Burn more calories

For those that want to earn some BONUS POINTS. I've got your homework assignment for you.

TOP 12

1. Take the stairs or escalator – but climb the stairs while you ride. You’ll get there faster and use your muscles while you’re at it. Just 5 minutes of stair climbing burns 144 calories.

If he can do it you can

2. Don't pile items on the stairs- so you can take them upstairs at once, take them one at a time.

Your leg workout for the day

3. When sitting around while waiting in a doctor’s office, drugstore, or airport, stay on your feet — standing burns 36 more calories per hour than sitting.

4. Rake leaves instead of using a leaf blower: You’ll burn 50 more calories every half hour.

Look how much fun you can be having!

5. Scrub your floors more often. Putting some elbow grease into cleaning floors is more intense than vacuuming — and it makes your floors look better as well.

6. Chew sugarless gum- Research has found that the action of jaw muscles alone burns about 11 calories an hour. So you're welcome for telling you that.

I still can't blow bubbles.

7. Wash your car by hand- instead of taking it through the automatic carwash(like me). You’ll burn an extra 280 calories in an hour.

Everyone washes cars their own way.

8. Play with kids: Random games of basketball, touch football, or tag — or just jumping rope or throwing a ball — will help you use energy and set a good example of active play for the children. Calories burned: 80 to 137 every 10 minutes.

Consider them your other trainers.

9. Walk the halls at work: When you're stuck for ideas at work, get up and walk the halls. Stand and stretch during phone calls. Twice a day, get up and walk to talk to a colleague instead of e-mailing.

Don't listen to him.

10. Get on the ball: Sit on a large stability or Swiss ball while checking e-mail in the evening. It's an easy way to engage all of your muscles for 15 to 20 minutes. Who knows, you might even be inspired to do a few stretches and crunches after you log off.

11. Prep yourself slim: Cooking is a great way to burn calories. Slicing, and Dicing and all that stuff. Because you're in charge of the ingredients, cook with metabolism-boosting ingredients like those from the Active Calorie Diet. Limit takeout and delivery to two meals a week, tops.

12. Play games on the Wii- You know how many nerds...I mean friends of mine stopped playing Wii because it was too exhausting for them. That's how many calories you can lose while still having fun. Get your kids on it too.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Lunch Portion of Dinner Leftovers or Large Batch of Chili, Stew, etc.: A simple way to have a healthy lunch is to make an extra large dinner the night before. Purposefully make your dinner with an extra serving that you simply refrigerate. Come the next morning, you have a healthy lunch already made and packed!

Total Calories For Meal 3: 338

Another option is to make a large batch of chili or beef stew, which can provide you with several lunch servings throughout the week. This is a perfect meal to make on Sunday, providing you lunch for most of the work week!
Here is a delicious chili recipe that fits the bill nicely.

Ingredients:
• ~1.5 lbs of lean ground beef, grass-fed if possible
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 2 cans stewed tomatoes, 14oz each
• 1 can tomato sauce, 16oz
• 1 can light red kidney beans
• 1 can dark red kidney beans
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 small can of corn
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions: Cook the beef, onion, and green pepper in a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. In a large pot combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, corn, and chili powder and cook over medium heat. Do not drain canned goods. Once the beef, onion, and green pepper mixture is thoroughly cooked, add to the large pot. Stir and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Makes 5 servings for men, and up to 10 servings for women.

MEAL PLANS

Breackfast@8

Scrambled Egg Whites

w/Red Potatoes, Onions, Mushrooms, Veggie Cheese

Apple

Snack @10:30

Turkey Jerkey

Blueberries

Bottle of Water

Lunch@12

Tuna Wrap

Yogurt

Carrots

Final Thoughts:

Staying active can do so much more than one would think. Keep active with your daily chores and be a true multitasker.

This Blogs Tip:

Park further away from your destination. Not only will you burn more calories by walking more, you don't spend as much time looking for the perfect parking spot.

Next Blog:

Danger Foods.

Summer of Drinking and BBQ

A lot of parties going on in the summer. But pace yourself, because they'll be going on all summer.

As for alcahol, one hard night of drinking can ruin a weeks worth of exercising. Is it worth it?Look for a low calorie beer, and keep it to a minimum.

At BBQ's I always go for the grilled chicken and try to stay light to almost no BBQ sauce on it. That high sugar sauce add's up quick. Try to keep away from the hotdogs as well.

I know you're going to have cheat meals, just make sure you've working hard with me in the gym, and eating well all week. That way you've earned it.

To help you out I even made a great snack you can eat that tastes so good you'll think you're having a cheat meal.

Vanilla, Fruit & Yogurt Parfait: While most people think of yogurt as a simple snack food or addition to your lunch, it can make a great tasting and nutritious lunch by itself. Be aware that fruit flavored yogurts are either loaded with sugar or artificial sweeteners, and you want no part of either one.

This recipe provides plenty of high quality protein, probiotics, healthy fats, fiber, and berries to keep you full until dinner!

Ingredients:
• 6-8oz 2% plain Greek yogurt or whole-fat regular yogurt
• ½ to 1 scoop Vanilla Prograde Protein
• ½ to 1 tbsp milled flax or chia seeds
• 1 to 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
• ½ to 1 cup fresh or frozen berries of choice

Directions: Mix the protein powder and seeds in with the yogurt until evenly distributed. Add in fruit and sprinkle chopped walnuts on top. For women use the smaller portion sizes, for men the larger. Makes 1 serving.

MEAL PLAN

Breakfast@7

Egg White Omelette with Spinach, Onions

Cup of Oatmeal with cinammon, pumpkin pie spice

Bottle of Water

Snack:@9:30

1 Cup of Cottage Cheese

Yam Muffin

Bottle of Water

Lunch@12

Grilled Chicken Wrap with Spinach, Peppers

Brown Rice

Bottle of Water

Final Thoughts:

Saying no at the party can be tough. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves, eating what they want, knowing you used to do the same. Then look at everyone elses body, think about your old body. The same reason you're holding back and not eating like them is the same reason you're getting the body you've always wanted. Also, beware of friends trying to sabatage you. Happens all the time.

This Blogs Tip:

MGD 64 won the vote for best tasting low calorie beer. If feeling social pressure just carry a bottle of beer next the whole time, that usually shuts people up from telling you to drink more.

Next Blog:

More summer eating tips.

How to Maintain

The Request of the Week is Maintaining.

Getting a great body takes dedication and time. After switching over to this new lifestyle, you find the hardest thing now is not showing up to the gym, but taking time off from the gym.

But what do you do when work forces you to miss training with me, or you go on vacation?

Since I just got back from vacation let me go over some of the things I did to maintain my body.

EATING ON THE ROAD

This is the Jr. version

Not a lot of chocies out there so I planned ahead.

Turkey Jerkey

EAS protein Bars

Subway Oven Roasted Chicken 9 Grain Wheat No Cheese Green Peppers Red Onions Olives and a little Pepper

Apple

Water

GRANDMA COOKING

Easy Grandma we're just having lunch.

My Grandma likes to overcook and overprepare everything, so just I told her what I eat and that's what she got from the grocery store.

Sweet Potatoes

Egg Whites

Buckwheat Pancakes

Old Fashioned Oatmeal

Brown Rice

Chicken

Fruit

Vegetables

Bag of Yellow Popcorn

and I brought my protein Powder

Which all together was more than enough to keep me fueled and fit

EATING OUT

So I guess that makes you a cannibal?

Not a lot of choices out there,but if I have to eat bad...I try not to eat too bad.

Mexican-Grilled Chicken Fajitas (held myself back from eating chips)

Pizza-Cheese Pizza-already bad enough without toppings

Cracker Barrel-Grilled chicken, green beens, veggies
Texas Steak House-Grilled chicken, sweet potato, veggies (refrained from eating rolls)

Plus when you eat well almost all the time, you can slip up here and there and have a cheat meal or two.

STAYING ACTIVE


Wherever I am I try to stay active.
Here's some things I did in Arkansas.

Cliff diving, and climbing.
Swimming.
100 yard dashes at high school track.
Judo matches against friends (not suggested, couldn't move my neck for 3 days)
Chores for my grandparents-Weed eating, mowing ditch, pruning trees, wash dogs.
Working out in backyard.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Eat well, prepare ahead of time, and stay active and you'll easily maintain all that you've worked hard for.

THIS BLOGS TIP OF THE DAY
If you have a hard time staying away from snacking, try chewing sugarless gum. Burn calories and have something to chew on.

NEXT BLOG
Next in our chapter of hidden trap foods.