Need the Recipe?

Yesterday I posted our weekly food plan but I didn’t fill you in on some of the recipes I use. So here is a great version of a recipe I first found in Gourmet Nutrition by John Beradi.

Chickpea cakes

¼ cup onion

¼ cup chopped spinach, cooked

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon ginger, chopped

1 cup cooked chickpeas, drain if using canned

1 whole egg

1 egg white

¼ salt

pepper to taste

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Preheat a frying pan to medium. Add butter and sauté onion until soft and lightly browned.  Add garlic, ginger and sauté another minute. Now add mixture to food processor along with the chickpeas, eggs, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Puree to a semi-smooth consistency. Stir in the spinach. With frying pan on medium heat, add a Tablespoon olive oil and scoop a ball of chickpea mixture then shape into a pancake. Repeat process, leaving room between cakes. Cook until lightly browned. Carefully flip cakes and brown other side.

These can be served as a side dish or garnish with plain yogurt for a wonderful snack. We had these yesterday and were a hit with my kids and my parents who are visiting.

You can find the recipes for Peanut Butter Balls at our social support site cr8health.ning.com or click here to go right to them. 

Food Plan April 7, 2009

4:30am:

• Water, Ultra 40 Protein, Mass Aminos

7:30am:

• Omelette – 4 egg whites, 1 egg, 1/2 oz. cheese, spinach
• 1 cup steel cut oats w/honey
• Black Coffee

10:00am

• 2 scoops UMP (Ultimate Muscle Protein) in water
• Super Pak Multivitamin

12:30pm

• 8 oz. chicken breast
• 1 1/2 cups turnip
• Chickpea cake

2:30pm

• 2 scoops UMP

5:00pm

• 6 oz. corned beef
• cabbage
• spinach salad w/oil and vinegar

7:30pm

• 2 scoop UMP w/ 2 tablespoon peanut butter

Meal Planning for a Week

So many of you have asked ” So….. what do you eat?” Well now is your chance to get an inside look into our family’s mealtimes. I plan meals for three different types of people all within our family. Dean, who is blogging his food, has special needs as to his intake of starchy carbs. The kids do not need to worry about weight loss, they are very active preschoolers. I also watch what I eat but tolerate most foods in moderation.

Why do I say all that? You can’t copy exactly what I do and get the results you desire. This is a tool to add to your tool box. You’ll need to create a personal food log and meal plan. What works for me might not get all the results you are looking for. 

 

Take a Peak!

Meal Plan for April 6 – April 12

W=workout meals, B= breakfast, S= snacks, D=dinner

Monday:

W: 1 scoop UMP vanilla protein powder mixed with water

B: eggs/spinach/ whole wheat biscuits

S: orange

L: Chicken Stir Fry with veggies and brown rice

S: Apple (Protein Shake for Nancy)

D: Raost Chicken/turnip/chickpea cakes

S: (1 scoop UMP Chocolate with 1 Tablespoon peanut butter for Nancy)

Tuesday:

W: 1 scoop UMP vanilla protein powder mixed with water

B: eggs/ spinach/steel cut oats

S: raisins/craisins/apricots/prunes/cheese

L: roast chicken/turnip/beets/applesauce

S: cottage cheese/pineapple

D: cornbeef/cabbage/onion/spinach salad

S: yogurt for kids (1 scoop UMP Chocolate with 1 Tablespoon peanut butter for Nancy)

Wednesday:

B: Omelet (gr.pepper/onion/mushroom/cheese)

S: Trail Mix (raisins/craisins/apricots/prunes/almonds/sunflower seeds/walnuts/coconut)

L: cornbeef/cabbage/onion/spinach

S: Peanut butter balls/apples

D: taco salad (guacamole,refried beans, lettuce, cheese, hamburger, salsa)

S: crackers for kids(Protein Shake for Nancy)

Thursday:

W: 1 scoop UMP vanilla protein powder mixed with water

B: Breakfast burrito (tomatoe, salsa, onion, black beans, eggs, cheese, wheat tortilla)

S: banana bites (banana, yogurt, coconut)

L: tacos

S: venison jerky/carrots/gr. Pepper sticks

D: Pork Roast/ butternut squash

S: peanut butter balls  (1 scoop UMP Chocolate with 1 Tablespoon peanut butter for Nancy)

Friday:

W: 1 scoop UMP vanilla protein powder mixed with water

B: eggs/ carrot/whole wheat biscuit

S: hard boiled egg/ gr. Pepper

L: Pork Roast/ butternut squash

S: yogurt apricots

D: Hamburger- no bun/mixed veggies (peppers, onion, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, pea pods, water chestnuts)

S: granola bars  (1 scoop UMP Chocolate with 1 Tablespoon peanut butter for Nancy)

Saturday:

B: omelet/ sweet potatoe hash

S: apples/ nut butter (almond, pecan, walnut)

L: leftovers/ applesauce/ salad

S: granola bar

D: all day long pork loin chili

S: trail mix (1 scoop UMP Vanilla with 1 Tablespoon nut butter for Nancy)

Sunday:

B: Yogurt and fruit for kids (mint chocolate shake for nancy 1-2 scoops UMP chocolate protein powder)

L: Eggs/ pancakes/berries/ chopped nuts

S: Easter dinner at in laws

D: Easter at in laws (the plan is to fill the dinner plate with wise choices, then allowing a dessert )

S: granola bars  (1 scoop UMP Chocolate with 1 Tablespoon peanut butter for Nancy)

Did you catch the pattern? We eat eggs every morning usually with oatmeal. Dinner is lunch the next day. I make enough snacks to last a few days.

Life is complicated enough, these are a few ways I make things easy.

So ask questions. Let me know what you think? Find out why I do what I do. 

Mixed Signals?

So can I or can’t I?

Food Plan Monday April 6, 2009

4:30am:

• Water, Ultra 40 Protein, Mass Aminos

7:30am:

• Omelette – 4 egg whites, 1 egg, 1/2 oz. cheese, spinach
• 1 cup steel cut oats w/honey
• Black Coffee

10:00am

• 2 scoops UMP (Ultimate Muscle Protein) in water
• Super Pak Multivitamin

12:30pm

• 6 oz. grilled sirloin
• roasted brussel sprouts

2:30pm

• 2 scoops UMP

4:30pm  (During/After Workout)

• Workout Drink (currently using Biotest Surge)

5:30pm

• 1 scoop UMP w/ 1 tablespoon peanut butter

7:30pm

• 1 scoop UMP w/ 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Keep It Simple! My Top Two Diet & Exercise Tips

I want to share some tips with you today that pretty much sums up what all of us need to do to get lean and stay lean for life.

It doesn’t get any simpler than this… but simple works!

TOP 2 EXERCISE TIPS

* Invest in a Whole Body Workout: This means doing a circuit designed to work your upper body, lower body, and core at least three times per week. Here’s an example: Alternate between 50 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest for each a double-leg (e.g. squat), push (e.g. push-up), single-leg (e.g. lunge), pull (e.g. row), and core (e.g. plank) exercise. Perform up to 4 rounds without rest for a killer 20-minute total body workout.

*  Harness the Power of Intervals: Interval training is scientifically proven to burn nine times more body fat than ordinary exercise and elevates metabolism for up to 48 hours following your workout. In our bootcamps we use intervals as a “finisher” after our strength training. If you do your “cardio” on off days from strength training, something like this works great: Select your cardio exercise of choice, alternate between 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest and repeat this 30 second interval eight times for four total minutes followed by a one-minute rest. Repeat for up to 20 total minutes. This routine works best on a stationary bike (airdyne) or for body weight cardio exercise that you can do at home like running in place or jumping jacks.

TOP 2 DIET TIPS

* Eat Early and Often: Eat immediately upon waking and then every two to four hours to starve fat and feed muscle. By continuously fueling your furnace, and eating some animal protein (meat, eggs, cheese, etc.) at every feeding, you’ll also keep your metabolism revved up throughout the day and prevent overeating.

* Think Fiber First When Consuming Carbs: Eat an unlimited amount of fibrous, cruciferous green veggies to fill your belly both during and between meals. For optimal fat-burning, try to limit fruit and other carbohydrate consumption to within 1-2 hours post-workout when your body best tolerates starches and sugars.

Live by these 2 training and nutrition rules and you will have a body to be proud of… I guarantee it!

Now Make It Happen!

Dean

6 Pack 6 Week 9 and a Word From Chrissy!

A new name makes it into the weekly top spot! Congratulations to Judy as she ties weekly favorite Lisa for first place this week. As we said last week, it’s anyone’s game for the weekly and monthly prizes. With the tie this week, next weeks prize is worth $50 – Could be yours!

Also we have a switch at the top of the overall – it couldn’t be tighter.

With next weeks score sheet we need you to turn in this weeks (week 10) food log PLUS your complete menu plan for this week (week 10) – shouldn’t be any extra work as you should already have them on hand.

As an added bonus we are adding a bonus surprise prize for the entire Top 10 at the end of the contest. You WILL want to be one of the winners!

Now let’s hear from Chrissy Schultz, who is our month 2 winner! Listen carefully, she reveals some great info on what has made her so successful! Fantastic Job Chrissy!

Make It Happen!

6 Pack 6 Results

Week 9 Top Ten

Judy S.	72 Points
Lisa A.	72 Points
Chrissy S.	69 Points
Robin S.	69 Points
Karyn M.	66 Points
Greg S.	66 Points
Julie D.	64 Points
Donna K.	58 Points
Evelyn P.	56 Points
Angela D.	52 Points

Overall Top Ten

Lisa A.	642 Points
Chrissy S.	641 Points
Judy S.	599 Points
Julie D.	588 Points
Robin S.	582 Points
Evelyn P.	564 Points
Karyn M.	556 Points
Greg S.	549 Points
Donna K	492 Points
Angela D.	491 Points

Make It Happen!

Drop The Weight Belt!

I trust you are having a great week! Nancy and I will be in Connecticut for a few days to see our oldest son Tim getting married to his wonderful fiance’ Debra.

A couple of things I wanted to share that you might want to keep an eye on.

We have had a request that Nancy and I start showing you what our meal plans look like on a daily and weekly basis. To that end we are going to be posting our own meal plans and blogging our nutrition on a regular basis. We look forward to your feedback.

Secondly I wanted to share with you an opportunity to get some great organic vegetables on a weekly basis throughout the 2009 growing season at a great price. Our friend Kerry Morencey has started a CSA (community supported agriculture) at the Milk and Honey Farm in Loudon and is still looking for partners. If you don’t have time or know how to garden, I would encourage you to look at the info and give Kerry a call so she can answer your questions. Nancy and I are buying a share to support our own garden.

CSA Brochure

CSA Agreement

Milk and Honey Farm Newsletter

***

I saw a great article by Jonny Bowden, PHD, CNS called 7 Ways To Boost Your Energy, and something he wrote really struck a chord with me. It speaks to the fact that we are so busy looking for the “edge” in our weight loss and performance goals that we miss the obvious.

Here’s part of what Jonny wrote:

“Let’s say you were a swimmer wearing a weight belt and you wanted to increase your time in the 50-yard freestyle. You could spend a lot of effort researching the latest titanium high-tech bathing suit — which might add a second or two to your time — but wouldn’t it be a lot more effective to simply drop the weight belt?

Most of us are carrying around weight belts and looking to increase our energy with coffee and stimulants when in fact if we just dropped the weight belt we’d automatically go faster.”

For me personally that weight belt was 80 plus pounds of extra fat. Getting rid of the extra weight boosted my energy and productivity unbelievably. I don’t care what anyone says, being overweight and obese is not healthy, no matter how good you think you feel. In fact, I didn’t even know I was as bad off as I was until I finally got rid of the extra baggage. It is not “normal” to be tired all the time and get out of breath climbing a flight of stairs. That was me! My new normal allows me the energy I need to be productive all day long without the coffeepot I.V. – I love it!

Jonny went on to say that other “weight belts” holding you back might be too little sleep, a high carbohydrate diet, toxic relationships, and other trapping of modern life that can take our eye of our goals. Working on these challenges goes a long way to achieving our dreams.

As always, we are looking for your comments and feedback, so don’t be shy!

We will be in touch later in the week with 6 Pack 6 results.

Now go out there and Make It Happen!

Dean

6 Pack 6 Week 8 and Rules For Restoration

Our 6 Pack 6 Contest has four more weeks left. This is no time to give up or stop the momentum. These last few weeks will set in stone the healthy habits we have been hard at work establishing in our daily routine. So how does the Restoration week from Bootcamp fit in with the program? How can I still maintain my healthy habits if I have a week off from training?

Your answer is in the question itself! It is so important to give your body an extended period of time to fully recover after three months of intense training. That is why we have built in a rest week. This is not is rest week from daily healthy habits, from nutritious eating, and quality time stretching and helping those muscles to recover. Stay the course this next week. Don’t lose sight of the goal. It is healthy habits formed to help us build or maintain a healthy body.

So back to the contest and how this week fits in with tallying points.

The Weekly Six activities are not effected by the restoration week: planning meals, preparing meals, reading the newsletter, trying a new food, sharing progress with others, and  reaching for a personal record. Your personal record might be to score a perfect tally count on eating protein and veggies at each meal, or not eating starchy carbs after lunch instead of hitting a fitness goal.

The Daily Six are effected in the area of training and two meals. During the restoration week and only the restoration week you are to substitute your resistance training with any of the following, professional massage(See Amy at Chichester Massage), foam rolling, rolling on a tennis or lacrosse ball, stretching, or taking a 30 minute walk. Change up these activities so don’t walk each day but stretch one day, roll the next, walk the next etc…

For two of your meals during the week plan to allow yourself a treat meal. This is not a pig out session or an excuse to hit the buffet line but normal portions of a meal that doesn’t fit into your normal nutrition plan. Show these meals with a ‘T’ on your score sheet instead of a check mark.

So how can you maintain healthy habits if you have a week off of training? Focus even more on the other areas of training: nutrition and mindset both help your body with the recovery process. Come back to training the first week of April feeling refreshed, ready to attack each training session.

Have a great week!

Nancy

***

And now for this weeks (and month’s) 6 Pack 6 Results…

I cannot tell you how impressed I am with the efforts of the two ladies who battled it out for this months prize package!

Congratulations to Chrissy AND Lisa for the commitment and hard work they put in this month.

There can only be one prize winner, and this month’s package goes to Chrissy S. who put up a perfect score for the month – well done!

As a reminder, here is the prize package which Chrissy won this month. Don’t forget there is one more monthly prize left, and YOU are still in the running! Get those score sheets in!

(1) Gourmet Nutrition Cookbook – $39.95 value
(1) Beverly International Ultimate Muscle Protein or Ultra Size – $47.50 retail
(1) Beverly International EFA Gold (Essential Fatty Acids) – $24.00 retail
(1) Beverly International Super Pak Advanced Vitamin/Mineral Package – $32.00 retail

PLUS a $100.00 check for winning all four weeks!

You want in? Make It Happen!

6 Pack 6 Results

Week 8 Top Ten

Chrissy S.	72 Points
Judy S.	69 Points
Lisa A.	68 Points
Robin S.	66 Points
Linda F.	66 Points
Julie D.	66 Points
Karyn M.	62 Points
Angela D.	62 Points
Nadia K.	60 Points
Greg S.	57 Points

Overall Top Ten

Chrissy S.	572 Points
Lisa A	570 Points
Judy S.	527 Points
Julie D.	524 Points
Robin S.	513 Points
Evelyn P.	508 Points
Karyn M.	490 Points
Greg S.	483 Points
Angela D.	439 Points
Nadia K.	438 Points

Make It Happen!

You Want Me To Do What?

You’ve been training hard for the last 6-12 weeks. You’ve made tremendous strides with your nutrition. You see great progress, but you are starting to feel a little run down. Maybe more tired than usual, a little cranky, perhaps even caught a cold.

These are signs you need some rest. And not just sleeping in a day or two (like that’s possible!) You do need to get your nightly 7 or 8 hours, but it is more likely you need a break from training.

Next week is a scheduled restoration week for our bootcamp clients. If it’s been awhile since you took a break, maybe it’s time you considered taking a week off. It does a body good!

Here’s why:

The Maintenance Manifesto

Learn How to MAINTAIN Your Overall Health, Performance, and Body Composition During Off Weeks

Congratulations! For the last 8-12 weeks you have done a phenomenal job of improving your overall health, body composition, and performance. You have been introduced to a lifelong eating plan, and have been building healthy habits that will serve you for a lifetime.

However, your body can only be pushed so hard for so long before it needs time to recover and regenerate before unwanted chronic overuse injuries present themselves. In addition, you can only follow aggressive fat loss plans for so long before the mental and physical grind begins to wear you down and your results begin to plateau as your body enters survival mode to hold on to as much body fat as possible. This is why it is paramount that we accomplish the following things during the transition week between the various phases of Get Fit NH Boot Camps:

Moving to Maintenance Mode

Physical Rest and Regeneration

• Our bodies must rest and recover to prevent overtraining issues so that we can come back 100% healthy and energized for the next phase of the program
• Focus on maintaining and/or increasing flexibility and tissue health by stretching and foam rolling daily. 15-30 minutes is fantastic!
• Daily restorative walks are beneficial during this week. 30-60 minutes briskly walking (not jogging/running) will keep your body refreshed and active, without negating the purpose of this week. Don’t overdo it!

Physiological and Psychological Rest and Regeneration

• We must normalize key anabolic hormones, refill muscle glycogen, increase caloric intake, and prevent any diet induced catabolism (losses of lean body mass) so that we can enjoy greater fat loss for the next phase of the program
• We have taken the road less traveled by being flexible eaters with a long-term approach to success and thus we will take a break from our aggressive fat loss nutrition plans. This is not a free for all, so stay away from your “trigger foods” (junk foods and sweets) that open the door to excessive calorie intake.
• Instead plan (key word) and enjoy 1-2 controlled free meals to reward yourself for all of your hard work, but do not overdo it!

Celebrate the Fruits of Your Labor

• Take some time to reflect on how far you have come since you joined this program in terms of improving your overall health, body composition, and performance
• Enjoy your results!

Track your Progress from this Last Phase and/or the Start of the Program

Step#1 – Answer the Following Questions

• How much progress did you make this past phase?
• Did you meet your goal(s)?

Step#2  – Use Outcome-Based Decision Making

If you met or exceeded your goals:

• You are on the right track so keep doing what you are doing

If you fell short of your goals:

• Assess your compliance to our training and the nutrition program you are following. Be honest in evaluating compliance. 90% is what it takes to make realistic progress toward your goals
• If compliance was not an issue, plan to speak with Dean or Nancy so that we can monitor and adjusts your plans if need be

Step#3— Re-Assess Your Goals

• Were your goals S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Trackable)? If not, talk to one of us to re-assess your goals for the next phase of the program.
• Use outcome-based decision making to determine if you need to adjust your goals for the next phase of the program:

If you met or exceeded your goals:

• Your goals for the next phase may change based on your progress over this past phase
• If you have reached your ideal bodyweight, clothing size, or “look”, your goal may now be to maintain it, or maybe these results have motivated you to try to take it to the next level?
• If your results were better than you were expecting, maybe we should set more aggressive goals for the next phase of the program?

If you fell short of your goals:

• If your results fell short of what you were expecting, maybe we should set more conservative goals for the next phase of the program?

Take Advantage of Your Free Time

• This is a perfect time to get things done that you otherwise could not during the last phase of the program (e.g. household chores, doctor’s appointment, travel/vacations, quality time with friends and/or family, etc.)

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

We would just like to take the time to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your hard work and dedication to improving your health and fitness… keep Making It Happen!

You will never know how much this means to us and how much this is appreciated. It has been a total team effort from the start and though we provided you with all of the necessary programs to get the results that you were seeking, YOU DID ALL OF THE WORK! We cannot wait to get even better results during the next phase of the program!

Get Fit NH!

Dean and Nancy

To download and print a copy of the Maintenance Manifesto for reference, please click here.