I guess in hindsight, that would be because we take the guesswork out of the workout…

Nutrition on the other hand, is something that they have to be accountable for. We give them guidelines, but can’t be there all day giving direction as far as what to eat and when.

This keeps me thinking about how to make nutrition easier to handle, stick to, and be successful with. I recently sat down with a client that has been having difficulty to come up with a strategy for her nutrition.

Here are the three steps we used.

1. Keep at least a week’s worth of food logs, including time of meal, and what the meal was.

2. Review the food log to see the following

~What types of foods you eat regularly

~Where are your biggest obstacles during the day?

3. Based on the review of your food log, come up with 2-3 options for each meal time.

This client walked away no longer feeling lost with her nutrition. We made it simple, we gave her realistic options based on her current food likes and dislikes, and I’ll be checking back in next week to see if there’s anything that needs to be re-visited.

I suggest that if nutrition is your stumbling block, you use the three strategies above, and follow the nutrition guidelines listed here to come up with your own simple, personalized nutritional plan.

9 times out of 10, it’s not having any sort of strategy or plan that will sabotage your success!

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As a fitness expert, what would my advice to you be? To go for the veggies…to skip the sweets…to use your iron clad will power and be the “sensible” one in your group?

Well, Yes, however on the other hand, I also think you should Enjoy!!!! If you have some of your family’s traditional home made pumpkin pie, with whipped cream, then don’t guilt trip yourself for the rest of the afternoon!

Here’s three tips to enjoy the holiday to the fullest, and be able to wake up the next morning without a raging binge induced hang over.

1. Eat before eating. Studies show that consumption of fiber or healthy fat about 30 minutes prior to a meal will decrease your caloric consumption during the following meal. That calorie reduction includes the pre-meal snack.

How is that? Well, fiber and fat will slow your digestion, and make you feel full faster, and for longer, ensuring that your inclination to over eat will be minimal.

So before you sit down to the Thanksgiving feast, have an apple and handful of raw almonds or walnuts.

2. Don’t let your eyes be bigger than your stomach. This isn’t anything new, but something I feel gets tossed out of the window at a “special” ocassion such as this. Instead of heaping as much of everything as you’re able to fit onto your already oversized plate, try putting smal portions of everything. That way you won’t feel inclined to over eat because you’ve hit the full level and there’s still a pile of food on your plate.

If you still feel like having more, go back for what you enjoyed the most.

3. Slow down and drink up! No, not your aunt’s “special” egg-nog, I’m talking about water or green tea! Make sure to pace yourself throughout the meal, take breaks to enjoy the company of family and friends and drink plenty of water. This will give your body the opportunity to let you know when you truly have had enough. Rather than a non-stop race to the finish where you skip your body’s natural ability to say stop and end up having to loosen your pants…!

I am thankful that you alllow me the opportunity to share in your journy to health and overall well being! Enjoy your holiday!

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2. Start keeping a food log You are what you eat, and how can you know what you are if you don’t keep track? That quick handful of M&M’s you had at 2pm when you were “crashing” can be easily forgotten the next day when you think back if you haven’t written it down! You can also use free online journal sites like the one at www.FitDay.com.

3. Keep your head in the right place Especially women. I don’t know what it is, but we tend to have a self destructive attitude. If you are constantly telling yourself that you look terrible, that you’ll never lose your fat butt, that this is never going to happen, then guess what??? I think you know where I’m going with this… From day one, you have to know without a doubt that you can do this, and that you will succeed!

4. Get a plan I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If you fail to plan, you can plan to fail. Think ahead to what your day will bring the night before. Do you have a busy schedule? Prepare for your day nutritionally. Think about what you can pack so that you are prepared to make good nutritional choices? Even going as far as setting one day a week aside to do your grocery shopping and meal planning a week will work wonders for you.

Think about your workouts. They need to become a non-negotiable item on your schedule. We ask our clients to get on our schedule Monday for the coming week. If you have something scheduled, you are more likely to stick to it and make other things work around it, rather than having it be the variable, and fitting it if and/or when you can.

The more you have planned, the easier your new lifestyle will become, and the less likely you are to “fall off the nutritional wagon”.

5. Get enough sleep I can’t stress this one enough! If you don’t get enough sleep, your will be mentally un-equipped to make the best choices. Not to mention that lack of sleep is considered stressful to your system, causing your body to release hormones that make losing fat difficult. Making sure you get your 6-8 hours (for most of us it’s eight) will ensure that you’re allowing your body the time it needs to recover, repair and rejuvinate so that you can be at your very best for everything you set out to do!

6. Drink tons of the clear stuff Yes, I mean water. And Green tea as well. Aside from these two, don’t waste your money on anything else! If you don’t have enough energy during the day, chances are that there’s some bigger changes that should be made rather than looking to coffee or worse, some energy drink to boost you along. Are you eating enough of the right foods? Are you drinking enough water to keep yourself well hydrated and mentally alert? Are you getting enough sleep? Even if they’re sugar and calorie free, beverages other than green tea or water should be avoided.

7. Stop drinking What? I thought you just told me to drink water and green tea? Yes, I did. I mean stop drinking alcohol. Even red wine has adverse effects when it comes to fat loss. One of the primary reasons is that your liver is where your body metabolizes fat. So, if you’re having an adult beverage or two or more on a regular basis, guess what? You keep your liver busy with that, and your body is forced to store the fat instead of actively metabolize it. Not to mention the extra calories you could easily cut out by eliminating your beverage of choice.

I know this can be a difficult one for many people. You just have to be realistic. Even if it’s one drink every few nights, if you aren’t seeing the success you want, either you make some tough decisions to achieve your goals, or you decide that you are happy with where you are at.

There you have it! 7 tips to achieve your ideal body!

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This can be such a confusing thing when it comes to how much to consume and what type. There’s “low carb”, “no carb”, “clean” carbs, “complex” carbs, “simple” carbs, and on and on.

So, what is this thing that has so much attention on it?

Well, by Webster’s definition:

Carbohydrate: car-bo-hy-drate

Function: noun

Date: circa 1869

: any of various neutral compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (as sugars, starches, and celluloses) most of which are formed by green plants and which constitute a major class of animal foods.

Okay…

That’s pretty broad. Carbs are our main source of energy, so they are a pretty important element in our daily nutrition. Without them, our body doesn’t function properly, and we can feel sluggish.

Basically, carbs can be divided into two categories: Simple and Complex

Simple: All carbs are made up of units of sugar. Those that contain only one sugar unit (monosaccharides) or two sugar units (disaccharides) are referred to as simple sugars. Simple sugars are sweet in taste and are broken down quickly in the body to release energy. Two of the most common monosaccharides are glucose and fructose. Glucose is the primary form of sugar stored in the human body for energy. Fructose is the main sugar found in most fruits.

Complex: Complex carbohydrates are long chains of simple sugar units bonded together (for this reason the complex carbohydrates are often referred to as polysaccharides).

When you look at your nutrition and where and how to fit carbs into your diet, a good rule of thumb is the less processing that’s put into the item, the better it is going to be for you.

Items that can easily be classified as “simple” carbs to avoid such as cookies, chips, crackers, candy, white bread, rice and pasta, etc. should be included on ocassion.

“But my snack pack only contains 100 calories…it’s good for my diet” you may say. Well, yes if you’re looking at your quantity, and not your quality. This again brings me to my argument that the quality of your nutrition overrides the quantity almost every time.

Simple carbs, even though they’re fat free, and low in calories only give you a temporary energy boost and feeling of satisfaction. What’s worse is when your body realizes that it didn’t recieve anything in the way of nutrition (vitamins, minerals, etc.) and starts to send an even stronger signal that it still needs something.

Add to your new, stronger sensation of hunger the craving that your body addapts for these simple sugars, and you are setting yourself up for a rough ride.

Surround yourself with simple carbs, and you will most likely find yourself being controlled by your food. What you “can” and “can’t” resist, the inner struggle of how much you want something, but shouldn’t…

Complex carbs present a different scenario. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber, and provide a great source of energy and satisfaction, and are a key part of any successful nutrition plan.

Make sure to include a variety of whole grains (such as quinoa, bulgar wheat, wild rice, etc.), fruits (nature’s perfect sweet snack, usually in a convenient easy to carry “package”) and veggies in your daily nutrition, and you will have the energy and mental clarity to successfully achieve your goals!

We ask our clients to completely cut out simple carbs from their diet, with the exception of an ocassional “cheat” meal. Everything is fine in moderation. Shilo and I shared some organic ice cream last night. It was delicious and satisfying.

When you can cut out the processed, nutritionally void foods 90% of the time, you can indulge the other 10% on just about anything you’d like without skippng a beat on your journey to your ideal body!

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It’s amazing to see how easily things “slip through the cracks” when you’re not paying attention. However, when everything is being logged, it makes you think twice about what you’re consuming. It can also serve as a tool to correct habits or eating patterns you may otherwise be unaware of.

I’ll be honest, for me keeping a food log is difficult to do! However, it can provide such great info when I’m looking to make some changes that it’s worth it to set my excuses aside

Meal #1

5:40am

1/2 Protein Shake (bananas, protein powder, peanut butter, coffee)

Meal #2

6:40-7:30 am

Post Workout Shake (Protein powder, water)

Meal #3

9:00 am

1/2 Protein Shake (same as above)

Meal #4

10:00 am

Berries n Yogurt (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, plain yogurt)

Meal #5

12:30 pm

Chicken Salad and Spinach Salad (baby spinach, chicken breast, canola mayo, balsamic vinegar, garlic salt)

Meal #6

3:00 pmBerries n Yogurt (same as above)

Meal #7

4:30 pm

Carrots n Trail Mix (2 large carrots, 2 handfuls raw nuts and dried fruit mix)

Meal #8

6:45 pmChicken, Bulgar Wheat, Salad (Baby spinach, home made EVOO balsamic vinaigrette, lightly breaded chicken with home made honey mustard dipping sauce, bulgar wheat)

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You can’t really miss it on the internet these days. Seems like everywhere you look there’s another company promoting the nutritious Acai Berry as a weight loss miracle. In fact, I had someone call me out of the blue from another state a few months back, asking how they could get a refund? They had looked ”Acai” up online, and because I had done a blog post, our site came up so she called us. The company she was trying to find had promised a weight loss miracle, and had charged her for $250, and literally disapeared!

And that’s why I thought it was critical to write you today. We want to make sure you know our opinion on the subject.

First, you know better than to believe you’re going to pop some pills – ANY pills – and have the pounds and inches melt off like magic.
If you’ve been listening to any fitness expert for any length of time you know true fat loss comes from a variety of factors, including exercise and proper nutrition.

Second, any fitness expert worth their fees will tell you that any diet that promotes you eat any one food all day long and then eat a sensible dinner, well, don’t bother. Yes, you will lose some weight short-term, but as soon as you go back to your old eating habits – and you know you will – you know exactly what happens.

Third, the Acai Berry contains VERY powerful antioxidants and it is getting a lot of good press for that very reason. Yes, antioxidants as in the extraordinary nutrients that help fight the free radicals associated with aging, cancer risk and other degenerative diseases.

And while on the subject, I wanted to fill you in on something that has recently come to light. Did you know that coffee berries (the berry that covers the coffee bean) is one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet? It’s something researchers have discovered in recent years.

What’s really cool is my friends at Prograde Nutrition have created an amazing Whole Foods based Anti-Aging formula called Prograde Longevity that includes both Acai Berry and Coffee Berry.

Oh, and it also utilizes Green Tea, Pomegranate, Wolf Berry and Biovin Grape (Red Wine extract.)

Just to give you an idea of how powerful this formula is, well, you’d have to eat an entire POUND of raspberries to get the same ORAC value. And in case you’re not familiar with the term, ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.

The best part is you can now try Prograde Longevity for free! You simply pay a tiny shipping and handling fee. Just go to http://dominateyoursport.getprograde.com/longevity-free-trial.html to order your FREE bottle today.

But you really do need to hurry. I’m not sure how long they’re going to be able to make such an incredible FREE offer.

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These nutritious, easy to prepare little grains are surprisingly tasty, have a light, nutty flavor, and can be used in soups or stews, on salads, or as a substitute to rice or cous cous.

Why are they a great substitute? Well, for starters, Bulgur wheat has a low glycemic index of 46. It is also high in potasium and contains more fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals than rice or cous cous.

One of the biggest changes you can make in your diet is to cut out all refined carbs. This can also be one of the toughest things to do!

Using bulgur wheat as a permanent substitute as a carb at mealtime will do you good all around!

Here’s a recipe I use to cook my bulgur wheat. I call it my own version of “Rice -A- Roni”

1 C Bulgur Wheat

2 C Chicken Broth or Water

1/2 t garlic salt

1 T olive oil

1/2 t lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in large pot, and bring to boil.

Reduce heat and cover.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve!

Quick, easy, delicious, and best of all…nutritious!

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Did you know that on average, people gain 10 lbs. during the “Holiday Season”?

Many people think of the “Holiday Season” starting with the feast of all feasts…Thanksgiving. Wrong! In my humble opinion, Halloween in fact marks the beginning of the end for many where the traditional winter weight gain begins.

In fact, James was just on KREX News channel 5 discussing this.

So, what can you do to get your holiday season started right, and stay ahead of the curve?

Here’s 5 simple tips to make sure that you not only keep those 10 lbs off all winter, but maybe even get a head start on your New Year’s resolutions!

1. Don’t go out on an empty stomach! If you’re hungry, your ability to make good nutritional choices will fly by the wayside.

Before going out with the kids trick or treating, or to that party, have a good snack. Something like trail mix and an apple, or a protein shake like the one listed here. That way, you will feel satisfied with just one piece, instead of one handful!

2. Get a workout in! Nothing will boost your metabolism like a great workout! Whether it be a quick round of intense intervals, or a more traditional strength training session, get your blood flowing and your body working. That will ensure that even though you indulge a little, your metabolism will be geared up and ready to burn the extra calories! *Just be sure that you’re not running on the treadmill or elliptical. That’s not going to be as effective.

3. Even if you start today, know that if you have a diet of primarily “good” food, a little bad food here and there isn’t going to be that big of a deal. However, if your diet consists of mostly bad food, the extra indulgences during the holiday season are going to make a bad situation worse!

4. Plan on giving out non-candy items from your home. That way when the evening is over, you aren’t left with extra temptations. Here’s a few ideas that kids will enjoy:

• Goldfish
• Single serve mini popcorn packs
• Glow in the dark spiders, ghosts, worms, etc.
• Bubbles
• Fruit snacks
• Gingersnaps
• Halloween pencils
• Glow sticks
• Stickers

The last tip is primarily for those of you with children that plan on trick or treating.

I am always amazed at the amount of sweets we return with! The generosity of the holiday is amazing, and the fun of taking a four year old dressed as “B O B the Blob” will not be replaced by anything!

However, the following tip should help soften the sugar blow in your household.

5. Have a “Candy Plan” when you return home. Have your child dump out all the loot on the table and sort them into 3 piles.

• Favorites
• Ones they just like
• Ones they don’t care much for

Plan on only keeping the favorites out, getting rid of the ones they don’t care for, and stashing the ones they “just like” to be rationed out and maybe even forgotten about and discarded.

This way, there isn’t an all out free for all, over-consumption that evening.

I hope this helps you get your holiday season started right where your physique and fitness are concerned!

I’d love to hear if you have any additional tips you use to keep your health and fitness on track during this festive time!

Be safe, have fun and feel great!

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and sugar, I thought I’d give a quick glimpse into the reality of our childrens nutrition.

Not to be a buzz kill, but to remind you that everything is ok, in moderation!

Enjoy the holiday, just be sure that the rest of you and your family’s nutrition is healthy and nutritious, not something similar to the indulgences Halloween brings about.

Here’s a quick glimpse into the daily needs of children. Do you know roughly where yours would fall?

2-3 years

Boys & Girls 1,200 calories

1 C of fruits

1.4 C of veggies

4 oz whole grains

3 oz meat and beans

2 C milk

4 t oils

4-8 years

Girls 1500 calories

Boys 1700 calories

1/5 C fruits

2-2.5 C veggies

5-5.5 oz whole grains

5 oz meat and beans

2.5-3 C milk

4-5 t oils

9-13 years

Girls 1900 calories

Boys 2100 calories

2 C fruits

2.5-3 C veggies

6-6.5 oz whole grains

5.5-6.5 oz meat and beans

3 C milk

5-6 tsp oils

No, juice doesn’t fall into the fruits category!

I hear all too often “Well they’re kids…” in regards to sugary snacks and quick, easy meals.

Yes, they are kids, and their brains and bodies are growing rapidly! All the more reason to make sure we make the hard choices and decisions that they won’t and can’t make! Shame on you if you allow your child to dictate their own nutrition! Your child is establishing values now, and will have a very difficult time “growing out” of them!

Sorry for the rant, but most colds, disease and mental disorders can be avoided with proper nutrition from the beginning!

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