This Year is OUR Year

I love the enthusiasm for fitness in 2010. I'm empowered about the stories, whether its my friend reaching her 50 pound weight loss goal, an old school mate pulling out workout DVDs, and especially the stories of people out there struggling to survive those treadmill or track workouts (hang in there!). 2010 is the year about getting fit, ushering in a new and healthier decade. Its the year for ourselves accountable and for understanding what we have to burn versus what we consume. Its about realizing the work ahead of us and not being afraid to take advantage of the time and of our bodies to push ourselves harder. Its about realizing how strong we are both mentally and physically. Its about knowing the value of sweat and hard work. But we're ready because we're strong and powerful, more than we even know.

There's no secret and no magic formula. Its about work. its about sweating everyday, about burning more calories than we're taking in. Change things up and often. Keep your body working by keeping it guessing. Stick to foods found in nature and not created in a lab. I can't promise it will be easy but rest assured, it'll be worth it. Until next time, in great health 2010!
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Updates

Hey guys! Sorry I've been out of tow Monday and Tuesday. I'm adjusting schedules and the blog got put on hold. I hope are all doing well! I will post the rest of the section on kitchen staples tomorrow. Until then, in good health!
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Eggs, your new friend, again

Don't buy into the hype about eggs being totally bad for you and your cholesterol. I just heard of a Danish study conducted last year in which people ate three eggs a day for five weeks. At the end of the study, true their levels of total cholesterol were higher. The significance was the increase in LDL or bad cholesterol hadn't underwent a significant change in levels. And for variety, you shouldn't be eating three eggs a day anyway. The scientists there and a growing number over here are concluding that routine consumption of eggs does not adversely affect your cholesterol unless you already have a cholesterol problem. And if you do, egg substitute offer the same protein benefits of eggs without adding any cholesterol.

I love eggs for several reasons. First off, they're cheap. You have roughly six meals in a carton that costs on the average a dollar. Second, they're are super versatile. Eggs are just for breakfast anymore. Looking to make a personal pizza without bread and its added calories? Egg. Boil them, fry them, scramble them, stuff them in a pocket and on an english muffin. Third, eggs provide healthy protein essentially in staving off hungry and rebuilding muscle fiber worn down from exercise. For all these reasons, eggs are a major component in my weight loss strategy.

Pasta, the perfect guy food

I love pasta and completely dismiss and notion, claim, and rule that says I can't have any while trying to watch my weight. True pasta is a starch, loaded with carbohydrates, and not considered a nutrient dense food. But companies are starting to go the extra mile in fortifying their pasta with minerals as well as offering multi-grain and whole wheat varieties that add extra fiber to give you a more satisfied feeling. And I've read reports that people eating the whole wheat varieties actually eat less pasta and feel more satisfied after the smaller portion than if they ate regular pasta.

Here is the white elephant in the blogosphere, however. Portion control. Always. Pasta is sneaky because it's calorie loaded. An average serving is 2 ounces or roughly 3/4 cup for shaped pasta (elbow, rotini, penne). That two ounces contains around 200 calories, which is a lot if you're sticking to the 1800-2000 calorie, eat every two hour rule. But I found if you pair the pasta with a lean meat (even turkey pepperoni), you'll be more satisfied.

Here's what makes it my perfect guy food. It's fast and easy. 10 minutes in boiling water, combine with a low calorie sauce or even light dressing and you have a meal. Combine whole wheat rotini, a small pack of light tuna, a wedge of light laughing cow cheese, some herbs and you have a well-rounded meal.

So remember, portion it out but never rule pasta out of your life. Til next time, in good health!

Guy on a Diet Tweets!

Actually I've been "tweeting" for awhile but don't use the site. Its being revamped to coincide with Guy on a Diet. It'll be more personal observations and things that I'm going through in the world of health, fitness, and nutrition. I'm hearing a lot of interest in the motivational aspect of weight loss/fitness and hopefully the shorter status changes on twitter will provide the perfect avenue for that! So if you need an extra push, find me at www.twitter.com under fit4lifejoey.

In good health!

Staple 1, Go Nuts

Nuts are the perfect portable snack food. Bit size and easy to travel with, these guys are protein packed, capable of holding you over between larger meals. Don't be scared of the amount of unsaturated fat. Nuts are a nutrient dense food. It'll take awhile for your body to process them, leaving you fuller longer. The only caveat is watch sodium content. The best kind are natural (like almonds or pecans). Almonds are particularly good for me because in natural form they have a sweet taste but aren't too chewy. Do be careful about serving size. An average serving of almonds is 28 and there are roughly 40 peanuts in a serving. I also like putting almonds in oatmeal. As for the portability, almonds are great for carrying along with you on longer workouts that require you to refuel as well as long walks, etc. Nuts are my go to snack and one of the most consistent things I've ate throughout my weight loss. Tomorrow, whats in a pasta?

Til then, in good health

What's in Your Kitchen?

I have an awesome idea I think everyone will like. Starting tomorrow I will do a ten part series on food staples I always have close by. From snacks to meals, these are 10 things you will be sure to find close to me at all times. So excited. Hope y'all are enjoying the new pita recipe. Until next time, in good health!
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Greek Chicken Pita

1 Pita (with at least 4 grams of fiber-I use the Oat Bran kind found in the Kroger Deli)
1/2 package Tysen already prepared grilled chicken breast (or 4 oz of white meat chicken)
2 Cups fresh Spinach
2 oz. fat free plain greek yogurt
garlic powder, curry, oregano, and any other spices you like to taste

Cut pita in half to form two pockets. In a small dish mix yogurt with desired spices to taste. Add chicken and stir together. Pour chicken into large dish with spinach and toss until well coated. Fill each pocket.

Makes 1 serving!

Full Time Effort Required

Sorry for the early AM posting, guys :)

You can't lose weight on a part-time schedule. With health transformations such an intensive undertaking, the process requires literally a twenty four hour dedication. The decision should not be taken lightly. You have to get yourself mentally prepared to wage a battle each and every day, often multiple times in that day, to be ready to fight your old habits, unhealthy food environments, and those people around you. It is awesome that you are losing weight. But remember, not all of the people in your life are making the same health and lifestyle changes. And like me you are probably surrounded by genetically blessed people capable of eating to their heart's content. But also remember, every choice you make, regardless of how small it is, reflects your devotion to a healthier you. And what does healthier mean? It means you'll be around longer to enjoy time with family and friends. You will be able to enjoy a fuller and richer life because you will be able to do more, go further, and last longer. So keep that thought in the back of your head as life's unhealthy trials rear their ugly heads. It won't always be easy to say no, but you'll appreciate it better in the long run if you do. Until next time, in good health!

Healthy Rewards

I think it is in human nature to reward ourselves after accomplishing a task. It starts in childhood when we are rewarded for cleaning our room, doing chores, or getting good grades in school. Rewards are the "carrot" to the stick, necessary to balance out work or effort. If you continually pushed yourself without enjoying yourself along the way, eventually you would find it easy to stop punishing yourself.

A big problem I have and have had to struggle with is rewarding myself with food. I love food. My unhealthy love affair with food put me in the 300 pound bracket, 3X shirts, and 44 pants. While I realize that fact, its hard to separate food from reward. I believe part of this is because we typically use food as celebrations of accomplishment. We have food to celebrate wedding and graduations. When I was younger eating out was a reward for good grades and for completing church projects. It almost feels unsatisfied if we don't reward our healthy living with celebration food.

So what do we do? I reward myself, almost weekly if need be. A pound off is a pound in the right direction. One thing I do is set small to bigger goals. I will get a wii when I reach my goal weight. I love music and my mp3. One reward system I set was a song for every pound lost. It keeps me focused. I try to find non food rewards. Ten or twenty pounds is worth a new pair of pants, workout attire, or a new book. I especially like the clothes reward system. If you're working hard, it may be the best way to reward yourself and show off your great results.

In good health!
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Managing Goals

The New Year has me still thinking about goals, setting goals, and reaching them. One of my best strategies was to "forget" the massive long term goal I needed to reach in order to be at a healthy weight. Life doesn't have an expiration date so your goal shouldn't be so arbitrary. A healthy lifestyle should be goal number one. My plan was to lose weight each week. I couldn't complain if the scale said .2 pounds lost because that was a lost. Consistency is a great motivator and keeping your eyes on five and ten pound losses are better than tackling fifty or more. Plus smaller goals allow you to make manageable changes to your life. To lose one pound of fat in a week, you have to burn 3500 calories in 7 days. That is 500 calories a day. Most people can do that in simply restricting their diet. Or take an hour walk each day and you've burned it off. Throw out that "I will lose X number of pounds this year" and adopt a more positive goal like "I will work daily toward a better and healthier weight." Because you don't know what life is going to throw your way and how your body will react to life's changes. Having broader goals ensures success and keep you motivated toward a healthier you in 2010!
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Remember to Cut Your Resolutions Some Slack

I loved everybody's enthusiasm yesterday with new resolutions, especially the ones to lead healthier and happier lives in 2010! That's a great promise to yourself and an investment that will lead to many happier years in the future! My question this morning is, how many people have "broken" that resolution? I decided to take a different avenue with resolutions this year and this came from my weight loss. My resolutions are not arbitrary, concrete, and set in stone. Saying "I will lose weight in 2010" doesn't mean you've abandoned your resolution over hummus and pita chips (I didn't count the servings). It means that you're human and as humans we're patterned to fail. I've had plenty of failures in the last year. But one thing that helped me over the last year is the following mantra. Michael Jordan missed a lot more baskets playing basketball than making slam dunks and Michael Jordan still had an amazing and very successful career. Don't give up when you fall down, stand back up, wipe yourself off and keep going. Your goal isn't what you can achieve in 365 days, it's what you can put into ACTION that will lead to results that will shape the rest of your life.

Health and Happiness in the New Year!

Pepperoni Pizza Omelet

I made this for breakfast yesterday and think it might become a staple. It has a good mix of quality protein from the cheese, egg, and pepperoni.

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Egg substitute
15 slices turkey pepperoni
1 square slice swiss cheese
Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Garlic to taste
2 TBS regular spaghetti sauce

Bring a medium size skillet sprayed with canola oil to medium high heat (around 6 on a scale of 10). Pour egg substitute in and add seasoning as desired. Allow egg to cook until firm around edges (probably around 5 minutes). Add pepperoni to one side of the egg and top with cheese. Once egg begins to firm in middle, fold over used side of egg to close. Egg substitute generally cooks through quickly but you might want to flip the omelet (if you're brave). Plate omelet and top with sauce.

The entire dish is in the ballpark of 240 calories depending on your cheese. The trick to omelets is slow heat and not too much egg. You want a thin circle when you start so that it will be easy to close. For a macronutrient punch, serve with whole grain toast or english muffin.

Healthy Eating!
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Guy on a Diet is HERE!

I told y'all change was coming! One of my goals (resolution) was to start a daily blog that discussed my experiences in my weight loss/fitness journey. It's not anything necessarily scientific but just what I gather from my day or am experiencing at the time. I hope that I pass along some information that will help you if you are struggling to lose weight or need insight on living a fitter life. I'm not an expert by any means, just a guy who loves food (a lot) and loves to workout (in increasing fashion). Please come back and check in each day for new tips, recipes, stories, antidotes, and all other things that I encounter in the crazy world of weight loss.

Until next time, in good health!