New Hampshire Fitness Personal Trainer NH » Nutrition

Weight Management 101: New Beginnings

Dean Carlson — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:50:23 +0000

You can find the past installments of “Weight Management 101″ here:

Part I

WOW! You are truly amazing! Look how far you’ve come!

You have achieved extraordinary success!

Know that the process of self improvement does not end here! This is merely a time to review and find some new areas where you can focus your attention and continue to achieve.

Reassessment Exercise:
Achieving your Short-Term Goal: Review your Goal Setting sheet, Session 6 Reassessment and Weekly Reflection activities. How well have you done in tackling your goal. How have the new and revised strategies you laid out to overcome these obstacles, worked for you? Have you mastered the initial areas of development? If your answer is yes, it’s time to move on and create some new goals.

If your answer is no, read on….If you’re still having a tough time tackling your initial short-term goals, it’s time again to take a look at the strategies you’ve laid out to accomplish these goals. Once again, you can use the Solution Discovery Worksheet in your Fitness Toolbox to assist you in assessing areas of development.

Be honest as you ask yourself if you’ve done well in making progress towards your goal. Have the strategies you laid out to overcome obstacles worked well for you?
What are you doing that works?

What is NOT working? What strategies are working against you?

What are you doing that you should stop? Identify at least 2-3 areas of development with a brief strategy to master each one.

1. Exercise obstacle(s):

Plan of Action:

2. Nutrition obstacle(s):

Plan of Action:

3. Attitude obstacle(s):

Plan of Action:

Choose 2-3 NEW areas of development to begin focusing on
1. Exercise problem(s):

Short-term goals:

2. Nutrition problem(s):

Short-term goals:

3. Attitude problem(s):

Short-term goals:

The Basic Plan: Persistence
All successful weight controllers persist. They exercise despite the usual excuses of time, effort money and aches and pains. They persist even though they live in the age of fast food and….they persist after a vacation full of deviations or a holiday full of unresisted temptations.

The Choice of Acceptance
Have you reached this stage? In the acceptance stage, people settle in for the long haul. They experience a peaceful sense of resolve about the composition of their body. They feel comfortable and have a clear direction for handling their challenging biology’s. They also refine their knowledge of nutrition in this stage. Their understanding of factors that affect fat loss and metabolism becomes clear as well. They recognize and even expect that their will at times struggle with their ability to focus or stay committed. This most likely happens when they go on vacations or when their schedules are disrupted by illness or travel. You will know you are in this stage when you can view exercise as either enjoyable or at least acceptable. You exercise on a consistent basis. You consistently monitor your intake of supportive foods. You actually prefer to eat supportively and you are willing to exert yourself effectively in restaurants and other social situations to ensure that your food works for you. You are unwilling to put yourself in a position where you would be mindless again about your eating, exercise and body composition. You have made a very active choice to pursue the life of a lean, fit, healthy person.

What is your plan to continue your progress or to maintain your new body?

What would you do if you found yourself 8 pounds heavier than usual?

Maintaining lost weight can often be exciting and challenging. It is important look at lifestyle changes as permanent, not temporary actions. You must continue to apply these healthy habits even after you lose the body fat.

Focus on the importance of continuing with the same principles you’ve learned and lived in the past 11 sessions — for life. You’ve acquired time-tested strategies people have successfully used to lose weight permanently. You’ve also learned effective tactics for coping with weight loss plateaus and those times when you have difficulty meeting your goals.

Tips to help you stay motivated on your journey towards permanent weight loss.

Practice continuous self-monitoring with your Fitness Journal.
Make regular and frequent contacts with an outside source of support.
Include daily physical activity (resistance training and cardio) for at least 30-45 minutes, three to five days a week.
Make regular exercise a PRIORITY, a scheduled appointment, NOT an option.
Stay focused on improving health and energy, with fat loss being a nice accompaniment.
Set small daily/weekly goals
Replace fatty and sugary foods with more healthy substitutions like fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, and other high-fiber foods.
Frequently monitor portion sizes and hunger — this is important in today’s world of “super-size” restaurant portions.
Find ways to make fitness fun. For example, join a walking or hiking group, a soccer league, or take dance classes. Don’t fear trying new activities.
Eat at least 4-6 meals a day and do not skip meals.
Use Solution Discovery strategies when old behaviors return to haunt you. Make an effort to succeed at creating and re-assessing goals.
Recognize that it is a continuous, life-long journey to pursue better health, not a temporary “diet”.
Never give up! Do not allow occasional slip-ups to end your progress.
Accept that the time-tested principles of weight loss, while not always exciting, are the only ones that work permanently.
Separate your body size from your self-worth. Recognize that your value is about a lot more than a number. When your attitude shifts to self-acceptance at any size, weight loss and maintaining it becomes more natural, and much easier.
Develop passions, interests, and hobbies to help you focus on things other than food.
Find and develop creative ways to manage stress effectively.
Ban the words “never” and “always” from your health vocabulary. That is, everything in moderation. It’s not realistic to say you’ll never eat ice cream again or that you will always exercise every day. In short, you must give up perfection, but remain focused without it
Reflect daily. Learn and relearn these tools and strategies and continually reinforce them. It takes many years to learn behaviors that lead to weight gain, yet it usually takes only a short time to lose weight. Therefore, you can expect that from time to time, destructive eating patterns will resurface. Seeking outside sources of support, developing interests, forgiving yourself, and reassessing goals greatly helps to conquer these times.

The overwhelming majority of successful weight maintainers don’t report highly restrictive diets and fad diets as factors they used to achieve permanent weight loss. Despite the fact that dietary change is the most commonly reported method to lose weight, the greatest predictors of permanent weight loss have more to do with regular exercise, changing behaviors, positive mindset, continuous self-assessment, and seeking outside support.

The take home message is that the majority of successful weight maintainers have been highly creative and persistent about finding and applying what works for them. You must learn constantly about what works for you and develop your own personal tricks and put them into action.

Commitment is the ultimate decider of permanent physical change. It takes commitment to stick to your new, healthy lifestyle. When you are committed, you will do anything to reach your goal, no matter how hard, tedious, boring, scary…you will do whatever it takes to get where you want to go.

We would love to hear how great you did on your “Metabolic Makeover”!

Drop us a line at getfitnh@gmail.com – Don’t hide your success!

To your best health,
Dean

http://Cr8Health.com

Weight Management 101: Plateau Busters

Dean Carlson — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:42:22 +0000

You can find the past installments of “Weight Management 101″ here:

Everything works, but nothing works forever

Hitting a plateau is a common experience. It can be one of the most de-motivating things to happen. Plateaus are the number one reason why people abandon exercise. They bring on feelings of discouragement, confusion, and utter frustration. Thankfully, overcoming it is easy… all you need to do is prepare for it to happen and know the steps to take to overcome it.

What is a plateau?
The human body has a regulatory mechanism that works to keep the amount of energy you consume in balance with the amount of energy you use. In other words, the body does not like to lose weight, thus the slowing or halt of fat/weight loss in spite of exercise consistency and consistent, proper food intake.

Look at the experience of a plateau as a good thing! Your body telling you “I am ready for the next stage”- “I have conquered this current routine” – “Give me something new!!” This is when fitness gets fun and you can add creativity to your routine.

The human body is amazingly adaptable for a variety of reasons. What you first need to do is identify the reason for the adaptation and make then proceed with the proper changes.

Plateaus: The Reasons & The Solutions

Lowering calories too far…
“It takes calories to burn calories,” which is true both internally and externally. Internally, the body simply slows its metabolic rate (burns fewer calories) when it senses a decrease in food intake. The body still functions correctly, but requires fewer calories, creating hunger and preventing fat loss. Externally, the body is tricked into doing less,(i.e., you get lazy, tired and therefore, move less and more economically).

What to do…
To prevent a plateau, keep your calories slightly below the amount recommended for maintenance to keep your metabolism and energy levels high during exercise and daily activities. A deficit greater than 500 to 700 calories makes it much more difficult to maintain lean muscle.

Loss of lean body mass
Lean body mass uses up to eight times the calories as fat does. Therefore, loss of enough of this fat burning commodity (muscle) dramatically lowers metabolism and brings fat loss to a screeching halt.

What to do…
Keep your body nourished with supportive foods and a quality multivitamin. Follow your exercise recommendations; resistance training at least 3 times a week, no more than 20-30 minutes of cardio.

Net weight loss
The less you weigh the fewer calories it takes to move your body, even during exercise.

What to do…
Concentrate on increasing lean muscle through resistance training. This is an ideal way to compensate for the fat loss of calories, due to net weight loss, and enhance your look.

Body becomes Efficient
The body is required to make hundreds of internal changes to adjust to different workloads. Each of these reactions consumes calories. Therefore, once the body stops repairing muscle from exercise or adding new cellular machinery, the calories burned to make these changes are no longer spent and the amount of energy your body uses decreases.

What to do…
Never let your body get used to exercise. Keep it guessing by changing frequency, intensity, type or time of exercise.

Overtraining
More exercise is not always better. Just as in under-eating, overtraining may decrease the amount of calories you burn. This is partially due to adaptive thermogenesis, (a survival mechanism). In other words, there may be a point of diminishing returns, when an increase in exercise energy expenditure is negated by an equal decrease in non-exercise energy expenditure. This negates the additional work, at least until expenditure is dramatically increased and/or calories decreased.

What to do…
Take at least seven days off from your regular exercise routine (this should be done every 12 weeks, regardless). Start back with less and a different type of work and increase only as necessary (e.g., the least amount of specific work to initiate change). Your metabolism and daily activities will reset and increase again.

Enhanced physical condition
When you are in overall better shape, your system is more efficient – burns fewer calories to operate. The primary benefit of exercise is to improve health through an appropriate regime. Improved health can cause a slower resting metabolic rate. In other words, fewer calories are burned during normal daily activities. This is partially due to an increase in cardiopulmonary efficiency (e.g., lower resting heart rate).

What to do…
Stick with your goal of staying healthy. Concentrate on exercise intensity and type changes for a longer “after-burn” (calories burned above the normal resting metabolic rate after exercise).

Just as a well-tuned car gets better fuel economy, a well-tuned body can also thrive on less fuel (calories) when consistently challenged. By making a few changes, you can jumpstart your routine and see positive results in no time.

Remember, the best ways to stave off a weight loss plateau involve boosting your metabolism, not decreasing your calories. Consider the following Plateau Busters:

Reassess exercise time and intensity. If you’ve walked 30 minutes, three times a week for a few weeks, that’s great! But it’s time to add small bouts of extra intensity so 20 minutes now feels challenging. Do the extra rep or two, increase your range of motion, and increase resistance as you get stronger.
Reassess exercise activities. Try new activities to cause muscles to be challenged and burn more calories.
Consistency. Improvement and change occur when you do things often. Stopping and starting all the time will kill any momentum you need to succeed. You must find ways to stay in the game. Moderate forms of exercise, done consistently, provide far better results than the occasional full-body pummeling. A lifestyle that includes multiple forms of exercise five to six days a week guarantees results.
Avoid the scale. Focus on inches lost and the leaner you are becoming. Your body fat percentage will decrease significantly over time.
Make sure you are eating smaller, more frequent meals. Every time you eat the right amount and type of foods, you give your metabolism a small boost.
Reassess the short-term goals that you made in Session Two to be sure you’ve selected the right strategies. Perhaps you need to re-evaluate the goals you made and come up with new solutions.
Use your Fitness Journal to track and view how far you’ve come and how well you’ve done. This positive feedback will hold you accountable and help you stay motivated.

If You Think You Can’t – You’re Right

Dean Carlson — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:49:01 +0000

I despise the word “can’t”. It is the most depressing, self defeating word, and I hear it way too much.

When you use the word “can’t”, you are not only setting yourself up to fail, but you are practically assuring it.

I mean really, what is the point of telling yourself over and over – “I can’t do ____________”?

I think it’s an ego thing. After all if I don’t try, I won’t (can’t) fail. I mean who wants to be a failure?

Sometimes I wonder which takes more effort – Thinking of yet another excuse why something isn’t possible, or scraping myself off the ground and attacking it again.

Now maybe you are saying to yourself – “But I really can’t do that chinup you asked me to, I am not physically able”.

And I ask in return “Does that mean you never will be able to do it? Are you willing to put in the effort to make it happen?” Because if you have two arms (or even one) it can happen!

That’s just one example – The principle applies to training, eating, working, anything!

And I’m not talking about any secret, or laws, or anything else.

It is just a fact – make it happen in your mind first, then take daily action.

I leave you with a poem, one of my favorite pieces of literary art. Don’t just read it – Live It!

You Can if You Think You Can!

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win, but you think you can’t,
It is almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later the man who wins,
Is the man who thinks he can.

—C. W. Longenecker

Make It Happen!
Dean

Food Glorious Food Survey Results

Dean Carlson — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:59:47 +0000

1. How many times a day do you eat?

One  0.0%
Two  0.0%
Three  15.4%
Four  11.5%
Five  46.2%
Six or more 26.9%

Five to Six a day is what we are looking for.

2. At how many meals do you eat protein?

One  0.0%
Two  15.4%
Three  34.6%
Four  19.2%
Five  23.1%
Six or more 7.7%

Three is the minimum, every time you eat is best.

3. At how many meals do you eat green vegetables?

One  19.2%
Two  23.1%
Three  34.6%
Four  19.2%
Five  3.8%
Six or more 0.0%

Again, Three is the minimum, every time you eat is best.

4. At how many meals a day do you eat grains or starches? (bread, pasta, cereal, potatoes, granola bars, etc.)

One  36.4%
Two  31.8%
Three  22.7%
Four  4.5%
Five  4.5%
Six or more 0.0%

For those looking to optimize fat loss, keeping starches/grains to morning and after training is a great strategy.

5. What beverages do you drink on a daily/weekly basis? (Choose one or more)

Coffee  53.8%
Fruit Juice 3.8%
Regular Soda 0.0%
Water  100.0%
Tea  42.3%
Milk  19.2%

One of my clients pointed out I did not have alcohol on this list, which is a great point. As we have discussed your body cannot burn fat when you have alcohol in your system – you draw your own conclusion.

6. How many times a week do you eat breakfast (defined as a protein/vegetable/optional grain)?

One  0.0%
Two  7.7%
Three  3.8%
Four  3.8%
Five  0.0%
Six  11.5%
seven  73.1%

Seven is absolutely critical if you want to make optimal progress.

7. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? (What?! – I always wanted to know!)

One Cord 29.2%
Two Cords 4.2%
Three Cords 4.2%
Four Cords 16.7%
Five Cords 0.0%
Six or More 45.8%

Now I Know!

Thank-you to all who participated in the survey. As always your feedback and comments are welcome!

Weight Management 101: Healthy Fast Food?

Dean Carlson — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:14:06 +0000

You can find the past installments of “Weight Management 101″ here:

Americans are spending HALF of their food dollars on meals purchased outside of the home. This fact makes the art of making healthy fast food choices a necessary survival skill in order for you to stay within your calorie guidelines and five percent of your recommended percentages of protein, carbohydrate and fat. With the popularity of fast food and the number of new restaurants on the rise, there are more food choices than ever. But you still need information about food other than what is on the menu.

The term “Fast Food” is commonly associated with hamburgers, greasy french fries, and cola. However, popular family restaurant menu items can be ordered “to go” without waiting for their preparation or standing in a long line. You can even pay with a credit card over the phone if you’re in a real hurry. Overall, fast food does not have to be high-calorie and high-fat food.

May I take your order, please?
What you order is the key. It’s very easy to eat an entire day’s worth of fat, salt, and calories in just one fast food meal. But it’s also possible to make wise choices and eat a fairly healthy meal.

Tips to help you choose well

Know that an average fast-food meal can run as high as 1800 calories or more
Know the nutritional value of the foods you order. Sometimes “good choices”, are higher in the nutrients or calories. Fat-free or Low-Fat items may have plenty of sugar or salt.
If you’re having fast-food for one meal, make all the other meals that day contain the right portion of lean protein, starchy carb and fibrous carb.
Know your food is cooked. Chicken and fish can be good choices – but not if they are breaded and deep fried.
Avoid jumbo, giant, deluxe, biggie-sized or super-sized. Larger portions mean more calories, fat, cholesterol, sugar and salt.

When Dining Out

Tempting menus, extra large portions and festive atmospheres make it easy to overlook supportive eating. Splurging once in awhile is okay, but you’ll begin to pack on pounds if you make it a habit. It is possible to enjoy yourself and still make supportive choices. Following a few simple rules when eating out can make it possible to maintain your nutrition plan.

Order food to go – Studies show that people tend to consume more food when they are not eating at their own kitchen tables. Take home and have the option of providing a healthier side dish such as fruit or vegetables.
KNOW where you will go and what you will eat ahead of time
EAT before you GO
Avoid buffets – They are invitations to OVEREATING
CHOOSE Wisely – use the guidelines of Supportive Menu Design
Avoid the BREAD Basket
ASK how food is prepared – ask for baked, broiled, roasted, poached or steamed
Don’t be afraid to special order – Ask for your vegetables and main dishes to be served without the sauces.
Watch portion size – Servings can be 3-5 times more than what you need.
Share –Sample what you want while avoiding the temptation to overindulge.
WATER – Drink at least one full-glass of water before eating. You’ll feel full sooner, you will eat less.
Order an appetizer and a salad as your meal.
Front Load your meal with a nutritious salad or bowl of soup to take the edge off your appetite
Order sauce and dressing on the side –Control calories and enjoy the taste
Order first. You’re less likely to be influenced by the choices of your companions
Take the time to enjoy your meal. Savor the flavors and textures of your food, and enjoy the company you’re with. When you eat slowly, you give your body’s internal clock the time it needs to know when you’ve had enough. When you’re full, stop eating.
Save dessert for later – A great trick to play is instead of ordering dessert at a restaurant, go somewhere else. By the time you get there, you will not be as hungry and will end up eating half or even skipping dessert entirely.

You can dine out on occasion while remaining true to your goals. The key is to plan ahead, choose wisely and you’ll find foods that fit into your meal plan.

Slip-ups
Sometimes we slip up. We overeat or pick less healthy foods because they sound good, we’re stressed, or we just feel like it. Supportive eating is a lifelong goal. If one meal isn’t healthy, make sure the next one is. If you overdo it one day, put 100% effort into the following day. And don’t forget to work in exercise to make up for those extra calories.

REMEMBER: Supportive Nutrition is not all or nothing; it’s about balance and moderation.
“It isn’t one food, one day, that will make you fat. Just remember, it all adds up.”

Take some action, and do some research BEFORE you decide to head out for something quick. Remember YOU control what you eat, no one else!

Dunkin Donuts: https://www.dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/nutrition/

Starbucks: http://www.starbucks.com/retail/nutrition_info.asp

Panera: http://www.panerabread.com/pdf/nutr-guide.pdf

Burger King: http://www.bk.com/Nutrition/PDFs/brochure.pdf

McDonalds: http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/eat/nutrition_info.html

Wendy’s: http://www.wendys.com/food/NutritionLanding.jsp

Subway: http://www.subway.com/applications/NutritionInfo/index.aspx

To your best health,
Dean

http://Cr8health.com

http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com

Weight Management 101: Do You Know What You’re Eating?

Dean Carlson — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:25:06 +0000

You can find the past installments of “Weight Management 101″ here:

You’re grocery shopping —and you’re bombarded with choices. Which type of cheese has the least amount of fat? Which type of cereal is a good source of fiber? What’s the difference between skim and whole milk? Which fruit has more vitamin C—canned applesauce or peaches? You’ll find the answers on the Nutrition Facts Food Label. Labels tell a lot about food. They don’t suggest what foods to eat—that’s your decision. But labels can help you make your “personal best” food choices—choices that benefit you as you pursue your fitness goals.

Discover how any food – including your favorites – can fit into a healthful diet in sensible amounts. Maximize your trips to the grocery store by using labels to make healthy food choices.

Start with the Serving Size

The first place to start when you examine the food or nutrition label is the serving size and the number of servings in the package. Serving sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare similar foods; they are provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces. The size of the serving on the food package influences the number of calories and all the nutrient amounts listed on the top part of the label. Pay attention to the serving size, especially how many servings there are in the food package. Then ask yourself, “How many servings am I consuming”? In the sample label, one serving equals one cup. If you ate the whole package, you would eat two cups. That doubles the calories and other nutrient numbers, including the %Daily Values as shown in the sample label.

Check the Calories

The calorie section of the label can help you manage your weight (gain, lose or maintain.) The number of servings you consume determines the number of calories you actually eat. In the sample label, there are 250 calories in one serving. How many calories from fat are there in ONE serving? What if you ate the whole package?

Limit These Nutrients

The nutrients listed first are the ones we generally eat in adequate amounts, or even too much. Eating too much saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, or sodium may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases, like heart disease, some cancers, or high blood pressure. Important: Keep your intake of these nutrients as low as possible. Limit sodium to no more than 2400 mg a day, cholesterol to 300 mg and avoid foods that have more than 2 grams of saturated fat.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates include sugars, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. A quality carbohydrate should also have fiber and sugar. Try to avoid carbohydrates with zero fiber. A quality carbohydrate has at least 1/6 as fiber – For example; 20 grams of carbohydrate would have around 3 – 4 grams of fiber.

Sugars

Sugars include naturally occurring sugars such as fructose in fruit and lactose in dairy products as well as added sugars such as sucrose (table sugar). Nutritionally they are just simple carbohydrates that are just contributing empty calories.

Proteins

Eat small servings of lean meat, fish and poultry. Use skim or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese. Try vegetable proteins like beans, grains and cereals.

Nutrients to Increase

Most Americans don’t get enough dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron in their diets. Eating enough of these nutrients can improve your health and help reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions. For example, getting enough calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Eating a diet high in dietary fiber promotes healthy bowel function and promotes weight loss. Additionally, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain dietary fiber, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Aim for 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day.

Footnotes

This part tells you the amount you should get of each nutrient if you take in 2,000 or 2,500 calories in one day. When the full footnote does appear, it will always be the same. It doesn’t change from product to product, because it shows recommended dietary advice for all Americans–it is not about a specific food product.

Daily Values

The % Daily Values (%DVs) are based on the Daily Value recommendations for key nutrients but only for a 2,000 calorie daily diet. Use the %DV as a frame of reference based around the calories you consume, even if they are more or less than 2,000 calories. Anything that is 5%DV or less is low for all nutrients, you want to limit these (fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium), and for those that you want to consume in greater

amounts (fiber, calcium, potassium etc.) the label shows, 20%DV or more is high for all nutrients.

Example: Look at the amount of Total Fat in one serving listed on the sample label. Is 18%DV contributing a lot or a little to your fat limit of 100% DV? It is 18%DV, which is below 20%DV, not yet high, but what if you ate the whole package (two servings)? You would double that amount, eating 36% of your daily allowance for Total Fat. Coming from just one food, that amount leaves you with 64% of your fat allowance (100%-36%=64%) for all of the other foods you eat that day, snacks and drinks included.

Finally, Check the Ingredients List

Ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance. This means that the first ingredient is the most prevalent in the product, while the last ingredient has the least amount in the product. The ingredient list can help you identify ‘hidden’ ingredients, like added sugars, trans-fats (hydrogenated oils) and coconut oil or palm oil, which are high in saturated fat.

Ingredient List Red Flags:

Ø Enriched anything. Enriched means the food was stripped of vital nutrients.

Ø A protein where the fat calories are half of or more than the total calories (unless, of course, you are looking at a bottle of olive oil)

Ø A carbohydrate where sugars are half or more of the total grams of carbohydrates (ex. Carbohydrates 12g, sugars 6g.)

Ø Avoid partially hydrogenated oils (also known as trans-fatty acids) and hydrogenated oils (as opposed to partially hydrogenated).

Now is the time to put this info to use.

Go to your cupboard and take out two products with labels

How many servings in the box or can?

How much carbohydrate in a serving? Sugar? Saturated Fat? Protein?

Are there any “red flags”?

Is there a better choice you could make?

To your best health,

Dean

http://Cr8health.com

http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com

Weight Management 101: Super Charged!

Dean Carlson — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:36:23 +0000

You can find the past installments of “Weight Management 101″ here:

FACT: Nothing burns fat better than healthy muscles.

A healthy human body is made up of over 50% lean muscle…..over 600 muscles! Muscle not only defines the way your body looks, it controls your metabolic rate.

In your quest to realize your fitness goals, it’s common to lose focus on the real things that should matter, such as your health and well-being. Thus, you end up neglecting your insides. Cutting down on your daily calorie intake does not necessarily assure a slimmer waistline and smaller thighs.

When muscles are not properly cared for through consistent, effective exercise or if they are undernourished, your muscles will deteriorate. When that happens, you will gain fat and your health begins to fail.

How do we properly care for our muscles?

The best way to get the most nutrients is out of supportive, nutrient-rich whole food sources; “super foods” and multivitamins. Both sources have a direct impact on the overall health of your body and at the same time will optimize your fat burning ability.

Multivitamins: Here’s a quote from a special report put out in 2006 by the Harvard Medical School’s School of Public Health: “Diet alone cannot provide everything. It’s difficult to get enough of certain nutrients from food.” Fact: In order to obtain the full spectrum of vitamins and mineral, you would have to eat about 5,000 calories a day.

So Do You Really Need a Multivitamin? Absolutely! It’s no longer a question! A multivitamin will fill a lot of holes that if left empty will hinder your body’s ability to burn fat efficiently. Multivitamins compensate for important nutrients the average American diet often lacks This is particularly important when attempting to lose body fat. Multivitamins promote fat loss without losing muscle by supplying the calorie-free nutrients necessary to increase or maintain lean muscle tissue.

In a perfect world, we would eat perfectly balanced meals that contain just the right amount of each vitamin that we need for optimal health and well being without adding calories that lead to weight gain. Multivitamins serve as buffers in the event that your diet does not meet your daily requirements. At the very least, a multivitamin and mineral formula is insurance against unavoidable dietary shortcomings no matter how you eat.

Micronutrients – the Vitamins and Minerals You Need

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals and water, whereas the macronutrients are the proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Macronutrients

(have calories)

Proteins

Carbohydrates

Fats

Micronutrients

(do not have calories)

Vitamins

Minerals

Water

Vitamins are simply catalysts that allow metabolic processes to take place. Vitamins act on the macronutrients you take in – the proteins, carbs and fats in your diet. So if you’re not taking in a balanced diet of proteins, carbs and fats, the vitamins can’t do their job.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are cell protectors. They protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals; the devils that roam around your blood stream, causing damage to cell walls. Free radicals also accelerate the aging process. Also, over a long time period, such damage can become irreversible and lead to diseases like cancer. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage free radicals otherwise might cause.

Why is this important to you? Resistance Training increases oxygen intake from 10 to 20 times over the resting state. This greatly increases the generation of free radicals. Antioxidants play the housekeeper’s role, “mopping up” free radicals before they get a chance to do harm in your body.

Super Foods

Mother Nature’s perfect foods are the best sources of antioxidants and major contributors of fiber; fight disease and feel satisfied on fewer calories. Even if you were to choose supplements over whole foods, you just cannot make up for the thousands of phytochemicals found in fresh produce. If you concentrate on eating foods that have a lot of nutrients and phytochemicals, you’re setting yourself up for a leaner body and healthier life. Here’s her list of 10 “super foods” to stock up on:

1. FRUITS – Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are very high in antioxidants. Blueberries release phytochemicals that speed up the communication between brain cells and help them make dopamine, a key chemical linked to reward and pleasure. Apples are also high in antioxidants and plant nutrients, reducing the risk of some cancers, diabetes, asthma and heart disease.

2. NUTS – Almonds and walnuts contain powerful anti-inflammatory properties. High in fiber, protein and antioxidants, nuts may reduce the risk of diabetes and may prevent certain cancers. Also, the healthy fats in nuts prevent the accumulation of bad fats in the artery walls. Walnuts and flaxseeds (seeds that have a nutty flavor) contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart and brain.

3. TOMATOES – The antioxidant lycopene in tomato-rich foods may help prevent prostate cancer, and might also help prevent breast cancer.

4. FISH – Like walnuts, certain fish – salmon, mackerel and bluefish – contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. The brain needs these substances to maintain many complex functions. The body requires these specific fatty acids to take care of the heart and protect against stroke. FYI:Benefits Omega-3 Helps your body store less fat. In addition, the fat you do store is more readily and easily converted into energy and burned during activity. Increases Size of your cells’ fuel-burning furnaces so your metabolic rate rises and you burn more calories every minute of every day. Omega-3’s also help your body produce testosterone, the hormone responsible for building new muscle = promotes muscle recovery.

5. WHOLE GRAINS – There are many whole grains available – couscous, quinoa, bulgur wheat and wheat berries – that provide healthy stores of vitamin B and tons of fiber. (AVOID PROCESSED – enriched –means manufacturers remove the fiber and minerals – just kept the “starch” of the grain, acts similar to sugar when digested – NOT good for fat loss).

FYI: Benefits of Fiber

~Keeps you regular – prevents constipation by moving bodily waste through the digestive tract faster so harmful substances don’t have as much contact with the intestinal walls

~Traps carbohydrates to slow their digestion and absorption. Stabilizes blood sugar – keeps insulin levels stable – eliminates cravings and prevents body from going into fat storage mode

~Lowers Cholesterol – reducing risk of heart disease – fiber binds to dietary cholesterol, helping the body to eliminate it. This reduces blood cholesterol levels, which, in turn, reduces cholesterol deposits on arterial walls that

~Reduce risk of obesity – fiber-rich foods are more filling than other foods–so people tend to eat less. Because insoluble fiber is indigestible and passes through the body virtually intact, it provides few calories.

The typical American eats only about 11 grams of fiber a day, you need 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day.

6. VEGETABLES – Broccoli is high on every food expert’s list. Along with other cruciferous vegetables, such as kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage, broccoli contains cancer-fighting compounds called indoles and glycosinolates. Dark, leafy green vegetables have a pigment called carotenoids that enhance the body’s immune response. The pigment protects skin cells against dangerous ultraviolet rays. These foods are rich in vitamin A and antioxidants. Their anti-inflammatory powers also help block pain.

7. OLIVE OIL – Extra-virgin olive oil is a wonderful source of good fat (monounsaturated) and powerful plant nutrients. The oil has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and decreases bad forms of cholesterol while boosting good cholesterol.

8. BEANS AND LENTILS – High in protein and fiber, beans and lentils contain potent levels of antioxidants. The nutrients in these foods help burn body fat and stabilize blood sugar.

9. YOGURT – Yogurt is a rich source of protein, vitamin A, calcium and PROBIOTICS good bacteria that keeps gastrointestinal tract in BALANCE. Since 80% of your body’s immune system is located in your intestinal tract, probiotics can be part of your first line of defense against adverse effects of stress, illness and aging Calcium forces fat out of cells and into the bloodstream, where it’s more quickly oxidized, or burned off. If your body doesn’t get enough calcium, fat cells retain the fat and can grow steadily. Many women don’t get enough: Only 14 percent of women ages 20 to 50 get the minimum Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 1,000 mg of calcium, and only 4 percent of women over 50 meet the 1,200-mg goal.

10. GREEN TEA – This beverage is touted for its anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects, and its benefits keep expanding. It’s good for the heart and immune system, improves blood flow, is high in antioxidants that fight inflammation, has mood-elevating properties and prevents the absorption of fat. Drink 2 to 3 servings a day.

It is very important to eat a wide variety of foods to balance your diet. However a couple thoughts about a couple items on this list:

Fruits: You can get too much of a good thing! I like to think of fruit as nature’s dessert – you can’t live on dessert! Yes, the sugar in fruit is natural, but it is still sugar! You will sabotage your weight loss if you are eating too much fruit or loading up on fruit right before bed.

Whole Grains: Same thing with grains – just because it says “whole grain” doesn’t mean it’s good for you. A loaf of whole grain bread a day will keep those skinny jeans in your closet for a LONG time! Contrary to what you the cereal manufacturers tell us, a bowl of “oaty-o’s” and a bagel is NOT healthy!

Now get out there and get Super Charged!

To your best health,

Dean

http://Cr8health.com

http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com

Weight Management 101: Fail To Plan…Plan To Fail

Dean Carlson — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:42:36 +0000

You can find the past installments of “Weight Management 101″ here:

Skip breakfast? Eat your heaviest meals at night? You’re only setting yourself up for failure. In order to achieve your goals you must develop and practice meal management strategies.

Plan To Succeed

Having a plan is essential if you are truly serious about creating a positive physical change. Obviously it takes a good amount of planning, preparation, and persistence to get into the habit of eating this supportively and this frequently. You must prepare your food well ahead of time. Initially it will be a bit tedious, but once you get into the habit you’ll see some amazing changes.

Plus, when meals are balanced and timed appropriately, you can avoid energy swings and non-productive food choices. Modern lifestyles in our fast-paced world have made it difficult to prepare a food plan for a week, much less a day.

TIMING

BREAKFAST – The most important meal of the day. If you are someone who thinks skipping breakfast will help you lose weight, think again! Studies have shown that those who skip breakfast are 4 ½ more likely to be obese than those who don’t.

The average 8 hours of sleep burns about 450 calories, therefore your body needs to refuel within 90 minutes of waking. Eating breakfast is like adding kindling to the fire of your metabolism.
If you skip breakfast, your metabolism slows down and your blood sugar drops. As a result, you become hungry, have less energy and your body will be more likely to store fat. You are just setting yourself up to impulsively snack in the morning – often on high-fat sweets – or to make up for those lost calories by eating extra servings or larger portions later in the day.

Need more proof? A recent study conducted by the National Weight Control Registry at the University of Colorado found that those who had lost and maintained at least 30 pounds for at least one year ate breakfast every morning.

Eat Every Two to Three Hours.
Eating once or twice a day is a sure fire way to lose muscle and lower your metabolism. As you already know, less muscle mass and a lower metabolism is not the way to get to your goal. To control your appetite, regulate your blood sugar level and build lean muscle mass, you must eat every 2 – 3 hours.

Understanding how your body’s blood sugar levels rise and fall explains why you need to continually refuel your body. Normally when you eat, your blood sugar, or glucose levels, will rise, level out, and then drop in about three hours. If you don’t eat again within three hours or so, your blood sugar begins to drop even further. If your blood sugar drops too low, your body starts kicking in an emergency mechanism to make sure there’s enough sugar around for brain, heart and other organ function. It does this by “catabolizing” lean muscle mass. In other words, your body starts eating your muscle for energy. This will only slow down your metabolism; you’ll burn the muscle you’re trying to build which sabotages your body’s ability to burn fat.

Eating five to six meals a day also provides your body with the energy it needs to contend with daily activities and stress. Digesting food requires energy, which cranks up your metabolism. So the more frequently you eat, the more calories you burn. The bottom line is you’ll maintain consistent energy levels and turn your body into an efficient, fat burning machine.

Pre-Workout Fuel

If you’re spending time exercising and putting energy into your workouts, it only makes sense that you eat the right foods before your workouts if you really want to reach your goals. Yet many people exercise on an empty stomach. By not eating, your body uses muscle protein for fuel because it doesn’t have enough carbohydrates to burn. If you start your workout well-fueled, your body will burn a combination of the carbohydrates stored in your muscles and the fat stored in your fat cells.

How many times have you stopped exercising because you felt dizzy, shaky, or just plain tired? That’s because you didn’t have enough fuel to go the distance. Have a small meal about an hour before your workout. Choose to eat a small, easily digested meal composed of complex carbs. You will have the energy to workout longer and more intense and you won’t experience low blood sugar jitters and dizziness.

Eating smart before a workout-particularly with a food that supplies loads of carbohydrates-provides a host of benefits. Your muscles receive an infusion of energy to help maximize the results of your workout, and your entire body (especially your brain) gets the fuel and nutrients it needs for daily living.

Replenish your Muscles

It’s important to make the right choices after you exercise. Otherwise, your hard work won’t yield the results you want. After a workout, your body’s energy levels are considerably depleted and must be replenished.
Eating a properly balanced meal 30 to 45 minutes after your workout does two important things. One, it helps your body to recover quickly, which is needed for muscle growth because of tissue repairs and for replacing lost glycogen in the muscles. And two, it helps muscle growth.

A liquid meal replacement shake or another form of carbohydrate/protein based meal that can be quickly absorbed is ideal. Having a shake is an excellent strategy. Not only are liquids easily digested and absorbed at a faster rate, but after exercising there is a window of about an hour when your ability to absorb nutrients is exceptionally high. After that time your uptake of nutrients returns to normal, so don’t miss the opportunity to feed your hungry muscles.

When you help your body recover from the stress imposed upon it (exercise) by ingesting the proper nutrients at the right time, the quicker you will be able to affect body composition change (gain muscle, lose fat or both). You will automatically help your body “bounce back” and you will see results in less time.

BALANCING

Give Your Body What it Needs.

Eating a meal that is balanced to include carbohydrates, proteins and fats gives your body everything it needs to function efficiently and feel its best.

CARBOHYDRATES: The main fuel source. Carbs supply our bodies with energy. Without an adequate supply of carbs, your body goes into carbohydrate deprivation. This is called a state of ketosis (our body is using protein “muscle” as energy). This is not good to be in for long because it will rob the body of muscle tissue in an effort to create energy. Carbs come in two forms: simple and complex. Simple for quick energy like fruit juice. Complex carbs are used for timed-released and lasting energy. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are good sources of complex carbs and make you feel satisfied after a meal.

PROTEIN: The building blocks of muscle. Next to water, protein is the most abundant material in the human body. While consuming enough protein is essential for growth and development of the body, eating huge amounts will not build muscle. In order to build muscle, protein must be consumed with enough carbohydrate calories to provide the body with energy. It’s important to eat the right amount and the right kind of protein to get the results you want. Choose lean cuts of meat, fish, low fat milk, nuts or beans.

FATS: The most misunderstood nutrient. Your body needs fats to manufacture hormones, for proper brain function and for healthy joint lubrication. In addition, fats release energy slowly, providing a necessary feeling of fullness by prolonging digestion. Eliminate fats completely from your diet and watch your energy/strength levels go down as well as your sex drive. Also your skin will get dry and your hair will lose its shine. Just be sure to eat healthy, unsaturated fats. Look for them in nuts, fish oils and seeds.

Each meal should contain a portion of each of the macronutrients. Eating the recommended balance creates a favorable environment that leads to muscle growth and fat loss.

Go for Variety

Eating a variety of foods is the secret of happy weight management. According to several studies, those who had difficulty adopting a nutrition plan ate the same foods week in and week out. Don’t make the same mistake! Before you sit down to make out your grocery list, plan to buy at least one new food.

When you think about variety, think about eating the full rainbow assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. If you use this tactic, you won’t become bored and tempted to choose high-calorie snacks and you’ll improve your nutritional intake at the same time.

Bonus Fat Loss Rule:

Go to bed early and get adequate rest every night. Two reasons: Lack of sleep increases the hormone cortisol, which is a hormone that stores fat and burns muscle (in other words, it does the exact opposite of what you are trying to accomplish), and decreases your testosterone levels (which need to be high in order to keep your fat burning/muscle gaining processes going at full speed). While sleep requirements vary, seven to nine hours of sleep is generally a good rule of thumb. The probability of succumbing to late night cravings increases exponentially for every late hour of the day that you stay awake.

PLANNING

Supportive Menu Design

Take the time to plan when, where and what you will eat. Set aside a few minutes each week to think about the meals you’ll need for the upcoming week. Begin by creating an outline, based on your lifestyle, showing when you will eat each day (approximate times) and how you will fit a supportive meal into every 2 –3 hours. Once you have a plan, create a variety of meal options. Keep it simple in the beginning. It should only take a few minutes to lay out 7 different breakfast meals, 7 different lunch meals, 7 different dinner meals, and 2-3 additional snacks for each day. Then ask yourself two questions. (1) Which foods do I need from the store to make these meals? (2) What foods do I already have in the house? Make your shopping list from your answers to these questions.

Pack your Lunch
One thing that totally kills a sound nutrition plan is going to work. Work, however, is not the culprit. The culprit is Lunch Hour. If you do not pre pack your meal, lunch comes along and you will end up going to the nearest fast food joint and exposing yourself to temptation. Therefore, the best way to stay on your nutrition plan (and also avoid losing meals) is to pre pack everything in such a way that when a meal time comes, it is relatively easy to have access to the food.

Cook in Bulk
After a long, hard day at work, the last thing you probably feel like doing is going home to slave over a hot stove to cook a meal. Whether you cook for yourself or prepare meals for your family, you know how much time it takes to prepare and get food ready each and every day. And you already know that eating at restaurants may be convenient, but they’re not an ideal option if you’re trying to eat healthily, as meals can be high in calories and have poor nutrient profiles.

The best way to reduce the tedious time spent preparing meals and still stick to a healthy eating plan is to pick one day per week to plan and prepare your meals for the entire week. That way, you don’t need to worry about cooking every night. All it takes is a couple of hours of planning, and cooking can be one fewer thing that you’ll have to worry about in your busy day.

Keep your meal strategy simple by cooking a lot of healthy food (i.e. chicken breast, steamed vegetables, brown rice, etc.) one day per week. Begin with your menu plan. Be easy on yourself and plan at least three of the five meals that use the same food as a main ingredient. Measure out and divide up your daily meals into Tupperware containers for individual storage.

All it takes is a little planning and a dedicated day once a week to get your plan on track. Cooking and preparing foods shouldn’t be a time-consuming hassle. By planning your week and preparing your foods ahead of time, you won’t have to rely on takeout food or make unhealthy choices at the end of your busy day.

Be Prepared with Portable Snacks
How many times this past week have you eaten on the run? No place is safe either – the car, your desk, maybe even the shower! Your time is strapped, your body is tired, and you need food that’s easy to grab ‘n’ go. It is very easy to forget eating healthy.

Make your own supportive snacks portable and easy for on-the-go eating. Prepared ahead of time, they can be tossed into a gym bag or purse.

Celery sticks with peanut butter
Low-fat cheese cubes
Hardboiled eggs
Yogurt
A handful of nuts
String cheese
Kefir
Tuna and cottage cheese in mini-containers

Make a Shopping List
Grocery stores are very tempting places. They are carefully designed by experts to persuade you to buy. So unless you know what you are looking for, you can easily end up buying a ton of items you didn’t plan for. Before stepping foot in the grocery store, plan out what types and amounts of foods you will eat throughout the week by making a shopping list. This will help you to comply with your nutrition plan.

Never shop for groceries on an empty stomach. Hunger increases temptation. If you are hungry when you shop for food, you will be led astray.

Shop the outside aisles. Grocery stores are designed with the four basic food groups on and around the perimeter. If you stick to the outside aisles, you’ll find produce, bakery, dairy and meat — the most natural, unprocessed foods which are best for your health. Avoid going up and down the aisles where processed “convenience” foods dwell to tempt you away from healthy foods.

Timing, balancing and planning your meals can help to avoid energy swings and non- productive food choices. Incorporating a few simple nutrition strategies will make a dramatic impact on your fitness goals. Remember, you already eat every day, so it’s not all that difficult to add a little structure to the routine, especially when the results are noticeable

To your best health,

Dean

http://Cr8health.com

http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com

Weight Management 101: Nutrition That Supports

Dean Carlson — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:35:20 +0000

You can find the past installments of “Weight Management 101″ here:

Making supportive food choices is your secret weapon in the quest to achieve a toned and sculpted body. Eating supportive foods frequently will help you lose fat and increase your energy dramatically.

The Basics of Supportive Nutrition

Macronutrients are nutrients that provide calories or energy. All food (protein, carbohydrates and fats) can be used for energy. Not only does your body need all three for growth, metabolism, and for other body functions, the quality of these nutrients contribute to satiety and are broken down at different rates. The “thermic effect of food” the energy your body uses to digest food, accounts for 10 percent of your daily calorie burn. This has a powerful affect on your body’s ability to lose fat. When it comes to nutrition for Fat Loss, your goal is to INCREASE the calories burned by eating multiple, highly thermic meals.

Protein

- Protein provides four calories per gram. Thermic Effect: for every 100 cal = 20 cal are burned
– Besides water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body. Made up of structural units or chains called amino acids

What does it do?

- In the absence of sufficient carbohydrates, protein is used as an energy source.
- Protein is the primary component of building material for muscles, blood, skin, hair and internal
organs such as the heart and the brain. Used in the formation of hormones, enzymes and antibodies
- Protein is vital for growth, maintenance and repair of body tissue.

Sources of protein:

- Complete Proteins: Complete proteins contain all the essential amino acids (not made by the body) Sources include: Animal products such as beef, chicken, fish, milk and cheese.
- Incomplete Proteins: Incomplete proteins do not contain the adequate of essential amino acids. Sources include: Plant products such as grains, legumes, cereals, nuts and starchy vegetables.

Carbohydrate

-Carbohydrates provide four calories per gram. Thermic Effect: for every 100 cal = 10 cal are burned

What does it do?

- Your body’s main source of fuel
– Carbohydrates are converted to glucose (blood sugar), your body’s primary energy source.
– Glucose is used to help burn fat for a fuel.

Sources of carbohydrates:

- Complex: Complex carbohydrates have larger chains of sugars (starches) that must be broken down before being absorbed into the body and utilized for energy or stored. Complex carbohydrates require more energy to digest. Sources include: starchy vegetables, fibrous fruits, whole grain pasta, bread, cereals and crackers.

- Simple: A simple carbohydrate contains one or two sugar molecules that are easily absorbed into the body and used for energy in the form of glucose (blood sugar) or stored for future use (fat). Sources include: table sugar, honey, cola drinks, juices, candy, cakes, etc.

********* SIMPLE CARBS have NO Thermic Effect**************

Fat

- Fat provides nine calories per gram. Thermic Effect: for every 100 cal = 5 cal are burned
- There are three classifications of fats

1. Saturated fats -found in animal sources (accept coconut and palm oil) and are solid at room temperature (lard or the fat on steak). They are a source of cholesterol.

2. Trans fats also called hydrogenated fats have no physical purpose in your body. These fats are made when foods are processed, found in just about everything that has been boxed or changed from its natural state. Common sources are cakes, muffins, chips, crackers, doughnuts and popcorn.

3. Unsaturated fats: these fats are primarily found in plant sources, are liquid at room temperature (olive oil). These are the healthy fats.

What does it do?

- Fat provides energy for aerobic energy metabolism (sitting, walking, jogging)
– Fat assists in membrane cell structure, function and hormone production
– Fat transports and mobilized fat soluble vitamins in the body.
– Fat contributes to satiety

Sources of Fat:

- Saturated sources: meats such as ribs, chicken with skin, dairy foods, butter, most fast food, etc.
– Unsaturated sources: salad dressing, oil, margarine, mayonnaise, nuts, avocados, etc.

What am I supposed to eat?

So what determines which sort of weight you will lose? The types of foods that you eat along with how big of a caloric deficit you create will be the main factors in determining your body’s ability shed fat. A supportive nutrition plan includes whole foods: lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, veggies and healthy fats.

Each time you eat, your body must expend some energy to digest food. Each type of food creates different demands for energy expenditure – Thermic Effect of Food. This is what sets each of these nutrients apart and divide them into smaller versions to absorb them into your bloodstream to perform a variety of tasks – some are used to help burn fat and build muscle.

When foods are processed, much of this work is done for you. For example, processed flour is ground into small pieces that the body can digest more quickly. This means your blood sugar rises faster and your body expends fewer calories processing the flour. Whole foods, on the other hand, pack more nutrients, are higher in fiber, and force the body to work harder to use them as energy.

Meal timing

Consuming food triggers digestion, and digestion requires calories. By eating more frequent, smaller meals, you continuously supply your body with nutrients while forcing it to digest and break down the foods. This, in turn, can have the net effect of raising your metabolism.

Ideally, you want to eat a supportive meal every 3 hours. Eating frequently stabilizes your blood sugar levels, providing a steady flow of quality fuel to your muscles and brain. This helps to steady your mood and boost your energy. Besides making you feel better, this increased energy can help further fat loss because you will naturally want to be more active. Another benefit of a stable blood sugar levels is a suppressed appetite. By eating a supportive meal, frequently, you are reprogramming your appetite. You will begin to have fewer cravings and binge less often because you no longer experience the pain of hunger.

When you constantly give your body food with small meals your body does not feel the need to store fat. On the contrary when eating large, infrequent meals your body feels the need to store some food as fat for it is unsure as to when it will be fed again.

Eating frequently throughout the day can also help you stay energized and avoid making poor food choices. Eating smaller balanced meals often helps to reduce blood sugar fluctuations and leads to stronger compliance in making supportive food choices and long term success.

Skipping meals will only sabotage compliance. Missing a normally scheduled meal will leave you hungry, increasing the likelihood of making a poor food choice. As the day wears on, lack of proper meal timing will most likely cause you to become so hungry that you will forget about sticking to a supportive nutrition plan. It then becomes a matter of eating anything to satisfy your hunger!

Eating Fewer Calories

To lose fat you have to eat – not starve yourself. The only way that the human body burns off body fat is by being in caloric deficit. The goal is to adjust your daily calorie intake slightly to initiate fat loss. Restricting your calories will allow you to experience weight-loss, but it will be the result of muscle loss. When this occurs, not only does the body burn muscle to fuel its energy requirements, but by ridding itself of muscle, you are essentially slowing your metabolism.

NOTE: To reduce body fat, a useful guideline for creating a caloric deficit is to reduce your calories by at least 500, but not more than 1000 below your maintenance level. For people with only a small amount of weight to lose, 1000 kcal will be too much of a deficit. As a guide to minimum calorie intake, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1200 calories per day for women or 1800 kcal per day for men. Even these calorie levels are very low and put you at risk for loss of muscle and a lower metabolism.

The Formula

You will not receive an individualized menu or the perfect calorie count. That’s right, we gave up telling you exactly what to eat. First, there is no “magic” number. One of the main problems with other diet programs is that they focus on – or emphasize –the numbers. Remember that food is fuel. But food should also be pleasurable.

Secondly, we could create the perfect menu plan, but you won’t follow it – at least not the majority of the time. This was our protocol in the past. Our Fitness Professionals would spend hours creating the perfect menu plans for clients. But time after time, clients reported their frustration and inability to follow such an idealistic menu plan. However, these same clients experienced amazing results. Our conclusion; as long as you make an effort to change the way you eat each day, you will achieve results.

The Balance

For those of you who need more numbers, you can figure out what percentage of your meal should be protein, carbs and fat. The numbers here can only be very general and educated guesses. You are going to have to do some trial and error to see what is best for you.

These are numbers based upon averages, based upon what tends to work for most people. You may find that you’ll have to change it around just a little bit.

Of the calories in each meal, approximately:
40% from carbohydrates
30% from lean proteins
30% from fats (with as little of that as possible coming from saturated and hydrogenated sources)

~Cheat Meals~
Everyone loves their Cheat Meals! Simply having something to look forward to is extremely motivational. It makes it much easier to avoid temptation in the short term. On the other hand, the fundamentals of successful fat loss remain constant…If you make a point of eating cheat meals often enough, you reduce the chances of successful fat loss.

As you apply these supportive nutrition habits, you make your body very efficient at burning through calories. And then, on occasion, you can put a not-so-supportive into your body because it is going to be quite good at burning through it. You’re going to enjoy that favorite food even more, because it’s become a special treat.

A general rule on cheating: make sure that no more than 10% of your meals are missed or cheat meals. So if you’re eating six meals a day, seven days a week (for a total of 42 meals per week), then no more than four of those meals should be misses or cheats. If you can achieve 90% adherence you will without a doubt get the results you want.

To your best health,

Dean

http://Cr8health.com

http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com

Weight Management 101: Are You Eating Enough?

Dean Carlson — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:00:21 +0000

You can find the past installments of “Weight Management 101″ here:

Do you know how MUCH you are eating?
One of the key ways to promote fat loss is to control your portion sizes. Research has shown that Americans often underestimate how many calories they are consuming each day by as much as 25%. If you are a healthy eater, it is possible to sabotage your efforts by eating more than the recommended amount of food. If nutrients are available at proper times and in the proper quantities, your body can use them for energy to keep you feeling full, promote muscle growth and burn fat.

Importance of accuracy
Under eating or overeating may cause muscle tissue loss or fat gain. A serving isn’t what you happen to put on your plate. It’s a specific amount of food defined by common measurements, such as cups, ounces or pieces.

How to Estimate Portion Sizes
Learn food weights, measurements and portions by using the examples below and by using a food scale, measuring cups and spoons in your kitchen.

Typical Portion Sizes:

1 ounce of cheese is about the size of 4 dice
1 fruit serving is about the size of a baseball
1 serving (½ cup) of vegetables, pasta or rice ½ of a baseball
3 ounces of cooked meat, fish, or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards
2 tablespoons of peanut butter is about the size of a large marshmallow
1 serving (1 cup) of milk, yogurt or fresh chopped greens is a fist

Tips:
Take time to “eyeball” the serving sizes of your favorite foods.
Measure out single servings onto your plates and bowls, and remember what they look like.
Avoid serving food “family style.” Prepare plates with appropriate portions in the kitchen, and don’t go back for seconds.
Never eat out of the bag or carton.

What gets Measured, Gets Managed
One of the most powerful ways you learn is from yourself, keeping a journal will teach you more about you than any book you read or course you take. Many people are unaware of their unsupportive habits. Denial and vague ideas are of no use in the process of achieving results. You need to be in control of the way you eat and move and all the variables and you can’t control something you’ve never measured! ENTER – The Fitness Journal

Your goal is to keep a journal for at least 3 days. You get to choose three days that are a typical representation of your general eating and exercise habits (one work day, one training day, and one weekend day, for example) and on those days record everything you eat and the workouts that you perform. There are two reasons do this as soon as you get started.

One, you need to see how “off” your nutrition is. Two, you to see how “off” your nutrition is. Even if you don’t record your foods accurately, you’ll have to make a conscious choice to guess or omit – which is an admission to yourself (though not to your Fitness Professional) that your nutrition and exercise habits need improvement.

It is inevitable that there will be some of you who are simply lazy and forget to record, while still others are so deep in denial that they’ll lie outright with no regrets. For both types, sticking to an integrated fitness program will be either extremely difficult or impossible. For most people, journals are excellent motivational tool and will help them commit to new, supportive habits.

FYI: Tracking your daily food intake and exercise habits is a great way to take action and prove to yourself that you are serious about your achieving your goals! Don’t worry about the occasional setback – you are only human! Instead of giving up entirely, simply start fresh the next day. Make an effort to do better than you did the day before. Keep in mind that lifestyle changes won’t happen overnight. Be patient, make small changes and gradually add new supportive habits.

Journal Guidelines:

Time: Write the time of day you ate the food.

What kind: Write down the type of food you ate. Be as specific as you can. Don’t skip the “extras,” such as soda pop, salad dressing, mayonnaise, butter, sour cream, sugar and ketchup.

How much: Record the amount and calories of the particular food item you ate.

Where: Write what room or part of the house you were in when you ate. If you ate in a restaurant, fast-food chain or your car, write that location down.

Helpful Hints:

Be Honest. There’s nothing to be gained by trying to look good in your journal. Your Fit Pro can help only if you record what you really eat.
Record what you eat each day. Keep your journal with you all day, and write down everything you eat or drink.
Do it now. Don’t depend on your memory at the end of the day. Record your eating as you go. Be Specific. Make sure you include “extras,” such as gravy on your meat or cheese on your vegetables.

By keeping records of your past, you will shape your future. See something you like in your past? Work to replicate it. See something you don’t like? Work to re-shape it.

I read an interesting, and important, quote recently.

“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.”

– Alan Simpson

What does this have to do with weight management?

The first person you need to be honest with (your food log perhaps?) and show integrity towards, is yourself.

Are you following the steps necessary to reach your goals, or are you just reading this series in hopes of some “magic bullet” that will help you avoid what is hard?

Do you have integrity?

To Your Best Health,

Dean

Weight Management 101: Set Yourself Up To Succeed!

Dean Carlson — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:58:02 +0000

You can find the past installments of “Weight Management 101″ here:

How do YOU measure success?

Do you measure at all?

Today we will discover strategies that help “Set Yourself Up To Succeed!”

It’s not enough to eat supportive foods and exercise for only a few weeks or even a couple months. You must incorporate these behaviors into your life to achieve lasting results. Lifestyle changes start with taking an honest look at your eating habits and daily routine.

When you combine the Five Factors of Fat Loss, you take total control of that word we talked about earlier… metabolism. And it is your metabolism that defines the composition of your body. As you begin to change the way you eat and move, your appetite will change, your energy levels will change and then you will find, in a very short time, that if you go more than three hours without eating or skip your regularly scheduled workout, you will be affected!

You’ve made it clear that you’re not happy living in the body that you are in. It’s time to take responsibility for creating the body you desire. You have to start creating new habits.

This may be quite a change for some, and change is not always easy. Our promise to you is that if you apply the Five Factors of Fat Loss and make the commitment for just one week, and really stick with it, you will find it very difficult to go back to your old way of living.

The Power of Habit

Success and failure are simply habits, and the good news is that good habits are just as difficult to break as bad ones. Motivation gets us started on the road to success and good habits are the fuel that keeps us making progress. Just as bad habits can lead to a downward spiral, good habits escalate and lead to an upward spiral.

Welcome the challenges that face you. With effort and patience you have the full potential to create a positive change with your physique and your quality of life. There are only three conditions necessary for the acquisition of any new habit or skill. The COURAGE to try something you do not know how to do, the PATIENCE to try again once you have discovered that you don’t know how to do it and the PERSEVERANCE to keep trying, as many times as necessary, until you do know how to do it.

What You Will Notice – The Benefits

The first thing most people inevitably notice when they apply the Five Factors of Fat Loss is a dramatic change in their energy level. You will wake up in the morning and be surprised that you actually have energy!

As you put quality fuel into your body – regularly – and when you optimize the way your body functions through a combination of smart cardio and resistance training, you will start to appreciate what energy REALLY is!

When you change your habits and apply a formula that guarantees results, you will begin to feel a change in your energy levels as quickly as three to four days. So, within a couple of weeks, typically, you will probably start noticing your clothing fits differently – perhaps a little looser. That doesn’t mean you should jump on the scale if weight loss is a goal. You will soon discover why the scale is EVIL. It can’t tell the difference between water weight, adipose (stored body fat) weight, and muscle weight. So, when your clothes start to feel looser, realize that something good is happening. Fat is leaving your body.

As you change your habits and consistently apply the Five Factors of Fat Loss, others will notice a change before you ever do. Someone who hasn’t seen you in a couple weeks may suddenly say “Wow! You look great?” You can count on the next question they’ll ask to be something like, “Are you on a diet?” And you can quickly reply “No! I’m just eating more and exercising less.” You will leave them feeling stunned! But eventually they’ll ask you how you did it – and they may end up applying the same factors themselves!

Guarantee your Success

Before you begin this life-changing journey, you must accept and live by the basic understanding that this course is built around the premise of “progress, not perfection.” By developing awareness that improvement is measured by your daily progress, you can save yourself a lot of grief and frustration from the get go. Simply focusing on small, positive steps in everything you do is a vital component to a permanent physical change. With time, commitment and a willingness to continue to take those small steps, failure is not an option.

The following steps will ensure that you receive the maximum benefit from your experiences. They will play an essential role in helping you achieve your goals of ultimate leanness and energy. Improvement will become apparent in a matter of weeks.

I will…

Decide on what I want to achieve – Have a clear vision of the end result. Close your eyes and visualize your ideal body. Picture exactly how you look, size and shape you are and how you feel.
Know and feel my REASON for wanting to achieve these particular results – Continue to ask yourself “why” until you elicit an emotional response.
Believe I am capable and deserving of reaching this goal – If others can do it, why can’t you?
Make this a priority in my life, every day – “We do not set out to fail, we simply fail to plan” – Schedule workouts, schedule your meals, keep kitchen stocked…
Start taking actions that bring results – each day strive to do something a little better than the day before. “I am making progress if I am better today than I was yesterday” ~Dr. Wayne Dyer.
Be grateful – understand that the quickest way to achieve my goals is to be happy NOW. When you look to the future for your happiness, you can guarantee you’ll never be happy. Focus on the present. Life shouldn’t be something to be endured until the future arrives. Your present should be thrilling, exhilarating and inspiring.
Be forgiving - I will not beat myself up when I haven’t done everything perfectly. If I slip, I will quickly return to my plan. I won’t feel guilty, but will remain enthusiastic about the process and with myself.

You can begin, right now, by taking a different, more positive course of action. Take a chance, have faith and proceed with confidence. You are about to become yet another success story; joining hundreds who have successfully learned how to eat, how to move and how to believe in themselves once again. They are experiencing the joy of living life to the fullest. So will you.

Establishing a Starting Point

To individualize your Program, a starting point must be determined.

Body Composition
The shape of your body is determined by three things: muscle, bone and fat. While there’s really nothing you can do about changing your bone structure, there is a whole lot you can do about muscle and fat. This ratio of muscle to fat is commonly known as your body composition.

It is important to realize that altered body composition is attained through fat loss and lean muscle tissue gain, not weight loss. When your body receives the proper amount of calories and nutrients, you can reach and maintain your fitness goals. Additionally eating supportive foods that fuel muscle tissue will help burn fat efficiently during exercise and when at rest.

Why is it important to understand the difference between fat loss and weight loss?

Calories are burned in muscle tissue. One pound of lean muscle burns approximately 50 calories a day.

Conversely, body fat is a store house for calories. One pound of fat burns approximately 5 calories a day and stores 3500 calories of energy.
By simply restricting calories to shrink the number on the scale, a minimum of 25% of weight loss (more than two pounds per week on average) will be lost from lean tissue.

As a result, your metabolism will be suppressed by 50%.

Rapid weight loss from under-eating causes muscle tissue to be used for energy, which cripples your body’s ability to burn fat for energy. In the future this will cause you to put the weight back on and most likely gain more than you ever had before.

Providing your body with a regular exercise program and the food and nutrients it needs will sufficiently fuel working muscles, initiate fat loss and develop an accelerated, fat burning metabolism.

How to lose body fat instead of muscle tissue:

Make positive changes in your daily eating habits
Adhere to a supportive nutrition plan
Commit to at least 3 days of resistance training and cardio.
Eat about one to two hours prior to exercising to fuel muscles and prevent muscle loss
Eat within 30-45 minutes after exercise to replenish nutrients in muscle tissue and expedite recovery
Take a multivitamin that is specifically designed for you to prevent muscle tissue loss. This in turn boosts your metabolism. Think of your multi as “calorie-free” insurance for your muscles.

How do you measure Progress?

Weight, body composition and circumference measurements are only a few of the many tools used to gather evidence of your progress. They should not, however, be thought of as the only way to measure success. There are several methods for measuring your progress. Our approach uses simple strategies to help keep you focused but at the same time – avoiding frustration.

CLOTHING: Find evidence by taking a trip to your very own closet. Take out a pair of pants that fit snugly before you began your new, healthy habits. Are you able to ease into them, when before you had to sit (or lie) down and yank them up your legs? This is a sure sign of progress toward a leaner you! Jeans are actually the best form of measurement because they are the least forgiving. They just won’t stretch to fit in those bulging areas. They will be your benchmark for you well you are progressing through this course. Try them on every 3-4 weeks. Unlike the scale, jeans do NOT lie. They can’t. They are ALWAYS the same size.

BODY MEASURES: Other numerical signs of progress. Watch the measurements of your waist, arms, neck and hips change. If you are not losing pounds, are losing inches all over your body as your figure slims down and tones up. Other numerical indicators include a reduction of blood pressure or cholesterol, BMI, and body fat percentage.

ENERGY LEVELS: Monitor how a eating supportively and regular exercise affects your energy levels. Not only will you be able to work out for longer intervals of time, but daily movements and chores will also become easier. Whether cutting the grass or simply walking up the stairs, these behaviors will come effortlessly. Think of all the daily activities you could use more energy for—grocery shopping, house cleaning, playing with your kids, and more. Pretty soon you’ll be training for your first 5K!

EMOTIONALLY: Lastly, be conscious of how you feel emotionally. You work hard to reach your goals. Hopefully, the hard work will come with a boost in self-esteem, confidence, and happiness. Are you beginning to feel more comfortable in your own body? What do you hear others saying to you? What are you saying to yourself?

Are you gaining a clearer picture of what is necessary to reach your goals?

It is Easy? No

It is Simple? The answer is that it is as simple as you make it. New habits are not established overnight, but you may be surprised at how quickly things will change – once YOU decide to change.

To your best health,

Dean

http://Cr8health.com

http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com

Weird Kids?

Dean Carlson — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:31:48 +0000

Good Morning – I trust you are having a great week!

Today’s newsletter was originally written for our social support site over at http://cr8health.ning.com by Nancy Carlson (my wife and business partner).

Nancy knows a little bit about kids and nutrition, as the mom of six kids ranging in age from 21 months to 22 years. She wrote a great article about how we teach our kids to develop a taste for foods that are often not the best choice nutritionally.

While you’re at it, join us over at http://cr8health.ning.com

The site is absolutely free to join, and it’s a great place to ask questions and offer suggestions to others who are striving to fit all this “healthy stuff” into their busy lifestyle. See you there soon!

Now on to the article:

————————————————————————————————————–

A while ago my son broke into a little ditty about the prune he was eating.

It went something like: “I love prunes, they are so good, I like prunes, they are my favorite food”.

Now remember he is five, and five year olds will just burst into song at whatever makes them happy.

But isn’t that cool? He was happy about eating prunes!

How many adults do you know that crinkle up their nose at the word prune and have never tried one? I have to assume that if an adult doesn’t eat prunes they are not going to offer them to their kids.

I’m not debating whether prunes taste good or not – my point is by offering kids healthy choices from an early age, we can avoid the preconception we as adults have of certain foods.

My kids eat beets, prunes, bran porridge, cabbage, and other weird sounding stuff. At their ages they don’t even know it is unusual. They just know that they like the taste and they eat it.

Now when is it easier to have our children eat healthy – As an infant, a preschooler, or as a teenager?

I have found introducing the right foods to an infant will give them a taste for healthy foods.

Just think about it; when do your kids acquire a taste for sweetened cereal, high fat foods, or foods that are overly salty?

Since we are spooning food into them as an infant and into toddler ages we are responsible for their diet. We have actually given our kids the taste for certain foods over others.
Try foods that are not sweetened with sugar, highly refined, or even bland in color and texture.

So “hip hip hurray” to kids that eat carrots and celery sticks, give a cheer to all children who enjoy fish grilled with ginger and garlic, smile at those snacking on nuts and cheese.

Enjoy your weird child knowing they will grow to love food not by what others tell them – but by their own experience.

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Don’t forget – October “Get Fit NH” Bootcamp starts in just a couple weeks. Reserve your spot by Registering Today!

To your best health,

Dean

August Bootcamps Start

Dean Carlson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:52:25 +0000

Please visit http://GetFitNHbootcamp.com for class times and registration information.

The Best Diet?

Dean Carlson — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:25:50 +0000

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

Let’s Get Our Kids On Drugs?

Dean Carlson — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:22:08 +0000

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued new guidelines on cholesterol and fat intake for our kids. I think these guidelines are a sad commentary not only on the state of our kids health, but on the way we approach disease.

We don’t have a health care system in this country, we have a sick care system. We are way more about “fixing” the problem, or maybe more accurately, treating the symptoms, than we are about education and prevention.

What’s easier – giving someone a pill, or taking the time to educate them on making good choices to improve and maintain health? I am not necessarily blaming all medical professionals. Because of the way the current system works too many of our health care providers do not have the time necessary to spend on such educational efforts. Ways to fix this challenge is a discussion for another day.

The thing that disturbs me most about the new guidlines is the focus on prescribing cholesterol lowering drugs to kids as young as 8 years old. The guidelines from 1992 suggested that drugs be prescribed AFTER 6-12 months on a nutritional protocol designed to lower cholesterol. As far as I can tell, this has been thrown out the window in favor of a more immediate call for drugs.

Now proponents will tell us that this is only in “high risk” kids, but we have been down that slipperly slope with a wide array of drugs for both adults and children. I have also seen it stated that these drugs are needed because over 15% of our children are obese, with many more overweight. That may be, but is prescribing drugs treating the symptom – obesity, or the cause – poor nutrition? I think the answer is obvious.

We are in a health care crisis in this country not because of the quality of the system, but because we have become sedentary and undernourished. Not under-FED, but undernourished. With the US population now approximately 66% overweight, we have a real problem, and it’s only getting worse.

Children need activity and exercise, not TV and Xbox.

Kids need fruits and vegetables, not soda and snack cakes.

It starts at home. We must take personal responsibility for our own health and the health of our kids. Don’t feed them junk, and don’t let them vegitate in front of the idiot box. And keep your kids off drugs – even the “good” kind.

Nancy has done a great job over at http://ourfamilyfitnessblog.com/ putting together real world tips and recipes to help the cause. Do yourself and your kids a favor and check it out.

For more information on kids and cholesterol lowering drugs, please take time to read this interview Newsweek magazine did with Dr. Peter Belamarich: http://www.newsweek.com/id/144960/page/1

Sugar Kills

Dean Carlson — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:35:09 +0000

I am going to be blunt.

You need to read this document: http://www.cr8health.com/docs/kaplan/L3.pdf

It is the most complete, informative and eye opening information on the subject that I have ever seen.

Your long term health literally depends on it.

If you don’t take the time, you have no one to be blame but yourself.

If you don’t like what’s in it…Too Bad…

If I didn’t share it with you, I would be negligent.

No Excuses…

You Want To Lose Weight? You Gotta Eat Breakfast!

Dean Carlson — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:03:52 +0000

Let’s face it.

Life is busy.

Mornings are hectic.

Preparing and eating breakfast takes time.

You are not alone.

It is something we all face.

But if you want to lose weight and be healthy, you HAVE to eat breakfast.

Consider this.

If you eat dinner at 6:00pm and lunch at noon, that is an 18 hour time span.

If all you have is a cup of coffee and a bagel (or boxed cereal, or donut) in that span, you are KILLING your chance to lose bodyfat.

So what are we going to do about it?

3 things:

PLAN – Know what you are going to eat in the morning.

PREPARE – Many recipes can be made ahead of time and reheated.

PARTAKE – Actually make and take the time to sit down and eat.

And what are we going to eat?

Here’s a couple recipes that are great for breakfast. Remember, if you don’t try them, you will never know if you like them or not!

Breakfast Burrito
(Serves 1)

Ingredients:
3 egg whites and 1 whole egg
1/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup onion, green pepper, and mushroom, chopped
Salsa to taste
1 whole wheat or lo-carb tortilla

Coat frying pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray – medium heat.
Scramble the egg whites and whole egg, then mix in the onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and cheese. Cook until eggs are set and cheese is melted.
Spoon mix onto a whole wheat tortilla, add salsa, wrap it up, and enjoy!

Protein Pancakes
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
3 egg whites and 1 whole egg
3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup whole rolled oats
1/4 cup flax meal
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Frozen berries

Mix first 5 ingredients in a blender until smooth. You may need to add water to your desired consistency.
Pour batter into frying pan coated lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook until golden brown on both sides.
Top with berries…and enjoy.

Give them a try and let me know what you think. Your body will thank you for it!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Breakfast Redux

Dean Carlson — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:28:10 +0000

Did you try yesterdays recipe yet?

Well, I have one faithful reader who did.

And he actually got the calculator out and figured out the macros for the recipe.

I am glad he did – because the ones I gave you yesterday were wrong.

Turns out the original recipe I was using called for “Carb Countdown”, and this has a slightly different macro breakdown than the reformulated “Calorie Countdown”.

We reformulated it slightly, and I think it’s better than ever!

I’m sure Danno will let me know!

Ingredients:

1 Cup 2% Chocolate “Calorie Countdown”
90 Kcal, 8g protein, 5g carbs, 5 grams fat

2/3 Cup Rolled Oats
401 Kcal, 17g protein, 68g carbs, 7g fat

2 tsp. Natural Peanut Butter
70 Kcal, 2g protein, 2g carbs, 5g fat

Totals:
561 Kcal
28g Protein
75g Carbohydrates
17g Fat

(P.S. – This is a great recipe for breakfast or after resistance training, but if you are trying to lose bodyfat, eating this at midnight will NOT be helpful!)

Chocolate + Peanut Butter = Breakfast!

Dean Carlson — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:30:16 +0000

If you have been reading our newsletters for awhile, you know that part of our nutrition philosophy is to eat lean protein – with EVERY meal.

Not too hard – right?

Some options might include:
2 whole eggs + 2 egg whites prepared as you like (scramled, in an omelet, etc.)
Steak and Eggs
Lean turkey sausage…just to name a few

For me it’s pretty simple. I eat our own free range eggs nearly every day- because I love eggs.

But what if you DON’T like eggs?

Besides the fact that you are weird I mean. (just kidding Danno)

Here is one of my all time favorite breakfast recipes.

It is really, really, really good.

And it’s even easier (really) to make. Takes 5 minutes, tops.

Give it a try and fall in love with breakfast all over again.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chocolate 2% “Calorie Countdown” dairy beverage
2 tsp NATURAL peanut butter (take it easy on the peanut butter – 2 teaspoons means 2 teaspoons)

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and microwave on high for one minute. Stir, then microwave for another minute. Stir it up, and you’re done!

This will provide you with 30 grams of protein, around 60 grams of carbs, and only 5 grams of fat.

This is a GREAT way to start your day.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter for breakfast – Not Bad!

Give it a try and let me know what you think…

I’m Hungry, What’s For Snack?

Dean Carlson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:56:28 +0000

Have you seen those new “100 Calorie Packs”?

You know, the ones that are designed to help with portion control?

You may have seen them on shows like “The Biggest Loser”.

Now I’m all for portion control, but does eating less garbage change the fact that it is still garbage?

Yeah they taste good, and rally, what’s the harm of such a small amount?

Well for starters, at least if you’re anything like me, what’s the likelihood you can eat only one of these packs at a time?

And will 100 calories of sugar and fat really help your hunger?

So what’s the alternative?

Our friend Jayson Hunter, a registered dietician, has put together a report that offers some healthier choices.

From the Intro:

“We are always looking for that low calorie snack that won’t k*ll our diet or ruin our fat loss goals. Yet, there are so many options out there we get confused and just don’t know what to choose.

First, what is a low calorie snack?

Second, how do I know how many calories a food has in it?

This report is broken down to 0-99 calories snacks/foods and 100-200 calories snacks/foods. The 0-99 foods you would choose if you just needed a quick pick me to get to your next meal that is maybe 1 hour away.

The 100-200 calorie foods is where maybe you have 1-2 hours before you can eat again and need something that will sustain you a little longer and provide more satiety.”

These snacks are perfect not only for those looking to lose weight and eat healthier, but are great choices for our kids as well.

To find out what foods Jayson recommends, read the rest of his “100 Calorie Snack Report” (pdf format), here