For the last month, I've been getting bombarded with one question,

" What diet can I use to lose fat quickly around my stomach!" 

You'd think that with all the diet books, information and magazines out today that most people would just create a diet that helps them lose belly fat. Yet, I still get this question. So, rather than create a secret diet to lose fat, fast.  I'll give you some tips that are more important when dieting and losing weight.

TIP # 1:  calories in have to be less than calories out (cardio and muscle resistance)

TIP # 2: stick to a few meals and rotate them until you reach your desired weight.

TIP # 3: count your calories and know how many your eating if your serious about losing weight.  Yes, tedious but if you really are tired of those love handles than it takes effort to get rid of them.  Check out the device below for real calorie tracking! BodyMedia FIT weight management system has been clinically proven to help you lose up to 3X more weight.

TIP # 4: don't be scared of jumping on the scale.  Yes, muscle weighs more than fat but initially you'll just be losing water and fat weight.  The scale doesn't lie.  So, know really where you're at in reference to your weight.  Body fat is also a great way to track every other week.

TIP #5:Low carb is definitely the way to lose lots of water weight and to make your body to start burning fat and protein for energy. 

TIP #6: Eat clean.   Don't eat protein bars for protein.  Eat real food.  Lean protein sources i.e. eggs, egg whites…

TIP # 7: Don't get scammed by weight loss pills.  If you want a diet supplement than these: organic, whole leaf green tea/ CLA/Chromium picolinate/pro-biotic multiple vitamin.      

Try this for great vitamins >>>Life Extension Overstock Blowout Sale – Save 60% to 75%

TIP # 8:  Get moving.  If you're motivated to lose weight fast then sweat every day.  Throw some running shoes on and get running.  Push ups, core and ab training, pull ups and squats.  Spend 90 % of your time doing cardio and 10% with the resistance training.  Remember, this is to shed fat fast.  Once you lose weight fast.  Then you can work on more muscle defining etc…Don't let anyone tell you different.  I had to lose 10-20 lbs a wrestling season for over 10 years like it was my job.

Here's a quick sample of a diet menu that I gave to a client that lost a total of 43lbs in 7 months, below:

Meal 1:  1 cup nonfat cottage cheese or 2 egg whites scrambled with 1 whole egg or hemp protein protein drink (2 scoops hemp protein, 1/2 cup frozen organic berries, 1 small banana and 1 cup non sweetened coconut or hemp milk.

Meal 2: 1 cup organic wild blueberries and strawberries mixed with 1 ounce of organic shredded raw nuts.

Meal 3: 2 cups organic greens (try kale and earthy greens), 1/2 cup cold organic veggies( try root veggies), 2 ounces lean protein (shredded chicken), 1/2 cup of beans, 1 ounce seeds, 1/4 cup of nonfat cottage cheese.   Dressing: drizzled on top  Recipe>> 1/2 cup extra light virgin olive oil or coconut oil, dash sea salt, 2 tbsp mustard, fresh basil, juice of 1 whole organic lemon, dash pepper, tsp cayenne pepper.    Experiment with salads!  Best meals for even breakfast?

Meal 4:  eat only if hungry.   Organic baby carrots mixed with organic cherry tomatoes.  1 cup

Meal 5: 1-2 cups of organic veggies stir fried with 2-3 ounces of lean protein. Need a light night snack and can't escape it?  Organic Greek yogurt. Please Note:  dieting is only short term and is not a lifestyle.  It let's you get to your goal weight and build momentum  to eating a healthier, whole foods type of food plan.  Lose weight around your belly, get lean and be happy with yourself.

Need a diet then click here>>>Yes, please give me a diet. 

Meal 1: Greek yogurt, apple with peanut butter

Meal 2: Balance/ Cliff or Special k protein bar

Meal 3: salad with protein/ pita or carrots with hummus

Meal 4: greek yogurt or protein drink or protein bar as above

Meal 5: salad/protein/veggies/glass wine

Looks kind of healthy right? Let me ask you something…tell me what’s wrong with this meal plan and workout if this person has already lost most of her goal weight but needs to lose that last 5-10lbs.  What should she change with both her fitness plan and diet?  She has no medical conditions,34 with 1 child, no food allergies and has on average 60 minutes a day to workout 5-6 days per week.

Oh yea, workout background: typical workout 30-60 minutes of cardio (jog 2-3x, elliptical 1-2x) 4-5 times a week.  resistance training 2-3 times a week.  yoga and/or spinning once per week.

Email me the answer  bsstudio@comcast.net and who ever gets it right will get 3 free Six Pack T-shirts!  I’ll give 2 runners up 1 Six Pack T-shirt.

I’ll give the answer and winner by next Friday, 5/6/11

We have a Winner plus a bunch of other who gave some great answers!

1st place:  Dianne, New Jersey

2nd place: Jamie, California

3rd place: Megan, Florida

All of the place winners had most answers in common.  Dianne just went into major detail.  The main point I was looking for was taking out any of the foods that were not clean and replacing them with foods that are clean .  She should also focus on getting more veggies into her diet (fiber and vitamins).

Examples of changes  to clean foods (answers):

Exchange (meal 1) peanut butter with raw almond, cashew or sunflower butter or replace nuts or peanut butter all together with a hard boiled egg.

Exchange (meal 2 ) protein bars with low-fat cottage cheese, 1/2 cup brown rice and beans, green apple, berries, grapefruit, greek yogurt (no sugar).  Get rid of all the bars above all together.  Go for a raw, natural bar if necessary.  NOT a LARA BAR (all sugar, date paste!).

Meal 3: ok

Meal 4: Again, no bars.  Protein drink should be whey or hemp protein.  Keep calories low.

Meal 5: ok.  Limit wine or skip all together until reach goal.

Exercise Program:

Cardio Everyday:  change up cardio program from long distance to short, intense cardio.  30-90 minutes.

Resistance Training: Add boxing, kickboxing and other classes that make you engage your whole body.  Stick to one major exercise per body part and don’t worry about using heavy weights.  Example: legs>>>squats with 20lb medicine ball for 50 reps.  Biceps>>>dumbell bicep curls with 10-20 lbs for 6-15 reps   Back>>wide grip pull down with 30-70 lbs followed with high reps on gravitron pull up machine    Chest: dumbell flat press with 10-25lbs followed with push ups for as many reps as possible.

I could go on with answers, diets and programs but overall the above is enough for this Fitbytes Insider to lose her unwanted pounds and to lose weight quickly.

A large egg white contains approximately 4.7 grams or protein and is made up of 40 proteins, trace minerals and vitamins.   The yolk actually is healthy from a whole foods view.  The yolk contains fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E and K), approx. 2.7 grams protein , lecithin and carotenoids.  So, if you can make eggs ( 2-3 egg whites and 1 egg) a staple in your daily diet then you’re doing your body good.  Best to make eggs this way, because eating 5-10 eggs a day is beneficial to getting lean muscle, especially for women.  Can you imagine eating 10 egg yolks?

The other day, a client asked me about ” Egg white protein powder” and whether I thought it was any good.  I personally think an egg white protein powder can be an OK source of protein.  However, not as good as the real thing.  Processing a food for protein almost always leads to loss of minerals, vitamins and micro-nutrients that chemically we can’t even find.  Yet, protein powders can provide your muscles with an amino acid ratio quickly which is needed to recuperate and build muscle.

The question really is, ” Whether there is an egg white protein powder on the market that taste good?”.  I have yet to find one.  So, my client gave me a sample of the Jay Robb Egg White Protein Powder.  I have tried his whey protein powder  which is decent tasting.   I personally like to find whole foods that I can implement into my lifestyle.  AKA: taste good and good for you.

My review of the Jay Robb Egg White Protein Powder taste little chalky but overall better than TwinLabs Egg Protein powder.  I found the strawberry flavor the best.  On a 1-10 I give this protein powder a 5 for taste and a 8 for nutrition.

Smoothie recommendation with Protien Powder:

1 Cup low-fat dairy or non dairy beverage, 1 tbsp raw  and natural nut butter, 1-2 scoops protein powder, 1 large banana, 2 tbsp all natural chocolate syrup (trader joes) and blend!

If you have found an Egg white protein powder that taste good.  Let me know.

I’ve listed their salad menu options of which I would choose from and listed some changes I would ask the waitress to make.  I like to go directly to the salad menu and change things up because I can go low-carb, protein and lots of flavor without the preservatives and heavy salt.

Which salad would you choose??

House Salad

Seasonal greens, julienne carrots, red onions, vine ripe tomatoes, cucumbers and croutons – 5.95

Doug tip:  get rid of croutons and use an oil and lemon dressing.

Caesar Salad 

A traditional favorite with our homemade dressing – 7.95

Top your Caesar Salad or House Salad with your choice of

Chicken, Steak Tips, Teriyaki or Turkey Tips

Blackened Swordfish Tips

Dougs Tip: I would keep the parmesean cheese on the salad.  I’d go for the chicken or blackened swordfish.  Turkey tips sound healthy but really they are saturated in preservatives.

California Cobb Salad

Grilled chicken breast, bacon, cheddar cheese, avocado, tomatoes, scallions and ripe olives

Dougs Tip: I would scratch the bacon and again go for the oil and vinegar or lemon.  You could put ranch on it but keep it to a minimum.

 Chopped Salad

Shredded romaine, red and yellow cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, red beans, cucumbers, olives, red onions, feta cheese and Italian vinaigrette – 11.95

Doug’s Tip:  not a bad salad but I’d limit the feta cheese. 

Grilled Salmon Salad

Fillet of salmon lightly seasoned and grilled, then served over seasonal greens with tomatoes,boiled egg, steamed potatoes, green beans, pickled red onions, kalamata olives and lemon walnut vinaigrette – 15.95

Doug’s Tip:  My overall favorite on the menu and of course this is the one I picked.  I added blackened swordfish.  I just used olive oil and lemon and it tasted great.

Arugula Beef Salad

Baby arugula tossed with gorgonzola cheese, toasted pine nuts, balsamic dressing and served with fire roasted top sirloin crusted with peppercorns – 17.95

Doug’s Tip:  If you wanted steak and you were craving salad I’d say you could eat this salad.  Just eliminate or cut back on the cheese.

Salad Dressings

Creamy Bleu Cheese, Parmesan Peppercorn, Zesty Italian, House Vinaigrette, Balsamic, Raspberry,Honey Mustard, Lemon Walnut Vinaigrette, Caesar, Ranch or Olive Oil & vinegar.

Doug’s Tip:  Try to stay away from the creamy dressings.  Not because of the fat as much as the artificial flavors, preservatives and saturated fat. Paul Newman’s makes a decent commercial line of dressings.   Yet, it won’t kill you to add a tablespoon of any of the above to your salad if you’re just concerned about losing weight.

Free Range Organic Chicken

Oven roasted half chicken rubbed with provençal herbs over a bed of mashed potatoes with grilled asparagus and garlic chicken jus – 16.95

Doug’s Tip: I thought I’d throw this one on the post to show you a decent option.  Cut the mashed potatoes and garlic jus.

 
Train for a new career in the growing field of HEALTH CARE!
 

Sorry to break then news….no protein bar on the market is a good protein source!!!   Bars are just a convenient way to get extra calories.   A good protein source is food that’s void of other ingredients such as eggs, egg whites, chicken, beans, hemp protein, whey protein (not great), fish, turkey, lean meat..etc.     Notice I didn’t list soy protein, I’ll have to leave this to another discussion some other day.  Just know that any soy product that’s mass produced is a horrible source of protein (i.e. soy milk, soy burgers).

Listed Below is a popular so called ” Protein Bar”.

Ingredients: Soy Protein Isolate, Beet Juice Concentrate, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Rolled Oats, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa, Organic Soy Protein Concentrate, Vegetable Glycerin, Natural Flavors, Organic Dry Roasted Almonds, Rice Starch, Cocoa Butter, Inulin (Chicory Extract), Organic Milled Flaxseed, Organic Oat Fiber, Organic Sunflower Oil, Soy Lecithin, Salt.

Lets do some analysis.  Oh, good old soy protein isolate…garbage.  Lets see where else there’s protein?  Organic dry roasted almonds…nope, consider this a fat and they are dry roasted so again…not a protein source but rather fiber and a fat.

There really isn’t any protein..a carb bar, yes.  Protein source no!  So, should you eat these?  Well, if you need to refuel on sugars and fiber then this may help but if you’re trying to get lean then replace with a green apple and handful of RAW NUTS.  If you are going to eat this then I recommend eating 1/4-1/2 only and drinking lots of water once a day.  I would skip this bar but it’s up to you.

Click on the banner below and check out their raw bars. Alot better for you.

Here’s a stepmill if you don’t know what one is.

 LIVESTRONG Fitness LS13.0T Treadmill

Try this out at your own risk.  You assume all responsibility as this and any fitness program should be started only with consent from your medical professional.  Also, any back, knee or other medical condition should deter you from the above program.

Please comment on program once you try it.  Good luck.

So, I just got this new old English bull dog puppy, MOOSE. Isn’t he cute?

The questiion I get all the time is, ‘ Is he going to eat like you? Raw diet and just chicken?’

Well, first I don’t eat all raw only partially and second yes he’ll eat like me. Healthy with occasional treats . Just like a baby, he’ll need lots of good calories to feed his growing brain cells and development. I looked into some superior wholefoods puppy foods that contain lots of veggies, lean protein, good fats and hearty grains.

I think getting a puppy or young child started with healthy habits is key. I’m not saying, A DIET. I’m talking about well rounded meals with a variety of veggies, fruits, grains and lean protein. A diet that’s void of lots of refined flours like corn meal, white flour and even sugars.  I will create large bowls of all veggies and meats of which I’ll grind up and throw them in with Moose’s dry food.

The moral of this post: start your new puppy or child on a healthy track, not a diet. I wouldn’t keep them away from some of the treats all kids love but I would stay away from any of the fast food chains as much as possible.  If they don’t taste it then they won’t know about it.

Find the online college that fits your goals.

Is it ok to eat “_____” when you’re on a diet?

I get this question all the time from clients and Fitbytes Insiders.  The foods listed below are the most common that I get asked about and I figured I’d give you my opinion .

Dairy Products: I could probably write for days on the dairy controversy whether milk products are necessary and are they bad for you.  Yet, I’m going to keep this to the weight loss arena.  Overall, milk does have calcium but really you could get your calcium through dark leafy vegetables, salmon and sardines plus a good calcium, magnesium , vitamin D complex.  I personally don’t drink milk and I mainly use nondairy beverages like hemp, coconut and almond milk.  I found through trial and error my freshman year of college that when I stopped the intake of milk my energy increased and I just felt so much better.   If you want to keep dairy in your  diet I suggest sticking to skim or 1%.  Throwing cheese (a pinch) on an omelet,chicken or turkey can make you feel less on a diet and less hungry .    I actually love to boil chicken and immediately once cooked add Mexican cheese and Trader Joes’ Traditional Salsa on top. Try it.  You may love it.    Overall, always stay away from cream, whole milk, soft cheese and ice cream if you want a flat stomach.  Remember that dairy products are high in sodium and can cause you to retain water.

Sports Drinks, Electrolyte Drinks etc:  these drinks are such a culprit from keeping you from reaching your weightloss goals.   Many people work out hard for an hour at the gym and before leaving will buy a sports drink that’s loaded with fructose, sucrose, sugar, aspartame or better yet the zero calorie chemical bombarded drink.  Please, do yourself a favor.  Unless your running a marathon then stick to good old spring water.  Save your calories for lean protein.

Protein Bars:  I wish I had a dollar for every time I ask people what they eat for protein and they tell me, a protein bar.  NOOO!!! you ate a candy bar.  No matter if its all natural, shoots of fireworks etc.. its just a bar with added whey, soy ( not a protein by the way), milk protein…..these are combined with sometimes all natural ingredients or even better yummy artificial ingredients.  Stick to clean protein based foods like egg whites ( my favorite) or an egg, chicken…you know the list.  Oh ya, protein bars and protein oatmeal packets go in the same arena…stay away.  Your actually better off just eating an all natural oat bar.  Also, there are a list of better choices for bars that I’ll post someday.  Just know that these bars are more of a raw product.

Banana:a small organic banana is fine to eat.  Many people out there are so stuck on the sugar kick that the”ll even tell you to stay away from fruit.  Just the opposite, 2-4 fruit a day is fine.  Stick with berries, green apples, grapefruit, sliced melon and even a small slightly green banana.  Bananas that are ready to turn are not so good for some with health issues due to their mucous causing properties.

So, theres a brief list of the foods that people ask me about.  What foods are you concerned about?  Comment below and ask.  Don’t be shy.

Don’t worry because unless you’re working out 2 plus hours a day, eat a strict diet which has no refined foods, dairy or under 1000 calories a day then most likely you won’t get them.  However, if you do want that lean, feminine look without lots of veins and ultra cuts then you still need a clean diet, lots of cardio and a calorie deficit that makes you feel a little hungry.  Yes, you heard right.  A complete body change requires a strict fitness regime and diet.  Of course, unless your genetically gifted then you’ll have to do a little more than cutting back on food.

However, look closer.  Most women who were able to get lean and right back into shape quickly  in their 20′s find it harder in their 30′s and early 40′s.  What happens?  They get skinny fat.  Skinny in some areas but still look overweight or not in great shapein other areas.  So, what does this have to do with lean arms?  Well, you need to just stick to getting lean and your arms will start to become lean.  Then just reshape them with certain exercises and there you go, lean arms.

My recommendation:

1-3 months of 5-6 days of a healthy lifestyle that incorporates:

1.  intense cardio: (hills, dancing, sprints, long runs or walks, speed rope, stairs, boxing, kickboxing)
2.  body weight and resistance exercises: (push ups, Plank on hands, assisted pull ups, rope, sledge hammer on tire , sand bags, climbing rope, gymnastics, power yoga, boxing bag work, incline sit ups, hanging leg raises (abs), medicine ball press lying down for triceps, tricep bench, assisted dips, band curls for 30-60 seconds, tricep kickbacks light weight 30-50 reps
3.  Diet:  try to eliminate dairy or at least limit to 1/day…take a multiple plus calcium complex.  Stay away from lots of oils, dressings and uncessary foods that will add extra calories.  Refrain from foods that are processed, high in sodium, contain white sugar and/or starches.  Drink lots of water, fill your plate with organic greens, fruits, small amounts of nuts, 1-2 small portions of carbs (brown rice, quinoa), 2-3 ounces of lean protein 2x/day.    Try juicing and adding a hemp protein meal in exchange of 1 meal.  I think an egg or egg whites are key to getting lean.

Note: even healthy foods have calories so try to figure out how many calories your body needs to reach your goal.  Safe bet would be for most a 1200-1600 calorie diet.

Oh ya, if you start looking like madonna then go grab a pizza or two. 

I actually don’t recommend any fat burning supplements. Will supplements help you lose weight?  Yes, there are some that can definitely assist you in increasing your metabolism i.e..green tea (pure), caffeine etc and others that are for a later topic…but to tell you the truth, unless you’re eating really clean i.e. lean protein, fresh fruit, veggies and complex carbohydrates, you might as well throw these supplements on the floor. 

Oh ya, watch your portion size! Just because you’re eating healthy, doesn’t mean calories don’t count.  Try eating small micro meals throughout the day and take a quick calorie count of each day for 2-3 days.

For quick supplement list try these:

• Pro-biotic multiple vitamin…metabolic processes
• CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)…great for weight loss
• Chromium Picolinate 200 mcg…sugar stabilizer
• Glut-amine…muscle repair and immunity
• Calcium Complex…strong bones
• Flax Oil or Fish Oil capsules…joints, PMS, hormone stabilizer
• Green Tea (must be organic/whole leaf)…metabolic accelerator

Garden Of Life FucoThin – 90 Softgels

Educate yourself with Raw Foods:

The Live Food Factor: The Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Diet for Body, Mind, Spirit & Planet

Raw Power! Building Strength and Muscle Naturally