The Good, The Bad, The Fattening

Remember to hit the follow button on the top right.

Trap Food to Avoid aka THE BAD

Granola

Rolled oats, nuts, dried fruit it just seems so...right. But what we don't realize is how much sugar and extra calories are hiding inside. Not to mention the trans fat as well. I do give them an A+ for clever marketing.

THE FATTENING

Stay away from cheese, deli meat, fries, chips, ice cream, Soy and BBQ sauce, and mayonaise. I know that sounds harsh but it's the truth. Although... I will let you in on some secrets.

THE CONDIMENT ALTERNATIVE

If this is what your refrigerator looks like than it's time for some spring cleaning.

If you thought the only alternatives to condiments were no condiments than think again.

Here's a starter list of condiment alternatives.

Hummus > Mayo

Horseradish > BBQ

Yogurt Dip/Horseradish Blue Cheese > Blue Cheese

Hot Pepper > Hot Sauce

Basil ?Pesto

Boom that easy.

THE GOOD

The following information is POP-SECRET!

I don't mean that the Pop-Secret brand is good. But there is a secret to popping your pop-corn. Pop-corn naturally...is good for you!

5 cups is a serving!

Buy a bag of organic popcorn. Pour it and a little olive oil in you air popper (or whatever you want to cook it in). I use medium heat on my stove. Pop the popcorn and you have a late night snack you can munch on all night with no fat, no sodium, no sugar, has lot's of fiber and few calories. In fact one serving has only

That's perfect bowl placement.

Breakfast:

• Scrambled Egg Whites

• Homemade Muesli

• Coffee (no creamers)

Midmorning Snack:

• Protein Shake

• Yam Muffin

Lunch:

• Chicken Breast Sandwich

• Apple

• Small handful of Pecans

• Iced Tea (no sweeteners)

Midafternoon:

• Protein Shake

Dinner:

• Grilled Halibut

• Small Baked Potato

• Salad with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

• Frozen Yogurt

• Water

Final Thoughts

Oh yeah, that's right. What you thought was just a normal day has become another milestone in your life with this info. Now that you've read it, apply it. That's it!

This Blogs Tip

I'm in such a giving mood I'll throw one more secret your way. Butter you can eat and still stay lean.

Next Blog

Reader's choice. Throw me some ideas.

10 Commandments

So you survived the rapture. Big deal, how do you know you'll survive the next one?

If you want to survive you better read these commandments and follow them as the word of Steve.

1) Thou Shalt Not Eat Fast Food

Pretty simple huh? But what about when you're in a rush then it's okay right? Or you don't feel like cooking everyday. Nope. Always have food prepared ahead of time via Tupperware. Take healthy snacks like protein bars, turkey jerkey, peanut butter sandwich, trail mix, etc.

2) Thou Shalt Not Eat Fatty Foods

If something is high in fat...don't eat it.

Wonder if you can get this with a stuffed crust?

3) Thou Shalt Not Shop Hungry

When you shop hungry you've already lost. You end up stocking your house with nothing but temptations. Why make this any harder than it needs to be?

4) Thou Shalt Not Drink Soda or Juice

Nothing but liquid sugar. It's like giving up a drug and you may have withdrawl, but once you get past the initial one to two week hump you'll be set.

Probably took a long time to set up this photo.

5) Thou Shalt Not Eat Sugary and Salty Foods

Just because something isn't high in fat doesn't mean it's not bad for you. Salty and sugary foods stack up quickly and become just as bad as fatty foods.

That salt shaker isn't even close to empty!

6) Thou Shalt Eat 5-6 Times a Day

Besides turning your body into a Fat Burning Furnace with a mega metabolism, this also prevents you from being hungry and making those mistakes we all make when we're starving.

You like the imagery?

7) Thou Shalt Eat a lot of Protein

What gives you the muscle that makes you look lean. If you don't have enough protein in your diet you'll always look flabby and won't get much out of your workouts.

My Breakfast!

8) Thou Shalt Drink a Lot of Water

Keep your metabolism high, keep you regular, keep you hydrated, keep you healthy.

9) Thou Shalt Not Eat Complex Carbs After 6

Just to clarify, you can have fibrous carbs after 6. What's that? Vegetables that are high in fiber. Remember carrots, not potatoes.

10) Thou Shalt Not Eat Fruit After 3

Although it's good for you, it is natures candy. The natural sugar that makes these Simple Carbs is not good for you after 3. Like Cinderellas Chariot turning to a pumpkin at midnight, fruit is good for a limited time only. (Unless right after workout...then it's okay)

Follow these 10 simple commandments and you shall survive the rapture...or just look really good. Whatever works for you.

Food for thought

1) 60 Second Omelet

This breakfast recipe is awesome for when you're short on time and long on hunger!

You can also eat this for dinner, by taking out the side of oatmeal.

Prep Time: 60 Seconds

Ingredients:

4 egg whites, one whole egg

Veggies of your choice (spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, green peppers, etc)

Directions:

Whip eggs in blender

Cook over medium heat in a skillet; add vegetables of choice

Enjoy with a ½ cup of oatmeal

Thai Curry Chicken and Grape Salad Sandwich

Enjoy it outside by the pool, or its great right after our workout. The crisp sweet

grapes and curry seasoning add a lot of taste to this chicken salad recipe.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 portions chicken breast, chopped

½ cup seedless red grapes, chilled, halved

½ cup green grapes, chilled, halved

1 apple cored and diced

½ cup fat free mayonnaise

1 lemon, halved

Sprinkle curry powder seasoning, to taste

¼ tsp ground black pepper

2 cups baby romaine leaves

2 slices of whole wheat bread

Directions:

In medium mixing bowl, combine precooked and chopped chicken, chilled red and green

grapes, apple, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, and black pepper.

Toast 2 slices of bread and place baby romaine on top along with chicken salad.

Final Thoughts:

Things aren't as complicated as some make it seem. Combine these basic rules and my training and you'll be set.

This Blogs Tip:

Egg whites cook great in a microwave! Put 5 in a glass bowl, mix with spices and salsa and microwave on high for 4 minutes!

Next Blog:

Our following chapter in Trap Foods to Avoid

P.S. Congrats to Randy for winning the weight loss competition!

The competition wasn't even close!

P.P.S. Another round of Applause to Steve Tramel for losing over 10lbs and 5% Body Fat

P.P.P.S. To Team Austin F.I.T. (Dean and I) for placing in the top 20 at the Obstacle Course.

Tag Team Champions

Best Summer Ever 2011

Time to stop living the same life over and over and over. No more excuses, no more obstacles, no more of the same old routine. You know what you want, which is the most important thing... The only thing left is to make it happen!

or you could live in a van down by the river!

1. Reflect on past summers. I encourage all my clients to look back at the last 5-10 summers. When were you feeling and looking your best? What about when were you at your worst? Learning from the past is a great way to shake up the future the way you want it.

She's a little too comfortable.

Those summers where you were really happy at where you were at… what had you done for the 3-6 months leading up to the summer, and what did you do during the summer?

I'll meet you girls in a minute, let me finish this blog.

Similarly, all the summers that weren’t so good, what did you, or didn’t you do leading up to the summer to prevent you from getting in shape?

So that's what it feels like to Wake up feelin like P.Diddy?

I am amazed when I hear people complaining about how the look and feel, and when I ask them what they are planning on doing differently, they don’t even know.

Huh?

Einstein once said: “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

2. Variety is the spice of life. The people who seem to be the most fit, and less prone to injury are the ones that play a variety of sports, or participate many different activities. If you are doing doing one on one personal training or Austin F.I.T. Camp , also try some other activities. They might include biking, swimming, martial arts, dancing, yoga, pilates, kayaking or whatever else you can think of.

One of my favorite past times!

Not only will it make your body more well rounded (not that kind) but it will keep boredom from setting in.

3. Show off your worst body parts. I got this idea from Arnold Schwartzenegger. Back when he was young he had very skinny calves which he was embarrassed about. Instead of keeping them covered up, he cut all of his jeans off at the knees to the world could see them. This made him very self conscious and he spent extra time working his calves and eventually got them to a pretty good size.

So if you don’t like your arm, wear sleeveless shirts, if you don’t like your stomach, wear a tight shirt. I bet you will think twice about getting a second dessert or reaching for that beer if you feel your arms flapping or your stomach suction cupped to your shirt.

4. Meticulously plan out your day and meals. Summer tends to be a time with grad parties, potlucks, picnics, vacations, soft ball leagues, and so on. It is more important than ever to make sure you are planning out your meals. I recommend when you are eating by yourself or with your family… ie not at a social gathering, you commit to eating nearly perfect. Then those ball games, or parties that happen 1-2 times per week, you can splurge and eat what you want guilt free!

I live off of tupperware.

5. Set up some rewards along the way. In the upcoming month or two before summer and then during summer, set some goals, and with those goals, so rewards. For example by June 15th you might set the goal to do 1 pullup. The reward for doing this is a 60 minute massage. Or maybe you are in a 5K race and you want to run faster it under 30 minutes. The reward could be a new pair of running shoes.

Celebrating successes along the way keeps you hungry for more and allows you to appreciate what you have accomplished. If you don’t take time to step back and appreciate it, you will just be chasing goals, never being happy or appreciative of what you have accomplished.

I have had to personally learn this one the hard way. The past 4 years I have been working super hard in many areas in my life, whether that was fitness or building my business up. Once I would reach a goal, I would set a higher one, and go after that. After a couple years of that I realized that I wasn’t even appreciating the accomplishments I have been able to achieve. I bet you have done the same thing. Maybe you have lost 35 lbs, but all you can focus on is losing those last 5 lbs, instead of celebrating the 35 lbs you already lost.

I need to take some of my own advice right now and celebrate how far I've made it with my business right now. So while I'm thinking up my own reward, you do the same.

Question of the day: What are you doing to make sure this is your fittest and healthiest summer?

4. “Reduced Fat” Anything!

FACT: Have you ever had a sudden craving for a certain food?

I’m talking about the “real” version of it. Like THE chocolate chip

cookie, THE blueberry muffin, or THE potato chips?

Don't believe the marketing!

Well, don’t worry, you can satisfy that craving without the guilt with the

chemically engineered, overprocessed, carcinogenic additive rich,

“Reduced Fat” version…that oh by the way, usually has almost

80% of the calories of the original anyway! Awesome…what a choice!

Sometimes neither option is a good one.

How about skipping them altogether, especially if you are actually

trying to look better in a bathing suit this year, not to mention, be

able to look forward to years ahead by avoiding the chemical

question marks that are often used to create these “lite” versions.

It's okay, it has low fat mayo.

This blogs lesson:

It's never too late to change. And it's never too soon to start!

If he can change. You can too.

Next Blog:

How to visualize your goals.

NUTRITION

Meal 1: 4 egg whites(1 Yolk), 6 for men

1/3 cup of Oatmeal, 1 cup for men

1/3 Banana, whole banana for men

Meal 2: Protein Shake

Peanut Butter

Meal 3: 4 oz Chicken, Turkey, or White Fish, 6 oz for men

3 oz Sweet Potato, 6 oz for men

1 cup Veggies

Meal 4: Protein Shake

Peanut Butter

Meal 5: 4 oz Chicken, Turkey, or White Fish, 6 oz for men

1 small Green Salad(greens only)

1 serving light dressing

Meal 6: 3 Egg Whites, 5 for men