Ready to lose weight, strengthen your core and tone your abdominals? This is an easy but effective thirty day challenge to incorporate into your current routine. You will work your core and target the abdominals with specific exercises that can be done at home with no equipment required. These exercises will increase in intensity from week to week, resulting in increased core and abdominal strength. In addition to exercise, changes to your eating habits are imperative if you want to lose some pounds and see definition in your abdominals.

In this challenge, simply eat your carbohydrates earlier in the day when you need them for work and exercise, then reduce your carbohydrates and calories in your evening meal. Your evening meal will consist of 4-6 ounces of lean protein, two cups of green vegetables and a spinach salad. Incorporate a nutrient dense smoothie for either breakfast or snack each day. Try to eliminate sugar, alcohol, bread and processed foods for optimum results and make water your drink of choice.

Prepare for success by planning and shopping for your groceries at the beginning of the week. Write down your menu prior to going to the grocery store so that you already have healthy choices in mind for your daily meals. Make a grocery list for smoothie ingredients, lean protein for the week, and plenty of green vegetables.

Smoothie ingredients:Avocado, fresh organic spinach, plain organic greek yogurt, organic bananas, organic chocolate or vanilla protein powder, organic blueberries, organic almond or coconut milk and cinnamon.

Smoothie Recipe
½ banana
1 cup of blueberries
¼ avocado
1 cup spinach
4 ounces of yogurt
½ scoop of protein powder
8 ounces of almond or coconut milk
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 to 3 cubes of ice

Blend all ingredients until smooth. You can have this smoothie for breakfast or for a snack each day.

Recommended evening meal
4 to 6 oz of lean beef, chicken or fish
2 cups of green beans or broccoli
1 cup of fresh spinach salad with 1 tsp of walnuts, 1 tsp of low calorie dressing, 1 tsp of feta cheese

Abdominal and core exercises- These exercises only take five minutes a day. You can do them two times a day if you want to see quicker results. If you are a beginner, modify the plank exercises on your knees. Use the following guidelines as a goal, but take breaks when needed.

Weeks 1 and 2:
(Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
Plank- 30 sec
Sit ups- 30 sec
Bicycle- 1 minute
Crunches- 1 minute
Plank- 30 secs
Sit ups- 30 secs
Bicycle- 1 minute

(Tuesday, Thursday)
Jumping Jacks- 1 minute
Burpees- 1 minute
Plank Jacks- 1 minute
Mountain climber- 1 minute
Plank Jacks- 1 minute

(Sunday- Recovery day)

Week 3
(Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
Burpees- 1 minute
Plank- 1 minute, 30 seconds
Burpees- 1 minute
Plank- 1 minute, 30 seconds

(Tuesday, Thursday)
Mountain climbers- 1 minute
Crunches- 1 minute
Bicycle- 1 minute
Mountain climber- 1 minute
Crunches- 1 minute

(Sunday- Recovery day)

Week 4
(Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
Plank- 2 minutes
Burpees- 1 minute
Plank- 2 minutes

(Tuesday, Thursday)
Mountain climber- 2 minutes
Bicycle- 1 minute
Mountain climber- 1 minute
Bicycle- 1 minute

(Sunday- Recovery day)

It is recommended that you talk with your physician before beginning this or any other weight loss or exercise program.