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The Sacred Heart Diet Review

Posted on 11. Apr, 2010 by admin.

A few weeks ago, one my clients brought to my attention a diet called, “The Sacred Heart Diet.” She said she was really interested in trying it out so I did some research for her to see if it’s any good. I also told her that I will do it with her to give her support if ever she decides to do it. From my research, I found that the diet consists of eating vegetable soup with fruits for 7 days and then adding protein in the form of steak towards the end of it. It claims that you can lose 10-17 lbs during your first week so it really caught my attention.

It sounds easy on paper but having gotten used to eating protein with every meal, I found it particularly difficult because I was hungry all the time. The other thing that made it more difficult for me was the fact that eating only fruits and vegetables, do not make me full. In fact, it stimulates my stomach juices even more so that I get hungry after only a few minutes of eating the soup. It was probably the hardest diet I’ve ever tried! In short, I ended up not doing the diet for the whole 7 days and gave up after the third or fourth day. I told my client that I gave up hoping that she’ll continue doing it without me which she did.

But, I don’t just shove this experience to the side and say that it was a waste of my time. I always learn a few things from any experience that I have. Some things I’ve realized before but I remembered them during this experience. Here are a few of them:

Diets are very personal. This means that what may not work for me, may work for you. You wouldn’t know if it will work for you unless you give it a good try.
I can cook the vegetable soup, which is quite delicious, during the weekend and eat it with my meals and protein throughout the week. This helps me eat more vegetables!
Protein really does keep me full and satisfied for a longer period of time compared to having a meal without it.
I need a lot of food varieties in my diet. Otherwise, my com

Diets are a great way to jump start your weight loss and learn new, healthy habits to incorporate into your daily life.

If you’re curious about the vegetable soup recipe, here it is:

“The Sacred Heart Diet Vegetable Soup”

1 or 2 cans of stewed tomatoes

3 plus large green onions

1 large can of beef broth (no fat)

1 pkg. Lipton Soup mix (chicken noodle)

1 bunch of celery

2 cans green beans

2 lbs. Carrots

2 Green Peppers

Cooking Instructions:

Season with salt, pepper curry, parsley, if desired, or bouillon, hot or Worcestershire sauce. Cut veggies in small to medium pieces. Cover with water. Boil fast for 10 minutes. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook until vegetables are tender.

If you’d like to get more information about this diet, go to www.everydiet.org for more details. Here is another article that mentions the diet which was written by Mark Sisson over at www.marksdailyapple.com. To its credit, I actually lost 2 lbs during my first 3 days and so did my client which I think are mostly water weight. Then, my client’s husband (who was doing the diet with her) lost 8 lbs during his first 3 days.

With enough motivation and will power, I probably would have finished the diet but, in my case, I know of better, less miserable ways to lose fat so I didn’t be unnecessarily miserable for the heck of it…lol. Have you tried this diet before or heard of somebody else’s experience with it? If so, let me know by leaving a comment or opinion below.

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How to Decrease Food Cravings and Hunger while on a Diet

Posted on 23. Mar, 2010 by admin.

If you find yourself constantly hungry and/or craving something while on a calorie restricted diet, a tiny tweak in your nutrition plan might make all the difference. On the topic of fat loss, a lot of people tend to think that simply reducing the amount of calories you eat while eating the same foods will do the trick. This strategy may work for a little bit but not for long because you will feel hungry and have cravings especially if your nutrition plan consists of high calorie, junk foods that lack nutrients. Believe me, I have tried.

As I tried to reduce the amount of food that I ate, my hunger and cravings became intense especially on the days that I exercised. I thought about giving up exercise altogether so I won’t be so hungry but I didn’t think it was a good idea. So, I researched a way to control them through my diet. One of the studies that I found was about the role of protein in satiety. In this study, the researchers found that high protein diets gave the dieters more satisfaction thereby reducing their cravings and hunger.

The investigators of this study, which was done at Arizona State University, was intrigued by a government, randomized clinical trial which showed that dieters following the Atkins diet showed greater weight loss at 3 to 6 months. But the Atkins’ high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate approach presented a problem with the subjects showing an increase in LDL and total cholesterol levels. So, the research compared two groups with one group on a high-carbohydrate, low-fat plan and the second one on a high-protein, low fat plan for 6 weeks.

At the end of the 6-week trial, the subjects’ body weight and fat mass were reduced significantly at about 6 and 10%, respectively, for both groups. At the same time, their BMI fell considerably while their total cholesterol levels were unaffected, also for both groups. In short, there was not much of a difference in results between the two diets. Both groups were also able to maintain their average weight loss until 4 weeks after the study has ended. The pattern of weight loss was also very similar over time. I was definitely surprised, maybe even a little disappointed, because I predicted that the high-protein diet had a huge advantage against the high-carbohydrate diet.

It was not until the subjects were asked about satiety that I knew I found a solution. The people in the high-protein, low-fat group reported that they felt more satisfied and content with their food during the first 4 weeks of the trial whereas the other group did not feel satisfied until the last two weeks of the experiment. In short, you can get similar results from both diets but you can easily follow a high-protein, low fat plan because you do not have to deal with hunger and cravings all the time.

When Dieting Gets Easier

As I applied what I learned from this study to my own diet, I was amazed at what a big difference it made. As soon as I added more protein to each meal and obtained my carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, my hunger pains went away. In addition, my cravings have been greatly reduced. Before, my days consisted of waiting non-stop for my next meal because I felt so hungry that I could eat a donkey! I could not focus on my everyday tasks because all I thought about was food and most of my time was spent looking up dessert recipes on the internet. I was going crazy until I started a high-protein diet. Even during the first 2 days, I felt more like myself. I felt normal again. It was as if I was not even struggling even though I was on a calorie-restricted plan.

Now, I love carbohydrates. Who doesn’t? They give you a warm, fuzzy feeling after you’ve had a stressful day at work but then they also make you crash which sets off a vicious cycle of hunger and cravings. Remember those after-lunch naps you wish you took? Yes, it’s from those carbohydrates. I cannot say that I will never eat a high-carbohydrate meal again but after feeling the difference in my energy levels and my satisfaction with food on a high-protein diet, I was sold!
If I have not sold you on the idea of eating a high-protein diet yet, think of a time when you had a nice piece of steak. Do you remember how full you felt? You probably did not think about food for a few hours either and you probably said no to dessert. While most steak cuts are high in fat, the feeling is about the same after eating a high-protein meal. Just keep in mind that high-fat meats would not fit in this picture because of high-fat means also high calories. Which means that you want to save your calories as much and you can control that my eating lean meats. Plus, your heart will thank you later.

So, the next time you plan your meals for the week, look for some nice lean meats that you can season with different spices. Lean meats are great because they can serve as a blank canvass so you can experience different flavors. Add in some nice green vegetables and you got an appetizing meal. Try doing this for a few weeks and you will reach your fitness goals in no time and most likely, with less worries about when the next hunger pain or craving will start again.

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The Female Body Breakthrough Review

Posted on 28. Feb, 2010 by admin.

Just this past weekend, I went to the Perform Better Results Business Seminar by Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove. I was excited for the whole event because I knew how successful the Cosgrove’s were in running a highly sought after gym in California. I knew I was going to learn a lot but the seminar just exceeded my expectations. To top it off, both of them were really down to earth people who really want to help normal people like me achieve success in fitness and in business.

Me with Alwyn and Rachel. This pic was taken after our morning workout so I'm still sweaty and not very presentable...LOL.

If you don’t know Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove, they are the owner of Results Fitness in Newhall, California. Their gym was been voted as one of “America’s Top 30 Gyms” in Men’s Health 2008 and also “America’s TOP 10 Gyms in Men’s Health 2009. Alwyn also has a great online fitness program called “Afterburn” and another fitness and nutrition (low calorie, low carb, done for you meal plans and workouts, etc.) program called, “Warp Speed Fat Loss.” But, the latest product to come out that is dedicated solely to women and written by Rachel is the book, “The Female Body Breakthrough.”

I have read the book about 3 months ago when it first came out and meant to review it in the blog but just got sidetracked. So, coming out of the seminar, I got reminded how valueable this book is to women around the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a veteran in exercise and nutrition, there’s several things you can learn from this book that is worth more than its price. To me, if a book or a seminar only teaches me ONE valueabe thing that will move my business and fitness forward, I would’ve gotten my money’s worth out of it.

Pic of Rachel when she was a figure competitor

In the book, Rachel was very candid when she talked about her battle with bulimia for at least 5 years. I couldn’t believe that this is the same person I met this past weekend because she is so empowering and inspirational. This just made me an even bigger fan of her because she understands what most women go through.

In the book, she even created an acronym for the B.I.T.C.H which stands for “Be Inspiring Totally Confident and Hot.” Some of you may think that it’s lame attempt to make being called a “BITCH” cool but I think it’s pretty creative and motivating. Now, I can say, “Oh yah, I’m a BITCH.” I even named a workout out of this for my bootcamp and all my women clients loved it.

The one tid bit that really stuck with me is Rachel’s tip during “the time of the month.” You know, that time when you’re hormones are all over the place and you just want to eat every dessert that comes your way. Basically, she says that if we learn to not give in to our food desires during this time that we will see even more fat loss because our hormones favor it during this time. So, when that time comes, I try my best to stay on track and not give in to temptations which has gotten easier over the long run.

Most Recent Pic of Rachel Cosgrove for FBB

Rachel also created the “Fit Chick Credo” which I enlisted here:

1. Act as if you are a fit female
2. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
3. Fuel Your Body to be Fabulous
4. Train hard or go home
5. Get hooked on feeling fit, not a number on a scale.
6. Be an early Riser.
7. Make R&R…&R a priority!
8. Obstacles will arise -anticipate them!
9. Keep a journal or a blog
10. Eliminate Crabs and surround your self with supportive people!
11. Think about your thoughts!
12. Attitude is everything!
13. Manage Your “Tub of Stress”!
14. Put an end to body bashing and instead celebrate your strengths!
15. Don’t rely on will power. Have strategies!
16. Stop rationalizing and making excuses!

Some of these credos are straightforward while some still need a little elaboration like #13. But, if you read the book, it will all come together for you.

The The Female Body Breakthrough also includes sample menus and a done-for-you 16-week workout program with pictures and description. It is a complete guide into getting the fit female look. If you want to go even further, Rachel has created a membership site with the book where you can get a new, monthly workout and coaching from her. You can check it out at www.femalebodybreakthrough.com. She does charge $97/month for this service but if you value her expertise and what she has to offer to benefit your health and fitness and achieving your goals, you will realize that this is a small price to pay. If I had the means, I would train at Results Fitness and pay much more but for those of us who don’t live near their gym, this is the next best thing.

She also wrote an article about her experience with steady state cardio while training for the Ironman which she has proven to be ineffective in terms of fat loss. You can read the article, “The Final Nail in the Cardio Coffin,” here.

Lastly and more importantly, Rachel talks about all the excuses that we make when we see ourselves “checking out” (her words) out our fitness plan. She works with you with visual tools, mindset questionnaires, and just mindset in general. If you have exercised or dieted at all in your life, you’ll recognize that mindset is one of the most important factors in fat loss. Without the proper mindset, all the strategies in this book will not help you. Rachel does a great job with the mindset aspect of becoming a fit female.

I always believe in investing in myself because that is the only way I can grow. This is the same for everyone. A lot of people ask me how I come to know what I know about exercise, nutrition, and fat loss and my answer is education. I can always stop and say that I know everything but that is simply impossible. Even with the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the last couple of years, I am continually learning and I do that my learning from the experts like Rachel and Alwyn.

You can get the Female Body Breakthrough at Amazon.com by clicking here here.

Note: I bought the book with my own money and if you buy the book from the link above, I will get a commission percentage for the sale.

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3 Factors that Affect Your Fat Loss Goals Timeline

Posted on 21. Feb, 2010 by admin.

You’ve heard many fitness experts say that you have to set goals if you want to lose fat and become successful in doing so. But, people who have not worked out consistently and really dialed in their nutrition may either overestimate or underestimate their goals. This was definitely the case for me when I just started out the fat loss process. I wanted to be at a certain body fat percentage that was just way too low for the amount of time that I gave myself to reach it. Also, I had an unrealistic view of how I was going to look like when I reach my deadline.

You’ve probably read my post that talks about finding a model, like Jessica Biel, to look up to. Maybe you want the “fitness model look” and that’s what inspires you. It’s a great strategy and one that I still use today. Is it a realistic goal? Maybe, maybe not. We have to keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that affect how we look and how quickly we can achieve our goals. I will discuss some of these factors but take note that there are many other ones that may affect your results.

One such factor is body type. Our body types will dictate where we lose our weight first. Using myself as an example, I have an apple shaped body which means that when I gain weight, I see it immediately in my midsection. On the other hand, when I lose weight, I lose inches on my hips, thighs, and my arms first. For people who are pear shaped, they are most likely to lose inches from their midsections first then on their hips and thighs.

The next factor is training experience. This pertains to how long you’ve been training and it’s quality. This will also include tinkering with your nutrition. Many people can see amazing results in 3 months if they consistently follow a workout program that is designed for their goals and they find a nutrition plan that works for their body type. Some people may be fortunate to find these on their first try but most people tend to be in an eternal roller coaster of trying new things. The good news is, if you give something a good try, consistently for a month, you would have a good idea of whether it works for you or not. No matter what, your results will depend on the quality of your effort. If you didn’t follow the programs with at least 90% compliance, don’t expect to see amazing results.

The last factor that I’m going to talk about are your genes. There’s no doubt that your genes can impact many areas of your fat loss. Whether it’s your metabolism, your body type, your muscle building potential, hormone interaction etc., your genetic make up has something to do with it. People who are naturally skinny will obviously not have the problem of gaining weight and there are quite a few people out there who are like this. My point is, it’s unrealistic to compare ourselves to people who have the advantage of “good” genes on their side. Does this mean that we just give up and decide that it’s going to be too difficult? Of course not. This just means that we have to work harder and stick to the workout and nutrition plans more consistently. We may take a longer time to achieve our goals but with the right attitude and tools, it is definitely possible.

I wrote this article because I see people who have unrealistic expectations once they have been doing something for a few months. This is where our culture of immediate gratification can hurt us. It takes a lot of time and effort to achieve an amazing physique. Just ask any fitness model you know and he/she will tell you how many hours of exercise they put in and how much less food they eat. Even the Biggest Loser contestants will tell you that they work out all day and probably starve themselves sometimes in order to see a mind-blowing transformation.

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t aspire to have an amazing body if that is what we want. I’m just saying that our actions would have to match our goals. If you want remarkable results, put in remarkable effort.

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A Big Mistake When Trying to Lose Fat

Posted on 24. Jan, 2010 by admin.

The very first time I reached my ideal weight of 120 lbs, I wasn’t very happy with how I looked. I thought that I was just being human and I’m just not easily pleased with my accomplishment. Looking back 2 years from then with a lot more knowledge regarding fat loss, I now understand why I didn’t like the way I looked. Basically, I looked like a smaller, but still flabby, version of me, only lighter.

My Biggest Mistake

Back then, I was like most people, as soon as I decided to lose weight, I would hit the treadmills and start running like a mad woman. I was so focused on getting my cardio done that I didn’t even care about lifting weights. The end result is skinny fat – I looked skinny but I mostly had fat. If you were to touch me, it would probably remind you of the pillsbury dough boy. If you were to ask me to do push ups, I would fall flat on my face on the very first repetition.

What was I thinking? Seriously though, a lot of people tend to start their weight loss this way. I know because I encounter similar situations in my job.

The Best Way to Achieve that “Toned Look”

Now that I have a few years of training under my belt and I have learned so much about exercise and nutrition, I have a good balance of cardio and strength training. When I am in a hurry and don’t have much time, I simply choose to lift weights rather than do cardio.

This picture is still a little skinny for my taste but just adding a few pounds of muscle on her and she would look great

This picture is still a little skinny for my taste but just adding a few pounds of muscle on her would make her look even better in my eyes

Here is a good template for a fat loss routine: Upper Body workout on Monday, Lower Body Workout on Wednesday, and a little bit of both on Friday. You can always switch the days if you workout on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. When I say upper body or lower body, I don’t mean that you should do isolation exercises like bicep curls. I mean do multiple joint exercises like military press, lat pull downs, chin ups, pull ups, squats, lunges, step ups, etc. If you really want to do some ab exercises, you should be doing planks, side planks, hanging knee raises, spider man climbs, mountain climbers, etc. Remember that in fat loss, you are better off doing these exercises because they help you burn more calories in less time.

In terms of sets and reps, I would focus on doing about 10-15 reps and 3 sets of each exercise. Then, you may increase the weight you lift by 2.5 lbs in some exercises so that you are making progress each and every week. Even if you have the same workout for 8 weeks but you are increasing your weights, you would still make progress. But, it would be good to change up your strength training routine every 3-4 weeks while keeping some of the big lift like squats and deadlifts in the mix.

Once you are done with your strength training workout and you still have time for cardio, go ahead and perform some high intensity intervalls which I talk about here. Better yet, if you’re a cardio king or queen which means that your body is used to running already, do some body weight intervals instead.

Following this template will reduce fat all over your body quickly than if you just did tons of steady state cardio. Also, you will gain some muscle mass which will give you that lean and toned look once you reduce the fat over your muscles.

I realize that this is a very general template but it will work for most people. Another thing to realize is, you can’t lose weight without taking care of your nutrition but I wanted this post to focus on the training. If you need help figuring out the amount of calories you should be eating based on your weight, height, and age, read this post on calculating your calorie deficit to get started. Nutrition would be best discussed in another post.

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How to Use Path to Fat Loss

Posted on 12. Jan, 2010 by admin.

It’s still the first month of the new year and I thought that it would be great to write a guide on how to get the most of pathtofatloss.com. This is very timely because this is usually the time of the year when people are thinking about getting their act together in terms of exercise and nutrition.

So, to get started the very first thing that you can read is the Fat Loss Primer. I wrote this e-book because I realized that a lot of people are at a lost in terms of getting started with their fat loss efforts. There’s a lot of misconceptions out there about what you should and should not do when it comes to losing weight and this e-book will set those straight. It is basically a compilation of my exerience as an individual and a personal trainer.

Second, figure out which areas you need the most help with and explore the article archives which you can access by clicking on the categories at the top of the page.

To help you navigate through the articles, here are some posts from each category that I think would be of great help to you:

Nutrition

Exercise

I want to tell you that while looking through the blog posts I have written in the past, it was difficult for me to prioritize which ones made the guide list. So, after you’ve read all the articles from this list, feel free to explore each category. You never know which article will give you that aha moment.

Lastly, there is one post that is really important and the reason why I do what I do and continue on the path of fitness (for life). This post is entitled, “What is Your Why.” This is a very important step that anyone should do (i.e. mandatory) because will power is usually not enough. To read this post, click here.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope this post helps you with New Year’s Goals!

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Your Fat Loss Plan for the New Year

Posted on 29. Dec, 2009 by admin.

Well, Christmas is over and no doubt you’ve probably gained a few happy pounds. I’m going to be honest with you…I did let my hair down during the holidays because it is a time of relaxing, having fun with the family, and eating good food. The only workout that I did was trying out my sister’s Wii Fit balance board which was a lof of fun. My mom even commented that I must be “off the diet” (no matter how many times I tell her that I’m not on any kind of diet – just a healthy lifestyle) because I’ve been requesting a lot of her great dishes. So, yes, I enjoyed a lot of feel good foods and then some more. This is also the reason why I didn’t write a “holiday fitness plan” article because I knew that no matter how many healthy eating articles you read over the holidays, you are bound to enjoy the holiday foods anyway – which you should because it does come around only once a year.

Alas, there’s no such thing as eating under a calorie deficit during the holidays. But, since the new year is just around the corner, I thought it would be great to write about how you can get back on track.

There’s no doubt that you will be plagued with many advertisements for diet pills, weight loss supplements, and useless fitness equipments. So, you should be very critical of what you see, read or hear on t.v., newspapers/magazines, radio, and other forms of media. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you’re probably a lot of steps ahead of the crowd anyway.

So, what’s your best fitness plan for the new year? My best advice to stick to the basics – the tried and true – the only way to lose the fat and win the battle of the bulge => eat less and exercise more.

Are you disappointed that I don’t have some crazy new idea for your fitness plan? Well, I’m not so much and this is why:

The Calorie Deficit

Having a calorie deficit is probably the most important factor when you’re trying to lose weight. You can workout as much as you want and eat the healthiest foods but if you are still eating way more than you’re supposed to eat, you will not lose weight. Violate this rule and your results will come to a screeching halt.

This should be good news to you because with all the ads for weight loss nowadays, this simplifies things a lot. When in doubt, go back to basics. Having a calorie deficit is the most basic rule out there but it works! The only way to accomplish this is to eat less and move your body more often. No weight loss supplement or “special” fitness equipment can give you the results that you’re looking for. Once you realize that you have to put in the hard work and not rely on magic pills, you will see results!

I am also not saying that having a calorie deficit is the be all and and all of fat loss. There are definitely other factors that come into play when you’re trying to lose weight but, most of the time, people then to lose sight of this rule because they’re always looking for a better pill or the next great fitness equipment. *Warning: rant coming…we can blame our age, our metabolism, our family, our stressful jobs, etc. but in the end, we usually don’t get results because we eat too much or not workout hard enough. *end of rant

Having said that, you still have to have a plan. So, here are a few steps to help you get started on the new year if you’re a complete newbie or just need a reminder of the basics:

Calculate your calorie deficit. If you don’t know it, you can read this article and get the Calorie Deficit Calculator
Write down short-term and long-term goals insted of new year’s resolutions. For example, lose 24 lbs by March 31 instead of just saying “lose 30 lbs.” Be specific!
Make strength training a priority and get a workout program that you can do at least 3 times a week. Make sure that you will enjoy your workout but choose a challenging one that will take you out of your comfort zone.
If you must perform some type of cardiovascular activity, make sure that it’s interval training or bodyweight cardio. I’m not saying that the elliptical or other cardio equipments are bad or inferior but if your body is used to them, you will not get much benefit from your workout. Same goes if you’ve been doing the same old workout for a long time. It’s time to change things up!

Find your motivation. For me, my motivation is knowing that I won’t need a crutch when I get old and I will still look like I’m 30 years old even though I am 80 (ok, maybe not that young but you’d never know).

Here’s a double kettlebell workout that will surely challenge you:

The leanest people I know have these rules down as habits. Make this the year that you are going to be a part of the lean people statistics and never look back. I heard this one good saying while listening to an interview earlier, “If it’s important, do it everyday.” The calorie deficit is important so if you’re goal is to lose weight this year, make sure to have it at least 6 days a week until you reach your goal.

I hope you have a great and healty new year ahead of you. Let’s look forward to 2010!

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My Second 20 days on the Elimination Diet and FREE Recipe

Posted on 17. Nov, 2009 by admin.

Whenever I try something new in training or nutrition, I am always skeptical about the results that I will get from it. But, I always keep an open mind and give the person who designed the program some merit for even coming up with one. In my mind I say that there has to be something that really worked for them to empower them to publish a book, e-book, or video program about it. As I approach my second 20 days on The Elimination Diet, it made me realize that this is definitely one of those programs that is worth your time and effort.

If this is your first time reading my update, go to this post first.

I have experienced so many things while I’m on this diet that I didn’t even expect to experience. My body is functioning as it should be and I didn’t even realize that it wasn’t! I actually talked about these things from my previous post but I wanted to elaborate on them a little bit more here:

No more sleepiness during the day – I must admit that the first 7 or so days without caffeine was difficult because I would have headaches and sleepiness. My usual wake-up-go-to is coffee whenever I need something to keep me awake during the day. But, on the 8th day, I started noticing that I am just able to stay awake without the after-lunch sleepiness even without coffee. What’s even better is I can go sleep as soon as I hit the bed and wake up feeling energized. Believe me, I couldn’t even go back to sleep once I’m awake even if I wanted to.
I do think that this effect is not just from the coffee or lack thereof. Eliminating the sugar definitely helped me minimize the insulin spikes that trigger the sleepiness after I eat and also my cravings for sweets.
I feel satisfied – one of my very first fears before starting ED was the fact that I might give in to “banned foods.” I am glad to say that the Elimination Diet Cookbook has kept me satisfied – no hunger, no cravings. Even when I go out to restaurants or meetings, I am able to stay on track by simply asking how the foods are prepared and to take out certain ingredients.
I’ve even found out that soy sauce contains wheat! So, I went to the local health food store to find a soy sauce alternative. To my delight, I found Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. I couldn’t even taste the difference between the two.
Stubborn fat still hasn’t returned – remember how I told you about the little “bump” I have on my lower abs? Well, I’m excited to report that it still hasn’t come back even though I haven’t been paying much attention to my calorie intake.

Lastly, I actually haven’t weighed myself because I just don’t want to stress about it this time around. However, the Elimination Diet definitely passed “The Jeans Test.” Basically, I tried on the new skinny jeans that I bought after it just came out of the dryer. You know how your jeans seem to fit tighter after you just washed them? Well, I did wear my skinny jeans then and they still fit me perfectly. It’s like magic!

Before I end this post, I wanted to share with you the dessert or breakfast recipe that has been my saving grace during this challenge. It is called “Orange Muffins” in the ED Cook Book but Dax also made an apple muffin version of it which I make about once a week. I hope Dax doesn’t get mad at me for publishing it so here it is:

Ingredients

1 cup mashed, ripe banana
¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 tablespoon apple peel
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¼ cup rice flour
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch-free baking powder

Directions

I basically make this whenever I need something to sink my teeth into or as a quick post workout breakfast. This recipe definitely taught me that I can still eat baked goods that will help me move closer to my goals (or stay where I’m at) without having to surrender to chocolate cake or other traditional fatty baked goods out there.

I also realized the power that foods can have on our bodies which made me rethink a lot of my past habits. In terms of nutrition, this would be the true definition of “eating clean” especially if you eat your startches after a workout. Now I know for sure that food can definitely be a source of health. It is definitely the best source for preventing major diseases that our current lifestlyes are susceptible to.

Read the conclusion of my elimination diet experience. In that last post, you can get tips about how to prepare and have a successful elimination diet experience.

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3 Dessert Recipes that Will Make Your Mouth Water

Posted on 01. Oct, 2009 by admin.

A lot of people tend to think that they will have to be eating bland foods or take dessert out of the equation when they decide to lose weight. The good news is, there are still healthy dessert recipes that you can make at home without the guilt or the bad effects on your waistline.

I’ve compiled a list of my top 3 healthy dessert recipes below so you can start enjoying them too. Don’t worry, they’re very easy to make! There’s a free download towards the end of this post so make sure not to miss it.

Rice Pudding

Here’s a tasty little treat that is also well suited for that second jolt of fast-acting carbs and protein after your PWO shake. Or you can split it up for a couple of desserts following P+C meals.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked basmati rice. The quality, fragrance, and taste of basmati are far superior to any other rice I’ve ever had. Sure the GI is higher than brown rice, but in this case the taste just doesn’t compare. That’s why I like to eat it as one of the post workout meals. Prepare the basmati rice in bulk by adding a cup of rinsed rice to 1.75 cups boiling water, cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
2 cups skim milk
2 scoops vanilla protein powder (try to find a brand that doesn’t taste like powdered chicken feet, and depending on the brand, you might add some Splenda to get the desired sweetness).
2 tablespoons sugar-free instant Jell-O vanilla pudding

Instructions:

On medium-low heat, simmer the cooked rice in milk for 20 minutes or so, until rice bulks-up, cover and cool for a few minutes, then add the protein powder (and Splenda if necessary), and a dash of salt, stir, cover and put in fridge until it cools. Add Jell-O mix to cooled mixture, whip, and you’re all set.

Macronutrient Profile:

* K/cal: 478
* Fat: 4 g
* Carbs: 63g (2 fiber)
* Protein: 47 g

Blueberry Bran Muffins

These little treats are made from low-GI carbs, so you don’t have to worry about eating one or two after a P+C meal. They also have a bit of flax meal to add moisture, and just a couple of polyunsats. I’ve been eating these for a while and loving them, so recently I gave them the final test by taking a batch to a dinner party. Success! They were reduced to crumbs, followed with compliments about their taste, rather than their ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 cup oat bran
½ cup flax meal
4 scoops protein powder, flavor of your choice (I like chocolate with this recipe).
2/3 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup granulated Splenda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 jumbo egg whites
1 teaspoon maple extract
2/3 cup water

Instructions:

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, then add the egg whites, extract, and water. Stir until mixed well. Scoop into a muffin pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350-degrees for 25 minutes.

Makes 6 large muffins.

Macronutrient Profile (each muffin):

* K/cal: 176
* Fat: 4 g (1s, 1m, 2p)
* Carbs: 20g (4 fiber)
* Protein: 21 g

Blueberry Cheesecake

Yes, you read this correctly…blueberry cheesecake! Just be careful with these things, as it is nearly impossible to put the cheesecake down after you’ve taken one bite. From my experience, and the stories of my friends who have made them, it’s almost impossible to keep an entire cheesecake around for longer than one day.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup ground flax seeds
¼ cup raw oat bran
1 oz fat-free cream cheese, warmed in microwave
1/3 cup water

Cheesecake:

2 cups lowfat cottage cheese
½ package (52 g) powdered Jell-O instant pudding, cheesecake flavor
3 oz. fat-free cream cheese
3 scoops strawberry whey protein powder*
1 cup frozen blueberries and 4 tablespoons granulated Splenda (*see option 2 below before adding these at this stage)

Instructions:

To make the crust, mix crust ingredients in a large bowl. Stir this mixture until it is all the same consistency, then press into a 9-inch pie pan sprayed with Pam, stretching the crust up the sides of the pan.For the rest of the cake, put the other ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. You might have to blend it in smaller portions, depending on the power of your blender, but resist the temptation to add water, as this makes the cake soupy. Also, more Jell-O mix can be added for more desirable consistency. Pour the blender mixture into the crusted pan, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

*Blueberry option 2: to make a ‘fancier’ cheesecake, thaw the blueberries, then stir the Splenda in with them, and use this as a topping for the cheesecake.

Makes 6 slices.

Macronutrient Profile (each slice):

* 258 k/cal
* Fat: 5 g (2s, 1m, 2p)
* Carbs: 30 g (2 fiber)
* Protein: 25 g

A few notes about some of the dessert ingredients:

Flax meal is simply ground flax seeds. Flax seeds are cheap as sin in bulk, and you can grind them at home with a hand-held coffee grinder. I usually grind them just before their used. If you want to make the meal in bulk, just be sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve its freshness.

Splenda is used as a low-calorie sweetener in many of these recipes, as I prefer its taste to other artificial sweeteners besides Stevia, but others can be used according to your preference. Splenda is not entirely carb-free, since they use a bit of maltodextrin to give it texture. There are 24 carbs in 1 cup of granulated Splenda. This was calculated into the nutritional information for the relevant recipes.

So there you have it. These meals should give you enough variety to avoid the tuna can doldrums. Bon appetit!

For more healthy dessert recipes, download the free Gourmet Nutrition Desserts here

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A Sneak Peak at My Meal Plan

Posted on 26. Aug, 2009 by admin.

So, we’re almost done with the “Manage Your Sugar Cravings Challenge.” I should have written about this earlier but I wanted to quickly give you an idea of how I ate my way through this challenge without triggering some serious cravings. I know that I mentioned my strategies from the previous post but this article will show you how I actually applied them daily. Also, if you are trying to learn new and better nutrition habits, this might also teach you a few good ones.

If you haven’t done so already, I’d like to read my post on food preparation by clicking here before you proceed with the rest of the post. Preparation really is the key when it comes to healthy eating because if you don’t have your meals prepared ahead of time or your vegetables cut up as soon as you buy them, chances are you won’t follow your meal plan. Life has the habit of getting in the way of your goals, no matter what those goals are, so it’s best to be prepared for what it will throw at you.

Ok, so here is a sample of how 2 days of my eating, with a 24 hour fast in between, for the sugar cravings challenge will looked like…

Monday

Breakfast: 1 Ezekiel Bread Toast, 1 Omega-3 egg, 3 slices Hormel Natural Ham, 2 fish oil capsules, and 1 Fields of Greens

Morning Snack (I mix all these together like a Parfait):

1 sliced Fuji apple
3 tablespoons organic, nonfat, plain yogurt
Splashes of sugar free Maple Syrup
4 pieces Pecans (chopped)

Lunch:

Salad with homemade dressing
4 oz broiled chicken breast
3 cups sauteed Kale
1 peach

Fast until lunch the next day.

Tuesday

On this day, I’m breaking my fast at lunch.

Lunch:

4 oz broiled Salmon
2 cups Chinese Brocolli
2 tangerines

PM Snack (post workout):

1/2 Spinach Bolani with Mint Garlic Yogurt (these are both Persian food staples that I get from the Farmer’s Market)
Salad greens with 1 Omega-3 hard boiled egg and homemade dressing

Dinner:

4 oz Ground Turkey Patty
3 cups Garlic sauteed Kale
1 peach

So, you can see from this meal plan that my starchy carbohydrates were limited to breakfast and after a workout. The trend to watch out for here is that I have lean meats, green vegetables and a piece of fruit during most meals. During those times when it’s not convenient for me to eat my vegetables such as during a meeting or in between training clients (when I’m in a hurry), I take a tablet of Fields of Greens supplement with my meal. This seems to help to stabilize my sugar levels until it’s time for the next meal.

I hope you got a good idea on how you can manage your cravings. There’s also some room for great snack ideas here. I say if you think some things in your fridge will taste good together, go ahead and try that combination. Most of the time, this is how most of my great recipes are made!