Strength & Energy. You need energy – calories from food – for weight lifting and for daily activities.

Muscle Mass. Protein is necessary to build muscle & for muscle recovery. Nutrition can also minimize muscle breakdown.

Body Fat. Fat is emergency storage. Your body holds on to fat when you don’t eat enough calories or don’t eat enough fat.

Health. Testosterone levels, hydration, vitamins, minerals, fiber, … Your nutritional choices reflect your health.

The next 10 nutrition rules will take care of the above…

1. Eat Bre akfast. Sleeping gets you in a catabolic state. Eating breakfast stops the muscle breakdown. Eating breakfast also helps fat loss by increasing the amount of calories you burn at rest.

• Some breakfast recipes: scrambled eggs with veggies, oats & bananas, protein shakes, smoothies, etc.

If you have problems eating breakfast, read the article on how to build the habit of eating breakfast.

2. Eat Pre & Post Workout. Pre workout so you feel full of energy at the gym. Post workout for muscle recovery & to replenish your energy levels.

• Pre Workout. 1 hour before working out. Proteins, carbs, some fat. Meat, rice, veggies for example.

• Post Workout. Directly after working out. Post workout shake of whey & oats or whole meal of proteins, carbs &

some fats.

You burn more calories post workout so if you want to eat junk food, the best time is post exercise

(check rule #10).

3. Eat Ever y 3 Hours . Boosts your metabolism. Prevents cravings by keeping you filled with healthy foods. Provides you with the calories you need for energy and to gain weight.

Example meal plan:

7am Eggs with veggies

10am Quark cheese with fruit.

1pm Tuna, brown rice & pineapple.

4pm Mackerel, brown rice & apple.

5pm Workout.

6pm Post workout protein shake.

7pm Meat or poultry with potatoes & veggies.

10pm Cottage cheese, berries, flax seeds & fish oil.

4. Eat 1g Protein per Pound of Body-we igh t Daily. You need protein to build muscle & for muscle recovery. Protein also boosts your metabolism: your body burns 25kcal per 100kcal protein ingested, which is more than for carbs or fats.

Get 1g protein per pound of body-weight. That’s 2.2g protein per kilogram of body-weight.

Sources of protein:

• Red Meat Beef, pork, lamb, deer, buffalo, etc.

• Poultry Chicken, turkey, duck, etc.

• Fish Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc.

• Eggs Eat the yolk, it’s full of vitamins.

• Dairy Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, etc.

• Whey Not necessary but great for easy post workout shakes.

If you weigh 150lbs/68kg, 1 can of tuna at lunch, 300g cottage cheese as snack, 300g meat at dinner and 500ml milk through the day gets you 150g protein. Check also these protein sources for vegetarians & vegans.

You want to be slimmer and to tone your body, but your weight won’t budge.

Read the following 7 Weight Loss Blockers to discover what is standing in your way and how to quickly and easily begin your weight loss journey.

Blocker #1: Your Mind

Your mind is your number one ally when it comes to achieving your goals. However, until your mind has been programmed for success, it will do more to derail your efforts than to help you.

• Take a few moments each day to visualize yourself at your ideal weight. Imagine how it feels to look the way you’ve always wanted.
• Protect your mind from any negative self talk. If a negative thought comes to mind, immediately reject it.
• You want to be thin and fit, and yet you think of yourself as out-of-shape and fat. Re-program your mind to think of yourself as fit and attractive, and you will be well on your way toward achieving your goal.
• Give up the belief that you can’t achieve the body you’ve always dreamed of. See it first in your mind, and then in the mirror.

Blocker #2: Your Fear

Change makes most of us nervous – even if it is a change in the right direction. You may not be consciously aware of the fear you have of getting into shape. Until you conquer this fear, your weight loss efforts will be blocked by self sabotage.

Professional speaker and author, Anthony Robbins, has outlined three specific beliefs that you must have in order to conquer your fear and instantly create a lasting change.

• Believe that something MUST change. You can’t be wishy-washy about it. You can’t be considering it. You can’t even be pretty sure about it. You’ve got to be rock solid.
• Believe that YOU must change it. You can’t pass the buck of responsibility and expect to lose weight. It’s on your shoulders. Other people will prove to be great assets in your journey, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to want this weight loss enough to make it your personal mission.
• Believe you CAN change it. You may have failed in the past, but that doesn’t matter. When you put your mind to it, you’re able to do amazing things. Do you believe that you are capable of losing weight? Once you own the belief that you can, you’ll be unstoppable.

Blocker #3: Your Excuses

Your excuses for being out-of-shape are getting old. An excuse takes less immediate effort than an action, but in the long run the action taker always has the advantage. Don’t allow excuses to ruin your life any longer.

• Don’t skip out on your responsibilities with excuses, instead expect more from yourself.
• Focus on the big reason why you are losing the weight. Make a list of the benefits you’ll enjoy once you achieve your goal, and read them first thing each morning.
• Remember that you can only have two things in life: excuses or results. Which do you want?

Blocker #4: Your Commitment

How many times have you tried to lose weight, only to give up a week or two later? We live in a commitment-phobic world, so it’s no wonder that you routinely abandon your goals. If you truly want to lose weight then your commitment to the process is a must.

• The margin between success and failure is bridged by your commitment. Don’t give up until your goal has been achieved.
• Treat exercise with the same importance as a work meeting, and you’ll never skip it at the last minute. Find three available 60-minute time slots in your schedule and mark them (in pen) on your calendar. Now stick to your schedule.
• If you don’t give up, then you’ll never fail.

Blocker #5: Your Diet

If you consistently eat the wrong food, then you’re weight loss efforts will all be in vain. To put it bluntly, you need to stop eating junk. Processed foods, refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup do not belong in your diet if you want to be in great shape. Cut these items out of your diet and replace them with real whole foods like lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits.

• Don’t eat processed foods. Even though processed foods are accepted by our society, they contain tons of chemicals and empty calories that will make you sick and fat.
• Fat contains twice the caloric density of protein and carbohydrates, so make sure to limit the amount that you consume. Eat lots of lean proteins and wholesome carbohydrates from plants and whole grains.
• Vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds are filled with fiber and antioxidants which are vital for healthy weight loss. Snack on these instead of packaged treats.

Blocker #6: Your Patience

It takes time to transform your body from fat to fit, even though you want it to happen overnight. Remind yourself that it took time to put the weight on, so it will take time to take the weight off. When you find your patience wavering, or when you encounter a frustrating plateau, do the following:

• Review your goal. Is it specific and measurable? Is it small and attainable, rather than monumental? Focus on your goal when the going gets tough.
• Make each workout a new experience. Challenge your body with different resistance, new exercises and a varied pace.
• Remember that anyone can have one great workout, but that won’t get you the body you want. The only way to achieve your goal is by consistently exercising and eating right, plain and simple.

Blocker #7: Your Support

People who exercise alone are less challenged, less accountable and are more likely to fail. It makes sense. Who would rush to the gym if no one is was waiting for them? Who would push themselves if no one was paying attention? Exercising alone is a recipe for disaster.

• Find a workout partner who is in better shape than you, or better yet, work with me, your local fitness expert, to guarantee your results.
• I am passionate about seeing you achieve results – don’t waste your time, energy and effort on mistakes.
• When you start a program with me, you suddenly have the upper hand on weight loss. I’ll be in your corner, coaching you each step of the way, keeping you accountable to workouts and giving you that dose of encouragement when you need it most.

Get serious about your results and begin the last weight loss program that you’ll ever do.

The point is, it is time to make a healthy, permanent change to your lifestyle. Stop saying you are going to go to exercise and eat right, and actually do it!

Binge eating sucks. But what drives us to do that? And how we can stop it?

Disclaimer: Now let me get the legal beagle mumbo jumbo out of the way…I’m not a doctor, and if you have a serious eating problem you should talk to a trained health professional…there’s probably even a medical definition of binge eater that I don’t know about…

…so for our purposes, we’ll refer to binge eating as anything that involves eating too much junk and making you feel guilty.

…And if you are just one of those folks who goes 37 days in a row without binge eating and then – POW – it shows up and kicks you in the butt…leaving you feeling guilty, frustrated, and upset, then let’s help you out.

Personally, there is no better common-sense tip for avoiding binge eating than…

Keeping the junk out of the house.

Easier said than done in most homes, I know, and heck, I find myself with my hand in the cookie jar more than I’d like. But hey, how else am I going to eat ice cream other than by making home-made ice cream sandwiches?

So do your best on that one, but if you can’t keep ALL the treats out of the house, here are some more tips…

This is another superficial one…but you just need to stay active and find something else to do besides look through the cupboards for the 3rd time this evening.

Don’t use food as a reward or just something to do out of boredom.

Go for a walk. Run some errands. Treat yourself to a bath or download some tunes. Buy a punching bag. Put on some music and dance.

And a couple of other practical tips…if you are going to binge, do so by overeating fruits and vegetables. And also, when you are done eating, brush your teeth, makes eating less appealing for a while.

Okay, those are good, but it is time to get a little deeper.

You are probably binge eating for some emotional reason.

One person recommended keeping a diary and writing down how you feel when you eat. I think this is great advice that most folks should do even if they don’t binge eat. Just do this for a week and you’ll get a really good understanding of why you are eating.

Were you hungry? Bored? Tired? Stressed? Anxious?

The May 2009 issue of Men’s Health magazine reports that anxiety causes many people to overeat sugar. If that is the case with you, then you need to find a way to deal with the anxiety…and that will take care of the overeating.

I’m also reading an interesting book called, “The Culture Code”, and the author argues that most overweight folks overeat because they are mentally “checking out”. Something emotional is driving them to turn to eating so they can escape other problems.

If that is the case, and its serious, then again, professional help is in order. Either way, I think tracking your mood when you eat is a great way to identify the source of your binges, and you’ll be able to build some powerful routines and possibly overcome binge eating.

Some other “deep” responses I received on twitter had to do with the relationship we have with food. How do we view food? As a fuel? As something to be enjoyed with others? As a necessity? Or as one of the major comforts and joys in our lives?

Do we have the POWER over food or does food have the power over us?

Do we practice extreme self-denial that ends up being counterproductive because it leads to binge eating? And if so, then how can we get into a balanced eating lifestyle that allows treats but without binge eating all the time?

Another reader recommended “Intuitive Eating by Tribole and Roesch”. I haven’t read it, but they said it was a great book that touches on all aspects of unhealthy food habits. Definitely a good resource for those of you who want more info. If you read it, let me know some big lessons.

And if you have any tips on avoiding binge eating, please let me know below.

It’s New Year’s Day, and you have a clean slate.

I don’t know if you are one to make New Year’s Resolutions or not, but either way you’re probably thinking about how you can become fitter, healthier and happier than you are right now.

These 27 Fitness and Fat Loss Tips will get you on the right track for this New Year:

Visualize the accomplishment of your goals each and every day. Experience the taste of success and feel that sweet satisfaction.

Push the intensity of your workouts. Don’t kill time, burn calories by maintaining a challenging intensity.

Use smaller plates at home. This effortlessly reduces calorie intake and promotes weight loss.

Build accountability into your workouts so that you resist the temptation to take days off. The best way to ensure accountability is to work with a personal trainer either one-on-one or in a group training setting.

Believe in yourself. Know with conviction that you CAN accomplish your goals.

Drink water throughout your day. Do this by carrying a water bottle and opting for water rather than calorie-filled beverages. This simple action is extremely beneficial.

Maintain your metabolism by eating a healthy snack or meal every three hours. This food should be unprocessed, low in fat and high in fiber.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training into your cardio workouts by performing bursts of high intensity rather than exercising at a single steady pace.

It’s not about will-power, it’s about want-power. You have to want it.

Do not eat processed foods. These items are high in empty calories and contain a plethora of chemicals that are harmful to your health.

Stop talking about losing weight. Start doing it.

Fat contains twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and protein, so limit the amount that you consume. Fill your diet with lean protein and carbohydrates from plants and whole grains.

Be wary of products that are labeled as ‘health food’. Always read the nutrition labels.

Find a workout partner who is in better shape than you, or better yet work with a personal trainer to guarantee dramatic results.

Make a habit out of reading nutrition labels. Avoid items that are high in fat and carbohydrates.

Destroy negative self talk.

Avoid the trap of high-calorie beverages after your workouts.

Be consistent with your workouts. Exercise three to four times each week.

Expect more of yourself.

High fructose corn syrup should not be in your diet. It is high in calories and will quickly derail your weight loss efforts.

Challenge your body with each workout. Use different weights, do different exercises and break through plateaus.

Eat lots of whole plant foods. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are filled with fiber and antioxidants, vital for your good health.

Do your cardiovascular exercise after weight training to ensure more fat burn. Your stored sugars will be depleted during the weight training then your body will rely on fat stores to get you through the cardio workout.

Set specific, measurable goals.

Start each day with a healthy breakfast. This important meal should be a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat to get your metabolism going strong.

You deserve better…go get it.

After writing these tips, I realized how powerful and inspiring they are. Print this list and place it somewhere that you’ll see often – this will keep you motivated and pumped up to accomplish your goals.

If your New Year’s Resolution has to do with losing weight and getting into great shape (and whose isn’t?) then guarantee your success by working with a fitness expert who can guide you to success.

The New Year’s Resolution Trap

Are you making a New Year’s Resolution today? If you do, keep this in mind: It has been reported that 92% of New Year’s Resolutions end in failure. Why? Because most people make resolutions that are simply unrealistic. They quickly get discouraged and then abandon the idea entirely.

To ensure that you accomplish your New Year’s Resolution, stick with a goal that is realistic rather than intimidating. Check out these examples:

Instead of resolving to lose 70 pounds by summer, commit to exercise 3-4 times each week.

Instead of resolving to give up all carbs, commit to bring healthy lunches to work instead of going through a fast food drive thru.

Instead of resolving to drop 3 sizes in 3 months, commit to losing 1 pound each week until you reach your goal weight.

Instead of resolving to never eat out again, commit to eating healthy all week and rewarding yourself with one meal out on the weekends.

Healthy Winter Hash

This simple recipe is the perfect meal for a chilly winter day. It is packed with tender vegetables, filled with protein and can be made with chicken or as a vegetarian dish. Serve it with a salad for a quick and healthy meal that the whole family will love.

Yield: 6 servings

Here’s what you need…

2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed (or 1 package firm tofu, drained and cubed)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 can lowfat chili

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine all of the vegetables and chicken. Drizzle the olive oil and mix to coat. Add the thyme, salt and garlic powder.

Spread the mixture on a baking sheet, and cover well with foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the foil and turn on the broiler. Broil until the vegetables are nicely browned, about 8 minutes.

Top each serving with a scoop of warmed chili.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 230 calories, 4g fat, 28g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 20g protein

When people ask me what I “do” and I tell them that I am a personal
trainer, they automatically start spewing excuses as to why they are
out of shape and unhappy with their bodies. I don’t have to ask a
thing. I am suddenly a shrink. Personal facts surface quickly and
without reserve. Mind you, all I have said is that I am a personal
trainer. Suddenly I’m their life long best friend. “I don’t have time…
I have kids… I go to school… my job wears me out… I just have no
energy… I used to workout…” I’ve heard every excuse in the book.

One day I was talking with my neighbor, and like many conversations
that seem to find me, she starts to go on and on about how she is
overweight, out of shape, unhappy, etcetera, etcetera. After about ten
minutes of attempting to justify her lifestyle, I simply say, “You
have to make it a priority.” Something clicked. She was silent, (which
is rare for this woman). We have lived next door to each other for
about a year now. Not even two hours after I said those words, she was
making her first of many appointments with me.

She made it a priority. Like taking care of her children, her husband,
her job…Finally, she made her health a priority. She didn’t just make
a time to workout, she was suddenly empowered. Her voice automatically
had more confidence. She made a healthy lifestyle choice for herself,
and it’s like the world was completely different, just like that.

After one month of dedication, her body fat dropped 7%, her strength
significantly increased, and her energy skyrocketed. She had more to
contribute to life; more energy and strength to play with her
children, more confidence in anything she attempted, she controlled
stress better, and her husband even told her she looked skinny. She
made it a priority, and the payoff was more than she bargained for.

Her program was inspired by Pavel Tsatouline’s book, From Russia with
Tough Love, Kettlebell Workout for the Femme Fatale. She met with me
three times a week for a program based on two basics of lifts: squats
and dead lifts. All additional lifts introduced into her program were
based on the mechanics of these fundamental drills. My client was new
to this hard-style of training, so we focused on total body tension
and moving the weight safely from start to finish. This is personally
important to me, because as a trainer I want the reassurance that my
client can safely and effectively workout by themselves.

In addition to basic drills, I would throw in a modified Department of
Energy “Man-Maker,” every now and then for a good “cardio session.”
The DOE Man-Maker consists of a series of Kettlebell snatches
alternated with running. I modified the snatches to swings and the run
to either rowing or some type of walk with the bells. The Kettlebell
walks included anything from farmer’s walks to double overhead walks.

This client, like many, wanted more “ab work.” So, we worked on things
like get up sit-ups, circle sit-ups, and power breathing crunches at
both the beginning and end of our sessions. If a lift is a priority,
it should be done first in the series. To further drive home the fact
that I acknowledge her requests, we added the ab drills to the end of
her workouts, as well. (Needless to say, she has not made any more
personal requests.)

In the end, it was the client’s dedication to, and commitment at each
session that improved her overall quality of life. She made her health
a priority, and it ultimately paid off in all other aspects of her
life. If it’s important to you, you have to make it a priority. It’s
your choice.