:00, so the protein is the only thing that hits heat on a weeknight.
No fermented foods. Your rule, and the whole library was built around it.
Pasta is legal and it lands on lifting days, where the carbohydrate does work.
Noon is the largest meal of the day. On Saturday and Sunday it is also your post workout meal, because you lift at 11:00.
Every meat is ground except steak. Beef, turkey and chicken all come ground.
Steak is twice a week and only ever at dinner. It never appears at noon. The calendar already places both.
Eggs are Saturday and Sunday only, never more than three. They do not show up on a work day.
The derail rule
The next meal is the plan. Not the next day, not Monday. The next meal.
You do not eat less tomorrow to make up for it and you do not add cardio to pay it off. Both turn one ordinary evening into a week of damage, and that pattern is the thing that actually ends programs.
Not counted, not listed
Seltzer, any flavour, as many as she wants. Black coffee. Plain tea. Lemons and limes. Vinegar. Mustard. Sugar free hot sauce. Salt and spices.
Training
Pairs run back to back. 1a straight into 1b, then rest.
60 seconds rest inside a pair. 90 seconds between pairs. Set a timer and obey it.
RPE 8 on the working sets. Two reps left in the tank, no grinding.
Top of the rep range on every set means the weight goes up next time. Write it down.
Saturday and Sunday run 45 minutes. Wednesday is capped at 30 and the cap is real.
The 5:00 meal is the pre workout on Wednesday. It is cold and light on purpose, which is what lets it sit that close to the first set.
Cardio
Treadmill HIIT, 20 minutes. 5 minute walk to warm, then 8 rounds of 30 seconds hard and 90 seconds walk, 3 minutes down. Monday and Thursday.
Rollerblade or long walk, 45 to 60 minutes. Conversational pace the whole way. Tuesday.
11,000 step floor Monday through Sunday, 8,000 on Friday. The extra 3,000 is a 20 minute walk after dinner and it is worth about 120 kcal a day, which is the difference between finishing at 143 and finishing at 141.
Stop conditions
Weight dropping more than 2.5 lb a week for two weeks. Three weeks with no movement at all while following the plan. Sleep breaking down. Your period changing or stopping. Feeling light headed in a session. Not wanting to train any more.
None of these mean it failed. They mean the numbers need moving. Call your father.
The blocks
Block 1, Establish
09-07 to 10-04
Block 2, Drive
10-05 to 11-08
Block 3, Sharpen
11-09 to 12-05
Block 4, Wedding Week
12-06 to 12-12
Shopping
Week 1
09-07 to 09-13
Protein
93/7 ground beef
1.5 lb
93/7 ground chicken
2.75 lb
93/7 ground turkey
1.25 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
3 tubs
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
1 tub
Top sirloin
1.25 lb
Whey isolate
6 scoops
Whole egg
6 eggs
Vegetables
Asparagus
1 lb
Baby spinach
10 oz
Broccoli
2 lb
Green beans
2 lb
Starch and fruit
Banana
2 each
Flour tortilla
2 each
Gold potato
2.5 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
2 lb
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Honey
2 oz
Olive oil
2 tbsp
Week 2
09-14 to 09-20
Protein
93/7 ground beef
1 lb
93/7 ground chicken
3.25 lb
93/7 ground turkey
1.75 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
3 tubs
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
1 tub
Top sirloin
1.25 lb
Whey isolate
2 scoops
Whole egg
6 eggs
Vegetables
Asparagus
1.5 lb
Baby spinach
10 oz
Broccoli
1.5 lb
Green beans
2 lb
Starch and fruit
Flour tortilla
2 each
Gold potato
1.5 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
2 lb
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Sourdoughabout 50 g a slice
2 slices
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Butter
1 tbsp
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
4 oz
No sugar marinara24 oz, no sugar added
1 jar
Olive oil
3 tbsp
Week 3
09-21 to 09-27
Protein
93/7 ground beef
2 lb
93/7 ground chicken
2.75 lb
93/7 ground turkey
1.75 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
1 tub
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
2 tubs
Top sirloin
0.5 lb
Whey isolate
6 scoops
Whole egg
6 eggs
Vegetables
Asparagus
1 lb
Baby spinach
15 oz
Broccoli
2 lb
Green beans
2.5 lb
Starch and fruit
Banana
2 each
Flour tortilla
1 each
Gold potato
2.5 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
1.5 lb
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Sourdoughabout 50 g a slice
2 slices
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Butter
1 tbsp
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
4 oz
No sugar marinara24 oz, no sugar added
1 jar
Olive oil
3 tbsp
Week 4
09-28 to 10-04
Protein
93/7 ground beef
1.5 lb
93/7 ground chicken
2.75 lb
93/7 ground turkey
1.75 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
2 tubs
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
2 tubs
Top sirloin
1.25 lb
Whey isolate
5 scoops
Vegetables
Asparagus
1.5 lb
Baby spinach
15 oz
Broccoli
1.5 lb
Green beans
3 lb
Starch and fruit
Flour tortilla
1 each
Gold potato
3 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
2 lb
Pasta, dry16 oz
1 box
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Honey
2 oz
No sugar marinara24 oz, no sugar added
1 jar
Olive oil
2 tbsp
Week 5
10-05 to 10-11
Protein
93/7 ground beef
0.5 lb
93/7 ground chicken
2.75 lb
93/7 ground turkey
2.75 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
2 tubs
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
3 tubs
Top sirloin
0.75 lb
Whey isolate
5 scoops
Vegetables
Asparagus
2 lb
Baby spinach
5 oz
Broccoli
1 lb
Green beans
2.5 lb
Starch and fruit
Flour tortilla
1 each
Gold potato
2 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
2 lb
Pasta, dry16 oz
1 box
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
4 oz
No sugar marinara24 oz, no sugar added
1 jar
Olive oil
3 tbsp
Week 6
10-12 to 10-18
Protein
93/7 ground beef
2 lb
93/7 ground chicken
3.75 lb
93/7 ground turkey
1.75 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
2 tubs
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
1 tub
Whey isolate
5 scoops
Whole egg
6 eggs
Vegetables
Asparagus
1.5 lb
Baby spinach
15 oz
Broccoli
2.5 lb
Green beans
2 lb
Starch and fruit
Banana
1 each
Flour tortilla
2 each
Gold potato
2 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
1.5 lb
Pasta, dry16 oz
1 box
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Honey
2 oz
No sugar marinara24 oz, no sugar added
1 jar
Olive oil
2 tbsp
Week 7
10-19 to 10-25
Protein
93/7 ground beef
2.5 lb
93/7 ground chicken
3.25 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
2 tubs
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
2 tubs
Top sirloin
1.25 lb
Whey isolate
5 scoops
Whole egg
6 eggs
Vegetables
Asparagus
1 lb
Baby spinach
20 oz
Broccoli
2.5 lb
Green beans
1.5 lb
Starch and fruit
Flour tortilla
1 each
Gold potato
1.5 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
2 lb
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Sourdoughabout 50 g a slice
2 slices
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Butter
1 tbsp
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
2 oz
Olive oil
3 tbsp
Week 8
10-26 to 11-01
Protein
93/7 ground beef
2.5 lb
93/7 ground chicken
2.75 lb
93/7 ground turkey
0.75 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
1 tub
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
2 tubs
Top sirloin
1.25 lb
Whey isolate
5 scoops
Whole egg
6 eggs
Vegetables
Asparagus
1 lb
Baby spinach
15 oz
Broccoli
2 lb
Green beans
2.5 lb
Starch and fruit
Flour tortilla
1 each
Gold potato
2 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
2 lb
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Sourdoughabout 50 g a slice
2 slices
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Butter
1 tbsp
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
4 oz
Olive oil
3 tbsp
Week 9
11-02 to 11-08
Protein
93/7 ground beef
2.5 lb
93/7 ground chicken
3.25 lb
93/7 ground turkey
1.25 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
2 tubs
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
2 tubs
Whey isolate
5 scoops
Vegetables
Asparagus
1.5 lb
Baby spinach
10 oz
Broccoli
2.5 lb
Green beans
2 lb
Starch and fruit
Banana
1 each
Flour tortilla
1 each
Gold potato
2 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
2 lb
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
4 oz
Olive oil
4 tbsp
Week 10
11-09 to 11-15
Protein
93/7 ground beef
0.5 lb
93/7 ground chicken
3.25 lb
93/7 ground turkey
1.75 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
2 tubs
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
2 tubs
Top sirloin
1.25 lb
Whey isolate
5 scoops
Vegetables
Asparagus
1 lb
Baby spinach
10 oz
Broccoli
2 lb
Green beans
2 lb
Starch and fruit
Banana
1 each
Flour tortilla
2 each
Gold potato
1.5 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
2 lb
Pasta, dry16 oz
1 box
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
4 oz
No sugar marinara24 oz, no sugar added
1 jar
Olive oil
2 tbsp
Week 11
11-16 to 11-22
Protein
93/7 ground beef
1 lb
93/7 ground chicken
2.75 lb
93/7 ground turkey
1.75 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
2 tubs
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
2 tubs
Top sirloin
1.25 lb
Whey isolate
5 scoops
Vegetables
Asparagus
1 lb
Baby spinach
10 oz
Broccoli
1.5 lb
Green beans
2.5 lb
Starch and fruit
Banana
1 each
Flour tortilla
2 each
Gold potato
1 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
2 lb
Pasta, dry16 oz
1 box
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
4 oz
No sugar marinara24 oz, no sugar added
1 jar
Olive oil
2 tbsp
Week 12
11-23 to 11-29, 1 written day shopped separately
Protein
93/7 ground beef
1 lb
93/7 ground chicken
2.75 lb
93/7 ground turkey
2.5 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
2 tubs
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
2 tubs
Top sirloin
0.75 lb
Whey isolate
3 scoops
Whole egg
6 eggs
Vegetables
Asparagus
2.5 lb
Baby spinach
10 oz
Broccoli
1 lb
Green beans
2 lb
Starch and fruit
Flour tortilla
1 each
Gold potato
2 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
1.5 lb
Pasta, dry16 oz
1 box
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
2 oz
No sugar marinara24 oz, no sugar added
1 jar
Olive oil
2 tbsp
Week 13
11-30 to 12-06
Protein
93/7 ground beef
2.5 lb
93/7 ground chicken
2.75 lb
93/7 ground turkey
1.75 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
1 tub
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
2 tubs
Top sirloin
0.5 lb
Whey isolate
5 scoops
Vegetables
Asparagus
1 lb
Baby spinach
15 oz
Broccoli
2.5 lb
Green beans
3 lb
Starch and fruit
Banana
1 each
Flour tortilla
1 each
Gold potato
1.5 lb
Jasmine rice, dry
0.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
1.5 lb
Pasta, dry16 oz
1 box
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
4 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
2 oz
No sugar marinara24 oz, no sugar added
1 jar
Olive oil
3 tbsp
Week 14
12-07 to 12-12, 2 written days shopped separately
Protein
93/7 ground chicken
1.75 lb
93/7 ground turkey
1.75 lb
Lowfat cottage cheese24 oz lowfat
1 tub
Nonfat Greek yogurt32 oz nonfat
1 tub
Top sirloin
1.25 lb
Whey isolate
2 scoops
Vegetables
Asparagus
1.5 lb
Baby spinach
5 oz
Broccoli
0.5 lb
Green beans
1 lb
Starch and fruit
Flour tortilla
2 each
Gold potato
1.5 lb
Mixed berriesfresh or frozen
1 lb
Pasta, dry16 oz
1 box
Rolled oats, dry
0.5 lb
Fat and pantry
Almond butterno sugar added
2 oz
Almonds
2 oz
Chia seeds
2 oz
Honey
2 oz
No sugar marinara24 oz, no sugar added
1 jar
Olive oil
2 tbsp
These are the amounts the plan actually uses, rounded up to what a store sells. Vegetables are a floor, not a cap, so buy more of those than the number says.
Sunday, ninety minutes
Cook the ground beef, turkey and chicken in three batches and portion them on the scale. Roast the broccoli, asparagus and green beans on two sheet pans. Cut the cucumber. Cook rice and potatoes for the first half of the week. Eggs are a weekend food, so there is nothing to boil for the work week.
Every night, ten minutes
Read tomorrow before bed. Weigh and pack the 12:00 and the 5:00. Bag by the keys.