Fit – Fat People
You’ve heard me talk about “skinny – fat people” so what’s a “fit – fat person?” Fit – fat people are those you see in the gym everyday working out or running around the park for miles but are still fat.

What I mean is these folks can lift heavy and have a strong core but have fat around their midsection. They are the runners that can run miles and miles and still want more, but if you see them in street clothes, you might think, “man, get to the gym.”

These are fit – fat people.

Another example is exercise enthusiasts that have taken something to an extreme and are good at it, but don’t have the other parts of the program in balance.

Marathon runners with excess fat

Most of the time it’s the supportive nutrition that’s lacking from their program. Regardless of how many times a week you lift weights or run 5 to 10 miles a session, you will still look fat and be frustrated with your appearance if you don’t eat supportively.

We’ve talked for years about supportive nutrition and what it means. Here’s a little recap.

We instruct clients and gym members to eat what is known around Trinity as the “Rule of 3.”

The “Rule of 3” means you eat a lean protein, starchy carbohydrate and a fibrous carbohydrate with every meal.

Trinity's Rule of 3!

You should try to get a meal in every three to three and half hours.

Meals should be visually equal portion sizes, and you should eat until you’re full. That’s right, until you are full!

Things to remember…

Avoid hydrogenated oils
Limit saturated fats (fats that are solid at room temperature)

Limit/Avoid sugar (ALL SUGAR!)
REMEMBER! If fat loss is the goal, sugar is out!

Drink plenty of water

Stay away from any foods labeled enriched, processed, fortified or any other words that make the product sound great. This includes wheat products.

If you start making supportive nutrition a higher priority, you will not only see a difference in your fat loss, but you’ll also notice a difference in your performance levels too!

We have helped 100 of runners and other athletes in general with optimizing fat loss while strengthening their bodies to increase performance and reduce injuries.

from Fat to Fit... YOU can do it in 2012!

For more information call us at 404.966.KICK (5425) or a for a free consultation request more info. Fitness Consultation.

Start Strong, Finish Stronger in 2012!
Nathan

Posted under nutrition

High Fructose Corn Syrup is Good for You!

I know you’ve had to have seen the new television commercials promoting H.F.C.S. and the great benefits of having it in your diet.

Get the skinny on HFCS

This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever watched! Here’s a link to the youtube version of two moms discussing why its okay to give it to your kids. Just in case you haven’t seen yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9vZYj-aJ4

If you think for one minute that this has any substance to it you are in for a big surprise. High fructose corn syrup is one of the major leaders in the obesity epidemic we as American’s are experiencing throughout the U.S.

Add some to your diet and watch the transformation!

H.F.C.S. is to the sweetener world as hydrogenated oil is to oil. Food Companies take something good and make something bad to keep manufacturing costs low and profits high.

If you would like to completely destroy your body’s chances of burning fat and achieving the toned, fit, healthy body you are looking for, go to the local grocery store and find everything with the stuff in it. Eat and drink up! In addition to staying overweight and frustrated with your body’s appearance, you’ll experience the wonderful blood sugar crash and insulin levels running out of control like a roller coaster at Six Flags!

Sweeteners aren’t created equal as with other products we’ve talked about in the past. If you have to use something to sweeten a beverage or food, use something lower on the glycemic scale and a product the body can break down without a huge insulin spike or by product that can be dangerous to your body.

JUST SAY NO!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger in 2012!
Nathan

Posted under nutrition

Lose weight for as little as $10 a day!

That’s what a recent Nutrisystem advertisement said. They claim you can eat lasagna, cheeseburgers, chocolate cake and lose weight.

About a month ago, I was asked by several random people about Nutrisystem food and the program, but at that time I didn’t really know much about it.

The next day I was in someone’s office and found an entire drawer full of Nutrisystem meals. I was curious to see what was in them and how they worked. As I read the back of the pre-packaged food, I was blown away.

Why are you eating packaged food?

First of all, the packages are small. Real small! Even the so-called main meals are small.

Second, they had the exact same calories of a regular home-cooked meal but with smaller portions.

So what are you giving up?

Sure, you’re eating less, but you’re consuming the same amount of calories.

What’s the point in that?

If you’re going to have calories, don’t you want to consume a good meal too?

The grocery store food isn't any better!

The last major point that stands out is the sodium. Some of these small packages had as much as seven hundred milligrams of sodium.

Got hypertension? If not now, you soon will, followed by high blood pressure.

One of the most shocking foods I saw was the pre-packaged oatmeal.

For those of you who have been on Trinity’s Super Market Tour, you know that one of the benefits of oatmeal is that it helps lower cholesterol. Yet, the Nutrisystem oatmeal won’t do that, nor will any instant oatmeal for that matter.

Eat this... not that!

Instant oatmeal may be quicker, but unfortunately all the vital nutrients that help lower cholesterol are stripped away. The only cholesterol lowering oatmeal out there will have the words “slow cook” on the package.

Let’s get to the kicker. Nutrisystem costs ten dollars a day, which means it costs $300 a month. For $300 dollars a month, you could have a lot more bang for your buck. We’ve partnered with a company that gives you real food! None of that prepackaged, dehydrated… just add water crap!

You can check it out here! The Meal Movement 

The best way to lose weight, feel great and see results fast is eating healthy food!

The best use of $300 would be to hire yourself a fitness professional and the proper guidance needed to assist you in losing the weight and keeping it off.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it until everyone is fit. There are no pre-packaged meals, fat-incinerating pills, or stimulating gadgets that will help you lose weight. These will only lead to one thing being leaner, your pocket book! If you don
T like to cook or are too busy to cook, then try The Meal Movement NOW!

So, skip the pain of failing again or being frustrated with the lack of results. Learn how to get permanent weight loss fast with Trinity’s new and improved TAKE 21 program. We’ll discuss nutrition, as well as the other key components to a synergistic program that works for everyone, every time, guaranteed!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger in 2012!
Nathan

Posted under nutrition

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

If you ate an additional 200 calories a day during the holiday season, that was enough to gain an extra 10 pounds over the course of a couple weeks. If your clothes are fitting a little tighter and you’re ready to get back on track with your nutrition, then here is a helpful tip to getting those pounds off fast!

This tip is actually a little known secret in the fitness and nutrition industry. In fact, the average personal trainer doesn’t know this secret and those that do will be upset that I’m offering this up to the masses. That’s tough for them!

Easy Come... Easy Go!

The “law” states that if you consume more calories than you burn you will gain weight. If you consume less calories than you burn, you will lose weight. It’s really that simple.

If you can’t afford to hire a professional to assist you with your weight loss/ fat loss goal and don’t have any medical conditions that would restrict this approach, start by taking your weight and adding a zero to the end.

This number represents how many calories you should consume in a day.

Divide the total calories over 5 to 6 meals and you have the amount of calories you should consume with each meal.

Remember, these calories should come from visually equal portion sizes of a starchy carbohydrate, fibrous carbohydrate, and lean protein.

A little math for you!

Here’s an example: You weigh 180 pounds. Add a zero. This gives you a total of 1800. Divide 1800 by 5 meals per day, and the answer is 360 calories per meal.

This alone will help you shed those unwanted pounds. But don’t forget that you also have to challenge muscle, get some aerobic exercise and rest for the effects to be beneficial and long lasting.

If you’re looking for a program that will give you the weight loss and healthy goals you’ve set for yourself, we can help. Check out our TAKE 21 – 21 Day Transformation Program.

Start Strong, Finish Stronger in 2012!
Nathan

Posted under Fitness Routines, nutrition

It’s only a few days, enjoy it!

I often hear people say they cannot enjoy themselves during a holiday meal because they are dieting. The holidays become a time to fear instead of a time to enjoy.

Don't FEAR the Holiday's!

There are a few things wrong with this situation. First, no one should pick the holidays as a time to diet. Secondly, if you eat healthy throughout the year, you wouldn’t have to worry about a holiday meal. What’s the big issue? Do you really eat that much more at a holiday meal? Do you sit at the table feasting for hours on end?

Holiday Party's!

If you eat a couple of holiday meals with the same healthy portion sizes you normally use, you shouldn’t gain 5 pounds during the holidays.

No weight gain here!

At the same time, I recognize that there are treats and great food everywhere around us during the holidays. So, for those who forget the basics to supportive nutrition, I suggest keeping in mind the following simple tips. Remember, maintaining your nutrition success throughout the holiday season is actually possible.

What to eat?!?!

First, make breakfast a priority and plan it. Breakfast is key if you want your body to burn fat all day long. This obviously is not a new idea, but when the season changes, people forget the basics when it comes to maintaining and continuing their fitness and nutrition plan. Breakfast should consist of the “Rule of 3,” a starchy carbohydrate, fibrous carbohydrate, and a lean protein. If you need assistance with this, pick up a copy of Trinity’s cook book,“Fit Eats!”

Second, do not skip any meals. It is very easy to go all day shopping from store to store and realize you have not made time to eat. Your body’s nutrition needs do not change for the last two months of the year. If you have been diligent up to this point with your nutrition plan, one or two days of calorie depravation may not be the end of the world. However, if you undergo a week or two of caloric deficits, you could quickly see yourself back where you started. You worked really hard to establish good eating habits, so remember to make time for meals.

Pick healthier recipes and substitute ingredients!

Whether you are eating out at a restaurant or waiting to get home to have dinner, you have to make sure you get the nutrition your body needs to keep energy levels high and metabolism at an optimal level.

And finally, drink plenty of water. When you find yourself on the go, make sure you stay hydrated. Try drinking a glass or two before a party or big holiday dinner. This will help prevent you from overeating. Drink a glass of cold water, not ice cold, before bed. Your body will burn extra calories while trying to elevate the temperature of the water to match your body temperature.

Happy Holiday's!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

Posted under nutrition

A Healthy Food that Can Make You Fat! Well, at least once a year.

As a fitness professional one of discussions I frequently have with clients members and seminar participants is better food choices; what’s considered healthy and what should be left alone. (at least kept in moderation)

Thanksgiving is over and everyone is getting back to some kind of normal schedule before we hit Christmas and the New Year.

The week after Thanksgiving I always get comments about eating too much “Turkey” for Thanksgiving and that is the cause of weight gain and fat.

Turkey is a healthy, lean protein

Now, for 364 days per year, I tell folks it’s okay to eat turkey. Turkey is a great source of protein and low in fat. But, I must have missed something. Because a lot, I mean a lot of people tell me that they ate too much of this secret fat gainer and that’s why their pants don’t fit right now.

I don’t want to cause you more pain by breaking this lie that seems to occur every year for many of you, but it’s not the turkey. It was everything else you ate in addition to the lean protein, low fat turkey… unless you covered and smothered it in thick gravy and breading.

Yum! Turkey... Watch out! It will make you FAT!

You know, the turkey isn’t alone in the bad wrap from Thanksgiving dinner. I hear well meaning; seemingly educated people throw around vegetables with such allegations too.

Sweet potatoes and corn for instance are a great starchy carbohydrates packed with vitamins and nutrients the body can use in a fight against weight gain.

Green beans, broccoli (how could you accuse broccoli) and other greens are also on the list of dinners, but are also to blame for weight and fat gain.

Why?

It’s not the foods that are fatting; it’s all the crap we cook with that make it fatting!

Duh!

How much butter, cream and hydrogenated oils can you use in one meal to screw up everything you put in your mouth?

Apparently lots!

Add stuffing, dinner rolls and any other processed wheat products and you’re off to “Holiday Weight Gain 2011!”

Wait, we haven’t even had a second or third helping.

Turkey leg... skin and all!

And desert is still to come.

Please don’t get me wrong, all the added butter and blah, blah, blah… (fill in the blank) makes everything taste great, but we can’t over do it if we’re to see long term goals reached.

We also can’t blame food for the reason we are getting fatter and fatter every year if “WE” are the ones cooking the food.

When we add in holiday parties, dinners and get togethers over the next 30 days, missing regularly scheduled workouts will add to the poundage.

In short, try alternatives for all the fatting additives. Replace butter, cream and shortening with steamed veggies.

Moderation = Long term HAPPINESS!

Rather than shoveling food onto your plate in a huge mound, use tablespoon sizes and if you want more, don’t go for another mound. (just another tablespoon or two)

I’ve put together a holiday report called, “How to Gain 10-15 Pounds Faster than You did Last Year!” Yeah, you read that right.

It’s a spoof on the traditional trainer/client, please don’t over eat and follow these tips to get you through, nonsense.

It’s a fun way to look at some of the behaviors and routine changes we have during the holidays.

You can grab a copy here.

Have a great holiday season!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

Posted under Holiday Specials, nutrition

You Gotta Eat!

One of the first things we do when we want to lose weight is…

Cut back what we’re eating.

Definitely NOT Good!

Well, this could be good and bad.

Most of us aren’t eating enough calories to sustain daily functions. Eating once, twice and even three times a day isn’t going to cut it if you want to lose fat, increase energy and look tight and toned.

Adding a workout program to the mix, especially one that relies heavily on cardio to lose the weight, will certainly put us into a calorie deprivation mode, if we weren’t in one already.

The main thing is you have to eat and eat well if you want to lose weight and see results that last.

eat and watch the inches fade away!

For those of you who work out early in the morning, eating a light meal before your workout will prove beneficial, not only in terms of weight loss, but with energy during the workout as well.

If you’re one of those individuals who isn’t eating a lot of food and doesn’t have a “rule of 3” dinner the night before, you can find yourself bonked before the end of your early morning workout the next day.

It’s not so much about how much you eat, it’s really about what you’re eating and in what combinations.

More of this!

If you want results, which is kind of the reason for working out in the first place, why not do it right?

You see results faster.

You’ll have more energy.

You’ll feel better.

Eating healthier and more often leads to this!

Your overall well being will improve and you’ll have the energy you need to sustain your workouts, causing you to stick to the program and accomplish everything you could imagine and more!

In short, EAT!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!
Nathan

Posted under nutrition

Trick or Treat?

Halloween 2011 has past. How much candy did you score last night? I know, we’re adults, but candy is candy, right?

Happy Halloween!

And if you have kids, you can sneak some of theirs too.

It’s November 1st and we are moving fast into the holiday season, which means, more candy, more sweets and more holiday food all around!

So, I have a treat for you.

It’s great because it’s sweet, it tastes great and it’s healthier for you!

Are you ready?

BLACK BEAN BROWNIES!

Don’t knock it til you try em! Seriously!

Now, you can use any brownie mix, however, some mixes have more fat and sugar than others. Some even have hydrogenated oil, so read the ingredients before making your selection.

Here’s the recipe it’s really quite simple.

1 can black beans
1 egg white
(depending on the mix, add water in the place of the oil amount)
1 box of brownie mix

While on our vacation in Colorado we found a wheat free, gluten free brownie mix that worked great.

Brownie Mix - Gluten Free

Preheat the oven to the temperature on the mix.

Take a 9” x 9” pan and lightly spray it with cooking spray

First, start by draining the black beans and rinsing them in water. After they’re rinsed, mash them with a spoon until they make a paste. (it will start to look like refried beans)

Next add the egg white and water to the black bean paste, and mix well. Place the brownie mix into a bowl, and stir in the black bean mixture. Mix all the ingredients together until everything is well blended and the consistency of regular brownies.

Mashing black beans is a great forearm workout!

Depending on the mix, you may need to add a little extra water, but be careful not to add too much. You don’t want runny brownie mix. That’s not good.

Pour the mixed brownies into the pan and stick them in the oven.

A Tasty Treat!

Now, look at the time on the box. If it says the brownies should be in for 30 minutes, take them out about 10 minutes early. Stick a tooth pick in the center. (I usually use a butter knife) If there’s a little mix that comes out with the tooth pick or knife that’s okay.

The thing with black bean brownies is you don’t want to cook them too long. They can get dried out.

Pull them out early and they’ll be as moist as regular brownies!

Let them cool and serve.

For an extra treat, try adding semi-sweet chocolate chips or your favorite nut, but be conservative with your portion.

Enjoy!

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!

Nathan

Posted under Holiday Specials, nutrition

Do you hate doing crunches?

Most people do.

It’s the same crunching motion over and over again with little to no results.

What’s the purpose of crunches anyway?

If you said, “to get a six pack.” or “to tone and flatten the belly.”

You’re wrong.

If you have a layer of fat over your stomach and are performing hundreds of ab exercises, you are only making your belly bigger.

Crunches won't make that go away!

How’s that possible?

Good question but let me ask you another one first.

If I want bigger arms what would you suggest I do to get them? Use exercises that will build and strengthen my biceps, right?

How about legs? If I want to build and strengthen my legs, what would I do for them? I do leg exercises.

So, again if I want a thin, lean midsection, why is the general consensus to do excessive abdominal exercises? It could be due to misleading infomercials or uneducated personal trainers.

I also think people would rather do crunches, even though they hate them, much more than eating healthy and having the discipline to stick it out until the beautiful abs hidden under that layer of belly fat to surface.

Now that we are clear that doing countless numbers of ab exercises isn’t going to give us a thin waste and toned stomach, now I’ll tell what will.

First, we do need a strong core. It helps prevent injuries such as back pain and discomfort.

There are many ab exercises that will assist with strengthening the core, but you don’t have to do as many as you think.

Hanging leg raises and planks are great for strengthening the core.

Hanging Leg Raises midpoint

Elbow Plank

The second, and more important part of getting great results is nutrition.

The greatest rewards in life come from laser focused discipline and relentless determination.

It’s too easy to fall into the “everyone else is doing it” routine and never reach your ultimate goal. If you really want the toned body you see on everyone else, you have to give up, to go up.

Work Smarter... Not Harder!

Stay the course with your nutrition program and you will see what you’re looking for in your own mirror!

Most nutrition and diet programs will leave you failing and miserable. When I talk about a supportive nutrition program, I’m referring to Trinity’s “Rule of 3.”

Sometimes it’s hard to prepare meals that are healthy and nutritious and really taste good.

If you need assist with meals or are looking for a quicker option because you have a busy schedule, we have an excellent option. You can check it out here. Meal Movement

Start Strong, Finish Stronger!

Nathan

Posted under nutrition

Nutrition Myth: The Solution is in a Bar!

Think Thin… that’s the only way to get thin with this!

Everywhere we go I usually get a nutrition question. It sounds something like this, “I want to lose weight. I’ve been eating “blank” what do you think about it?”

The “BLANK” always varies. From fat free cookies to frozen lunches and 9 out of 10 times my answer is pretty much the same.

When I was younger, I would go straight into how bad the choice was and if you really want to see results you can’t buy into the food commercials promising their shake, meal or plan is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Now a days, (before I go into the same conversation as above) I start off with, “Oh, you’re eating “BLANK” to lose weight? Huh, how’s that working for you?”

Recently the “BLANK” has been Think Thin Bars.

The reply is, “Well, I haven’t seen any yet, but I’m going to give it a little while.” (with this particular conversation, this person had already gone through a box of these things. Not sure exactly how much longer we’re talking)

Let’s keep going…

Right after this person made this statement, they began to discuss the great points of the bar, why it was so good and why it would work. The two that stood out were, 20 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar.

At this point, I had never seen a Think Thin bar. So, I said, I’m not sure how good it is for you. I’ll need to check out the nutritional information.

So, that night while I was grabbing a few things at the grocery store I stopped by the supplement and bar aisle to check out the Think Thin bar.

From the front of the package, which is as far as most people go when reading food labels, the bars look pretty good. 20 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar, right there on the front!

The perfect bar! Lot's of Protein and no Sugar.... Looks too good to be true!

My first thought was, “how could they keep the bar solid, if it has no sugar in it?” If you’ve ever spent time cooking with mom or grandma in the kitchen, you know that you need sugar to keep things solid when baking.

I turned the bar over to reveal the secret.

The Truth is Revealed!

The first thing I saw was the total calories which were 230! That’s a lot considering the bar almost fits in the palm of my hand.
The second was the 8 grams of fat. That seems pretty high for such a small bar, but it’s not the worst I’ve seen.

Next was the Carbohydrates, which were a total of 25 grams. Now, that’s a little on the high side.

We saw on the front of the package that there was 0 grams of sugar, so that wasn’t a surprise, but the two words that came next blew me away.

Sugar Alcohol 10 grams and Other Carbohydrates 12 grams!

Okay, wait a minute, stop right there!

Sugar Alcohol is a fancy and sneaky way of using sugar substitutes instead of sugar to sweeten and hold the bar together.

Think of a line. If pure table sugar is on the far right, sugar alcohol is on the far left.

Now, sometimes on occasion it’s okay to use a sugar substitute in moderation to sweeten something, like coffee. (if you really need it, it’s a small amount)

But, if weight loss is the goal and your idea is that this bar will be a useful tool to getting you there, I’m sorry, you’re mistaken.

The real shocker was something I had never seen before, Other Carbohydrate. What the heck was that?

All this time, as a fitness professional, I had only known of two carbohydrates. Starchy and Fibrous, but now there’s Other Carbs. Are they serious? Do they really think people are stupid enough to fall for this?

But, they do and they did!

What are Other Carbs? It’s a combination (grey area) of sugar substitutes that fall on the line in between real sugar and sugar alcohol.

And the company that produces these bars created their own category of carbohydrates just like Atkins created a “Net Carb.”

Now, I want you to understand something here.

If you have eaten these bars or something similar in the past or are munching on one as you’re reading this, I’m not calling you stupid! Got it? Okay.

My point is the bar company’s think you are. They feed on the desperation of folks struggling to lose weight and keep it off for good.

I’m here to shed light on this and other products that will keep you fat.

I want you to be healthy!

I want you to be fit!

I want you to be happy!

I want you to be satisfied with YOU!

And the only way I can do that is to rip the Band-Aids off so we can heal and then get to work! Real work that will get you real results!

It’s amazing the lies and misconceptions out there when it comes to nutrition product claims and the actual results.

Don’t fall into the misinformation out there. Remember, that the way to achieve life long results isn’t going to come in the form of a bar, but in nutritious food combinations like the ones I’ve explained in the past.

If you need help, I’m here for you. You can call me at 404.966.KICK (5425) or email at info@trinitybody.com

Posted under nutrition