YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS BEFORE DAY 1

A Message From Monica

What You Need Before Day 1

You do not need a gym. You do not need expensive equipment. Here is exactly what to have ready before your first session.

Essential (required)

• Dumbbells — three pairs: Heavy set: 6–8 kg (13–18 lbs) · Medium set: 3–5 kg (7–11 lbs) · Light set for your dance and fitness days
• Resistance band (loop band, medium resistance) — essential
• Yoga mat or any non-slip surface
• A sturdy chair
• A towel — for warming up your upper body
• Comfortable workout clothes you can move freely in

Recommended (not required)

• Foam roller — for recovery days
• A full-length mirror — helpful for checking form

Not needed

• A gym membership
• A bench
• Barbell or cable machines
• Any specific brand or product

Your Week 1 Kitchen Prep

You don’t need to overhaul your kitchen. You need to stock the right foundations so that when your meal plan arrives on Day 1, cooking feels easy rather than stressful.

Pantry staples to have in stock

• Rolled oats
• Quinoa and/or brown rice
• Canned chickpeas, black beans, lentils
• Olive oil and coconut oil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Soy sauce / tamari (low sodium)
• Honey or maple syrup (small amount)
• Protein powder (whey or plant-based — any brand you already use)
• Chia seeds and/or flaxseeds
• Mixed nuts and almond butter

Fresh basics for Week 1

• Eggs (12+)
• Greek yogurt (plain, full fat or low fat)
• Cottage cheese
• Chicken breast or thighs
• Salmon fillets (fresh or frozen)
• Leafy greens (spinach, rocket, mixed leaves)
• Avocados (3–4)
• Berries (fresh or frozen)
• Sweet potato and/or regular potato
• Zucchini, broccoli, asparagus
• Lemons and limes
• Garlic and fresh ginger

Take Your Baseline Measurements

These numbers are for you — not for judgment. They are your starting point, and 30 days from now, you will be glad you have them.

How to measure correctly

• Measure in the morning, before eating, after using the bathroom
• Wear the same thing each time (underwear or fitted workout clothes)
• Stand relaxed — do not suck in or flex
• Use a soft tape measure (the kind used for sewing, not a metal builder’s tape)
• Measure each spot twice and record the average

Where to measure

• Waist — the narrowest part of your torso, usually 2–3 cm above your belly button
• Hips — the widest part of your hips and glutes, feet together
• Chest — around the fullest part of your chest, arms relaxed at your sides
• Upper arm (right) — around the widest part of your bicep, arm hanging relaxed
• Thigh (right) — around the widest part of your upper thigh
• Calf (right) — around the widest part of your lower leg

Also record

• Current weight (morning, after bathroom)
• How your clothes fit right now — note one item (e.g., “my black jeans are tight at the hip”)

You will enter these inside the Measurements Tracker in the app on Day 1.

Your Before Photos

Progress photos are one of the most powerful tools in this program. The scale can lie. Photos don’t. Take yours before Day 1.

What to wear

• Form-fitting workout clothes — sports bra and shorts, or fitted leggings and a crop
• The same outfit every time you take photos
• No loose clothing — it hides the changes you’re working for

4 angles to capture

• Front — face the camera, arms slightly away from your body
• Back — turn fully away from the camera, arms slightly out
• Left side — turn sideways, arms forward slightly
• Right side — same as left but on the other side

Lighting and setup tips

• Natural light is best — stand facing a window or step outside
• Keep your phone at waist height, not pointing up or down
• Use a mirror or ask someone to help — a selfie is fine if needed
• Same spot, same time of day, every week

Where to store them

• Inside the app: go to Measurements → Progress Photos → select Week 1 → tap each angle to upload your photo. They are stored privately on your device only.
• Also keep a copy in your phone’s camera roll as backup

How the Program Works — Watch Before Day 1

Key things to understand

• The app opens automatically on your next incomplete day — you never have to find your place
• Every day card has: Monica’s coaching note · Your workout (video or written card — your choice) · Your meals · Your habits · Your daily lesson
• You can switch the app between English and Spanish at any time using the toggle in your profile
• Recovery Day vs Strong Day options appear in your Week 1 videos — you choose each morning based on how you feel
• The Afterburn finisher is optional but recommended — it stays with you all 30 days

Navigation

• Use the Previous / Next arrows to move between days
• Tap All Days to see your full 30-day calendar and jump to any day
• Press Mark Day Complete at the bottom of each day when you’re done

Prepare Your Nutrition Mindset

Before you see your first meal plan, there are three things I want you to understand — because they will make everything easier.

1. Your calorie target is personalised

When you set up your profile on Day 1, the app calculates your daily calorie goal based on your current weight, goal weight, and what you’re working toward. You don’t have to do any math. Your meal plan is already designed around your number.

2. This is not a diet. It is a protocol

You will eat three meals a day — breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No snacks, no dessert. The one exception: if you train in the morning, you will have a small protein snack before your session, then a full breakfast afterward. Protein is high. Portions are calibrated. You will not be hungry if you follow the plan.

3. Protein is the priority

After 40, your body becomes less efficient at using the protein you eat. That means you need more of it — not less — to maintain and build muscle, keep your metabolism strong, and support your hormones. Every meal in this program is built around a protein anchor. You will start to notice this from Day 1.

Block Your 30 Days Now

The women who get the best results from this program are not the ones who are most talented or most motivated. They are the ones who planned ahead.

Your action: Open your calendar right now and block 45–60 minutes for each of the next 30 days. Label it whatever makes it feel real to you — “Strong After 40,” “My time,” “Non-negotiable.”

Timing tips

• Morning workouts work best for most women over 40 — cortisol is naturally higher in the morning, which supports energy and performance
• If you are not a morning person, block the time that you will actually protect — not the time that sounds ideal
• You do not need 60 minutes every day. Some days are 28 minutes. Some are 45. Block 60 so you always have room.

Rest days count too

Rest days are not days off from the program. They are recovery days — with a guided walk, a mobility practice, and all your nutrition and habits in place. Block those days too.

Before You Begin — A Mindset Exercise

This takes 10 minutes. Do not skip it. The women who do this exercise are the ones who finish.

The exercise — write your answers

What to do with your answers: Keep them. Photograph them. Put them somewhere you can find them on the hard days.

Day 1 Starts August 15 — Here Is Exactly What to Do

1. Step 1 — On August 15, open your program linkYou received your program access link by email when you purchased. Bookmark it now so you can find it easily on the 15th.
2. Step 2 — Enter your access codeYour personal access code will be sent to you by email on August 14. Enter it when prompted. The code is unique to you — do not share it.
3. Step 3 — Complete your profile setupThe first time you open the program, you will be guided through a short onboarding — your name, current weight, goal weight, fitness level, and primary goal. This takes about 3 minutes and personalises your entire 30-day experience.
4. Step 4 — Do your Day 1 fitness assessmentBefore your first workout, Day 1 includes a baseline fitness test: push-ups, plank hold, wall sit, sit-to-stand, and single-leg balance. Record your numbers inside the app. This is your starting point. You will retest on Day 30.
5. Step 5 — Take your progress photosIf you haven’t taken them already (see Section 5), take them now before you start your first workout.
6. Step 6 — Press play on Day 1Your first workout video is ready. Press play, follow Monica, and welcome to the Strong After 40 Method.

If something comes up and you cannot start on August 15th, the program will be waiting for you. It does not expire.

Join Our WhatsApp Community

Before Day 1, there is one more step: joining our private WhatsApp community. This is required for everyone in the 30-Day Reset.

What this group is for

This is a broadcast channel — a way for us to send you news, schedule changes, and anything important related to your program. It is not a discussion group, and no one is able to chat in it. Messaging is turned off for members, so you will not receive notifications from other people talking. Think of it as a direct line from Monica and the LongLyvn team to you.