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

If you live in Atlanta or listen to talk radio, you have probably heard of Clark Howard and his consumer advocacy to get you cheap deals on just about everything.

Sometimes to the extreme.

Well, I’m sorry, in advance, but I heard him say one of the most absurd things on the radio this morning.  So absurd that I just have to tell you Clark has lost it, at least momentarily, on this one.

He has another way for you to, “keep your wallet fat.” (those are his words) He went on to say that January is the month that fast food restaurants are hurting for business. So, in an attempt to get customers back, they offer “great incentives” and discounts on popular menu items.

He advises you to stay away from the combo and value meals. The savings is in the $1 menus. You’ll find items that are not usually on there.

Now, this might excite “Mc Frugal” Clark Howard and save you money now. It may even “keep your wallet fat,”  however, this strategy will also keep YOU FAT!

And in the long run, you’ll pay more for doctor bills!

- High Blood Pressure

- Diabetes

- Heart Disease

- High Cholesterol

but for now, save some money

and

Enjoy that Big Mac!

Posted under nutrition

I’m serious! That’s what I saw on the side of the package on this ‘All New Celebrity Endorsed’, “Cookie Diet”.

Secret "Cookie Diet" of the Stars!

All these years I’ve coached clients and seminar participants on the benefits of supportive eating and proper nutrition for optimal fat lose and the real secret is in the cookies!

Apparently this has been a secret of the Hollywood stars for years, but is now available to rest of us.

So, here’s the scoop on this weight loss superstar!

The box recommends 4 cookies per day.

“Eat 1 cookie for Breakfast, 1 for a Mid-Morning snack, 1 for Lunch and 1 for a Mid-Afternoon Snack and a “Sensible” Dinner.

(I love when marketers use the word ‘sensible’, because this whole cookie diet makes NO SENSE!)

Note – If you remember, the old “Slim Fast shake commercials, their claim had the same wording. “Drink a Slim Fast shake for breakfast, another one for lunch and a “sensible” dinner.”

This makes sense... yeah, right!?!?

Now, for the let down…

I’m sorry to say that yes, this product is a bunch of crap!

Will you lose weight?

You sure will, but it’s not the weight you want to lose. Most of us want to lose fat in order to gain that toned sexy look, right?

If you use this diet for that purpose, you will ultimately fail to achieve your goal, fail to get into the dress size you desire and fail to build self-confidence.

Why?

This approach is considered a calorie restrictive diet. In short, the fewer calories you take in the less energy your body has to use for proper daily functioning.

Your vital systems, including your digestive system, cardiovascular system, which governs the daily functions of blood flow, heart and lung activity, are compromised due to the lack of proper nutrition.

All these organs and systems work without you consciously thinking about them, but they still need energy to operate… They need Calories!

Excessively restricting your caloric intake leaves your body with only muscle to burn and use as fuel.

This will ultimately decrease muscle tissue, slow metabolism and your body will increase its fat storage as a means of survival.

Plus, when your body begins to get too hungry, your Will-Power weakens, and you give in to the temptation for some sugary sweets. This will cause you to not only gain back the weight you lost; you will also gain additional weight.  This extra weight gain is due to the body’s defense against the calorie restrictions you placed on it earlier.

Your body doesn’t know when it will receive another “supportive” meal, so it holds on to as many carbs and fats as possible in hopes to survive the next diet you try!

The best way to lose weight, burn fat and increase metabolism is to eat “supportively”.  What does that mean?

To keep it brief for now, here are some simple guidelines to eating supportively…

• Eat a starchy carbohydrate, fibrous carbohydrate and a lean protein with every meal. AKA, Trinity’s “Rule of Three”

• Eat every three to three and half hours

• Avoid or at the worst limit saturated fats

• Avoid, or at least limit sugar. (ALL SUGAR)

• Drink plenty of water.

If you are interested in additional information on Trinity’s “Rule of Three” here are some references to assist you.

Trinity’s “FIT EATS!” cook books

Trinity’s TAKE 21 – 21 Day Total Transformation Program

Posted under nutrition, Programs and Courses, Seminars

In lieu of several “whinny people” asking why they can’t seem to lose weight and get the results they originally discussed with me, here are some questions you should stop and ask yourself if you don’t seem to be getting what you want. (Yeah, this may strike a cord with many people. I’m not writing about any one person in particular. However, if the shoe fits, (and it’s in your closet) it’s probably yours!)

Ask youself....why?

Why do you continue to make short term decisions that blow any chance of long-term success?

Why do you continue to eat junk food when you want to lose fat?

Why do you watch so much TV when you know you should be exercising?

Why do you hide or even deny your goals when you know that support will help you succeed?

When you don’t follow the program set for you, why do you blame others when you’re irresponsible?

Why DO you constantly look out the window when you should be looking in the mirror?

The reason most people fail to see any goal come to pass… is that, “Too many people give up the pursuit of their long term dreams and goals for the short term gratification of the the moment. “

Nathan J. Nowak

Rather than me responding to these questions, I’m interested to see what you have to say.

Add your comments, thoughts and anything else you’d like to say below.

Have a great weekend!

Posted under Fitness Routines, Motivational, nutrition

CNN published an recent article saying, “As nation gains, ‘overweight’ is relative.”

I wrote an article several years ago about the retail store Old Navy and their misleading size labels on clothing.

But, now more and more retailers are adding extra material to the waist line and labeling it a smaller size.

Why? To make you feel like you really aren’t as fat as you think you are.

Well thank you very much, retailers!

If the tag says it, it must be true!

Who’s telling us the truth these days?

Politicians?

Nope

Infomercials?

Nope

Clothing Designers?

Nope

Let me ask you… does it make you feel good to know that your waist line is 40 but you fit into a size 4?

Who are they kidding?  I believe it’s a slap in the face to actually think by lying to consumers about the severity of their weight problem you won’t hurt their feelings or self-confidence.

It’s kind of like having a sheltered childhood.  Parents think they’re helping by keeping kids from the “dangers” of the world, but once they’re out on their own, reality and shock set in.

The reality is that some people are fat and we need to do something solid and concrete, not shelter people from the truth!

If I were you, I would think twice before squeezing into those jeans and buying into the lies and deception of the retailers trying to sell you.

But, if living a lie is something you like, makes you feel good and you’ll worry about the consequences later, than by all means, be my guest.

Are you ready for a change?

Ready to make 2010 your best year ever, I mean really, “Your Best Year Ever!”

We’re here to help!

Check it out! TAKE 21

Posted under Media, Motivational, nutrition, Programs and Courses

I’m a QuikTrip guy. If there’s a QT around, I’ll choose them over other gas stations. (this is not a commercial to buy QT gas)

I went to get gas the other day. It was a normal day, just like any other trip to the gas station.

I pulled up, parked the car, got out and put my card in the card reader. I began pumping gas and something caught my eye.

I looked up and low and behold, there it was, the answer to the question of life. It read, “Life’s too short…”

Now if that statement was followed by something very motivational, inspirational or anything to enlighten the soul, then this would be one of those other blog posts you receive from me, but it’s not.

This is what it said, “Life’s too short for oatmeal.”

And the sign didn’t stop there. There was a huge picture of a delicious looking honey glazed, cinnamon bun on the sign too.

WHAT IS THIS?

Is it true? All my life I was eating oatmeal and never knew the real secret to a fulfilled life.

Honey buns for breakfast!

I’m glad I found out now.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

Well, most of you reading my blog posts know eating honey buns and any other brownie, croissant and Danish things for breakfast not only kills any chance of a fat loss goal, fat burning for the day is certainly out and you will probably end up leading a shorter life because of it.

Poor oatmeal, getting a bad rap from QT.

Here’s the skinny on the Honey bun vs. Oatmeal battle.

In the blue corner weighing in at…

Serving Size 1 Roll

Honey Bun Champion!

Calories 813

Calories from fat 288

Total Fat 32g

Saturated Fat 8g

Trans Fat 5g

Cholesterol 67mg

Sodium 801mg

Total Carbohydrates 117g

Dietary Fiber 4g

Sugar 55g

Protein 15g

The undisputed fat gaining, cholesterol raising, artery clogging champion!

“Honey Buns aka Cinnabon!” (since it’s the most popular)

And now,

Fighting out of the red corner…

The reigning supporter, in the battle for weight loss champion; lowering cholesterol for years, is a great source of dietary fiber and carbohydrates, weighing in at…

Serving Size ½ cup (dry)

Oatmeal Champion!

Calories 150

Calories from fat 25

Total Fat 3g

Saturated Fat 0.5g

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 0mg

Total Carbohydrates 27g

Dietary Fiber 4g

Soluble Fiber 2g

Insoluble Fiber 2g

Sugar 1g

Protein 5g

The slow cook, old fashioned  Ooooooootmeal!

It appears after an intense battle, Oatmeal has once again prevailed over the forces of evil weight gain and quick death due to stroke and heart attacks.

Please call 911... my arteries are clogging up!

Yeah, I know oatmeal may not look or taste as good as a cinnamon bun, but you will definitely have a better chance of living a longer, healthier life eating it.

Note: If “Plain Jane” oatmeal isn’t for you, here’s a recipe to spice it up a little bit. Remember, you have to watch your sugar consumption if fat loss is the goal!

“The original hearty (and healthy) breakfast starts with old-fashioned, real rolled oats. To prevent spoiling, store in an airtight container. As a reminder, cut the expiration date from the package and slip it into the container. Try our Cozy Oatmeal, or simply tailor a plain bowl of oats to your own taste. Mix in golden raisins or dried fruit such as cranberries or apricots at the end of the cooking process; cook until they plump

Much Healthier for Ya!

up. Or serve with fresh fruit: Top with sliced banana or a handful of raspberries. A drizzle of maple syrup and cinnamon remains a can’t-miss combo. Sprinkle with toasted nuts, and enjoy. “ CountryLiving.com

Posted under nutrition

Tis’ the season to be Jolly! If you are not careful, you could end up looking like Santa Claus!

Too much egg nog!

As we enter another holiday season, it is easy to lose focus of the big picture. I am not talking about getting together with friends and giving and all that stuff. That should be a given.

I am talking about your fitness goals. Remember the ones you had New Year’s Eve? Yeah, it has been a year already.

There are approximately 4 weeks left in 2009. While you are out and about running from store to store and from party to party, do not forget to take time for yourself to work out and eat correctly (okay, splurge some too).

It is very easy to gain 10 to 15 pounds in less than a month if you are not careful. I’ll show you how tomorrow in my special report, “How to Gain 10 to 15 Pounds Quicker than You did Last Year.”

If time is an issue or your evenings are full, I recommend working out in the morning. This will give you time to get your workouts in and have time to party and shop in the evening. You will feel good about getting your workout in and not feeling so bad when you eat that second piece of pie.

It’s a Win, Win!

Trinity’s “12 Days of Fitness” giveaway!

Starting tomorrow, Trinity is launching the “12 Days of Fitness” giveaway! We are offering special reports on workouts, nutrition, safety during the holiday’s and more!

You don’t want to miss it. Add your name to the list to make sure you don’t miss anything! “12 Days of Fitness”

Make sure you check your email daily!

Posted under Fitness Routines, Holiday Specials, Motivational, nutrition