The best way to start your diet plan is truly to go cold turkey. Yes, go directly to a diet that consist of gluten free, wheat free, preservative free and starch free foods. When hungry strikes, and only when hunger strikes. You should try to eat primarily raw nuts, organic greens, organic veggies, lean proteins and organic fruit.

I know, you’ve heard it all before. I’ve actually been eating this way since the age of 12 when I started my wrestling career. I remember debating with my biochemistry professor on the importance of eliminating starches. Of course, at that time (1993) the thinking was whole grain bread, pasta and high fibrous foods were best for losing weight. Yet, all the science in the world couldn’t tell me different. I knew from years of losing 10-22lbs within a season, the importance of natural, unadulterated foods. At that time I stuck to
small portions of fruit, lean protein and salad. Oh ya, intense workouts.

Guess what! It’s still the same. Eat clean. Train hard and presto>>>>>Lose weight.

Here are some key points to follow when dieting:

• Drink water all day long. Everytime you feel hungry, drink 8-16
  ounces of water first. I try to add a whole organic lemon and a tsp. of sea
  salt or kelp powder to 32 ounces a water at least once a day.
• After eating your meal you should still feel satisfied but not
  full. Look at food as a necessity to train hard and not as a fix to satisfy an
  emotion.
• Remember, calories do play a crucial part in losing weight. So,
  it’s best to keep a food journal if you’re really serious. Not crucial, just a
  good tool to keep you honest.
• Focus on burning calories as much as possible for the first few
  weeks. Gain momentum by dropping pounds.
• Can you go back to starches? Yes and no. When you reach a healthy
  body fat and your on a strength training program (body weight or free weights)
  you can start to encorporate good starches that fuel muscle for stronger
  workouts. Brown rice, yams, quinoa.
• Try to train every day until you reach your goal. Mix it up with
  your cardio. Intensity high for 30
  minutes day 1,3. Day 2,4,5 train for endurance. Yes, running is still the best.
  Miles are dependent on your fitness level. Example: endurance can be 2 miles
  for a beginner or 10-15 miles for fit people. A good friend of mine has just
  inspired me to up my running to 10-15 miles at least 3x per week. I figured Icould do that easily if he just ran a 75 mile trail run in Vermont. Read short
  vs long distance training here >>read
• Try to keep your cheat meal to one or two meals per week. If you
  do eat something not on your diet like pizza make it yourself with organic
  and/or all natural ingredients. The food industry has come a long way in
  creating nondairy cheeses (rice cheese) and non-gluten pizza dough.
• Don’t eliminate fats. Just stick with good fats from raw nuts,
  fish, seeds, avocado and oils (extra virgin olive oil).
• Keep your protein portions small and frequent.
• Last but not least supplement with a probiotic multiple vitamins,
  CLA, Vitamin C and fish oil.

So, there you go.  No big  secret to dropping pounds. Just straight forward advice on how to lose weight, fast.

Stick to it. Do it and don’t cry

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People ask me all the time to give them a diet menu for breakfast.  So, here’s a quick list of 15 healthy and lean breafast choices to get and/or stay lean.   Increase the quantity if you need too.  However, it’s best to eat small frequent meals throughout the day.

• 2-3 egg whites/ 8 ounces protein smoothie
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese/cup of blueberries
• 1/2 cup organic oats/sliced fruit
• 1/2 cup oatmeal/crushed raw nuts/organic blueberries
• 1-2 cups organic fruit/2-3 slices all natural turkey bacon
• turkey or chicken breakfast sausages/slice eziekiel toast with almond butter
• low fat greek yogurt/organic granola/small fruit
• slice eziekiel toast with almond butter and sliced banana
• 1 cup Natures Path bran flakes cereal/sliced fruit
• hard boiled egg/8 ounces fresh squeezed orange juice/1 cup Greek yogurt
• veggie drink (spinach, kale, carrot), slice eziekiel toast with 1 tsp earth balance butter
• hand full raw almonds or nuts, veggie drink (see above)or protein smoothie, organic oatmeal bar
• 1/2 cup oat bran, grapefruit with agave sweetener
• 2-3 ounces salmon, sliced melon
• 1/2 cup organic oatmeal with crushed raw almonds or flax, sliced banana and berries

Well, I hope this gives you some ideas of “get lean” breakfast ideas.  Do you have to always eat all these types of foods.  No, you can eat your standard cheerios, waffles, etc…but you must watch your calories.  Plus, like I have voiced in most of my diet blogs, ” It all depends on your goals!”.   If you want to get real lean, then you’ll have to sacrifice not eating processed baked goods and most foods that are high in sugar,fat and salt. You can get healthy, lean and fit by making smart choices.

Please note: protein bars are not a source of quality protein but just a glorified candy bar.  Your better off with an all natural oat or nut bar.

15 Lean Lunch Ideas.

Please give me some of your favorite “get lean” breakfast samples.  I’d like to see them.

Menu:

• All Natural Turkey Sandwhich   vs  Processed Turkey Sandwich
• Organic Apple vs Pesticide Apple
• Vitamin Water vs Same

Whole Foods Total Cost of Lunch  $ 4.75

Cost of Sandwich From Whole Foods $2.44:

In Store Farm Fresh Baked Turkey  $10.99 lb.    So $10.99/16 ounces = $.69 per ounce .   Lets use 2 ouncessince that’s what your local sandwich chain would use.     2 x $.69=  $1.30

Eziekiel Bread $ 3.99 loaf.  So 1 slice = $3.99/20 slices = $.20 per slice.  Lets use 2 slices. However, you could make an open face sandwich for less calories with almost the same nutrition.  2 x $.20= $.40

Organic Spinach $ 3.69 a bag.  So 1 spinach leaf = $ 3.69/89 leaves aprox = $ .04 leaf.  Lets use 5 slices instead of lettuce which has minimal nutritional value.   5 x $ .04 = $ .20

Organic Avocado $ 2.49 avocado.  So 1 slice avocado = $2.49/15 thin slices = $ .17 slice.  Lets use 1 slice since its got alot of taste. 1 slice = $ .17 cents

 Whole Foods 365 brand  Organic Honey Mustard $ 2.99 bottle.  So 1 tsp = $ 2.99/50 = $.06 tsp.  Lets use 2 tsp (1 tbsp).  $ .12

Organic Tomato  $ 2.49 lb. 1 tomato = $2.49/3 tomatoes = $.83.   Lets use 2 thin slices which will be approx. $ .25

 Cost of Organic Apple  $.72

Cost of Vitamin Water $ 1.59

Grand Total: 4.75

Local Chain Total Cost of Lunch $ 6.67

Average Cost for 6 inch sandwhich      $ 3.99

Note: processed turkey, pesticide veggies, refined wheat bread (NOT wheat just colored brown, thats all it is.  So, don’t think it is really healthier because honestly it’s NOT.  Lettuce which is just water and usually honey mustard is loaded with chemicals and mayo.

Average cost of apple    $ .99

Average cost of Vitamin Water $ 1.69 

Grand Total: $6.67

Summary:  First, preparing your own food pays off.  Secondly, you can’t really compare the nutrition value since the whole foods sandwich is void of chemicals and is packed with  more fiber and nutrients. 
So, before you think eating healthy is expensive.  Think again.

Some more tips:

• buy frozen organic veggies
• buy only the necessities and the store brand ( Trader Joe’s, 365 whole foods brand)
• buy in quantity and look for sales, coupons etc
• buy all your cleaning supplies, etc…at a bargain store i.e. BJs
• Alot of the wholesale clubs are carrying organic brands.  Remember to read labels.  Organic means nothing in terms of fat or sometimes isn’t really organic.