FAQ

This is an educational fat-loss, fitness, and health programme. Once you have paid the fee you will be sent, about 3 days before the official start of the programme, your Blast Pack. In this Blast pack is your eating plan and your first week’s workouts, along with 2 recipe collections (A: Meat/Fish and Veggie. B: Vegan), a measurement sheet, a goal sheet, a food diary, and a training diary. Please see question 4 for workouts information. You follow the Blast One eating plan guidelines and we suggest you aim for 3-4 workouts per week (either ours or your own fitness regime, or a mix). . You can change between levels of workout each week as much as you like. The food on Blast One Plan is based on recommended portion sizes. The food in the Blast Two Plan is tailored to your own personal data. Both plans work on the basis of a calorie deficit. You will feel healthier. You will be able to email questions to Annie at any time or use the FB community to check with other members. Every day (excluding Sundays) you will receive from Annie Deadman a freshly written original email. These will keep you motivated, entertained, and will also educate you so you understand what is happening to your body, and why what you are doing works.

Once you have paid the fee and thereby agreed to the Terms and Conditions, you will be sent a welcome email. Then, a few days before the official start of the plan you will be sent the Blast Pack (see question 1). We ask you to take measurements of your body so you can check your progress at the end. We also suggest you take photographs too… such a great way to see how you are doing! You can email the Blast leaders at any time about any questions to do with the plan, food, workouts, anything. You are also invited to join a closed Facebook group where you can share your experiences (and recipes and tips) with all the other members around the world.

If you follow the guidelines given, you will lose centimetres over various parts of your body. You will come to learn that what (and how much) you eat matters much more than how much you exercise. But you need to do both.

• You will feel less bloated (due to better quality food)
• Your hair, nails and skin will feel different and better (more protein)
• You will sleep very deeply (less sugar, alcohol and caffeine)
• You may feel calmer and more ‘in control’
• You will have more energy
• You may see a reduction in menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats – mainly due to increased protein and less sugar
• You will have an increased sense of well-being

The workout choices are the same for both Blast One and Blast Two. You can view the taster videos HERE.

Each week you will be sent 4 workouts which are about 25-40 minutes in length, depending on which type you choose. These are video links and you will need an internet connection to be able to view them. There are 5 choices of workout: Beginner, Pilates Beginner, Pilates Intermediate, then 3 levels of Interval Training (a mix of strength work and occasionally some cardio) which are Level A (easier), Level B (intermediate) and level C (tougher). Annie is in all videos, accompanied sometimes by Aaron Roberts, a fitness coach and Blast leader. You are encouraged to do a workout one day, then walk for minimum 45 mins the following day.

For some of the workouts (and for most of Level C) you will need some dumbbells or some filled bottles of water to use as weights.

You are encouraged to eat plenty of protein and vegetables, one portion of complex carbohydrate (oats, rice, potatoes, pasta, bread) per day on the days you either do a workout or a decent walk. The eating plan on this online programme is different (more flexible) than in the Blast book as you do not have to omit wheat and animal dairy foods if you don’t want to. If you have IBS or a digestive condition, then omitting them can help the symptoms.

You are given simple food guidelines along with 2 different recipe collections, including a vegan collection, for inspiration for you and your family. You don’t have to use these recipes though, you can prepare your own meals using the Blast guidelines. There are also extra (and totally delicious) recipes in the 21 Day BLAST PLAN book (HarperCollins).

In a word, fantastic! You can email questions to Annie or any of the Blast leaders and we will usually reply straight away the same day or at the least within 8 hours. Six days out of seven, Annie Deadman writes a fresh, original email to all the Blast participants across both Blast plans. These emails bind everyone together and they contain educational information about your body as well as light-hearted chat to add fun and humour. There is also a closed Facebook group offered to the members which is an extremely valuable place to share experiences and recipes, ask for advice or generally have a moan about how much your thighs hurt.

To buy a place on the Blast One Plan, simply select your start date and click the Add To Basket button and follow the instructions. If you have a discount code, don’t forget to enter it! Read the Terms and Conditions and make your payment, then it is done! You will then receive a welcome email and a payment confirmation. Then, a few days before the official start date of Blast One, you will receive your Blast pack. See question 2.

The Blast One Plan works on the basis that you will be eating less but better food, which means you will very likely be in a calorie deficit. You will be given portion size recommendations rather than exact calories like Blast Two.

On the Blast Two Plan everyone is given a calorie quota (and a macronutrient split : protein, carbs and fat) to follow each day based on their personal data (age, weight and height) which they send in to us just before the Blast plan starts. They plan their meals according to the advice in the Blast Two eating plan (higher protein, less sugar, lots of veg, carbohydrate every day) and aim not to exceed their calorie limit.

On the Blast One Plan you take your own body measurements at the beginning and then re-take them at the end and share them with Annie. (You will want to!)

On the Blast Two Plan, you are much more accountable. Each week you are asked to send in new measurements to your Blast leader, average calories consumed along with average protein. Tracking and recording your food via an app involves some commitment and care but it is a great education and tool for the future. We give you plenty of help.

If you would like some advice about which plan to start with please email annie@theblastplan.com stating your age, weight and height, what you would like to achieve and a little about your ‘dieting’ history.

Once you have paid the fee and thereby agreed to the Terms and Conditions, you will be sent a welcome email. In this email, you will be asked to provide to your Blast leader your height in cms, your weight in kgs and your age. This will enable your Blast leader to calculate your daily calorie quota plus your daily protein quota. It is up to you to provide this information but preferably around a week before the official start of the Blast. Without this data, your Blast leader cannot give you what you need to start the Blast Two plan. Your daily calorie and protein intake will be sent to you just before the official start of the Plan. You will also need digital food weighing scales. A few days before the official start of the Blast Two plan, you will be sent your Blast Two pack (see question 1).

Each week you will be sent 4 workouts for that week. There are a number of different types, depending on your fitness level and ability. See question 4) below. You will plan your food according to your calorie quota and you will track it too, either by an app on your phone or by pen and paper. You do your workouts (or mix them in with your current fitness regime) and you may email your Blast leader at any time with questions, which will get answered promptly.

At the end of each week, your Blast leader will ask you to check-in, and send in your hip and waist measurements, as well as average protein and average calories so we can gauge progress and see how you’re doing. It’s not compulsory to send in these measurements and you will be prodded just once if we receive nothing from you, but it makes sense to take advantage of this accountability as it will play a big part in your success.

You will be operating in a calorie deficit – that means eating the right amount for your body shape and age with the aim of fat-loss.  Assuming you stick to your targets and do your training then you will lose fat and get stronger.  Blast Two is more accurate than Blast One simply because you are eating the right amount of food for YOU and not basing it on portion sizes (and a margin for error).

This is not a diet but a programme of sustainable change to everyone is encouraged to enjoy a small treat now and then (without feeling like you’re sabotaging anything).

You will also have better sleep, more energy, denser muscles, an increased level of fitness and you will feel calmer as you will rely less on sugary foods for your energy. If you choose to avoid wheat and dairy products you may well also experience the following:

• You will feel less bloated (more protein and less sugar, which ferments and makes us gassy).
• Your hair, nails and skin will feel different and better (you are eating foods with a high nutritional value).
• You may see a reduction in menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats (more protein and less sugar).
• You will have an increased sense of well-being.

The workout choices are the same for both Blast One and Blast Two. You can view the taster videos HERE.

Each week you will be sent 4 workouts which are about 25-40 minutes in length, depending on which type you choose. These are video links and you will need an internet connection to be able to view them. There are 5 choices of workout: Beginner, Pilates Beginner, Pilates Intermediate, then 3 levels of Interval Training (a mix of strength work and occasionally some cardio) which are Level A (easier), Level B (intermediate) and level C (tougher). Annie is in all videos, accompanied sometimes by Aaron Roberts, a fitness coach and Blast leader. You are encouraged to do a workout one day, then walk for minimum 45 mins the following day.

For some of the workouts (and for most of Level C) you will need some dumbbells or some filled bottles of water to use as weights.

The Blast Two eating plan involves totally normal food, just like the Blast One Plan. Blast One advises portion sizes. Blast Two is giving you exact calories. On Blast Two you can be more flexible with food choices than on Blast One, simply because you are tracking your food more closely, in terms of amount and how much fat, protein and carbohydrate. But you are encouraged to increase protein levels and eat less carbohydrate. You plan your meals according to your own personal range of Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat. You don’t have to be a gourmet chef, you can just create your own meal ideas within the boundaries of your calorie quota. Or you can use the Blast recipe collections.

Many of the recipes in the recipe collection will omit wheat and dairy because these have a reputation for causing bloating and disturbance in the gut, but it is up to you whether you include them in your food. Omitting them may help your well-being and digestive comfort.

You can ask questions of your Blast leader at any time and we have a very good response time. From those emails, conversation will ensue. The support is very personal as is the programme itself. Annie likes to poke her nose in and find out what makes you tick, but you can be as anonymous as you like. Each week your Blast leader will ask you to send in new hip and waist measurements and average protein and average calories. This enables you to see what progress you are making and allows us to check that everything is on track.

Six days out of seven of the BLAST programme, Annie Deadman writes a fresh, original email to the whole Blast group. These emails bind everyone together and they contain educational information about your body as well as light-hearted chat to add fun and humour. There is also a closed Facebook group offered to the members which is an extremely valuable place to share experiences and recipes, ask for advice or generally have a moan about how much their thighs hurt.

To buy a place on Blast Two, simply visit the Blast Two Plan page, select your date, and follow the instructions. Read the Terms and Conditions and make your payment (don’t forget to add in any discount code), then it is done! You will then receive a welcome email and a payment confirmation.

The Blast One Plan works on the basis that you will be eating less but better food, which means you will very likely be in a calorie deficit. You will be given portion size recommendations rather than exact calories like Blast Two.

On the Blast Two Plan everyone is given a calorie quota (and a macronutrient split : protein, carbs and fat) to follow each day based on their personal data (age, weight and height) which they send in to us just before the Blast plan starts. They plan their meals according to the advice in the Blast Two eating plan (higher protein, less sugar, lots of veg, carbohydrate every day) and aim not to exceed their calorie limit.

On the Blast One Plan you take your own body measurements at the beginning and then re-take them at the end and share them with Annie. (You will want to!)

On the Blast Two Plan, you are much more accountable. Each week you are asked to send in new measurements to your Blast leader, average calories consumed along with average protein. Tracking and recording your food via an app involves some commitment and care but it is a great education and tool for the future. We give you plenty of help.

If you would like some advice about which plan to start with please email annie@theblastplan.com stating your age, weight and height, what you would like to achieve and a little about your ‘dieting’ history.