1. Rae's Fail-Proof Fit Plan
OK, so there are two ways you can do this. Either you can gradually build up
to levels of diet/exercise in this plan, or you can start at the levels I've set. I
always advise that people start slow and work their way up, just because
then it doesn't feel like so much of a lifestyle change and you won't burn out.
! For starters, maybe try going to the gym 3 times per week instead of
the 6 I advise in this plan.
However, if you know that YOU have been really fit before and this isn't new
to you, feel free to go all out!
DIET
First, you need to know your BMR, or the amount of calories your body burns
when you lay in bed all day. Go to this website http://www.bmi-
calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ to calculate it!
! My BMR is 1400. That means that if I burn 400 calories at the gym, I
will burn 1800 calories that day (1400 BMR calories + 400 gym
calories = 1800 total) I generally aim to eat 500 calories less than I use
per day in order to lose weight. That means that I should eat 1300
calories per day (1800 burned calories – 500 calories = 1300 calories
to eat that day).
! Plug in the numbers that apply to you (your BMR and the number of
calories you burn at the gym). Keep this number in mind for the number
of calories you should be eating per day! Don't sweat it if you're a little
under or over, but this is generally what you'll aim for. Don't be tempted
to under-eat frequently, though, as your body may go into starvation
mode and start burning muscle instead of fat.
You will also need to eat often to keep your metabolism going. I recommend
six times per day. I like to have three medium sized-meals, and three small
snacks. Eat your breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up so you can
kickstart your blood sugar level. After that, eat about every 3/4 hours until
bed. You're going to be doing a lot of snacking. Always be prepared, and
make sure you have healthy food with you at all times.

2. Looking at your plate, about half should be veggies, you should have a good-
sized bit of lean protein, and about the amount of carbs as can fit into a
measuring cup.
The options of what you can eat are actually really broad. You just need to
be vigilant about reading labels. Other than watching calories, you need to
look for fiber content (don't even touch bread/rice/cereal unless it has at
least 2g of fiber). The more, the merrier! It will keep you full and help move
fat out of your body. Optimally you should get 15g per day.
Also on the labels: protein. So very important. I recommend 70-100g per
day.
Watch the sugar content, too. If it has more than 10g, it's a dessert in
disguise.
- Allow yourself to cheat sometimes! It makes it much easier to keep up a
healthy lifestyle. Some people have designated cheat DAYS, other people
have cheat RESTAURANTS, or cheat MEALS. Don't beat yourself up for eating
that slice of pizza, piece of cake, or fries. Just be conscious that you have
eaten that amount of calories, and keep such cheats to a manageable
minimum.
*Try not to eat anything that has a ton of ingredients you can't
pronounce.
*If it's in a wrapper of some kind, be suspicious.
*Keep saturated fat to a minimum, at most 14g per day.
*Most things don't have trans fats anymore...but do not let that crap
into your body.
GROCERY LIST
Proteins
ground turkey, sliced turkey, or turkey breast
skinless chicken
97% lean ground beef
shrimp
any type of fish
eggs (don't be afraid of the yolk)
lentils

3. beans
nuts – any are good, almonds and pistachios are best
Veggies (ONLY EAT FRESH, NOT CANNED!)
As many as you can eat! And really any type. Here are my suggestions.
baby carrots
grape tomatoes
spinach
kale
green beans
broccoli
cauliflower
asparagus
brussels sprouts
sweet potato (it counts as a veggie since it's so good for you)
avocado (in moderation)
squash
zucchini
Fruit (ONLY EAT FRESH, NOT CANNED!)
I eat a ton of fruit. Watch the calories, but generally they fill you up without
pushing your calorie limit. You don't need to stick to the ones on this list, but
these are my favorites!
Any type of berry
Apples (Have a lot of fiber!)
Bananas (in moderation)
peaches
pineapple
kiwi
oranges
Juice
Honestly, I don't recommend it. Just eat fruit. So many juices add sugar and
chemicals. If you must drink juice, check the ingredients and make sure it's
100% juice!
Grains
“Wheat” is not the same as “whole wheat.” You want the whole wheat
option. Anything that specifies flax seed as an ingredient is especially good.

4. Brown rice
whole wheat bread
Flat Out wraps if you're wanting something like a tortilla
oatmeal (quick oats are OK, but don't get any that are pre-flavored)
cereal (if it has plenty of protein/fiber)
Dairy
OK, milk is NOT as good for you as they advertise. Really the less dairy you
eat, the better. If you do want dairy in your diet, watch the fat content.
Cheese (feta is best, those american slices are worst)
cottage cheese (Has a lot of protein! Low-fat tastes the same as full fat.)
Greek Yogurt (A LOT of protein, great breakfast/snack/dessert)
Frozen yogurt instead of ice cream
Milk (if you gotta have it, skim)
* If you haven't tried them before, I highly recommend soy and almond milk.
They taste sooo much better than regular milk. My favorite is light vanilla
soy.
Drinks
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you stay clear of alcohol. Not only is it chock-full of
sugar, carbs and calories, it also causes your body to redirect energy from
fat-burning and digestion into detoxifying your liver. I've read it takes your
body nearly a full day to go back into fat-burning after a night out drinking.
If you want to have a drink now and then, treat it as a dessert. I like to call
it “liquid bread!”
- Soda
You may be surprised to find that diet sodas are actually not bad for you.
There is no conclusive scientific evidence that there are any negative
effects of the artificial sweeteners. There are a lot of people who would
argue about this, and if you want to be extra careful, don't feel PRESSURED
to drink diet sodas. It's just what I've learned from research. In my personal
opinion, diet sodas are just fine! However, please don't drink full-calorie
sodas. They're empty calories.
- Crystal Lite
I'm a huge fan! Buy yourself a pitcher and keep your favorite flavors handy at
all times.
- Tea
Unsweetened is great. Use artificial sweetener (my favorites are Stevia and
Truvia, or agave nectar if you want something natural) if you don't like it

5. unsweetened. GREEN TEA is known to boost metabolism and help burn fat,
so if you like green tea, drink it several times per day!
- Protein shakes
These are pretty awesome, as it is sometimes difficult to get all the protein
you need on a low-cal diet. I use Isopure Natural Chocolate flavor. If you
want to look around for one, look for one with 25g protein per serving, and
no more than 150 calories. Sometimes (like the one I use), the serving will be
listed as 50g of protein and 200 calories. Since I really just NEED about 25g, I
cut the serving in half. Great mixed with water or soymilk, you can also get
creative. I blend mine with a ripe banana, Splenda, soymilk, PB2, and a
handful of ice. It tastes just like a dessert/treat when in reality it's great for
you!
Water
You will need to drink half of your weight in ounces of water every day! I
weigh 135lbs, so I need about 70 oz of water to fulfill this quota. Lemon or
flavoring added still counts as water. Anything with caffeine does not count.
HOWEVER, I do drink a lot of coffee to get energy for my workouts. Caffeine
is known to boost athletic performance, and there's no reason to forgo your
morning coffee or afternoon Diet Coke.
OUT TO EAT
Of course, you are going to still want to go out to eat. Here are some tips for
eating healthy on the go:
*Skip the fries/potato/chips side. Get fruit or veggies instead.
*If it comes with rice, don't eat more than would fit into a measuring
cup.
*If it's a large portion and you're afraid you may overeat, ask the server
to put half in a to-go box before your food even comes out.
*LOOK UP NUTRITION ONLINE. So many restaurant chains offer nutrition
information, and there's really no excuse for not knowing before you go.
You would not believe the crap hiding in supposedly “healthy” foods at
some restaurants.
*In salads, vinegar-based dressings are best, and ranch is one of the
worst. Also, get a spinach salad rather than one with iceberg or
romaine lettuce.

6. EXERCISE
Get to the gym 6 days per week. Take the stairs, no elevators! Walk as often
as you can. While watching TV, don't be afraid to break out in pushups or
crunches during commercial breaks. Every little bit helps!
Cardio
The only type of cardio I don't really advise is the elliptical. To be honest, it's
not as intense as it needs to be. However, if it has been a really long time
since you really got up and moved around and just walking around the house
gets you out of breath, you might benefit from starting out on the elliptical
just to get used to getting your body moving.
I do like:
running
the stairmaster
walking on an inclined treadmill (make it inclined/fast enough to make you
sweat pretty hard)
*The more sweat, the better!
*You're going to want to do about 45 min of cardio 6 days per week.
*I do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This means I do short bursts
of intense work followed by slightly longer intervals of low-intensity
work. For example, when running, I will jog comfortably for about 3
minutes, and run at almost full speed for about 2, then repeat. Walking
during your low-intensity levels is fine if you are building up, as long as
you are literally running your fastest during your high-intensity levels. It
is also OK to shorten the intervals: Try HIGH for one minute, and LOW
for 3 minutes. The reason for HIIT is that it gets your heart rate up
and burns fat the most efficiently! It is MUCH more effective than
steady-state cardio.
*It is recommended that you do cardio after strength training. Whatever
works best for you is fine, but this will give you the best results. (You
will have more energy for the weights!)
Weights! (This is straight from my Weightlifting page)
- You should spend at least half of your workout time just with weights
(preferably 45 min to an hour).
- However, you never want to work the same muscle groups two days in a

7. row, as the muscles only grow as they are healing. To keep from using the
same muscles every time, split your weight training into three days: One Leg
day, one Chest and Back day, and one Triceps and Biceps day. Then repeat
the cycle!
- I recommend that you do 6 sets of 5 reps for each weight exercise you do.
The amount of weight you use depends on your current strength. You want to
aim at a weight that uses 85% of what you are capable of in each rep! Every
single rep you do should feel like a bit of a struggle, and in your last set you
should barely be able to finish, if at all. That is how you know you are using
the right amount of weight! If you can complete all 6 sets, bump up the
weight 5 lbs the next time you use the machine.
LEGS
For legs, look for machines that work the calves and quads. You should also
do weighted lunges (I would start with 10lbs in each hand for these and work
up). I highly suggest squats and deadlifts, but these can be DANGEROUS if you
do not know the proper form. If you can research or find a professional to
show you the form, this would be the best way to make sure you don’t hurt
your back. (There are also a lot of good-looking, knowledgeable, buff guys at
the gym who would be more than happy to show you how!) I tend to do more
on my leg days than on any other day, just because there are more large
muscles in legs than anywhere else, and energy spent on legs consumes the
most calories. Donkey kicks are great, too! Most gyms also have a
Glute/Hamstring Developer machine, and this is great for that back-of-the-
thigh spot.
CHEST/BACK
For Chest/Back days, you will want to look for machines that work the
Pectorals, Deltoids, and Lat muscles. These will be the Pectoral fly machine,
(which can sometimes be used backwards to work the Deltoids, but not
always) the lat pulldown machine, and the seated row machine. Pushups are
great to get a range of muscles in this area as well!
TRICEPS/BICEPS
For Triceps/Biceps, you will want to work your way over to the free weights
section and do some bicep curls, tricep kicks, and lifting a single weight
behind your neck with both hands. I like to work my shoulders as well and
take a weight in each hand and spread my arms like I’m flying, then lower
arms and repeat. Also look for the machine which will allow you to do a
tricep pulldown, as these are quite effective.

8. ABS
These should be done every day! Abs recover more quickly than any other
muscle group. Try mason twists, calf raises, crunches, planks, butterflies,
etc. If you get bored of these, try looking up some new alternatives. It's more
important to keep it fresh than to stick to certain exercises. These are also
unique in that you aren't going to use the “6 sets of five reps” standard. Try
not counting the reps until it burns painfully, and then do 15 reps past that
burn. If it hurts, you're doing it right. Also: form is more important that
number. 10 good crunches is better than 30 bad ones.
SLEEP
I cannot tell you how many girls fail in a fitness routine due to poor sleeping
patterns. You really do need 8 uninterrupted hours per night.
* This is your plan! You can do it! And if you stick to it until bikini season, not
only will you look amazing, you will likely keep it up. Once you see how
much energy and results you get from this, you will never want to stop. Let
me know if you have any questions or want me to put together sample meals
for you, etc.