Last week I got sent another awesome article about processed food consumption. Please take a few mins to have a read, it is well worth it and may get you thinking a bit about your own diet.
I am loving these article, it is making my writing job a whole lot easier!
Before I start, I must warn you guys, I am reaching breaking point!
It has been over 2 weeks now since we had our eating for fat loss seminar and almost all of you are not sticking with the plan for various reasons and this frustrates me to no end. I am here for you guys, I want you to ask me any questions you have. There is no such thing as a stupid question, so don’t keep guessing at what is right and wrong. The only thing I ask is that you write it on the forum so that when I answer, everyone can benefit from it.
Firstly I want to clarify things and tell you what I am and am not not on a few subjects;
The am not’s
The am’s
Now that you understand I have only your best intentions at heart, please listen to me and heed my advice, you will succeed if you follow my guidance, but if you keep making it up in your own little world, according to what you think is right, then don’t expect the results you could otherwise get.
Now as the title suggests, you are all making it too hard. Keep it simple!
Don’t waste hours on planning menus, planning meals, searching the internet for more advice. It is unnecessary, time consuming and downright confusing!
This is not a diet, it is changing the way you eat for life. “If you cannot stick to a simple way of eating for life, then it is a diet and when you go off the diet, you will fail”
Think about what you want to eat for dinner. I will give you an example for an average female. I would like chicken stir fry – ok then, cut up 90g chicken, add as much good veggies as you like, add a dash of soy or oyster sauce and sesame oil. Done! Was that hard? Did I need to search the internet for that? Would you normally search the internet for what you are going to eat for dinner?
Please write to me on the forum and tell me what you want for lunch or dinner and I will simplify it for you.
How about a lunch for an average male. I think I will have ham and salad sandwich – ok then, buy 150g ham, spread avocado onto two slices of multigrain bread, throw on the ham, put in some salad from the good list and you’re done. Was that hard! Did that require hours of thinking?
Go and buy some digital kitchen scales. Please guys go and buy them, please. They cost about $30 and you leave them on your kitchen counter. Can you tell me how you know the weight of your meat if you are not weighing it? Can you please tell me how long it takes to weight a piece of meat? If it is an individual serve of meat, put a plate on the scales and before you cook it, put it on the plate on the scales to get it to the correct weight. If it is a roast or taco meat etc, as you are serving, put your plate on the scales then put the meat on the plate, get the correct amount then sit down and eat. A very easy way to do it with chicken breast etc is to cut it into the correct weighted portions then freeze it in those portions. After a while, you will be able to eye fairly well what your portion size should look like. If not, no harm in weighing when you are at home.
Don’t bash the protein supplements! I am so over hearing you all tell me what you had for morning tea or afternoon tea. Can you guess the most common thing? Nothing, yes, that’s right, nothing. No time apparently. No time to unwrap a protein bar eat on it’s own or mix up a shake and put it with an apple and nuts. No time and then when asked why they don’t have a shake, I get 2 answers. Firstly, I don’t like the taste of them. Well, suck it up and make a sacrifice so you can lose some weight for once. Not only that, I am sure you haven’t tried either of the 2 that I have recommended. Secondly, I don’t want a processed product. Well, stop eating bread, stop eating yogurt, stop eating half the shit you eat. Whey protein is the protein removed from dairy, yogurt is also a product made from dairy, believe it or not, cows don’t squeeze out yogurt, especially strawberry yogurt. Milk itself does not come out pastuerised, homogenised and bastardized either, it too is processed. Don’t even worry about the bread, if you eat bread and not protein powder for this non-processed reason, then…
Yes, protein shake is sustainable for life, the healthy ones anyway. There is a massive market of protein shakes out there for a reason, and that is because of convenience. No-one wants to eat that much meat. Go to a gym and spend some time with some fit looking people and ask them if they use a protein supplement. Don’t ask them which one they use as I am sure it is one full of artificial everything. Please don’t come to me and tell me about the powder you got from where ever, I only know of 3 all natural powders on the market and I have told you about 2 of them.
Remember the bad carbs on those lists earned their own reputation but how they rate on the glycemic index, not because I hate them. Also remember that they are on that list and so is their proportions, so if you want to eat them, then eat them, they’re on their for a reason, just stick to the proportion.
So now I would like you all to go away and when I ask you next week about what you ate, I want to hear simple balanced meals, nothing too different from what you used to eat except that it has the correct portion size and proportions.
I would also like you to get on the forum and give feedback and ask questions. I set you all up on their to make it easy for you, not so I could waste an hour of my time.
I can’t help you unless you want to help yourself, but for everyday that you don’t kick into action, their is someone else who is losing weight and heading to their goal and it could just as easily be you!
Post all comments etc etc etc to the forum here.
The PureFit protein bars have arrived, I just took delivery of 13 boxes, I have got chocolate brownie, granola crunch, peanut butter crunch and almond crunch.
No longer do you have to eat protein bars that taste like chalk and are filled with more chemicals than a school science lab.
These bars taste so good, you think you are eating something naughty, but take a look at the label and see that they are;
And best of all, they are a 40:30:30 ratio of carbs:protein:fat. They are a perfect 2 block snack for when you are on the go, stuck in a meeting, out and about or just haven’t got time to prepare your snacks or if you feel like something sweet, they are great for those people who are finding it hard to kick the after dinner sweet treat.
Second best of all, they are cheaper than almost any protein bar you will find in any shop
If you want to order, just drop me an email and I will get you a box. The boxes are 15 bars for $50 (clients only). RRP $55
I will do you a box with any combo of flavours you like, so you can taste them all to see which you prefer.
Click images to enlarge
Following this recipe will give you a balanced 16 block frittata. Portion it to your meals accordingly.
Ingredients;
6 eggs
2oz cheese
8oz lean eye bacon
2 zuccinis
1 large onion
3/4 cup self raising flour
5 teaspoons olive oil
Method;
1) Chop and saute the onion and bacon in 1 teaspoon of the oil.
2) Beat the eggs, add the cheese, add the grated zuccinis, add the olive oil, add the cooked onion and bacon and finally add the flour. Mixing well each time an ingredient is added.
3) Place into a greased round cake tin, preferably a springform tin that the sides will release easily.
4) Bake at 180 degrees for approximately 45 mins or until springy to the touch.
Great with salad for lunch or on it’s own for breakfast.
YUM!
Post any questions or comments to the forum
Last night’s seminar “Eating for fat loss – The balancing act” was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who attended!
Although I originally capped numbers at 12, I eventually ended up having 15 clients and 2 trainers attend. My apologies to those who missed out, I will have another one in a few weeks, so please register your interest in the comments section or via email directly to me.
I know we went a little long on time, wrapping up in just under 3 hours, there is still more I could have gone through, so what I will do is go over some of the important things.
What is stopping you from reaching your goals?
When I walked in this morning, up on the whiteboard was the list of reasons everyone gave for not achieving their goals, so I want to make that list here so you can be aware of what is holding you back and focus on changing it.
I am creating the list in the order you said it and the way you said it;
So taking a look at that list, I can see that a lot of them relate to each other.
Why are you eating too many carbs, eating meals that are too big and skipping meals? Because you are not organised, lazy and inconsistent!
Why do you drink too much alcohol? Because of escapism and socialising!
If you are eating because of boredom then get a hobby!
These are all easy things to fix, you just need to put half as much effort into your own health as what you do into making your boss rich!
Insulin and fat gain.
Remember that when you eat just carbs, you will spike your blood sugars and release insulin. While this insulin is circulating, you will not use fat as a fuel. Balance your meals with carbs, protein and fat to moderate the effects on blood sugar levels.
The Glycemic index
Carbohydrates aren’t categorised into good carbs and bad carbs because I have something against them. I am merely the messenger, they ruined their own reputation when they were tested on the glycemic index, they have no-one to blame for their poor social stigma other than themselves and what they do to your blood sugar levels.
Food charts
Use those food charts wisely. At last there is a precise way to say what a portion should really look like. No more guessing and wondering why you are not losing weight. They are really easy to use, it may just take you a week or two to get used to it, but if you want me to go back to the work example, when you first started your current job, did you know what to do and find it easy on day 1? or day 2? No, like anything in life, it takes a bit of time to adjust to it and learn how to use it properly to get the full benefit from it!
Supplements
If you are trying to get a portion of protein at every meal without using a supplement, you are setting yourself up for failure.
How often do I hear things like;
I think you get the message.
There are a lot of products out there and most of them are so full of chemicals, you would be better off eating the box they come in, but I have combed the internet and health food shops and here are my pick of products;
Optimum Nutrition 100% why protein Natural, order at www.vitaminking.com.au/100-natural-whey-protein-by-optimum
Phyto Protein 100% Pea protein isolate, order at www.vitaminking.com.au/phyto-protein-pea-protein-isolate-by-logical-nutrition-pty-ltd-vital-greens
PureFit all natural protein bars, check them out at www.purefitaus.com/about-purefit-bars and order them with me directly and you won’t have to pay the $10 postage. Clients only.
Forum
The best way to move forward with the information that you have is to talk to others when you have a question. This is why I have set up this forum, so that any questions you have I can answer and at the same time, I am probably answering for 10 other people who also had the same question. So please post any comments about last night or any questions you have about your eating to the forum.
Well I survived my 19 days recovery without exercise. Following on from my intial entry “Everyday the cells in our body change, my beard will prove it” I am sure you will assume that not much can happen to your body if you don’t exercise for nearly 3 weeks.
I have a nice photo here of how my face looked after those 19 days.
Now tell me, if not much can happen in your body in 3 weeks, how did all that hair grow on my face?
If all that hair grew on my face, what happened inside my body at that time?
Did I lose muscle mass? Did my aerobic capacity decrease? Yes, I definitely noticed changes in my body!
So the purpose of this little example is to prove to you that what you do to your body everyday matters. What you eat and drink will be used to manufacture new cells for your body as they regenerate everyday. So if you want to be healthy, eat and drink healthy. It isn’t possible to create healthy cells with unhealthy food!
If you want to be fit, you have to be consistent with your training. Taking days or even weeks off regularly is only going to send you backwards and will make your journey towards a fitter body seem like a long trip with no end in sight.
But it doesn’t have to be this hard guys, eat healthy 90% of the time and exercise 5 – 6 days per week and you could be living in your best body ever!
Please feel free to give me your feedback at the Forum, you know I love to hear what you have to say!
Everyday the cells in our body are changing. They are either growing stronger form the nutritious food we eat or they are growing weaker from the crappy food we eat.
I know this is a silly question, but what do want to happen to the cells in your body?
Grow stronger and fight off disease?
or
Grow weaker and be more susceptible to disease?
Pretty simple answer really. So why put crappy food into your body everyday?
I think a major part of it is that we can’t actually see our cells growing. If we can’t see it, we probably won’t think about it. True? True!
Last week I had a minor operation and am out of action with training for a couple of weeks. Now to most people, a couple of weeks off is nothing, but I train 5 – 6 days a week and have several events coming up that I need to be ready for.
So a couple of weeks, what’s the big deal, not much can happen to your body in a couple of weeks right? Wrong!
Now I am not worried about gaining bodyfat, I eat clean and I’ll be fine, but I am worried about losing muscle and decreasing my aerobic capacity.
In 2 weeks you ask? But I take 2 weeks or more off quite regularly.
Well to demonstrate, I have decided to do an extremely simple demonstration of what the human body will do day to day over a couple of weeks. When you see this, you can realise what affect time has on your body. Everyday you eat crap food and everyday you don’t exercise, your body will react to it negatively. Everyday you eat good food and everyday you exercise correctly, your body will react to it positively!
I am going to grow a beard for the time that I cannot exercise. Growing a beard is a very simple way to see that the body is growing everyday. It is a reminder that whilst my beard is growing, my muscles may be shrinking and my aerobic capacity may be decreasing.
This is a simple way to see the cells growing on the outside of the body. It won’t show you if they are growing stronger or weaker, but it will show you them growing and hopefully you can figure out that what you put into your body is feeding them.
So next time you think a meal you ate or the week you took off training didn’t affect you, think again!
What clear thinking person could watch hair grow day to day and not think their other cells are growing day to day. And what clear thinking person could know that their cells are growing but not accept that fact that they are feeding those cells the fuel to grow with the food they eat and the beverages they drink.
Please feel free to give me your feedback at the forum you know I love to hear what you have to say!
In a recent article I read in Health Smart about food colourings, a couple of things disturbed me. I have always known that they are not good for you, but it is the attitude of the authorities that astonishes me the most.
Studies have shown that at least 15 commonly used food colourings can produce behavioural problems and other health problems in some people, especially children.
So why have them in our food? Well, here’s a few comments that caught my attention;
Food Standards Australia New Zealand ensures we are consuming additives at levels which would not poison you if you ate them everyday. Gee thanks for that!
FSANZ says these colours are not contained in everyday nutritous foods children should be eating. No Joke, but they’re still out there and they’re still being advertised everywhere you go and at every checkout and in every school canteen.
FSANZ already requires by law that all additives are listed on products. The problem is that most people out there don’t know that their ADD (attention deficit disorder) or asthmatic or aggresive child’s problems are coming from the food that has been passed to be sold in our schools.
Now this is my favourite – I quote “Consumers would baulk at food without colourings. Can you imagine drinking a clear but orange-tasting fizzy drink?” NO I can’t, I wouldn’t feed orange fizzy drink to a stray dog, with or without colour!
Now on the upside, a number of companies are taking the initiative themselves. I know that Nestle now make their Smarties free from artificial colours. I walked past Donut king the other day and they had huge signs all over their counters stating all natural colours used to make their donuts. I have even taken the time to check out a few products in the supermarket and a lot of them stated no artificial colours or flavours.
So they are out there, just take the time to look and buy the products with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. This is really easy when you eat all natural food, the way they were intended to be eaten.
No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
In Europe, all foods that contain these additives must carry the following warning “May have adverse effect on activity and attention in children” Wow, children in Europe must be effected worse than ours. Is that correct FSANZ?
Here’s the colours they have found most commonly produce reactions;
102, 104, 110, 122, 123, 124, 127, 129, 132, 133, 142, 143, 151, 155 and 1 natural colour 160b
And here’s just some of the products they are commonly found in in Australia. I have highlighted the ones that should shock you;
Prawn crackers, Froot Loops, cakes, biscuits, muffins, pickles, ice cream cones, dried fruit, cordial, flavoured natural mineral water, flavoured milk, rissoles, medicines (including children’s and infant cold preparations), muesli bars, hokkien noodles, pies and toothpaste.
It was bad enough when McDonalds joined forces with weight watchers about a month ago, but now they are advertising on radio for their special dinner boxes.
This is the quote that their wonderful overpaid marketing department has come up with “We’ll take care of dinner tonight. Grab a value dinner, tuck in and let the stories begin” This is accompanied by the picture of 4 cokes, 4 fries, 2 big macs, 2 cheeseburgers and a pile of chicken nuggets. mmmm nutritious and delicious.
How about they use mine instead “We’ll take care of dinner tonight. Grab a value dinner, tuck in, get really fat and have a coronary heart attack”. Too simple I know, but I should refrain from what I really want to say.
I am still astounded every time I hear the obvious proclaimed as up to the minute news. The latest thing they are shouting about is that there is as much sugar in kids juices as what there is in soft drink. Who didn’t already know this? Is this really news?
We all need to take notice of what is in our foods and especially what is in our kids food because fat kids become fat adults. If you are reading this and you are overweight, I want to ask you, are your kids overweight also?
Childhood obesity is a major major problem for many reasons.
Firstly, overweight children get teased and bullied. It is unfortunate to say because nobody should be teased or bullied, but it does happen. Is that what you want for your child?
Overweight children will most likely develop eating disorders as they get older.
Overweight children will probably become overweight adults.
Do you struggle with your weight? Are you unhappy with your appearance? Are you constantly looking for the quick fix to lose weight? Would you wish this same fate upon your young loved ones? Do them a favour and educate them early how to eat healthily.
It’s Easter time, hip hip hooray! I’m no expert, but I am fairly sure Easter is not entirely about chocolate…
I think Easter eggs and Hot cross buns started making their way into the supermarkets not long after Christmas and the campaign to make us all fat with chocolate really gained momentum in the last month or so.
I will be the first person to say how appealing those beautifully wrapped shiny bunny rabbits and eggs look. It takes a lot of willpower not to buy one and smash into it straight away. It’s just not right, we are a big fat obese nation! You only need to go to a shopping centre to see that for yourself!
Like I said earlier, it is up to us what goes in our mouths, but it is hard to fight temptation all the time. If it is hard for me to resist and I am super conscious about what goes into my mouth, what is is like for someone who is overweight and just cannot resist the sight of those very cleverly designed and marketed Easter goodies.
I just wish the authorities would get it and do something good for this nation, other than the 1 ad on TV which is now getting old. We all got inspired by the guy walking along getting fat and then changing his life and getting thin again, it is a great ad, but we’ve seen that one, it made it’s mark, it did it’s job and now we need more. We need more than 1 ad when we are constantly bombarded with junk food everywhere we go.
I walked into the local shopping centre the other day and this is the first thing I see as I walk in. It goes for about 15 metres. What chance do parents have, the kids are just going to be begging for some of the sweet treats and I know I have had this conversation with friends of mine, when we went to school you would be hard pressed to find one overweight kid. Now it is about 1 in 10….
There is something you can do to fight back. Don’t eat any Easter eggs until Easter. There is absolutely no excuse for eating any easters products now! If you wait until Easter, it is very limited as to what you can devour, but if you have already started, I shudder to think how much you will consume unnecessarily!