Direction of Focus

You will always move towards the direction of your FOCUS.

At the beginning of the day, the question “What am I moving towards that will improve my fitness, health, quality of life?” will direct you to act according to your goals.

Without that focus, that question to help you begin your day right, you will potentially be led astray by boredom, peer pressure, bad habits, misdirection, etc.

Where does your focus lie?

Foundations of Progress

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People in search of change have great intentions.  They hire a coach, ask for a program of nutrition and exercise and they are off to success in achieving the body of their dreams, right?

When they fail, they often question the program or turn to the next quick fix in search of “the right match”, something that’s “easier to follow”, a program that better fits their “approach to eating and exercise”.

Most quality programs are based on universally accepted principles of exercise and nutrition. Your failure to lose fat and get your desired results usually lies not with the program but rather one of the underlying layers of foundational progress principles.

  1. SELF WORTH. If you don’t value yourself and/or believe in your ability to make change, you are DONE.  You won’t go anywhere. Many ride on the beliefs of their coaches or a respected peer.  That’s a good start until they start building up their emotional muscles.

In my decades of coaching, I’ve come to the truth that

you will only rise to your level of belief in yourself.

2. INSPIRING GOAL. A goal gives you direction. An inspiring goal gives you the motivation and excitement to make good on following through even though there may be obstacles along the way.

You will always move in the direction of your focus.

3. ACCOUNTABILITY.  Be in touch with someone you respect who is an expert in the field of nutrition, health and behavioural psychology; someone with proven results and a track record of experience. Secondly, tell people your intent on making changes.  Some will laugh at your goals; let that serve as motivation.  Some will offer encouragement and help you along the way.  Both forms of accountability help.

Stay in touch with your coach daily.  The more transparent your progress, the better your chances of success.

4. NUTRITION & EXERCISE. Look for a program that meets your individual needs.  Your program MUST one that can be sustained.

Your program must be one in which you enjoy the journey as much as the results, and the personal growth that comes from the experience.

When you truly understand this foundational structure, you will begin to address the underlying reasons why you were unsuccessful in the past and begin to finally move forward in great health.

MUSCLE CHEF 400 CAL SERIES

Musclechef400calseriesbeefslider

In the mood for a burger with melted provolone on a non-cheat day? It easily fits within the window of a 400 calorie meal. Fun for the family or your significant other, this easy to prepare dish can be made on the grill or in the frying pan.  Make the bun extra crispy for some added texture.

Ingredients:  100g lean ground sirloin (Seasoned with Worchestershire Sauce, paprika, salt, black pepper), 1 oz slice provolone cheese, tomato slices, Slider bun, broccoli rabe.

Calories: 401  Protein: 34g  Carbs: 22g  Fat:  20g

IDFA 120 UNIVERSE

The Pro & Amateur Universe, in Mississauga, December 9th.  I’m really looking forward to the year ending IDFA event Shaun Campbell is presenting this December.  Shaun has been at the forefront of Canadian Natural Bodybulding for well over a decade, paving a great path for natural competitors and putting on a smooth professional show.

Stay tuned as some athletes I’m working with will be competing at this show. I will be sharing the progress of some of them over the coming weeks.  I look forward to saying hello to some of my peers in the pro ranks backstage.

Muscle Chef 400 Calorie Series

Musclechef400calseriesgrilledflanksteakgyros

This lunch or dinner dish is incredibly good.  The Flank steak is very lean, keeping your fats down (who said you can’t eat red meat?), the flavours added to this dish as a seasoning for the meat are phenomenal, and the condiments that are placed into the pita give it a “stuffed” effect, adding to the volume of the meal without the added calories.

Ingredients:  100g flank steak, 1/4tsp salt, 1/4tsp garlic powder, 1/4tsp black pepper, 1/8 cup peeled shredded cucumber, 40g 0% Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup sliced red onion, 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1 1.5 oz whole wheat pita pocket, 1/2 tomato.

Calories: 386  Protein: 37g  Carbs: 30g  Fat:  14g

Muscle Chef 400 Calorie Series

Musclechef400calseriesgreekbreakfastburrito

You asked for breakfast options that are tasty and fit a proper nutritional profile so here is another great burrito option, this one of Greek flavour.

There’s some sharp tastes in this burrito, making it savoury and something you may want to add when you want to break from the norm. because most of the ingredients are placed into the burrito cold (aside from the egg portion of the meal) this breakfast dish is a relatively quick option.

Ingredients:  1 8″ tortilla, 1/2 cup egg white, 1 egg, 1 cup spinach, 35g feta cheese, 2 tbsp Sundried Tomatoes chopped, 3 tbsp black olives chopped.

Calories: 393  Protein: 32g  Carbs: 29g  Fat:  17g

Week 8 Shape Up Challenge

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Re-Commit

Week 8 of the 8 Week Summer shape Up Challenge…. Now What?

For decades I’ve noticed the same thing year after year; we approach the dog days of summer. We didn’t quite get our goals for the summer and we have 4-5 more weeks before the hustle and bustle of the Fall.  The mode of operation at this point is “I’m going to make the most of what’s left of the summer” and usually that means overindulgence.

Overindulgence is an easy way to a happy state.

“What the heck, its the last few weekends of summer…let’s drink it up.  We are at the cottage, yes let’s have that incredible schmorgasborg barbebue and eat everything”.

It’s these moments that you will gain back all of the weight that you lost over a hardworking summer and be right back to square one.

So instead, RE-COMMIT now.  New goals before it’s too late and a plan of action NOW so that you can make inroads to progress BEFORE a fresh new start in the FALL.

The Bottom Line: But I’m on Holidays

You are off for a weekend with the family and sometimes the food portion of the getaway results in a “Getaway” from the plan. Worth it? You tell me through this example.

 

Three meals, zero snacks.  We are walking around a lot today so we can justify this.  IHOP, the host restaurant at the hotel.  We haven’t eaten there in years.  I will stay tight and have an omellete and maybe just a few pancakes.  Cheesecake Factory, a restaurant that is not in our area when we are back home.  We absolutely need to eat there.  I just won’t eat the bread or have dessert.  For dinner, what can we say, we are on vacation.  I will have a salad and a potato and keep the meat lean.

What’s the damage for the day according to the picture’s stated calories? 7000+ Calories.  This is not including the beverages or any little munchies that you don’t calculate throughout the day.

Thats enough calories for an average person for 4 DAYS.  

That’s JUST ONE DAY of holidays.

We can justify anything. Yes you are on holidays, but if you define your enjoyment by overindugence and then expect a lean healthy body, that’s just wishful thinking that will never be realized.

That’s the BOTTOM LINE!

Muscle Chef 400 Calorie Series

Musclechef400calseriesbreakfastburrito

An awesome breakfast dish when you are in the mood for something tasty and you have a little bit of time to prepare in the morning.  The mix of flavours and textures from the different ingredients makes this breakfast burrito a hit with the family.  It has enough protein and quality fat to sustain you for the morning, and with 37g of protein, it’s gets your started on the right track to meeting your protein goals, especially when you are in training mode and need to keep those levels higher than the average person.

Ingredients:  1 8″ Wheat tortilla, 1/2 cup egg white, 1 egg, 1 large lettuce leaf, 1/4 refried beans, 2 slices turkey bacon, 4 tbsp salsa, 20g low fat cheddar cheese.

Calories: 390  Protein: 37g  Carbs: 32g  Fat:  13g

Week 7 Shape Up Challenge

Nutrients & Performance

Meet your nutritional needs.
Here's the short and skinny on what I need you to do:

1) Meet your protein needs. 0.8-1.5grams protein x lean muscle mass. If you need help with calculating this let me know.
The variance is dependent on activity levels and goals.
Need 100g of protein in a day?
Think of how you will break it down:
30-30-10-30 (breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner)

2) 75 percent of your carbs should be packed with quality micronutrients.
That means you should be eating vegetables, fruits, quality carbs in their least processed forms.

3) 25 percent of your carbs are there to meet your calorie needs in a way that will satisfy any urges and/or the convenience factor. Ideally you should have 100 percent carbs of the highest quality with the most micronutrients but life isn't always that way and this 25 percent buffer most likely gives you a 200-250 calorie leeway to have that tortilla wrap or protein bar.

Nail down these 3 and you have addressed 4 key areas:

  1. Protein needs
  2. Micronutrient needs
  3. Caloric needs
  4. Psychological/emotional needs.