Thank you for signing up for Rock the Detox— I'm excited to have you on board!

You're probably wondering… now what?

The program's official start date is Sunday, January 31. In preparation, I'll email the Week 1 suggested meal plan and recipes to you the week of January 24.

In the meantime, please give some thought to the detox “speed” you'd like to follow.

Here's what I mean — your level of “clean” is completely up to you — it truly depends on what your health goals are for the short term, and for the year ahead.

Please set your intention for Light, Medium, or Hardcore — and make a commitment to follow that plan. Please choose the level that appeals most to you. Commit to a level you can achieve, and one that sounds the most fun or inspiring.

Here’s what that might look like:

OPTION A: LIGHT — Cut back on sugar, refined carbs, dairy, and alcohol. Focus on adding more vegetables and fruit to your diet, as well as plant-based foods such as whole grains and plant proteins (soy, tempeh, beans).

OPTION B: MEDIUM — Plan your meals around vegetables and plant-based foods; for example, fill up most of your plate with vegetables, and have protein as a side. Stick to one (or less) serving of animal protein per day. Minimize sugar, refined carbs, dairy, and alcohol throughout the program, especially during Weeks 2-3.

OPTION C: HARDCORE — Avoid all animal products (meat, seafood, poultry, dairy, eggs) — and cut out sugar, refined carbs, dairy and alcohol completely.

Weekly Cheat Day/Meal — Optional

If you need a Cheat Day to get you through the program, decide which day this will be. For most people, this will be Saturday.

If you decide to have a Cheat Day, plan on keeping the cheats to a minimum — in other words, don't make your Cheat Day so epic you completely undermine all of the progress you've made during the week. For example, consider having just one Cheat Meal — such as Saturday night dinner. And, establish parameters around that — such as enjoying 1 alcoholic beverage, and sharing a dessert with someone.

For the Hardcores, I recommend doing the program without a Cheat Day or Cheat Meal, but I also understand the need for flexibility. Big picture, I want you to complete Rock the Detox with a solid foundation of healthier habits, and some positive results — and I don't want you to feel like you can't start living healthier habits because you want some treats here and there.

The important thing is to get out of the unhealthy habits we do every day — to bust out of our routine — and replace the unhealthy things with healthier foods, drink, and lifestyle choices.

Choose Your Rewards

For added incentive, set a daily, weekly, and/or monthly reward for sticking to your plan.

Make your reward health-oriented, or experience-based such as a massage, facial, private training session or Pilates class, etc.

In other words, don't choose a reward involving french fries, ice cream, or burgers! If you need to have a Cheat Day, so be it, but don't make that the reward. Reinforce your healthy behavior with healthy rewards, okay?

I'll be in touch the week before Rock the Detox begins. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to me anytime with questions. You'll find me at . 

Get ready to ROCK!

Monica