Idle Hands

Ever Heard the phrase Idle Hands are the Devil’s Playground (or Workshop in some versions)?

I’ve heard it many times since my father is a preacher! I am going to put a new spin on it for you and hopefully help you avoid an eating FRENZY.

If you are like me, you have some trigger that causes you to EAT. Mine is being bored (or Idle Hands). For example:

Yesterday I had an absolutely amazing day with food and a killer workout over at our Better Bodies Studio. Just one of those days where everything was perfect, music, my energy and focus. I grabbed some great recovery food, had a pair of basketball clients, then headed home. Once I got there, the house was empty because Brandy and the kids were at Seth’s baseball practice.

I tell you, I wasn’t in the house more than 1 minute when I walked over to the pantry and started looking for something to eat. Even though I wasn’t really that hungry it is just what I do when I’m not super busy. Ever been there?

Good news is that I realized what was going on and decided not to dip into Brandy’s Twix Bars or the kids’ cereal. I grabbed my shoes and tore out the door for a short run.  Best run in awhile I might add (for me anyways). Funny how the workouts that are unexpected, or just hard to get started turn out to be the best ones.

You know what happened when I walked in the door????? I walked immediately over to the pantry! I earned it right? WRONG… I didn’t earn anything, so I grabbed a protein bar and headed out to do some yard work. If you have that mentality of “I earned that treat” because of how hard I’ve been working, I totally understand, but try to stop that way of thinking. There is always a reason to EARN a treat, hard day at work or with the kids, hard workout in boot camp, kettlebell or private style training – whatever the case may be. You can usually find a way to justify a treat of some kind.

Finally I decided it was time to head in, because I was exhausted from sweeping and pulling weeds in the flower bed. Which are two amazing exercises I must say – (sweeping will wear out your core and shoulders and pulling weeds will work your hamstrings and quads). Beware boot campers… these might find there way into a class sometime 🙂

Back to the main reason for the blog – What is your trigger for eating a treat or something when you’re not even hungry? Really think about that, is it when the kids go to bed and you want that glass of wine or handful of cookies? Is it over the weekend when you’re off from work and have parties, or it’s just not your normal schedule?

Whatever your trigger, recognize it and then work through it. Go for a run, do some pushups or just get up and do something. You will be so glad you did when you wake up in the morning. The weight and your appearance in the mirror will mean way more than that treat the night before.

If you don’t believe me, try it for one whole week and see if you feel different.

If you are not currently an active A Cut Above Client, we have re-opened enrollment into our Kettlebell program and are offering a Free class to come in and get re-started. We also have a few spots remaining in boot camp and our semi-private model training program. We are in the middle of our Beach Body Builder program and people have lost 9, 11 and even 12 pounds these first 5 plus weeks.

Wouldn’t you like to do the same thing? Call us (678) 364-6800 and we will get you setup on the first step to those same results.

Lastly and most importantly, make sure you have goals in mind when you feel that eating trigger come on. If your goals are important enough you will find a way to say no.

Dedicated to your RESULTS;

Jeremy Gritton

P.S.

By the end of next, week we will post the leader board of highest percentage of body-fat lost and who is leading the way towards the $500 Grand Prize. Plus the leader board for our staff competition. (Myself, Kim Day, Celia Brown and Ricky Mitchell)

 

 

Healthy Recipe

Now that we are a couple of weeks into our Beach Body Builder program, one of the struggles I hear a lot  is dinner time and having to prepare meals that everyone can eat.

Even at the Gritton house we struggle with this, so I wanted to share a healthy recipe that not only helps me stay on track with good food choices but one that Brandy and the whole family can enjoy.

It’s called Fresh Tomato and Arugula Pasta, but we have made a few adjustments to add protein and taste a little better.

Here are the ingredients you will need from the store:

  1. 8ozs of Dried Ziti
  2. 1 Medium Onion medium sliced
  3. 2 Cloves of Garlic minced
  4. 1 tbsp of Olive Oil
  5. 4-5 Medium Tomatoes coarsely chopped (should make about 3 cups)
  6. 1 tbsp of Salt
  7. 3 Cups of Spinach coarsely chopped
  8. 1/4 Cup of Slivered Almonds
  9. 2tbsp of Parmesan Cheese
  10. 2 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Here is how Brandy prepares the dish (because you know I’m not cooking it!)

  • Cook the chicken breasts and toast the slivered almonds (while they are cooking, begin next few steps)
  • Cook the pasta, drain and keep warm
  • In a large skillet cook onion, garlic cloves and olive oil
  • Add tomato and salt then cook and stir over medium heat for about 2minutes or until tomatoes are warm
  • Stir in spinach – Cook until greens are wilted
  • Once everything is cooked, dice up the chicken breasts and if needed add into the cooking greens (and all other ingredients) to re-warm
  • Then pour mixture and chicken over the pasta
  • Then top with the slivered almonds

You can reduce the total calories and fat by taking less of the ziti and almonds.

For the rest of the family put a little extra Parmesan Cheese, on top, to add more flavor.

I hope everyone enjoys this as much as my family does.

Keep in mind that with this dinner recipe and any other dinner choice you want to look for lean cuts of meat as much as possible. I know supper and post supper are difficult times, but it is so worth it when you do this for a few days and then weeks in a row. I guarantee you will feel the difference in a very short amount of time.

Here is how you know if you made good super choices; if you wake up hungry then you nailed it. If you wake up full then you should evaluate your choice the night before.

If you are a current ACAF member look out for the 4-Week Meal Plan offer. I will be making our Body Balance done-for-you meal plans and exact shopping lists available at an extremely reduced price. Watch for that information in the next couple of days.

If you are not currently an active ACAF member then I want to extend a very special offer to join our Beach Body Program where everyone (including myself and 3 other coaches) are working to build the best Beach Bodies we have ever had. There are 9.5 weeks left in the program and I want to extend the invitation to sit down with me for a private consultation (an $85 value) to determine your plan of action and which one of our programs are a good fit for you. Contact Shelly in our main office to reserve one of those spots before they are gone. (678) 364-6800

Remember the old saying; “You are what you Eat”

 

Dedicated to your Health;

Jeremy Gritton

P.S.

Did you know that the top winner of the Beach Body Builder (highest percentage of body-fat lost) will win themselves not only a new body, but $500 CASH? You can still join in, but you gotta contact Shelly to setup your consultation.

 

3 Important Things for Weight Loss

Hey Gang,

Even if you were not able to attend the Nutritional Seminar on Wednesday, I wanted to update everyone on how to find your calorie allowance each day, and give you the 3 Most Important Things You Must Know to Lose Weight or Drop Body-Fat.

As ya’ll know we opened up the Beach Body Contest to all active clients and Wednesday night we kicked it off right! Lots of excitement and a challenge for everyone. JUST SAY NO for 12 WEEKS!

Additionally, I shared my numbers which I must say was shameful for me to publicly give to everyone. Regardless, I (all of us at ACAF) try to lead by example so here goes:

My Numbers (that everyone should try and beat):

Body-Fat – 15.1%

Weight – 191

Goal that I WILL reach by June 21st – 9% Body-Fat or Less

You also have Kim Day, Celia Brown and Ricky Mitchell competing with me. I’ll keep you posted on our standings as well as the overall standings of all clients. Next weigh-in and body-fat test will be at the end of April.

Now, lets talk about calories and how many you should be consuming. Here is the formula you need to use, then we will discuss what you do with that number based on your goals:

Take your current weight  and times it by your body-fat percentage

My #s for an example– 191 pounds x .15 (use true rounding of my 15.1% body-fat) = 28.65 = 29 (true rounding) and I subtract that from my starting weight of 191 – 29 = 162 pounds of lean muscle.

Then divide that number by 2.2 (162/2.2) = 73.63 = 74kilos of lean muscle.

Now you take that number of 74kilos x 21.6 = 1,598 and then you add 370 to it =

My Final Number (Basal Metabolic Rate) = 1,968

If my goal was to lose weight I would subtract 300-500 calories to help create a calorie deficit, then I would allow my exercise to assist in the calorie deficit creation in order to create a total 3,500 calorie deficit to lose 1 pound.

If you are someone who is not looking to lose weight then you need to add back in the number of calories you burn through exercise. For example – I do not want to lose weight, but I want to drop my body-fat. I will track how many calories I burn each day and I will put back in those calories in the way of evenly balanced  Carbohydrates and Protein.

If you are trying to lose weight… make sure you don’t drop calories too much and you don’t do too much exercise and not eat. Look for balance… otherwise your body might slow down its metabolism to protect itself. Just follow the guidelines we provide for your exercise and homework.

That leads me to  my next point: The 3 Things You Must Do to Lose Weight and or Drop Body-Fat:

Watch this very very short video:

3 Things to Lose Weight and or Body-Fat

 

NOW… Everyone who has not yet weigh-in or done your body-fat make sure you get that done as soon as you can. I want all 120+ clients to have an amazing 12 weeks. Remember that little phrase I stated earlier?

JUST SAY NO for 12 WEEKS!

I have a huge personal test tomorrow that ya’ll can hold me accountable to, it’s Brooklynn’s 2nd Birthday party and my favorite food on the planet is Birthday Cake so I plan on “Just Saying No”. Hope you can do the same this weekend and over these next 12 weeks. Thanks to Sue Zeller for already sending me a reminder text to stay the course.

Don’t Make Excuses Okay? Make a WAY and Just Say No!

To Your Success these next 12 Weeks (and beyond)

 

If anyone has any questions or comments (or trash talking) feel free to post a comment.

 

Dedicated to your Success;

Your Coach

Jeremy

P.S.

Did you know whoever loses the highest percentage of body-fat will win $500?!? Now you know!

 

Nutritional Seminar

Hi Everyone,

My coaches and I have been talking about some of our strengths and weaknesses as a company so that we can improve and assist each of you in reaching your health and fitness goals.  One of the common areas in which we felt like we could improve as coaches was to provide more nutritional coaching and education.

I have taken their requests to heart and that is why I am inviting each of you to a FREE Nutritional Seminar next Wednesday evening at 6:00pm. I used to host a lot of these seminars and most everyone had positive feedback so we will have a seminar on Wednesday evening March 28th at 6:00pm.

The seminar will be packed full of nutritional information, including the “Ten Commandments of Weight Loss and Body-Fat Reduction“, how to grocery shop properly to set yourself up for success each week. Then how to pin-point your bodies needs for calories (both for weight loss and athletic performance, or both). On top of all this, each of you will have the opportunity to ask any question you want. Just post the question here when you RSVP, or even if you can’t make it, feel free to post the question anyways.

The Seminar will be held in our studio at Better Bodies Fitness and each one of you are welcome to invite a friend to attend. I promise you this seminar is going to be worth your time and could really help you dial things back in for the Spring and warmer weather.

PLUS… I am going to tell everyone how they could win $500 CASH for dropping the most body-fat over the next 12 weeks.  Our Beach Body program is for active clients and there are no additional purchases required, but you gotta find out all the details to really have a chance to win.

If you want to discover all these secrets to nutrition as well as (a couple of surprises…) then you need to RSVP on the blog right away. Just leave your name, and if you will be bringing a guest. If they are not a current member of A Cut Above Fitness, then please leave their name so we are prepared for each person.

If you have been to past nutritional seminars, still plan on attending because there is going to be a lot of new stuff. In addition to that, this could be the motivation you need to get serious with your nutrition again. Knowledge plus Implementation is the key to results, so I hope to see all of you there.

Your Coach

Jeremy

P.S.

To give you a taste of one of the surprises… everyone will have a chance to take ME down! Yep, you read that right… each of you will have a chance for bragging rights over ME in the Beach Body program.

 

Body Balance Questions

Hi Everyone,

One of your fellow body balance participants had some questions and a great idea to setup this blog for some open dialogue. Many of you may have similar questions and this way you can post whatever you are curious about. I can then respond and hopefully everyone can get benefit from the answers. Everyone can say thank you to Bonnie Martin (smart lady!).

Here are a few of the questions I have received so far:

  1. How many servings are in the Tex Mex dinner? There are 4 servings in that dish total. My calories were off just slightly on the chili powder, so there are actually about 20 more calories per serving. Nothing to stress out over, just wanted ya’ll to be aware.
  2. If you don’t like the pancakes for breakfast, can you have the muffin every day? Definitely you can, the nutrients are fairly similar so feel free to switch out breakfast on the Sun, Tue, Thur, Sat meal plan for the Mon, Wed and Fri breakfast if you want.
  3. Can you replace the salmon, as ya’ll taught me on Saturday… the L is silent :), with tuna? Yes you can. A better option would be something like Tilapia to still get some of those good Omega Fatty Acids, but tuna is fine.
  4. Can you add mustard or pickles to the Arnolds sandwich? You can, just keep it in moderation. There are not hardly any calories in either one, just a little sodium to consider. Again, not a big deal at all and it can add some flavor to that meal.
  5. Will there be any Meal Replacement Packets from Advocare on next weeks meal plan? Some people are wanting to know if they should order them in advance for next week. There will be those and a bar called Fruit and Fiber on next weeks plan. I will actually have individual packets and bars for purchase on Saturday. You can purchase enough to fill your meal plan for next week instead of an entire box of each one. Packets will be $3.50 each and bars will be $2.50 each. There will be 4 days of the meal replacement packets (with a packet of spark to make a protein and energy smoothie for breakfast) and then 3 days of the fruit and fiber bar for a snack. If you would like one of these either email me or post on the blog. I am suggesting people purchase the vanilla protein and then whatever flavor of spark they want, but Mandarin Orange makes it taste like a Creamsicle. If you decided you wanted 4 packets of spark, 4 meal replacement shakes and 3 fruit and fiber bars it would be $29.50 to get all of these (cash or check please).

Questions from Saturday 1/28/12:

  1. Can you replace the Pistachios on the meal plan for the almonds you might still have from week one? YES you can, the almonds are even better for you. I was just trying to give a little variety is all.
  2. When will we see more fruits and veggies on the meal plan? Next week, but remember you are still eating a couple of each almost every day depending on what you use before your workout and then the dinners have a couple of servings 4 days of the week and one serving the other three. Plus the serving of carrots with lunch. Sun, Tue, Thur and Sat have the three recommended servings each day. BUT… there will be more veggies on next weeks plan. We are really going to dial in those fat grams starting next week and we will use more veggies for this. I know everyone loves Fruit (and so do I) but keep in mind our goal of better balance in the carbohydrate department.
  3. How much fiber is in the meal plan? Someone we mentioning they were having a little trouble with being consistent in the “bathroom”. The mean plans have at least 25 grams of fiber each and every day, but part of that could be the body trying to adjust to the added protein intake (and for many probably a decrease in fruits). When you calculate the 4-day plan there is at least 27 grams of fiber if you eat exactly what is on there and more if you eat the Almonds instead of the pistachios. The 3-day plan actually has over 35 grams of fiber.

If anyone can think of other questions (either ones that were asked or not) post them to the blog here and I will respond for everyone to see.

One last thing for now… I have a quote for you from one of my favorite motivational speakers Zig Ziglar . I think it is perfect for when you are trying to make some changes in your life; “Your attitude determines your altitude”

If your heart and mind are in this 4 week program you are going to fly high and see amazing results.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far and really focusing on good food choices.

 

Your Coach

Jeremy

What’s for Dinner?

So, what is for dinner? I’ll answer that for you. Dinner will consist of a lean meat and vegetables (preferably green). Now I know that it might seem boring, but it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of ways to prepare, say, a chicken breast and veggies. I’ll show you in just a minute, a great recipe for just that.

The main purpose of this article is that you understand why that is what you should be eating. Let’s face it, dinner is the hardest meal of the day to eat healthy. There are tons of reasons why it would be easier just to order a pizza or throw in some pasta and be done with it.

  • You’re tired from either working all day or taking care of your family/kids.
  • The rest of the family doesn’t want to eat chicken and vegetables.
  • You want something that tastes good so you can look forward to it (comfort food).
  • You don’t have much time because of some activity you are committed to.

I’m sure one of those comes up in your house all the time, I know they all come up in my a lot.

The first question you have to ask yourself is, “What are your Goals?” then you must ask yourself, “How Important are those Goals to You“. When you have a clearly defined goal, such as lose 5lbs by Thanksgiving or drop your body-fat 2% by the end of October it goes a long ways in helping you overcome those obstacles listed above. If it’s really important to you then you need to do whatever it takes to eat what you need to and stay on track towards your goals. Without clearly defined goals it is too easy to give in to the “difficulty” of life.

Now, the WHY… Why exactly should you be eating lean meat and vegetables at dinner? To make it easy to understand I will list the most important reasons (for weight loss and body-fat reduction).

  1. Your metabolism is slowing down at night so you want to avoid too many carbohydrates.
  2. The old saying of You Are What You Eat, is never more accurate than dinner (or post dinner if you are a snacker). You just don’t have time to burn off anything in the evening.
  3. When your body is sleeping (it’s deepest sleep) you are in an anabolic state which is repairing and rejuvenating your body. The thing your body needs is protein and nutrients. Nothing will help you repair, be stronger, more rested and leaner than lean protein sources and nutrient dense vegetables.

If you have a bowl of pasta at night you can undue a lot of good choices throughout the day. When you are in a routine of work or running kids around often times it is easier to make good choices. When the evening hits and you are off schedule and have more temptations, it’s much easier to blow it. That is why it all starts with your goals… Do you have clearly defined goals right now? If not, get with either myself or your coach and let’s put them on paper. Then it becomes our job (your ACAF coaches) to hold you to those, and if we don’t shame on us.

To help you understand that chicken and vegetables don’t have to be boring, here is a delicious recipe to help you stay on track while keeping the family happy as well.

Blackened Chicken with  Zucchini and Squash: (serves two) 

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

1/8 tsp onion powder

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet (with a spray… not butter or oils). Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes until it is hot.
  2. Mix together the powdered ingredients above. Oil the chicken breasts with the same spray above, on both side, then coat the chicken evenly with the spice mixture.
  3. Place the chicken in the hot pan and cook for 1 minute. Turn, and cook 1 minute on other side. Place the breasts in the prepared cooking sheet.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes.

Then, while those are cooking us the same pan to prepare the zucchini and squash.

Ingredients:

2 Large Zucchini and 2 Large Squash

Directions:

  1. Slice the zucchini  and squash “long ways” so that they are the full length of the vegetable (instead of short circles like normal). You want them about a 1/4 inch thick. Thinner cuts will be softer so you can adjust accordingly.
  2. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the pan (only takes a tiny bit to cook the vegetables in).
  3. Lay the slices in the hot pan and let sit for about 90 seconds each side and flip. They should be somewhat firm, but you can cook longer if you want them softer.

Once both dishes are prepared you can enjoy… Or if you are like me… I like to lay the veggies over top of the chicken so that I get a taste  of each on every bit.

Here is the nutrition on an unbelievably good tasting lean meat and vegetable that you can enjoy and still stay on track towards your goals:

Calories: 314

Fat: 3

Carbohydrates: 23

Fiber: 8

Protein: 42

Next time you go to the grocery store print this recipe out and pickup the dry spices that you need, and enjoy.

Remember, nothing is more important than what you eat at dinner. Your body holds onto everything late at night so give it only good stuff and watch the body-fat drop and the pounds melt away. Because, if you had to do one thing right every day it needs to be dinner.

If you have a healthy recipe you would like to share with the group, post it here so we can all enjoy.

 

All the best;

Jeremy

 

P.S.

If you are running the Peachtree City Classic your T-Shirts are in. See me or your Fitness Camp coaches to pick those up. Only rule is this… You have to wear the shirt to the race next Saturday, otherwise I think we might have to do some pushups for each person missing the shirt 🙂