Fully Loaded Sweet Potato

Not sure if any of you saw this on "The Biggest Loser" the other night but I was curious to try it today. I was kind of amazed by how it good it actually was.  So I wanted to share it and here your feedback.

Fully Loaded Sweet Potato

1/2  or whole Baked Sweet Potato  (depending on size)

1     Chicken Breast cooked w/ tsp. safflower oil and shredded

2     heaping Tbsp of Greek yogurt

2     heaping Tbsp Salsa

Bake the sweet potato or microwave if needed.  Open the sweet potato down the middle.  Add chicken and top with yogurt and salsa.  EAT!!!

Complete with complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fat for the perfect meal.

Hope you enjoy!

Motivation, Vision, Time = New You

      As a trainer for the past 8 years I have come across many different types of clients.  They range from age, size, occupation, and the list goes on.  There is no way that I could have been successful as a trainer if I treated each client exactly the same with putting them through the same workouts and the same diet.  Every single person is different and I have had to approach each client differently.  As an individual you have to approach training with the realization that you have to find what works for you.  I say that in the sense that you have to find what really is motivating you to change.  You need a clear vision in your mind of what you want to look like.  Once you have the vision you have to take the proper steps of getting to that goal. 

        I can also say that anyone who puts 100% of their efforts in can and will change their body.   Bodybuilders and trainers don't just happen upon a 7-8% body fat and even lower during competitions.  There is a complete science behind how to lose body fat and do it in a healthy way so you won't just gain it right back.   There are so many new fads and training techniques coming out, but really what most people don't realize is a majority of the time you are working the same muscles the same way with a different piece of equipment.  My life motto has always been to work smarter not harder and the same goes for in the gym.   With proper training, proper eating, proper goal setting, and positive attitude you can really change your body. In 3 months you can see changes, really transform in 6 months, and be a whole new person in 12 months.

         When you think about 6 months to 12 months it may seem like a long time but come on people, you are changing your life here!!!  The new issue that has seemed to rise is people watch these shows like the biggest loser and expect to lose 15 lbs a week. That is possible if you have a team of people making you workout 6 hours a day, telling you exactly what to eat, with doctors standing by.  Remember in the real world a healthy fat loss is 1-2 lbs a week.  Anymore and chances are you are losing water weight and even worse, muscle.   Having a trainer helps and having a gym memberships helps as well, but if you can't afford either all you need is a set of dumbbells and a resistance band and you can be well on your way.  Excuses and self doubt only hold you back.  GET IT GOING!!

                                                              

Manic Monday workout "TO the CORE"

Core is obviously very important for everyone.  Having a strong core is important for posture and proper

What makes "BAD" carbs "BAD"!!!

     Why is it that bad carbohydrates are "BAD" when it comes to weight loss?  Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (blood sugar).  Glucose triggers the pancreas to release insulin.    Insulin's job is to transport glucose to the cells to be used for energy or to be stored as FAT.  To simply break this down, the more insulin produced in the body the more fat you store.  Plus, when insulin spikes it actually causes cravings sugar and "BAD" carbohydrates.  Hence why individuals crave dessert after a heavy meal.   FAT=BAD therefore overeating "BAD" carbohydrates is a no-no.

      The reason it is so important to eat lean protein and small amounts of healthy fat with your GOOD carbohydrates is because this slows down the release of insulin.  Also, protein and fats will help with satiety and combining all three together causes fewer cravings because it keeps the body's blood sugar level throughout the day.  Hopefully this helps to understand why it’s bad to sit down with a bag of chips and salsa, fried floury foods and the like.  It's funny how BAD carbs cause cravings for more BAD carbs.  This is why it’s easy to overeat these items and gain weight.

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How many calories should you eat???

      Weight loss and weight gain are directly related to calories.  This issue has been debated back and forth for years now.  The truth is that physiologically the body cannot lose weight unless the number of calories (energy) taken in is less than the number of calories burned.  Food = energy.  The body stores fat to use for energy in times of need.  The problem is that humans today overeat all the time.  

       

       Everybody has a different genetic build and body type, but that doesn't change the process.  The fact is there are genetic freaks that can eat whatever they want and still stay fit.  Than there are the other 85% of the world that unfortunately weight loss is a longer process.  Genetics are only one factor that you can't control.  There are many factors that you can control.

       

       It's time to stop blaming genetics, age, and the like.  I have clients in their late 40's who have completely reversed their slow metabolisms through weight training, eating properly, and more regularly.  When individuals train with weights they gain muscle, increase their metabolisms, and the body becomes a fat burning machine.  This is also why women need to let go of the myth that weight training will make them bulky.  This is completely false because women are not built like men nor do they have the amounts of testosterone that men do.

      Here is quick method to find the amount of calories needed in a day for fat loss, maintenance, or putting on weight.  This number can fluctuate depending on how active you are but is a good base to get you started.  If less active (exercise 3 days or less) use the lower number of calories.  These calories should consist of lean protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Fat loss = 12 - 13 calories per lb. of bodyweight

Maintenance  = 15-16 calories per lb. of bodyweight

Weight gain = 18 to 20+ calories per lb. of bodyweight

Manic Monday Workout "Butt Blast"

Happy Martin Luther King Day!!!!  What better way to start your week off than a workout that will tighten up your booty and burn a whole lot of gunk from the weekend.  Get off the couch and blast that butt!

15  standing squats
20  lunges
20  floor bridge
50  jumping jacks
15  sit ups

3 times all the way through with little rest.

Good Luck

How much cardio for Fat Loss???

How much cardio should I be doing?   I get this question all the time from my clients.  The answer to this question does vary a little depending on the individual but for the most part can be broken down quite simply.  If the goal is to put on muscle a lot of cardio is not necessary.  The body needs the surplus of calories to add muscle.  However, with fat loss the body needs to be in a negative energy balance (more calories burned than consumed).  So what is the magic time frame for cardio?

       

          Research has shown that the average person needs a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio to release the body’s fat cells.  For beginners I would suggest 30 minutes a day 3-4 days a week.   If you are capable of doing more, 45 min a day 5-6 days a week will really help to shed the fat.  Most bodybuilders do cardio 6-7 days a week to get ready for a competition.  Some even do cardio as much as twice a day.  This is a little extreme and would be hard for anyone to maintain.  I have found that for most of my clients who want to lose fat that 45 min of cardio 5-6 times a week is key.  My clients typically have hour sessions which consist of cardio and circuit weight training.  Circuit training can produce as much if not more calories burned and is a great way to do cardio and lift weights at the same time.  

          Remember that everyone has a different starting point.  Everyone is a beginner at some point in life.  Never feel embarrassed about going to the gym because everyone has been that new person.   It takes time so be patient.  Set goals, improve, constantly move forward, and repeat this statement everyday,  “I am more fit today than I was yesterday”.

         Please feel free to leave comments or questions.  Also, add me on facebook and twitter under the contact me tab at the top of the page to get updates.

Focus on the Negative

     I like to make sure that all my clients leave the negative energy at the door when they walk into my gym.  Although that's not the negative I am referring to in this blog.  The negative that I am talking about is the negative portion of your exercises.  So many individuals in the gym are simply missing this key component to their workouts and it may be causing them to miss out on a growth opportunity.  I challenge everyone to put more focus on the negative this week while in the gym. Count 3-4 seconds while lowering the weights. This can be done in any type of exercise from curls to any type of extension and the like.  Slowing down the exercise forces the body to engage slow-twich muscle fibers.  Plus, doing so can mix up any workout and help bust through those dreaded plateaus.

Get off that Scale!!!

      Many people make the mistake of constantly weighing themselves and tracking their progress based on the scale alone.  The problem with this method is that their weight can fluctuate daily depending on a multitude of factors.  Trying to lower calories too low too fast can cause muscle loss, additionally hydration can cause weight fluctuations.  Weighing in everyday can cause frustration and make individuals want to give up.  Healthy fat loss is 1-2 pounds per week.  Any more than 2 pounds runs the risk of losing quality muscle.  Losing weight takes time so don't get frustrated and I suggest ditching the scale.  Does the number really matter anyway??  What matters is staying focused, pushing past setbacks, looking and feeling good.  KEEP UP THE WORK!!!!

The most important factor for being FIT!!!

     I can't do this.  I can never look like that.  I can't lose weight.  I am fat.  I look awful.  It's too hard. I'm too old.  I have a slow metabolism.  It's statements like these that are keeping you from hitting your goals.  I'm sure you have all heard that perception is reality. In many ways this is true when it comes to losing weight.  So many people forget to realize that losing weight is far more than exercise and eating healthy.  If you continue to use self-defeating statements about yourself, you will sabotage your weight loss.  Plain and simple.  Weight loss is simple when talking about the science of it, but it is also very hard work.   There is no magic pill, there are no short cuts.
     Eat healthy and workout hard to burn more calories than you consume.  This doesn't mean starve yourself. Quite the opposite.  Eat too few calories and your body will go into starvation mode and begin to store fat.  Our bodies are very smart.  Rather than starve, how about eat right be full and just workout a little harder?  Seems simple right.  Well it is that simple.  If you continue to tell yourself you can't do it, than you never will.
     Change your thought process.  Start saying I am and I will and I can.  Write your goals down in detail of what you want.  Write down how you want to look and in all caps write I AM WORTH IT.  I AM STRONG.  I AM FIT etc.   Change your thought process and you will change yourself.

Power Meal

100% Whole wheat pasta
Grilled Chicken
Spinach
Squeeze of lemon
pepper
side of cottage cheese

Put the Bacon Down!!!

Put the bacon down!!!  

Manic Monday "Power 20" Workout

Alright guys here is a workout challenge for you.

Pushups                   x 20
Standing Squats       x 20
Situps                       x 20
Pullups                     x 10
Mountain climbers    x 20

Repeat this 4 times  (5 exercises x 4 = 20)

Good luck and remember when you think you can't do it, regroup, grab water, and keep going.

Stop starving yourself, and lose weight!!!

So many people go on diets these days to lose weight and they get frustrated because they just don't work.  I want to challenge everyone to do a little research about why dieting doesn't work.  There is so much research that shows that when you drastically cut calories you chance shutting down your metabolism.  You also chance losing quality muscle because your body goes into starvation mode.  Not to mention that at some point you will crash, give in and gain all the weight back while your slow metabolism tries to catch up.  With that said, the only way to lose fat and keep it off is to eat plenty of clean healthy calories (whole foods, lean proteins, healthy fats) and increasing your exercise.  Sounds to simple to be true right?  Well it is that simple.  Rather than starve yourself and be miserable, eat healthy food and get your butt in gear.  GET MOVING!

I will close this out with one of my favorite quotes.

“Food is the cornerstone of nutrition. If you don’t eat the proper foods - lean proteins, starchy carbs, and fibrous carbs - nothing else matters. No supplement can ever provide you with all the benefits that food supplies. We were built to process foods - proteins, carbohydrates and fats - not powdered or liquid supplements alone. If you want to make the best possible progress with your physique, I suggest that you forget the hype surrounding all supplement diets or meal replacement programs and get back to basics. And that means food." 

- John Parillo, 

Carbs and Fats that make you thin!!

That right you heard me correctly, carbs and fats that make you thin.  I want to help break the myth that carbohydrates and fats are the devil when it comes to losing weight.  This couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, my clients diets are 50% carbohydrates 20% fats. They are essential for energy as well as satiety.  Now with that said, there are good and bad carbs and fats.   So I have compiled a list of healthy carbohydrates and fats that make the grade.  When you go through these lists notice the main connection between all of these items, they are in their natural form coming from the earth, without preservatives and additives.  If it comes out of a box than it's probably not gonna help you lose weight.

Fibrous Carbohydrates
Kale 
Spinach
Broccoli 
Cauliflower 
Brussel sprouts  
Asparagus 
Green Beans
Collard greens 
Green and red peppers 
Mushrooms 
Onions 
Tomatoes  
Cucumbers 
All other green vegetables or salad vegetables 

Starchy Carbohydrates

Yams 
Sweet potatoes 
Barley 
Oatmeal (Old fashioned unsweetened) 
Beans, all types 
Black eye peas 
Slow cooked brown rice (long grain/basmati) 
Lentils 
White potatoes 
Red potatoes 
Carrots 

100% whole grain unsweetened boxed cereals
100% whole grain cooked cereals
100% whole grain pastas (amaranth, quinoa, wheat, etc) 
100% whole grain breads 
100% whole wheat, rye, spelt, etc
100% Whole wheat pitas 


Simple Carbohydrates

All fresh fruits (not including canned, sweetened, or juice)

Healthy Fats
Flaxseed oil 
Udo’s Choice essential oil blend 
Fish Oil 
Fatty fish (salmon, trout, herring, sardines)  
Avocados
Nuts and seeds
Natural Peanut or Almond Butter ( low possible in sugar and NO hydrogenated oils)

Foodfacts.com
Livestrong.com

Not your average Housewife!!!

I just wanted to give a huge shout out to these girls.  Have you heard of them?  The Dumbbell housewives of dumbbellhousewives.com  -They are kicken ass and taken names.  Not to mention they are very easy on the eyes.  One of the girls (Ashley) is an old high school friend of mine.  Check out there site, they have a lot of great workouts and health tips and give a great view into the world of fitness through the female perspective.  Keep up the work ladies!!!!

Dumbbellhousewives.com

The Absolute NO-NO's for 2013

It's 2013 and obesity is still a rising epidemic even with all the free information on the Internet. I think the main problem is that either there is so much information that people tend to get lost in it, individuals may feel that it's too late in the game for change, or people are just down right lazy. WAKE UP!!!! It's never to late to better yourself and your lifestyle. You are 100% worth it and completely capable of change. I've compiled a short list of what I call NO-NO foods to help you with your goals this year. I challenge you to look deep into your relationship with food. Food is energy, it shouldn't make you feel sluggish, slow or tired. The first few weeks are a little tough while your body transitions away from the cravings of crap food, but remember it's just food. You can do this.

2013 NO-NO Food list-

1- Ice cream - (fat, sugar, artificial color and flavoring....the list goes on)

2 - Fried foods - super high in fats and artery clogging gunk!! BTW the French word for fried is Sauté.

3- Sugar, candy, chocolate and sweets- carbohydrates don't make you fat guys and gals.....sugar will!!!     Not to mention all the other horrible health issues it causes.

4- Soda - loaded with sucrose and high fructose corn syrup as well as empty calories.

5- Cookies, Cakes, Pastries- google what they actually put in these items. It will make you think twice.

6- Fruit "juices" - (sugar,sucrose,high fructose corn syrup). Put the juice down and grab some whole fruit

7- Sausage and Bacon -  Bacon and sausage calories are made of fat calories 93% typically. Even reduced fat turkey is still 50-70% fat.

8- Potato chips, corn chips - crazy amounts of sodium, flour, and almost no nutritional value.

9- White bread - you might as well eat a couple spoons full of sugar. WB is completely stripped of nutrients and is made of refined white flour which will more readily turned to fat. GO WHOLE WHEAT!!!

10- Sugary cereals - most cereals contain tons of sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Rule of thumb-                
     (9g or less per serving) and watch your serving size.

There it is guys. Hope this helps your goals this year. You can do it!!!

My TOP 10 supplements for 2013!!!

Looking for supplements these days can be sooooo confusing.  There are a million brands, serving sizes, mixtures and concoctions.  Its easy to just say what is the point.  On the flip side, it is really easy to spend hundreds of dollars on products that at the end of the day you are pissing your money away literally.  The key is to get quality product sometimes even over quantity.  Here is a list of supplements that I feel helped put me at the top of my game and hopefully can help you as well.

1.  Hydrowhey protein
2.  Multi-Vitamin  (scored so you can take half in morning and half in afternoon)
3.  Glutamine - amino acid helps in protein synthesis
4.  Creatine ( 2.5-5 g a day no loading phase )
5.  BCAA - branch chain amino acids (reduces muscle breakdown and helps in recovery
6.  Vitamin D3 - (almost every single person is VitD deficient)
7.  Fish Oil - (an absolute must for everyone) make sure it has DHA and EPA  -Many diseases and                      
     sickness  in our bodies are causes of inflammation and Omega 3's help reverse this.
8.  Calicium w/ Magnesium - for strong bones and teeth
9.  Vitamin C - lets be honest this vitamin is magic and have to many good causes to name
10.  Green Tea Extract - a little less jitter with a whole lot of health benefits

So there it is, these supplements helped me make 2012 one of my best years and hopefully they can help you better yourself in 2013.  Im not endorsing any products but I will say that NatureMade as well as Optimum Nutrition are a couple of my favorite brands.  Try em out and can't wait to hear some feedback.  Happy New Year Everyone.
                                                               

Organic or not??

There seems to be more and more talk about weather or not you should buy all organic food or not. Buying organic definitely does have its benefits but it also can be expensive. So, just a little trick when it comes to shopping for organic food, think thin. Any foods that have a thin skin have a higher absorption rate with pesticides and fertilizers. Go organic with foods like berries, salads, tomatoes, apples etc. That way you can save a little coin and still get the health benefits of eating organic. Happy New Year!!!! #organicthinkthin