The Start-up Guide - A Must Read!
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Things you require:
A Kitchen weighing scale — This is very important and on priority because the diet we give you is completely quantified. If we have given you 100g of rice that means it is 100g on the kitchen scale. No, those measuring/baking cups won’t help. You need an actual scale. Buy it from amazon – just search kitchen weighing scale. Get the digital one.
A weighing scale — We will ask you to weigh yourself often to keep a check on your progress. This is a great investment. You don’t need those BMI ones; a basic digital weighing scale is good enough.
A measuring tape — This will help you to measure your waist and hips size—a major help in the process.
A wall mirror — well, you already have this at home.
Mentee FAQs
Q: Is a regular blood test important?
A: Regular Blood tests are very important to check your health. Our suggestion is to get a blood checkup done every 4-6 months. And consume food as per the deficiencies or consult doctors accordingly.
Q: What to expect from this journey?
A: Keep your expectations low and aim high. Both the processes, fat loss, and muscle gain, take time. Your muscle mass and your genetics play a crucial role here. Do not compare yourself and your physique with others. It will give you a lot of unnecessary stress which won’t help. In fact, stress will make your progress slower. Just be on track and follow our guidelines. Always remember - this journey has no endpoint.
Q: How to measure food?
A: Always measure your food uncooked – without soaking and before adding water to it. For instance – measure rice raw, Dal raw, and measure wheat flour before adding water to it. Make sure you press the ‘tare’ button on the scale before adding food to the bowl. Why do we measure it raw? – because adding water changes the composition of the food. For instance, some people add extra water to their dal, and some like it dry. That is why we don’t give you a cooked food count.
Q: How to measure food in a joint family set-up?
A: This can be challenging, but the trick here is, to give yourself time over the weekend, before starting the plan. Go in the kitchen, measure the wheat flour raw and give it to the person who is in charge of cooking. Suppose 100g of wheat flour gives you 4 cooked chapatis, no need to measure it again. It could be 4 chapatis, could be 6, or could be 3. The same goes with dal. In the case of rice, if you have 50g in the chart and you have four people in the house, cook 200g, and divide it in four parts. For green vegetables, ask the person about the quantity of oil/ghee they use to cook it. For instance, they are using 4 spoons of oil, divide the greens into four parts and eat your share. Soya chunks, eggs, and chicken you can prepare separately.
Q: What if I am eating outside? How to manage food?
A: Eating outside can be challenging because we don’t really know how much oil they use in preparing the food. The priority should be to avoid or carry a tiffin box. But if you cannot do so, follow these rules:
It is always better to eat a little less than to eat extra calories. While in a restaurant or a wedding, try to choose food items like some rice and dal. Add some cucumbers to your plate to feel more satiated.
You now understand the quantities of the food, and how much looks on your plate after cooking, use that assumption to eat.
If eggs are available, order and eat those.
Specifically, ask the waiter to add less oil to your food and tip him for that.
Carry your whey in a plastic pouch or box whenever you travel and consume at least 1-2 scoops for breakfast.
Avoid anything that is fried, sweet or calorie-dense.
If you know that the food is going to be heavy at a social event, skip the rice/wheat a day before and for breakfast/lunch on the same day. This will give some scope to balance those extra calories.
Keep drinking water, it will keep you full.
Carry a protein bar with you.
Q: What can I eat as snacks?
A: If you expect us to suggest some 0-kcal snack, we cannot. Because it doesn’t exist, except for water. So, whenever you feel hungry, drink water. You will feel hungry on a fat-loss diet, it is perfectly normal and totally acceptable. Other options are low-calorie fruits like oranges and strawberries. You can also take a cup of black coffee or diet Coke. Besides, you can eat puffed rice and balance out the calories by reducing the same amount of rice/wheat from the main meal.
Q: Do you need Whey Protein?
A: Not necessarily. Whey protein helps in completing your protein intake. It is the leanest and one of the best sources of protein out there. It is completely natural while being drug and substance-free. Remember, you need it only when you are not able to cover the protein requirement from your regular food. For instance: Diet chart includes 50g soya chunks, but if you’re not able to eat soya, then take whey instead. The same goes with 100g chicken, fish, or egg whites.
Q: How to consume whey?
A: There is a scoop inside the whey container. Look for it properly deep inside the container. That scoop will help you quantify the whey. We might ask you to take one or two or maybe three scoops. Take it with water. 300-400ml is good enough. You can use these types of shakers to mix it properly: Shaker link
Do not take whey with milk until and unless your coach asks you to do so.
Q: How much water to use with whey? — Fill the shaker by half (for one scoop)
Q: What type of shaker to buy? — You can try this, this, or this.
Q: How much protein is available in a single scoop? — It varies brand wise, you can find out by looking at the whey container.
Q: Can whey be added to curd? — If your coach has included curd in your diet and you are comfortable eating it that way, then Yes. — Otherwise it is not recommended as whey will not mix well with curd.
Q: Which whey should I buy?
Difference between concentrate, Isolate, and Hydrolyzed whey?
A: If you are OK with milk and other milk products, you can go for whey concentrate. If you are slightly lactose intolerant, you should go for whey isolate. If you are allergic to milk and/or practice veganism, go for the plant-based protein. Here’s a list of our favourite, trusted brands.
Please note that we just recommend these, but are not responsible for the end product quality. You have to trust your own decision here. We do not recommend anything which we haven’t tested ourselves for at least 30 days.
Whey Concentrate:
https://musclenectar.com/products/100-whey-protein-blend-with-digestive-enzymes (use code CHIRAG10 for discounts)
Whey Isolate:
https://musclenectar.com/products/100-isolate-whey-protein-with-digestive-enzymes (use code CHIRAG10 for discounts)
Plant Protein:
Q: What other Supplements do I need?
A: None as such, but a few supplements do help in the journey. These aren’t catalysts for quicker fat loss. These are just for your well-being. If you are worried about the effects (although there are none), do consult your doctor first.
Fish Oil (omega 3s) – Helps regulate your triglycerides and is a mood enhancer.
Normal Fish Oil - https://amzn.to/2XLeckN or https://musclenectar.com/products/omega-3-fish-oil
Veg - https://amzn.to/2NaRnoF or https://musclenectar.com/products/natural-flaxseed-oil
You can read more about fish oil here: https://examine.com/supplements/fish-oil/
Creatine – It helps improve your strength slightly. Creatine is the most researched and safest supplement out there. Our recommendation: https://amzn.to/3nYbgMx
You can read more about Creatine here: https://examine.com/supplements/creatine/
Vitamin D3 – It is one of the most essential vitamins for your overall well-being. If you have a deficiency, you may experience constant lethargy, back pain, knee pain, and depressive symptoms. To get it checked, you must install apps like 1mg or Practo or Tata Health. Book a lab test, and they will collect the sample from your home. Once you get the report, consult your family doctor or a general physician on these apps. They will prescribe the accurate dosage.
Will get it in any medical store: Cholecalciferol tablets (60000 IU, Tayo 60K)
Pre-Workout – They are high in caffeine, and they work well, but only for those days you feel a restraint to work out. Do not consume these daily since you might develop a tolerance. There is no need to buy a pre-workout if you can take a cup of black coffee. This is good enough to give you that kick. In case you still want to try.
Except for these, you don’t need any supplements.
Disclaimer: Project Fitness Company comprises of a team of expert coaches who work on personal experience. However, not every product gives the same kind of result to every person. In case you ask for the coach’s suggestions, they will recommend brands and products as per their experience. However, they are not responsible in case the product does not render the promised result.
Q: How to manage alcohol in your diet?
A: Alcohol looks like water, but it has calories, too. 7kcal per gram. Even a 30ml peg of whiskey or scotch will be around 84kcal. A pint of beer is easily around 120kcal. Wine is high in calories as well. We recommend avoiding alcohol, but we understand social life and peer pressure. For instance, if you plan to drink tonight, avoid lunchtime rice/roti for balance.
Other tips:
Whenever you are at a party, carry a glass of diet Coke, this will prevent peers from forcing you to drink.
Keep drinking water throughout the day if you have a party planned.
Avoid peanuts and ‘chakhna’ at all costs.
Get back on track the very next day.
Q: Are soya chunks harmful? Will they give me man-boobs or drop my testosterone levels?
A: No, they are completely safe to eat. Soya chunks might give you some flatulence, but that doesn’t make them harmful. I have posted some recipes here: https://chiragbarjatya.com/?s=soya
Q: When should I eat a meal, pre-workout and post-workout? How much time gap between a meal and a workout?
A: There is no definite time period between a meal and a workout. You can have a meal 30min before working out or 10 min prior as well. It is your call and preference. Some people feel nauseous if they have a meal before a workout, and some feel fine if the gap is 2 hours. Find your own comfort and time here.
Q: What about Salt Intake?
A: Nothing about it. Do not play with your salt intake until and unless your doctor has asked you to do so. Otherwise, it could be harmful to your kidneys. Keep the salt as usual. Some dietitians practice removing salt from your diet. You might have heard about it or experienced it yourself. They ask you not to have salt after 1 p.m. and no water after 4 p.m. This is to make you lose water weight, basically to dehydrate you. This can be very harmful.
Q: How much water should I drink every day?
A: Somewhere around 3-4 litres. One litre is way too little. If you see your urine yellowish in colour, that means your water intake is less. Drink enough water and spread it throughout the day. Drink less after 8 pm to avoid disturbing your sleep in middle of the night to use the washroom.
Q: How many hours of sleep is recommended?
A: No supplement in this world can replace sleep. Sleep itself is the best supplement out there. We would advise sleeping 8 hours at least without any disturbance. 6 hours is less. If you sleep 10 hours daily, that's okay too. Sleep has no side effects.
Also, before taking any supplement, try to deal with the issue that hampers your sleep. Some tips for better sleep:
Keep your room dark or use an eye mask (https://amzn.to/2LCY7uU)
Keep a minimal noise level and use earplugs if your neighbours are too loud.
You can play soothing tunes on your phone that help you sleep better. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMfPqeZjc2c)
Do not consume caffeine 6 hours before bedtime.
Do not consume alcohol; it impacts deep sleep.
You can use lavender; it helps you relax. (https://amzn.to/39DAj25)
Sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time to develop a routine.
If you have a smartwatch, keep track of your sleep. Use technology to its fullest.
Practice meditation before bedtime.
Q: Can I drink diet Coke?
A: You surely can. It has no side effects on your health. It can help you to control your hunger and sweet cravings. Just be aware of the caffeine in Diet Coke. It can impair your sleep if you are drinking it nearer to bedtime. Diet coke, light coke, coke zero, diet Pepsi, anything works. Here, read about it more (https://physiqonomics.com/aspartame/)
Q: Are there any benefits of drinking Green tea or Black coffee in fat loss process?
A: No direct benefit, as advertised, it doesn’t help in fat loss. No drink does. The only benefit is that they can help you control your hunger pangs. They are great when you feel like sipping on something. They are 0 kcal drinks.
Q: When to measure weight?
A: Never measure your weight after eating or drinking something, otherwise the scale will show a spike. It will stress you out. Always check your weight in the morning after your washroom routine. That is your actual weight reading. Do not check it in the evening or post-lunch. Always check it empty stomach in the morning.
Q: I am seeing a spike in weight, what do I do?
A: Seeing a spike in weight is perfectly normal, the reasons being:
You might have done an extra set of workouts yesterday; your body is under stress and holding up some water weight.
Unknowingly, you might have consumed extra salt, it could be holding up water.
It could be due to your menstrual cycle in the case of females.
You might have slept less last night.
Q: And before you conclude – diet is not working, or you have hit the plateau – Ask these questions to yourself:
Am I following the diet to its last bit?
Am I following the guidelines given?
Am I snacking on things like peanuts and cashews without knowing they are very dense in calories?
Am I sleeping well?
If you hit all these checkpoints and still don’t see the scale or inch loss in 7-10 days, then it is your coach’s responsibility. You don’t have to stress about it.
💡 We’ve collaborated with https://hellotempayy.com/ to get discounts. Use code: PFC30
Q: What is the importance of 10-12k steps every day?
A: To make you move more and increase your calorie expenditure by increasing your NEAT (Non-Activity Exercise Thermogenesis)
There are other few ways to increase your NEAT:
Wash your vehicle yourself
Take the stairs instead of the lift
Play with your kids
Do more standing work on standing desks
Household cleaning and other chores.
Take calls while walking
Take your pet (If any) for a walk
Play a sport
In a nutshell – Be active throughout the day.
Q: Can I cycle or play any sport besides my daily step count? — Yes.
Q: Do we have to count steps at home too? — Yes, your daily step count means the total number of steps you've done throughout the day, time, and place doesn't matter.
Q: Is intermittent fasting beneficial?
A: No, it doesn’t help extra in fat loss. It is just another way to direct yourself to eating fewer calories. By all means, if you like following intermittent fasting, do it. But cover whatever we have given you to eat. Do not skip food, especially protein items.
Q: What is a re-feed?
A: We may have given you a re-feed week or will give you a re-feed week after some weeks of dieting. For some people, this re-feed can also go up to 3 weeks. Re-feed week helps reduce diet fatigue which is happening mentally and physically because of less food. It helps you feel good and enjoy the process.
Q: What is a de-load week?
A: We might ask you to go on a deload week depending on your gym progress. Deload week is when you take complete or 50% rest from the workout. I personally take a week off for deload. Others still work out at 30-50% of what they lift, to give rest to their body’s central nervous system.
Q: What is the importance of lifting weights?
A: There is a reason we ask you to join the gym or buy dumbbells at home. Resistance training is very important for fat loss. It helps you to retain your muscle mass. Do you want good-looking biceps and a toned body? Do you want to age better? Do you want to make your bones stronger? Lift weights, irrespective of your gender.
Q: People are calling me ‘weak’ after getting abs; how to handle this?
A: This is called ‘fit shaming’, and it is very evident in our society. The reason is, you will rarely see a fit person in your vicinity or public. How many ‘fit’ people did you actually come across when you visited the mall last time? Or when you attended a wedding? Rarely, we know. Learn to ignore this and focus on the goal. Once you are lean enough, we will be transiting into the bulking phase, where we will focus on getting good muscles and strength over some time.
Q: How much weight should I lift at the gym?
A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRTxGVNHzcE
Q: Which resistance band should I buy?
Here are some recommendations:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08D8J5BVR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_H39CB2V7CEWF2DH2BGH7
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08D8J5BVR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_H39CB2V7CEWF2DH2BGH7
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08RBWKWY9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_019YVZ36KWQ1Z8T1QSP9?psc=1
Weights for Home Workout
https://t.co/FGLHIiF1IK?amp=1 (40 Kg)
https://t.co/yrctAN993n?amp=1 (Pull up bar)
https://t.co/Q7QNXzE6FS?amp=1 (If you want to buy high end)
Some useful Kitchen tools
https://amzn.to/3ldRa1c Cooking Spray
https://amzn.to/3yTHxtu Air Fryer
Which smartwatch to buy?
It depends on your budget, but to list a few, here are some recommendations:
Around ₹15000 — This
Around ₹13000 — This
Around ₹3499 — This
Around ₹7000 — This
Around ₹10000 — This
If you want to go more high-end, consider buying an Apple Watch if you use an iPhone or a Samsung smartwatch in case you use an android phone.
Q: Which vegetables can I consume?
A: You can have any vegetable like capsicum, cabbage, cauliflower, bhindi, brinjal, beans, etc. But when you have potatoes, make sure you're eating them in the quantities that are in your diet.
Q: Can I replace vegetables with peas?
A: Yes, you can replace it with vegetables, 100g of peas have around 70-80Kcal only.
Q: Can I have Rajma instead of Paneer?
A: When you're short on time, you can have paneer, because you can also consume it without cooking, on the other hand, rajma; you can't eat it without cooking.
Q: How to measure oil if I am cooking for the entire family?
A: While cooking measure the amount of oil being used. For instance, if one Kg bhindi is made for the whole family in 30g oil, then divide the amount of oil by the number of people eating the vegetable. It will give you an idea.
Q: Can I take supplements on my rest day?
A: Yes, you can take supplements that you've been taking on a daily basis on your rest days too.
Q: Can I workout partly in the morning and partly in the evening?
A: Yes, you can.
Q: In case I have missed an exercise from my daily workout schedule, can I do the same the next day?
A: Yes
Q: The workout schedule gives a 6-day plan. Is it mandatory to have a day break? As of now, I am not taking any daybreak.
A: Take a break as and when you feel like.
Q: What is the ideal break between Set 1, Set 2 and Set 3 of a particular exercise? Does this vary with exercises?
A: Take a break of 30 seconds to one minute. No exact time as such.
Q: I am following the workout schedule table horizontally - I complete 3 sets of squats and then move to the next one? Is my understanding correct?
A: Yes it is!
Q: I get exhausted in the morning, as I have to attend to other chores too. Sometimes after a warm-up I have to go to the kitchen or attend a phone call for work and then continue workout. Are these intermittent breaks okay?
A: It is fine but give your 100% in each set.
Q: In the warm-up, after one 15-second set of jumping jacks and jump rope, I ideally take a small pause and then move for butt-kickers. I do the same 6 In the second set of jump rope, jumping jacks and butt-kickers - a small pause before butt-kickers in the second set too. Is it okay?
A: Completely fine
Q: Can I repeat the warm-up or some other exercises which you may mention in the evening too, for the days I have extra time and my prescribed workout is already done?
A: You can
Q: Is it necessary to adhere to the sequence of the exercises posted for a particular day? Some days, though I complete all the exercises, I sometimes change the sequence. For eg. Sometimes I tend to take up calves raise before and maybe lunges later. Also some days I shift squats and planks in the evening. Is this okay?
A: Sequence you can change
Q: Squats in my schedule are always to be performed with dumbbells.
A: Yes, that would be better as it provides more muscle stimulus.
Q: I mostly do my workouts in the morning after a glass of hot water with honey and a cup of tea and later directly have my breakfast. I mostly have fruits in the evening or at night. Is it ok? Or should I compulsorily eat something before a workout?
A: Eat something before workout only if you feel like; otherwise not necessary.
Q: What will be the Ideal meal gap before the workout for the days when the workout is done in the evening?
A: 45 minutes to 2 hours.
Q: Post-workout - After how many minutes, ideally the food intake can be done?
A: Even immediately is fine.
Q: Plank position - what is the ideal holding time?
A: To failure. For as long as you can hold.
Q: During menstrual days(around 3 days a month), I am doing only 4000 steps. Can I increase my steps on those days? If yes, how many?
A: Make it 10000 if you can.
Q: At present, I am following a daily workout along with 4000 steps. Can I increase the steps, If yes - how many?
A: 10000 would be best.
Q: I mostly complete my balance steps or at times some additional steps on the treadmill post-dinner. Is it ok?
A: Yes
Q: Is continuous walk outdoors preferable or Steps at home plus on the treadmill - equally ok to meet the daily steps target of 4000 steps?
A: Throughout the day
