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Stephen Adelé
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The Lean System Success Plan—The Perfect Plan for Targeted Fat Loss, Customized to Your Metabolic Body Type © Copyright 2007 by Real SOLUTIONS Media and Right Lane Publishing, Inc. Parent company of iSatori Technologies, LLC, Golden, CO. All rights reserved. No part of this Guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without permission from the publisher. ______________________________________________________________________ The claims made about specific products in or through this Guide have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. The information provided in this Guide is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health-care professional. You should not use the information in this Guide for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a health-care professional before starting any diet/nutrition, exercise, or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. This plan is intended for healthy persons over the age of 18. ______________________________________________________________________
NOTICE: Although we’ve made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of the words and facts in this Guide, we cannot be made liable for any errors if they exist. The author, publication, or its affiliated companies assume no liability for the information contained in this report.
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Questions, comments, support, or just want facts on fat loss? Please visit www.theleansystem.com, or call (toll-free) 1-866-688-7679. ■ ■ ■
Printed in the United States of America Publication Printers, Denver, CO Author: Stephen Adelé Foreword: Douglas Kalman, MS, RD, FACN Designed by: Bruce Williams ISBN 0-9714154-0-4
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
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About the Author
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Introduction
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Getting to Know Your Body
1
PA R T 2 _____________________________________ 7 13
Exercise to Burn Fat
27
Supplementing for Success
39
PA R T 3 _____________________________________ 49
Putting Your Plan Into Action
57
Daily Eating & Exercise Journals
63
Exercise Descriptions & Photos
83
Fun, Delicious, Healthy Recipes Gratitude
97 117
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
APPENDIX II
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
APPENDIX I
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Building Your Customized Plan
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
You Are What You Eat
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Overcoming Nutrition Myths
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
PA R T 1 _____________________________________
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Foreword by Douglas Kalman
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
CONTENTS
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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EXERCISE TO BURN FAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
– Douglas S. Kalman, MS, RD, FACN Director, Nutrition & Applied Clinical Research Miami Research Associates
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Ask 10 different “fitness experts” what the secret to losing fat is, and more than likely, you'll get nine different answers. While most of their replies might be respectable in theory, I’m convinced that’s the number one reason losing fat and getting lean can be so darn frustrating and confusing—everybody seems to have the answer. As you could imagine and perhaps see or read daily, there appears to be a new “magic pill” or diet advertised almost every day. As if that’s not enough, there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of different exercise and diet gimmicks flooding the market. I have seen ads for fat-loss gels, creams, pills, and drinks, as well as late-night infomercials hocking everything from home workout gadgets to electronic stimulators. Honestly, this has gotten quite ridiculous. For the most part, the majority of these gadgets are pure hype, though they do excel at spot-reduction; that is, the spot where you hold your wallet! It is sad: the hype hurts the legitimate plans and sound advice that is out there, so it often gets lost in the mire. So what is the “best,” safest way to lose fat? Who do you trust? How do you sort the fact from the fiction? These are all very good questions, ones that Stephen has worked hard to answer for you while bringing you the honest-to-goodness truth about how to lose fat…once and for all. (Believe me, it can be done!) Stephen has taken a good hard look at what many of today’s leading scientists have uncovered in the area of obesity research and thoroughly reviewed the most current clinical studies on fat loss. And from his analysis, you can reap the rewards of understanding and having a real plan to implement smart eating, great exercise routines, knowledge about dietary supplements, and how the psychological factors surrounding body image and weight control can work to your favor. Whether you’re trying to lose that last bit of stubborn bodyfat that covers your abs, you’re 10 or 20 lbs away from your “ideal” physique, or you’re 50 some pounds overweight, you’ll find a clear-cut path to the answers you need to help get and keep you lean—for life!
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Solving the Fat-Loss Puzzle, Once and for All
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
FOREWORD
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About the Author
At only 33 years old, Stephen Adelé has been helping individuals from all walks of life create measurable results in their physiques and performance over the last 15 years and has rapidly become a respected authority. He has published numerous articles for magazines around the world, been quoted in several trade publications, appeared on radio shows, conducted seminars around the globe, and is the CEO of the prestigious supplement manufacturer, iSatori Technologies. Stephen now also shares his insights, expertise, and inside connections in two of the fastest growing publications in the industry, Real SOLUTIONS email newsletter and Real SOLUTIONS magazine, and has recently co-authored the consumers’ guides 7 Never-BeforeTold Secrets Everyone Should Know Before Buying Supplements and The 21-Day Ultimate Energy Plan and MAXIMUM GROWTH, Volume II. Over the years, Stephen's philosophy has remained unchanged: “The greatest gift you can give yourself is the gift of a strong mind, which can yield extraordinary dividends in the form of a stronger, healthier, and more energetic body." Stephen lives in Morrison, Colorado, with his wife, Julia, and their two beautiful children. You can join Stephen anytime online at RealSolutionsMag.com.
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INTRODUCTION
I love what I do. Each morning at the office, I start my day by scanning my schedule for the day, glance at my list of priorities that need to get done, and begin to read a list of emails and letters from people who are desperately seeking the answer to the question… “How do I build a better body?” This question excites me. Each day I'm filled with eager anticipation to answer it. The same eagerness I had the very first time I answered it—over 15 years ago. And you know what? I never, ever get tired of seeing this question. “Why not,” you might ask... “after more than a decade and so many thousands of letters?” Simply because with each time the question is asked, I have the unique opportunity to, in some small way, positively impact the life of someone special—someone like you. For me, the rewards of helping someone turn their lives around, and completely transform the way they look and feel about themselves, never fades. Probably because their results are so visible, and I enjoy seeing how much happier and full of energy they become. It's no wonder that each day I’m literally ripped out of bed at 5:15 a.m. to the sound of my internal alarm, telling me it's time to get going... time to work out, time to get to the office, and time to start answering emails and letters from people who want to change their lives for the better. In truth, with so much focus on all of the negative events going on in America and around the world, it's refreshing to work with such uplifting people who see the world in a more positive light. People who have taken the first (or in some instances, second, third, or fourth) step(s) in the right direction—to improve the way they look and feel. People who are not afraid of confronting the brutal truth about their physical appearance and who seek out help in building a body they (and others) can be proud of. In essence, people who want to turn a negative into a positive. I enjoy being a part of this more than anything else. And make no mistake about it, my friend, I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.
A Truly Inspiring Transformation In the coming pages of this book, I am going to share with you a gift that has taken me over a decade to learn. One that will allow you to experience the joy of transformation. And, if you follow my Plan to the letter, you will absolutely, positively see visible results, with your own eyes—all in as little as eight weeks. The promise of a visible difference in your physical appearance in just 60 days may seem too good to be true. But, let me assure you, it’s not.
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In fact, I’m certain my Plan will work for you, just as it has for thousands of people already. Just ask Marina Popelka, a 37-year-old mother, and entrepreneur, from Lakewood, Colorado. When I first met Marina, she told me that while helping a friend take a “before” picture for a transformation contest, she decided to take a picture of herself. Marina was very surprised at what she saw. “Someone who was much bigger than I thought,” was her first impression after seeing her photo. Besides that, she mentioned that she constantly felt lethargic, she was always tired, and her energy levels had hit rock bottom. On top of that, because Marina felt so awful about the way she looked, she expressed that the “spark” had disappeared from her love life and, as a result, placed a strain on her relationship with her husband. As you would guess, of course, she wasn’t happy about any of this. Yet, she was eager to change. In fact, she not only wanted to change the way she looked and felt, she wanted to dramatically change her physical appearance and compete in a local fitness competition. Talk about a worthy goal. And, I knew I could help turn Marina around and help her reach her goals. If she would follow the diet and exercise plan I put together—the very same one found in this book—I promised her she would get thinner, sculpt beautiful muscle tone, look and feel younger, and lose enough inches of bodyfat from her “problem areas” to win her contest. Marina was a little skeptical, to say the least, that such simple changes in the way she ate (especially considering that I would ask her to eat more, and not less, than what she was currently eating) and how much she would have to exercise (considering I would ask her to workout less, and not more, than she was currently working out) would make such a difference in her appearance. But I knew from my experiences in working with other people, who were much like her (and in many cases, in worse shape) that my formula had repeatedly shown great success. She would soon experience the same sense of triumph. In only eight short weeks, Marina lost over 19 lbs, a total of six inches of stubborn bodyfat from her hips and waist, and built a stronger, healthier, more beautiful body. And you know what? She went on to win her class in the local fitness contest too! Her love life has found its spark again, and she now has more energy than ever before. Her business is soaring, and she’s even starting another successful business as I write this. Honestly, I don’t know what’s more thrilling for me—knowing the way Marina feels after seeing the drastic, visible changes in her body and winning her contest, or the way I feel after seeing her transformation. Make no mistake. Marina’s transformation was inspiring. Just like Barry Ratzlaff’s. Shari Friedman’s. David Silbaugh’s. Tanya Van Beek’s. Marty Reddy’s (individuals you will meet later on in this book). And the list goes on. Without exception, each one of these people, and thousands of others who have followed the principles I’m going to share with you, have experienced extraordinary results and are convinced that my Plan works. And I’m certain, after you try it, you will too.
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You and I Are a Lot Alike Let’s face it, you and I are a lot alike. We both have ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, two hands, and so on… but there is one thing about us that is unique—our genetics. To be more specific, our metabolic systems. As you’ll soon find out, when I go into greater depth in Chapter One, the metabolism is our bodies’ primary calorieand fat-burning mechanism. What you may not know is that my metabolism is different than yours, just as yours is different than your mother's or father's, brother's, sister's, or friends' at work. Everyone’s metabolism is unique. That’s why a “one-size-fits-all” approach to losing weight does not work for most people. Basically, this explains why you can follow the same exercise routine and eat the same foods as your friend but experience dramatically different results. Unfortunately, there is not much you and I can do about our genetics. But one thing is for sure: I’ve discovered that knowing your unique metabolism allows you to establish a Plan that will work best for your body type. And, more important, will finally help you break through any plateaus in losing weight that you’ve likely experienced in the past. Starting in Chapter One, “Getting to Know Your Body,” we’re going to focus on determining your unique metabolism and understanding why it’s so vitally important to adjust your lifestyle to your specific metabolic body type. Next, in Chapter Two, “Overcoming Nutrition Myths,” we are going to briefly cover some of the most destructive myths, half-lies, and common mistruths that plague the multi-billion dollar weight-loss industry. In Chapter Three, “You Are What You Eat,” you will be ready to learn about the types and amounts of foods you should eat (and which you should avoid), specific to your metabolism, to help you lose unwanted pounds, almost effortlessly. Then we’ll move onto Chapter Four, “Exercise to Burn Fat.” Here, I’ll help you understand the importance of weight training and why replacing pounds of unhealthy bodyfat with new muscle mass—you'll not only completely reshape your physique but will burn even more calories, even while you’re resting. At this point, in Chapter Five, “Supplementing for Success,” I will briefly review my four favorite supplements to help enhance your transformation and outline my simple daily supplement program. By using targeted, scientifically proven supplements, you can achieve your results, faster. In Chapter Six, “Building Your Customized Plan,” I’ll share with you truly inspiring “before” and “after” photographs of six people who successfully underwent a transformation, following my principles. I will explain exactly how they exercised, ate, and which supplements they used. You will determine which plan is right for you. Finally, just like Chapter Seven’s title, you will be... “Putting Your Plan into Action.” It all comes together here. I will teach you how to set inspiring yet achievable goals, and you will learn how to achieve them—no matter what obstacles might arise over the next eight weeks. After finishing this section, you will be ready to start your journey! In the section that follows, “Daily Eating & Exercise Journals,” everything is all spelled out for you. An easy-to-follow eating, weight-training, and cardio Plan—for the first seven days. Simply follow the Plan, day by day, and you will see and feel extraordinary changes in your body and your outlook on life. Once you get past the first week, you will feel so great you won’t be tempted in the least to waver your commitment. In fact, I have a hunch that after our eight weeks are over, and you complete my Plan, you will want to embrace these principles and new habits as a way of life. In the two Appendixes that follow, “Exercise Descriptions & Photos” and “Fun, Healthy, Delicious Recipes,” you will find all of the help you need to understand exactly how to perform each of the exercises recommended in my Plan, and you will be able to prepare delicious, nutritious meals, even if you’re not a gourmet chef.
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Are You Ready? You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Well, think of today just that way… your first step in the right direction. For you are about to begin a journey that will forever define who you are capable of being and what you will become. While millions of people every day sit around and wait for the “right” time to do something about their health and their physical appearance, you haven’t. You’ve decided to take your first step toward bringing out the best in you and what you’re able to achieve. And as your “coach,” I will guide you through not another diet or exercise fad but a fun, healthy way of living, exercising, and eating that will ensure you’re able to develop a new set of habits you can carry with you (and your family) well beyond our journey together. I think it’s safe to say, in time, you will agree with me: the changes on your outside—the physical appearance of your body—is merely a reflection of the changes that occur on the inside—the way you feel about yourself. In other words, as you strive to reach your goals, your confidence will soar. Your self-esteem will skyrocket. You'll discover you can now take control of anything you want in your life. And once you reach your weight-loss goals, you will take pride in serving as an inspiration to others around you, helping your friends and family achieve their life-changing goals too. It’s a wonderful feeling. Believe me. That’s why I’ve dedicated my life to helping “coach” you, and others just like you, to make changes in the way you look and feel… to ultimately live your absolute best life ever! Thanks for joining me, and now let’s enjoy our journey together. With Respect,
Stephen Adelé
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EXERCISE TO BURN FAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
If you’ve been one of the millions who have attempted to lose weight, without any real success, you’re not alone. Losing weight has become literally a national obsession—with annual expenditures of nearly $50 billion! This constant struggle to lose weight continues to take its “emotional” toll on self-conscious individuals who aspire to reach their ideal weight. It manifests in many forms, including depression, guilt, envy, and even self-hatred.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
At any given moment, four out of 10 Americans are attempting to lose weight—with few ever achieving their goal and most giving up within the first few weeks. And sadly, even fewer maintaining their “new” ideal weight once it’s attained.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Getting to Know Your Body
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
—— PA R T I ——
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
T
To achieve these elusive ideal weights, nearly every imaginable means has been tried, from restrictedcalorie diets to low-fat foods to exotic health clubs and spas to the latest magic pill or workout gadget to expensive, and oftentimes dangerous, liposuction. Some of these methods are harmless, but unfortunately, most have proven useless in the battle against the bulge. Now, more than ever before, our nation is in need of health. And, while many people become more and more aware of the negative health consequences associated with carrying excess bodyfat and being overweight, little attention is paid to the need to assess oneself as overweight or obese. Not critically, rather with a conscious awareness. Fortunately, a simple calculation can determine “how” far out of shape your body is… and more importantly, what your “ideal” bodyweight should be. Once you make yourself aware of the real “problem,” it becomes that much easier for us to take the ■ next appropriate steps to combat this bodyfat and overcome it with a practical, commonsense approach.
To calculate your BMI, you need to divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. It sounds more complicated than it is. Let me show you… ■■■
Body Mass Index = Weight (kg) / Height (m)2 (For your reference, one kilogram = 2.2 lbs, 2.54 cm = one inch, and 100 cm = 1 meter.) Here’s an example for a 135-lb woman who’s 5’6”: Weight = 135 / 2.2 = 61.36 kilos Height = [(66 in x 2.54 cm) / 100]2 = 2.81 meters Body Mass Index = 61.36 / 2.81 = 21.84 ■■■
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The World Health Organization has given the following guidelines for the body mass index:
“Losing weight has become literally a national obsession — with annual expenditures of nearly $50 billion!”
HOW TO ACCURATELY ASSESS YOUR LEVEL OF BODYFAT Bodyfat resides in many locations in your body, including just below the skin, inside the abdomen, and even within our ■ muscles and organs. Because it is relatively inaccessible, other than the “inch” or so you can pinch on your belly, it is nearly impossible to measure all of it accurately. It’s for this reason, in clinical practices, most physicians use a formula that combines a person’s height and weight—the theory being that most of the variation in weight for individuals of the same height is usually due to bodyfat. The formula most widely used is called the body mass index or BMI.
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healthy weight = 18.95 to 24.9 overweight = 25.0 to 29.9 class I obesity = 30.0 to 34.9 class II obesity = 35 to 39.9 class III obesity = 40.0 or higher Basically, a “healthy” weight is a BMI of no less than 19 but no more than 25. That, in essence, should be your target for an “ideal” weight.
One important thing to consider, though, BMI ranges are not exact ranges of healthy and unhealthy weight; they are merely useful guidelines. See, BMI does not show the differences between excess fat and muscle weight. BMI, however, is closely associated with measures of bodyfat, and more importantly, it helps predict the development of future health prob-
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Unfortunately, for most of us, our bodies have a tremendous capacity to store that energy... on our hips, buttocks, waist, backs, or thighs.
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Height (in.)
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We i g h t ( i n p o u n d s ) 91
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62”
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63”
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64”
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66”
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67”
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68”
125
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69”
128
135
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70”
132
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71”
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72”
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73”
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75”
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76”
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FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
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DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
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PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
58”
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
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SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
BMI (kg/m2)
HOW DOES FAT FORM, AND WHY DOES MY BODY HOLD ONTO FAT? One little-known fact is that fat cells do not multiply after about the age of 9 or 10. As your body stores more fat, the number of fat cells remains the same—each fat cell simply gets bigger! Thus, despite what some marketers claim, your fat cells don’t “disappear,” “melt
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
WHY DO WE NEED BODYFAT? The truth is, we all need to maintain a certain level of bodyfat to sustain the very basics of life. Fat plays several critical roles in your body: it protects, as a cushion, your organs, and it insulates from cold temperatures/climates. Walking would be uncomfortable if your heels and joints weren’t shielded by fat cells, and touching things would be next to impossible without padding on your fingertips. Plus, it’s a relatively large, efficient store of potential energy.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF BEING OVERWEIGHT AND CARRYING EXCESSIVE BODYFAT? Excess bodyfat, however, can lead to a multitude of health problems. For one, excessive bodyfat can lead to hypertension or high blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke. Gaining too much fat through childhood and early adulthood can increase the likelihood of diabetes. And, excess bodyfat, especially around the midsection, increases the risk of heart disease by worsening atherosclerosis (fat-clogged arteries which hinder blood flow).
Now, take a minute to calculate your BMI, using the formula on the previous page, or use the simple, pre-calculated BMI graph below to determine your BMI. Find your height on the left-hand side and move across to your weight (in pounds), and then go straight up from that point until you come to the blue line that shows the corresponding BMI.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
lems related to the excess weight. For these reasons, it’s widely used in medical practice. Typically, BMI is where the majority of obesity and overweight statistics are derived from.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
Think of your body as having a thermostat you can turn “up” or “down” by modifying specific lifestyle factors, such as activity levels, exercise, and even the foods and supplements you consume. Turn the thermostat up, or “increase” your metabolic rate, to burn bodyfat at a much faster rate. Turn the thermostat down, or “decrease” your metabolic rate, and your body will hold onto and store additional bodyfat.
away,” or “get zapped.” The reality is, your fat cells shrink and swell through a series of complex bodily processes involving hormones, enzymes, and various other pathways. We store fat in a honeycomb design of cells; whereby each cell shrinks or expands like a miniature balloon, depending on the balance of our intake and expenditure of energy. Thus, an excess of bodyfat occurs when you take in more energy (food/calories) than you spend on a consistent basis.
Conclusive evidence suggests that increasing your metabolism not only has the most direct impact on energy expenditure but is the most effective way to help your body “burn” fat. Essentially, an increase in the metabolic rate causes your body to speed up the breakdown and prevent the build-up of fat cells. It’s for these reasons, increasing your metabolic rate, then, must be the primary focus of your effort to lose bodyfat, successfully, and for the long term.
This is where most “fitness experts” stop short of explaining the whole truth: the direct correlation of calories in versus calories out… (i.e., we lose fat if we take in less calories than we expend). Well, this type of thinking is a little outdated. That’s not to say it’s incorrect (because it does hold some truth); it’s just the reality is that there’s definitely more to fat gain and fat loss than that. Let me explain…
The main problem is we tend to roadblock ourselves by committing easily avoidable mistakes when trying to lose bodyfat and drop weight. The most common is not understanding how our personal metabolic rate is different from everyone else’s. You see, we are all metabolically different. That’s why ■ some people can eat more food, exercise less, and still not get fat, yet many other people can eat less, exercise more, and still (somehow!) not lose fat.
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Scientists have discovered a special phenomenon occurs in the body that has been deemed the primary factor that controls how efficiently our bodies use energy and whether we use more or less fat for fuel. This internal regulator, called the metabolism, dictates the rate our bodies hold onto and/or release fat.
“...despite what some marketers claim, your fat cells don’t ‘disappear,’ ‘melt away,’ or ‘get zapped.’” ■ ■
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE METABOLISM? Metabolism is the technical term for all the complex chemical processes within the body that determine the growth and replacement of the body tissues as well as the production of body heat and energy necessary for muscular activity and other vital functions. Simply put, metabolism is your body’s way of converting the foods you eat into energy. The time it takes for this process is called the metabolic rate.
DISCOVER YOUR BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR) AND FINALLY STOP BATTLING YOUR WEIGHT Surprising to most, the difference between you and I and everyone else is what’s called our basal metabolic rate (BMR). Basically, the BMR is the minimum energy requirement to maintain the basic functions of your body, while at rest. Simply put, if you sat on the couch for 12 to 24 hours and did nothing, your body would require a minimum number of calories to sustain itself. That’s your BMR.
SO WHY IS THE METABOLISM SO IMPORTANT FOR LOSING WEIGHT? Even the slightest upward “shift” or increase in the metabolic rate can have a profound, lasting affect on your ability to burn bodyfat for fuel, instead of the dreaded alternative—storing it as fat.
Obviously, your body “burns” more calories throughout the day than just the energy expended at rest (unless you sleep all day). What’s interesting is
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BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
5
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
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Take your bodyweight and multiply it by 10.0 if The BMR formula looks like ENERGY BALANCE EQUATION you’re a man or 9 if you’re this: Exercise a woman. (Women tend to PROTEIN have slightly slower metabBMR = [bodyweight (in Lifestyle CARBS olisms than men.) That pounds) x 10.0 (men) x or 9.0 BMR FAT gives you a “typical” overall (women)] x Activity Factor BMR. Now, since the BMR (AF) x Genetic Body Type (GB) Calories IN Calories OUT measures your body only VS. during complete rest, we Here’s an example of a BMR need to add in the daily energy requirements for for a 135-lb woman, who is fairly active (1.20) and your activity level. This is called the activity fachas a slow metabolism (0.9) tor. If your lifestyle requires you to remain sitting all day, and you don’t work out with weights or BMR = 135 x 9 = 1,215 BMR x 1.20 (AF) x 0.9 (GB) perform aerobic exercise, multiply your overall = 1,312 “Maximum Daily Calorie Requirement” BMR by 1.10. If you engage in light activity ■■■ throughout the day (standing on your feet and sitting periodically), and/or you work out with weights or perform aerobic exercise sparingly (two It’s important to remember that your BMR is influto three times a week), then multiply by 1.20. enced by a number of factors, including age, weight, Finally, if you are very active throughout the day height, gender, environmental temperature, and nutrior play sports nearly every day and/or work out tion and exercise habits. Although some of these facwith weights and perform aerobic exercise almost tors are already considered, once you’ve determined every day, then multiply by 1.30. your personal “Maximum Daily Calorie Requirement,” my focus is to help you understand Last, but probably most important, we need to fachow lifestyle factors, such as nutrition and exercise tor in your specific genetic body type. For this, you habits, can positively impact your metabolism furwill need to think back in time—over the past five, ther… “burning” even greater amounts of bodyfat ten, or 20 years—or whenever you passed your early which are now unique to your metabolic body type.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
My goal then is to help you calculate your BMR and determine your maximum daily calorie limits. There are many sophisticated ways to calculate the BMR. The one method I’ve found to be both accurate and easy to use works like this…
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
I am going to ask you to consider one, of three, body types, and choose the one which most closely resembles yours. First, if you feel you have a relatively “Fast” metabolism (in other words, it’s naturally easy for you to burn calories and lose weight), then multiply your BMR by 1.1. If you feel you have an “Average” metabolism (or, it’s not easy, but not too hard, to burn calories), then multiply your BMR by 1.0. Or, if you feel your metabolism is “Slow” (such that you find it’s naturally difficult to burn calories and hard to lose weight and keep it off), then multiply your BMR by 0.9.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
20's in age. Now, take a moment to consider how easy, or difficult, it has become over these years to take weight off... and keep it off. Or, on the other hand, maybe it’s been too easy to take weight off or difficult to put it on. (If you are anything like me, the former is more likely—it’s relatively easy to put unwanted bodyfat on and much harder to take it off.)
that once you are able to determine your specific BMR, you can then determine exactly what additional (or reduction of) calories your body requires, depending on your specific lifestyle factors and bodyfat, and therefore “see” how many calories your body truly requires each day. And, as long as you don’t go above your “BMR maximum calorie limit,” common logic suggests you would absolutely, positively lose weight. What’s more, you will lose weight without feeling like you’re restricting food and with an understanding of how your body works (so you’re no longer basing your daily calorie needs off “others”). Once you know your personal BMR maximum calorie limit, you’ll be well on your way to reaching your weight-loss goals, sooner than you might think.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
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Over time, these myths have become deeply rooted in the consciousness of Americans—especially for those who are desperately grasping for truths about nutrition. In fact, I’d bet it’s safe to say you and I were taught long ago the supposed “right way” and “wrong way” to lose weight. Unfortunately, most of these “truths” are, in fact, dead wrong.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
“Soup diet,” “vinegar diet,” “Hollywood Secret Diet,” “low-carb diet”… the list goes on. Sadly, these diet fads perpetuate many of the most common myths surrounding nutrition and losing weight.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Overcoming Nutrition Myths
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
—— PA R T 2 ——
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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U
Unfortunately, millions of people every year resolve to lose fat by severely restricting their daily food intake. My hunch is that’s one reason Americans are, in general, in worse shape now than ever before! And a new study, found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, confirmed, once again, that restricting calories will decrease your metabolism and only prevent you from losing bodyfat.
Usually, these myths were based on some haphazard, outdated approach, passed on from generation to generation, leaving little or no room for dispute. And while a few of them may work over the short term, the majority of them hardly ever work over the long term. And worse, most of them are not a healthy approach to weight loss. Today, modern science has, thankfully, uncovered some of the most destructive myths surrounding nutrition and losing weight.
MYTH: It isn’t necessary to pay attention to the
type of calories you consume to lose weight.
Here are the five most easily avoidable yet highly destructive myths for how to positively affect the metabolism with food and boost your body’s ability to “burn” fat:
FACT: If you want long-term weight loss, you ■ ■ ■
must carefully choose the type of foods you eat!
MYTH: You should restrict
calories when you want to drop pounds.
FACT: You must eat smart, not less, if you want to lose weight!
Whenever you’re considering the types of food to eat, remember this: all calories are not created equal. Fat requires only two percent of your body’s energy to use it up; carbohydrates require roughly 10% energy to burn them; whereas pro■ tein requires an astonishing 20% of your body’s energy to use it… Thus, by consuming more protein, you’re actually revving up your metabolism.
“If you want long-term weight loss, you must carefully choose the type of foods you eat!”
Contrary to common belief, if you severely restrict your ■ food intake, your body quickly “panics” and goes into a fat-protection “survival mode.” As a result, your metabolism slows and you start using muscle as fuel (muscle actually burns fat, so we don’t want to lose this precious tissue), and restricting your food intake too much will leave you feeling irritable, hungry, and grouchy. (Surely we’ve all been there before!) And because your body is in “survival mode,” very powerful signals are sent from your brain, telling you to eat, eat, eat! Why? Because it thinks it’s starving, and it doesn’t know when it will get food again.
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Research shows that right around .8 to one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is adequate, and safe, for enhancing your body’s metabolic rate as well as helping your body maintain fat-burning muscle tone. Consuming around 40% of your daily calories in the form of quality proteins is adequate for recovering from workouts and keeping healthy muscle tone.
Realistically, you can expect to hold off your uncontrollable urges for only so long before you give in. And voila, instant weight return, plus some bonus bodyfat for your efforts.
It’s easy to see why the common adage “fat is more fattening than carbohydrates or protein” came into being. So it’s smart to take in no more than 20%
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From the scientific evidence alone, it is clear that people engaged in regular exercise and who want to lose weight require greater than the RDA in protein to get optimal results.
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If you tell the average nutritionist you consume plenty of protein-rich foods because you’re attempting to lose weight or because you train with weights, you’ll often hear, “Oh, you don’t
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
lose weight must have more protein in their diets.
Plus, it’s been shown that those who consume increased amounts of protein (even higher than the RDA recommendation) have denser bones than people who ate less.
FACT: Any person who exercises and wishes to
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
MYTH: I don’t need “extra” protein to help my body lose weight.
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
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Other well-noted researchers and leaders in the field of nutrition have come to similar conclusions ■ repeatedly over the years. They’ve found that persons engaged in physical activities, yet merely adhering to the RDA standards for protein requirements, were actually losing precious muscle tissue as they worked out, simply because their bodies did not have enough protein readily available to repair and rebuild their muscles after a workout.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
“Research shows that right around .8 to one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is adequate.”
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
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However, from extensive research, one of the top researchers in the nutritional field, Dr. Peter Lemon states, “...data suggest that the RDA for those engaged in regular ■ endurance exercise should be about 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass (that’s 150% to 175% of the current recommended daily allowance).”
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Fortunately, adding more protein to each meal in your diet “buffers” this ■ insulin secretion by slowing the rate of absorption of carbohydrates. And, the addition of dietary protein also kicks up another hormone called glucagon (insulin’s opposing hormone), which can offset the fat-storing ability of insulin by dragging it down and helping dispose of it before it stores more fat. ■ A new study in the European Journal of Nutrition offers evidence that glucagon’s release in the body (as a result of increased protein consumption) may further stimulate fat burning by encouraging fat to be liberated and used more easily.
New research confirms that those performing any type of weight training require a greater amount of protein than sedentary individuals. What causes concern for most people is this amount is above the current Canadian and U.S. recommended daily protein intake requirements for healthy adults.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
So finally, carbohydrates should be consumed in the range of no more than 40% of your daily intake, avoiding simple carbs and completely eliminating the refined (sugary) types of carbs and incorporating plenty of fibrous types of carbs. In fact, new scientific evidence from the American Journal of Epidemiology has shown that when consuming too many carbs (especially simple-sugar carbs at one sitting), your body responds by stimulating a surge of insulin to be released. Why do you want to avoid this? Because insulin is a hormone that encourages fat stores to become larger, more easily “transporting” fat to be stored and sealing the fat stores shut, preventing fat cells from breaking down.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
want to do that. You don’t need that much, and it may even lead to kidney disease.” Unfortunately, as in any industry, nutritionists are susceptible to ingrained teachings, even if they’ve now been shown to be false or misleading. In this particular case, there isn’t a single decent study that indicates that healthy adults should not consume a protein-rich diet, especially if they are involved in regular exercise and are trying to drop extra bodyfat.
dietary fat any given day whenever you’re attempting to lose fat. (These fats will likely occur naturally in most whole-food proteins, so don’t worry about adding any “extra” fat.)
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
OVERCOMING NUTRITION MYTHS
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MYTH: To lose weight, I can just cut down on the number of meals I eat each day.
Before today, you too may have thought that weight loss or weight gain was strictly a matter of “calories in versus calories out.” In other words, if you “burn” more calories than you consume, you would in effect lose weight—regardless of the calorie source. Conversely, if you were to consume more calories than you burn off each day, you would then gain weight—again, regardless of the calorie source.
FACT: Eating five to six evenly spaced meals per day provides the body everything it needs to starve (and reduce) bodyfat. Rather than running around with your caloriecounter book, you must instead pay attention to the “types” of food you eat, the respective “proportions” of each type, and “how often” you eat. I like to call this meal patterning. As indicated in a recent study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, by spreading your meals more evenly throughout the day, in five or six smaller meals, rather than two or three large meals (or an overindulgence in snacks ■ whenever you’re hungry), you can maximize the absorption of nutrients (so your body can use more of the food you eat) and supply your body with more stable (non-spiking) levels of insulin—levels your body can adequately manage—to keep your body from storing ■ and trapping fat and steadily increase your metabolism throughout the day. So, never go more than a few hours while you’re awake without eating a balanced, high-quality, carbohydrate-rich, low-fat meal.
■
The truth is, however, the “calories in versus calories out” philosophy fails to take into account modern research that finds that proteins, carbohydrates, and fats have very different physiological effects on the body's metabolism through countless pathways. For instance, hormones such as insulin and glucagons, as well as thermic effects (the way the body internally regulates “heat” production), and literally thousands of other effects foods have on ■ the body are all uniquely caused by different macronutrients.
“Sadly, many nutritionists today continue to push the outdated theory that ‘all calories are created equal.’”
MYTH: All calories are created equal, so to lose weight, all I need to do is reduce the number of calories I eat every day. FACT: You must focus on the types of calories you put into your body, in addition to the number of calories you consume.
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As I will point out, in the next section of my Plan, not only is the mantra “all calories are created equal” proven to be false, “protein is protein” and “all fats are created equal” ■ is also incorrect. For example, we now know different fats, such as healthy omega/fish oils versus unhealthy saturated fats, have vastly different effects on the body’s metabolism and overall health. We also now know that different carbohydrate sources have their own unique effects on the body’s ability to use, or store, fat (such as high glycemic index carbohydrates versus low glycemic index foods). And surprisingly, we now know that different proteins can have unique effects in the body too. So, as my friend, William Brink, a Harvard graduate, with a concentration in the natural sciences, and academic researcher, has so eloquently pointed out in his “Unified Theory of Nutrition,” while the total calorie intake does in fact dictate how much weight a person gains or loses, the macro-nutrient ratios or proteins, carbohydrates, and fats ultimately dictate what type of weight a person gains or loses.
Sadly, many nutritionists today continue to preach the outdated theory that “all calories are created equal.” Thankfully, for those of us who pay careful attention to the most recent scientific findings (as well as carefully watch what’s going on in the real world!), this old-school theory is being replaced by the newer, more accurate theory about calories when it comes to gaining or losing weight.
Make no mistake about it, this seemingly simple
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It is for these reasons, in addition to the number of calories I consume, I pay careful attention to the types of foods I put into my body and, most importantly, the ratio of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats I consume them in.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Other evidence shows that even though people on these diets may lose the same amount of weight, one group loses more bodyfat and retains more muscle tissue than the other group, which loses only weight, which could be comprised mostly of water and muscle mass and very little fat weight.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Putting this truth into practice, my daily eating patterns consist of balancing my meals, repeated five to six times throughout the day, such that the macro-nutrient ratio of foods found on my plate are somewhere near 40% high-quality proteins, 40% energy-rich, low glycemic carbohydrates, and no more than 20% naturally occurring fats. You simply can’t go wrong with a sound, intelligent, science-based plan like this for eating.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
statement will allow you to better understand the differences between the old theory of calories and the new theory of macro-nutrients. And the reason we know this to be true is because of recent studies, which have concluded that two groups of people who are put on the same number of calories per day but given different ratios of protein, carbohydrates, and fats will lose different amounts of bodyfat and/or lean body mass.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
OVERCOMING NUTRITION MYTHS
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
You Are What You Eat
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Following the nutritional guidelines I will outline for you here will help guide you to make careful decisions when choosing the types of foods to eat.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Fortunately, over the years, I have found many individuals know more than they think they do. However, most of us are paralyzed by the hundreds of nutritional plans, diets, and quick-fix powders and pills on the market. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Who do you follow? Well, to be quite honest, there is no “right” answer for any one person (or body).
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
To sculpt a lean, healthy, energetic body, you need to regularly fuel your body with high-quality nutrients. For many of us, though, nutrition is the most confusing part of the weight-loss process.
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Y O U A R E W H AT Y O U E AT
E
Eating the “right” nutrient-rich foods (quality proteins, carbohydrates, and vegetables) will provide your body and mind with an endless array of benefits, which may include:
and how to use them to your advantage has produced consistently successful results for one person after another I’ve worked with, including myself, over the past 15 years.
• Increased metabolism (the rate your body burns bodyfat). • Improved ability to strengthen and grow muscles, creating an environment to tone, tighten, and sculpt your body. • Improved mental clarity and concentration by releasing natural “good” hormones, called endorphins. • Balanced hormones and possibly improved overall mood ■ and quality of sleep. • Improved resistance to infections and potential protection from diseases by strengthening your immune system. • Extended healthy life span (longevity) by fighting off potentially dangerous “free radicals.” • Improved emotional balance and well-being by controlling ■ blood sugar levels and regulating hormones.
NUTRITION 101—THE BASIC FOOD GROUPS FOR PLANNING YOUR HEALTHY, BALANCED MEALS The basic constitutes of food (whether whole, natural, or scientifically engineered meal supplements) can be divided into three types: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. These are called macronutrients.
■ ■
“Most of us are paralyzed by the hundreds of nutritional plans, diets, and quick-fix powders and pills on the market.” ■
The way I see it, though, most people have a common “misconception” when it comes to the proportions of food types on their plate— especially protein—needed to lose bodyfat, build muscle tone, and keep their energy levels up.
However, there is a relatively simple practice of eating that is widely over■ looked, yet over and over again, it produces consistent results. It’s called balance.
You see, achieving the “right” nutrition to help you lose weight is very simply defined as giving yourself the best possible intake of nutrients (through food and supplements) that will allow your body to be as healthy as possible, to work as well as it can, and to aid its ability to recover daily.
Here is another way to look at it: think of the plate like a pie graph. (See the following page for a look at what the typical person’s plate looks like when they sit down to dinner—whether at home or while dining out.)
While your needs are completely unique to you and depend on a whole host of factors, from your own genetic strengths and weaknesses to the effects of your current environment, there are fortunately certain nutritional guidelines that apply to us all. And having an understanding of the “basics” of nutrition
When I’m putting a meal together, I think of my plate as a pie graph with one-third reserved for a portion of quality protein (like chicken, fish, or lean red meat); one-third reserved for a portion of low-glycemic carbohydrates (like a yam or brown rice); and the final third reserved for fibrous veg-
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OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
15
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
For instance, pretty much every day, I start my day with a wholeWhat you’ll find is that by food breakfast (like egg whites following this approach, and oatmeal), and then, my threeyou’ll easily meet your hour clock starts ticking: it’s an Eat“ideal,” balanced macro-nutriSmart® Nutrition Shake in the mident ratio breakdown of 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 20% morning (my favorite is Peanut Butter fats—without really having to count Cups flavor); this is followed by a wholefood lunch (something like chicken, brown calories. (But that doesn’t mean calories don’t count!) A typical “bad” plate of rice, and a small salad from the Tokyo Joe’s® food (by proportion) healthy Japanese fast-food restaurant near Remember when we discussed the my office); and then another Eat-Smart theory that “all calories are not created equal”? Nutrition Shake in the afternoon (I’ll switch up the flavor Well, to put our new theory into practice, whenthough to Banana Cream Pie this time); next, I’ll have a ever I prepare a meal, I base the meal on home-cooked dinner. My wife loves to cook an appropriate serving of protein healthy and delicious foods like tuna first. Then I balance the “right” steaks, spinach, and squash. (You can type of nutrient-rich, lowtry some of her recipes, which are glycemic carbohydrates. contained in the section of this book called “Fun, Delicious, Healthy Recipes.”) And I finish off Again, I’m not overly the day with an Eat-Smart obsessed about “counting Nutrition Shake made into pudcalories” or adding up fat ding (it’s like dessert!). Although grams (thankfully!). Instead, I this last “meal” is clearly not a count portions—a portion (the “balanced meal” but rather a source size of my clinched fist) of carof high-quality protein to prepare my bohydrate and a portion of protein body for the night-long fast and help my (again the size of my fist). And fat? Well, fat seems to take care of itself— What a “good” plate should muscles recover while I am sleeping. as long as you are careful about trying look like (by proportion) As you can clearly see, I keep eatto minimize obvious “bad,” hydrogenated fats (from processed or deep-fried foods) ing simple and try not to over-complicate it. So what I’d like to now share with you are which foods you and saturated fats (from cheeses, butter, marbled should try to eat, on a regular basis, and which foods red meats, etc.), which, in my opinion, are nobrainers to avoid. you should avoid.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Basically, my daily eating patterns consist of consuming one portion-controlled meal every two to three hours (while I’m awake, of course), for a total of six daily meals. I alternate between a whole-food meal and a meal-replacement/protein shake.
etables (like a salad, broccoli, or asparagus). Take a look at the chart below to see what my plate typically looks like—and this goes for when I dine out as well as when I'm at home! Take a moment to consider how your plate measures up?
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Protein Protein, which contains amino acids, is your body’s primary building block to repair and maintain muscle tone. Protein is either complete or incomplete. Complete proteins contain the entire array of essential amino acids (which are responsible for your body’s muscular rebuilding process). These come from chicken, steak, dairy, and fish. Conversely, incomplete proteins (such as beans, soy, or tofu) do not contain all of the essential amino acids and thus need to be combined with other protein-rich foods that contain the missing amino acids, or you’ll need to supplement to make up for the deficiency.
P R OT E I N S t o E a t P R OT E I N S t o Avo i d _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lean red meat (beef or bison/buffalo) Fatty, heavily marbled red meat (cuts like (cuts like tenderloin, eye of round, London prime rib, rib eye, roast beef, and chuck) broil, fillet, or at least 90% lean ground meat) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chicken breast (skinless)
Dark meat chicken, such as thighs (especially with skin on) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Turkey breast or lean ground turkey Duck _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Whole eggs Egg whites (or substitutes like Egg Beaters®) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Salmon
Dried, smoked salmon (canned or freeze dried) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tuna steaks or tuna canned in water Tuna canned in oil _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ White fish (like sea bass, orange roughy, Catfish halibut, or trout) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese Full-fat cottage cheese _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Low-fat or fat-free, sugar-free yogurt Full-fat, full-sugar yogurt _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lean ham
Pork chops, hot dogs, or sausage
Ve g e t a r i a n P R OT E I N S _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tofu Texturized vegetable protein Soy-based food Soy protein powder Veggie burgers/chicken patties Tempura Seitan
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Carbohydrates
CA R B O H Y D R AT E S t o E a t CA R B O H Y D R AT E S t o Avo i d _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Yams or sweet potatoes
Mashed potatoes with whipped cream and/or butter _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Brown rice or wild rice White rice, instant rice, or rice cakes _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Oatmeal (old-fashioned) Sugared breakfast cereals _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pasta (whole-wheat or soy) egg or white pasta _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Legumes (e.g., kidney beans or garbanzo beans) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pita bread or whole-wheat bread White bread or rolls _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Squash (like acorn or spaghetti) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Couscous _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fruits (apples, oranges, melons, strawberries Cakes, pastries, cookies, donuts grapefruits, blueberries, etc.) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
F I B R O U S V E G E TA B L E S t o E a t G ly c e m i c I n d ex o f Fo o d s _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FOOD
VEGETABLES (Complex/Fibrous ________________________Carbs) _____________ Carrots Corn (unsweetened) Asparagus Broccoli Peas
92 59 15 15 40
FRUITS (Simple/Sugary Carbs) _____________________ ________________ Apple Banana Orange Raisins
39 42 40 64
GI
DAIRY _____________________________________ Milk, skim (1%) Milk, whole Milk, chocolate Yogurt
32 34 34 38
BEVERAGES _____________________________________ Soft Drinks (not diet) Apple juice
68 41
SUGARS & MISC. CANDY/SNACKS ____________________________)_________ Sucrose (table sugar)* Maltodextrin Glucose Fructose Candy bar Honey Peanuts Potato chips
59 105 100 20 68 87 10 51
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
72 69 80 77 72 66 50 42 54 80
FOOD
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
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GI
BREADS & GRAINS (Complex/Starchy Carbs) _______________________ ______________ Bread, white Bread, wheat Potato, white Potato, sweet Rice, white Rice, brown Pasta, white Pasta, wheat Oatmeal Corn Flakes
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Peas Broccoli Lettuce, salad greens (including spinach) Celery Zucchini Artichokes Corn Asparagus Cucumbers Cabbage Tomatoes Carrots Cauliflower Green beans Brussels sprouts
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Carbohydrates are used throughout the day and can help sustain your muscles through intense workouts as well as combat daily fatigue. Unfortunately, they’re also partly responsible for obesity as it’s so easy to just consume too many unnecessary carbohydrates each day. Regardless, as with protein, inadequate amounts of carbohydrates can and will compromise your daily performance, mental capacity, and energy for exercise. Yet, understanding the balance between using carbohydrates for fuel and using them for pleasure is the difference between obesity and staying fit.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Carbohydrates are your body’s primary fuel for energy production. They are readily used for both short-term, intense bouts of exercise and long-duration activities like running and even your daily work activities.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
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Y O U A R E W H AT Y O U E AT
Fats Fats, over time, have endured their share of abuse in the minds of individuals trying to manage their weight. “Fats are bad!” is a common misconception. But in fact, some fats are actually good for us and may even help fight off unwanted bodyfat. Research has revealed that fats in the form of “good” omega-3 and omega-6 essential fats (such as flax oil, linseed, or fish) can actually help restore our energy, increase fat mobilization, produce “good” hormones, and boost the immune system, not to mention improve the cardiovascular and nervous system. These good fats essentially restore vital cells in your body, encouraging your body to perform more optimally and even increase longevity. Essential fats are so named because they cannot be produced within your body on their own. They need to be supplied by the foods you eat or supplements you take. Thus, the term “essential.” Saturated fats, on the other hand, (such as butter, deep-fried foods, and whole-fat dairy products) have long been labeled as “bad.” Rightfully so, as they serve little purpose. However, they come (in small amounts) with some meats we might eat. We should ideally keep our fat intake below 20% of our daily calories… and if you eat the foods I recommend, you won’t exceed this amount. But you might consider (especially if you have a fast metabolism) adding two or three servings (no more than 10% of your daily caloric intake) of the “good” essential fats to your daily nutrition program, which is quite easy to do, to keep you from becoming deficient. When trying to lose weight, your body will actually use every bit of essential fat for proper metabolic functioning and to restore energy balance.
FAT S t o E a t FAT S t o Avo i d _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Avocado Guacamole (with full-fat mayonnaise) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Cold-water fish (oils) Obvious strips of fat from meats (and skin) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Low-fat cheeses Regular/whole-fat cheeses _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Flaxseed oil, linseed oil, borage oil, or fish oil
Oils found in deep-fried foods like French fries, donuts, or even in muffins _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sunflower seeds, walnuts, and almonds (sparingly) Salted/roasted peanuts or cashews _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Olive oil, canola oil, safflower oil Blue-cheese, ranch, Caesar, or other (especially for cooking or on salads) high-fat dressings _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Butter, margarine, mayonnaise (full fat) or whole-fat dairy products
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
Y O U A R E W H AT Y O U E AT
7:30 a.m. Nutrition Shake (Strawberry Cheesecake)
10:00 a.m. Yogurt and Homemade Protein Nutrition Bar (Recipe on pg. 109)
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
With each bite of food you take, you take a step toward or away from your goal. It’s that simple. Food can add value, helping fuel your fat-loss efforts, or come at a price, adding unnecessary fats or calories, which only sets you back. I’m not suggesting you should never eat foods for pure pleasure—on the contrary, I think enjoying food is a must. But to truly appreciate the experience, it has to be a decision, not a reaction driven by being careless. Instead, by being more careful, and conscience, of the types you choose to put into your body, you are able to make a clear decision about what you want to achieve.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
It’s Time to Take Control and Nourish Your Success
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Carefully paying attention to and following commonsense eating habits, like the ones I’ve outlined for you, are the basis for a lifelong habit of health and fitness. But please, make no mistake about it, it’s not easy. Practicing them does take effort, but by following them, day in and day out, you will consistently become more aware of your daily eating patterns and stay on the right path. Soon enough, you too will start to make food the stepping stone to your weight-loss goals, rather than a roadblock!
12:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m. Nutrition Shake (Peanut Butter Cups)
6:30 p.m.
Nutrition Shake (Key Lime Pie Pudding! Recipe on pg. 113)
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
19
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
9:00 p.m
I realize that as we begin our journey together, and you follow my eating guidelines, you’ll have questions. Thankfully, we have answers. Please carefully read through the following answers to the most frequently asked questions about nutrition…
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Fillet Steak, Potato, and Broccoli
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Now, to make your nutrition plan as easy to follow as possible, I’ve included seven days of sample Daily Eating journals, contained in the “Eating & Exercise” Journal section (which can be found on pages 63 to 79). This way, you can better understand how to put these nutritional strategies into practice. After that first seven days, I’d highly suggest you try some of the great-tasting, easyto-prepare recipes contained in the section entitled “Fun, Delicious, Healthy Recipes,” which will help provide the basis for putting together healthy, balanced meals that taste delicious! By the way, you can download the entire eight-week Eating & Exercise Journal sheets by visiting TheLeanSystem.com.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
If you look at the column to the right, I’ve provided you with a sample of a “typical” day of eating on the Plan. I’ve also included, on the following page, an example of my Daily Eating Journal, to show you how I keep track of the meals I eat each day.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Salmon, Brown Rice, and Asparagus
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The Lean System Worksheet Time
Stephen Adele
April 4
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ___________________
Planned Nutrition: Day 2—Workout #1
Status ✔= Yes! Did it.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5:30 a.m. Supplement: Lean System 7 (2 capsules) with 16 oz of water, Energize (1 tablet) ✔ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6:00 a.m. Weight Training: EXERCISE EXAMPLE ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chest: Flat Dumbbell Bench Press (5 sets); Cable Flyes (3 sets) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Biceps: Standing Barbell Curl (4 sets); Incline Dumbbell Curl (2 sets) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Triceps: Cable Pushdown (4 sets); Bench Dips (2 sets) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ One serving of 3-XL mixed with 6 oz of water ✔ 6:50 a.m. Supplements: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7:30 a.m. Breakfast (meal 1): 6 egg white/1 whole egg omelet with a little ✔ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ low-fat cheddar cheese, ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 cup of oatmeal sprinkled with Grapenuts and 1 packet of ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Splenda with 1/2 cup soy or skim milk ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Supplements: 16 oz of water, multi-vitamin/mineral formula (2 tablets) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lean System 7 (2 capsules) with 16 oz of water, Energize (1 tablet) ✔ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10:00 a.m. Nutrition Shake (meal 2): Eat-Smart Meal-Replacement Shake (Cinnamon Roll flavor, ✔ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ two scoops blended with 16 oz water and three ice cubes) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12:00 p.m. Lunch (meal 3): Grilled chicken breast (1 large) ✔ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Baked sweet potato with a dash of Molly McButter ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fresh vegetables (asparagus) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16 oz of Crystal Light or Diet Soda ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2:00 p.m. Supplement: Lean System 7 (2 capsules) with 16 oz of water ✔ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3:00 p.m. Nutrition Shake (meal 4): Eat-Smart Meal-Replacement Shake (Peanut Butter Cups flavor), ✔ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ two scoops blended with 16 oz water and three ice cubes) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6:00 p.m. Dinner (meal 5): Broiled salmon (large fillet) ✔ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Steamed brown rice (with almonds) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Steamed broccoli ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Supplement: 16 oz of water, multi-vitamin/mineral formula (2 tablets) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ✔ 8:30 p.m. Protein Drink (meal 6): One scoop of Eat-Smart (Strawberry Cheesecake flavor), ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ mixed with 4 oz of skim milk (made into pudding) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9:30 p.m. Supplement: Fiber drink (Metamucil®) with 8 oz of water ✔ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10:00 p.m. Planning Session: Specifically state my goals and plans for tomorrow and fill out ✔ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
E L P M A X E
the next day's exercise and nutrition program worksheet. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tip: To download healthy recipes and more Lean System Daily Worksheets, please visit www.TheLeanSystem.com
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To figure this out, here’s all you do: take your “BMR Maximum Daily Caloric Requirement,” which you should have already calculated on page 5. (If you haven’t done this already, please go ahead and do that now… you’ll need it to finish this part.)
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FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
Your protein should ideally come from whole foods like lean red meat, fish, chicken, egg whites, or vegetables and soy (if you are a vegetarian). Or you can
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Example #1: Because I normally work out in the morning, and since I haven’t eaten anything since I woke up, if I’m at the office instead of at home, I always rush to the kitchen right after my workout and start off by making an Eat-Smart mealreplacement shake (it’s quick, extremely conven-
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
With that in mind, here is what a typical meal, for me, usually consists of:
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
In addition to these amounts of protein and carbohydrates, I would also suggest you try to consume a healthy serving of fibrous vegetables with each meal. Maybe the best part is (depending on how much you like vegetables), you can literally have as many vegetables as you’d like. This is because most vegetables are nutrient dense, contain little to no calories, and are efficiently used by the body to “cleanse” your digestive system. These can include broccoli, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, and fresh asparagus (my favorite). Just like with all of the other foods, you can find a more comprehensive list of healthy vegetables to choose from in this book, on page 17.
Now, take that number and multiply it by .40 (because you want to try and get about 40% of your daily calories in the form of protein). So, for example, let’s say your Maximum Caloric Requirement is 2,000. You would then multiply this number by .40, which is equal to 800 (2,000 x .40). Then, take this number and divide it by four (because this is how many calories are contained in one gram of protein). I know it seems complicated, but really it’s not. Let’s keep going. This number equals 200 (800/4). Now, the last step is to divide this number by the number of times you plan to eat a meal each day. So, if you plan to eat five meals each day, it would be 40. However, if you plan to eat six small meals each day (which I highly recommend), the number would be 33. Therefore, you should consume anywhere from 33 to 40 grams of protein with each meal, depending on the number of times you eat each day.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Next, it’s simple math to calculate your carbohydrate requirements. Since you will want to eat relatively the same balanced amount of carbohydrates as protein, you simply use the same amount you just calculated. So, using our previous example, you were going to consume about 33 to 40 grams of protein per meal, on my Plan, you would then eat the same amount of carbohydrates—33 to 40 grams, again, depending on the number of times each day you decide to eat. The carbohydrates should be from mostly complex and whole grain (like the ones I’ve listed for you on page 17), and relatively nothing should come from high-glycemic or refined sources such as sugar, white flour, or white bread.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Interestingly, I’ve found that most people make this way more complicated than it really needs to be. Let’s break it down so it's easy to understand. One thing to remember, though, is that since your bodyweight and BMR will likely be different than mine, your protein and carbohydrate servings will be different as well. (They may be more or less.) The first thing you need to do is determine how much protein you should be consuming for each meal.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
use a meal-replacement nutrition shake like EatSmart® and some protein powders for convenience. For a complete list of good sources of protein, you can turn to page 16.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Q A
I’m trying to figure out how to determine my daily protein and carbohydrate needs. Can you explain this again and give me some examples of different meals?
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Answers to Your Questions… Questions About Nutrition
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T N U T R I T I O N
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ient, and tastes incredibly delicious). For flavor, more fiber, and some healthy carbohydrates, I add one-half cup of frozen strawberries. And to top it off, I add in two scoops of our orange-flavored Meta-CEL™ (a muscle-building drink mix). While blending my shake, I heat a bowl of water combined with one-half cup of old-fashioned oats. Once warmed and ready to eat, I sprinkle a packet of Splenda® (sucralose sweetener) on my oatmeal. With this meal, I’ve now got around 45 grams of protein and around 50 grams of carbohydrates— pretty close to the perfect balance of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals—which is essential for supplying my body with the precise nutrients I need to reach my goals. Example #2: Later in the afternoon, I’ll usually eat a meal made up mainly of whole foods. For example, at dinner time, I will boil about six ounces of wholewheat pasta. I like to add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the water I’m boiling the pasta in to add more “good” fats. In a frying pan, I cook four or five ounces of lean ground beef. If you drain the grease from the pan, after cooking the beef, you can eliminate most of the “bad” fats. I like to mix the cooked beef into a low-fat tomato pasta sauce. I pour this on top of the pasta and add a large salad made with lettuce and spinach. I use a mixture of olive oil and red vinegar as the dressing. I’ll top the salad off with an entire apple I’ve sliced into pieces. This meal, when tallied up, provides about 45 grams of protein and about 52 grams of carbohydrates and plenty of healthy vegetables. Another perfect ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fibrous vegetables to help my body burn bodyfat, instead of storing it.
Delicious, Healthy Meals,” where my wife, Julia Ann, and her friend Stella have provided over 24 easy-toprepare recipes you can use to fulfill your nutritional requirements. (My wife was born and raised in the South and is a fantastic cook. I’m certain you’ll find her recipes easy to follow, and they usually take less than ten minutes to prepare. And they taste… well, how about you just try them and tell us what you think!)
Q A
In your nutrition meal plans, it appears you rely heavily on meal-replacement/protein powders. Why do you feel they are so important to use?
There are two reasons, really, why I feel it is important to use a meal-replacement protein drink as part of my daily nutrition plan: convenience and confidence. I mean, what could be easier than adding a mealreplacement powder to water or milk in a blender (or shaker cup), mixing it up, so you’re ready to gulp down a “perfect” meal—in less than a minute? That’s what I call super convenient. Another thing that is important about using a meal replacement is that it allows you to feel more confident that you are providing your body with the necessary proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals (and if it’s a really good formula, it will even provide fiber and “essential fats” like flaxseed)—required to nourish your body and help it recover from the rigorous exercise and strenuous lifestyles we endure. As for me, I use Eat-Smart®. It’s a meal replacement I helped create, with my company iSatori Technologies, and it’s not only the healthiest, most complete formula on the market, but it’s absolutely, positively the besttasting meal replacement you will ever try. I guarantee it. Now, I may be a little biased, but I have a hunch if you try it, you will agree with me. You can learn more about Eat-Smart in the Supplement Section. Or, you can visit our website at www.EatSmartMRP.com, where you can find more information, including a complete breakdown of the ingredients, all of the new gourmet flavors we have available, and where to buy it.
There you have it: it’s not at all complicated. It’s not an exact science either. As you can plainly see, although I strive to come as close as I can to meeting my protein and carbohydrate requirements with each meal, I don’t obsess about missing it by a few grams here or there. Please don’t make the mistake of believing you have to weigh each and every food you eat and calculate every nutrition label. While it’s important that you become familiar with how much protein and/or carbohydrates are in a serving of your favorite foods, there is really no need to count every single calorie.
That being said, I typically use three Eat-Smart meal-replacement shakes each day (one in the morning as my “post-workout” breakfast shake; another in the afternoon in-between two whole-food meals; and one
For more examples of delicious, healthy, fat-fighting meals that consist of a balance of protein and carbohydrates, please turn to Appendix II called “Fun,
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Another study recently conducted by Boston University revealed that diets lower in GI keep your
23
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
Another way you can be more careful about the carbohydrates you eat is simply to choose foods that are not refined and haven’t had their nutrients stripped away. Examples of these foods are brown rice, instead of white. Whole-wheat bread, instead of white bread.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Over the years, I’ve basically found that it really pays off, especially when you are trying to lose bodyfat, to pay more careful attention to the GI. For this reason, in the “You Are What You Eat” section of this book, I’ve pointed out “good” foods that are contained on the “Foods you should eat” list, and just as important, I’ve listed “bad” foods you should stay away from eating in the “Foods you should avoid” list.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
What’s important to note is that large changes in blood sugar prevent the use of fat as fuel and, if continued over time, promote obesity and heart disease. In fact, a recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology concluded that people who consumed diets high in simple sugared foods (such as white bread, potatoes, and jam), which, as you can guess, are higher on the GI scale, had higher body mass indexes (BMI) than people who consumed more complex sources of carbohydrates (which are lower on the GI), like whole-wheat grains, nuts, and low-fat dairy products.
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
A great example of this are meal replacements and nutrition shakes. They commonly use maltodextrin as their primary source of carbohydrates. Normally, this is because it’s so “cheap” to use, but as you can clearly see, at a GI of 135, it might be advisable to steer clear of any shakes that contain maltodextrin in their ingredient list!
To keep it simple, Glycemic Index (or GI) measures how much a food you eat raises sugar within the blood. In other words, the higher the GI (number), the more it spikes blood sugar; conversely, the lower the GI (number), the less it raises blood sugar.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Q A
What is the glycemic index, and why do you feel it’s important to pay attention to this when you are trying to lose bodyfat?
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
At the very least, I would recommend you use a highquality meal replacement, like Eat-Smart, for these two times of the day to help you reach your goals.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
For these reasons, I think it’s important to at least pay attention to the types of carbohydrates you put into your body. And using the GI is a fairly simple way to help do this. That’s why I have provided a list on page 17, which contains some of the most common foods you and I might eat (or be tempted to eat) rated on the GI chart. As you can clearly see, some of the obvious foods you should stay away from are simple sugars, like table sugar, candies, soda, and dried fruits. Surprising to most people, man-made sugars like high fructose corn syrup (115) and maltodextrin (135) are in fact the absolute worst foods/ingredients you can consume, with GI's that are practically off the chart. Which, unknown to most people who consume them, cause a huge spike in blood sugar levels—way beyond even natural sugar (which is 85).
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
And yet, in another study I feel is important to point out (which was an eight-year study on more than 27,000 subjects), Harvard scientists discovered that people who ate more whole-grain carbohydrates, as opposed to higher GI foods, experienced less weight gain, and the whole grains played an important role in a weight-control plan.
In my opinion, there are at least two essential times of the day you should consume a meal-replacement nutrition shake to assist you in fulfilling your daily dietary needs and help you achieve the fastest possible results. First, it’s absolutely critical you consume at least one meal-replacement nutrition shake immediately following a workout or any physical activity. (By immediately, I mean within 20 to 30 minutes afterwards.) A second time of the day that’s critically important to consume a nutrition shake is either first thing in the morning for breakfast (if you don’t weight train in the morning) or as the very last meal of the day—about an hour before bedtime.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
metabolism from slowing down and prevent hunger cravings longer, which ultimately makes it easier to take weight off.
additional shake, made as pudding, in the late evening as my final “meal” of the day, right before I go to bed). In addition to these shakes, I consume three whole-food meals each day as part of my complete nutrition plan.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T N U T R I T I O N
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• Together, your intestines and kidneys use about six cups a day. (That brings your total daily water usage to a whopping 10 cups or 80 oz just to live.)
Whole-wheat pasta, instead of pasta made from white flour. And pretty much stay away from any pastries, cakes, chips, crackers, and other processed “convenience” foods—as these foods are normally loaded with sugars, not to mention trans fats and preservatives.
Surprisingly, this does not include the added water loss resulting from perspiration during any weighttraining sessions, intense cardiovascular exercises, or sporting activities.
I have a strong hunch that after the “low-carb” diet craze wears off here pretty soon, you will start to see more and more companies placing a small symbol on the front of their food packaging which tells you—the customer—what the GI number is for that food. I also predict this trend will become the standard by which people will choose their foods from the grocery store within five to seven years. Literally every company will have to reveal the GI of their food product. The goods news is, in turn, this will help you and I choose healthier, low GI foods and, just as important, it will probably force the manufacturers of foods to rethink what they are selling and possibly start to focus on producing more healthy foods with lower glycemic indexes.
Q A
So, are you still wondering whether water is really all that important? Mull over the above data for a minute and ask yourself that question again! The bottom line is: to avoid dehydration and ensure we’re optimizing our muscles’ output, studies have repeatedly shown that we should consume at least eight to 10 tall glasses of water every day… especially during and after our workouts!
Q A
You didn’t mention anything about a “cheat day”? Do you believe in allowing yourself one day a week to eat all you want to?
Whenever I workout I don’t sweat very much. Should I still drink water? Is water really that important?
Cheat day, free day, slipup day, pig-out day... I’ve heard this pseudo-philosophy called many different things. But there’s one thing I know for sure, it absolutely, positively works. And, in my opinion, a cheat day—or a “Reward Day” as I like to call it— should be a part of anyone’s nutritional plan. Even if you’re trying to lose bodyfat. Let me explain why...
Hmmmmmm…. Let me think about that question for a second. Yes. And, yes!
Seriously, whether you work out one day a week, three days a week, or every day, I don’t think I could emphasize enough just how vitally important water is to sustain your body’s requirements. Literally every waking moment of your life, water initiates a cascade of biochemical processes in the body that are essential for everything from digestion to enhanced energy levels. And for those of us, such as yourself, who work out regularly, this includes our bodies’ ability to produce optimal muscular contractions, which is essential for weight training, exercise, or participation in sports. Here are the facts about water and the amount of water your body requires, daily, just to “live”:
A “Reward Day” is just what it sounds like. A day to enjoy and relish in the joy of food, and more important, to serve as a reward for the progress, and discipline, you’ve made up until that point. I like to have my “Reward Days” on Sundays. Normally because it’s the one day of the week when I don’t workout, and it’s also the day I like to have a nice big breakfast with my wife and kids. You can choose whichever day works best for you. As a way to help you remember to celebrate your “Reward Days,” I’ve included them on each Sunday on the master Calendar, on page 64.
• On average, you’ll lose two cups (16 oz) of fluid through normal perspiration. • Another two cups (now making a total 32 oz) are exhaled as water vapor during your normal breathing.
Now, the reason a “Reward Day” is so important to have is simply because, I’ll admit, it is no easy task to consume healthy, balanced meals, five or six times a day, seven days a week, without a slipup. Maintaining your diet every day, despite our hectic
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EXERCISE TO BURN FAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
In the end, the way I see it, food can be chosen carefully and add value, helping fuel your fat-loss efforts, or be eaten carelessly and come at a price, adding unnecessary fats or calories, which only sets you back. Now, I’m not suggesting you should never eat foods for pure pleasure—on the contrary, I think enjoying food, truly experiencing it, as in a structured “Reward Day”—is a necessary part of your plan. But to truly appreciate the experience, it has to be a decision, not a reaction.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
As an example, the way I use my Reward Days, as opposed to the way I’ve heard some people using them (who eat literally everything in sight for the entire day), is when I’m ready to eat breakfast, and I want to have my favorite pecan and coconut pancakes, I add them to my breakfast plate—along with my eggs and oatmeal. When my next meal comes around, I might enjoy an Eat-Smart shake but add a tablespoon of natural peanut butter (like Naturally More®). Then, when lunch rolls around, if I want a cheeseburger, with my salad and baked beans, I’ll have that. And so on. As you can see, I don’t overindulge, just because I can. Rather I use this day to “add” in the foods I might not normally eat. The reason a “Reward Day” works so well is because it refuels you physically, as well as mentally.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Now the reality is, everyone, at some point during the week, will eat something other than a perfectly balanced meal. Maybe it’s a fat-laden burger and fries or some sugar-filled treat like a muffin. Whichever it is, it’s important to realize that it’s not the end of the world. If this should happen to you, the worst thing you can do is allow this “slipup” to trigger a total breakdown and allow yourself to completely go off your planned course, suddenly eating whatever else you want, for the rest of the day. This only furthers the damage. Instead, I suggest you acknowledge the mishap and pick up right where you left off—eating the way you planned to.
schedules, kids and their temptations (I know, I have two), requires plenty of planning and discipline. So a Reward Day is a way to allow you to indulge in some of the foods you really enjoy but shouldn’t really be eating. On top of that, it’s a great way to reward all your hard work during the week.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T N U T R I T I O N
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Exercise to Burn Fat
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
You see, it's your “body composition” (muscle versus fat) that determines what your physique looks like, and when you improve your body composition, trading in fat for muscle, you actually become more slender, leaner, and firmer looking. So how do you build more muscle definition? Well, my friend, there’s really only one way… with good oldfashioned weights—through proper resistance weight-training exercise.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Here's an interesting fact I’d bet you didn’t know: fat takes up five times as much space in your body as muscle! This means if you replaced only a few pounds of unwanted bodyfat with hardearned muscle, your body would appear significantly smaller, even though you might not have changed your overall bodyweight.
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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E X E R C I S E T O B U R N FAT
W
and longevity of your life! There are really no two ways about it… if you want to look and feel your best, while achieving your fat-loss goals, you've absolutely, positively got to exercise.
Whether you work out at the gym, your local fitness center, health spa, or in your home gym with a pair of dumbbells and Swiss ball, I am going to share with you some very practical yet powerfully effective weighttraining exercises, as well as my favorite fat-burning cardiovascular exercise routine that will enable you to “turn on” your body’s natural ability to burn fat and totally reshape your physique. All in as little as three days a week. As you are probably already well aware, training with weights provides your body and mind with an abundance ■ of benefits, including: • Improving your muscle size, strength, and performance. • Improving heart and lung function, reducing risks of coronary disease, by increasing blood flow. • Improving your overall mood and even aiding in sleep by releasing natural endorphins, which increase your daily energy levels and sense of well-being.
■
But here's one the oldest, most highly debated topics: there are those “fitness experts” who favor cardio (aerobic) exercise over weight training (anaerobic). (Aerobic means with oxygen required by the muscles, and anaerobic means without oxygen to the muscles.) Their argument is you burn more calories in 30 minutes of cardio exercise than you do in 30 minutes of ■ weight-training exercise. While this is partially true… there's certainly more to it than that.
“There are really no two ways about it… if you want to look and feel your best, while achieving your fat-loss goals, you’ve got to exercise.” ■ ■
• Strengthening your bones, to help reduce your risk of injury. Most important for us though, weight training increases your metabolism, so you’re burning fat more efficiently and more often, as muscle mass actually burns bodyfat as its primary source of fuel—24 hours a day!
Scientific studies conclusively show weight training to be superior for activating the body's metabolic system because it causes you to burn more calories in a 24-hour period over aerobic exercise ■ alone, which only causes your metabolism to increase temporarily, during the time of the exercise and shortly thereafter. It's critical to know that if you were to perform only aerobic exercise (and no weight training) yet still followed a sensible diet, you'd run the risk of breaking down and using your muscle tissue as fuel. Then, as you might have guessed, your metabolism slows down as a result. You see, science has shown us time and time again that after about 90 minutes of cardio, the body begins to become more efficient, not at burning off fat but at burning muscle! Thus, it can literally paralyze your fat-fighting efforts. Of course, performing high-intensity cardio exercises (like riding a bike, walking on the treadmill, or running outside) is highly encouraged, for at least 30 minutes (but, no more than 45 minutes), three times per
The battle wages on…weight training versus cardio exercise Clearly, no respectable authority on fitness and physique development would prescribe to the notion that you could ever expect to lose any significant amount of bodyfat without exercise. It's a scientific fact and just plain common sense that exercise will not only help re-sculpt and build your physique, it will also definitely improve the quality
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EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Most research and scientists agree on one thing about weight training; they all seem to recommend brief, intense bouts of lifting weights as the most effective method for producing results, in both muscle gain and fat
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
When it comes to my workouts, I train with weights three days a week. Usually for about 30 to 45 minutes, but no more than one hour. Performing the exercises I’ve outlined in the Exercise Journals (found in Appendix I), and at the suggested intensity, using the proper rest intervals, that is really all the time I, or anyone, would need for a safe, effective workout. Over the years, and despite what other people believe, I’ve found that the absolute best workouts are brief, intense, but super effective for producing results. Remember, we want to stimulate the muscles, not annihilate them.
Muscle is therefore considered “metabolically active” (in other words, muscle burns calories). Fat, on the other hand, just sits there, doing nothing more than taking up space, and doesn't require any energy to preserve it. Thus, the more muscle tissue you have on your body, the easier it becomes to stay lean.
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
By building additional muscle, you essentially “rev up” the metabolic rate, all of the time— something aerobic exercise ■ simply cannot do. Increasing the body's muscle mass, even slightly, increases the basal metabolic rate—the total amount of fuel (calories) the body requires to maintain that new muscle…and burns fuel, even while at complete rest. As you can guess then, when you gain muscle, it requires plenty of expendable energy to maintain it.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
“By lifting weights, you can build stronger, firmer arms… you can whittle down your waist…”
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
■
And the best news is, with weight training, you're sure to ■ change the entire appearance of your physique. By lifting weights, you can build stronger, firmer arms and buttocks, you can whittle down your waist and narrow your hips, and you can build shapely thighs and leg muscles… After every workout, as your muscles repair themselves, they'll actually build ■ back better than they were previously—your muscles will get stronger and firmer, and even with more size and definition (depending on how hard and heavy you train)! So, to reiterate the importance of weight training—the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn—period!
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Now, with that said, performing cardio exercise is a great way to burn off excess calories, but it shouldn't be looked at as the sole support ■ system for your fat-loss efforts. Weight training, on the contrary, is hands down the surest way to alter body composition and metabolic rate to lose fat and keep it off.
By “stressing” the muscles during weight training, you're really slightly damaging the muscle tissues—creating what are called “micro-tears.” Once these tiny tears in the muscle occur, your body goes into “recovery” mode, where it responds by sending out muscle “repairmen” to fix the damage. Interestingly, this process again requires a significant amount of energy, and the process actually burns additional calories (once again, enhancing metabolic rate—even while you're sleeping) as most of the muscle recovery happens. In essence, the body is taking energy from stored bodyfat and using it to build muscle. How great is that?!
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
However, much like the way the body quickly “metabolically adapts” to a restriction in calorie intake, the body is just as fast to “adapt” to aerobic work as well— by becoming more energy efficient. Thus, after about four weeks, the body requires less energy to perform the same amount of aerobic exercise. In essence, your metabolic system “gets used to” the physical work and begins using less and less fuel to perform the same work. The only way to “override” this adaptation is to perform your cardio exercise on an empty stomach. Studies have shown that by performing cardio work on an empty stomach, you give your metabolism a “boost” (by 300%, in fact), and it remains elevated longer throughout the day.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
loss. And, from my personal experience, I couldn’t agree more with this theory. Free weights or machines...it does not really matter, as long you're hitting the weights long enough to stimulate the muscles, which is usually about 30 to 45 minutes, three to four times a week.
week, because it's still a great way to expend some “extra” calories and help tap into fat stores.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
E X E R C I S E T O B U R N FAT
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E X E R C I S E T O B U R N FAT
I find this workout schedule—three days a week— works exceptionally well. I like working my body parts only once per week when I’m trying to lose bodyfat and get in better shape. It keeps me from over-training, and losing energy, which is easy to do anyway. Remember, like I said before, it’s when you are resting that your muscles recover and become stronger and leaner.
Here’s an example of how I structure my workouts: I start off, on the first day of the week, ready to train chest, biceps, and triceps. (This is a great combination of muscles to work together, by the way!). I’ll start off by performing five sets of dumbbell bench presses, starting with one “warm-up” set of 15 repetitions, with the remaining repetitions ranging from 8 to 12. Then I’ll do two or three sets of my second chest exercise—in this case, that’s cable flyes/cross-overs.
On the other days of the week—second, fourth, and sixth days—I will do 30 minutes of a specific cardiovascular exercise (called the Metabolic PEAK Cardio Solution™) and train my abdominals. For abs, I perform three sets of three exercises and try to reach 15 repetitions for each set. On page 32, you can see an example of the intensity pattern I use following the Metabolic PEAK Cardio Solution and look how I keep track of my abdominal workout.
Next, I’ll quickly move on to my next body part— biceps. I’ll do four sets of standing barbell curls, ranging from 8 to 12 repetitions. Then I’ll finish off my biceps by doing two sets of my second biceps exercise—singlearm incline dumbbell curls (seated). Last, I’ll work my triceps by starting off with four sets of cable pushdowns; again, ranging from 8 to 12 repetitions. Then, to finish off my triceps, I’ll do two sets of my final exercise for triceps—bench dips. (I really love these!) And that’s it. Nothing complicated about it.
To help you get started, later in the book, inside the Exercise Journal section on page 63, you will see exactly how I put these weight-training and cardio workouts together. And, I will spell out, day-by-day, precisely how to follow my workout Plan, without any guesswork whatsoever. It’s all laid out for you… the first week of your workouts. (Remember, you can download the entire eight weeks, all 47 Daily Exercise and Eating Journals, by visiting the TheLeanSystem.com, or call my company at 1-866-688-7679, and we will gladly mail you a copy at no charge.)
I have to admit, the intensity of my workouts is really extraordinary, simply because I pay a great deal of attention to the time I rest in-between sets. That’s why I’ve clearly indicated the rest intervals for each and every workout in my Plan on the Exercise Journal worksheets for you to follow along and keep your intensity levels up as well. I have included a copy of my personal Exercise Journal, on the following page, so you can see how I plan and record my workouts. I’d suggest you read over this page carefully so you can become more familiar with how to use these worksheets. I have a hunch you’ll get the hang of it pretty easily, once you read through it.
The bottom line: combining resistance weighttraining and aerobic exercise with proper eating habits can certainly lead to faster, more permanent fat loss than either one or the other alone. In other words, with weight training… some added cardio work… foods and supplements to nourish and fuel your metabolism… your body becomes a “metabolically active,” fat-fighting machine.
During my next weight-training workout, which would be on the third day of the week, I’ll train my back, shoulders, and traps. The only exception here is that I normally don’t recommend that women perform any trap exercises, simply because they don’t need to strengthen, and build, this muscle, which tends (in my opinion) to be a more “cosmetic” muscle for most men. However, it’s really up to you. But like the previous workout, I’ll normally do two exercises per bodypart.
Now, to make this Success Plan as simple as possible for you to follow, I’ve created a fully detailed “Calendar Schedule” (on pages 64 and 65) that tells you exactly what days and which body parts to work out and when to rest. All you do is check off your daily scheduled workout after you exercise. It’s really that simple! I suggest you make a copy and hang the calendar up on your refrigerator or someplace you’re more likely to see it, every day. This way, you won’t forget when to work out, and you’ll stay more motivated to exercise.
For my final weight-training workout of the week, which would be on the fifth day, I’ll train the front of my thighs (quads), the back of my thighs (hamstrings), and my calves.
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Stephen Adele Name: ______________________
Date: ______________ April 4
Cardio/Weight-Training JournalWorkout Workout Cardio/Weight-Training Journal #00#1 of of 4747
5:55 am Start Time: __________________
6:40 am Stop Time: _________
Estimated Time: 44 minutes
45 min Actual Time: ______________
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Chest, Biceps, and Triceps Day
Remember, progress is made where progress is measured. Track and log your daily exercises and weights as you select from the various exercises for each body part. Each time, before you train, fill in the weights you plan to use, and then as you train, fill in the actual weights you used. This will help you keep track of how you're progressing. IMPORTANT: Don't forget to choose two different exercises for each body part every time you train. Your workouts will not only be more fun and interesting, but you'll also enjoy faster, better results. Have questions? Call us at 1-866-688-7679.
CHEST
60 60 90 90
1x 8 3 x 10
120 90
65 75 85 90 95 55
65 75 85 90 95 55
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Notes:
Wasn't as Intense as I should been have been! Curl
Incline Dumbbell Curl
Notes:
60 60 60 60 90
95 115 125 125 30
95 110 120 120 25
Triceps GREAT Triceps workout !! Increase weight time next time!
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
31
60 60 60 60 90
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
60 60 75 70 90 80 100 10 90 0 Secondary exercise chosen: Bench Dips Body Weight Notes: Overall, Good Workout. Need to pay more attention to rest time time! 1 x 12 1 x 10 1x 8 1x 8 2 x 10
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
1. Cable Pushdown 2. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension 3. Bench Dips 4. Kick Backs 5. Close-Grip Bench Press Cable Pushdown Primary exercise chosen:
1 x 12 1 x 10 1x8 1x8 2 x 10
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
BICEPS
1 x 15 1 x 12 1 x 10 1x 8
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
E L P Felt Strong ! nch press e Try incline b lls next e with dumbb ix it up ! workout to m
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Press
Cable Flye
1. Dumbbell Curl (Standing or Seated) 2. Incline Dumbbell Curl 3. Single Arm Dumbbell Curl 4. Standing Barbell Curl 5. Cable Curl Primary exercise chosen: Standing Barbell
Secondary exercise chosen:
TRICEPS
Notes:
M A X
E
Actual Weight
(pick two from each group)
1. Flat Dumbbell Bench Press 2. Machine Press 3. Flat Dumbbell Flye 4. Barbell Bench Press 5. Dumbbell Bench Press (Incline or Decline) 6. Cable Flye/Crossover 7. Machine Flye (Pec Deck) Flat Dumbbell Bench Primary exercise chosen:
Secondary exercise chosen:
Rest Planned (seconds) Weight
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Sets / Reps
Weight-Training Exercises
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
LeanLean System Success Plan The System Worksheet
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The Lean System Worksheet Lean System Success Plan
Stephen Adele Name: ______________________
April 5 Date: ______________
Cardio/Weight-Training Journal #00 Cardio/Weight-Training Journal Workout Workout # 2ofof4747
5:45 am Start Time: __________________
6:30am Stop Time: _________
Estimated Time: 44 minutes
Abs and Cardio Day
45 min Actual Time: ______________
Sets / Reps
ABS
Exercises 4. Side Crunch
Swiss Ball Crunch Leg Lifts Side Crunch on floor
M A X 8. Bike Riding (Outside) 9. Rollerblading 10. Jogging/Running 11. Walking/Jogging 12. Kick-Boxing 13. Jump Rope 14. Step Ups
E
Exercise chosen:
Intensity Levels
CARDIO
10 8 6 4 2 0
3 0 Warm Up
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
2 30
Minutes
Cool Down
TOTAL: Notes:
3 x 15 3 x 15 3 x 15
30 30 30
n/a n/a n/a
Planned Minutes
Intensity Level
Actual Minutes
3
Warm up (2)
3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2
4 2 6 3 8 4 10 5 10 5 Cool down (2)
30
Worked up a really good sweat today. I could feel my body burning calories! Use treadmill next workout. 32
Actual Weight
E L P
(pick one)
1. Stair Climber 2. Elliptical Trainer 3. Treadmill 4. Rowing Machine 5. Stationary Bike 6. Recumbent Bike 7. Spinning
Planned Weight
burning!! Abs were burning
Notes:
2. Leg Lift Exercises chosen:
Exercises
Rest (seconds)
3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2
Actual Intensity
4 2 6 3 8 4 10 5 10 6 2
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In case you have any additional questions about weight-training or cardio exercise, I encourage you to read the following section. The answers will likely be very helpful for you as we begin our new journey together.
Now, if you have never performed the recommended exercise for a particular body part, you may just have to use a little trial and error. While this is not necessarily the ideal way to start out, there is simply no better way to determine exactly what weights you should use.
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33
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
A good place to start is by reading through the Workout Calendar (which is provided on page 64) and looking over the exercises that will be performed on the first week’s Exercise Journal Worksheets. By simply becoming familiar with the exercises for each body part, you will likely notice you have performed some or most of them before. If this is the case, then you can use your memory to recall the weights you would normally use and record it under the “Goal Weight” for each specific exercise. For instance, if you already know you can dumbbell bench press 55 lbs for eight repetitions, then you should record this weight for your planned “Goal Weight” on the first row of the chest exercise workout.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
The best thing you can do is start by “guessing” which weights you might use. This could be based on similar exercises you are familiar with. Or, perhaps you noticed you are stronger on certain body parts, like chest and legs, and you have a pretty good idea of how much weight you can use. It’s really up to you. But basically, if you’ve never performed an exercise, you will likely need to start off by actually doing the exercise and writing down the weights you used and the number of repetitions you did on your Exercise Journal Worksheet (under the “Actual Weights” column). This way, the next time you are scheduled to work out the same body part, you can refer back to your Worksheet and read what you journaled. And by the next time you work out the same body part, you’ll know exactly which weights are suitable for you, and you can plan them more accurately.
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
A lot of people who are new to my Plan ask this question, and to be honest, there really isn’t a 100% accurate or scientific answer. I wish there were. But there isn’t. I can, however, provide you with some tips for deciding how much weight to use when you begin your first workout.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Q A
When I’m starting the weight-training workouts in your plan, how do I determine the weight I should use with each exercise?
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Answers to Your Questions… Questions About Exercise
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
If, for any reason, you decide you need additional help or are unclear about any of the exercises or you just have a general question about weight-training or cardio exercise, I encourage you to call any one of our qualified (and certified) fitness experts. They will be glad to
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
answers your questions and help you out. They can be reached by calling toll-free at 1-866-688-7679, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., MST. Or, you can visit our website, which has a complete illustration and description of the exercise presented in this book, as well as many others. Simply type in www.RealSolutionsMag.com/weight-training or visit the Home Page of www.RealSolutionsMag.com and click on the “Resources” tab up top and scroll down to, and click on, “Weight Training Fitness Programs.”
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Now, before we continue on, it’s important that you know I’ve provided a complete demonstration for each of the exercises listed in the Eating and Exercise Journal section in the back of this book (you can find them in Appendix I, entitled “Exercise Descriptions and Photos.” Here, I’ll show you pictures for each exercise and provide a clear set of instructions as to “how to” properly perform the exercise for each body part. I’ve even listed some alternate exercises, just in case you don’t have the proper equipment or machinery available to you.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T E X E R C I S E
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Q A
help you to better understand my answer to your question.)
I’m confused about the exercises in the Workout Journal section; can you explain exactly how I should pick the exercises I want to perform?
That is, if I asked you to go outside, right now, and run down to the end of your street corner and back, how much effort would you put into your run? My hope is you would run as quickly as you could. In other words, that you’d give 100% of your effort. Not because I asked you to but because you wanted to.
It’s really quite simple. Each time you plan your workout, simply pick two exercises for each body part you planned to train. All of the exercises you can choose from are listed in the column that corresponds to each body part on your Workout Journal sheets.
The truth is, intensity is a direct reflection of the effort level, or energy, you put into any chosen activity—whether it’s running, lifting weights, or playing chess. This means, if you are training with weights and it’s your first or your last set of a particular exercise, you should put in all of the effort you have. So, if you have planned to perform 10 repetitions, you should choose a weight that will create enough resistance to challenge your muscles (and your mind) such that by the time you perform your seventh, eighth, and ninth repetitions, you are basically “giving it your all” by the tenth, and final, repetition. And ideally, that should be all the energy you have—for that set, at least—because you gave it 100%.
For example, when I train chest, biceps, and triceps, if you look at the “Example” page I created for you, on page 31, you will notice I circled the two exercises I chose for each body part. Then I wrote them in the space which says, “Exercise chosen.” Next, I planned out the weights I wanted to use for this exercise. This way, when I get ready to weight train, I am not wasting time trying to sort out which exercises I want to train that day. I already know which exercise I am going to do and which weights I plan to use. What’s more, when I get ready to plan my next chest, biceps, and triceps workout, I can refer back to this Worksheet page and ensure I pick two different exercises for each body part. Make no mistake, by choosing two different exercises every time you train a particular body part, you will absolutely, positively make your workouts more fun and interesting, and you will keep your muscles from adapting to the exercises (which, unfortunately, only restricts your ability to develop muscle tone and burn bodyfat). Plus, by switching up your exercises each workout, I’ll bet you'll find you just flat out have more motivation to exercise!
Are you starting to see how this “intensity” thing works? Bear in mind, though, what is considered 100% of your effort is quite likely different from 100% of my effort and most likely different from the effort your husband or wife, best friend, or workout partner could put out.
Now, if you don’t know how to perform any of the exercises listed on the Exercise Worksheets, you can always refer to the “Exercise Descriptions” section, in the back of this book, for full illustrations and explanations for each exercise. Or, you can visit us at www.RealSolutionsMag.com/weight-training for even more exercise photos and explanations.
Q A
But intensity doesn’t just begin and end with the energy you put out; it also increases from the amount of rest time you take between exercises or the types of exercises you choose to perform. For these reasons, I have specifically pointed out the amount of time you should rest between sets and exercises. You will find these times listed on the Exercise Journal Worksheets. By limiting the amount of time between exercises and helping you pay more attention to this time, you will find that your intensity increases dramatically in your workouts.
I’m a little confused about the intensity levels I’m supposed to use while working out; can you explain this?
The final part of intensity comes from performing basic, compound movements for your weight-training exercises. This is why you will notice that almost all of the exercises I recommend are these types. See,
Sure, I can answer this question. But first, I’d like to have you answer something for me, ok? (It will
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The first thing you’ll want to consider is exactly how much room you want to dedicate to your gym. You’ll likely want to keep it simple, yet effective, and it will require at least the amount of space as a small bedroom. Your first purchase should be a set of dumbbells. What’s interesting about dumbbells is that they will
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Now, considering you may not have access to the particular exercise I’ve recommended, we have also listed (in blue) two to three “alternate” exercises. These are listed directly underneath each exercise name. Hopefully, you will find an exercise listed there which will accommodate the equipment you have access to. If you don’t find what you are searching for, or you’d like to read a more thorough explanation of these and addi-
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Considering that’s likely what a year’s dues would cost at your local fitness center, and compared to one of those fancy home exercise machines that can run thousands of dollars, this is quite a bargain and a smart investment to say the least.
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
So, to answer your question: yes, you can put together an excellent home gym at a reasonable price. All you need is a quality set of dumbbells and a sturdy, basic exercise bench. Usually, you can get both of these items for an investment of around $400 to $500.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
For this reason, on page 83, you’ll find a section called “Exercise Descriptions and Photos.” Here’s where you can find a list of every weight-training exercise listed in this Plan. Beside each exercise, you will also notice two photographs, which show you exactly how to start and complete the exercise. In addition, I’ve also written a complete description of “how to” perform the exercise. I think you’ll find this very helpful, so please take the time to read each exercise carefully.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
I’m glad you asked this question. Yes, I do. I realize not everyone has access to a gym. Perhaps your fitness center doesn’t have one of the machines I’ve suggested. Or, maybe you work out at home with only a pair of dumbbells.
Of course you can. Over the years, I’ve tried just about every weight-training machine, gadget, and gizmo you can think of. But when I want results, the kind that can only come through hard work and proper technique, I always seem to come back to good ol’ fashioned dumbbells and barbells. In fact, for the safest and most effective equipment for adding on muscle or re-shaping your body, look no further than a pair of quality dumbbells.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Q A
I don’t have access to some of the weight-training exercises you recommend; do you have a list of alternate exercises I can substitute for the ones shown in your Plan?
Q A
I’ve been considering putting together a small gym in my house to follow your Plan, but I’m worried that I won’t achieve the same results as I might expect from my local fitness center. Plus, I don’t want to spend a lot of money. Can I have it both ways—a reasonably priced home gym and results in my physique I can still be proud of?
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
The bottom line is: intensity is directly equal to the amount of energy and effort you put into something. So, while following my Plan, I suggest you put in 100% of the effort you have into everything you do. Each exercise. Each set. Each repetition. Each rest period. If you do, your body will adapt by developing more calorie-burning muscle tissue, and you will lose bodyfat much, much faster than those who only give 50% or 75% of their intensity! I promise.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
tional alternate exercises, along with step-by-step pictures of them, you can visit us on the web at www.RealSolutionsMag.com/weight-training (or you can visit our Home Page and click on the tab that says “Resources” to find a link to a section called “Weight Training Fitness Program”). Or, you can always email one of our certified Fitness Experts at
[email protected], and we’ll be glad to help you out!
even though there are plenty of fancy machines and high-priced gizmos in the gym, by sticking with the most basic movements, like bench presses, squats, shoulder presses, etc… you will find these exercise to be more intense and require more effort from you, both mentally and physically.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
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downstairs to the kitchen, drink a tall glass of water, and take two Lean System 7 capsules and an Energize tablet—to help support my metabolic rate and elevate my natural energy levels.
permit the greatest possible variety of exercises, and even if you’re not familiar with a particular exercise, most can be learned and performed quite quickly and easily. Plus, dumbbells make the exercise safer and more effective because they don’t control your movement, like machines. Instead of being “forced” and guided by a machine, they permit an individualized movement with your hands, wrists, elbows, and knees in a more natural position.
Next, I get dressed in some comfortable workout clothes, put on my tennis shoes, and fill up another full glass of cold water to take with me. By about 5:45 a.m., I walk down another flight of stairs into my basement, where I have a Cybex recumbent bike. I like this bike because it has a comfortable seat, a heart-rate monitor feature, and I can adjust the tension level easily (by the push of a button).
For the ultimate in convenience, I recommend you go for the PowerBlock dumbbell (www.powerblock.com). One stand with a set of adjustable dumbbells, which fits in the corner of a room, is like having 20 pairs of dumbbells in the size of two shoe boxes. It takes up only a two-foot by twofoot area, and because you can very easily change the resistance by simply moving a pin and selecting your desired weight, you can move from 10 lbs to 90 lbs in seconds, without changing collars or lugging free weights (plates) around. The guys who invented PowerBlock, Intellbell, call it the world’s best dumbbell, and I couldn’t agree more. You’ll want to throw in their adjustable bench too. It’s not only one of the sturdier ones I’ve come across, but it moves from a 90degree, upright position to completely flat, with a few degrees in between. An adjustable bench is essential for performing a variety of exercises with your dumbbells. Last, if you can afford it, I’d highly recommend a few more items—well, they’re more like accessories that will accentuate your workouts. You can find them at your local sporting goods store, or you can buy them online at www.bodytrends.com. A good-quality Swiss ball, like the one from Valeo or Reebok. Next, an ezcurl bar. And last, a jump rope. These last essentials will allow you to perform an even greater variety of exercises, and with the jump rope, you’ve got your cardio covered. (Now you don’t need to spend an extra $1,500 on a treadmill or stationary bike!)
Q A
If you take a look at The Metobolic PEAK Cardio Solution™ chart on the “Exercise Worksheet” journal for Abs and Cardio day (on page 71), you will notice it is all laid out for you. The number of minutes is in one column, and in the next column is the intensity level. You can see how I perform my cardio by reading this over. Basically, I start by pedaling for two minutes to warm up my body. If you think about it, if you perform cardio in the morning, or after you have been sitting at a desk all day, your legs and heart have likely not been very active. So, that’s why, just like when I weight train, I like to start with a “warm-up.” I use a level two in intensity here. By the way, when it comes to cardio exercise, you should consider your intensity on a scale of one to ten. Ten being the most difficult, where you are going “all out” and are barely able to hold a conversation because you are breathing so heavily and a level one being nothing more than moving your legs in a slow-paced motion, sort of as if you were strolling down the hall at your home or office. Then, when I hit the three-minute mark, I immediately press the button to increase the tension on the bike to a level four. Or, about twice the tension of the first three minutes. I keep it here for a total of three more minutes. Then I lower the tension back to a level two. I stay here, pedaling for two minutes, and then increase the tension up to a level six. I notice a definite increase in my intensity, and I am starting to breathe a little heavier as my heart rate goes up. After three full minutes of level six intensity, I move the tension back down to three. I keep it here for another two minutes and then crank up the intensity. This time, the tension goes up to level eight, so it’s starting to get harder to pedal, and I am definitely starting to break a sweat. I stay at this level for three minutes and then drop the tension back down
Can you explain how to perform the cardio exercise you recommend?
No problem. Let me use my own cardio workout as an example, if you don’t mind. Let’s say it’s Tuesday morning, and just like I normally do every day, I wake up at 5:15 a.m. I walk
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Are there any specific times I should perform my cardio exercise? When do you do it?
Do you stretch before or after you work out?
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All kidding aside, while stretching can be beneficial to some people, my belief is that for most people, stretching doesn’t really do that much for them.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
To be honest, I don’t stretch my muscles all that much. In fact, the only stretching I normally do is when I put on my socks in the morning.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Q A
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Now, with that said, I will also say it’s been proven in a recent scientific study that you are four times more likely to stick with your planned exercise if you do it at the same time every day, and the more important finding of the study was that those who performed their exercise first thing in the morning were ten times more likely to actually get their exercise completed, versus those who waited until later in the day. Probably because there are so many things that come up during the day—work, kids, errands, etc.— which can keep us from getting our workouts in, even though we planned to do it.
The bottom line is, you can choose to do your cardio exercise on your non-workout days, or you can perform cardio exercises on your weight-training days (as long you make sure you do it after your workout). Either way is fine, really. It might just depend on the time you have to spend working out each day.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
This is a great question. You know, while there are so many conflicting answers out there surrounding this question—when is the best time to perform cardio—the truth is, there is really only one time I must emphatically state that you absolutely, positively should not perform cardio exercise, and that is before you work out with weights. Other than that, I’m happy to say that basically whenever you decide is the “right” time to perform your cardio exercise is the best time for you.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Q A
Let me share one caveat; that is, if you want to include cardio exercise on the days you weight train, please, please, please do it after you work out with weights. Doing it before will only “pre-exhaust” your body and deplete your storage of glycogen (energy stored within your muscles needed for intense weight training). I used to do this when I first began working out. Don’t make the same mistake. I always found that doing my cardio before a workout simply wore me out. Basically, I would be too tired to want to weight train and would often lose my motivation.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Whether you perform your cardio on a recumbent bike, like I do, or you jump rope or go for a run outside, if you carefully follow the pattern of time intervals and intensity levels in the progressive pattern I’ve laid out for you, you simply can’t go wrong.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
While I don’t always advise this, because it can cause you to feel a little over-exhausted, you are certainly welcome to try it. This schedule works especially well if you are completely starved for time and would rather have your workouts completed in three days a week, instead of six.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
I’ve found that a lot of people who follow my Plan, including myself, usually like to do their cardio exercise on the alternating days, after each weight-training workout day, first thing in the morning. This way, after they get their workout completed, they are alert, refreshed, and ready to “start” their day. And best of all, they don’t have to worry about whether or not they will get their workout in, because they have already completed it. I think this is something you should try. However, if you don’t have the time to get to the gym every other day, or you don’t have access to any cardio equipment at home, you can always perform your cardio on the same days you weight train.
to level four for two minutes. After this time, I adjust the tension to my peak tension, level 10. This is definitely an “all-out” effort to keep the pedals moving. I really push myself here for three minutes, then I lower the tension to level five. I catch my breath here, pedaling for two minutes, then I hit the peak tension again, level 10, one more time. I push myself even more for another three minutes, and then lower the tension back down to five. I catch my breath and stay here for another two minutes. After this, I turn down the intensity, once again, only I lower it this time to level two. At this time, I am simply warming down my legs and my heart rate. I do this for two minutes. After the “cool-down” period is over, I am done. That’s it! Thirty minutes of calorie-burning, fat-busting cardio.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T E X E R C I S E
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F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T E X E R C I S E
With that said, I firmly believe that if you are going to stretch, you shouldn’t stretch before you exercise. The reason is, your muscles are not properly “warmed up” yet, so they have little, or no, elasticity to them and therefore are much more susceptible to injury. Instead, I like to “warm up” by performing one or two sets, with very light weight, for the body part I plan to work out. For example, if I am going to bench press, I would lie down on a flat bench press and perform 15 or 20 repetitions with 20-lb dumbbells (where I might normally use 75 or 85-lb dumbbells). I do these “warm-ups” only on my first exercise of the workout and not on the remaining bodypart exercises.
Q A
Do I need a training partner to help me follow your Plan?
The good news is, absolutely not. I don’t train with a workout partner and neither does my wife, Julia Ann, nor do Tanya Van Beek or David Silbaugh (individuals whose photos are shown in the section of this book entitled “Building Your Customized Plan”)… and we’ve all been able to achieve respectable goals, which included losing bodyfat and sculpting strong, healthy muscle definition. Now, don’t get me wrong: I also believe a workout partner, or even a personal trainer, can be a great asset to your program and increase your motivation. Besides that, a workout partner or personal trainer can also be a useful “spotter,” which you might need whenever you are lifting weights and training intensely.
Now, I will admit, once my muscles are completely warmed up, and I am well into my workout, I will typically spend about 30 seconds, during my planned rest periods, performing simple stretches for the body part I'm training. Again, this is done only when the muscles are properly trained and already warmed up.
Another thing to consider, although you certainly don’t need to have one to reach your goals, a personal trainer can help you learn how to perform an exercise and ensure you are using proper form. This is really important, especially if you have never worked out with weights before, and may be able to help prevent you from injuring yourself. On top of that, a personal trainer can help keep you more motivated, since you normally have to pay them in advance and you have to schedule an appointment with them. For these two reasons alone, I think a personal trainer—as long as he or she is qualified, and certified by one of the more recognized programs (e.g., ACE, ACSM, or NSCS) can be a great addition to your overall Plan.
However, there are some people who swear by stretching, after they work out, to help reduce muscle soreness in the days that follow. And the fact is, there is some evidence to suggest this is true. So, if you want to spend five or ten minutes doing light stretches when you are done working out, I would suggest you follow a planned list of stretches that are safe and appropriate for your level of fitness. You can find some great illustrations of stretches at http://www.physioroom.com/prevention/stretch ing4.shtml. Basically, the only way to know if stretching is beneficial to you is to simply try it for a couple of weeks and then determine if it is helpful.
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Supplementing for Success
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
By definition, a supplement is something that can be added to your diet to make it complete or make up for a deficiency. Nutritional or dietary supplements were created to help individuals who are not able to get enough of one or more nutrients, such as vitamins or minerals. Simply take a supplement to fulfill that particular need. Supplements most often come in a pill, powder, or liquid form. Common supplements today include protein powders, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, and fat burners.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
In a perfect world, we would all eat the “perfect” amounts of vegetables, dairies, grains, meats, fruits, and so on…like most nutritionists suggest. But we don’t. Most of us are way too busy to plan, prepare, and eat perfect meals. That’s where quality supplements come in.
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SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Why Might Supplements Be Necessary?
A
strength and definition, increase energy levels, aid in recovery, and even boost your immune system. Provided in optimal levels, supplements not only make up for deficiencies that are created as a result of exercise and hectic lifestyles, they also provide an environment for recreation of cells, necessary for both everyday life and performance. Deficiencies may even keep you from achieving your desired results. Without at least adequate levels of certain nutrients your body needs, you may not be able to reach your full potential, and you certainly will not maximize your workouts. And, if you don’t eat a “perfect” diet day in and day out, and I know I don’t, supplements are an obvious solution.
Any active individual who exercises regularly and is striving to lose fat while enduring life’s everyday challenges is more susceptible to becoming deficient in some, if not many, nutrients. In fact, even while following a sound nutrition program, if you exercise regularly, you’ll still deplete your body of vital nutrients. And if your body does not have immediate access to the necessary nutrients during repair, it will lack the ability to recover and rebuild the immune system, muscle tissue, and energy levels. This is a serious problem and why supplements can be so useful. Common supplements include protein, such as whey and soy; vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamins B and C, zinc and magnesium; performance micronutrients used for specific targeted applications, such as “muscle preservation” and “fat burning,” such as creatine and 7Keto; antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C, and E.
My Top Four Supplement Recommendations for Reducing Bodyfat, Sculpting Muscle, and Increasing Energy
Lean System 7®
The problem is…supplements are confusing. Which ones work? Which ones don’t? Who can you trust? The questions are endless. The solution is…keep your supplement plan simple. By this I mean, carefully address the results you’re looking for, and when purchasing products, buy from a trusted manufacturer, one that uses scientific evidence to back their claims, offers a money-back guarantee with purchases, and is well-respected within the industry. There are only a handful. Names such as Met-Rx, EAS, Next Proteins, and my own company of course, iSatori, all come to mind for me.
Clinically Proven, Targeted Fat Loss Lean System 7 is, without a doubt, the most advanced fat- and weight-loss supplement on the market. That’s because Lean System 7 was developed using only the latest in medical research on obesity and recently verified in an independent clinical study by John L. Zenk, M.D., Medical Director and Principal Investigator of the Minnesota Applied Research Center (MARC). What’s most interesting is that Lean System 7 was the first (and only) weight-loss pill ever shown to reduce fat on those “trouble spots”—like the tummy and hips on women and “spare tire” on men… This is truly phenomenal. And to date, no other weight-loss supplement has revealed these kinds of remarkable results!
The bottom line: supplements may be able to help you achieve your desired results, faster. Scientific research has proven again and again that supplements can help you burn fat, increase muscle
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DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Lean System 7 works to turn back the clock on “Father Time.” As we age, our metobolic rate drops, and so does our ability to lose bodyfat, especially on those “problem areas” like the waist and hips… that’s the number one reason it’s so difficult to lose weight, even with a healthful diet and exercise. Thankfully, Lean System 7
Lean System 7 is proven safe—plus, no “jitters,” ■ shakes, or nervousness. If you’ve looked around (or tried any of them), many of today’s weight-loss pills are nothing but high amounts of stimulants, which many people (like me) can’t tolerate. In fact, many of these pills have been reported to cause serious side effects, like irregular heartbeat, nervousness, anxiety, and “jittery” feelings. Exactly what you want to avoid. Heck, just ask your doctor. When we developed Lean System 7, we used the help of leading researchers and medical doctors. People you can trust. People who care about your safety. Our ingredients are research proven and completely safe. In fact, Lean System 7 was proven in the same clinical study to be just as safe as the placebo (which was rice flour), with no adverse effects reported. What’s more, Lean System 7’s results and safety record are so powerful, it’s protected by a prestigious U.S. Patent [#5,296,481] for use in safe weight loss and weight management.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Lean System 7 is backed by independent, clinical science. Lean System 7 was recently evaluated in an eight-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study (the “gold standard” in research). The great news is… ■ those who used Lean System 7 faired exceptionally well, as participants lost up to 19 lbs of bodyfat in just eight weeks and, more notably, reduced their waist and hip circumferences by 4 1/2 inches! One participant in particular, who used Lean System 7, increased her resting metabolic rate (the rate your body burns calories for energy) by 1,391%... that’s the equivalent of burning an “extra” 930 calories a day. Or, more simply put, it’s the same as running on a treadmill for nearly three hours. How impressive is that?
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
“One of the most appealing effects of Lean System 7 is the reduction in overall bodyweight and fat on the hips and waist.”
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Here are the highlights of Lean System 7 and some additional information I think you’ll find interesting:
Lean System 7 helps “reshape” your entire physique. One of the most appealing effects of Lean System 7 is the reduction in overall bodyweight and fat. This means that when you lose bodyfat mass, especially from those noticeable areas like the waist, hips, thighs, ■ and upper arms, you can actually reshape your body and take inches off those “problem areas.” So, when you use Lean System 7, you’ll focus not only on the scale but also in the mirror! You will find that your body literally changes shape.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
I normally take three servings of Lean System 7 every day. I take one serving first thing in the morning with a full glass of water. The next serving of Lean System 7, I take around 11:30 a.m., about 30 minutes before lunchtime, to help my body burn the calories I’m about to eat… as well as take the edge off my cravings and keep me from eating too much food at lunch. My last serving, I take at about 3:30 p.m. I find this habit of taking Lean System 7 three times a day really keeps my body burning fat around the clock.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
contains a unique, patented compound, called 7-Keto™. Dr. Henry Lardy (who discovered 7-Keto) discovered that this active compound is naturally found in everyone’s body, but it rapidly declines with age. This 7-Keto ingredient can also be extracted from natural organic plant material and is found exclusively in Lean System 7. In essence, supplementing with Lean System 7 helps safely put back what “Father Time” has stripped away. By turning back the body’s internal clock to a more youthful, active metabolism, it’s easier to take weight off and keep it off for good.
Lean System 7 was designed specifically for busy, hard-working individuals, like you and me, and for those who constantly battle to lose stubborn bodyfat from those “problem areas” (maybe this is you too?) and who are trying to get thinner, leaner, and look younger, without having to worry about their safety.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
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Lean System 7 is guaranteed to work, or you pay absolutely nothing! The bottom line is, Lean System 7 has been scientifically designed to reduce fat on the places that matter the most… and it’s absolutely, positively guaranteed to work, or we’ll refund 100% of your purchase price (when you order direct). That’s right. Just like all of the supplements we sell, we’re so confident of the type of results you’ll likely experience with Lean System 7, we offer a 100% “no-questions-asked” guarantee. That is, every first purchase of Lean System 7, ordered direct, is backed by an unconditional, noquestions-asked 60-day money-back guarantee. Which means if, for whatever reason, after you’ve tried Lean System 7, you aren’t completely satisfied with your results, simply return the unused portion, along with your original receipt, within 60 days of your initial purchase for a complete refund of the purchase price (less shipping and handling). That means there’s no risk to you, whatsoever, for trying it. That’s how confident we are of the results you’ll experience with Lean System 7.
Others agree with me when I say Eat-Smart is truly the “best-tasting,” most complete meal-replacement nutrition shake available. But don’t be fooled—EatSmart is more than your typical, “run-of-the-mill” meal replacement—much more! Here are some of the highlights about Eat-Smart and why it’s truly the easiest and tastiest way to lose weight: Eat-Smart is so quick and easy to make. Eat-Smart is “instantized” so it mixes instantly and easily... for a perfect milkshake-like taste in less than a minute. To make an Eat-Smart shake, all you do is simply scoop your desired amount of powder into a blender or shaker cup with water or skim milk, blend it up, and serve. It’s really as simple as that! The best part might just be that you get to choose the size shake you want to make (a smaller eight ounce or larger 16 oz). Eat-Smart is thick, rich, creamy, and satisfying. Eat-Smart is the only meal supplement that contains Nutrim™—the allnatural heart-healthy, lowglycemic oat complex that is clinically proven to satisfy your hunger and make you feel fuller, longer (for up to three hours), and more importantly, stabilize your blood sugar levels and lower your cholesterol. Finally, you don’t have to worry about being hungry 20 minutes after you drink one of those thin, watery ready-to-drink protein shakes... Thankfully, Eat-Smart has a thick, rich, creamy milkshake-like texture. So, no more hunger cravings... it makes eating sensibly so much easier (and keeps you sane!)
Make no mistake about it, Lean System 7 will work for you, just as it has for thousands and thousands of other people across America. I might be so bold as to say that if you use Lean System 7 for eight weeks (the same length of time as our clinical study) and follow a sensible eating plan, combined with a regular exercise plan (like the one I’ve outlined in this book), it may even change your life! At the very least, you will be absolutely thrilled with your results. I guarantee it.
Eat-Smart® The World’s “Perfect” Meal Supplement! For me, Eat-Smart provides a convenient, costeffective way to replace literally any meal throughout the day... like breakfast, lunch, or an in-between meal. You whip up a shake in just under a minute… it’s truly the world’s perfect one-minute nutrition solution to fast, easy weight loss. I typically use Eat-Smart to replace at least three of my “normal” whole-food meals a day.
Eat-Smart is full of flavor—eight sinfully delicious flavors and counting. See, with Eat-Smart, for the first time ever, thanks to a proprietary/patented flavor technology, you can choose from a wide assortment of our outrageously delicious, sinful flavors... that taste like Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Strawberry Cheesecake, Cinnamon Rolls, Mint Chocolate Chip, Banana Cream Pie, Double Vanilla Ice Cream, and
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3-XL™ Tri-Strength Creatine & Third Generation Nitric Oxide™ 3-XL is the most advanced muscle-building supplement on the market, which contains a proprietary creatine-delivery system and nitric oxide components.
Here are the highlights of 3-XL:
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FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
As you can plainly see, Eat-Smart is the “smart” choice for supplementing meals to help you lose bodyfat and gain new muscle mass—as long as you combine it with healthy eating habits and our intense weight-training Plan.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
But scientific research is revealing new information every day on supplements, their specific forms, byproducts, metabolites, applications, delivery systems, and alternative uses. This research is at the epic-center of the performance and physique enhancement industry. It is what drives companies like ours to continually experiment with and explore all of these new possibilities. Knowing full well that
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Eat-Smart is guaranteed “best-tasting” or it’s free. Eat-Smart comes with an unconditional “Total Taste and Superior Formula Satisfaction” guarantee. We did not hesitate for one minute to assume all of the risk by asking our customers not to necessarily take our word for the claims we make about the flavors and the superior formula... but to allow you to purchase Eat-Smart essentially risk-free, so you can evaluate for yourself, for a full 30 days, if our claims hold 100% true.
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
3-XL is backed by solid clinical science. Our trademark creatine monohydrate/Inzitol® formula, Meta-CEL, co-developed with “Mr. Creatine” himself, Anthony Alamda, was released back in May of 2003. Make no mistake: when we develop a new supplement at iSatori, we use every shred of evidence we can find to create the most innovative, research-driven product possible.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
I normally drink two servings of 3-XL on the days I weight train and one serving on my non-weight-training days. And I’ll shamelessly say that the Fruit Punch flavor tastes even better than our extremely popular Meta-CEL product. No kidding!
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Eat-Smart is a nutritious, state-of-the-art formula. Unlike other meal replacements, Eat-Smart does not contain any useless, outdated, or unhealthy ingredients like hydrogenated oils, corn syrup solids, maltodextrin, fructose, dextrose, or aspartame. Instead, Eat-Smart is made from only the highest quality proteins (like whey), whole-grain/low-glycemic carbohydrates (from oat flour), “good” fats from flaxseed, and added fiber—to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to recover from strenuous physical activity, sustain your energy levels, and build a healthy, strong, new you.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Regular creatine monohydrate has been shown to effectively increase lean body mass, strength, and athletic (anarobic) performance. But a new study has shown esterfied creatine (CEE) can exert its positive effects above and beyond regular creatine monohydrate.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Eat-Smart is stomach friendly and easy to digest. Eat-Smart contains probiotics and special enzymes to help fully absorb the proteins. Plus, Eat-Smart is 97% lactose free. Just think, never again will you have to endure the usual cramps, bloating, or gastric distress that comes from most meal replacements and protein powders on the market. That’s because these cheap powders, and ready-to-drinks, are usually filled with useless fillers, sugars, and unfiltered proteins, which makes them very difficult to digest—and distressful to your stomach.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
All things considered, I have a strong hunch that once you try our new Eat-Smart meal supplement and taste one of our scrumptious, “dessert-like” flavors, you’ll never think about using another meal replacement or protein powder brand—ever again! But, you have to try it first to believe me.
Iced Mocha Latté. Think of it as... any flavor, anytime!! No more plain old chocolate and boring vanilla. Imagine that.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
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some will work out, while most will not. Thankfully, with trial and exploration, you sometimes do stumble on newly designed supplements that are worthy of further experimentation. One such supplement has become a new form of creatine called creatine ethyl ester (CEE).
the muscle cell—which typically gives people that unwanted “bloated” feeling. In addition, 3-XL was developed without adding unnecessary fatstoring sugars, like dextrose. Instead, 3-XL is sweetened with sucralose, which makes it ideal for “carbophobics” or calorie cutters.
3-XL delivers immediate and impressive results. The really exciting news is that with CEE, you can experience positive effects with lower dosages because it penetrates target cells more efficiently via a different transporter than the monohydrate form. So, apparently, no “loading” or “cycling” is required—just a single dose a day (normally one to three grams) does the trick.
3-XL is guaranteed to help you build new muscle, or you pay nothing. That’s right. Just like all of the supplements we sell, we’re so confident of the type of results you’ll likely experience with 3-XL, we offer a 100% “noquestions-asked” guarantee. That is, every first purchase of 3-XL, ordered direct, is backed by an unconditional, no-questions-asked 60-day moneyback guarantee.
And, there seems to be two other important benefits: CEE appears to work relatively well for most creatine “non-responders” (about three or four out of every ten people do not respond to creatine monohydrate), and ■ there doesn’t appear to be any extra-cellular water retention with CEE, which causes the infamous “creatine bloat.” Pretty cool stuff, isn’t it?!
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Which means if, for whatever reason, after you have tried 3-XL, you aren’t completely satisfied with your results, simply return the unused portion (or used—we would like you to use the entire container to give it a fair chance), along with your original receipt, within 60 days of your initial purchase for a complete refund of the entire purchase price. That means there’s no risk to you, whatsoever, for trying it. That’s how confident we are of the results you’ll experience with 3-XL. It doesn’t get any fairer than that, don’t you agree?
“…you can in fact trigger new muscle growth and significantly increase your chances of building more calorieburning muscle…”
3-XL is delicious and easy to use. 3-XL is a delicious, easy-touse drink mix you simply stir in eight ounces of water or your favorite protein or mealreplacement shake and drink ■ it within 30 minetes after your workout. And remember, unlike with most other creatine products, you don’t need to “load” with 3-XL. Just drink one to two servings a day. Under these guidelines, your muscle cells will still undergo retention and complete “super-saturation” of the 3-XL compounds to reach their maximum volume—appearing fuller, rounder, and more defined. As a result, you’ll continue to build muscle faster and more efficiently.
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If you liked Meta-CEL, in my humble opinion, you’re going to think 3-XL kicks serious butt. Think of 3-XL as Meta-CEL with a new, updated engine and turbochargers. It’s that much more powerful! Plus, we’ve even made 3-XL taste better than Meta-CEL! If you’ve had the pleasure of experiencing Meta-CEL already, then I’m sure you can appreciate these two statements. Now, with that said, if you are currently happy with the results you are getting from using Meta-CEL, then stick with it. But, if you would like to see what new science has to offer in the way of creatine supplementation for muscular size, strength, and hardness, then I’d strongly encourage you to consider adding 3-XL to the nutrition and workout regimen I’ve outlined in this guide. You won’t be disappointed!
3-XL is easy to digest and won’t cause any “water bloating.” Unlike most creatine-based supplements, 3-XL was specially formulated to promote complete absorption of the creatine (inside of the muscles), using a specific combination of sodium and chloride, thereby avoiding any possible intestinal distress or holding water outside
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Energize
iSatori formulate Energize to work with your body’s natural ability to produce safe, long-lasting energy.
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Energize was co-developed by Dr. Mark Tallon. We developed this all-natural supplement with Dr. Mark Tallon. He is a very bright person, earning his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Southampton University in England. He even works with Olympic athletes as a nutrition consultant and is an IronMan triathlete himself. To say this guy is brilliant and a true athlete is an understatement. He helped our research team at
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Energize is the only energy pill that lasts all day. We know our mental and physical exhaustion is the result of our body’s natural response to physical exertion, emotional stress, poor nutritional habits (like eating on the go), or lack of sleep. Normally, though, we reach for a quick fix by drinking coffee, sugared energy drinks, or resorting to pep-up pills like ephedrine. The problem is, those stimulants provide only a temporary boost—lasting an hour at best. Worse, after they wear off, your energy levels crash—leaving you even more exhausted than before. Energize, on the other hand,
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Here are the highlights about Energize, to help you restore your natural energy:
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Energize is composed of a combination of important B vitamins and minerals, as well as a proprietary blend, which consists of L-tyrosine (an amino acid), glucoranolactone (a simple sugar), a natural source of caffeine, theobromine (from cocoa trees), rhodiola and panax ginseng (adaptogens), and octacosanol (from wheat germ).
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
I normally use Energize right about 30 minutes before I plan to exercise to really add some intensity and keep my workouts focused… Or, I’ll sometimes take a dose during the middle of the day, to keep me from “hitting the wall” at around 3 o’clock, and to keep me mentally clear, refreshed, and in a good mood while I’m at work or before I go home (so I can spend more quality time with my wife and kids, rather than just sitting on the couch, watching TV).
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Energize is exceptionally safe—with a proven track record. The Energize formulation is supported by over 20 individual ingredient clinical studies and is the subject of a double-blind, cross-over trial, at the Ohio Research Group by Ron Mardel and his associates. The proprietary blend of ingredients found in Energize contains only the safest, most effective, physiologically active ingredients, which have been tested for the highest purity and potency.
As you know, most stimulants, like these, last only about an hour before they wear off, leaving you feeling worse than you did before. This is called the “crash.” I hate the way this makes me feel. That’s why I helped create and use a supplement, instead, called Energize.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Energize was developed to safely give your body back the energy it needs and to keep your energy levels up longer. In fact, I’ve discovered that for most people, one dose of Energize in the morning keeps them energized all day. And quite possibly the best part is, there are absolutely no “crashes” afterwards, like you typically experience with coffee, energy drinks, soda, candy, and pep-up pills like ephedrine.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Energize provides immediate relief from exhaustion—whenever you need it. The great thing about Energize is that it was carefully designed to safely work with your body’s natural ability to fight physical and mental fatigue. In fact, the proprietary blend of ingredients found in Energize was formulated in collaboration with Dr. Mark Tallon specifically to: • Relieve exhaustion; • Combat physical and mental fatigue; • Improve reaction time; • Enhance mental alertness; • and Increase pre-workout energy.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
The All Day Energy Pill™ There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t reach for a cup of coffee first thing in the morning to get me going. Maybe you follow this ritual too? That is, until we created Energize.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
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Department, he and several of his colleagues are now “hooked,” calling it their “wake-up” pill, since they need to be alert all of the time.
was designed to sustain the energy release, evenly throughout the day, for a safe, comfortable boost of energy. That means… there are no jitters. No shaking hands and nervous tremors. And no “crash” afterwards! Who could benefit from Energize? Anyone who consistently exerts themselves physically; people who undergo constant emotional stress; individuals who lack sleep (less than eight hours per night); or those who work late into or through the night; or virtually any individual who has the desire to think more clearly and feel alive—to get more out of their day!
I find that for most people, Energize works especially well either in the morning to really perk you up or during the middle of the day to help you avoid the fatal midday “crash” after lunch. For me, I absolutely love using it before I weight train. I find it clears my mind and cranks up my workout intensity. (This is helpful when you train, like I do, at 6:00 in the morning.)
And since Energize doesn’t “over-stimulate” you, I believe it’s ideal for parents, businessmen and women, military, armed forces, and medical personnel. In fact, since I introduced Energize to my friend Angelo, who is on the local Denver Police
Once you try any of my favorite supplements, please email me and tell me what you think. I’m certain you’re going to enjoy the way they make you feel (and look). Let me know about your experience, would ya? You can reach me at
[email protected].
Answers to Your Questions… Questions About Supplements
Q A
Are there any other supplements you use in your nutrition plan, and which do you recommend?
NUTRITION journal in February 2005, the formula is safe to use on a daily basis. In addition to these two supplements, I also use 3.XL, which I feel is the most advanced creatine delivery system on the market—I take two servings on days I weight train and one serving on non-weight-training days to help my muscles recover faster after workouts and to help them rebuild stronger.
First, let me get something straight: if you do not pay careful attention to your nutrition plan—the foods you put into your body—each and every day, throughout the duration of this Plan—you will not succeed. I cannot overstate the importance of quality foods and the role they play in your physical and mental strength and ability to lose bodyfat.
The only other supplement I use on a daily basis, which I’ve been taking since I was a kid, is a multivitamin/mineral formula. I currently use a brand by GNC called Mega-Men®. (There is also a formula for women called Women's Ultra Mega). I wouldn’t go a day without taking a multivitamin. The way I see it, a vitamin is like an “insurance policy” for your health. In addition to these supplements, I sometimes use a powerful, natural “energy” pill called Energize first thing in the morning when I need an extra boost of energy for my workouts or need that “little something” to keep me going strong and feeling mentally clear throughout the day.
That being said, when I am trying to lose bodyfat, I do use three supplements, which I feel are important for helping me reach my goals, faster. I already mentioned I use Eat-Smart, a great-tasting complete nutrition shake, but I consider this more of a “super food” than a supplement. In addition to my daily Eat-Smart shakes, I use a clinically proven, targeted fat-loss supplement called Lean System 7®. I like Lean System 7 because it’s clinically proven to do what it says it will and, based on the scientific study published in
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What do you think of protein or energy bars. Do you eat them?
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Or, if you would like to receive the printed version of Real SOLUTIONS magazine and have it delivered right to your doorstep, I am offering a fantastic deal for readers of this book. Simply turn to page 118 near the back and look for the subscription offer. It’s an amazing offer, which includes two free gifts and costs only $16. A small price to pay for the inspiration and information you will receive in each issue!
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Of course, I have to admit, bars are still better than not eating at all. But the truth is, many bars really aren’t much different from traditional candy bars—filled with unnecessarily high amounts of calories, sugars, and loaded with unhealthy fats. Still, I realize that when we're busy, bars are ultra-convenient, and some do taste outrageously delicious, so they can be hard to resist. For that reason, I’m not going to shun the use of bars altogether because sometimes we simply don’t have the time to shop for, prepare, and eat whole-food meals. However, when faced with the opportunity to rate the choices of food to nourish my body, I continue to choose to consume whole-food first, followed by a meal-replacement nutrition shake (like Eat-Smart®), ready-to-drink shakes and then, and only then, a protein/energy bar. In other words, I’d eat a bar only when I’m on a mountain top, hiking or snowboarding (and there’s no blender in sight), or I’m stuck on a long airplane flight (and I’d rather not eat the contents of the tiny bag labeled “party mix.”)
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
You can subscribe to my monthly online newsletter right now, if you’d like, by visiting www.RealSOLUTIONSMag.com and clicking on the button, on the right side of the page, which says “Free eNewsletter.” As an added bonus, and to help you get the facts (before you buy any supplements), I’ll also send you a special report I co-wrote with science editor James O’Byrne called “7 Secrets You Must Know Before Buying Supplements.” It’s a seven-part series of emails that contains the unfortunate “dirty little secrets” supplement manufacturers use to literally “steal” your money. Quite honestly, I feel this report could be the most important thing you ever read, especially if you currently use or are considering using supplements.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Basically, in each issue, you will find the most accurate, up-to-date, straightforward information on what works, and just as important, what doesn’t work. As you know, there are lots of gimmicks out there, and my goal is to help you spend your hard-earned money only on what will work for you!
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
To be honest, whenever I am attempting to get leaner, and lose bodyfat, I try to avoid all types of nutrition bars altogether. You see, choosing the best protein bar is like trying to find the healthiest pizza…in my opinion, there’s really no such thing! If you inspect the label closely enough, you’ll find that most bars are loaded with saturated fats, sugar alcohols, fructose, gelatin, and other ingredients even most chemists can’t pronounce, and some that are downright unhealthy. It’s for these reasons, bars should be pretty darn close to the last option you choose to eat when it comes to feeding your body to promote fat loss.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
When I first started using supplements, I used to feel the way you do. I was totally confused by all of the claims made by manufacturers and hundreds of choices of products on the store shelves. I realize how frustrating it can be to choose supplements, and that was the main reason I started my online newsletter over six years ago. And now, I am proud to say we have branched out into a full-color printed magazine as well. It’s called Real SOLUTIONS, and it provides lots of questions and answers from leading experts; informative articles on training, nutrition, and supplements; and it even contains real success stories from people who have followed our programs, like The Lean System Success Plan.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Q A
Q A
I find that learning about supplements is the most confusing part about building a better body—I don’t know who to trust—do you?
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
As you can see, I don’t try to overcomplicate the use of supplements, like some people do. Instead, I use supplements as “tools” to help me build my best body. Just like a carpenter uses his tools (hammer, nails, etc.) to build a house. You can learn more about each of the supplements I use and see how you can easily integrate them together into a custom solution in the section entitled “Building Your Customized Plan.” But remember, no matter which supplements you use, relying on them alone will not help you reach your goal to build a leaner, healthier, more energetic body… if you don’t apply the right principles of nutrition and exercise.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T S U P P L E M E N T S
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EXERCISE TO BURN FAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
Although there is no such thing as a perfect way to build your absolute best body, I can say, with absolute certainty, the foundation of any successful weight-loss plan or transformation program is regular exercise; healthy, balanced nutrition; and scientific supplementation. Unfortunately, there is so much confusion about exercise, nutrition, and supplementation out there, it’s difficult to sort out how to put them all together. What I hope to help you discover in this section is that it’s really not at all that complicated. The fundamental routines outlined on the pages that follow offer an excellent place to start (not to mention a great source of motivation that “it can be done”). So rather than relying on trial and error, which is a slow, frustrating, and oftentimes expensive learning process, please consider applying these proven strategies, which have worked for me and thousands of others already.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
How to Custom Design a Total Solution to Help You Achieve Your Absolute Best Body Ever
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Building Your Customized Plan
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
—— PA R T 3 ——
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GOAL: Lose Bodyfat and Increase Energy
Before
After
Exercise Strategy • Perform 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, three times per week, first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach). • Conduct intense weight-training exercises, using basic exercises such as the dumbbell press, lunges, shoulder press, bent-over rows, curls, triceps extensions, etc., 30 to 40 minutes three times per week.
Nutrition Strategy • Not to exceed your “Maximum Daily Calorie Requirement” (using the BMR formula on page 5), consume approximately ten calories per pound of bodyweight (that you want to weigh), per day, divided into five or six balanced meals or snacks. (For example, if you weigh 140 lbs and your goal is to weigh 120 lbs, you should consume approximately 1,200 calories a day, preferably divided into five or six meals that contain between 200 and 240 calories each.)
Marina Popelka, age 37, from Lakewood, Colorado, lost 19 lbs of bodyfat, firmed and flattened her stomach, and sculpted beautiful muscle tone!
Before
After
• Consume approximately one gram of protein and no more than one gram of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight (again, bodyweight that you desire to weigh) per day. (For example, if you weigh 140 lbs, and your goal is to weigh 120 lbs, you should try to consume approximately 120 grams of protein per day and no more than 120 grams of carbohydrates per day. Try and keep your fat intake to about 30 grams per day.) • Drink at least eight to 10 tall glasses of water per day.
Supplement Strategy • Drink two to three Eat-Smart® Nutrition Shakes each day, along with using two to three servings of Lean System 7® and one serving of Energize, whenever you feel you need it. • A one-month supply of this supplement combination, called “The Lean System Success Solution,” includes: • Three 30-serving containers of Eat-Smart® • Two 90-capsule bottles of Lean System 7® • One 84-tablet bottle of Energize
Julia Lacy-Adelé, age 33, from Morrison, Colorado, lost 24 lbs of post-baby fat, mostly from her tummy, and now has more energy than ever before!
Before
After
Shari Friedman, age 40, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, dropped her bodyfat in half, increased her self-confidence, and now is an inspiration to her friends and family!
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BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
GOAL: Lose Bodyfat and Gain Muscle Definition
Before
After
Exercise Strategy • Perform 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week, first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach). • Conduct intense weight-training exercises, using basic exercises such as the bench press, squats, shoulder press, bent-over rows, barbell curls, triceps extensions, etc., 40 to 50 minutes three times per week.
Nutrition Strategy • Not to exceed your “Maximum Daily Caloric Requirement” (using the BMR formula on page 5), consume this approximate number of calories per day, divided into five or six balanced meals or snacks. (For example, if your BMR is 1,800, you should consume approximately 1,800 calories a day, preferably divided into five or six meals that contain between 300 to 360 calories each.)
Marty Reddy, of Northville, Michigan, lost 70 lbs of fat, dropped 10 pant sizes, and now, at 40 years old, is in the best shape of his life!
Before
After
• Consume approximately 40% of your calories from protein and carbohydrates and no more than 20% of your calories from fats per day. (For example, if you weigh 200 lbs, and your BMR is 1,800, you should try to consume approximately 180 grams of protein and carbohydrates per day, and try to keep your fat intake to about 40 grams per day.) • Drink at least eight to 10 tall glasses of water per day.
Supplement Strategy • Drink two to three Eat-Smart® Nutrition Shakes each day, along with using two to three servings of Lean System 7® and one serving of 3-XL™. • A one-month supply of this supplement combination, called “The Lean System Transformation Solution,” includes: • Four 15-serving containers of Eat-Smart® • Two 90-capsule bottles of Lean System 7® • One 30-serving container of 3-XL™
David Silbaugh, age 30, of Centreville, Virginia, lost 23 lbs of bodyfat, mostly from his belly, and gained five lbs of high-powered muscle—in only eight weeks!
Before
After
Barry Ratzlaff, age 37, of Abbotsford, B.C., slashed his bodyfat in half, developed a great-looking set of sixpack abs, and has more energy than ever!
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Answers to Your Questions… About Building Your Plan
Q A
Following your Plan, how long will it take to start seeing “results”?
If you follow everything I have spelled out for you to the letter, and you have set reasonable goals, you should start to see results in as little as one to two weeks. It is not uncommon, however, to hear of people losing up to six pounds during their first week on the Plan. That might be because they have never followed such an intense Program or eaten such quality, nutrient-dense calories. I’m not sure. Now, make no mistake, the results you will witness after your first or second week may not be earthshattering. Nevertheless, if you are using Lean System 7® and take it as directed (and maybe add in the Eat-Smart® meal-replacement nutrition shake to substitute for a couple of meals each day), it’s safe to say you will be very pleased with the bodyfat losses you will notice within the first couple of weeks.
Of course, the higher the goals you have set for yourself, both in losing bodyfat and bodyweight, the longer it might take. But with a disciplined effort, you will achieve your goals!
Q A
Should men and women follow your Plan the same way?
Most definitely. To my knowledge, there is no scientific basis for why a woman should train with weights and exercise any differently than a man does. In fact, it has become quite an inaccurate belief that women, for some reason, should only weight train using higher repetition ranges (something in the range of 20 to 25 repetitions is what I commonly read) and should perform much more cardiovascular/aerobic exercise. I am not sure where this information originated, but I can tell you that, unfortunately, still to this day, it is proliferated in several leading women’s health and fitness magazines—and it’s completely false.
Many people have noted that all of a sudden, after about three to four weeks, their bodyweight drops fairly significantly. Clothes that might not have normally fit in the past started to become a little easier to put on. And people around you may start to pay you some unexpected compliments. It’s really pretty cool.
Another myth is that women will become bulky and easily obtain as much muscle as men if they work out with weights. This is simply not true! It’s physiologically impossible. Because women naturally lack the ability to produce as much of the anabolic hormone testosterone as men and therefore cannot build muscle mass like men do.
Regardless, from the first week and beyond, you should be able to experience a loss of at least one to two pounds of unhealthy, good-for-nothing bodyfat each week. This is a safe amount of weight to lose. This would only happen, of course, because you followed the Plan to a “T.” That means… Eating smart. Exercising regularly. Drinking plenty of water. Getting adequate rest. And using the recommended supplements.
I don’t see any reason a woman should follow my Plan any differently than a man. By setting realistic goals, eating properly, exercising intensely, and taking the recommended supplements, women like Marina Popelka, who not only lost 19 lbs of bodyfat but also gained three pounds of lean, sexy muscle (in only eight weeks)… Martiza Franco, who is a professional fitness model… and Michael Ryan, who is also a fitness model, as well as a trainer to several “A-list” celebrities
One thing to consider is that everyone is different in the amount of weight they might lose, and your results will vary depending on a number of factors.
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You see, since we can’t tell if we’re losing fat with just a bathroom scale, we need to measure our overall body composition—the amount of lean mass versus bodyfat—to be certain we’re losing bodyfat, without sacrificing muscle. There are several ways to measure body composition. The best, most cost effective and convenient way I’ve found (and used myself with great success) is to use an accessory called “skin-fold” calipers. You start by pinching yourself on specific locations on the body using this device. Then, with a simple calculation (we’re talking basic math here), you can compute the amount of bodyfat you have compared to your lean body mass (muscle). You might find that your local gym or fitness center has these calipers on hand. You can always ask one of their personal trainers.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
If you were to focus only on weight loss, you’d run the risk of losing mostly a great deal of water weight, precious muscle tissue, bone mass, and some fat. That’s why when people follow the latest fad diet or use some sort of dieting gimmick (like this Hollywood diet drink stuff I’ve seen lately), they sometimes lose 10 or 12 lbs in the first week. Although this amount of weight loss is not unusual, the reality is they’re losing a great deal of water weight (considering the body is comprised of 75% water anyway). And, as soon as they stop severely restricting calories or refrain from using a “dieting drink,” they instantly gain back the original weight that was lost and usually some bonus weight on top of that (because their bodies are so far out of whack now!). You can see where the term “yoyo dieting” comes from, as literally millions of men and women every year torture their bodies with this vicious cycle several times throughout the year. In any case, people who follow these types of haphazard approaches to losing weight almost always rely on watching the numbers on the bathroom scale go
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
What’s essential to understand here (hint: this is the part you can explain to your wife) is that while you might weigh the same on a scale (your overall bodyweight), your actual body composition (lean mass verses bodyfat) has dramatically changed… and that transference is what changes your entire physical appearance. For this reason, you must concentrate on losing bodyfat and gaining or preserving muscle… and along the way, measure your body-composition changes.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Surprisingly, what I’ve seen for many years is that literally millions of people who are dieting, or striving to build a better body, completely overlook the fundamental difference between weight loss and fat loss. Make no mistake about it, these two objectives are not the same. If your goal is to build a leaner, stronger, healthier body, then you must focus on, and track, your fat loss, not weight loss. Here’s why…
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
A
You bet I can help, but first, you’ve got to promise me you’ll congratulate your wife for taking a step in the right direction (with you!) to build a strong, healthy body.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Now, remember when I presented this fact: one pound of muscle takes up five times less space on the body than a pound of fat. Obviously, that’s a pretty amazing difference in the amount of space taken up. You see, fat is much bulkier than muscle, and fat clings to all the wrong places (e.g., hips, thighs, belly, and lower back), and well…it’s fat. Now think about this: if you were to replace just ten pounds of fat with a few solid pounds of muscle, overtime, you would look (and measure) so much leaner and firmer than when you started. While you would appear smaller in size, what’s really happened is a process known as “body mass composition transferal.” That is, you’re changing not just your size but your shape too. You’ve traded in ugly, unhealthy bodyfat for muscle. That’s the essence of my plan.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Q
Together, my wife and I have committed to following your exercise and nutrition plan. Unfortunately, we can’t agree on something: the right way to track our progress. My wife seems to think it’s by using the bathroom scale, and I can’t convince her otherwise. Can you tell me the best method to use for tracking our progress while we’re trying to get in shape? And should we be losing weight at all costs?
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
down each morning—regardless of where the weight is coming from. I call this “illusional weight loss”; it’s temporary, and the best case scenario is that they go from looking like a large pear to a smaller pear (or maybe a large apple to a smaller apple, depending on their body shape).
(both featured in our Exercise photos)… have all enjoyed incredible changes in their bodies by following similar principles to those outlined in my Plan.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T B U I L D I N G Y O U R P L A N
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Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Montel Williams, and many, many others) have days just as hectic as ours (if not more so). They’ve got plenty of daily obligations too: commitments to work, friends, family, and even kids (who pose plenty of unanticipated obstacles—I know, I have two). And yet at the end of the day, we’re all confined to an equal amount of time—the same 24 hours.
Or, you can buy a set of skin-fold calipers (so you can measure yourself in the convenience of your own home). I use a brand called Accu-Measure, which you can purchase for under $20 by calling them direct at 1-800-866-2727, or by visiting their website at www.accufitness.com and order them online. One final note: I would suggest taking your measurements about every two weeks for the first couple of months, then at least every four weeks thereafter. Also, taking pictures is not a bad idea either (preferably when they reveal most of your body). I still do this and find it’s one of the best ways to chart my progress because pictures never lie. In fact, when you follow my Plan, you will be measuring your progress every two weeks—using “checkpoints” such as your bodyweight, bodyfat, and body-part measurements. This way, you can more accurately gauge whether you are getting closer to your goals and staying on target to reach them in your specified amount of time.
Make no mistake about it, my friend, to be successful (at building their careers and a better body), these individuals don’t just find the time to continually make exercise an integral part of their daily routine: they create time to do it. So how do you “create” time? Simple! You can instantly create time if you begin to plan, plan, and plan some more. You don’t think each one of these individuals I listed above doesn’t plan their day, week, or even their month out, well in advance, do you? Of course not! They all do. Maybe someone, like a professional assistant, does it for them. But the point is— they plan ahead; they don’t react to each day. They make it a point to schedule time for themselves. An appointment for a workout (just as they would for anything else important—like a doctor’s appointment). What could be more critical than fulfilling an obligation to yourself? The way I see it, nothing!
Q A
I can’t ever seem to find enough time to work out, eat better, work, and play—and get in my favorite TV shows. I don’t want to be spending hour upon hour exercising just to get in better shape. It takes too much time, and I don’t have it to give. Can you help me find more time?
To be successful, and ensure your workouts are a part of your daily lifestyle, you must schedule an appointment with yourself by preparing yourself in advance for what you want to accomplish each day, each week, each month, etc. In fact, you can start right now by writing this time down in The Lean System Eating & Exercise Journal section. (Heck, you could even do something as simple as wake up 45 minutes earlier than you normally do and do your workout then). And before you do anything, always ask yourself, “What else could I be doing that would be more productive and take me closer to my goals?”
You say you don’t have enough time in the day to “fit” in an exercise program…? Well, to me, that’s nothing but an excuse. It’s like brushing your teeth: you know you need to, so you don’t have bad breath and your teeth don’t fall out. So if your health is important to you, you find time to work out. Maybe you don’t feel building a strong, healthy, more energetic body is important enough at this time in your life?
Q A
But if it is important, then you absolutely, positively have to overcome this roadblock. What you might not know is, while this obstacle—your lack of time— may appear to be holding you back and keeping you from building a better body, in reality, it is not. Your problem is elsewhere. Let me explain.
Is sleep really that important when losing bodyfat? How many hours a night do you sleep?
Sleep is vitally important: especially if you’re trying to lose bodyfat, increase muscle, and gain more energy! I usually get anywhere from six to seven hours
Believe it or not, individuals who achieve extraordinary levels of success in their lives (like President
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There are a couple of ways you can reach me: first, I am, from time to time, active in our lively discussion forum on the Real SOLUTIONS Message Board. I occasionally update information
With that in mind, what I recommend is that, after your eight weeks are completed, you decide what new goals you would like to pursue. It might be to lose even
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
You bet. Unlike many health and fitness companies today, who don’t really care about whether or not you reach your goals, I do care. In fact, I’ve built my business around helping thousands of people, just like you, look and feel better… to build the absolute best bodies their genetics will allow. And I would be honored and privileged to do the same for you!
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
In fact, it’s probably safe to say that by the end of the eight weeks, you will literally be a “new” person. Like night and day. You will have learned a new mindset possible for losing bodyfat (and keeping it off!) and will probably be striving to learn more about fitness, living a healthier lifestyle, and want to take on new, more exciting challenges.
Q A
If I have more questions, is there any way I can contact you?
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Once you’ve completed this 8-Week Plan, it’s highly likely you’ll have established some great new habits and lost an impressive amount of bodyfat. (In fact, I’ve witnessed people who have lost up to 24 lbs of good-for-nothing bodyfat and dropped up to six inches off their waists, in eight weeks. Believe me, it is possible!)
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Q A
After I’ve completed your 8-Week Plan, what should I do next?
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
One example that comes to mind is Marty Reddy, from Northville, Michigan. He followed the same principles, found in this Plan, for six months and lost a remarkable 70 lbs of bodyfat. And now, for the first time ever, he can see his abdominal muscles. He loves it. His wife loves it. And more important, he now knows that he’ll be healthy, and have enough energy, to enjoy his family for many more years than he would have had he continued living so unhealthily. You can see Marty’s incredible “before and after” pictures on page 51 of this book. If you’d like to read his truly inspiring story too, you can visit Marty (and other men and women as well) on www.RealSolutionsMag.com. Once there, just click on the upper tab that says “eNewsletter” and then follow the link which says “Success Stories.” I encourage you to read his story. It will change your life. I know, because it changed mine.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
A recent study, presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, found that our bodies’ biological recovery processes—muscle repair and immune functioning—occur during nighttime sleep. But more importantly, these processes occur only during our initial 45 to 60 minutes and into our deepest hours of sleep, greater than six hours—which will interfere with or stop altogether if we shorten our resting hours. So, if you want your muscles to develop, and the bodyfat to drop off, you need to get the proper amount of sleep each night.
The one option I highly suggest is that you take a couple of weeks “off” of following a structured plan, like this one, and then set your new goals and follow the eight-week Lean System Success Plan again. Many people follow this Plan over and over again until they are satisfied with their results and new way of life.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
more bodyfat. More inches from your waistline or other “problem areas.” Or, perhaps you want to focus on losing enough bodyfat to reveal a well-defined set of abs (a “six-pack”). It’s really up to you.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
of sleep per night and may even try to catch a few “extra” hours of sleep on the weekends from time to time. Though not the required therapeutic dose of eight hours, I find this is the optimal amount needed for my body to recover from the strenuous, exciting, hectic days of work and exercise. Any less, and I find I become irritable and grouchy, and besides that, I’m smart enough to know (and feel) that my body has not fully recovered from the previous day. Remember, it is during the time when you’re not training that your muscles are actually repairing themselves to become stronger and firmer.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T B U I L D I N G Y O U R P L A N
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F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S A B O U T B U I L D I N G Y O U R P L A N
likely an operator or secretary at best. And, if you left a message, you’d probably never see anything in return, besides a typical “form” letter. That’s not true with me.
about my Plan, introduce new techniques and tools, and we have Fitness Experts, as well as others who have followed my Plan, post answers to people’s questions. To find me there, simply visit www.RealSOLUTIONSMag.com and click on the section in the middle of the screen which says “Hot Forum Topics.”
You can email me anytime at
[email protected], and although I might not be able to email you back immediately, I will absolutely, positively reply to your question or comment in a timely manner. I promise. (Try me!) Alternatively, you can write to me. Just send your comments to iSatori, ATTN: Stephen Adele, 15000 W. 6 Ave., Ste. #202, Golden, CO USA 80401.
Another way you can reach me is to email me or write me. Yep. If you emailed most of the supplement companies I know of, or tried to contact the president or CEO, you wouldn’t make it past their first layer of insulation—
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY EXERCISE TO BURN FAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
But we’re far from being done… Now it’s time to put everything together. Simply put, this is where the “rubber meets the road.”
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Up to this point, it’s safe to say you now have a better understanding of your body and appreciate the importance of your metabolism for burning calories and losing bodyfat. We have also uncovered several destructive myths surrounding nutrition and explored, at greater depth, the healthier, balanced way to eat for greater fat loss and increased energy. We’ve uncovered why muscle is so important to resculpting our physiques, as well as continually burning bodyfat. And, you’ve even discovered new, scientifically researched supplements to help aid in your efforts to build a better body, faster.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Putting Your Plan Into Action
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
B
But first, before we start, there is one last strategy I need to share with you. It’s called the “Success Mindset.” It’s pretty much the hidden secret, if you ask me. For some reason, though, too many people dismiss the mental aspects of achievement as nothing but a bunch of rah-rah, pep talk. But make no mistake about it, my friend, this information is what separates those who are truly successful and reach their goals from those who continue to struggle in life and do not reach their goals. So please pay careful attention to what I am about to share with you. It may very well be the most important part of my Plan you read. I know, because it was for ■ me, when I first learned it— over 15 years ago.
The Success Mindset
and we all have to sleep, eat... ahh... you get the point.) The only difference is, successful people follow successful habits, and unsuccessful people follow unsuccessful habits. It's really as simple as that. With that in mind, what I’d like to share with you are the steps necessary to think like a winner. To act like a successful person. And most important, to be in control of your life and your level of fitness. To have what I call the “success mindset.”
■
As I’ve continued to try to better myself as a person, I've always striven to ■ learn more and more about the mental aspects of motivation. Whether physical or mental, it’s inevitable that success always seems to start with motivation. Motivation is, in some ways, like the match to a fire. The spark in a car engine cylinder. I've studied its uses and drawbacks in both ordinary ■ and extraordinarily successful people for years. So by now, I'd like to think I know a great deal about human mental performance.
“…my belief is that all successes and failures in life are based on habits. ”
Over my years of working with people to improve their physical appearances, I've been able to recognize “what works” and “what doesn't.” ■ For better or worse, I've used my mistakes, along with those of countless others, to rule out what doesn't work and focus on what does work.
■
If there's one thing I’ve learned for sure, though: motivation almost never lasts, whereas inspiration can serve as a long-term guide to your ultimate goal. But I've also become aware of the fact that without motivation, there would be no action or the slightest movement in the direction toward any particular set of goals. So, as you can plainly see, motivation is as important as inspiration. We just need to understand how to use both more thoughtfully.
Because of these experiences, I’ve noticed a specific set of traits, characteristics, and actions—or what I'll refer to as habits—about those who successfully “transform“ their physiques. And like I said, just as important, I also take notice of what specific traits, characteristics, and actions (habits) those who don't reach their ideal physiques and are not successful in “transforming” their bodies exhibit. While it may seem startling, my belief is that all successes and failures in life are based on habits. Those who are unsuccessful have the exact same biological makeup as those who are successful. (We all have ten fingers, ten toes, two hands and two feet, one brain...
To start, you need a source of motivation in your life—something to get you out of bed in the morning and carry you through the day. To accomplish this, you need to discover your source for inspiration.
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Here's how it works: (S)pecific—you must be specific about what you want to achieve, creating your goal in the present tense…that means using “I am (in the process of…)” to start your goal statement.
■
(R)ealistic—make certain your goal is realistic, that it stretches you but is something you can achieve, given your expectations and timeframe.
So now, I’d like you to go ahead and write down your goal on the next page)—the fitness goal you are completely committed to achieving. As you write it out, test it against the surefire approach to effective goal setting, using S.M.A.R.T.
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In doing this exercise, you are going to need to be specific about what you want to achieve, about what it’s going to take to make you feel happy about your progress, and about how long it will take you to obtain. Knowing you want to “lose weight or bodyfat” or “trim your waist” is a great start, but you need something more than that—a statement so compelling it literally pulls you, like a magnet, in the direction of its achievement.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
(T)ime-conscience—this is where we harness the power of a deadline. Nothing becomes important to us unless we set a deadline on it. A date forces us to give it priority and set positive pressure on us to achieve it.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
See, I’ve learned that when we write down our goals, what we are really doing is convincing ourselves we can achieve them. So that’s what we are going to do—write down the goal you are absolutely, positively committed to achieving.
(A)ction-oriented—you must be able to create an action list of things you ■ must do to achieve success. (This is similar to a to-do list, only it pertains directly to the achievement of your goal.)
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Setting a S.M.A.R.T. Goal Your next step is to establish a goal you feel is worthy of achieving and immediately write it down. The ■ reason is, if you don’t set a specific goal for what you want, you are pretty darn guaranteed not to reach it.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
“A goal…a statement so compelling it literally pulls you, like a magnet, in the direction of its achievement.”
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
■
(M)easurable—how do you measure “better shape” or a “slimmer ■ waist?” You can’t! Therefore, you must ensure your progress can be measured by scaling your goal to a specific number (e.g., 10% bodyfat, a 33-inch waist, or a size six).
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
This process allows you to physically see the body you want—pointing your subconscious toward the realization of ■ your future body. This constant source of inspiration is a reminder of who you want to become and where you are going.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, ActionOriented, Realistic, and Time-Sensitive.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
One way I’ve found which works particularly well to keep me inspired is to start off by attempting to “see” what I want to become. It’s easy to do. Simply find a picture of someone's physique you would most like to emulate. (You can probably find it in your favorite fitness, fashion, or tabloid magazine.) Cut it out, and hang it someplace where you're likely to see it over and over again throughout the day. You might even jot down exactly which body parts you like and why you want to achieve this inspiring physical appearance.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
It’s for these reasons we are going to use a goalsetting technique I learned when I was studying psychology at the University of Colorado. It is called the S.M.A.R.T. technique, which, if followed closely, will help pave your way to success. In other words, using the S.M.A.R.T. technique will ensure you've set an effective and straightforward goal and, in turn, compel you to achieve it.
Seeing Your Future Physique The easiest way to do this is to find someone who has turned his or her body and life from ordinary to extraordinary and use this as your source of fuel to inspire you, from day one, until you reach your goals.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
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PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
As you can clearly see, while goals are vitally important, thinking about these feelings helps you truly know the deepest reasons you want to achieve them in the first place and provides the enduring drive and motivation necessary to persist and follow through. The bottom line is: if you have enough strong reasons why you should do something, you can always figure out how to achieve it.
My Goal: ____________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Revealing Your Reasons Something interesting I've come to learn is that if you’re going to gain the full benefits of goal setting, after you’ve set your sights on what you want to achieve, it’s quite likely you have become aware that something in your life just isn’t working, that something doesn’t feel right—and that you are truly capable of so much more.
So, with this in mind, I’d like you to ask yourself some very important questions. And please, do yourself (and me) a favor—take a minute to allow each one to really resonate before you write them out.
Perhaps you’ve found yourself dissatisfied with the way you look or the way you feel. Maybe you’ve lost your energy, or your reflection in the mirror is less than pleasing. Becoming aware of these feelings is the first step that change is desirable and possibly needed. Research shows that we can’t really grow or move forward until we feel uncomfortable with our current state. But once we clearly “see” that we don’t like where we are, the internal stress created to overcome it is stimulating—serving as a driving force to propel us forward. This is called “positive pressure.” The truth is, it is a healthy stress, and it works wonders to move us toward our goals.
■ ■
Ask yourself: What will I gain as a result of accomplishing my goal…? _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _________________________ ■ _________________________ _________________________
“…if you have enough strong reasons why you should do something, you can always figure out how to achieve it. ’”
What will this cost me if I do not change my current state right now? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________
■ ■ ■
What has it cost me so far to not take action on my aspirations concerning my physical condition, which carries over into my health, energy levels, and self-confidence? _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
Now, take a moment to think about all of the things, related to your body and your health, that you are not satisfied with or that you would like to improve. Perhaps you would like to reduce the bodyfat around your waist or hips…maybe even trim your thighs or increase the size of your biceps. Or perhaps you would like to increase your energy and improve your vitality. Go ahead and think about these for a moment.
And more importantly, if I do make a change in my life now, how will that make me feel about myself— how will this accomplishment impact my life tomorrow, 60 days from now, and a year from now? _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
Think about what you will gain by achieving these improvements in your body and health. Consider how you will feel and act when you reach them. Think about what you would miss out on if you did not achieve them.
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So, if you are ready…it’s time for us to get started and put your plan into action!
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
For example, if you wanted to lose 16 lbs of bodyfat within eight weeks, then you could realistically set your “checkpoint” increments for a fourpound reduction in bodyfat every other week. This way, you don't have to focus on the entire goal at any given time, nor do you notice all that you have not yet accomplished to date. Instead, you can
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Now, before you start on your journey, though, there’s something I need to tell you. Like I said before, there are plenty of ways to lose bodyfat, as well as strengthen and develop muscle definition, and in no way am I proclaiming my way is the only way. (Far too many self-proclaimed “experts” do this already!) What I can honestly say, with absolute certainty, is these techniques and tools are simply what have worked for me—year after year—and continue to work for countless others. And if you follow them to the letter, through the duration of this Plan, you will absolutely, positively achieve the body you deserve. (Head-turning results you can be darn proud of.) I promise.
In fact, you’ll find that I’ve already set up your “checkpoints” within the Daily Eating and Exercise Journals Section. Every other week, you’ll track your progress using these worksheets. They are really easy to fill out and extremely valuable to gauging your progress, increase your confidence, and serve as a continual motivation toward your goal.
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
That's why, to gain your confidence, you must break your goal down into measurable increments. What I call “checkpoints.” Something on an everyother-week basis works great.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Remember, each step, each day you live, whether positive or negative, will take you either closer to or further away from your desired goals— depending on your mindset. So whether you choose to waiver from your Plan or use an excuse (like so many people do) to keep you from reaching your goals, each day you will ultimately have to decide whether to live another day where external forces are in control of you or you are in control of your life. As for me, I prefer to be in control of my body and my life, don’t you?
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
But I know from my own experience, we can't gain confidence until we begin to take action, which in effect builds our confidence. Yet, we don't want to take action until our confidence levels are raised sufficiently, and we feel certain about our new undertaking. See the dilemma here? This is what typically keeps most people from ever attempting to change their physical appearance. But ultimately, our level of confidence is increased only when we do something tangible that can be measured for progress.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
So make no mistake, we will be tracking your successful progress along the way—every two weeks to be exact. Whether it’s bodyfat, bodyweight, bodypart measurements, or simply taking a photograph of yourself to track your progress, I promise, by the time you are nearing the end of your first month of my Plan, despite the ups and downs, you will absolutely, positively begin to feel more confident. You will stretch your “comfort zone” and do something more than you originally thought you were capable of doing. You will be utterly determined to advance one more step, and another, and so on, and make the effort to complete your transformation and build your absolute best body.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Progress Is Made Where Progress Is Measured Now, after you’ve answered these questions, there is one last thing for you to consider, which I feel is the final step in preparing your mindset for success. That is, increasing your confidence. See, I believe that confidence is the foundation of all successes in life, which includes losing bodyfat or improving your health. And the easiest way I know to help boost your confidence and keep you on track is to measure your progress. This way, you will never, at any time, lack a sense of accomplishment and, more powerfully, you will be building your confidence with each and every step you take.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
focus on the smaller, manageable steps ahead and celebrate each accomplishment along the way. This gives you a tremendous sense of control, forward motion, and achievement. And builds your confidence, each step of the way. I have included my “checkpoint” example on the following page.
Your answers to these questions will ultimately help you gain an understanding of what you are committed to and, more importantly, why you are committed to it!
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
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The Lean System Success Tracker ™ FINAL CHECKPOINT
Stephen Adele
Name: _____________________________________
June 5
Today’s Date: ______________
Please include your "current" pictures here:
Photo #1
Photo #2 (optional)
This should be a full frontal view.
This should be a full rear view.
Tape your “after” photo here.
Tape your “after” photo here.
(Double-sided tape works best!)
(Double-sided tape works best!)
E L P M A X E
Please write your “current” body-part measurements here:
(You can use a simple measuring tape or the convenient Myo-Tape™ by AccuFitness).
32 Waist: ____________
— Hips:_____________
27 1/2 Left thigh: ____________ 28 Right thigh: ____________
19 19 17 1/2 47 Right arm: _________ Left arm: __________ Bust/Chest: _____________ Neck: ________________ 215 lbs / ________ 29 Bodyweight/BMI: __________
7% Bodyfat %: ___________
Total progress made (subtract your final measurements from your beginning measurements)!:___________
Started from a 36-in waist, 30 BMI, and 14% bodyfat. __________________________________________________________________________________________ I got down to a 32-in waist, 29 BMI, and 7% bodyfat. __________________________________________________________________________________________ I’m going to set my new goals now!! __________________________________________________________________________________________
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY EXERCISE TO BURN FAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Following the calendar, I’ve provided you with seven days of blank Eating and Exercise Journals, so you can plan and record your daily meals and workouts. I'd suggest you photocopy these pages for your entire eight weeks. (Keep in mind that each following week is a repeat of this first full week.) Or, you can visit TheLeanSystem.com and download the full eight-week journal for free!
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
To make this Success Plan as simple as possible for you to follow, I’ve created a fully detailed “Calendar Schedule” (on the next page) that tells you exactly what days and which body parts to work out and when to rest. All you do is check off your daily scheduled workout after you exercise. It’s really that simple! I suggest you make a copy and hang the calendar up on your refrigerator or someplace you’re more likely to see it, every day. This way, you won’t forget when to workout, and you’ll stay more motivated to exercise.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Daily Eating & Exercise Journals
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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YOUR FIRST 4 WEEKS...
The Lean System Nutrition & Exercise Calendar Name:
Goal:
WEEK 3
WEEK 2
WEEK 1
Month: ___________________________ Start Date: ___________________________ Completion Date: ___________________________ SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
Checkpoint 1: BMI/Body Measurements
Workout: Chest, Biceps, Triceps
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Back, Shoulders (Traps)
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout #1
Workout #2
Workout #3
Workout #4
Workout #5
Workout #6
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
“Reward Day”
Workout: Chest, Biceps, Triceps
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Back, Shoulders (Traps)
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout #7
Workout #8
Workout #9
Workout #10
Workout #11
Workout #12
DATE
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
Checkpoint 2: BMI/Body Measurements
Workout: Chest, Biceps, Triceps
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Back, Shoulders (Traps)
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout #13
Workout #14
Workout #15
Workout #16
Workout #17
Workout #18
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
“Reward Day”
Workout: Chest, Biceps, Triceps
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Back, Shoulders (Traps)
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout #19
Workout #20
Workout #21
Workout #22
Workout #23
Workout #24
WEEK 4
“Reward Day”
SAT
Photocopy or download the Calendar and more Daily Worksheets at www.TheLeanSystem.com to continue The Lean System Success Plan.
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
YOUR SECOND 4 WEEKS...
Name:
Goal:
WEEK 5
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
Checkpoint 3: BMI/Body Measurements
Workout: Chest, Biceps, Triceps
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Back, Shoulders (Traps)
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout #25
Workout #26
Workout #27
Workout #28
Workout #29
Workout #30
“Reward Day”
WEEK 6 WEEK 7
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
Workout: Back, Shoulders (Traps)
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout #31
Workout #32
Workout #33
Workout #34
Workout #35
Workout #36
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
Checkpoint 4: BMI/Body Measurements
Workout: Chest, Biceps, Triceps
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Back, Shoulders (Traps)
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout #37
Workout #38
Workout #39
Workout #40
Workout #41
Workout #42
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
DATE:
Workout: Chest, Biceps, Triceps
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Back, Shoulders (Traps)
Workout: Abs & Cardio
Workout: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
Final Checkpoint: BMI/Body Measurements
Workout #43
Workout #44
Workout #45
Workout #46
Workout #47
“Reward Day”
“Reward Day”
WEEK 8
DATE:
“Reward Day”
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Photocopy or download the Calendar and more Daily Worksheets at www.TheLeanSystem.com to continue The Lean System Success Plan.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
DATE:
Workout: Abs & Cardio
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
DATE:
Workout: Chest, Biceps, Triceps
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
DATE:
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
DATE:
SAT
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
SUN
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Month: ___________________________ Start Date: ___________________________ Completion Date: ___________________________
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
The Lean System Nutrition & Exercise Calendar
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Day 1
Name: _____________________________________
Today’s Date: __________________
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
We will do this every two weeks. (I like to call these “Checkpoints.”) This way, you can compare your current self to your future self and really get a visual sense of the progress you have made along the way. I’ve always loved this exercise, and I’m certain you will too.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Do you remember when I said “Progress is made where progress is measured?” Well, tracking your success starts with making an initial assessment of your current state of health and your physical appearance. You can start by taking a picture of yourself as well as measuring a few specific body parts. Although you may not like what you see, I can’t understate the importance of doing this. It’s such a simple but powerful exercise.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
The Lean System Success Tracker ™
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
This should be a full frontal view.
This should be a full rear view.
Tape your “current” photo here.
Tape your “current” photo here.
(Double-sided tape works best!)
(Double-sided tape works best!)
This should be a full frontal view.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Photo #2 (optional)
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Photo #1
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
(You can use a simple measuring tape or the convenient Myo-Tape™ by AccuFitness). Waist: ____________
Hips:_____________
Right thigh: ____________ Left thigh: ____________
Bodyweight/BMI: ___________ /________
Bodyfat %*: ___________
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* You can use several different methods to determine your bodyfat percentage. The one I like best is simple bodyfat calipers from Accufitness.com. They are convenient, easy to use, and really quite accurate. And best of all, it takes only about five minutes—much faster than many other methods. You can, however, ask your doctor or a personal trainer to measure your bodyfat as well, and they may be able to help you.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Right arm: _________ Left arm: __________ Bust/Chest: _____________ Neck: ________________
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Please write your “current” body-part measurements here:
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The Lean System Worksheet
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ___________________
Status Time
Planned Nutrition: Day 2—Workout #1
✔= Yes! Did it.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Weight Training: Chest, Biceps, ETriceps XERCISE ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Breakfast (meal 1): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 2): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lunch (meal 3): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 4): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dinner (meal 5): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Protein Drink (meal 6): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Planning Session: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tip: To download healthy recipes and more Lean System Daily Worksheets, please visit www.TheLeanSystem.com
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Cardio/Weight-Training JournalWorkout Workout #147of 47 Cardio/Weight-Training Journal #1 of
Date: ______________
Start Time: __________________
Stop Time: _________
Estimated Time: 44 minutes Actual Time: ______________
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Chest, Biceps, and Triceps Day
Name: ______________________
Remember, progress is made where progress is measured. Track and log your daily exercises and weights as you select from the various exercises for each body part. Each time, before you train, fill in the weights you plan to use, and then as you train, fill in the actual weights you used. This will help you keep track of how you're progressing. IMPORTANT: Don't forget to choose two different exercises for each body part every time you train. Your workouts will not only be more fun and interesting, but you'll also enjoy faster, better results. Have questions? Call us at 1-866-688-7679.
Notes:
1 x 15 1 x 12 1 x 10 1x 8
60 60 90 90
1x 8 3 x 10
120 90
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Notes:
1 x 12 1 x 10 1x8 1x8 2 x 10
Secondary exercise chosen:
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Notes:
1 x 12 1 x 10 1x 8 1x 8 2 x 10
69
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
Secondary exercise chosen: Notes:
60 60 60 60 90
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
1. Cable Pushdown 2. Overhead Cable Triceps Extension 3. Bench Dips 4. Kick Backs 5. Close-Grip Bench Press Primary exercise chosen:
60 60 60 60 90
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
1. Dumbbell Curl (Standing or Seated) 2. Incline Dumbbell Curl 3. Single-Arm Dumbbell Curl 4. Standing Barbell Curl 5. Cable Curl Primary exercise chosen:
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
BICEPS
Actual Weight
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
CHEST
(pick two from each group)
1. Flat Dumbbell Bench Press 2. Machine Press 3. Flat Dumbbell Flye 4. Barbell Bench Press 5. Dumbbell Bench Press (Incline or Decline) 6. Cable Flye/Crossover 7. Machine Flye (Pec Deck) Primary exercise chosen:
Secondary exercise chosen:
TRICEPS
Rest Planned (seconds) Weight
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Sets / Reps
Weight-Training Exercises
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
LeanLean System Success Plan The System Worksheet
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The Lean System Worksheet Time
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ___________________
Planned Nutrition: Day 3—Workout #2
Status ✔= Yes! Did it.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ab Training, Cardio ExerciseE X E R C I S E ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Breakfast (meal 1): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 2): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lunch (meal 3): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 4): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dinner (meal 5): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Protein Drink (meal 6): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Planning Session: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tip: To download healthy recipes and more Lean System Daily Worksheets, please visit www.TheLeanSystem.com
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Cardio/Weight-Training #2#of2 47 Cardio/Weight-TrainingJournal Journal Workout Workout of 47
Name: ______________________
Date: ______________
Start Time: __________________
Stop Time: _________
Actual Time: ______________
Planned Weight
ABS
Exercises
3 x 15 3 x 15 3 x 15
30 30 30
n/a n/a n/a
Exercises
Planned Minutes
Intensity Level
Actual Minutes
3
Warm up (2)
3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2
4 2 6 3 8 4 10 5 10 5
Notes:
3. Swiss Ball Crunch 4. Side Crunch
(pick one) SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
8. Bike Riding (Outside) 9. Rollerblading 10. Jogging/Running 11. Walking/Jogging 12. Kick-Boxing 13. Jump Rope 14. Step Ups
Exercise chosen:
6 4 2 3 0 Warm Up
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
2 30
Minutes
Cool Down
TOTAL:
30
Cool down (2)
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Intensity Levels
CARDIO
8
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
10
Actual Intensity
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
1. Stair Climber 2. Elliptical Trainer 3. Treadmill 4. Rowing Machine 5. Stationary Bike 6. Recumbent Bike 7. Spinning
0
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
1. Crunch (Floor or Bench) 2. Leg Lift Exercises chosen: 1. 2. 3.
Actual Weight
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Rest (seconds)
Sets / Reps
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Estimated Time: 44 minutes
Abs and Cardio Day
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
LeanLean System Success Plan The System Worksheet
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Notes:
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
71
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The Lean System Worksheet Time
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ___________________
Planned Nutrition: Day 4—Workout #3
Status ✔= Yes! Did it.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Weight Training: Back, Shoulders, E X ETraps RCISE ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Breakfast (meal 1): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 2): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lunch (meal 3): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 4): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dinner (meal 5): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Protein Drink (meal 6): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Planning Session: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tip: To download healthy recipes and more Lean System Daily Worksheets, please visit www.TheLeanSystem.com
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Cardio/Weight-Training Workout#3 #3of of47 47 Cardio/Weight-Training Journal Journal Workout
Back & Shoulder Day
Name: ______________________
Date: ______________
Start Time: __________________
Stop Time: _________
Estimated Time: 44 minutes OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Actual Time: ______________
1. Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown 2. One-Arm Dumbbell Row 3. Close-Grip Lat Pulldown 4. Pull-Up (Chin-Up) 5. Close-Grip Seated Cable Row 6. Barbell Bent Row Primary exercise chosen:
60 60 90 90 120 90
Notes:
1. Seated Dumbbell (or Barbell) Press 2. Dumbbell Side Raise (Lateral) 3. Reverse Dumbbell Flye Primary exercise chosen:
Secondary exercise chosen:
60 60 60 60 90
1 x 10 1 x 10 1 x 10
60 60 60
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Notes:
1. Shrug (Dumbbell or Barbell) 2. Upright Row (Dumbbell or Barbell) (Optional) exercise chosen*: *(pick only one)
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
1 x 12 1 x 10 1x8 1x8 3 x 10
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
SHOULDERS
Actual Weight
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
1 x 15 1 x 12 1 x 10 1x 8 1x 8 3 x 10
Secondary exercise chosen:
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
TRAPS (optional)
Notes:
Planned Weight
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
BACK
(pick two from each group)
Rest (seconds)
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Sets / Reps
Weight-Training Exercises
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
LeanLean System Success Plan The System Worksheet
Notes:
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
73
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The Lean System Worksheet Time
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ___________________
Planned Nutrition: Day 5—Workout #4
Status ✔= Yes! Did it.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ab Training, Cardio ExerciseE X E R C I S E ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Breakfast (meal 1): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 2): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lunch (meal 3): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 4): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dinner (meal 5): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Protein Drink (meal 6): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Planning Session: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tip: To download healthy recipes and more Lean System Daily Worksheets, please visit www.TheLeanSystem.com
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Cardio/Weight-Training #4#of2 47 Cardio/Weight-TrainingJournal Journal Workout Workout of 47
Name: ______________________
Date: ______________
Start Time: __________________
Stop Time: _________
Estimated Time: 44 minutes Actual Time: ______________
Planned Weight
ABS
Exercises
3 x 15 3 x 15 3 x 15
30 30 30
n/a n/a n/a
Planned Minutes
Intensity Level
Actual Minutes
3
Warm up (2)
3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2
4 2 6 3 8 4 10 5 10 5
Notes:
3. Swiss Ball Crunch 4. Side Crunch
(pick one)
8. Bike Riding (Outside) 9. Rollerblading 10. Jogging/Running 11. Walking/Jogging 12. Kick-Boxing 13. Jump Rope 14. Step Ups
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Exercise chosen:
6 4 2 3 0 Warm Up
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
2 30
Minutes
Cool Down
TOTAL:
Cool down (2)
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Intensity Levels
CARDIO
8
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
10
Actual Intensity
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
1. Stair Climber 2. Elliptical Trainer 3. Treadmill 4. Rowing Machine 5. Stationary Bike 6. Recumbent Bike 7. Spinning
0
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
1. Crunch (Floor or Bench) 2. Leg Lift Exercises chosen: 1. 2. 3.
Actual Weight
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Rest (seconds)
Sets / Reps
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Abs and Cardio Day
Exercises
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
LeanLean System Success Plan The System Worksheet
30 EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Notes:
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
75
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The Lean System Worksheet Time
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ___________________
Planned Nutrition: Day 6—Workout #5
Status ✔= Yes! Did it.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Weight Training: Quads, Hamstrings, E X E Calves RCISE ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Breakfast (meal 1): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 2): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lunch (meal 3): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 4): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dinner (meal 5): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Protein Drink (meal 6): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Planning Session: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tip: To download healthy recipes and more Lean System Daily Worksheets, please visit www.TheLeanSystem.com
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
Workout #5 of 47 Cardio/Weight-Training Journal
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The Lean System Worksheet
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
77
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The Lean System Worksheet Time
Name: ________________________________________________ Date: ___________________
Planned Nutrition: Day 7—Workout #6
Status ✔= Yes! Did it.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ab Training, Cardio ExerciseE X E R C I S E ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Breakfast (meal 1): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 2): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lunch (meal 3): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Snack (meal 4): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dinner (meal 5): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Protein Drink (meal 6): ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Planning Session: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tip: To download healthy recipes and more Lean System Daily Worksheets, please visit www.TheLeanSystem.com
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Cardio/Weight-Training #6#of2 47 Cardio/Weight-TrainingJournal Journal Workout Workout of 47
Name: ______________________
Date: ______________
Start Time: __________________
Stop Time: _________
Estimated Time: 44 minutes Actual Time: ______________
Planned Weight
ABS
Exercises
3 x 15 3 x 15 3 x 15
30 30 30
n/a n/a n/a
Planned Minutes
Intensity Level
Actual Minutes
3
Warm up (2)
3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2
4 2 6 3 8 4 10 5 10 5
Notes:
3. Swiss Ball Crunch 4. Side Crunch
(pick one) SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
8. Bike Riding (Outside) 9. Rollerblading 10. Jogging/Running 11. Walking/Jogging 12. Kick-Boxing 13. Jump Rope 14. Step Ups
Exercise chosen:
6 4 2 3 0 Warm Up
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
2 30
Minutes
Cool Down
TOTAL:
Cool down (2)
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Intensity Levels
CARDIO
8
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
10
Actual Intensity
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
1. Stair Climber 2. Elliptical Trainer 3. Treadmill 4. Rowing Machine 5. Stationary Bike 6. Recumbent Bike 7. Spinning
0
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
1. Crunch (Floor or Bench) 2. Leg Lift Exercises chosen: 1. 2. 3.
Actual Weight
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Rest (seconds)
Sets / Reps
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Abs and Cardio Day
Exercises
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
LeanLean System Success Plan The System Worksheet
30 EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Notes:
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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Day 56
Name: _____________________________________
Today’s Date: ______________
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Please include your "current" pictures here:
This should be a full rear view.
Tape your “after” photo here.
Tape your “after” photo here.
(Double-sided tape works best!)
(Double-sided tape works best!)
(You can use a simple measuring tape or the convenient Myo-Tape™ by AccuFitness).
Right thigh: ____________ Left thigh: ____________
Right arm: _________ Left arm: __________ Bust/Chest: _____________ Neck: ________________ Bodyfat %: ___________
Total progress made (subtract your final measurements from your beginning measurements)!:___________
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Bodyweight/BMI: ___________ /________
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Hips:_____________
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Please write your “current” body-part measurements here:
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
This should be a full frontal view.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Photo #2 (optional)
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Photo #1
Waist: ____________
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
FINAL CHECKPOINT
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
The Lean System Success Tracker ™
__________________________________________________________________________________________
81
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
__________________________________________________________________________________________
APPENDIX I
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Chest
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Hamstring
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Quad
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Calf
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Abdomen
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Trap
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Exercise Descriptions and Photos
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
Biceps Back
Triceps Shoulder
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EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
The Lean System Success Plan exercises are primarily a compilation of basic yet very effective weight-training movements that are to be performed according to your exercise worksheets. I will go through a review of these exercises just to clarify what I am referring to by the various exercise titles.
CARDIO EXERCISES Cardiovascular exercise can be performed either outside or inside, depending on your preference. It’s really up to you. When it comes to outside, cardio exercises that come to mind are riding a bike, roller blading, running and/or sprinting, and even trail hiking. These are all great fat-burning activities. As for indoor cardio exercises, I usually stick to the “basics,” like jumping rope, step ups on a bench, or boxing; however, if you belong to a gym or fitness center that only has machines, those work great too. Recumbent bikes, stationary bikes, treadmills, rowing machines, and elliptical trainers have become very popular lately, and these are all fine to use.
Stairmaster
Stationary
When you perform any cardiovascular exercise, it’s best to keep it to three days per week for just 30 minutes per session Treadmill following my Metabolic PEAK Cardio Solution™. Try and do your cardiovascular exercise on non-weight training days if you can. If you don’t have time on your nontraining days and would rather do cardio exercise on your weight workout days, then please do it after your weighttraining session, not before (like so many people do!) Performing your cardio exercise before you work out will only deplete your body of the essential glycogen (energy) reserves it needs to train intensely. Basically, you’ll be Bike exhausted before you train, and you don’t want that to happen. To begin, start with a three-minute warm up at an intensity of two just to get your blood moving. For the next three minutes, you’ll double your intensity, up to a four. But then for two minutes, you’ll drop it again to your “warm up” Boxing intensity level (two). Then you’ll start working a little harder and get up to a level six for three more minutes. But remember, this is interval training, so after those three minutes, you’ll lower your intensity level to a three for two more minutes. Just continue to follow the chart, which you’ll find on the “Cardio & Abs” exercise worksheet, until your 30 minutes of cardio have been completed. You’ll find the Metabolic PEAK Cardio Solution to be fun and really effective at burning calories and bodyfat, faster than any other type of cardio you’ve tried or read about.
Jumping Rope
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
CHEST EXERCISES F L AT D U M B B E L L B E N C H P R E S S Alternate Lifts: • Barbell Bench Press • Cable Press • Smith Machine Bench Press • Machine Press
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
The bench press is the king of all upper body exercises. It primarily works the muscles of the chest, but the shoulders and triceps are also involved.
bells may touch, lightly, at the top, but don’t slam them together. DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS (INCLINE OR DECLINE)
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
MID-POINT
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
START/FINISH
Lie back on a flat bench and start with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended directly over your shoulders with your palms facing each other. With your elbows slightly bent, slowly lower the dumbbells out to the sides, stopping when your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Maintaining the slight bend in your elbows, return to the starting position by following the same arc (sometimes characterized as “hugging a barrel”). The dumb-
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
F L AT D U M B B E L L F LY E Alternate Lifts: • Cable Flye • Machine Flye
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
TIP: While you’re performing the exercise, try to keep your back flat on the bench, and do not lift your butt up off the bench, as this will cause undue stress on the lower back.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
To start, grab two dumbbells, lie back so you’re flat on your back on a bench, and position yourself very securely with your feet flat on the floor. Grip the dumbbells with START/FINISH MID-POINT your hands directly over your elbows with your arms bent at a 90-degree angle. To perform the exercise, simply push the weight up until your arms are straight, directly over your shoulders or mid-chest area. Then, not too slowly but under control, lower the weight back to the starting position.
Alternate Lifts: • Smith Machine Incline Press • Incline Cable Press • Plate-Loaded Press Machine (e.g., Hammer Strength) DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Incline and decline dumbbell bench presses are fantastic exercises for not only building upper (or lower) pectoral muscles but increasing your maximum force on the bench press.
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
85
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
To perform this exercise, lie back on an inclined or declined bench with your two dumbbells as you did on the flat dumbbell bench START/FINISH MID-POINT press. Then simply drive the dumbbells up to a lockout position over the chest. It is a good idea to have a spotter on this exercise. Your spotter should be holding his/her hands underneath your elbows and assisting only when necessary. Please note, the weights listed on the protocol for dumbbell exercises are per dumbbell.
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EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
BICEPS EXERCISES S E AT E D S I N G L E - A R M D U M B B E L L C U R L Alternate Lifts: • Single-Arm Cable Curl
This exercise is performed in a seated position with or without back support. The seated dumbbell curl is a very effective, general biceps exercise. The alternating motion allows more weight to be used. Perform the exercise using dumbbells, curling one arm up to a full contraction and lowering back down, then performing the same motion with the other arm. The required reps are per arm.
START/FINISH
TIP: While performing this exercise, try to avoid swinging your arms and using any momentum to carry the weight.
MID-POINT
INCLINE DUMBBELL CURL Alternate Lifts: • Incline Cable Curl
This is a slight variation of the single-arm dumbbell curl (above) and is a fantastic biceps exercise. Take two dumbbells, one in each hand, and sit on an incline bench, set at about a 60-degree angle. Hold the dumbbells with your palms up throughout the movement. With your elbows slightly behind you, near your sides, curl the dumbbells to the peak of contraction. Lower the weight slowly. TIP: Don’t stop halfway down (when you’re in line with your body); get the maximum stretch on your biceps by lowering the dumbbells all the way down, until your arms are almost straight, before coming back up. S TA N D I N G D U M B B E L L C U R L Alternate Lifts: • Standing Barbell Curl • Standing Cable Bar Curl
In the standing position, hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms hanging down by your sides, in front of your hips, with your palms facing forward. Bend your arms, curling up both of the dumbbells at the same time using minimal cheating, all the way up to the shoulders. TIP: While performing this exercise, try to keep your upper body straight, and don’t bend forward (or backward) too much while lifting the weight.
START/FINISH 86
MID-POINT
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TRICEPS EXERCISES CABLE PUSHDOWN
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
Alternate Lifts: • Overhead High-Cable Triceps Extension • Overhead Close-Grip Dumbbell Extension
Lean slightly forward starting with your hands at about mid-chest height before driving the weight down until your arms are locked and you’re really flexing the triceps. Then slowly, under control, let the weight come back up until your hands are at chest level. Keep the upper arm still during the entire exercise.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
TIP: While performing this exercise, try not to let your hands come up past your chest. They should be just above parallel to the floor, before you attempt to push the weight back down.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
MID-POINT
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
START/FINISH
This exercise is performed in the standing position with a cable machine of some sort. You can use a rope, a straight bar, or a V-shaped bar— whichever you prefer. I use a rope on this exercise.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
KICKBACKS Alternate Lifts: Stretch-Band Kickbacks
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Stand beside a flat bench, and bend your right knee and place it on the bench. Lean forward and place your right hand on the bench. Pick up a dumbbell with the left hand.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
TIP: While performing this exercise, keep your back stationary and your eyes fixed on a spot or object slightly in front of bench. (In other words, don’t turn your head to either side. Keep looking straight forward.)
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
To start the exercise, bend your elbow, holding the dumbbell about even MID-POINT S TA RT / F I N I S H with your chest. Then “kick back” your arm until your elbow is locked out and your arm is parallel with your body. Then slowly return to the starting position. Once you have finished all of the reps for the left side of your body, switch position, so your left knee and arm are on the bench, and your right arm is holding the dumbbell.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
TRICEPS EXERCISES, cont. BENCH DIPS Alternate Lifts: • Close-Grip Bench Press • Close-Grip Bench Smith Machine Press • Upright Dips (on Parallel Bars)
This is a fantastic exercise for building the triceps. Sit down on a bench and place your hands, palms down, on each side of your hips. Straighten your legs until they’re just slightly bent in front of you. Then lift your hips up and off the bench, supporting your body with your arms.
S TA RT / F I N I S H
MID-POINT
Slowly bend your arms until they’re bent at a 90-degree angle, lowering your hips toward the ground. Then press up, straightening your arms until your hips are again level with the bench. TIP: While performing this exercise, be sure to keep your upper body straight, and don’t lean forward.
OVERHEAD CABLE TRICEPS EXTENSION Alternate Lifts: • Lying Triceps Extension (EZ Curl Bar) • Overhead Dumbbell Extension • Lying Dumbbell Extension
This is a fantastic triceps exercise. To begin, set up the cable machine with a rope. Standing with your back toward the weight stack, grasp one side of the rope in each hand.
S TA RT / F I N I S H
MID-POINT
Take one foot, and step forward so you’re in a stable position.
Bend forward at the waist, and start with your elbows bent, with your hands just above your head. Drive the weight forward until your arms reach the lockout position, with minimal elbow flare or motion of the upper arm.
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BACK EXERCISES ONE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW
C L O S E - G R I P L AT P U L L D O W N
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Alternate Lifts: • Close-Grip Pull-Up
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Grab a V-handle bar at a cable pulley station, and sit on the seat with your knees placed under the support. Pull the bar down under control until it touches the top of your chest. Make sure the upper back does the work and you’re not swaying back to involve your lower back. Then slowly let the weight go back up, extend the arms, and really feel your lat muscles get a full stretch.
START/FINISH
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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MID-POINT
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
TIP: While performing this exercise, try to keep your eyes positioned on the pulley or on the ceiling. Also, try to keep your chest slightly raised, especially when you bring the weight down, to get a full contraction of your back muscles.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
A slight variation of this exercise is to remove the bench and bend over at the waist, holding a dumbbell in each hand, as if you are trying to touch the dumbbells to the ground. Then turn your hands slightly inward, so the palms of your hands face backward, and pull both of the dumbbells upward, at the same time, toward your upper abdomen area. Imagine you have a bar in your hands, trying to make a straight line across the dumbbells.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
TIP: Be cautious while performing this exercise, so as not to rotate your back and shoulders while lifting the weight. Try to keep your back straight.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
To start the exercise, hold your arm straight down, under your left shoulder. Keeping your arm close to your body, MID-POINT S TA RT / F I N I S H bend your elbow, lift the weight until the upper arm is parallel with the floor and the dumbbell is about even with your abs. Slowly lower the dumbbell toward the ground. Once you have finished all of the reps for the left side of your body, switch position, so your left knee and arm are on the bench, and your right arm is holding the dumbbell.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Stand beside a flat bench, and bend your right knee and place it on the bench. Lean forward and place your right hand on the bench. Pick up a dumbbell with the left hand.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Alternate Lifts: • Iso-Row Plate-Loaded Machine • Seated Cable Single-Arm Row • Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
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EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
BACK EXERCISES, cont. CLOSE-GRIP SEATED CABLE ROW Alternate Lifts: • Iso-Row Plate-Loaded Machine
This back exercise is performed on a cable machine, with the cable running parallel to the floor. Sit upright, with your abs held tightly, and pull the bar to your abs as you slightly arch and contract your back muscles. As you let the weight back to its starting position, control the negative portion of the lift, keeping tension on the back and shoulders. Stretch the back, but do not bend at the waist. (In other words, don't make your lower back do the work.)
START/FINISH
MID-POINT
WIDE-GRIP LAT PULLDOWN Alternate Lifts: • Wide-Grip Pull-Up
This is a great exercise to develop the outer back muscles. Grab a long pull-down bar with a wide overhand grip, and sit on the seat with your knees placed under the support. Pull the bar down under control until it almost touches the top of your chest. Make sure the upper back does the work and you’re not swaying back to MID-POINT S TA RT / F I N I S H involve your lower back. Then let the weight go back up slowly, extending the arms, and really feel your lats get a full stretch. PULL-UP (CHIN-UP) Cable pulley machines are commonly used in place of pull-ups because of the ability to change the resistance on the machines. Plus, many people simply cannot do pull-ups adequately. But it is worth the effort to practice until you can perform this exercise using your bodyweight. A variety of grips can be used, including wide, parallel, narrow, and reverse grips. When doing any pull-up exercise, always keep the head vertical and your shoulders tight. Control your body during the lowering motion.
START/FINISH
MID-POINT
TIP: Relaxing at the bottom, especially during wide pulls, can cause serious damage to the shoulders.
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
SHOULDER EXERCISES S E AT E D D U M B B E L L P R E S S Alternate Lifts: • Seated Barbell Press • Seated Overhead Machine Press
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
The shoulder press works the muscles of the shoulders and upper back. This exercise can be performed seated on a flat bench or on one with a backrest. I prefer to use a backrest because it keeps the stress off my lower back and focuses my effort on the whole shoulder.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
START/FINISH
MID-POINT
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
TIP: Also, while performing this exercise, try to keep your eyes fixed in front of you. (It’s easy to drop your head and look down, but this disrupts your form.)
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Try not to raise your upper body while doing this exercise; otherwise, it will put unneeded stress on your lower back. The slower you go on this exercise, the better.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
First, with a dumbbell in each hand, bend forward from your hips, lowering your entire upper body, so your back is almost parallel to the floor. Bring the dumbbells toward your feet, near the floor, about shoulder width apart. Raise the dumbbells straight out to the sides MID-POINT S TA RT / F I N I S H until your hands are about the same height as your shoulders, keeping a slight bend at the elbow. Hold the dumbbells in this position for a second, palms facing down, and then let them down slowly.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
R E V E R S E D U M B B E L L F LY E Alternate Lifts: • Reverse Pec-Dec Flye • Reverse Cable Flye
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Start with one dumbbell in each hand, with the weights held at about shoulder height with the palms facing forward. Press the weight up overhead (both arms at the same time), continuing to keep the dumbbells directly over the shoulders. (The dumbbells should not touch at the top of the movement.) Then slowly lower the weight to the starting position.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
LEGS (QUADS) B A R B E L L S Q U AT Alternate Lifts: • Smith Machine Squat • Simulated Squat Machine Press • Dumbbell Squat
The squat is one of the most productive exercises you can do. It is performed by positioning a barbell at a spot just below the traps and above the rear deltoids. It does not belong on your neck or on top of your traps! Your feet should be positioned just outside shoulder width. To perform the exercise, bend your knees and carefully lower the hips down to a point where the hip joint breaks parallel with the knee joint, and then drive the weight back up to the standing position.
START/FINISH
When lifting heavy weights on this exercise, I recommend having a competent spotter. Done correctly and safely, the squat will not injure your knees but will actually help prevent injury.
MID-POINT
TIP: While performing this exercise, it is important that you concentrate on keeping your head straight (slightly up), your chest should be lifted up slightly, and your abs slightly contracted. Also, when lowering the weight, don’t allow your upper body to lean too far forward, as this can cause undue stress on your lower back. LEG EXTENSION Alternate Lifts: • Reverse Leg Extension Machine
Leg extensions are great for getting definition in the quads (thighs), and particularly for strengthening the area around the knees. To begin, take a seat on a leg extension machine and hook your legs underneath the lever mechanism. Extend your legs until they’re straight in front of you until locked out (getting a complete contraction), but don’t allow yourself to lift off and cheat up the weight. Then lower the weight slowly until your feet come to under your knees and the thighs are fully stretched out. Make sure you really focus on the top, getting a tremendous peak contraction for every repetition.
START/FINISH
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LEGS (QUADS), cont. LEG PRESS
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
Alternate Lifts: • Hack Squat • Simulated Leg Press Machine
MID-POINT
DUMBBELL LUNGES
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
TIP: Be sure to keep your back flat to the bench, and slightly raise your chest, to ensure proper form and avoid any potential injuries.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
After getting firmly situated in the leg press machine, placing your feet about shoulder width apart (with your toes slightly pointed outward), the weight can be slowly lowered to a point where the top of the thighs touch the abdominal area. Then the weight should be pushed out to a point just before a full lockout position of your knees. Use a full range of motion on this exercise, or you won’t enjoy maximum (or even minimal) benefits.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Alternate Lifts: • Barbell Lunges, Walking Lunges, Step-Ups
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
With a dumbbell in each hand by your side, step your feet so they’re about three feet apart, with your front foot flat on the floor. Bend both legs, lifting your back heel off the floor, until your front leg is parallel with the floor and your back leg is nearly touching the ground.
START/FINISH
MID-POINT
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FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
TIP: While performing this exercise, try to avoid leaning forward as you lower your body, keeping your torso upright and straight.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Or, you can alternate legs, such that you perform one repetition for one leg and then switch to perform another rep with the other leg. Continue until you reach the desired number of repetitions on each leg. Personally, I prefer alternating legs whenever I’m doing lunges.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
As you bend your legs, always think in terms of 90-degree angles. That is, in the bottom position, the thigh of your front leg will be at a 90-degree angle with your calf. And your hip should be directly over the back knee, again with your thigh at a 90-degree angle with your calf. Straighten your legs and repeat, doing the prescribed number of reps for that leg before switching so the opposite leg is in front. Then repeat the exercise for that leg.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
S TA RT / F I N I S H
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
This can be a productive leg exercise provided you have access to a good leg press. Some of the older leg presses are not well designed and can place damaging stresses on your joints. Most of the popular 45degree angle sleds are good.
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EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
LEGS (HAMSTRINGS) LEG CURL Alternate Lifts: • Standing Leg Curl Machine
Staying flat on the machine, curl your legs up as far as possible, until the hamstrings get a peak contraction. Release and lower the weight under control back to the starting position. Hold on to the handles or even the bench itself to keep yourself S TA RT / F I N I S H from coming up off the bench. Leg curls should be done through the fullest range of motion possible.
MID-POINT
S T R A I G H T- L E G G E D D U M B B E L L D E A D L I F T Alternate Lifts: • Bent-Legged Barbell Deadlift • Straight-Legged Smith Machine Deadlift
While this lift involves a lot of muscles, it is an excellent exercise for developing the hamstrings. However, caution should be taken if you have had any lower back injuries. Grip the dumbbells shoulder width apart, with your arms vertical. You may want to start by doing these off the floor to limit your range of motion. As you increase your flexibility, you can do these off a block, platform, or a bench. Keep your head up and your knees slightly bent. (Don’t lock them out!) Pull slowly upward, keeping the dumbbells close to your legs all the way up. If the dumbbells get away from your body, it places too much stress on the back.
START/FINISH
MID-POINT
TIP: Never do less than six reps with this exercise, and always keep your form strict.
CALF EXERCISES S TA N D I N G C A L F R A I S E S Alternate Lifts: • Machine Calf Raises (Standing/Seated)
Well-defined calves are a sign of a welldeveloped, complete physique, but they don’t come easy. One of the most effective ways to build impressive calves is with standing calf raises. Stand and place your toes on a block, with your heels extended out into space with a dumbbell in each hand. Lower your heels as far as possible toward the floor. You should keep your knees somewhat bent throughout the exercise, so you work the lower area of the calves as well as the upper, and feel the calf muscles stretch completely. At the top of the movement, drive up on your toes as far as possible to get a great peak contraction.
START/FINISH
MID-POINT
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ABDOMINAL EXERCISES SWISS BALL SIDE CRUNCHES
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
EXERCISES | APPENDIX I
Alternate Lifts: • Swiss Ball Crunches
CRUNCHES
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
CAUTION: Don’t put your hands behind your head. This leads to poor form and possible injury.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Visualize the rib cage being drawn down and in toward the pelvis when the abdominals contract as you curl your left shoulder toward MID-POINT START/FINISH your right knee, and then your right shoulder to your left knee, alternating sides with each rep. Keep your head and neck stable. Both the contraction and the eccentric (i.e., lowering) phase should be slow and precise.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Lie back on a Swiss ball with your feet flat and your body forming a 45-degree angle with the ball. Cross your hands and place them on your upper chest.
Alternate Lifts: • Reverse Crunches
START/FINISH
MID-POINT
CAUTION: Don’t perform this exercise quickly; excess momentum can cause you to lose proper form and may lead to lower back injury.
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
TIP: During all abdominal exercises, it is important that you breathe out during the concentric (i.e., flexing/extension) movement, and breathe in during the eccentric (i.e., relaxing) movement.
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Slowly contract the abdominals, focusing on raising the legs up until they are perpendicular to the floor. (Let the abs do the work.) Lower your legs slowly to the starting position, maintaining constant tension on the abs.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Lie on your back on a flat or slightly inclined bench, and grab the bench firmly with both hands. Start with your legs slightly bent (but straight out), so your thighs are about parallel to the floor and your toes are pointed. Keep your knees and your feet close together to reduce unnecessary motion.
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
LEG LIFTS Alternate Lifts: • Hanging Leg Raises
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Imagine pulling your belly button toward your spine, as you contract your abs. Focusing completely on the abdominal muscles, roll your upper body up and toward your hips, just until your shoulders lift off the START/FINISH MID-POINT mat or bench. While keeping your abs tight, slowly lower your upper body until your shoulders are again flat on the bench or the mat.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Lie flat on your back on an exercise mat or on a flat bench with your arms crossed over your chest.
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EXERCISE TO BURN FAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
Raised in the South (in Virginia), Julia learned traditional, home-style cooking early on. Now, through trial and error, she’s learned how to slightly “alter” her recipes to make them healthier yet still retain all of their flavor. She then teamed up with her friend—and culinary specialist—Stella Juarez, and they assembled step-by-step recipes that even a clumsy cook like myself could prepare. Plus, as you’ll soon find out, these meals are so delightful, your entire family can enjoy them while eating smart!
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Eating can be fun. It should be delicious. And, it doesn’t have to be all that complicated to prepare food either. I’ll admit, though, I am not the world’s best chef. I have, however, learned that preparing healthy, balanced meals can be easy and not take a lot of time. Other than cooking egg-white omelets and oatmeal, opening up a can of tuna, or barbequing chicken on the grill, I’ve never been that great at preparing gourmet meals. But that all changed, about seven years ago, when I met my wife, Julia.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Fun, Delicious, Healthy Recipes
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
APPENDIX II
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RECIPES | APPENDIX II
Beef & Buffalo
F U N , D E L I C I O U S , H E A LT H Y R E C I P E S
Grilled London Broil Served with Green Beans and Sweet Potato (4 servings) Meat Ingredients 1 small to medium London broil salt and pepper
Sweet Potato Ingredients 4 small sweet potatoes Butter Buds cinnamon salt and pepper
Directions Heat grill to medium heat or preheat oven to broil. Season meat with salt and pepper (or other preferred seasoning) by rubbing seasoning into meat lightly with your fingertips. Make sure you cover both sides. Grill for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. Or broil for 11 to 17 minutes, again depending on the thickness.
Directions Bake sweet potatoes in oven or on grill for 45 minutes or until tender when pierced with fork. Add Butter Buds, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. Nutrition Info (per serving) Calories — 264 Carbohydrates — 21 grams Protein — 20 grams Fat — 9 grams
Green Bean Ingredients: 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon light oil 2 cups green beans (cleaned and snipped) salt and pepper Directions In a nonstick skillet, add minced garlic to light oil. Sauté for two minutes. Turn heat to high and sear beans until bright green. Salt and pepper to taste.
Blackened Buffalo Pitas Served with Strawberry, Spinach, and Apple Salad (4 servings) Buffalo Ingredients 1 pound ground buffalo (made into 4 patties) 2 tablespoons blackening seasoning 2 whole-wheat pitas (cut into halves)
Directions Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together applesauce, sour cream, cinnamon, and salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss well. Keep salad chilled until ready to serve.
Directions Preheat grill to medium heat or heat a nonstick skillet. Coat each side of burger with blackening seasoning. Grill patties until they reach desired temperature.
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 324 Carbohydrates — 50 grams Protein — 16 grams Fat — 4.5 grams
Salad Ingredients 2 cups baby spinach 1 apple (cleaned and sliced) 1 cup strawberries (cleaned and sliced) 1 small orange bell pepper (cleaned and sliced) Dressing for Salad 1/2 cup applesauce 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon salt and pepper to taste
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F U N , D E L I C I O U S , H E A LT H Y R E C I P E S
Brick House Beef Kabobs (4 servings)
Modifications Pineapple chunks, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, corn, or squash are also terrific vegetables to skewer onto kabobs.
Marinade 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon white wine or red wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 3 ounces light beer 1 tablespoon onion powder
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 183 Carbohydrates — 11 grams Protein — 27.1 grams Fat — 3.4 grams Fiber — 2.5 grams
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Ingredients 1 pound top round, cut in 1-inch cubes 1 large onion, cut in chunks 1 small red bell pepper, cubed 1 small green bell pepper, cubed 8 whole mushrooms 4-8 skewers (soak wooden skewers overnight)
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Directions Mix marinade ingredients in a glass bowl; set aside. Prick meat chunks with fork and soak in marinade overnight if possible. Place alternating pieces of meat and vegetables on the skewer sticks. Grill to desired temperature (ensuring the meat is cooked through) and serve.
Here’s a delicious way to get the protein blocks you’ll need to preserve muscle tone and lose fat. These kabobs can be grilled on an indoor electric grill too. Be sure to turn them so all sides cook evenly.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
RECIPES | APPENDIX II
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
These meat and potato packets are similar in taste to a pot roast but are much more convenient. These pot roast packets are easily prepared by those with limited kitchen skills.
Tip: You can purchase foil packets in several sizes at the grocery store for use in packet meals of all sizes. Try using them for chicken and shrimp dishes or for mixed vegetable side dishes too. Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 250 Carbohydrates — 27.4 grams Protein — 27.7 grams Fat — 3.3 grams Fiber — 3.9 grams
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Ingredients 1 pound top round cut into 1-inch cubes 1 large baking potato (or sweet potato), cut into chunks 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, sliced into rings 3/4 cup sliced carrots seasoning of choice (e.g., salt-free steak seasoning or salt and pepper)
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Wisconsin Pot Roast Packets (4 servings)
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay out large pieces of aluminum foil and place equal amount of all ingredients on one side of foil. Fold foil inward at all seams to form a packet, allowing foil to tent slightly on top to allow room for steam. Pinch all edges closed. You do not need to add liquid. Bake packets on cookie sheet or in shallow baking dish for 45 minutes.
FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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RECIPES | APPENDIX II
Beef & Buffalo
F U N , D E L I C I O U S , H E A LT H Y R E C I P E S
Sweet Cayenne Pepper Beef Fillet Served with Wild Rice, Mixed Vegetables, and Marinara (4 servings) Fillet Ingredients 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 three-ounce fillets wild rice
Vegetable Ingredients 1 cup water 1 large squash (cleaned and sliced) 1 large zucchini (cleaned and sliced) 1 medium onion (cleaned and sliced) 1 cup marinara sauce Directions In a steamer or shallow skillet, add one cup of water. Cook vegetables until desired tenderness is reached (three to five minutes). In a separate bowl, combine cooked vegetables with your favorite marinara sauce.
Directions Preheat grill to medium heat or preheat oven to broil. In a small bowl, mix together cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Rub each side of fillet with seasonings. Then grill fillet for 13 to 15 minutes or to desired temperature or broil 13 to 16 minutes or to desired temperature.
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 398.5 Carbohydrates — 42 grams Protein — 28.5 grams Fat — 15 grams
Prepare wild rice according to label instructions.
Basic Methods for Cooking Lean with Beef Try some of these tried-and-true methods for reducing the amount of fat and calories in prepared beef dishes: BRAISE Braising is a method of producing very tender beef. It’s similar to making a stew, except only the bottom 1/3 or so of the meat rests in liquid. The remainder of the meat cooks with steam from the liquid. Any liquid that remains from cooking a braised dish can be used to make a sauce to drizzle over the meat. To braise beef: Brown both sides at a high temperature, place it in a roasting pan filled 1/3 to 1/2 with water and vegetables, and cook at 300 degrees until the meat pulls apart (usually within about three hours). Suggested Cuts for Braising: top round, eye of round, sirloin tip round roast, flank steak STEW Stewing is a method of cooking beef by immersing it completely in liquid. The liquid becomes part of the “soup.” Unlike a roast, stew meat should be cut into small chunks before cooking. To stew beef: Cut beef into cubes and brown it at high heat (some like to dust it in flour, but you can skip that step) in a very tiny amount of olive oil. Add meat and vegetables to a large soup pot and cover halfway with water. The remaining liquid can be broth, canned tomatoes, wine, or a combination of all three. Simmer it (do not boil) until cooked, or cook in a crock-pot set at low while you’re out or just busy for the day. Add herbs toward the last hour of cooking for even more flavor. Suggested Cuts for Stewing: top round roast, eye of round roast, sirloin tip round roast
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Beef & Buffalo
F U N , D E L I C I O U S , H E A LT H Y R E C I P E S
Basic Methods for Cooking Lean with Beef (continued)
Suggested Cuts for Roasting: top round roast, rump roast (sirloin top butt roast), rib or rib eye roast, tenderloin roast GRILL Grilling is a method of cooking beef over an open flame or with an intense heat source. Often meat is rubbed with spices or marinades before grilling. Steaks should be 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick and fillets up to two inches thick.
BROIL Broiled meat is cooked at a very high temperature (500 degrees F). At such high temperatures, it cooks very fast, so you must watch your meat closely until you have a handle on broiling (to avoid eating charcoal!).
Suggested Cuts for Broiling: New York strip, rib eye steak, London broil, sirloin steak/top butt, steak tenderloin
To stir fry: Use a nonstick wok or pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and use the natural fat of the meat, apple juice, lowsodium/nonfat broth, liquid aminos, or cooking spray to cook meat. Add vegetables after meat has cooked.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Suggested Cuts for Stir Frying: tenderloin, flank steak (most popular), rib eye, top or eye of round strip steak (cut thin), sirloin top butt
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
STIR “FRYING” Stir-fried meats are typically cooked in oil, but oil is not necessary. All you really need is a little moisture to prevent the meat from sticking until it is cooked.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
To broil beef: Set rack three to four inches from top heat coils for meats up to 1 1/2-inches thick and four to five inches away for cuts up to 2 1/2 inches thick. Set oven temperature to “broil” (500 degrees F). Meat should be placed on a rack and turned when the first side has browned. It will take less time for the second side to brown.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Suggested Cuts for Grilling: rib eye steak, 92% to 96% extra lean ground beef, flank steak, steak tenderloin, tenderloin fillet, New York strip, London broil, sirloin steak/top butt
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
To grill beef: If you are grilling outdoors, your charcoal should be ash gray, and you should only be able to hold your hand over the grill for three or four seconds. The thickest pieces of meats should be placed at the coolest section of the grill because they will need longer to cook. Cook to desired doneness.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
To roast beef: Set the meat on a rack inside a pan to ensure it cooks evenly. It should be basted occasionally with broth or its own juices. (Basting with plain water will dry it out.) Cook times will vary according to how well done you prefer your meat and if you’ve used specially labeled “lean” or “light” beef, which takes 1/3 less time to cook than regular meats. Follow the instructions in the recipes or your manufacturer’s instructions for best results.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
ROASTING Roasting beef means cooking a whole slab of beef “dry” in the oven.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
RECIPES | APPENDIX II
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS FUN, DELICIOUS, HEALTHY RECIPES
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RECIPES | APPENDIX II
Chi c ke n & Tu r k e y
F U N , D E L I C I O U S , H E A LT H Y R E C I P E S
Turkey Triano (4 servings) Now you have something other than turkey sandwiches to make with Thanksgiving leftovers! This is a lean, lightlybreaded turkey just right for chicken parmesan or chicken-fried steak aficionados. The turkey cutlets are served with a wonderful white wine and cream sauce, fresh mushrooms, and diced roma tomatoes.
Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, ground pepper, and half of the parsley in a medium bowl and mix well. Dip turkey cutlets in egg whites and then dip each side in the dry mixture until well coated. Spray both sides with nonstick cooking spray and bake cutlets for about 20 to 30 minutes or until coating is crisp and juices run clear. (Cooking time will vary; slices won’t take as long.) While the turkey is cooking, heat a sauce pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Bring white wine and onions to a simmer; add soup and remaining parsley. Reduce heat and cover. Allow sauce to simmer while turkey cooks. Serve turkey on a serving platter with sauce poured over the top. Garnish with tomato and mushroom slices.
Ingredients 4 tablespoons whole-wheat flour 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried) 1 pound boneless turkey breast cutlets or slices 2 egg whites, beaten 1/2 cup white table wine 2 tablespoons onions, diced finely 1 can reduced-sodium, low-fat cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
Tip: Leftover cooked turkey can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days. If wrapped well, it can be stored in the freezer for up to four months. Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 224 Carbohydrates — 17.2 grams Protein — 31.4 grams Fat — 3.3 grams Fiber — 2.8 grams
Stewed Curry Chicken Served over Mushroom Couscous with Steamed Broccoli (4 servings) Chicken Ingredients 1 carrot (diced—about 1/2 cup) 2 shallots (diced) 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup water 2 tablespoons curry powder couscous 1 cup mushroom of your choice (cleaned and diced)
Prepare couscous according to directions on the label, and add diced mushroom when recipe is five minutes from being done. Top with chicken and vegetable mixture. Broccoli Ingredients 1 cup water 1 bunch broccoli Directions In a shallow skillet, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add broccoli. Reduce heat, cover, and steam for three minutes.
Directions In a large skillet, add enough oil to lightly coat the pan (remove any excess). Add carrots and shallots and sauté them for three minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside. Add chicken to the hot skillet and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Return the vegetables to the skillet. Add water and curry powder and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 342 Carbohydrates — 26 grams Protein — 48 grams Fat — 4 grams
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Roasted Garlic Cornish Game Hens
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
RECIPES | APPENDIX II
Served with Fat-Free Sour Cream Potatoes & Butter Head Lettuce Salad (2 servings) Directions Boil potatoes in water until tender when pierced with fork. Remove from water. Then combine potatoes, milk, sour cream, salt, pepper, and butter substitute (two to three tablespoons). Mix together with a mixer until smooth and fluffy. Salad Ingredients small head butter head lettuce (cleaned and pulled apart) 1 medium carrot (cleaned and chopped) 1 small tomato (cut into small pieces) 1 cucumber (sliced) 1 small red onion (sliced) rice wine vinegar or lemon wedge as dressing Directions Combine all ingredients, toss, and serve.
While this Guide provides a wealth of easy-to-prepare dishes, there are times when even chopping up vegetables is too time consuming. These suggestions make preparation a snap and do not call for any special ingredients. Just pull out your chicken, trim the fat, and add any of the below:
• Italian: Add a variety of Italian herbs (rosemary, basil, tarragon, arugula) and/or a few tablespoons of stewed tomatoes • Lemon-Pepper: Use salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning or squeeze real lemon and pepper onto the chicken
• Vinaigrette: Use a tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar or Balsamic dressing per four-ounce portion of chicken • Spicy Tex-Mex: Use prepared salsa or chili powder
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
• Lemon-Dill: Use salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning and dill or squeeze real lemon juice, dill, and pepper onto the chicken
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
• Tabasco: Tabasco sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Every Day Chicken Picks
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 400 Carbohydrates — 22 grams Protein — 56 grams Fat — 9 grams
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Potato Ingredients 3 medium white russet potatoes (clean well but leave the skin on) 1/4 cup skim milk 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream salt and pepper Butter Buds or Molly McButter
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub inside of hen with 2 cloves of garlic and salt and pepper. Then salt and pepper to the outside of the hen. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until juice runs clear when hen is pierced.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Hen Ingredients 2 Cornish game hens 2 roasted garlic cloves salt and pepper
• Garlic-Pepper: Crushed garlic, garlic powder, or minced garlic (from a jar) and fresh ground pepper
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EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
• Lemon-Rosemary: Lemon juice, rosemary, and a bit of garlic powder
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Fish & Seafood
F U N , D E L I C I O U S , H E A LT H Y R E C I P E S
Tuna Steaks with Lite Wasabi Mayonnaise Served with Sautéed Spinach and Acorn Squash (4 servings) Tuna Ingredients 4 three-ounce tuna steaks light oil 1 tablespoon sesame seeds salt and pepper to taste
3 cups spinach (cleaned and chopped) salt and pepper to taste Directions In a nonstick skillet, add minced garlic to oil. Sauté for two minutes. Add spinach and sauté together until spinach is slightly wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.
Directions Preheat grill to medium heat or oven to broil. Lightly coat each side of tuna steak with light oil. Mix sesame seeds, salt, and pepper and gently rub into the steaks. Grill tuna for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until desired temperature is reached. Or broil 15 to 20 minutes, again until desired temperature is reached.
Squash Ingredients 2 medium acorn squash (cut in half with seeds removed) Butter Buds cinnamon Splenda (or preferred sugar substitute)
Wasabi Mayo Ingredients: 1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Wasabi paste (in the tube) 1/4 teaspoon sesame seed oil
Directions Prepare squash in shallow pan with water covering the bottom of the pan (1/2 inch). Cook for 40 to 45 minutes or until tender. Cut skin away from squash. Season with Butter Buds, Splenda, and cinnamon.
Directions In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, Wasabi paste, and sesame seed oil. Mix well.
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 217 Carbohydrates — 15 grams Protein — 24 grams Fat — 7 grams
Spinach Ingredients 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon light oil
Salmon with Spicy Sweet Sauce Served with Basmati Rice and Blanched Asparagus (4 servings) Salmon Ingredients 4 three-ounce pieces of pink salmon spray oil 4 sheets aluminum foil 1 teaspoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Directions Bring water and salt to a boil, add rice, and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender and fluffy. Asparagus Ingredients 1 cup water 1 bunch of asparagus
Directions Preheat grill to medium heat or oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat the bottom side of the fish with oil and place it on an aluminum sheet. In a separate bowl, mix sesame oil and rice vinegar. Using a basting brush, heavily coat top of fish with the oil and vinegar mixture. Grill or bake fish approximately 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how well done you like your fish.
Directions In a shallow skillet, bring two cups of water to a boil, add asparagus, and cover. Blanch for three minutes. Immerse asparagus in ice water. Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 336 Carbohydrates — 44 grams Protein — 23 grams Fat — 8 grams
Tip: For every two-inch thickness of fish, cook for 10 minutes. Basmati Rice Ingredients 2 cups water pinch of salt 1 cup basmati rice
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Fish & Seafood
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Grilled Teriyaki Salmon (4 servings) for a few minutes to allow it to reduce and thicken. Grill or bake salmon for five to seven minutes per side, grilling with the skin side up first (if fillet has skin). Be sure to lay a small piece of foil down on the grilling surface if you’re grilling outdoors. Serve salmon with a spoonful of hot teriyaki glaze drizzled over the top.
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 214.75 Carbohydrates — 4 grams Protein — 25.5 grams Fat — 7.25 grams Fiber — trace
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Directions Combine soy, garlic, juice, bourbon, and ginger in a small bowl and whisk together. Marinate salmon in mixture for at least 20 minutes, overnight if possible. Reserve leftover marinade for glazing. While the fish is marinating, prepare the rice or a salad side dish if desired. Stir in sesame seeds and green onions and cook over very low heat until just before ready to serve the salmon. Just before serving, bring marinade to a boil
Tips: No juice? The brown sugar or honey traditionally added to teriyaki for sweetness has been replaced by the natural sweetness of apple juice. The light acidic nature of the apple juice doubles as a tenderizing agent as well. However, you can replace the apple juice with equal amounts of bourbon and reduced-sodium soy and two packets of artificial sweetener if you prefer.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Ingredients 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic (about 3 cloves) 3 tablespoons apple juice 3 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon (may substitute with lemon juice) 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 pound salmon fillets 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional) 3 tablespoons green onions, chopped
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Sometimes it’s the simplest dish that can win a life over to healthier eating. Indulge yourself with a special treat by allowing this teriyaki salmon dish to marinate overnight and toasting the sesame seeds in a pan prior to adding to the teriyaki.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
RECIPES | APPENDIX II
Served with Long-Grain Brown Rice and Seasoned Steamed Broccoli (4 servings) Directions Bring water and salt to a boil, and add rice. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Rice is done when tender and fluffy. Steamed Broccoli Ingredients 1 cup water 1 bunch of broccoli Directions In a shallow skillet, add one cup water and bring to a boil. Add broccoli, cover, and cook for three minutes or until broccoli reaches desired tenderness.
Long-Grain Brown Rice Ingredients 2 cups water pinch of salt 1 cup rice
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EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 299 Carbohydrates — 44 grams Protein — 17 grams Fat — 6.3 grams
Tip: For every 2-inch thickness of fish, cook for 10 minutes.
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Directions Preheat grill to medium heat or oven to 500 degrees. Lightly brush the bottom side of the fish with light olive oil. Place fish on the aluminum foil and pile all other ingredients on top. Wrap the fish and grill or bake approximately 20 minutes.
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Fish Ingredients 4 three-ounce sea bass steaks 1 teaspoon light olive oil 4 sheets aluminum foil 1 shallot (chopped) 2 tablespoons pickled ginger (drained and chopped) 1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Sea Bass With Ginger, Shallots, & Lite Soy Sauce
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RECIPES | APPENDIX II
Fish & Seafood
F U N , D E L I C I O U S , H E A LT H Y R E C I P E S
Fresh Shrimp and Broccoli (4 servings) Don’t order out when you can prepare your stir-fry dishes at home! (4 servings) Ingredients 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves) 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined 1/2 cup onion, sliced 2 cups broccoli, chopped 3/4 cup snow peas, fresh or frozen and thawed
Tip: Try adding drained, canned water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, or bean sprouts to this dish. Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 153 Carbohydrates — 7 grams Protein — 26 grams Fat — 2.3 grams Fiber — 23 grams
Directions Sauté garlic in broth for one minute. Add shrimp and vegetables and continue simmering until shrimp is white, broccoli has softened, and onions are translucent.
It’s Tuna Time! Tuna has long been a favorite protein source for muscle builders, dieters, and athletes. It’s cheap, fast, portable, and pre-portioned in convenient sizes. The fact is, it is a great source of protein and omega-3 essential fats, and it even makes a great snack. Solid white albacore can taste great all by itself if it fits your budget. If not, here are a few “straight outta the can” recipes you can use to bring a little life to your next can of chunk tuna or even canned chicken. For variety, salmon may be used in these simple combinations. • Lemon-Pepper Tuna: Lemon juice and fresh ground pepper or sprinkle with lemon-pepper seasoning • Balsamic Tuna: Balsamic vinegar and fresh ground pepper • Mustard-Dill Tuna: Dill, one tablespoon mustard, and chopped celery • Southwest Tuna: One tablespoon nonfat mayo, 1/4 of an Anaheim green chile, black pepper • Honey-Mustard Tuna: One to two tablespoons honey mustard • Tuna Fried Rice: Sauté cooked brown rice, chopped green or yellow onions, and egg whites in pan sprayed with butter flavored nonstick spray. Mix in tuna and serve. • Tuna-Stuffed Tomato: Mix one tablespoon nonfat mayo, pepper, and tuna and stuff inside a tomato. Top tomato with a slice of mozzarella cheese and bake in a toaster oven until the cheese melts. • Old El Paso Tuna: One heaping tablespoon of salsa or one tablespoon of chopped green chile peppers • Tuna Italiano: One tablespoon Italian dressing or olive oil vinaigrette, fresh ground pepper • Tuna Piccata: One teaspoon capers, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon parsley, fresh ground pepper • All-American Tuna: One tablespoon fat-free mayo, one chopped pickle, 1/2 stalk chopped celery or onion • Texas Tuna: One tablespoon BBQ sauce • Tuna Melt: One tablespoon fat-free mayo, one ounce cheese melted on top • Tuna Parmesan: Mix in one tablespoon catsup, tomato sauce, or spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs or a crushed cracker, top with one ounce low-fat mozzarella cheese. Cook in microwave or toaster oven until cheese melts. • No-Time Tuna: One fork, one glass of water, one can o’ tuna
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Ve g e t a ri a n
F U N , D E L I C I O U S , H E A LT H Y R E C I P E S
Penne with Tofu
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
RECIPES | APPENDIX II
Served with Fresh Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (4 servings)
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 184 Carbohydrates — 23.9 grams Protein — 11.3 grams Fat — 5.5 grams
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Directions Bring water to a brisk boil. Add pasta and cook until tender (about eight minutes). Drain and cool pasta. At the same time, cook tofu in a nonstick skillet with 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil. Add salt and pepper (or other preferred seasoning) to taste. Cook until tofu is brown and crispy (about 8 to 10 minutes). Chop fresh spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Then combine all ingredients.
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
Ingredients 1 cup penne pasta 3 ounces firm tofu, drained (gently squeeze out all moisture with a paper towel) 1/4 teaspoon olive oil salt and pepper to taste 1 cup fresh spinach (cleaned and chopped) 1 teaspoon sun-dried tomatoes (in olive oil)
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Grilled Tofu and Veggie Pita Sandwich (4 servings) Directions Preheat grill or skillet to medium heat. In a plastic bag, combine all ingredients, except pitas. Shake well to make sure everything is seasoned well. Pour the contents of the bag into the hot skillet. Cook for 15 minutes or until crispy and brown. Spoon into pita bread and serve.
BUILDING YOUR CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 265 Carbohydrates — 45.4 grams Protein — 15.2 grams Fat — 4.08 grams
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Ingredients 12 ounces firm tofu (cut into strips) 1/4 teaspoon olive oil 1 yellow squash (cleaned and sliced) 1 zucchini (cleaned and sliced) 1 yellow onion (cleaned and sliced) 1 tomato (cleaned and sliced) 1 teaspoon garlic salt and pepper to taste 2 whole-wheat pitas (cut into halves)
PUTTING YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 275 Carbohydrates — 52 grams Protein — 14 grams Fat — 2.25 grams Fiber — 11.25 grams
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Directions In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients. For best results, place in refrigerator for about two hours, so the flavors combine. (This dish keeps well if the container is sealed tightly.)
EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Ingredients 1 can chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 small onion (diced) 1 tomato (diced) 1 zucchini (diced) 1/4 cup green olives (diced) fresh chopped parsley fresh chopped oregano salt and pepper to taste
DAILY EATING & EXERCISE JOURNALS
Chickpea Salad with All the Extras (4 servings)
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RECIPES | APPENDIX II
Ve g e t a ri a n —
F U N , D E L I C I O U S , H E A LT H Y R E C I P E S
Steamed Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic (8 servings) (Salad—Vegetable) Fresh broccoli was not eaten in my home when I was a child. When I started to eat healthy, I made an adult decision to try it… without cheese sauce. I had a dish similar to this in a restaurant and was disappointed to discover I’d missed out on 23 years of eating this amazing vegetable. It’s since become a favorite.
Modifications You can pan toast the sesame seeds for a tasty flavor addition. Try toasting a cup to store in the cupboard for several months of use. Tip: If you could eat only a single vegetable, broccoli would be a wise choice. Just a single 25-calorie cup of broccoli is loaded with almost three grams of fiber, 137% of the minimum daily Vitamin C requirements, and a little calcium!
Ingredients 5 cups fresh broccoli, cut 2 lemons, cut into wedges 3 cloves minced garlic (or 2 teaspoons of water-packed minced garlic) 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional) fresh ground pepper to taste
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 166 Carbohydrates — 22 grams Protein — 11 grams Fat — 3.4 grams Fiber — 1.25 grams
Directions Steam or microwave broccoli a few minutes before mealtime. Squeeze lemon juice over broccoli, add garlic, and toss. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
Fresh Salad 101 Selecting greens: Iceberg lettuce contains little nutritional value because it consists of mainly water. Select greens that are dark and leafy, like green leaf, red leaf, romaine, or mixed baby greens for your salads instead. Leafy greens offer valuable fiber, which many of our diets are lacking. Storing greens: Make a big base salad to use all week. When you get home from the store, wash, dry, and tear the leaves. Place a damp paper towel on top of the greens and store them in a covered bowl so they will stay fresh. Use this as a base and add various items to it as you desire and your schedule permits. Make a meal: Add cooked chicken, tuna, beef, egg whites, favorite vegetables, lean ground beef and salsa, leftover fajitas, or other items to your green salad base throughout the week for an easy meal. Best dressed: Heaviness can overtake a great meal when the greens are drenched in ranch dressing. You can easily make your own olive oil and vinegar dressing or even a vinaigrette. To make basic vinaigrette: Whisk one tablespoon Dijon mustard, one-half tablespoon olive oil, and three tablespoons Balsamic vinegar and season to taste with pepper. To make flavored vinaigrette: Simply substitute different types of vinegars or add herbs to the basic recipe. Red wine and raspberry vinegars, finely minced garlic or shallots, basil, rosemary, thyme, or oregano are just a few options you can try in your own vinaigrette.
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Sa l a d s, Si d e s , S n a c k s , & S a u c e s
F U N , D E L I C I O U S , H E A LT H Y R E C I P E S
Protein Nutrition Bar (Healthy Snacks) (10 servings) Bake until edges are crisp and browned. Cut into 10 bars and store in an airtight container or freeze. *If you find you want a moister consistency, add a little more applesauce to the recipe. Tip: Did you know you can replace the oil in a recipe with an equal measure of applesauce? Applesauce will add the same moisture but not the added fat or calories, and it won’t alter the flavor.
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS
Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl and blend well. In separate bowl, combine egg whites, orange juice, applesauce, vanilla, and sugar-free syrup. Blend well. Stir liquids into dry ingredients until mixed. The consistency will be thick and similar to cookie dough. Spread batter on baking sheet coated with nonstick spray, or use a 9x12 baking dish if you want a thicker bar.
EXERCISE TO BURN FAT
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 140 Carbohydrates — 23 grams Protein — 15 grams Fat — .5 grams Fiber — 4 grams **The brand of protein used in this recipe contains 200 calories, 4 grams carbs, 44 grams protein, 2 grams fat, and 2 grams fiber per serving.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Ingredients 3 1/2 cups quick oats 1 1/2 cups powdered nonfat milk 4 scoops chocolate protein powder** 2 egg whites, beaten 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup natural applesauce* 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup sugar-free pancake syrup
OVERCOMING FITNESS MYTHS
A nice snack at a mere fraction of the cost of packaged protein bars and none of the glycerin, preservatives, or sugar. These low-fat bars are rich in fiber and taste great. Served with a protein drink, they make a well-balanced meal.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BODY
RECIPES | APPENDIX II
Modifications For spicy jerky: Add three or four teaspoons of red pepper flakes to the marinade. For teriyaki jerky: Use reduced-sodium teriyaki marinade instead of soy; add a quarter cup of brown sugar or brown sugar replacement to marinade. Tip: Wait to make this recipe until you find a large cut of flank steak, London broil, or top round on sale or priced for quick clearance. These meats are perfect for making into jerky. It never hurts to ask the butcher if he’s about to mark down any meat.
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EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS & PHOTOS
Nutritional Info (per serving) Calories — 113 Carbohydrates —
