What Can You Learn From A Wedding?

As many of you know, our oldest son Tim is getting married on April 3rd. This got me thinking about a few things (besides the fact that I’m way too young to have married kids), but primarily about how having a deadline can be a crucial part of reaching your fitness goals. We have had a few “brides to be” come to bootcamp to get ready for the big day, and I want to warn you – don’t get in her way! It’s amazing what happens when you have an absolute deadline in reaching a milestone – and brides are a perfect example of that – they will do whatever it takes to get into that dream dress and look fabulous on that special day.

But here’s where all this applies to you, even if you are not walking down the aisle anytime soon. You still need a blueprint to get the job done. And when it comes to fat loss, nutrition is the name of the game. These guidelines have and continue to produce body and life-changing results, and when applied consistently can get rid of that ugly, unwanted fat. Remember – the focus is on improving overall health, body composition and performance – don’t zone in on the scale only!

In honor of Tim and Deb, I am going to call this outline the “Fit Couple Mentality”.

EAT to Elevate Metabolism and Lose Fat (NOT Weight)

Tip#1- Stay Hydrated:

• Drink at least 2-4 cups of water immediately upon waking and then drink at least 1-2 cups of water every 2 hours you are awake. A dehydrated organism cannot effectively lose body fat!
• Drink 1-2 cups of water for every 15 minutes of vigorous activity to maintain optimal performance and to prevent dehydration during your workouts.
• Consume at least 3 servings of antioxidant-rich green tea per day to boost your immune system and accelerate recovery from exercise.

Tip#2- Eat Early and Eat Often:

• Eat immediately upon waking and then again every 2-4 hours after that for a total of 5-6 feedings per day. This is a staple for any solid fat loss nutrition plan because it allows your body to starve the fat and feed the muscle, optimizes performance, and prevents your body’s starvation signals from going off- signals that will slow fat loss to a snail’s pace.
• The dietary breakdown is 3 total meals per day consumed at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time, 3 total snacks/day consumed between meals and before bed, and workout nutrition in the form of a protein or amino acid supplement consumed around your training sessions.

Tip#3- Focus on the Essentials:

• Consume a wide range of organic lean proteins of animal origin at each feeding. A great rule of thumbs is to consume at least a fist-sized worth of anything that had a face or a mother and ran, fly, or swam at some point (sorry, doesn’t sound as appetizing this way, but it’s one way to remember!).  Protein is not only the only macronutrient responsible for building and repairing that lean muscle tone but it also allows your body to best starve its ugly, unwanted fat stores. In addition, the sheer consumption of protein elevates metabolism and burns calories because the thermic effect of feeding since protein is more than twice as energy costly for your body to digest than fat or carbs.
• Consume a wide range natural fats at each feeding (olive oil, coconut oil, beef, salmon, whole eggs, avocado, mixed nuts, flax, full-fat cheese, etc.). Sufficient dietary fat intake is critical to beneficial hormone production, which allows for optimal fat loss. Furthermore, your body cannot optimally burn stored body fat without a sufficient amount of healthy dietary fat.
• Consume a wide range of fruits and veggies at each feeding (with a special emphasis on green veggies). A great rule of thumb when it comes to produce is to consume at least one green item AND as many other colors as possible at each and every meal to get the most health benefits.

Sample One-Day Menu

Breakfast- 6am
Scrambled Omega-3 Eggs, Greens, and Turkey Sausage or Bacon

Mid-Morning Snack- 9 am
Mixed Raw Nuts and Fruit/Veggies of Choice

Lunch- Noon
Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp Caesar Salad

Mid-Afternoon Snack- 3 pm
Full-Fat Cheese and Fruit/Veggies of Choice

Dinner- 6 pm
Turkey or Beef Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash

Pre-Bed Snack- 8 pm
Wonder Bowl:
Mix of Full-Fat Cottage Cheese, Protein Powder, Flax Meal, and Raw Nut Butter

Tip#4- You NEED These 2 Supplements:

• Take a daily whole food based multi-vitamin for your gender. Ensuring adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is essential for your body to function optimally, especially for people who struggles to get at least 8-12 servings of fruits and veggies per day.
• Take a high quality essential fatty acid (EFA) or fish oil supplement. Omega-3 fats found in fish oil are scientifically proven to increase metabolism and generate increased fat burning, besides having a host of other benefits like preventing cancer, reducing inflammation and joint pain, enhancing skin and hair quality, etc.

Tip#5- Think Fiber First When It Comes To Carbs:

• It is critical to focus on carbohydrate quality first AND then quantity second. In terms of quality, all carbohydrates (outside of dairy) that you eat should contain AT LEAST 3 g of fiber per serving and offer LESS THAN 10 g of sugar per serving. In terms of quantity, we have found most females achieve the best fat-burning effects by limiting their total daily carb intake to 50 g or less, NOT including their unlimited daily fibrous carb intake from green veggies (fruit can be used in moderation) nor the trace carbs from protein and fat foods.
• Use The Carb Reduction Blueprint: Use the following step-by-step process in the exact order listed to breakthrough any plateaus in your quest to get into that dress:

Step#1– Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars found in food choices with ONE ingredient (e.g. fruit, honey, etc.). This will results in much more stable blood sugar levels, the key to maintaining high energy levels and burning fat.

Step#2– Limit all 100% whole grain starch and natural sugar consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast. Your body best handles these types of carbs at these times without excessive risk of this energy being stored as fat.

Step#3– Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies are the most nutrient dense carbs loaded with tons of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and stomach-filling fiber, making them the staple of any good fat loss meal plan.

Step#4– Replace all fruits with green veggies (or any other veggies BESIDES corn, peas, carrots, and potatoes) to weed out any remaining dietary sugar (fructose- fruit sugar) that will prevent your body from maximally using stored body fat for fuel. Green veggies like broccoli, spinach, dark leafy lettuce, green beans, asparagus, etc. have the most figure-friendly benefits of any carbohydrate out there and can be consumed in an unlimited amount throughout the day to keep you full and satisfied.

Step#5– Use strategic carb and calorie cycling to take your body to next level (my clients and I have had great success with this but it is beyond the scope of this article).

So there you go – Wedding day, class reunion, family gathering, whatever drives you to look and feel great – sticking to this plan will make sure you show up looking and feeling great!

Congratulations Tim and Debra – May your marriage be a blessed one full of joy and happiness in life and with each other.

Love, Dad

Should I Eat Before I Workout?

YES – end of message – see you next time!

Seriously, you do need to have something to eat before you train. 60-90 minutes before training is optimal, but for you early birds 30-60 minutes is just fine.

Why?

You need energy to train, simple as that. When you don’t have enough calories (energy) to sustain your workout, you will not be able to train as hard, will fatigue more quickly, and may even feel dizzy. Resistance training in the morning without eating is very counterproductive, as your body will burn the most available energy source, muscle, rather than fat. Not the best strategy!

You don’t want to load up on a huge meal however, as you don’t want to see it again in the middle of your workout, if you know what I mean.

There are a few options for pre-workout nutrition. A piece of fruit, such as a banana or apple is light and digests readily. The challenge with this option is there is little to no protein, and we need protein in the mix if we are going to maximize our training.

My favorite strategy is to use a whey based protein shake. A shake is quick and easy to make, digests readily, and you can sip it on the way to the gym. There are hundreds of ways to make a shake, so you are sure to find one that you like.

A protein shake is an effective way to break your overnight fast (breakfast) and give your body the nutrients and energy you need to attack your workout hard. It is the absolute best way I know to prime your body to burn bodyfat and preserve lean tissue. If you train in the afternoon and evenings, the same applies – don’t go into the gym without eating!

I don’t recommend living on protein shakes, as your body work best on whole foods as close to their natural state as possible (No Virginia – Fruity O’s are NOT natural) But at specific times they are an invaluable tool in your training arsenal.

Our buddy Danno shared his recipe for his favorite protein shake – Give it a try and let us know what you think. We love to hear your feedback – so chime in below!

***

Danno’s “I’m Bananas for Banana’s” Protein Shake

1 Banana
1 Tsp Ground Flax Seed
1 Tbsp Almonds or Pecans
1 Scoop Vanilla Ultimate Muscle Protein
10-12 Ounces of Water (Sorry Danno, milk rots)
Ice

Put it all in a blender, mix and enjoy!

Carbs Are Not Evil – Your Carb Reduction Blueprint

We live in a carb obsessed world.

No Carbs

Low Carbs

Good Carbs

Bad Carbs

Red Carbs

Blue Carbs

Ok…never mind…I was channeling Dr. Seuss for a second, but seriously the fascination with carbohydrates as they relate to nutrition, performance and fat loss is confusing, and rarely does more than a day go by when I don’t get asked about it.

What’s a net carb?

What about alcohol sugars?

Why are you anti-carb?

Now it’s really the last question I want to address – I am not anti-carb! Say it with me class….

Carbohydrates are an important part of our diet, but unfortunately the vast majority of us get way too many from the wrong sources.

I don’t care what their lobbies say, sugar and high fructose corn syrup are not compatible with losing bodyfat, optimal performance or excellent health.

Now as carbs relate to body composition and fat loss, I am a proponent of limiting certain types of carbs in order to reach your goals in a rapid, safe and effective manner.

Controlling your blood sugar is a HUGE part of being able to lose bodyfat.

Donuts, bagels, pasta and muffins drive your blood sugar up and down like the stock market. Don’t do it!

If and when you are having challenges breaking through a weight loss plateau (we all do),  you need to look at diet.

What follows is a blueprint that will help you reduce your sugar and starch intake without driving yourself nuts. Cold turkey works for some, but for the rest here is an excellent plan, step-by-step.

How long to go through the blueprint? Try a week per phase, as this should give your body plenty of time to adapt and not play with your energy levels too much.

Step#1

Replace all white carbs with 100% whole grain carbs and all refined sugars with natural sugars

Step#2

Limit all whole grain starch and natural sugar consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout or immediately upon waking for breakfast

Step#3

Replace all starches and sugars with fruits and veggies

Step#4

Replace all fruits with green veggies

Step#5

Use strategic carb and calorie cycling to take your body to next level (outside this articles scope, but we’ll get there).

Questions or comment? Use the form below.

Now Make It Happen!

Dean

6 Pack 6 Tips: Meal Planning Made eas(ier)

As a mom of six children, I know how challenging it can be to put healthy meals on the table every day. I want to encourage you that with a little planning every week it is possible to feed your family good, hearty and healthy meals.  Here are some strategies to get you started:
 
1.   Plan your week in advance.  I always take the grocery sales flyers from the Sunday newspaper, along with all my favorite cookbooks, a calendar to write in, and my planner.  I mark days that are especially busy and make sure that those days are the days I use my trusty ole’ crockpot.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  For each day plan out every meal including your snacks.  Have another sheet of paper next to you to slowly put together your shopping list.  As you add a meal, add the ingredients you need to your shopping list.
 
2.  Use your crockpot.  If it has been years since you’ve used this gem, drag it out of storage and dust it off because this thing is likely to become your best friend.  There are a lot of cookbooks out there for the crockpot.  The one that my family loves is The Busy Mom’s Slow Cooker Cookbook by Jyl Steinbeck.  She claims to be America’s Healthiest Mom.  Hmmm…I’d like to contend for that title.  LOL 
 
3.  Prepare meals in advance.  This has been said before so I can’t claim it as my own jewel, but simply making some meals in advance and freezing them really can help.  I like to take whole bags of frozen chicken breast and throw them in a pan, cover with foil, toss them in the oven and cook until nice and tender.  Then I divide them in separate containers for 3 days worth and freeze the rest individually in freezer bags.  This has come in handy so many times.  
 
4.  Precut your veggies.  This makes salads a cinch during the busy week.  When you get home from the grocery store, wash, cut and store your veggies.  You can wash your salad greens with a salad spinner.  They sell these at dollar stores and you get a nice arm workout at the same time.  Store the greens in the fridge in a large plastic container and take out the amounts you need throughout the week.
 
I hope this gets your creative juices flowing.  Cooking healthy does not need to be difficult, but you must plan ahead.

Now get out there and do it!

Nancy

Power Foods

So you have made a decision to eat healthier. No more fast food, fritos and fudgicles. But what are you going to eat? What food choices can you make that will help you get leaner and feel better?

Let me assure you, healthy eating does not have to be boring! This is by no means an exhaustive list, but a great place to start! Filling your fridge and pantry with these healthy foods (and getting rid of the unhealthy stuff) is a big step to changing your habits, and taste buds!

Protein Sources
Extra Lean Ground Beef
Chicken/Turkey Breast
Turkey Sausage
Eggs
Yogurt
Wild Salmon
Cottage Cheese
Cheddar Cheese

Note that milk based products such as yogurt have a significant amount of carbohydrate, so if you are keeping an eye on total carbs watch this. Choosing lowfat varieties will help keep the total saturated fats down as well.

Vegetables
Spinach
Peppers
Cumbers
Tomatoes
Baby Carrots
Pumpkin
Broccoli
Shiitake Mushrooms

Fruit
Apples
Tangerines
Red Grapes
Pineapples
Strawberries
Blueberries

Fruit is nature’s dessert, and we know not to make most of our diet be dessert! While fruit is very good for you, be aware the sugar content in fruit needs to be recognized and monitored. Also frozen vegetables and fruits are a great option, especially when not fresh is out of season or not locally grown.

Grains/Legumes
Rolled Oats
Beans (Your Favorites)
Whole Wheat Pasta
Quinoa
Steel Cut Oats

Nuts
Raw Walnuts
Raw Almonds
Raw Pecans

Misc.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Green Tea
Flaxseeds

If you haven’t tried some of these varieties of vinegar, I encourage you to try them on your salads and in your cooking. They are a great way to spice up and add flavor to your meals!

Be creative and add healthy variety to your diet. Don’t get stuck eating the same old thing all the time. Trying new things helps keep you motivated and also helps you get the vitamins and minerals you need.

No excuses! Start eating healthier today!

10 Holiday Diet Strategies Save You From Stretchy Pants

Nobody likes to be left out of the holiday fun, including all those holiday parties. Here’s some pointers that will allow you to be social and enjoy yourself  without splitting your pants before the New Year:

1.) Train With High-Intensity Activity Before and/or After a Big Meal or Holiday Feast

I know, I know, tell it to the judge. I promised diet strategies, but I simply cannot go without recommending some activity. Your body is most receptive to higher carbs within 30 minutes before and within three hours following an intense workout. Ideally you would want to workout out before AND after a big meal, but if you can only do one, that will suffice. Don’t obsess over it – just pick one or the other and do it. Your best options will be 20 minutes of circuit resistance training or cardio interval training. Even a 20-30 plus minute walk a few hours afterwards can help a little bit..

2.) Do NOT save up your calories for your Holiday Feast

Eat as you normally would on a good nutrition plan – Every two to four hours, get in your protein and veggies. If you go into that huge meal in a fasted state, you are going to overeat, and because you are so hungry, your body will be craving all the high sugar and fat foods! You are just setting yourself up for a sugar crash and fat gain.

3.) Do NOT Gorge Yourself

Maintain your discipline, and eat until you are satisfied, not until you have to loosen your belt.  Remember this: binge eating is not the habit of lean individuals. It is imperative to understand that that holiday meals are not a ticket to eat as much as you can in as little time as possible. Eat to live, don’t live to eat.

4.) Eat a High-Fiber, Protein-Rich Meal An Hour Before the Big Party

This is another great way to help you from stuffing your face with sugar cookies. Fiber and protein are a powerful combination in helping you be full and satisfied. A great strategy is to have a protein shake with some flaxseed. Nutritious, delicious, easy to prepare and it won’t go from your mouth to your hips.

5.) First Things First – Eat Your Vegetables

Just because it’s a holiday meal doesn’t mean you can’t eat any nutritious food. Head for the vegetable and meat tray and get something good in you.  This will leave less room for the unhealthier, higher calorie treats.

6.) Water, Water, Everywhere

Water competes for space in your stomach and really does help keep you from overeating. For every plate  of food you eat, drink a glass of water. After that second plate, when you have 1 full liter of water in your stomach, I bet you might just throw in the towel!

7.) Immediately Resume Your Normal Eating Schedule at the Next Meal

Ok, you had your fun, and what’s done is done. It’s time to get right back on the wagon, and back to normal, healthy eating habits. Don’t let one meal become one week become one month.

8.) Don’t Eat Junk Food at Breakfast or Bedtime

Eating a highly refined carbohydrate meal first thing in the morning will make your blood sugar levels go crazy for the rest of the day resulting in greater junk food cravings and uncontrollable hunger. On the other hand, eating a big meal before bed will result in a bunch of unused energy that will be stored as body fat and  can cause trouble sleeping.

9.) Don’t Drink Your Calories

It is way too easy to get way too many calories  in liquid form. One can easily consume over 1,000 calories per day from liquid calories alone. This means that in one week, you will gain 2 lbs of body fat from just fluids! Those holiday lattes ARE good, but the extra fat attached to your backside not so much! Also, sugar laden and alcoholic beverages tend to make you hungrier in general and often hungrier for junk food in particular. Furthermore, your body cannot burn fat until the alcohol is processed out of your body, as well as the fact that alcohol consumption actually lowers leptin levels. Decreased leptin levels increase hunger and decreases your body’s use of fat for fuel. Thus alcohol can prevent the fat burning process from resuming until several days later and/or even cause unwanted fat gain, setting you back anywhere from a few days to as long as a full week!

10.) Avoid Eating Meals that are High in Both Fat and Carbohydrates

The absolute worst thing that you can do is to eat a meal that is high in both fat and carbs. The high amount of carbs will lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels , which increases the potent fat-storing hormone Insulin. The high amount of fat will lead to a large increase in free fatty acids in your bloodstream. Since Insulin is already present in large amounts, in addition to there being a large amount of free fatty acids now available in your blood, the stage is set for all those free fatty acids to be gobbled up and stored by your fat cells. Good for a Sumo wrestler, bad for you. Following the strategies outlined above will keep this eating pattern to a minimum.

Don’t give into the mindset that holiday fat gain has to happen. Following these simple strategies will help you enter the new year better than ever!

Fat Loss Forever,

Nancy

The Best Diet?

Our 5:00am Boot Camp Class got into a discussion this morning regarding a recent study published by the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study was designed to determine which type of three diets worked best. For purposes of this letter, the three types don’t even matter, as I’ll explain.

It was a good discussion, but when I thought about it afterward, I realized something was amiss.

Described as a “tightly controlled study” by the New York Times, the 322 participants lost an average of between 6-10 pounds.

Not too bad – right? I mean it must have been a 2 or 3 month time frame, right?

Try TWO YEARS on for size!

That’s .333 pounds a month.

That’s not so good. (In fact it’s downright lousy!)

To me the take home point is this –

It doesn’t matter how good the “diet plan” is –

If you don’t actually DO IT CONSISTENTLY!

I suspect many if not most of these participants were, how shall I put it? – less than truthful about their compliance to the diet.

I come to that conclusion based on experience.

You see, I have a philosophy regarding nutrition – principles that if applied produce the desired results.

If a client tells me it “doesn’t work”, 99 times out of 100, when we look at what he ACTUALLY does, it not the plan that isn’t working, it’s the client not working the plan.

(Note the “if applied” part above.)

So what do we do about it?

Here are 5 principles of nutrition that anyone CAN do.

The real question is – WILL you?

1) Track how much you are really eating. Log 2 weekdays and 1 weekend. Fitday.com is gold, and it’s no cost.

2) To lose weight, all other things being equal (your exercise plan for instance) – you need to eat less. Start with a 300-500 calorie reduction. Use fitday.com to track it. Adjust every two weeks as needed.

3) Don’t eat food from a box, bag, wrapper or can. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, and protein are the basis of a “good” nutrition plan.

4) Don’t make excuses. If you “fall off the wagon” and eat something you know doesn’t help, don’t turn it into a binge. That extra piece of cake DOES make a difference. Once in a while doesn’t mean once a day. Remember, making excuses only burns .02355 calories a day. (OK – I made that up)

5) Plan ahead. Pick a day when you can prepare ALL the meals for the week. If you are not willing to plan ahead, you aren’t serious about making the change.

Which is the most important?

In my opinion – #5.

If you don’t know what you are going to eat next, you’ll eat anything you can get your hands on.

I know, because I am right there with you.

But IF you combine these 5 tips consistently applied (i.e. EVERY DAY) with a good training plan (consistently applied) you will start to achieve the results you want.

As we like to say in Boot Camp – It’s Simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s Easy.

Nothing worthwhile ever is.

To your best health,

Dean