Month 4 Hints & Tips:

This page contains the support information for the DVD BodyRenovator Month 4: "Life's Ups and Downs of Weight Loss". The information provided here is to support you in achieving your goals, it is an ever changing collection of information as we interact with members, people who have purchased the DVD and others in general. If you do not find what you were looking for, please see the bottom of the page to ask John a question.

Below is a table of contents to quickly find information related to various aspects of the BodyRenovator system.

The Low GI Eating Program

Weight Categories:

Use the progress tracking sheet (PDF) and measure yourself before you start the eating program and at the end of each week. If you fall into a new weight category be sure to change to the meal program for that weight category. Do not measure yourself every day. It is also a good idea to take a photo of yourself at each step so that you can begin to see the changes over time. Some people also like to write down belt loop measurements or dress sizes on the progress tracking sheet as well. This is up to you.

General Hints & Tips:

1. Protein exchange - remember that you can exchange one type of protein for another, so long as the new source is the same weight and is of a lean cut variety. These protein sources include: beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey and fish. For instance if you are supposed to have lean beef, you can exchange that for fish or chicken if you like. You can also exchange for exotic protein sources as well, these would include: game meats, shell fish and fowl.
2. Vegetarian protein exchange - Vegetarians should exchange protein sources for: chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, yoghurt, soybeans, legumes (kidney beans, lima beans, lentils, split peas), or oatmeal.
3. Gluten and wheat free - If you found you felt better while eating gluten and wheat free products during Month 1, then you may exchange any breads in the eating program to gluten and wheat free varieties.
4. Drinking water is an important part of keeping healthy as 70% of your body is made up of water. In order to keep track of how much water you are drinking John suggests you purchase a glass, or plastic, bottle of a certain capacity (1 litre is good). Then you only need to remember how many of those containers of water you drank in a day. You can also purchase bottled water, but this can work out to be expensive in the long run. Water does not include energy drinks, flavored waters, sodas or other such drinks. It is plain tap, or filtered tap water, or natural spring water with no additives at all.
5. Good containers - it is advisable to purchase some good re-sealable plastic containers in order to carry your meals and snacks with you. The seal should be tight as you do not want any liquids to escape while transporting them.

General Preparation Tips:

1. Weighing Food: It is important to weigh your food so that you are eating the correct amounts suggested.
   Time Management Tip: One way to save time is once you have purchased your food, divide it up all at the same time into the correct weights for the various meals. Then store the food in the freezer, ready to take out when you need to prepare it. The last thing you want is to get up in the morning and have to weigh food, this speeds up preparation significantly.
2. Preparing the meats: It is up to you as to how you would like to prepare the protein sources in BodyRenovator, however the simplest way is to use a good non-stick frying pan, it also tends to be the quickest when you need to save time.
3. Preparing vegetables (steaming): When ever preparing vegetables John suggests that you steam them. Steaming is preferable as it helps to retain the nutrients in the vegetables.
4. Preparing Rice: Use 2 parts water to 1 part rice. So for instance if you have 1/3 Cup of uncooked rice you will add 2/3 Cup of water (This will give you 1 Cup of cooked rice). You can either boil the rice on the stove top or in a microwavable container in the microwave or in a rice cooker. See the rice packaging for approximate cooking times.
   

   Cooked Rice Amount:	Uncooked Rice Amount:	Amount of Water:
   1/3 Cup	1/3 of 1/3 Cup	a little under 1/3 Cup
   1/2 Cup	1/6 Cup	1/3 Cup
   3/4 Cup	1/4 Cup	1/2 Cup
   1 Cup	1/3 Cup	2/3 Cup
   1 & 1/4 Cups	a little under 1/2 Cup	a little under 2/3 Cup
   1 & 1/2 Cups	1/2 Cup	1 Cup

   Time Management Tip: If you are preparing rice in the morning for lunch, start preparing the rice first so that when it finishes you have prepared everything else as well. Also, if you want, you can purchase steamed/boiled rice from a Asian food restaurant or kitchen if there is one nearby.

5. Herbs and spices: generally it is okay to add herbs and spices to taste when cooking, these do not add to the nutritional content in any significant way so long as they are used sparingly.
6. Sauces: Using any sauce which is not specified is considered cheating, but it is allowed sparingly. If you want to add barbeque, tomato, chili or any other sauce to a meal, please use only up to 1 tablespoon per meal and for only 1 meal per day and no more. Wherever possible use sugar free and low fat varieties of the sauce.

Salads:

1. Salad dressing: only use dressings specified on the DVD or in the companion booklet.
2. BodyRenovator Salad Dressing: as talked about on the Month 4 DVD, here is the recipe
    

   1 Tablespoon	Virgin Olive Oil
   1 Tablespoon	Lemon Juice
   1 Tablespoon	Full Cream Yoghurt
   1 Tablespoon	Soya Mayonnaise
   Pinch of (or to taste)	Sea Salt

Fruit Variations:

The following is a list of fruit that may need to be changed in Month 4 if they are unavailable, or out of season.

1. Blueberries - you can change 1 cup of blueberries to:
   TBA
2. Peach - you can change 1 medium peach to:
   1 Medium Apricot
   1 Medium Apple
   1 Medium Orange
3. Strawberries - you can change 1 medium strawberry to:
   1 Teaspoon of blueberries, or
   15 grams of grapefruit, or
   10 grams of honeydew melon, or
   10 grams of cantaloupe (rock melon).
   You merely need to multiply these figures by the number of strawberries suggested.

Shopping List:

Here is a list of food items you will need for the eating program. You will have to determine the amounts to purchase based on the weight category you are in and how many days you are purchasing for. John suggests that you purchase for 4 or 8 days so as not to over buy. Certain items you may only need to buy once as they will last you the entire month (e.g. Sea Salt).

Day 3 Lunch:

1. It is best to open the can of salmon/tuna just before eating your lunch, especially if you prepared it in the morning and took it with you to work. It is easier to carry, stays fresher and makes less of a mess.

The Basic Gym Workout

Selecting the correct weight:

Only you can determine what the correct weight is that you should be using on the machines during this exercise program. Set the machines to a weight that you are comfortable with. Do not allow anyone to tell you how much weight you should use as you are the best judge for your own ability level.

When to perform the exercises:

The Basic Equipment Workout should be performed 3 days a week on alternate days. So start on day 1, then you should perform it again on day 3 and day 5. In between these days (day 2, day 4 and day 6) you perform the cardio discussed. On day 7 you rest and then repeat again from day 1. To easily keep track of where you are you can use the progress tracking sheet.

Performing the exercises properly:

If you are not feeling the effects of the exercise while doing them, then you are probably not performing them correctly. Be slow and deliberate and concentrate. It is important to perform the movement of each exercise correctly, as shown on the DVD, in order to maximise the effect of the exercise you should concentrate on the muscles being worked and squeeze them when you move into the movement. This combined with the correct breathing will greatly enhance the effect. Doing an exercise ten times correctly is better than one hundred times incorrectly. If you are feeling the effects, but would like to do more, then you can repeat the routine a second time, however once is generally ideal for most people. Always remember to drink before, during and after the workout.

Pace of the cardio:

When performing the cardio you should be doing it at a pace where you would be comfortable having a conversation with someone next to you while performing it. This will mean that you are not pushing to hard and doing more than you need to. Remember to continue without stopping for a full 20 to 30 minutes.

Ask John A Question About Month 4

Hints and Tips | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6

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The information in BodyRenovator^® is intended as an aid to weight and body maintenance, and does not offer medical advice. If you suffer from, or think you may suffer from, a medical condition you should consult your doctor before starting a weight loss and/or exercise program. If you decide to start exercising after a period of relative inactivity you should start very slowly and consult your doctor if you experience any discomfort, distress or any other symptoms. If you feel any discomfort or pain when you exercise, do not continue. The information in BodyRenovator is not intended for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, or for any person under the age of 18.

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