Nutrition Archives - Shaila Fitness

Homemade Quest Bars

August 18, 2015 by sumi Leave a Comment

Homemade Dark Chocolate Quest style Protein Bars

Quest protein bars are very popular with my clients. A lot has changed since I first reviewed the product several years ago and you can check that out my old review here Quest Bar review.

Since then, the brand has come out with several flavors, and revised their ingredient list to accommodate food allergies and changing tastes. More on them here: http://www.questnutrition.com/

Even though I’m not a protein bar fanatic, I have to acknowledge that they are a tasty convenience food, especially for busy people and travelers that want a good protein source. I’ve also seen Quest bars on enough of client food intake logs so I know they are popular for a variety of reasons, and they are sold widely now.

Homemade Quest bars are shockingly easy to make too. All you need the main ingredient that gives it the chewy consistency. And that is this:

Vitafiber Basic Syrup, is a sweet, low-calorie prebiotic fiber source that will help bind your homemade Quest bar and give it a nice chewy texture. You can buy it on Amazon though I’m sure there are other retailers.

Next you’re going to need your favorite, most tastiest brand of protein powder. I used the Quest brand (chocolate whey protein) and the bar you make will take the flavor of the style of protein powder. So, use a strawberry flavor if you want something that tastes fruity; vanilla if you want to add cookies, etc.

You might want to buy some sort of silicone tray to contain your homemade Quest bar. The silicone trays are ideal because you can just push the bars out once you’re done cooling them off, and you can use them as the mold rather than trying to form them with your hands into something that resembles a bar.

Here’s what the finished product (which I covered in saran wrap so I could place something over it to flatten them) before I stuck into the fridge, looks like. You can get the silicone trays here. I’ve seen them at some grocery stores as well.

Okay now onto the recipe for the homemade Quest bars, which is so super simple even a mom-zombie like me can make it.

Homemade Dark Chocolate Quest style Protein Bars

I made enough to make 9 bars, so the recipe is tailored for that amount. Each bar is about 140 calories, which is less than most Quest bars (they are about 200 calories). My flavor of choice was basic dark chocolate.

1. Step 1. Heat up 18-20 Tbsps of the Vitafiber in a pan until small bubbles form. I used this many tablespoons of the Vitafiber to make a total of 9 bars, so alter the recipe if you want fewer. For one bar, use 2 TBSPs.

2. While still warm (but not bubbling), stir in 9 scoops of powdered protein of choice, 9 tsps of dark chocolate cocoa powder, and 9 tsps of vanilla extract.

3. Mix it together until it forms a doughy paste. Then mold into silicone trays (see above) or use hands to form 9 bars. Again, you’d just use 2 Tbsps of Vitafiber for one bar (and only 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 tsp cocoa powder, and 1 tsp vanilla extract for just one bar).

4. Cool in fridge for an hour or longer.

Each bar contains about 140 calories; 23 grams of protein, 13 grams of carbs, 7 grams of fiber, and 0 grams of fat.

To boost the calorie and fat content of this bar, you could add your favorite kind of nut butter, chopped nuts, shredded coconut or coconut oil, and/or real chocolate chips.

For more a fruity flavor, you could add dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, blueberries), or fruit essence flavorings (drops that you can get in the baking/spices aisle). Instead of chocolate protein powder, you might want the base of this to be a strawberry or vanilla protein powder.

You could also add a crushed oreo cookie or a chips ahoy cookie to each basic bar to mimic the cookies and cream flavored bar, or the cookie dough bar.

Or, to make more of a peanut butter and jelly style bar, you could use the Quest protein brand of peanut butter protein, PB2 (powdered peanut butter) or real peanut butter, and some dried fruit or grape jelly.

The possibilities are endless!

Easy Breakfast Meals

August 3, 2015 by sumi Leave a Comment

Very Berry Protein Fluff (contributed by Gisele Purdy, Personal Trainer and Nutritionist)

Using a Vitamix or small personal blender, blend 2 cups mixed berries (or any berry of choice), 1 scoop chocolate whey protein and 1/4 cup coconut milk. Blend until you a achieve an ice cream-like texture. To achieve a fluffier consistency, pour into a large bowl and use hand mixer for about 5 minutes until it’s lighter and fluffy. There are SO many variations of this (i.e., trade off fruits, protein powder or milk choice) and it’s a high volume food that will keep you satiated thanks to the fiber in the berries and protein!

4 -Ingredient Easy Breakfast Egg Casserole

Meal prep for the week should be super easy in my opinion. If you’re busy, it’s ideal if your meals can be fixed in a snap, so you can be on your way. I’m not one to skip breakfast (or any meal, really) but I also don’t have a lot of time. And I prefer to get a nice hot meal, and ideally one that includes veggies.

Here’s my “go-to” for a simple, 4 ingredient egg casserole that can be prepped in advance for the week. Once prepped, it will last in your fridge for at least 5 days, and you can freeze any leftovers, if you have any.

It’s low calorie, low in fat and carbs, high in protein, and full of veggies. Here’s what I do.

1. Preheat oven to 395 degrees. Spray an oven safe dish with non-stick spray and layer on your first serving of veggies. ANY veggie will do. You could use onions, peppers, zucchini, carrots, whatever. My first layer here is pre-chopped mushrooms.

2. Next, add another layer of leafy greens, if you like. I add spinach.

3. Add spices (salt, pepper), salsa (if you wish, I like to because I love the taste), and fresh herbs if you have some (I’m using dill because I like how it tastes with eggs).

4. Add your final layer of eggs. I use 1 large carton of liquid egg substitute (I love the taste of the Southwestern flavor).

According to the label on the carton, the box contains 18 servings of 20 calories each. 20 calories isn’t very much, and once cooked, I divide the pan into 8 servings, not 18. The veggies add a really small amount of calories, and I don’t worry about it, but if you’re adding denser veggies like potatoes or whatever, you might want to consider how it will affect the calorie totals.

5. Bake in the oven at 395 degrees for 40 minutes.

You could use real whole eggs or egg whites, or MuscleEgg, or all egg whites. Just realize that will change the calorie totals, which is something you may want to account for.

For this example, if I divide the pan into 8 servings, each breakfast serving is about 67 calories with 12 grams of protein, and 4 grams of carbohydrates, and a minuscule amount of fat.

To complete this meal, you will want to add a fat source (small amount of peanut butter, avocado, or fish oil), and your favorite breakfast carbohydrate (fruit, oatmeal, cream of wheat, cereal, etc).

Egg White English Muffin Sandwiches

Here’s another super easy to prepare breakfast on the go idea, contributed by my friend and fellow weight lifting sister in steel, Jenny Goodwin. Here’s a photo of Jenny, looking super badass.

And here’s a photo of her breakfast sandwiches, prepared in advance for the week. Unlike the casserole recipe above, this one is more complete; it has both the fat and carbohydrate source bundled together with the protein. Once it’s cooked, you can wrap it up and go! Read the instructions to see how easy this breakfast meal is.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put 1/4 cup egg whites in a muffin tin and season to taste — I seasoned with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Bake for approximately 13 minutes.

2. When eggs are done, lay the English muffins out on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven at the same temperature (optional).

3. Let everything cool down and assemble your sandwich. For this recipe, I use two pieces of Canadian bacon, and one slice (ultra thin sliced) cheese. Then wrap in Saran Wrap and store in fridge or freezer.

4. To eat, just unwrap and microwave. If it’s thawed, it doesn’t need much time (40 seconds or so depending on microwave).

Each muffin has 232 calories, 6 grams of fat, 26 grams of carbohydrates, and 20 grams of protein. For the recipe, Jenny uses whole wheat english muffins (Fred Meyer brand), liquid egg whites, and Sargento brand cheese.

Some other variations include using whole eggs, veggies, hot sauce, and different meats like bacon, turkey bacon, sausage, turkey sausage, chicken, and so on. Keep in mind that doing so will change the nutrition totals, so use a calorie tracker if you wish.

My Favorite High Protein Pancakes

And finally, here is my favorite easy pancake recipe. I suggest you make this one hot and fresh, rather in advance, so if you’re pressed for time during the workweek, you can save this one for the weekend.

You’ll need:

½ Cup Fiber One Pancake Mix (180 cals)
1 Scoop of Vanilla Flavored Whey Protein (100-120 calories) Note: You can use any vanilla flavored whey protein of your choice, but try to match the calorie content. I like the brands Trutein and Quest for this recipe, but there are many!
Walden Farms Zero Calorie Pancake Syrup (optional)

1. Mix together pancake mix with whey protein and gradually add water stir to achieve the desired consistency. Coat a non-stick pan with a spritz of Pam so that pancake batter doesn’t stick.

2. Pour mix and heat and cook evenly on both sides.

3. Top with Walden Farms Zero Calorie Pancake Mix or Sugar-free syrup if desired. Mixture will make 3 servings.

For the 3 pancakes, the recipe contains 280 calories 18 grams of protein, 42 grams of carbohydrate, and 6 grams of fat.

Keep in mind that these recipes above are by no means your only easy choices for nutritious, easy breakfast meals. There are many, many options for you, including pairings such as:

Hot or dry cereal (carb source), with milk (or soy, almond, rice milk, etc), eggs (protein and fat source) and fruit (fiber, vitamins).
Smoothies made with powdered protein or greek yogurt (protein source) with fruit and ground chia or flax seeds (fat and fiber).
Oatmeal with fruit and cooked with milk, and eggs or greek yogurt for added protein
Whole grain bread with peanut butter (carbs and fat) with a protein source like a 1 scoop of whey protein with ice and water, or an egg, or greek yogurt
A yogurt parfait with greek yogurt, berries and 1/4 c granola
A protein bar if you’re pressed for time.

Pick what works best for you and make it a habit. Even if you feel like you’re not hungry immediately upon waking, there’s no harm in packing your cooler or stocking your fridge with easy options like the ones here for when hunger does strike. A little preparation goes a long way!

Making the Most out of your Meal Plan

July 9, 2015 by sumi 1 Comment

I recently met up with a company here in Austin that provides a healthy meal delivery service (www.mealpros.com) for busy people who want to eat healthy on the go. I’m going to use MealPros in this blogpost but there are probably other companies in your town that are based on the concept of delivering portion-controlled meals that are nutritious, high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats for people who don’t have time to cook, don’t like to cook, travel too much to cook, etc.

The meals are all sensible portions, tasty, and made of fresh ingredients, the kind of things that you will find in the periphery of your grocery store. I actually did try several of the meals from MealPros and was very satisfied with the taste. Typically with these sorts of meal delivery places, you pay per meal, so the more meals you need, the more you can expect to pay.

So, a female on a 1,500 calorie per day contest diet will pay less than a female or a male on a larger (i.e., more calories) meal plan.

And let’s say you just wanted a few meals (lunch or dinner) covered by the chefs at Meal Pros. (Note: I’ll use MealPros here, but remember that there are probably other healthy meal delivery places in your city/State). Or, you might have the budget to afford a smaller meal plan (like a 1,200 calorie/day plan) but want to boost calories to suit your activity level.

There are several low-cost, easy ways to do that so let’s get right to it.

Healthy Filipino Recipes

October 28, 2014 by sumi 1 Comment

I was born and raised in the Philippines so am a big, HUGE fan of Filipino food. I’m partial to the deserts (of course) but that’s a different blog post and once I get started talking about that I get wildly off topic. Here I want to cover two traditional Filipino recipes: Chicken Adobo and Pancit (stir fried noodles with meat and veggies).

Filipino food, like most other ethnic cuisines, aren’t always served up healthy, especially when they’re offered as a “fast food” option in this country. For instance, a nearby Filipino restaurant here in Austin offers a variety of meats, all battered and all deep fried. While a little bit of fried fish every once in a while is OK, I wanted to offer you some healthy versions of some of my favorite Filipino Recipes.

The cleaned up recipes are high protein and low in fat, so very friendly for my flexin’ Filipino friends.

Chicken Adobo, Cleaned Up

Ingredients:

2 lbs of chicken breast (tenders or cut up), 4-5 Tablespoons of Dark Soy Sauce, 1/3 Cup White vinegar, 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 8 cloves of peeled garlic, 3 bay leaves, 15 whole peppercorns, 1 Teaspoon ground black pepper powder, 1 cup water.

Instructions:

Marinate the chicken in all the ingredients for about an hour. Put the chicken pieces into a sauce pan. Cook on a high flame until it comes to a boil. Lower the flame, and cook on a low fire for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meat should be very tender. Serve with rice.

Remember, an ounce of cooked chicken breast contains about 30 calories (6.5 grams of protein and less than 1/2 grams of fat), so serve yourself up a portion that fits your nutritional needs. The garlic and spices add little to the calorie count.

Low Carb Filipino Pancit Noodle Recipe (Stir Fried Noodles), Serves 2

Now in this recipe, I’m actually subbing out the traditional starchy rice noodles to decrease the carb content of the meal. There’s nothing wrong with using them however, just follow the directions on the package for cooking time. In this healthy version of this Filipino classic, we will use low-carb noodles that are ready to serve (such as NoOodles, Miracle Noodle, Quest Pasta, or any other “shirataki” noodles).

Ingredients:

1 package of shirataki noodles
3/4 cup chicken breast, cut into strips or cubes
1 1/2 cup thinly sliced cabbage
1 cup thinly cut strips of carrots
1/2 cup French green beans cut (slanted)
1/2 cup snow peas
2 TBSP chopped garlic
1 onion cut into thick slices
1 boiled hard boiled egg cut into slices
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
Chopped spring onions for garnish

Instructions:

Add oil to a nonstick pan, heat on medium flame, add garlic and onions, and brown lightly. Add thinly cut chicken breast and cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Add chopped carrots, green beans, and cabbage and cook until vegetables have softened.

Add black pepper and soy sauce, cover and cook for 2 minutes, and then add snow peas. Add shirataki noodles, and additional pepper and soy sauce, if needed. Mix well. Sprinkle lemon juice on top and garnish with egg and spring onion.

Easy Vegetarian Recipes

September 16, 2014 by sumi Leave a Comment

I’ve been meaning to share some super easy vegetarian recipes that have been contributed by Shaila fitness clients. Since they’re contributed by people just like you, you know that they’re easy recipes made by busy people. They’re also vegetarian, low-calorie, and tasty!

Let’s get to work!

Easy Vegetarian Tofu Curry

Ingredients:

Trader Joe’s Organic Tofu (1 box – 15 oz)

Onion – 1 medium

Bell Pepper – 1 medium

1 small box of Mushrooms

Pineapples – 1 cup (Dole tidbits work great!)

Re-Engineering Your Kitchen For Weight Loss

February 5, 2013 by sumi Leave a Comment

As we get older, get busy with families and work, go to one too many office parties, happy hours, and cupcake shops, we often don’t notice the slow creeping on of pounds. Or maybe we do. Or maybe you wake up one day and can’t get the jeans to fit or the shirt over your bellybutton. Short of buying an entire wardrobe, you’re faced with a dilemma.

Keep your kitchen full of healthy treats!

Understandably, the last thing most of us want to do is go on a diet or reduce calories. The very thought of doing so sends some of us into a tailspin, feasting “last supper” style, or running to the donut store before we begin a weight loss diet “tomorrow.” The good news is that you can make gradual, small changes and lose weight effortlessly by re-engineering your kitchen for weight loss. The same way you allowed small changes in your diet that added the pounds on gradually (the extra wine at happy hour, the chocolate kisses at the front desk, the cupcake at the birthday party, the desert you could have split, the caramel machiatto, etc), is the same way you can effortlessly lose weight by making small changes.

Best Diet Products

December 4, 2012 by sumi Leave a Comment

Today I want to take a quick look at what I think are some of the best reduced calorie products available at your grocery store. Have you tried any of these yet?

High Fiber, Low Calorie Tortillas

These high fiber tortillas can be used as roti, too!

Start reading labels at your grocery store. More brands are coming up with high fiber wraps and tortillas like the one made by Ole (Xtreme Wellness). The one in the photo here has only 90 calories, 9 grams of fiber per serving, and is large enough to hold enough chicken, cheese, and veggies to satisfy even large appetites like mine. Check the bread section at your store and see if you can beat or match the calorie and fiber profile. FlatOut is another brand that makes large wraps, and comes in a variety of flavors. I’ve seen them at several grocery stores with each serving about 90-100 calories.

Powdered Peanut Butter

PB2, Powdered Peanut Butter (45 cals for 2 TBSPs compared to 200 calories for 2 TBSPs of peanut butter). Made by Bell Plantations, this powdered peanut butter can be used in a lot of recipes and mixed with water to make a low-cal version of peanut butter, added to protein shakes, pudding, etc. My favorite way to use this product is to mix this with chocolate whey protein powder, and blend with ice and water. I also mix it in with chocolate pudding. The company website has a complete recipe book too: http://www.bellplantation.com/

Low Calorie Cashew Milk

For those of you that enjoy adding something to your whey protein shake, this unsweetened cashew “milk” adds a mere 25 calories per 1 cup serving. That’s a little bit less than light almond milk (which ranges from 35-60 calories/cup) and quite a bit less than skim milk (80 calories/cup). I’ve always been happy with plain water added to my whey protein, but the cashew milk adds creaminess if you like that. You can find the nutrition information here.

Walden Farms Brand

Makes no calorie, no sugar, no carb, gluten-free sauces, salad dressings, syrups, dips, jellies, and much much more. The raspberry salad vinaigrette dressing is my absolute favorite from their line. http://www.waldenfarms.com/

Magic Pop

If you haven’t tried this, it’s pretty neat. They sell them at our local grocery store (HEB in Austin) and they come in both salty/savory and sweet flavors. It’s like an oversized rice cake, but with only 15 calories. So for those of you that crave crunchy + sweet and/or crunchy/salty (if I had a dollar for every person in Austin that can’t live without chips and salsa…), this treat is worth a try. http://www.deliceglobal.com/

Fiber One Brand Pancake Mix

People pay big bucks for colon cleansing and detox products, and it’s no wonder. The typical American diet is largely devoid of fiber, and you might not be getting enough if you eat out frequently, dislike vegetables, or consume too many processed foods on a regular basis. Ideally, you have found a way to include several servings of fresh veggies and fruits in your daily diet. But if you need more or other sources of dietary fiber, the Fiber One brand has come up with a complete line of breakfast, snack, and desert products to help you meet your daily needs (at least 30 grams). The pancake mix is my favorite; it has 180 calories in a serving (compared to 250 calories per serving in some other brands), and has 5 grams of fiber. I usually mix it with 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder when making my high protein pancakes, which brings me to my next point…

Best Source of Portable Protein

Whey protein is an excellent source of high quality and convenient take-it-with-you protein. You should try to include a serving of lean protein at every meal, and this can be challenging if you’re vegetarian, can’t stand too much chicken, beef, and eggs on a daily basis, are always on the go, and so on. There are numerous options for whey protein. Visit the vitamin aisle at your grocery store or your local health food store. Try one of the single serving packets if you’re weary of buying a big tub. For retailed versions, I like the either Muscle Milk Light (100 cals/scoop), GNC’s Whey Protein Complete (100 cals/scoop), or Optimum Nutrition’s 100% Gold Standard Whey (120 cals/scoop).

Best Tasting Reduced Calorie Bread

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you might have noticed that several brands are coming out with sliced bread that come in at only 40 calories/slice. Brand such as Nature’s Own now carry a full line of breads (white, wheat, honey wheat, double-fiber, etc.) in their reduced-calorie/Light line that contain half the calories of conventional sliced bread. http://naturesownbread.com/products/ReducedCalorieBreads/

Again, start reading labels at the grocery store. Most people swear off of all bread and carbs when they are trying to shed some pounds, and that’s not required. For many of us, it’s about making simple changes and tradeoffs to choices we already make that can steer us towards our weight loss goals.

Best Tasting Healthy Sweet Treats (For Adults AND Kids)

Greek Yogurt: Many brands are now coming out with versions of seasonal flavors of Greek Yogurt (such as Caramel Apple Pie, Chocolate Cherry, Salted Caramel, Toasted Vanilla Coconut, etc). Used to be that you could only get peach, blueberry, strawberry, but I’m seeing a LOT more variety at the grocery store for this convenient high protein snack. Check out the nutrition information and the variety of flavors here. This particular brand checks in at a mere 80 calories. If you wanted, you could probably freeze it and top it off with some fresh fruit for a nice desert, too.

Muffins: Vitalicious http://www.vitalicious.com/store-vitamuffins.html has a delicious “Vitamuffin” and I love the Deep Chocolate flavor. Although the size is smaller than a coffee house portion, it’s probably appropriate for most appetites. 100 calories, 9 grams of fiber, and “enriched” with plenty of vitamins (as the name implies). You can find this in the frozen novelties section of your grocery store, or in the frozen prepared breakfast section.

Brownies: Glenny’s has a brand of ready made brownies that are 100 calories a piece, and with 7 grams of fiber (and not in the refrigerated section). http://www.glennys.com/products/brownies.html I’ve seen them at the grocery store and they can be ordered online as well. As with the Vitalicious brand, don’t expect to indulge in a huge coffee shop size portion. Nevertheless, the taste is pretty darn good when you’re in need of a small chocolate “fix.”

Gluten-Free Foods

Granted, this category isn’t necessarily “diet-friendly” in the calorie content sense (gluten free products are often higher in calories than a regular wheat product), but if you’ve got a gluten allergy or are trying to avoid it, you probably have no choice. The market of gluten-free products is growing much like the fat-free and low-carb market was, and it’s hard to know which products are actually tasty. Since you will be paying more for gluten-free, it helps to know what tastes good. Here are some picks from my gluten-intolerant clients:

Best Tasting Gluten Free Bread (sandwich or bagel): Udi’s
Instant oatmeal- Gluten Freeda
Pancake/muffin mix- Pamela’s products
Cake Mix- Betty Crocker
Frozen Entrees- Cedar Lane

I hope that my list of some of my favorite best diet products helps you out.

See you at the grocery store!

The Importance of Social Support

February 24, 2012 by sumi Leave a Comment

As a trainer, I get really amazing glimpses into the challenges that many people face while trying to achieve their fitness goals.

Helping to Motivate Beautiful People in a Group Setting: One of the joys of being a trainer

One of the biggest obstacles might be the people you associate with: at home, at work, online, the gym, at playdates, and so on. “Saboteurs” lurk at every corner, and sometimes it’s the person you are closest to. For example, a client of mine swears her own mother is attempting to sabotage her successful weight loss. When she visits with family, mom brings out the sweets and junk food for her and her kids. In this case, it seems to be because the weight loss efforts of the mother have failed. For whatever reason, it’s sometimes a person close to you that might be the most unsupportive and at worst, a saboteur.

But you can turn a poor social network into one that spurs positive fitness changes.

Social support can be remarkably powerful. It can do everything from reducing stress (unwinding and venting with your girlfriends over some coffee) to helping you adhere to a diet via group weight loss efforts (e.g., Weight Watchers, various Facebook support groups) or some form of accountability or support (e.g., a paid diet coach). Most sensible diets will work if you stick to the program, and long-term compliance is more important than the diet you end up choosing (e.g., Paleo, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Low-carb, Low-fat, whatever).

A Guide to the Holidays for the Athlete

November 30, 2011 by sumi 1 Comment

Social media is buzzing early this year with tips to “surviving” the Holidays. And there’s a reason why January is peak season for gyms and fitness trying to lure you in with the promise of helping you “undo” your indulgences.

But what if you just approached the Holidays with moderation and common sense? One meal isn’t going to negate the hard work you’ve been doing if you’ve been working on your nutrition and exercising. Just remember too, that just because it’s the Holidays doesn’t mean that you need to throw everything down the drain either (the classic “all or nothing approach.”)

So, what’s an athlete to do (yes, I’m talking to you)? How does one use moderation and still come out fighting?

Here are my favorite common sense tips for celebrating sanely, and keeping your figure. The Shaila fitness guide to the Holidays for the Athlete, if you will 🙂

Will Squat for Cake

1) Beat the gym at their game. October through December are notorious in the fitness industry as being a quiet time, so chances are that trainers and gyms are offering deep discounts. Plus, many offer special Holiday rate packages that will likely go away after the New Year, when the New Year’s Resolution crowd rushes in.

2) Sign up for a local Holiday 5K or 10K race. There are so many of these types of events going on now (e.g.., Turkey Trots, Jingle Bell Runs) and they tend to be very family friendly, benefit charities (it’s the season for giving, after all), and open to a variety of fitness levels. Or, do what I do; use those extra calories to fuel a heavy weight training day in the gym.

How Not to Get Lean this Summer

April 10, 2011 by sumi Leave a Comment

Like it or not, summer is coming. We’ll be ditching the jackets and showing off more skin. If you’ve been diligently exercising and eating right over the colder months, you probably have nothing to worry about. Some of us might turning to a “quick fix.” But we both know that they never really work. So here are some current products that will not help you to get lean this summer.

Ready to shed the layers?

As a full time trainer, I’m keenly aware of the variety of products marketed for weight loss. My background in science also makes it simple for me to understand product claims and understand their worth, if any. These days, lots of people in and outside of the gym ask me, “hey what do you think of this weight loss product?” and most of the time, it’s something that I know won’t work for them.

Here are some of the worst questions I’ve encountered: