How To Get The Most From Equi’s Lean Formula

April 03, 2018

If you have done pretty much any diet before, you’re probably bored of hearing about how to shed pounds and what the latest fads are. Sure some of them work, but for how long and at what cost? If you’ve been there, done that and want to skip the fads, but still want a shift a few pounds in a healthy way for a holiday, event, wedding, or to just generally tone up and feel your best then you’re in the right place with us!

If you buy our Lean Formula you will be sent a copy of our expert Kick-Starter Regime created by our team of leading nutritionists to go alongside it to maximise your results. Here is a taster of what you can expect from our programme to wet your appetite 😉

How Does Equi Lean Formula Slim?

Equi’s in-house expert nutritionists designed the Lean Formula to aid weight management from every angle:

Balances your blood sugar to prevent sugar dips with the help of chromium*.
Supports your hormone balance with B6* to discourage wobbly bits on bum and thighs.
Metabolic and thyroid support with iodine*.
Energises your body with B12, folate, B vitamins and iron to discourage over-eating and excess snacking.
Supports mood and psychological function with zinc and magnesium* to help discourage comfort eating.
Contributes to the maintenance of normal liver function with choline *

What should you eat?

To get the best from Equi’s Lean Formula, it’s essential to eat the right food alongside it. Apart from the fact that skipping meals sucks, we don’t advocate cutting back calories too much or starving yourself to lose weight – it doesn’t get the long terms results we are all after. If you buy Equi's Lean formula then you'll get sent our Kick Starter Regime, but we have also given the the basics below.

Equi’s Kick Starter Regime

Get three meals per day.
Try not to snack – it is important to leave 4-5 hours at least between meals to allow the body to process food properly, reset and encourage proper digestive processes. Water, herbal tea, black tea and black coffee is fine, but watch out for sugar in coffee/tea and too much milk as this will prevent the body from staying in fasting mode.
Try to get a 12 hour overnight fast – for example aim to stop eating at 8pm and not have breakfast until 8am the next day. You can drink water and herbals teas below during this time.
On days you exercise you may need to eat something before the gym – in which case we have listed small pre-gym snacks below. If you don’t feel the need to eat before a work out then have breakfast afterwards, including your shot of Equi Lean Formula in water, alongside breakfast as usual, ideally within 60 minutes after your workout.
Nothing is off limits, and we encourage you to have treat meals once per week where you indulge in something like a pasta fish, a glass of wine or a dessert.

Include – these should make up most of your diet (please note portions sizes are below)

7+ portions of colourful vegetables per day, with 2 portions of fruit per day.
Wholegrains (such as brown rice, oats, buckwheat, quinoa, sweet potato or pulses) should form up to 70% of your breakfast, and around 25% of your plate at lunch and dinner. Phew – we hate cutting carbs!
Lean protein such as – chicken, turkey, beef, venison, eggs.
For vegetarians and vegans - try to get a portion of protein with each meal – beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, tahini, tempeh, hard cheese, miso paste, organic dairy, hummus/bean based dips, flaxseed, hempseed, vegan protein powder.
Oily fish 3/week– salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna, sardines, anchovies. It’s a good idea not to go too much above this, as some fish can contain mercury.
Extra virgin olive oil, hempseed and avocado oil – 2 portions each day.
Nuts and seeds – 1-2 portions per day.
Digestion supporting foods such as apple cider vinegar, peppery salad leaves (rocket, watercress) lemon, fennel, pomegranate, fresh spices such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, oregano, thyme and rosemary.
Fermented foods – sauerkraut, beetkraut, kimchi, dairy free kefir, low sugar kombucha.

Limit

Try to keep these to 1-2 per week, if you can ;) We don’t advocate totally cutting out everything fun, but be mindful about going overboard with the following:

All added sugar in drinks, confectionary, desserts, snacks, cereals and low fat diet foods.
Refined white carbs (white rice, white pasta, pizza, white bread and cakes/biscuits) where possible.
Deep fried food.

Portion Guidelines

Use this as a guide as you try to lose weight. This isn't about overnight results, starvation and caffeine addiction, just simple, back-to-basic good nutrition.

Again, if you buy the Equi Lean Formula, you will get sent our 7 day meal planner to follow alongside this.

Aim for the plate proportions shown here – ¼ wholegrain complex carbs (such as brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, potato, brown bread, pumpkin, oats) ¼ protein (meat, fish, nuts, seeds, hummus, lentils, beans, edamame, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt) the rest vegetables. Fats should naturally make their way on to the plate – be it in a dressing, a sprinkle of nuts/seeds, cooking (e.g avocado oil, coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil) or as part of your meat or fish intake.
For vegan meals aim use lentils and pulses as your carbs and protein, with 40% of the plate made up of these with the rest vegetables.
Aim to reduce complex carbohydrates in the evening and stick with starchier vegetables such as beetroot, butternut squash or edamame beans.
Aim for this balance when eating out at lunch and dinner as well - this may involve getting side orders of vegetables.
At breakfast, a portion of carbohydrates should be roughly 1 slice of pumpernickel or thin cut wholegrain toast (around 40g). Oats for porridge should be 40g and muesli/granola around 40g. Be sure to get protein sources alongside this e.g. 1tsp almond butter or 1 desert spoon flaxseeds (as per figure 1 below).
A portion of animal protein (meat, seafood, fish) is roughly the size and thickness of an outstretched palm, or 120g-150g, or 2 eggs.
A portion of carbohydrates (sweet potatoes, beans, pulses, brown rice, brown pasta) is approximate size of a clenched fist, or 3-4 large TBSPs, or equivalent 1 medium sweet potato.
A portion of vegetarian protein such as lentils or beans is approximate the size of clenched fist OR 3 large TBSP’s OR equivalent 1 medium sweet potato.
A portion of fat could be in the form of extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, hempseed oil (1 portion would be 1tsbp or 15ml), ½ avocado or a palmful seeds and nuts. Aim to get 3-4 in every day maximum.
For oily fish, (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines) aim for around three portions per week. 1 portion is roughly the size of an outstretched palm, (standard salmon fillet is around 120-150g).
When eating nuts and seeds – aim for 1 palmful or 8-10 nuts.
A portion of veg is approx. 80g - which is a large handful. Fruit should be a small handful, or approx 60g. Salad leaves should be two handfuls.
Aim for 7 portions vegetables and 1-2 fruits per day.
Always wash fruit and vegetables and aim for organic food for fruit and veg as well as for all dairy.

Fluids:

Green veggie juices (ideally cold pressed, with no fruit) herbal tea (fennel, peppermint, green, nettle, dandelion, detox tea, Rooibus, etc) count as part of your fluid intake. Ensure urine is always transparent light yellow as this is a good sign of hydration.
Aim to drink around 2 litres water per day – buy a reusable (ideally non-plastic) bottle and refill as you are more likely to remember to drink it and can monitor how much you have drunk.

*Chromium contributes towards normal blood sugar regulation.

*Choline contributes to the maintenance of normal liver function

*Iodine contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system and cognitive function, improved energy and thyroid function

*Vitamin B12, folate, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, B6, magnesium and iron contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue

*Zinc, magnesium, pantothenic acid, iron contribute to normal cognitive function

We’d love to hear how you get on, and see any before and after pics either privately over email or on Instagram. Tag us with @equilondon or email at info@equilondon.com. For more inspo check out our Instagram or Facebook to see what we are up to and hear about exclusive offers.

Disclaimer: No one diet or supplement regime works for everyone and you should always seek help from a GP and registered health expert before making changes to your diet, or before introducing any supplements.