Dan's Plan

Program Questions

• Can I chew gum?

  It takes time for you to fully feel the calories you eat. This is why it can be easy to overeat. If you're still hungry after a meal, chewing gum for a few minutes gives your body time to perceive the calories you've eaten.

• Can I do the program if I am a vegetarian?

  Yes. Our framework is compatible with a vegetarian diet.

• Can I drink coffee, tea, diet soda or alcohol during the Achieve Phase?

  You can have water, coffee, and tea throughout the day.  Limit added sugar and milk.  Make sure not to have caffeine too late in the evening or you may disrupt your sleep. If you drink soda or alcohol, see how many of these beverages you can replace with teas, coffee, or water. If you do drink soda, chose from the sugar-free variety. For alcohol, limit consumption to an acceptable personal minimum per week (none is even better).

• Can I restart my program?

  Yes. Life happens. Vacation, business travel, illness, and many other issues could cause your performance to fall behind your projected milestone and target weight goals. The Dan’s Plan programs were not only designed to be easy to follow, they were also designed to be easy to restart. Simply go to your My Plan page and select the “Reset Dates” link located in the My Info section. Here you will be able to enter your current weight and a new start date in order to reset your target date and milestone goals.

• Do I need to use supplements?

  We think some supplements can be a very complementary addition to an otherwise healthy diet. Deciding to take a supplement is a personal choice and our few recommendations have been carefully considered to either help support healthy function or to support exercise performance.  However, the supplement we offer in the Dan's Plan Store are not required for you to use our programs and you should decide whether or not you would like to use the supplements as you see fit.

• How can I maintain my healthy habits when traveling?

  When you travel for either business or pleasure, you often face choices that conflict with your weight management goals.  You might find that it is much more difficult to find healthy food options or create opportunities to move.  When you are away from home and cannot follow your normal routine, do the best you can!  We find that the anticipation of these challenges and some planning ahead can go a long way. You might also plan ahead for when and how you will incorporate some movement or physical activity into a busy travel schedule (e.g. doing some quick push-ups, sit-ups, and squats in your hotel room). Certain features of the Dan’s Plan programs are designed to be adjustable if a particularly busy time of your life happens to interfere with your progress.  When you return from your trip, refocus on the things that are important to you and make it a point to reinforce the healthy habits that you would like to maintain in the long run.  Before long you will be back on track to achieving your goals.

• How do I change my email address or password?

  To update or change the email address or password associated with your Dan’s Plan account, click on the “Account Settings” link in the My Info section of your My Plan page.

  
  
  

• How do I change my ideal weight?

  We designed your My Plan page to allow you to change your ideal weight at any time.  Simply click on the “Change Ideal Weight” link in the My Info section of your My Plan page and enter your new ideal weight.  Your My Plan page will update automatically with the new information.

• How do I change my meal plan?

  We designed your My Plan page to allow you change your meal plan at any time.  Simply click on the “Change Meal Plan” link in the My Info section of your My Plan page and choose another meal plan option.  Your My Plan page will update automatically with the new information.

• How do I determine what category my movement falls under?

  A great way for you to categorize your movement is by focusing on your breathing.  One way to do this is to gauge your ability to hold a conversation while participating in an activity.  An example of a Mild activity is walking.  Most people would find it very easy to carry a conversation while strolling around the block.  A Moderate activity is jogging.  When you jog, you are still able to talk to someone, but you might have to pause for a breath every now and then.  We consider running to be a Strenuous activity.  When you run, you might be able to communicate with a partner, but it should be relatively difficult.  Finally, sprinting is an Aggressive form or movement.  When you are sprinting at full speed, it is very difficult to hold a conversation because your breathing is very heavy.  As with much of the Dan’s Plan program guidance, we don’t think you should worry too much about making sure that each and every activity is categorized exactly right.  As long as your point total for the last seven days is at or above 100 and you are participating in a variety of activities, you should be proud of yourself!  Keep up the good work and have fun!

• How do I enter data from previous days?

  We designed your My Plan page to allow you to go back and add or change data for prior days.  Simply click on the date for the weight, movement, or sleep tab and you will be able to select another date.  Then update the relevant information for that day and click “Submit.”  Your progress charts will update automatically with the new information.

• How do I switch between the two Dan's Plan programs?

  Changing Dan's Plan programs is easy.  Simply click on the “Switch Programs” link in the My Info section of your My Plan page and follow the instructions. 
  
  If you are changing from the Sustainable Lifestyle program to the Achieve Phase program, you will also need to select an ideal weight and meal plan. After confirming the change to the Achieve Phase program, click on the "Change Ideal Weight" and "Change Meal Plan" links in the My Info section of your My Plan page.  Once you choose a new ideal weight and meal plan, your My Plan page will update automatically with the new program information.

• How much does Dan’s Plan cost?

  Enrollment is free and there is no monthly cost. Anyone can use our guidance and tools for free without having to purchase one single item from us. We offer products in the Dan's Plan Store that we think can help our members with their goals. You get to decide what you think will be useful.

• I have fallen behind my milestone and target dates. Is there a way to reset these?

  Yes. Life happens. Vacation, business travel, illness, and many other issues could cause your performance to fall behind your projected milestone and target weight goals. The Achieve Phase program was not only designed to be easy to follow, it was also designed to be easy to restart. Simply go to your My Plan page and select the “Reset Dates” link located in the My Info section. Here you will be able to enter your current weight and a new start date in order to reset your target date and milestone goals.

• I have specific dietary needs. Can the program still work for me?

  Regardless of the program or meal plan you chose, members should customize meals based upon individual taste preferences and needs. Any time you change your diet, exercise routine, or other parts of your life that might impact your body and/or your health, you should talk to you doctor about the potential risks involved. Even if your goal is to improve your health, your doctor should know what you are doing.  This is especially true if you have specific dietary needs.

• What are movement categories?

  Walking has a different effect on the body than sprinting or lifting weights.  Therefore, we ask that you separate your movement minutes into different categories in order to measure the total intensity of your activity.  For each movement category, we convert your minutes into a different number of movement points.  A great way for you to categorize your movement is by focusing on your breathing.  One way to do this is to gauge your ability to hold a conversation while participating in an activity.  An example of a Mild activity is walking.  Most people would find it very easy to carry a conversation while strolling around the block.  A Moderate activity is jogging.  When you jog, you are still able to talk to someone, but you might have to pause for a breath every now and then.  We consider running to be a Strenuous activity.  When you run, you might be able to communicate with a partner, but it should be relatively difficult.  Finally, sprinting is an Aggressive form or movement.  When you are sprinting at full speed, it is very difficult to hold a conversation because your breathing is very heavy.  Your goal is to keep your movement point total for the previous seven days at or above 100 points.

• What are Movement Points?

  Walking has a different effect on the body than sprinting or lifting weights. Each day, our movement tracking system helps you convert the number of minutes you participate in various activities into points. Depending on how intense your activity is, you will earn a different number of points for each minute. Your goal is to keep your movement total for the previous seven days at or above 100 points.  You can achieve this in a number of ways. Some weeks, you may earn most of your points by doing a lot of walking (low intensity). Other weeks, you may engage in several sessions of heavy weight lifting (higher intensity) to earn most or all of your points. Intensity should be based on your perceived exertion level. Just ask yourself, was that mild, moderate, strenuous, or aggressive (almost maximal)? Only count the actual minutes of activity. For example, if you were at the gym for 45 minutes but were only performing exercise for 18 minutes, enter only 18 minutes in the appropriate intensity category.
  
  We encourage you to engage in a mixture of activity types that promote strength, flexibility, and endurance and to see our MOVE section in the Plan Chapters to learn more about living as an Enduring Mover.
  
  All your movement counts!

  
  EXAMPLE DAY

  • Mild – 30 min (dog walk)
  • Moderate – 15 min (warm up for weight lifting session including jumping rope)
  • Strenuous – 0 min
  • Aggressive – 10 minutes (actual work lifting heavy weights for 10 sets of 10 repetitions)

• What can I do about a weight loss plateau?

  Weight loss is not a linear process. Our bodies are designed to maintain homeostasis (stable levels of things like temperature, blood pressure, and blood sugar), so losing weight sends signals the body that try to “help us” get back to our former weight. It’s not something that we tend to appreciate these days, but these systems did help keep us alive in times when food was scarce. Most of the time, weight loss occurs in irregular intervals. One week, you might lose five pounds and the next week you might not lose any weight. You might even gain a few pounds every now and then. We suggest that you maintain a focus on your long-term goals and continue to follow your personalized plan outlined on your My Plan  page. Keeping track of your weight on a daily basis is useful for developing the habit of weighing yourself each day, but we suggest that you not pay too much attention to day-to-day fluctuations in weight and instead evaluate your results on a weekly basis. When you look at your progress on a day-to-day basis, your weight might stay flat or bounce around; however, from week-to-week your weight should generally trend downward. This trend is easier to see when you measure your performance on a week-to-week basis, and our tools allow you to do just that.

• What is my ideal weight?

  We define your ideal healthy weight as one where you feel your very best. You feel strong, efficient, lean, and hearty. This is a weight that is typically within, or close to, the normal classification for your height according to Body Mass Index (BMI) standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). Note that some people might find the normal weight range that is provided from their BMI to be quite low and they might feel that they will not be able to attain a target weight within that range. This is fine. Remember that this is a guideline and an ideal weight is based in large part on how you feel. Some trial and error might be required to find your ideal healthy weight.

• What is the average weight loss amount per week?

  Our method is designed to promote weight loss at a rate of 1 – 3 pounds per week, but this is just an esitmate. Actual weight loss will vary depending on your size, meal plan adherance, physical activity, sleep amount, and several other factors.