Nachos Grande with Pickled Jalapeno Salsa

PG tested

Nachos don't come with the tag "grande" without a reason. This recipe substitutes low-fat ground turkey and black beans but still explodes with festive Mexican flavors. The pickled jalapeno salsa is terrific -- and your guests will never know they're getting their veggies. I doubled the amount of avocado.

1 large carrot, cut into 3 pieces
1/2 small head of broccoli (about 1/2 pound)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small hot chile pepper, such as jalapeno or serrano, cut into thirds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning without MSG
1 star anise pod
1 cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth
15-ounce can low-sodium beans, such as black or kidney
2 cups whole grain tortilla chips
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

For the salsa

1/2 cup baby spinach
1/2 ripe Haas avocado, peeled (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pickled jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup cilantro, thinly sliced
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, sided baking pan with a piece of aluminum foil. Set aside.

Place carrot, broccoli, garlic and chile in a food processor. Pulse 5 to 6 times, until the veggies are chopped. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil, chopped veggies and turkey. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon. Add the taco seasoning and star anise. Cook 4 to 5 additional minutes, continuing to break up the turkey meat. Add the broth and beans and reduce the heat to medium low. SImmer 5 to 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink.

Spread the tortilla chips on the baking tray. Spoon the meat mixture over the chips and dot with sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chips start to brown around the edges.

Meanwhile, place the spinach, avocado, pickled jalapeno, cilantro, lime zest and juice, garlic and salt in a food processor. Pulse until a chunky salsa forms. Serve immediately with the nachos.

Serves 6.

-- "Secrets of a Skinny Chef" by Jennifer Iserloh (March 2010, Rodale, $19.99)

Hot "Wings" with Spicy Sauce

PG tested

One medium deep-fried Buffalo wing can have as many as 80 calories, and nobody eats just one. Plus, those are greasy. These skinless tenders are a sensible alternative. If you like your sauce "atomic" hot, add more cayenne or Tabasco.

5-ounce can reduced-sodium, fat-free beef broth
1/4 cup hot sauce, like Tabasco (I used a combination of Frank's Red Hot and Tabasco)
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tomato paste
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch-thick tenders
24 12-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for at least an hour
6 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into thirds

First, prepare the dipping sauce: In a small saucepan, stir together the beef broth, hot sauce, tomato paste, butter and cayenne, if using. Bring to a slow simmer and cook 20 to 25 minutes, until the mixture reduces to about 1 cup. Meanwhile, thread the chicken onto the skewers. Heat a grill to high heat and cook the skewers 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through. If the weather keeps you from firing up the grill, you can broil the chicken instead; just be sure to cover the ends of the skewers with foil so they don't burn.

To serve: Drizzle the sauce over the skewers and serve extra sauce on the side with celery.

Makes 6 servings.

-- "Secrets of a Skinny Chef"

Guilt-free Artichoke and Spinach Dip

PG tested

Traditional hot artichoke dip can contain as much as a cup of mayonnaise (a whopping 1,650 calories) and a cup of parmesan cheese (almost 500 calories). This lighter cold version lets you "indulge and still feel great," writes "The Skinnygirl Dish" author Bethenny Frankel. I boosted the flavor with an additional clove of garlic and the juice of an entire lemon.

9-ounce package frozen artichokes, defrosted and drained
9-ounce package frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
8 ounces reduced-fat or soy cream cheese
2 tablespoons nondairy or low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 dashes Tabasco sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients except 2 tablespoons of the parmesan in a large bowl or food processor. Blend or pulse until mostly smooth, but leave some artichoke chunks for texture. Serve with thin slices of baguette, raw vegetables, baked tortilla chips or crackers

If you prefer a hot dip, pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish or casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through and just starting to bubble. Let the dip sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

-- "The Skinnygirl Dish" by Bethenny Frankel (Simon and Schuster, $16)

Seven-Layer Dip

Sour cream dips are classic party fare. The calories, however, pretty quickly add up. A healthier option is a seven-layer bean dip. This recipe substitutes black bean soup for refried beans, and nonfat yogurt for sour cream. It has 236 calories per serving.

15-ounce can black bean soup, preferably Goya
2 avocados, peeled and seeded
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt
5 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1 can roasted chopped green chiles, drained
2.25-ounce can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups fresh salsa
2/3 cup shredded low-fat Mexican 4-cheese blend or Cheddar cheese
2 scallions, chopped
Low-fat baked tortilla chips
Jicama sticks, if desired

Spread the soup over the bottom of a 8-by-8-inch baking dish with a rubber spatula. In a bowl, mash the avocados with the lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Spread over the soup with a spatula.

In the same bowl, stir together the yogurt, sour cream, chile powder and a pinch of salt; spread over the avocado. Spread with the chopped chiles. Sprinkle with the olives. Spread with the salsa. Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Preheat broiler and arrange the oven rack about 4 inches from the heat. Broil to melt the cheese, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro and the scallions. Serve with baked tortilla chips and jicama sticks.

Serves 8.

-- "Cook Yourself Thin Faster" with Lauren Deen (Hyperion, $19.99)

Fudgy Brownies

PG tested

No Super Bowl party is complete without something sweet. These chocolate brownies are (almost) guilt free, with only about half the calories (110) of a regular brownie and one-third the fat. The problem will be limiting yourself to just eating one.

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil "sling" (two sheets laid perpendicular to one another), lightly coat the foil with vegetable oil spray and set aside.

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter together in a large bowl in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Let the mixture cool slightly.

Whisk the sugar, sour cream, chocolate syrup, egg, egg white and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, in 3 additions, until just incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan against the counter several times to settle the batter. Bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

Let the brownies cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil, cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Makes 16 brownies.

-- "Light & Healthy 2010" (America's Test Kitchen, Jan. 2010, $35

It's simply a matter of having enough conviction to actually start moving in the direction you want and taking daily action towards your goals.

Motivation isn’t enough.

You need to have a "reason why" and enough emotion behind your goals to really make it work.

Frivolous goal setting is not only a waste of time, it reinforces failure.

Does this scenario ring any bells?

You make some sweeping promise to yourself such as "This year, I'm going to lose weight and get in shap", or "I'm going to drop dress sizes" or "I won't eat chocolate ever again".

Then after a few days of being strong tempation gives in and you let it slide.

You become de-motivated that you couldn't even keep one simple promise and you end up giving in. You then forget all about your initial good intentions and end upright back at square one where you started.

BUT…

What if you could actually make a promise to yourself and REALLY keep it.

What exactly would YOU change?

Just imagine how rewarding it would feel to purposefully change your life for the better.

Imagine how good it will feel when you finally lose weight and tone up, dropping a dress size or two forcing you to the store to buy a new pair of skinny jeans!

Imagine how good it would feel to be healthy and to have more energy.

What would you do?

Go on and choose something.

In fact, get out a pen and some paper, because I'm here to tell you how you can actually make and KEEP a life changing New Year's Resolution by following a few simple steps and make...

2011 your BEST YEAR EVER!

Are you ready?

I'm going to lay out just one powerful way below, so payattention.  It's a simple two step process.

BTW...I do this all the time with my goals, personally and professionally. Believe me,it works.

Step 1 - Choose a goal that's realistic and excites you!

If your goal is to become more fit and healthy, then instead of ust promising this to yourself choose a measurable objective.

This could be any number of things such as:

~ Lose ____ lbs. (insert your exact number)

~ Fit back into your favorite pair of size ____"Skinny Jeans" collecting dust in your closet.

~ Run 1 mile under 8 minutes

~ Perform 20 "regular" push-ups non-stop

~ Etc.

Step 2 - Write your goal down.

There's a saying that goes....

"Goals not written down are merely dreams".

So write down your goal(s) to take them from dreams to reality. It solidifies them in your mind on what you're trying to achieve.

Be sure to write them as statements as though they already happened. This has very strong subconscious power.

Something like:

"I workout with my personal trainer times a week, perform sprint intervals for 20 minutes on my non-workout days with my trainer and weigh ____lbs (insert goal weight here)...

"I am fit, healthy and love the way I feel".

"I love eating 3 healthy meals and 2 healthy snacks each day". 

As you noticed, it's written as though it's already happened and also includes:

~ Specifics: things that you'll do to achieve the goal.

In the above example it was "attend boot camp 3 x week and perform sprint intervals on my non-camp days".

~ Exact Numbers: "Weigh 140lbs"

~ Top Goal: "Fit, Healthy and love the way I feel"

OK, now the part that's going to engrain it into your subconscious mind.

~ Write down your statements and keep them where you will see them. Repeat your statement aloud to yourself several times a day.

First thing in the morning and right before you go to bed are the best times. It sets the tone for the day ahead and places the powerful, positive thoughts in your mind before you go to sleep each night.

Yes, the subconscious is a powerful mechanism, so don't be fooled by the simplicity of this. Just do it.

~ When reading and repeating your goal affirmation, you need to imagine yourself the way you intend to be.

Really see yourself living the way you wrote out your goal affirmation.

See yourself as your "word picture" describes.

Going to camp, exercising with your best, all out effort, with a toned, athletic physique.

Imagine how you think and the way you feel with your new body.

~ Be consistently persistent.

You've heard me say this before a million times.

You must repeat this process every day and the best way to do this is to write your statement on the back of a 3x5 or business type card.

Put it in your purse or your pocket and every time you think about it, pull it out to read it and remind yourself why you're adhering to your plan.

That's it.

Changes don't occur overnight.

BUT, in as little as 12-weeks you could have made very significant changes in your life and to
your physique.

Those 90-days are going to come around anyway, so take action and start changing your life and your body today!

I want to hear from you what your goals are for this year and how my team and I can help support you to make 2011 your BEST YEAR EVER!

So, get after it and keep me posted. You can comment below!

But first, I wanted to take a moment to say, "Thank You" for being a loyal subscriber to my newsletter, blog, and for allowing me to help you with your health and fitness goals.

Thanksgiving is the time of the year to enjoy the company of family, friends, and reflect on our blessings and what we're thankful for. 

When taking into account the large serving size suggested, the number of micrograms per day for these products was comparatively high.

According to ABC 6 Action News:

"Cadmium raises special concern because it accumulates in and can damage the kidneys, the same organs that can be damaged by excessive protein consumption. And it can take 20 years for the body to eliminate even half the cadmium absorbed today."

 

Sources:

ABC 6 Action News June 2, 2010

Consumer Reports.org July 2010

Joe's Comments:

"The popular protien powders tested by Consumer Reports are frequently used by bodybuilders, strength training athletes and fitness enthusiasts to help promote recovery from strength training workouts. However, regular folks utilize protein powders as a means to lose weight while restricting calories."

Among the 15 protein powders tested, three of them contained worrisome levels of arsenic, cadmium and lead.

Which Protein Drinks Fared the Worst?

Three daily servings of the ready-to-drink liquid EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate Shake contained an average of:

• 16.9 µg (micrograms) of arsenic
• 5.1 µg of cadmium

The proposed United States Pharmacopoeia's (USP) limits for these two toxins are 15 and 5 µg respectively.

The worst of the products tested was Muscle Milk Chocolate powder, which contained all four toxic metals; three of them at the highest levels of all products tested. Three daily servings of this particular brand and flavor contained an average of:

• 5.6 µg cadmium
• 13.5 µg of lead
• 12.2 µg of arsenic
• 0.7 µg of mercury

Muscle Milk's Vanilla Crème contained slightly less lead, but still exceeded the USP lead limit of 10 µg.

A fourth product, Muscle Milk's liquid Nutritional Shake Chocolate, also tested high in arsenic, providing you with an average of 14.3 µg of arsenic per day, which is very close to the USP limit.

Clearly, getting a potentially toxic dose of heavy metals with your daily protein drink is not what you had in mind, but based on these results, that may indeed be what you're getting…

Arsenic and Cadmium

Arsenic and cadmium appear to be the most problematic here, as the levels of these two compounds in some cases exceeded maximum "safe" limits. However it's worth noting that, ideally, you don't want to ingest these toxins at ANY level, as even low-dose exposure can contribute to lingering health problems.

Various toxins can also act together synergistically, creating even more potent, damaging effects.

Exposure to low levels of arsenic can cause nausea and vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels, and a sensation of "pins and needles" in your hands and feet. Long-term exposure has been linked to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver and prostate.

Cadmium is also a known human carcinogen. It damages DNA and also disrupts a DNA repair system that helps to prevent cancer.

According to ABC News, cadmium also "raises special concern because it accumulates in and can damage the kidneys… and it can take 20 years for your body to eliminate even half the cadmium absorbed today."

It's important to realize that toxic metals such as the ones discussed here typically accumulate in your body over time where they can cause irreparable damage. Further damage can be prevented by using various detoxing methods to remove the metals, but this can be a slow, difficult process.

Prevention is clearly your best defense when it comes to protecting yourself against heavy metals and other toxins.

A Safer, Healthier Alternative

Fortunately, preventing exposure to toxins like arsenic, cadmium and lead is possible by making sure you're eating as much organic foods as possible, and that includes your protein drinks.

As stated in ABC News' article, cadmium in particular is also prevalent in plants foods such as potatoes, rice, and leafy greens. However, this problem is mainly due to the fact that conventionally-farmed produce is frequently grown using fertilizers that contain cadmium, which is then absorbed by the plant through the soil. Organic farms do not use these types of toxic fertilizers, which prevent the soil and crop from being contaminated in the first place.

So keep in mind, protein drinks can be quite beneficial, whether you're working out and want to increase muscle or using them to supplement an otherwise healthy diet, but quality is everything, and drinking something that's contaminated with heavy metals won't do you any good.*

Buyer beware.

Making sure that the product you buy fulfills the healthy criteria mentioned in this article will ensure that you're getting the safest, healthiest protein supplement possible.

Joe's Recommendations:

Nutrilite Whey Protein

"I have found Nutrilite whey protein powder to be the best tasting, highest qualilty protein supplement available. In fact, it is the only whey protein powder I recommend to my clients to help them get the results they deserve."

Product Advantage
NUTRILITE Whey Protein Powder is ideal for weightlifters, endurance athletes, and people of all fitness levels who want to build muscle, because it is a fast-digesting protein that the body uses quickly to build and repair muscle.

This protein powder has delicious chocolate flavor and contains the exclusive NUTRILITE C-Lenium Blend, which provides antioxidant protection from harmful free radicals generated by intense exercise.
Same great formula as the XS Power Nutrition Whey Protein Powder – new, convenient packaging with pre-measured, 25g servings.

 

NUTRILITE Brand Position on Banned Substances

NUTRILITE products are formulated not to contain any ingredients banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the official agency to monitor banned substances.

*NUTRILITE recommends that athletes with specific concerns seek approval from a health-care professional before taking supplements.
*Based on the 2010 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

Why detox diets can do more harm than good. Here, we offer a sane strategy

How's this for insane? One in 20 women would rather give up a limb than be obese, according to a study in the journal Obesity.

So it's pretty much a no-brainer that hordes of rational women desperately want to believe in the power of a detox diet. "These diets are so popular right now, mostly because people think they're a quick fix for shedding pounds," says Jennifer Ventrelle, R.D., a nutrition counselor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

As nice as it is to think you can simply flush fat away by drinking so much liquid you spend half your day in the bathroom, the reality is that some of these diets are not just literally hard to swallow, but they may also be bad to swallow.

Recipe for Danger?
The concept of fasting—drastically reducing caloric intake or following a liquid diet—isn't new. The modern-day detox has existed since at least the 1930s, with the first grapefruit diet fad.

Today, most commercial detox diets tout an unhealthy formula of minimal calories and nutrients along with some key—usually foul-tasting—ingredient that has supposed fat-melting power, like cayenne pepper or vinegar. But no science backs the idea that following a specific diet for a week or eating only one food will get rid of "toxins." Your body has the power to do that all on its own: That's why you have a liver, kidneys, and a digestive system.

What's worse, "most of the so-called ‘detox' supplements and diets on the market aren't regulated by the FDA and are potentially harmful, especially if they're very low-calorie or contain diuretics that flush your body of potassium and other crucial nutrients," Ventrelle says.

And with these very real risks come minimal rewards. Much of what you're losing on this kind of extreme diet is water weight, which lasts only until you refill on fluids. If you see a more permanent drop on the scale, chances are it's muscle, not fat, that's missing. Without adequate protein (and a liquid diet doesn't offer much), your body takes it from its most available source: your own muscle tissue.

Not good! Muscle is your built-in calorie furnace, torching those muffin-top makers even when you're not moving. And the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, which is why dramatically slashing calories can actually slow your metabolism in just a few days. "Your body thinks you're starving and panics," explains Marc Hellerstein, M.D., Ph.D., professor of human nutrition at the University of California at Berkeley. "Your metabolism slows way down to preserve your muscle and basic bodily functions." So when you go back to eating normally, you gain weight faster and from fewer calories.

Detoxes Debunked
There's no question that detox diets drastically slash your calorie consumption. But research has found that after just a few days of skimping on calories (even a very petite woman needs at least 1,200), your body stops producing a crucial growth hormone called IGF1, and reduces thyroid and other hormones as well as insulin levels. Over time, all of this can lead to problems such as bone loss and menstrual disruptions.

Even fasting every other day, which a 2009 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found may benefit obese men and women, hasn't shown promise for those who are looking to lose only a few pounds.

And then there's the quality-of-life issue. "When you eat that little, your sex drive disappears, you feel tired all the time, and you're always hungry," Hellerstein says. And what good is a hot body if you can't summon the energy to use it?

A Healthier Head Start
That's not to say every cleanse is bad. Done in a healthy (read: sane) way, detoxing "can feel like an intervention, a fresh beginning," Hellerstein says. "Most people eat way more food than necessary, which taxes the liver and kidneys," says Ronald Stram, M.D., director of the Center for Integrative Health and Healing in New York. Not only does a healthy detox give your digestive system a break, but by eliminating added sugar, saturated fats, and alcohol, it also rids your diet of things that can exacerbate health issues, Ventrelle says. "Plus," she notes, "you'll likely cut calories in the process."

A good plan provides enough calories and nutrients to sustain you (the average woman needs 1,200 to 1,800 calories) and includes fiber and lean protein. With that in mind, Ventrelle created a 1,400-calorie plan (below) exclusively for Women's Health. (Note: Calories given are for a 5'3" to 5'5", 115- to 125-pound woman. You may need to adjust for your own height, weight, age, and activity level.) Following it for at least three days will kick-start weight loss, but it's safe to use as long as you'd like.

Because you'll eat often—at least every four hours—and drink as much water and decaffeinated tea as you want, you'll beat bloat while keeping your blood sugar steady and your energy high. This means you'll be able to cut back without feeling cranky, exhausted, or hungry. And—we pinky swear—you won't have to gulp down a single glass of cayenne-spiked liquid.

The Plan

Breakfast
• 8 oz water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Scrambled egg whites with chopped fresh herbs (such as basil or oregano), topped with a dollop of salsa, and 1 slice whole-wheat toast, dry
or 1 cup cooked oats or cooked oatmeal topped with ½ cup berries or 2 Tbsp nuts
• 8 oz decaffeinated green or herbal tea

Snack:
• Sliced apple with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
or 1/3 cup natural trail mix


Lunch
• 1 cup fresh spinach or lightly sautéed spinach or kale, squeezed with fresh lemon or orange juice
or 1 cup asparagus with 1 tsp olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice
• 4 oz grilled, baked, or broiled salmon, chicken, or pork tenderloin, seasoned with spices such as lemon pepper
• 1/2 cup edamame beans, steamed
• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea
• 8 pecan halves

Snack:
• 1/2 sweet potato or one citrus fruit (orange or grapefruit)
• 4 oz low-fat yogurt


Dinner
• Large spinach or romaine salad with vegetables. Dress with 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil mixed with lemon juice or vinegar (any variety)
• ½ cup to 1 cup asparagus or artichoke hearts, steamed
• 4 oz lean chicken with spices, baked or grilled
• ½ cup brown rice, barley, bulgur, or quinoa
• 8 oz water or decaffeinated green or herbal tea

Snack:
• ¾ cup to 1 cup blueberries
or ½ cup pomegranate seeds
• 4 oz nonfat Greek yogurt
or low-fat organic yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese

Courtesy Womens Health Magazine

Contact us today to schedule your no obligation fitness and nutrition consultation at 719-229-2639 and discover how to lose stubborn body fat in record time.

Exercise more. When you walk, run, or lift weights, you increase the energy required of your body, which raises your metabolism then, and for hours afterward.

“It’s not a huge spike, but it makes a difference,” says Gary Miller, PhD, associate professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.Work out with weights. During weight training, muscle tissue is stressed; afterward, it’s repaired — which raises metabolism.

A woman who strength trains three times a week for six months can build enough muscle to burn 10 to 32 extra calories a day, according to Robert Wolfe, PhD, professor of geriatrics at the University of Arkansas.

Practice portion control. This helps ensure you don’t overload your metabolism with a surplus of unusable energy (that is, food).

Use a food scale or measuring cups to identify proper portions. Or use your hand as a guide. A fist equals a serving of fruit, a cupped hand equals a serving of cereal or grains, two cupped handfuls equal a serving of leafy green vegetables and an open palm equals a serving of meat.

Eat smaller meals more often. Some experts recommend eating smaller meals throughout the day, known as grazing. “Grazing helps normalize blood sugar levels rather than producing three large spikes, which is what happens eating three meals a day,” says Nick Flynn, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas.

Determine the amount of calories you need at Mypyramid.gov. Then keep that number in mind as you transition from eating three ordinary-sized meals to five smaller ones.

Laugh it off. When researchers from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, put people into a “metabolic chamber” (a small room that measures heat output in order to calculate a person’s metabolic rate) and showed them funny videos, the subjects’ metabolic rates rose by 10 to 40 calories. It’s a small increase, but every calorie counts for those seeking weight loss, says lead researcher Maciej Buchowksi, PhD

Copyright Cooking Light Magazine

The strategies I am about to share with your are strategies of women who are real big losers. Women who have lost weight and never found it again. Women who have kept their weight off and are living the life they deserve. A life full of energy, health and confidence...they have in fact gained a zest for life!

I have witnessed these women transform not only their bodies and fitness level, but their life during their journey to better health and fitness. They have discovered and applied several common traits or stategies, if you will, that have helped them to lose weight, and get the fitness level that they deserve.

Here are their strategies:

Success Stategy #1 - They set goals. Not merely vague wishes of getting in shape, but real goals and they get them in writing. It's no secret that the number one resolution for most people is to make get in shape. Unfortunately, I also know most of them will fail. In fact, more than half of the people who make a resolution to lose weight will drop out within the first 90 days.

Psychologists say that 95% - 97% of the people in the world do NOT have written goals and fail, while 3-5% have written goals and succeed. Unfortunately for most people, the odds for success are actually even lower, because out of the few people who do set goals, most don't take goal setting seriously. They don't do it scientifically and they only do it once a year.

Goal setting is so important, that I always teach goal setting and mind dynamics first, and only THEN, do I teach nutrition and training second.

In fact, I make it policy that when I meet a with a new client, they take a moment to really think about what they want out of my boot camp program. We set an aggressive yet realistic goal together and then break it down to smaller, more managable goals.

Here is the 7 step formula for setting winning successful weight loss goals. In order for your goals to be successful, they must be S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Winning weight loss goals must be:

1. SPECIFIC– Set weight loss goals with clarity. Your mind does not respond well to vague generalities. Get clear. Be precise and be specific.
2. MEASURABLE – Set goals that can be quantified in measurable units such as pounds, inches, body fat percentages and clothing size. Health goals such as blood pressure can also be measured. How will you measure progress?
3. ACCOUNTABLE – Set weight loss goals you can be accountable to. Be accountable to yourself by using a scale, and keeping a daily nutrition journal. Then, double your accountability and submit your results to your Personal Trainer or Nutrition Coach.
4. REALISTIC – Your goals should be attainable and maintainable. If you lose one to two pounds of fat per week, you’re doing awesome! “30 pounds in 30 days” sounds great in advertisements, but it’s not typical or realistic.
5. TIME BOUND – Set goals with deadlines. Time limits are highly motivating. With no time limit, there’s no urgency for completion. Set long term goals for 1 year, and then break your goal down into smaller, more manageable steps of 12 weeks. Set a 12 week goal for weight, body fat, and clothing sizes. Setting daily nutrition goals will help you reach your weekly goal and keep you motivated.
6. EMOTIONAL – Goals give you direction, but strong emotional goals are the propulsion syem that drives you in the direction you desire. Build up a burning desire by focusing in on the emotional reasons why you want to achieve your goal.
   
   Without this step, you will lose the drive and will have more stress which will cause you to give up when challenges arise. This is what will keep you MOTIVATED and provides you with the DRIVE to do WHATEVER it takes to succeed. You must identify your reason “why?”
   
   It is important to connect your goals to your values and purpose. What’s most important to you about reaching your goal? How will it benefit you? WHY do you want this? What will this result give you? How will this impact or change your life?  You must feel the emotion behind this. Need help? Think about what will happen if you do NOT achieve this goal…..This is the driving force behind your goal. It must be YOURS and must excite you!
7. REVIEWED OFTEN – Most goals fail because they are casually set once (usually at the beginning of the year) and easily forgotten. You can stay laser focused by writing your goal down and reading your goal every day.
   
   Write your most important goal down and carry it with you everywhere you go. Read it several times per day. Ask yourself, “What can I today that will bring me closer to my goal?”

Success Strategy #2 - They have a reason. When goals are in line with your purpose in life, this will allow you to achieve great things...In the classic book, Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill wrote that “desire is the starting point of all achievement…the first step toward all riches.”

And he uses the following adjectives to describe the kind of desire he found after interviewing 500 of the most successful people of all time: consuming, obsessive, pulsating and burning.

Can you describe you current desire for your goals with the same words?

A compelling desire fuels the intense desire to ensure the achievement of your goal. You need a compelling desire – something that really gets you to leap out of bed in the morning...one that carries you through the day.

Perhaps you want to increase your energy to keep up with your children. Or, maybe heart disease or diabetes runs in your family and you want to avoid carrying on the tradition. Whatever you reason for wanting to get in shape, make sure you are doing this for yourself. After all, you are the one that will be making the compromises. And trust me; there will be plenty of them!

There is a big difference between simply wanting something and actually needing to have it! You must clearly identify your reason and motivation for deciding to change. Write your reason down, and review it for the next 21 days. Why 21 days? Research shows it takes approximately 21 days to create new habits or to break old ones! Remember, habits are what we are after changing!

Success Strategy #3: They Believe. 

There is not doubt the power of belief is the number one secret of top goal achievers. When all other things are equal, it is the reason why one person reaches their goal and the others struggles to reach their goal. It is the power of belief.

You may be familiar with the saying, “If you conceive it, believe it, you can achieve it”. So, pay careful attention to what I am about to share with you. It may very well be one of the most important keys to your success. I know, because it was for me, when I first learned it - over 18 years ago!

Beliefe is just like the thermostat in your home. If you set the thermostat to 72 degrees and turn on your air conditioner, the thermostat will make sure that the temperature in your home never goes over 72 degrees before it directs the air conditioner to begin working.

If you have been struggling to try to lose weight but you just can’t seem to lose it by a significant amount, it is probably because of your “belief thermostat”. The same applies for your performance in any area, whether it is financial gain or goal achievement of any kind.

Our limiting beliefs are created and sustained by our limiting thoughts (some of which we inherited from others), our limiting words (some of which we inherited from others) and the people in our life. Changing your limiting beliefs is such an important part of success that I put a lot of emphasis on it when working with my clients.

There is an extremely effective strategy that I must share with you. It is called the “Success Mindset”. A key part of reaching your fitness and weight loss goals is the practice of visualization and the power of belief.

For some reason though, too many people dismiss the mental aspects of achievement as nothing but a bunch of “rah-rah”, pep talk. But make no mistake about it; this powerful strategy is what separates the women who are truly successful with their weight loss goals from those who continue to struggle time and time again.

You see, all things are created twice, first in the mental realm and then the physical. You cannot achieve your ideal body, fitness level and weight loss goal if you don't have an idea of what that means to you.

Your subconscious mind is extraordinarily powerful, but it is a servant, not a master. Your subconscious mind coordinates every aspect of your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, words, actions, and emotions to fit a pattern consistent with your dominant mental pictures. It guides you to engage in the behaviors that move you ever closer to achieving the goals you visualize. Your subconscious mind does not differentiate between that which is imagined and that which is real. It accepts everything that enters its realm as truth.

Therefore, by visualizing yourself looking and feeling, not as you are now, but as you will be, you’re in effect telling your subconscious mind into believing that your desired result has already been attained. You begin to “see” the actions you must do in order to get you closer to your goal. World-Class athletes and champions know this and have conditioned themselves to “vision their dream”. They see on the inside long before the worlds sees it on the outside.

One of my very favorite stories about visioning the dream has to do with Walt Disney’s widow. Whenever they were dedicating Epcot, a reporter went to Lillian Disney and said to her, “It was a shame that Walt wasn’t there to see how everything turned out.” She turned to the reporter and without any hesitation and replied, “Oh, he saw it, and long before we ever did.”

Make sure you have a vivid, tangible picture of what you want to accomplish, look and feel like. Put this picture where you can see it several times a day. This image will imprint on your subconscious mind and your conscious mind will make it a reality.

The way to use creative visualization to reach your goals is to let yourself visualize what it would be like to already have achieved your goal. Take a moment to let yourself feel the excitement. Your goal has been met and you are where you want to be.

As you look in the mirror, you see how amazing your body looks. You can fit into your favorite pair of “skinny” jeans again. Your waist is tighter, thighs are slimmer, and your hips are more firm. Your arms look more toned and defined. You feel more confident and you can see the reactions of those you love as they see the new you.

While simple, this process allows you to physically see the body you want – pointing your subconscious toward the realization of your future, ideal body. This constant source of inspiration is a reminder of who you want to become and where you are headed!

Remember what accomplishing your goal “feels” like. This experience will help keep you motivated and will help pull you through the inevitable difficulties of making the positive changes.

You don't change your body by trying to change your body. You change your body by changing your mindset first...by creating new habitual patterns of thinking and visualizing.

To your success,

Joe

P.S. It's not too late to enroll for our January Indoor Boot Camp! We still have a few spots left, but they're going fast.



As I was sitting here at Starbucks (my home away from home) working on some new workouts for our New “Belly, Butt and Thigh Blaster” Boot Camp, I was thinking of what to write to you today when something dawned on me.

Something really obvious…but that completely slipped my attention…until now.

Not only are we about to celebrate a New Year in a matter of days, but we're about to see the start of yet another decade too... amazing!

It made me think about just how much my own life has changed in the last 10 years.

Back then I was working as a health club personal trainer for the big box gyms - World Gym, Gold's Gym and Fitness 19 , training one-on-one. And now, realizing how much the industry has changed and how the way I train, coach and educate my clients has changed.

I remember New Years eve 1999...yes, just like the song...and the BIG goals I had for 2000. I remember wanting to help even more people achieve the weight loss and fitness results they wanted and I wanted to impact more lives then ever before.

That is when I began to train in people in groups of 2 and 3.  

Then one day, after putting together a boot camp workout for one of the big box fitness centers, I realized how much fun people had working in a small group environment. I though I would put together my very own boot camp.

Since most of my clients were women over 40 at the time, I would focus my fitness boot camp on rapid fat loss circuits using all of the fitness trends and at the same time combine the powerful elements of social support. 

Crazy stuff! : )

As I helped dozens of women get into top shape, I noticed a set of qualities and traits that made them successful. Sure, there was the obvious; accountability, coaching and consistency. But there was more.

Have you ever wondered why some women can get in shape, lose weight and keep it off and why it seems as if so many others continue to struggle?

I have documented, and recorded a fool-proof goal setting system so powerful, its almost mind-bogling why so many others aren't doing it. And, I am going to share it with you. But first, I have a question for you.

What have YOUR last 10 years added to your life?

Are you healthier, wealthier, wiser and happier than you were 10 years ago or has the last decade been one long groundhog-day where the same things have happened over and over and over again?

I hope it's the former but if by chance you answered  positive to the latter then I want to tell you that you can make the next days, weeks, months, years and decades stunningly different to the ones you've just experienced by making a really small yet amazingly powerful change to how you go about your life.

Stay tuned for Part 2...

To your health,

Joe