Sports Nutrition

You take care of your loved ones and help them with the details of their lives they’d otherwise miss. You’re a teacher, helper, advisor, and caregiver all wrapped up in one package. But who takes care of … you? Your answer to that question will lead to one of two places: a healthier, fitter, and less-stressed you, or a secured spot on the yo-yo diet merry-go-round. +++ For the last 6 months, we’ve spent hours interviewing our Lean Eating for Women clients in person and on the telephone. We wanted to find out why they chose to do the program when they just as easily could have hired a local personal trainer, signed up at a CrossFit gym, or bought the latest diet book. And the answer was kinda surprising. Here’s what we found — and how it can help you become healthier, happier, and less stressed-out about your body. Women: Tireless caregivers In our interviews, the same stories kept popping up, over and over again. Women care for elderly parents or disabled family members. It’s been estimated that over 60 million families are caring for an aging or disabled person at home, and at least 85% of the caregivers are women. And while this type of caregiving costs both time and money, it also costs women something else: self-care and attention to their own needs. Because 70% of these women are already arriving late, leaving early, or missing work days because of their responsibilities, it’s easy to see how time spent on exercise and personal health are the first things to give. During our interviews we heard this time and time again. In one case, a client had spent two years caring for her elderly father. She loved every minute she spent with him. But when he passed away, she realized the true toll those two years had taken on her body and her well-being. Not coincidentally, she signed up for Lean Eating the next week. Women care for children. While men are beginning to help more at home, it’s been estimated that moms still spend twice as much time with their children vs dads. This includes caregiving, teaching, and even driving their children to activities and appointments. Of course, many moms love those extra hours with their children. But there are only so many hours in the day. Exercising, planning a healthy meal, and considering self-care can fall by the wayside. (Many new moms feel like taking a shower is more time than they can manage, let alone going to the gym in the first place.) Again, this was an extremely common theme in all our interviews. One client stands out in my mind: She’d been driving her son to swim practice twice per day: Every morning at 4:30 AM and every evening after school. She also worked full-time and took care of the rest of her family. She was incredibly proud of who her son had become and that she’d helped him succeed. But when he got his driver’s license and no longer required all of her attention, she realized that the years of putting everyone else first had also left her heavier than she’d ever been before. And sick — her doctor was recommending medication. Interestingly, within weeks she was in Lean Eating. Women care for spouses and partners. For women who both work and try to manage a household, time can often feel very short. And it’s not just the actual housework or meal preparation that’s the issue. It’s all the attention, planning, and thinking that goes into holding down what amounts to two jobs. This became evident for one of our clients when her fiancée got unexpectedly transferred to another city. Because she was unable to leave her job immediately, she stayed behind temporarily. Left with some time to reflect alone, she realized how often other things, including her relationship, had come before her own health. And soon after that, she joined Lean Eating. Women: Who’s taking care of YOU?  After dozens of interviews, a central theme kept bubbling to the surface. Women are extremely proud

Even if you’re a busy guy, you can drop fat, get healthy, and get into the best shape of your life. All you need is a simplified exercise plan, a progressive set of nutrition habits, and a knowledgable coach to help guide the process. +++ “Man, I wish I could train like we used to.” That’s what a high school buddy told me the last time we caught up. “With the kids, my business growing, and all the other stuff I’ve got going on … I don’t know … there’s just no time to get in shape.” My buddy had gained about 30 pounds since high school, and it definitely wasn’t the good kind. All fat and not an ounce of muscle. His cholesterol and blood pressure, he told me, had sky rocketed. And he complained of feeling lethargic and sometimes even a little depressed. “I really want to do something about this,” he said grabbing his stomach, “and I want to feel good again. But where am I gonna find time to work out like we did back in the day?” As I sat there, I couldn’t help but feel for the guy. He’s a great person with a fantastic wife, two young children, a growing consulting business, and two aging parents he helps care for. So it sucked to see him feeling trapped and struggling. But here’s the thing: he needn’t feel that way. Busy guys everywhere are still able to manage hectic lives while also managing their health and fitness. I know because I’m one of them. I’m married, have two young children, manage a growing company, and have a host of other things competing for my attention on a daily basis. Yet I still manage to make health and fitness a priority. Here’s more: our team helps thousands of other busy, high-stress guys get in shape and manage their health every single day. And, if you’re interested in looking and feeling good again, we can help you too. Dude, you’re thinking about this all wrong Getting back to my buddy for a minute, here’s the first piece of advice I gave him — and it’s a piece of advice I give to guys everywhere: Get rid of the idea that what we did in high school is the best way to get in shape. Truth be told, what we did back then was pretty stupid. Weight training for an hour or two? Every day except Sundays? What a waste of time and energy. But I guess we had plenty of time and energy to waste back then. Oh how times have changed! Of course, if we’d have known better, or had some proper coaching, we might have gotten our shit together. But we didn’t. So we spent too much time in the gym, doing the wrong stuff, in a way that wasn’t sustainable. Yes, we were in shape. But we were young, had great metabolisms, and succeeded in spite of our program. Not because of it. In fact, those nagging aches and pains we complain about today — the sore knees, trick shoulders, bum elbows — are probably related to our dumb high school training. As I told my friend: “Here’s the good news: you don’t have to train like we did in high school to get back in shape. In fact, you don’t even want to. I’ve got something else in mind that’ll work way better, take far less time, and fit into your life, as it is now.” First: Choose a simpler, less time-consuming workout plan Instead of 6 weight-training workouts a week, each taken right out of the pages of Men’s Health magazine, we started with a completely different approach. Each week he did the following: 2 x 30 minute resistance exercise sessions — mostly body weight exercises 2 x 15 minute interval exercise sessions — on a treadmill or outside at a track 1 x 60 minute walk — outdoors with his family So, instead of 9 hours of exercise a week — plus travel time to and from the gym — he would be doing less than 3 hours a week. And most of it could be done right at home, if he wanted. He also got to do it all on his own schedule, adjusting the workout days and times so that th

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE & CREAM PROTEIN MUFFINS INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 CUP EGG WHITES 1/2 CUP VANILLA COCONUT MILK 2 TBSP PB2 1/2 CUP QUICK OATS 1/2 CUP KASHI 7 GRAIN PUFFS (OR ANY WITH FIBER) 1 TSP BAKING SODA 1 SCOOP INTEK EVOLUTION PROTEIN COOKIES AND CREAM 1 SCOOP VPX GRAHAM CRACKER PROTEIN 1 PACKET TRUVIA PREHEAT OVEN TO 300, SPRAY MUFFIN TINS WITH NON-STICK. COMBINE ALL DRY INGREDIENTS AND MIX WITH HAND UNTIL COMBINED, ADD IN ALL WET INGREDIENTS AND POUR IN MUFFIN TINS ABOUT 3/4 CUP. BAKE FOR 20-30 MINUTES OR UNTIL TOP ARE SLIGHTLY BROWNED AND TOOTHPICK STUCK IN CENTER COMES OUT CLEAN. TOP WITH PB2 WET MIXTURE AND ENJOY! SERVES 5 NUTRITION FACTS FOR 1 SERVING: CALORIES: 147 PROTEIN: 21 GRAMS TOTAL FAT: 1.6 GRAMS CARBOHYDRATES: 11 GRAMS DIETARY FIBER: 1.7 GRAMS

ALMOND PEANUT BUTTER EGG SOUFFLE INGREDIENTS: 3 CUPS EGG WHITES 2 TSP ALMOND EXTRACT 3 TBSP PB2 1 SCOOP VANILLA PROTEIN POWDER 1 TRUVIA PACKET PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 250. COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS TOGETHER IN A LARGE MIXING BOWN, POUR 3/4 CUP INTO EACH MINI LOAF TIN. BAKE AT 250 UNTIL A TOOTHPICK STUCK IN MIDDLE COMES OUT CLEAN. ADD THIN LAYER OF UNSALTED NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER AND ENJOY! SERVES 5 NUTRITION FACTS FOR 1 SERVING: (WITHOUT PB) CALORIES: 133 PROTEIN: 24 GRAMS TOTAL FAT: 0.7 GRAMS CARBOHYDRATES: 2.5 GRAMS DIETARY FIBER: 1.4 GRAMS

BANANA PB2 PROTEIN ICE CREAM INGREDIENTS: 1/4 CUP VANILLA COCONUT MILK 1/2 SMALL BANANA INTEK EVOLUTION ISOLATE COOKIESCREAM 1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT 2 TBSP PB2 PUT ALL INGREDIENTS IN BLENDER OR CHOPPER AND BLEND FOR 10-20 SECONDS. PLACE IN TUPPERWARE IN FREEZER FOR 2-3 HOURS AND ENJOY! SERVES 1 NUTRITION FACTS: CALORIES: 241 PROTEIN: 35 GRAMS TOTAL FAT: 3.7 GRAMS CARBOHYDRATES: 17 GRAMS DIETARY FIBER: 3.3 GRAMS

PUMPKIN PROTEIN PANCAKES INGREDIENTS: 2 SCOOPS INTEK EVOLUTION PROTEIN ISOLATE COOKIES AND CREAM FLAVOR 1 CUP PUMPKIN PUREE 1 1/2 CUP EGG WHITES 1 TBSP VANILLA EXTRACT 1 TBSP PUMPKIN PIE SPICE 2 TBSP SELTZER (UNFLAVORED) PREHEAT LARGE PAN OR GRIDDLE ON MEDIUM/ LOW HEAT. COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS EXCEPT SELTZER IN LARGE BOWL AND WHISK UNTIL MIXED. ADD SELTZER AND STIR IN. DRIZZLE BATTER OVER PRE-HEATED PAN WITH 1/4 INCH THICKNESS WATCH AND LET SIT UNTIL TAKING SPATULA UNDER CORNERS BOTTOM IS SLIGHTLY BROWNED, FLIP OVER FOR ABOUT 1 MINUTE UNTIL COOKED AND REMOVE FROM HEAT. ENJOY!! SERVES 4 NUTRITION FACTS FOR 1 SERVING: CALORIES: 147 PROTEIN: 26 GRAMS TOTAL FAT 0.9 GRAMS CARBOHYDRATES: 5.5 GRAMS DIETARY FIBER: 2.7 GRAMS

As you probably know, Lean Eating July 2013 is about to begin. (Registration kicks off on Wednesday July 17th.) What you might not know is that many of the spots will go to folks returning for a second or even a third round of coaching. Surpised? You shouldn’t be. There are as many valid reasons to repeat Lean Eating as there are clients. Check out this article to learn why some Lean Eaters repeat the program. And why you might consider doing so yourself. +++ Lean Eating is not a short-term “diet”. It’s more than a “workout” program. It’s a system of research-based practices that empowers our clients to take charge of their eating and movement — and make healthier choices for life. So it might surprise you to know that many clients sign up for a second or even a third round of Lean Eating. Coach Krista Schaus — a former cop — calls it “recidivism.” Of course, in the justice system, recidivism is a bad thing. Nobody likes a repeat offender. But here at PN, we respect and value our repeat clients, because we know it takes wisdom, humility, and guts to admit you could use some continued support. Besides, repeat clients often turn into our best performers. Just look at Grand Prize winner Katey Caswell.  She went through the program once with low compliance and little change. She came back again and crushed it, losing 100 pounds and walking away with the $10,000 prize. Katey's Transformation Katey lost 70 lbs and 24.1% body fat! Age: 45 years Weight Lost: 70 lbs (from 209 lbs to 139 lbs) % Body Fat Lost: 24.1% (from 38.9% to 14.8%) Total Inches Lost: 55 inches (from 250 inches to 195 inches) While another shot at the prize money is nothing to sniff at, there are as many valid reasons to repeat Lean Eating as there are clients. Feeling doubtful?  Just listen to what our  clients themselves have to say. We’ve used their community screen names here to protect their privacy. But you might just recognize yourself in some of their stories. Starting big, with a lot of weight to lose “This time last year I weighed 351 pounds. Now I weigh 281 pounds,” says second-timer Sambaloelek. “Some of us have more fat than it’s possible to take off safely and sustainably in the space of one year.” Enough said! (Except to add that we are super-proud of our “biggest losers” and awed by their determination and personal strength.) Stressed out and thrown off track Of course, not every second-timer starts out with so much to lose. Some people get close to their goals — or even exceed them — in their first round, only to be derailed afterwards by stressful life events. “I did the 6-month LE program that started in August of 2010,” says Honeybun 77. “I got really good results (proud to say I was one of the finalists!) and really loved how the program works. I did everything right, my compliance was good and I was motivated. On top of the world!” Then she faced a series of personal catastrophes that would make a super-hero blanch. And when she finally picked herself up — shaken, heavier, and downhearted — she knew that Lean Eating was exactly the place for her to rebuild her strength and optimism. “I am getting back on my feet…It’s still going to be tough to get things sorted, but I know I am stronger now…This is going to be my year,” she says. We like her attitude. Consolidating the new lifestyle Stress can throw anybody off course. And that’s especially true when you haven’t had time to consolidate your new, healthier habits. People learn at different rates, and if it’s taken you a lifetime to develop unhealthy patterns, it stands to reason it might take more than a few months to definitively break them. Actually, that’s one reason our new version of the program is one year long rather than six months long — to give people longer to assimilate and practice. “I’m very happy with the results I achieved in 2011 (lost 18 pounds, dropped 4 pants sizes, esta

Designer Whey has been a popular protein powder for many years. Growing up, it was one of those big brands that everyone talked about and paid a premium for. But once I would have been able to afford it, I noticed it contained acesulfame potassium (an artificial sweetener,) so I passed on it anyway. Not to mention, a scoop of their powder contains 18g protein, rather than the customary 24g I’m used to. That’s 25% less protein, so it really adds up (or you could say, does not add up!) But enough about the powder. Though they never got me hooked on that, I did purchase a Designer Whey Protein Bar the other day. The bar wasn’t overly expensive nor did it contain artificial sweeteners! Unfortunately, the bar was not particularly large, nor filling, nor high in protein. But it did taste great! Here’s a quick look at the health and nutrition side of things: Ingredients: Designer Whey Protein Blend (Whey Protein Concentrate, Soy Protein Isolate, Milk Protein Concentrate), Chocolate Flavored Coating (Sugar, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Milk Protein Concentrate, Cocoa (processed with Alkali), Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Dried Cane Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup, Honey, Tapioca Syrup, Water, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Rice Flour, Natural Flavor, Sugar, Tapioca Starch, Cocoa (processed with Alkali), Nonfat Milk, Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Calcium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-Tocopherol Acetate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Cyanocobalamin, Cholecalciferol), Glycerine, High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Salt, Butter, Soy Lecithin, Sunflower Lecithin, Lactose, Calcium Carbonate, Dextrose, Sodium Citrate, Maltodextrin, Carrageenan. I’m pleased to see that they use sugar and honey rather than artificial sweeteners. If you look closely, though, sugar is on the ingredients list (in some form) no less than seven times! Calories 160 Fat 5g Carbs 20g Sugars 13g Protein 10g Hmm… 10 grams of protein and 20 grams of carbs (13 of which are sugar and 0 are fiber.) When there are twice as many carbs as there are grams of protein, you can’t call it a protein bar! The Designer Whey protein blend is the first ingredient, which is great, but next is the chocolate coating… and the first ingredient in that is sugar. Don’t get this bar looking for something very high in protein, and certainly don’t get it if you’re looking for something natural! I tried the Triple Chocolate Crunch flavor, and the taste makes up for the nutritional shortcomings. Of course, the ingredients make this very similar to a candy bar, so it better taste good! There’s lots of chocolaty goodness here. There’s a chocolate coating, darker chocolate drizzled over that, chocolate cookie bites inside. Then you have some tan colored dough stuff and what looks like caramel on top of that. I could eat these all day! As mentioned though, the sugar content is a bit much. If I were eating bars all day, my choice would more likely be a Clif Builder’s Snack Size bar, which has 10g protein in a 140 calorie bar, with just 15g carbs. Both those bars taste good, though! My final verdict is… This bar tastes great, but I can’t categorize it as a protein bar (too little protein and too high in sugar,) energy bar (too low in carbs,) or food bar (too many processed ingredients,) so I don’t see the point in it. If you’re looking for a protein bar, there are plenty of better-tasting bars that contain just as much (if not more) protein and less sugar, and I’m planning to stick with them. Official website: www.DesignerWhey.com Buy online: www.Amazon.com Product Review Details Company: Designer Whey. Product: Designer Whey Protein Bar Reviewed by: Coach Levi My Rating: 3.0 out of 5 Date last updated: 2013-06-15 Obtained Product: Purchased at retailer. CoachLevi.com Advertiser: No. Clic

RT @dajohi: @BradPilon @LeonardVnGelder interesting...

In this article we’ll share the 3 main strategies we use to help clients fix a “broken diet” and start eating better. We’ll also share how we troubleshoot eating plans when they’ve “just stopped working” and you don’t know what else to try. And, finally, we’ll show you how to use these powerful and purposeful strategies to improve your own eating. Or to help others do the same. ++ Nutrition “advice” often comes in buzzwords and slogans. We’ve all heard at least one of these gems: “Just eat whole foods.” “Only eat food that your grandmother would recognize.” “Eat more fat and fewer carbs.” “If it doesn’t run, fly or swim – or it isn’t a green vegetable – don’t eat it.” It’s easy to simplify healthy eating into a five-second pitch. But soundbytes aren’t enough to actually help people fix their eating and get better results. You see, when you’re an actual nutrition coach who works with real humans in the real world, slogans don’t get the job done. Real people need patient, careful, empathetic coaching. This means: Listening to their needs and what they want to accomplish. Learning how they live. Discovering what’s really important to them. And then working together to create the right nutritional approach for them, a diet that’s personal and unique, based on their goals and lifestyle. Another thing that good nutrition coaches do to help their clients? Observing their progress carefully and correcting course as necessary. Here’s why: Every diet system is going to stop working at some point. No matter how great it seems initially, that diet will break.  And when it does, your next step is crucial. So, in this article, I’ll help you figure out how to get started when your diet feels broken. I’ll also share exactly how we troubleshoot nutrition plans when “they’ve just stopped working”. And then I’ll teach you how to do it all yourself. First, though, a disclaimer. I’m not going to give you a set of rules to follow. Or even share a specific diet philosophy. Instead, I’m going to share a framework for evaluation. This way, if you follow a Paleo diet, you can learn to Paleo better. If you’re a vegan, you can learn to do that better too. And, if you’re just getting started with eating healthier, you can start out right, without wasting time and energy. Step 1: Identify and remove nutritional deficiencies Most people think they need a complete overhaul at first. “I have to cut out sugar… and dairy… and carbs… and saturated fat. Plus I have to eat more protein… more healthy fats… and more vegetables. Not a lot of fruit, though. I have to start drinking lots of water too. And exercise… maybe a 6 am boot camp… yeah.” I don’t know about you, but I get exhausted just thinking about changing all this, all at once. Let’s call it the “Mission Impossible” approach. After coaching over 20,000 clients in the last few years, I’ve come to realize that the Mission Impossible approach isn’t just difficult; it’s misguided. Because a complete overhaul rarely addresses what’s making most people feel bad in the first place. Often, people struggle with how they look and feel because their physiology doesn’t work the way it should. This can be hormonal imbalances, but it’s more often dietary deficiency: not getting the right nutrients, in the right amounts, to get the best results. Dietary deficiencies, therefore, are the first red flag that something’s wrong. Just how common are dietary deficiencies? The research in this area is pretty telling. A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition showed that it’s really hard to get all the essential vitamins and minerals from food alone. This study analyzed 70 athlete diets. Every single diet was deficient in at least three nutrients. Some diets were missing up to fifteen nutrients! The most common deficiencies? iodine vitamin D zinc vitamin E calcium Another study, also published in the Journal of the International Society of Spo