 There are many complex reasons that make fat loss a challenge, reasons that go deeper than simply calories-in versus calories-out. I’m talking about the life issues that get in the way of your success. Here are 5 things that block fitness results along with the solutions to unlock your best body. 1. You are crazy busy. Let’s face it, you work too much, commit yourself to too much and don’t even get enough sleep most of the time. The fast-paced way you live leaves you exhausted, stressed and hungry for comfort food. You even begin to feel too busy to take care of your health. It’s time to reprioritize. Let go of your perfectionist standards and remove a few commitments from your schedule so that you are able to cook healthy meals, exercise and get a good night’s sleep. Remind yourself that taking care of your health is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. 2. You don’t want to wait for the good stuff. Just as you wish to avoid pain, you are also an expert in seeking out pleasure—namely food. This served the cavemen well, but these days it ends up as extra pounds around your waist and thighs. There’s good news: extra calories are not your only option to stimulate the pleasure center of your brain. Find an activity or two that make you smile and indulge in those regularly.
3. You don’t want to be bothered. It’s in your DNA to avoid pain and seek out pleasure. Unfortunately, this works against you when trying to get fit. In your mind, it’s painful (or at least uncomfortable) to deny yourself the tasty food that you crave and to exert yourself with exercise. There’s a simple way to work around this obstacle: Find something painful about being out of shape to motivate yourself towards healthy eating and exercise. Focus on the negative impact your current shape has on your health, self-esteem and lifestyle. Convince yourself that the pain of being out of shape is much greater than the discomfort of losing the fat. 4. You don’t deserve it. I don’t agree with it, but you sure act like you don’t deserve to live the good life in the body of your dreams. Take a moment to think back on all the times you have self-sabotaged your weight loss efforts. If you don’t believe deep down that you are worthy, then you’ll never give yourself a chance at a fit body. I believe that you deserve to have a healthy body—and I urge you to dig deep down to uncover why you don’t. Once you conquer your feelings of unworthiness, getting on an exercise and healthy eating plan will be easy. Take the time to take care of yourself. You DO deserve it. 5. You are afraid. You’re afraid to start because you just might fail, and wouldn’t that be embarrassing? You’re also afraid to start because you just might succeed, and change makes you uncomfortable – even if it’s change in the right direction. When you decide to get fit you will need to go through a bunch of changes:
I want to personally help overcome every obstacle standing between you and your ideal body. Call or email today to get started on a program that will change your life and body forever…in the best way!
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 It’s important to avoid traditional breakfast foods that are filled with carbs, grains and sugar, and to instead stick with protein-rich recipes like the one for Eggs in Clouds below. A wholesome breakfast kick-starts your metabolism and helps you to burn more calories throughout the day.
These flavor-rich, fluffed, and baked eggs are great for delivering big nutrition in a fun package. The nutritional yeast adds nutty, cheesy flavor, making it the substitute for dairy cheese. What You Need Serves 4 4 eggs 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast ¼ cup scallion, minced ¼ cup bacon, cooked and minced sea salt black pepper Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 2. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks, placing the whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and the yolks in individual ramekins, being careful not to break the yolks. 3. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in the nutritional yeast, scallion, and bacon. 4. Spoon the egg white mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in 4 mounds. Use the spoon to create a well in the center of each mound, then bake for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and add a yolk to the center of each mound. Return to the oven for 3 minutes, until the yolk has set. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Nutrition One serving equals 101 calories, 7g fat, 229mg sodium, 1g carbs, 1g fiber, 9g protein I hope that you get a chance to give this recipe a try this week. Remember that I’m only a call or email away to assist you in all things fitness. And if you are not yet one of my prized clients then call or email me now to set up your first workout – I’d love to help you achieve your best body ever!  It takes dedicated hard work to drop a significant number of pounds. But afterwards it’s incredibly easy (and frustrating!) to find those pounds creeping back on. Maintaining fat loss is certainly possible, however it does require that you remain vigilant with your healthy routine. Here are 5 secrets to maintaining your amazing body transformation for life. Think of these as your own personal lifestyle rules and stick with them at least 90% of the time to keep your body healthy and hot. Hot Body Secret #1: Don’t Eat Just To Eat There is no place in your healthy lifestyle for mindless snacking. I’m talking about a tub of popcorn at the movies or a bag of chips in front of the TV. All the calories ingested from mindless snacking have to end up somewhere…and that somewhere is around your waist or on your thighs. Snacks are fine when you are aware of how much you’re eating in order to balance it with the rest of your meals for the day. Hot Body Secret #2: Stand (And Walk) When Possible Have you heard the saying sitting is the new smoking? The idea is that a lifetime of sitting all-day-every-day is as harmful to your body as smoking. Think for a moment about how much of your day is spent sitting. You wake up and sit down for breakfast. You sit on the drive to work. You take the elevator up. You sit for most of 8 hours at work. You take the elevator down. You sit on the drive home. You sit to eat dinner. You sit to watch TV. That’s quite a bit of time spent sitting! Now imagine if you consciously stood for some of this time each day and took the stairs instead of the elevator. Over weeks, and months, it really adds up in calories burned, muscles engaged, and overall fitness and health. Hot Body Secret #3: Avoid Sugar I might sound like a broken record about this one, but that’s OK, I’ll keep harping on this point until more people listen. Our bodies weren’t designed to ingest large amounts of sugar on a daily basis. When you regularly take in excess sugar the results are always the same. You. Gain. Weight. The tricky part is that sugar is all around us, so avoiding it takes real vigilance. Start with your morning beverage of choice. Does it have sugar in it? Most of the beverages that are blended and brewed at coffee shops are simply vehicles for ingesting sugar. Find a beverage that you enjoy without any added sugar and stick with the rule of not drinking sugary beverages throughout your day. Hot Body Secret #4: Keep Dinner Light Who says that dinner should be the biggest and heartiest meal of the day? Instead, focus on enjoying light dinners that are centered around protein and veggies and avoid starches and carbs in the evening. The recipe below for Beet and Grapefruit Salad is a great example. Add a grilled chicken breast to a serving of this vibrant, fiber-filled salad and you have a nutritious dinner that’s light and healthy. Hot Body Secret #5: Always Exercise How often do you brush your teeth? Do you sometimes take a few weeks or months off brushing your teeth? Um, no. That’s gross. You brush your teeth everyday as an ongoing habit because you know that the benefits outweigh the slight inconvenience. Can you see where I’m going with this? :) Exercise only truly works when you do it as an ongoing habit because you know that the benefits outweigh the slight inconvenience. It’s part of keeping you healthy. It’s part of who you are. I’m here to make your daily exercise habit fun and effective. If you aren’t yet my client then call or email today to join now. Let’s do this!  If you’re a fan of crispy orange chicken from Chinese take-out restaurants then you are going to simply love this healthier at-home version. While traditional orange chicken dishes taste great they are filled with gluten, sugar, soy and unhealthy fats that cause weight gain. Not a good thing when you are trying to get fit and healthy! This version is much healthier so you can enjoy the flavors you love without any of the guilt. This dish is really quick to throw together for a weeknight dinner and tastes so good you won’t believe it’s healthy. As a bonus you won’t get that big belly ache like with the take-out version. Enjoy! What You Need Serves 6 ½cup orange juice concentrate (no sugar added) 3 Tablespoons coconut aminos 1 Tablespoon olive oil Zest from one orange 3 cloves garlic, minced Dash red pepper flakes 2 packets Stevia 1 tablespoon coconut oil 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into bite sized pieces Dash salt and pepper Dash granulated onion 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 3 green onions, chopped Instructions 1. Combine the orange juice concentrate, coconut aminos, olive oil, orange zest, red pepper flakes and Stevia in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. 2. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil on medium-high. 3. Generously season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and granulated onion. Add chicken to hot skillet and brown on all sides. 4. When chicken is almost fully cooked, add the orange sauce, stirring to coat all of the chicken. Cook, uncovered, simmering the sauce until thickened and fully sticking to the chicken. 5. Garnish with sesame seeds and freshly chopped green onion. Nutrition One serving equals 282 calories, 12g fat, 505mg sodium, 12g carbs, 1g fiber, 35g protein I hope that you get a chance to give this recipe a try this week. Remember that I’m only a call or email away to assist you in all things fitness. And if you are not yet one of my prized clients then call or email me now to set up your first workout – I’d love to help you achieve your best body ever!  John Dryden famously said, “We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.”
Confucius said, “Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.” And Aristotle noticed that, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” It’s pretty clear that the habits you adopt will shape who you are. What are your habits? Do you eat the same thing for lunch, go through the same exercise routine, and fall into bed at the same time each night? Or maybe you’ve made a habit out of eating something sweet before bed, avoiding the gym, and staying up as late as possible. When it comes to your fitness, the two habits that define you are your eating and exercise habits. In fact, everyone that you know who is in great shape has dialed in these two important habits. If you aren’t happy with your body, then simply adjust your eating and exercise habits. Here’s how to adopt a habit: 1) Decide on the ONE habit that you would like to develop. It’s tempting to pick up 3 or 4 healthy habits but choosing just one new habit is realistic and doable. Here are some healthy habit ideas:
Here’s an example:
4) Keep track of your progress. You could keep a detailed journal or simply make a check mark on each calendar day that you successfully exercise your new habit. Once your new habit becomes second nature, usually in about 30 days, feel free to add a second habit by going through the same steps. I’d love for my fitness program to become your new healthy habit! Call or email now to reserve your spot.  I have an exciting recipe for you to try today that’s almost too tasty to be healthy. By cooking these phenomenal sweet potato steak fries in the oven, you’re able to enjoy your favorite side dish without the guilt!
You won’t even notice that these fries are baked and not fried – the flavors are THAT good! By baking at a very high oven temp – 500 degrees F – and by heating up the pan beforehand, these fries get crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, just like a steak fry should be! Make lots and enjoy! What You Need Serves 4 3 sweet potatoes 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted 1½ teaspoons sea salt 2 teaspoons sweet paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Place a nonstick baking sheet in the oven. 2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into ½ - ¼ inch wedges. Place in a large bowl. 3. Toss the sweet potatoes with the coconut oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix until evenly coated. 4. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and arrange the sweet potato wedges in an even layer. Return to the oven for 8 minutes, remove and flip all of the fries. Bake for an additional 6-10 minutes, until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Serve with a side of ketchup. Enjoy! Nutrition One serving equals 182 calories, 7g fat, 478mg sodium, 29g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 1g sugar and 2g protein I hope that you get a chance to give this recipe a try this week. Remember that I’m only a call or email away to assist you in all things fitness. And if you are not yet one of my prized clients then call or email me now to set up your first workout – I’d love to help you achieve your best body ever! 
You probably know that crunches and sit-ups alone won’t give you sculpted abs. Only a drop in overall body fat will uncover your stomach muscles. It is fully possible for you to do this with an effective combination of fat burning cardio, resistance training and clean eating. My clients routinely drop fat and transform their bodies. You can do it too. Here’s how to get beach-worthy abs… 1) Exercise a minimum of 4 times per week. It is important to dedicate yourself to working out a minimum of 4 times a week if you want to transform your abs. Anything less than this won’t make a large enough impact on your progress. 2) Make sure your workouts are effective. What makes a workout effective? It includes intense cardiovascular training coupled with effective resistance training. Walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes isn’t a fat blasting routine. Neither is a leisurely 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. The truth is that you can dramatically increase your results while investing less time when your workouts are effective. Cardio exercise is all about maintaining an effective level of intensity. This doesn’t mean that you should be out of breath or gasping for air, but it does mean that you need to push yourself. Resistance training is the second key part of a fat burning workout. This means working your major muscle groups against resistance in a way that stimulates your metabolism. Again, the key here is to find the right intensity and to keep each muscle group guessing. 3) Eat a clean diet. Diet is a big stumbling block for most people. If your diet is out of control then your abs will be too. You can’t trim your waist without trimming the junk out of your diet, regardless of how intensely you exercise. Keep calories in check. Do you know how many calories you eat? The best way to find out is to record everything you eat for a few days. Tally the number of calories that you eat each day and do an evaluation—feel free to recruit me to help out with this part. Together we’ll chart improvements for your diet and adjust your calories for maximum results. Just say “No” to junk food. While this may seem obvious, your definition of “junk food” may need an alteration. Refined sugar is one of the biggest culprits in the junk food world—it is found in soft drinks, blended coffee drinks, cookies, cakes, packaged snacks, and other sinfully sweet treats. Processed fat is another monster. As a rule of thumb you can safely view all processed or refined items as junk food. Eat more frequently. The key here is to never let your metabolism “crash” by going hours without eating. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to skip breakfast—as this is the meal that ‘breaks the fast’ that your body goes into each night. Stick with eating small meals every few hours and always avoid stuffing yourself. Do you want to flatten and sculpt your abs once and for all? Simply decide that you really want it. Commit to yourself—you deserve it. See me for fat-blasting workouts that deliver results. Together we will get you on a programme that will melt the fat off your abs, exposing shape and definition. Call or email me today to get started. Let’s do this! Time for bed…If you’re not getting adequate rest (close to 8 hours each night) then you’re more likely to be hungry, overeat, and put on fat. How does this work? Something like this… If you’re tired, you won’t feel like cooking a healthy meal, and you’ll opt for fast (fattening) food instead. This very same lack of energy will also likely cause you to skip the gym. On top of that, sleep deprivation causes your metabolism to slow down, and if you’ve not heard, that is not something you want when trying to shape up.  Who says that chicken tenders have to be battered and fried? Today I have a lightened up recipe for chicken tenders that are just as tasty! And the secret might just be an air fryer…
An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around the food. A mechanical fan circulates the hot air around the food at high speed, cooking the food and producing a crispy layer. It’s a great way to cook dinner without needing to turn on the oven and heating up the house. If you don’t have an air fryer then simply bake in the oven at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, turning once halfway through. What You Need Serves 4 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders 2 tablespoons coconut aminos 1 tablespoon honey 1½ teaspoons sea salt ¼ teaspoon white pepper ¼ teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons lime juice Instructions 1. Combine the tenders with all of the remaining ingredients in large ziplock bag. Place in the fridge to marinate for 4 hours, or up to overnight. 2. Lightly spray the basket of an air fryer with olive oil. Arrange the tenders in a single layer in the basket. Set the air fryer to cook for 12 minutes at 370 degrees F. Flip all of the tenders once, halfway through the cook time. 3. Serve immediately with a variety of your favorite dipping sauces. Enjoy! Nutrition 245 calories, 8g fat, 7g carbohydrate, 2681mg sodium, 4g sugar, 0g fiber, and 33g protein.  In today’s fast paced world we consume over 30% of our daily calories away from home. These less-than-wholesome calories are accumulating around our waists and draining our bank accounts. So why do we eat out and shun the kitchen? Simple: convenience. We don’t have the time to toil away over a hot stove. However, evidence is mounting that we are paying big for the so-called convenience of outside food. Obesity related diseases are on the rise, as are the number of folks who are just plain unhappy with how their bodies look and feel. Cooking at home seems to be the first step in our road to healthier bodies. Here are the top 5 reasons that you should starting cooking and eating at home… Reason #1: It’s Good For You Hyperprocessed foods are harmful to our health, and that’s exactly where you’ve been getting the bulk of your calories. Even restaurant food that contains fresh produce, chances are high that the produce is not organic, or local or non-GMO. Most of us are eating less than half of the recommended amount of fiber, fruit and vegetables, which eating at home could quickly change. Simple meals made at home with fresh produce and organic meats or eggs are nutritionally superior to over-flavored, over-processed restaurant food. Not to mention the high calorie beverages and starters that so often accompany a restaurant meal. When you eat at home you take in more nutrient-dense calories that are higher in fiber. Reason #2: It’s Far Easier Than You Think Eating out so often has conditioned our concept of a meal to be one with complicated flavors and accompaniments. This misconception has made us fear the kitchen. But I urge you to reconsider. Meals made at home need not mirror those ordered in restaurants. On the contrary, simple is better when it comes to home cooking. Plan your entire meal around a couple of pieces of fresh produce and a wholesome, lean protein. No need for complicated sauces or sides – these are where the harmful calories hide anyway. Reason #3: It Costs Less Fresh, simple ingredients do not cost much. Especially when compared to the cost of prepared meals. Shopping the perimeter of the store is always a good plan. Here you’ll find the fresh produce, meats, dairy and seafood. Venture into the aisles for oils and spices to compliment the fresh ingredients. Reason #4: It Is Preventative Medicine In the US the annual health care expenses related to obesity is $150 billion, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Worldwide this number is over $1 trillion annually. These numbers are staggering, and sobering when you think of all the individual lives that are being negatively impacted by obesity. Rather than waiting for you and your family members to experience the health risks related to obesity, start your own mission to cook simple meals at home and redirect your future. Remember the words of Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Reason #5: It Reduces Body Fat Eating at home is also one of the best ways to reduce your body fat. Meals eaten at home contain an average of 200 calories less than meals eaten out. Let me tell you, a reduction in 200+ calories per meal will quickly translate to pounds lost! Start today, and don’t be afraid to start small. Pick one meal that you’ll make at home either today or tomorrow, and write down your simple menu and grocery list. You could start with the Savory Greek Waffle recipe below. And let’s not forget the place that a challenging, consistent exercise program has in your quest for good health and a fit physique. My programs are specially designed to blast fat and to build muscle in all the right places. Call or email me today to get started on a fat loss program that really works.  Who says that your protein+veggies dinner should be boring and tasteless? Forget that! Here’s a protein-packed dinner recipe that has amazing flavor!
Salmon is full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins, so this is a dinner that you can feel great about eating. Increase the nutrition content of the meal even more by serving it with a salad of vibrant greens and some avocado. What You Need Serves 2 1 fillet of fresh Salmon 1 cup Lite Soy Sauce or coconut aminos 2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger 2 tablespoons honey Instructions Combine the Soy Sauce, Ginger and honey nectar. Place the Salmon in a pan and cover with the marinade for 1 hour in the fridge. Prepare your grill. If desired, soak a cedar plank to barbecue the Salmon on. Grill over medium heat until cooked through and flaky. Serve immediately and enjoy! Nutrition One serving equals 300 calories, 12g fat, 8g carbohydrate, .5g fiber, and 40g protein. I hope that you get a chance to give this recipe a try this week. Remember that I’m only a call or email away to assist you in all things fitness. And if you are not yet one of my prized clients then call or email me now to set up your first workout – I’d love to help you achieve your best body ever! |
David CorderOwner and Lead Personal Trainer at Perfect Fit Wellness Center. Archives
June 2019
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