You will be getting a few more emails this week from me than usual.  That is because I want to be sure you know exactly how to get the FREE DVD that I am giving out starting Monday the 17th.

I have always promised that I would give you a special deal when the day came for me to launch the product I have been working on for so long.

You have been waiting patiently as I worked through all the steps of launching my first internet project.

As I finish things up, making sure the downloads are easy for everyone to access and making the process as simple as possible for everyone… I want you to know I am always trying to make sure that you have some cool tips to focus on to ensure that you are always moving closer to reaching your goals.

Here are 5 killer nutrition tips to help you get and stay on the right track.  Some of you might be hearing these for the first time and others of you might just need a small reminder as we get back to school.

Keep your eyes open for more updates.

Click here to view the embedded video.

With that said, I hope that you will feel free to forward a good article to your friends. Another way you can help others benefit from the fitness-related information and tools I provide is to encourage a family member or co-worker to sign-up for our newsletter.

No matter how you look at it… the more knowledge I can empower you with… the greater the likelihood that you will succeed with your weight and nutrition goals.

Today I thought I would share some do’s and don’ts on eating out. Whether it is a holiday, special occasion, lunch at the office or dinner with friends and colleagues… Eating out for many is a necessary evil.

For those of us who aren’t compelled by the J.O.B. to entertain by dining out…take this guide of tricks to keep you on your program and cut calories when you decide to go out to eat.

Never Ever SUPER SIZE: In America we already have portions that are way too big.  Plus you can save a few bucks too. Often times you can share the meal and just order your own salads. You get the taste and the satisfaction and then you actually get the portion you should receive. Many restaurants will do this for a dollar or two, and its well worth it.

Get the ‘New’ Menu: Maybe you don’t want to share with a client or a family member.  Many restaurants now have an “appetizer” menu. Two people could order three entrees, one dessert and split the whole thing and it’s still a ton of food!

Bail on the Bread: Unless this establishment has the best bread in town (I am guessing your not in Italy or France either)  skip it.  C’ mon you can show some will power- you can resist, if you want to. Try it just once and see if you don’t walk out of that restaurant feeling proud of yourself.

Stop Ordering Drinks: Soft drinks are a huge money maker for restaurants.  It costs them pennies and you get a squirt of syrup and carbonated water and act like they’re doing you a big favor by only charging you $1.29. Start saving those dollars. Especially if you’re ordering “to go” skip the drink. If you’re eating it there, ask for water, or at least switch to diet drinks. Never drink “fat pop.”

Why do you feel you need to eat in 6 minutes FLAT? Enjoy your meal. Take your time. Your body often needs time to catch up and a big part of getting in touch with your hunger signals and learning to eat what really will satisfy is learning to recognize the subtle signs of hunger. If you eat like you are in the Hot Dog contest you body cant know when you’re satisfied. Take a bite then notice how many times do you chew before you start wanting to swallow? Once, twice? Make an effort to chew your food and your body will be much happier. A very large part of digestion begins in your mouth, not to mention you’ll get much more pleasure if you let the food linger.

Start with the To Go Bag: Your food arrives but you shouldn’t start eating right away.  When the food is served, immediately portion off some to take home for tomorrow. As I said before… most restaurants in the US serve way too much. Your mom isn’t hovering over you to finish your plate or no dessert.  Ordered a great steak? Have it for breakfast with some egg whites.  Get the idea?

Order these two cool Books: Get a copy of Eat This, Not That! or Restaurant Confidential, and check out the calorie count of what you’re actually eating. If you eat out a ton and your belt is getting tighter…think that might be part of the problem? Hardees recently introduced a new burger that clocks in at just under 1200.  Are you kidding me?

So if eating out is part of your daily or weekly lifestyle,  how about giving these a try.  I promise you will notice the changes in a very short period of time.

A weather man is freaking out on television stating the obvious: It’s snowing.  It’s going to keep snowing and it might be a while for the roads to be clear enough for throngs of people to drive.  So you need to prepare for getting locked in your house for a few days.  Now everyone heads to the local grocery store to stock up.

Smart people buy items like extra fruits and vegetables and some eggs and chicken and of course, you need fat free hot chocolate when it is going to be 20 degrees, right?

What do most people get?  Bags and bags of crap!  Chips, cereal, pasta, gallons of milk and last but certainly not least, BREAD.

If you don’t know by now, white flour is a huge killer of any training program.  It zaps energy, adds unwanted fat, and is a huge part of the cyclical process of eating empty calories.

One of the first things I tell my clients when they start a program is to make sure that when they eat out (which a lot of my clients do because they are career-type people) is to tell the server at a restaurant to not bring them bread.

That is not to say that restaurants are the only culprit.  Your pantry is mostly to blame.  Toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, bread basket at dinner…you get the idea.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not preaching you should never have bread ever again (A person has to have a life).  What I am saying is 4-5 servings of any type of bread product every single day will make you gain weight, ensuring you never lose your unwanted weight which can lead to diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

So here are a few nutrition programming strategies I utilize to help me fight the battle of the bread and reduce cravings:

• Breakfast - Don’t automatically go for toast, bagels, or a roll.  Two or three hard boiled eggs over sliced tomatoes is delicious.  Maybe whip up a batch of oatmeal and add walnuts and berries.  My clients even add in protein powder for flavor and love it.  How about cottage cheese and pineapple? For an open mind the options are endless.
• Snacks - Pack them at home and bring them to work rather than the buying from the dreaded vending machine.  In less than 90 seconds, you can throw natural peanut butter, raw almonds, dried fruit (no sugar added), an apple or banana and baby carrots all in a bag and be out the door.  Now you don’t need the employee room bagels or donuts.  (Doughnuts may be Homer Simpsons favorite food but who wants to look like Homer Simpson?)  Spread the peanut butter on an apple and have at it.
• Ditch the sandwich as your everyday choice for lunch. Bring in a portion of last night’s dinner for lunch.  Salmon, broccoli and brown rice or maybe chicken from last night and a sweet potato are great options.  Lunch is simply another version of dinner.
• Bread is not a staple at the dinner table. Rather it is a once-in-while experience.  Choose healthy carbohydrate choices like salad, cooked vegetables, brown rice, or quinoa.
• Think that eating “100% Whole Wheat” is any better? Wrong answer.  It still falls in the category of refined flour (it’s just not bleached) and a huge contributor to weight gain.

So there you have it.  Shock yourself and see if you feel better and look more trim by only cutting out the bread for a week and then tell me about

The only thing I think people should regularly lose in life is body fat.

You want to lose fat, right? You want to win that battle, right? Those that WANT to win never settle and nothing less will do.

I get tons of emails from readers each week and you know what I hear the most? EXCUSES about why they can’t do this and haven’t succeeded at that.

Hey, I know there are people out there who have serious problems. But they are not the people I am referring to. I’m talking about the “I cant’s” or “I don’ts” or “I will never be able to’s”.

I know you don’t normally say these things because you are disciplined and you know what it takes to make a difference in your life. But unfortunately, these excuses hold some people back from getting healthier.

We all know these people. Sometimes even we can have a bad day and slip into a tough frame of mind. Take a look at some of the excuses I hear and learn the answers.

Maybe reading them will stick with you. If you ever have a bad day, it will be easier to get out of that bad space. If you think you might give into an urge to blow off a workout you will think twice. If you are sitting at a friendly or business luncheon and hear one of these, you might be able to steer the naysayer in a different direction. It definitely helps to be armed with good answers.

Excuse #1: “I Don’t have the Time To Eat Right”

Everyone’s busy these days. Some people make eating right a priority. Others don’t and complain about not having enough time to cook healthy meals or prepare healthy snacks.

Do you want it or don’t you?

It takes discipline, organization, and scheduling to prepare your meals and snacks the day before. You need to cook in larger quantities, for a whole week and then refrigerate or freeze the extra to eat at later meals throughout the week. By doing this, you end up spending less time cooking and more time enjoying delicious healthy foods. You will actually find more time in your day than you ever thought. To help you stave hunger in between meals, make sure to carry healthy snacks with you. Keep some at the office. Keep some in your car … Make it easy on yourself so you’re not stuck in a hunger panic at the nearest fast food restaurant.

Excuse #2: “I Hate Exercise/Diets/Water, etc.”

Really? Would you rather be 40 pounds overweight, have no energy, and be a walking zombie? Decide what you hate MORE and then make sure you can live with the answer.

Excuse #3: “I Have No Time to Exercise”

Are you kidding? If you can’t find 15-30 minutes two to three times a week… your schedule stinks. That’s less than 1 hour per week out of 168 hours! If you are overweight, are you even a little bit serious about making positive changes? If your fitness and poor eating habits become a serious issue, I won’t be the one telling you that there needs to be a change. A surgeon will.

Excuse #4: “Healthy Food Is Expensive”

Yes, this one might have a little merit. However, you must realize where your grocery money goes… CRAP. Eat less from a box or a can and more from what comes out of the ground.

If you start eating more nutrient-rich foods, you will need to eat less…which means you will buy less!

Excuse #5: “I Eat Out All The Time”

You can eat out and find healthy substitutes. It’s all about choices. But don’t let eating out become an every day event either or you’ll look like you eat out every day.

Just look around a restaurant. Do you want to look like you just ate the “Grand Slam” breakfast, at the “All You Can Eat” buffet or like, “Boy, I need some Pepto-Bismol??”

MY FAVORITE Excuse: “I’ve Tried Everything…Nothing Works For Me”

Have you ever stuck to a program for 1 solid year? How about 6 months? 12 weeks?

If you did, you would definitely see results and feel better. Often times, people try something for a few weeks, get bored and don’t give the program a fighting chance to see if it really could work for them.

This is where most people end up after trying a fad diet or a workout cut out from some magazine instead of a system that works like the ones we promote art Results Only.

Integrate some of the programming from the newsletters. Read the motivational tips every Monday and put it all together into your daily lifestyle. Next thing you know, positive changes have occurred and you are better for it.

So are excuses like these holding YOU or someone you love back? If so, ask yourself what you are going to do about them right now? What kind of person are you? If you could conquer anything, who would you want to be?

You know the answer. Now do something about it.

February has always been a huge month for me.  Many of those who joined other facilities to get themselves in shape are trickling into my world.  They realize that full-service gyms have over booked their facilities due to the wave of new members from New Year.  This often results in a gym that is too crowded to get a good workout and clients being put on cookie cutter programs. Some have overlooked the need for saunas, steam rooms, and juice bars.

The people who have made serious commitments to themselves to get in shape this year come to me.  The others will stay a little longer at the big box gyms.  They will cut articles out of magazines and try different workouts.  They will follow blindly and therefore they will probably not get the best results.

Some will do well and succeed despite it all because they are at least increasing their activity and others will not.

For those who make the commitment and come to me, one of the first things I do is get them on a good plan.  A plan not unlike the one I will show you today.

Planning and simplicity are really the tools I have given all my clients over the years.

Making it challenging and fun has been a huge part of it too.

Here are the three simple steps you need to take right now.
First – Click HERE to download your Get Fit Tool Kit. 

It is an all-in-one PDF and it contains:

•    A Calendar for February
•    A blank Food Log Plan
•    And a Grocery List
 
Second – Take out your calendar (RIGHT NOW) and do the following:

•    Schedule one day a week to go food shopping and to cook.
•    Choose 5 workout days – 3 strength and 2 cardio.
•    Put these days in your blackberry or on the wall and make sure you CANNOT change them.

Third – Pick any smart and proven nutritional plan to follow for four weeks: 

Some people like South Beach, others like Atkins, others like Weight Watchers and some will just make better choices over the next four weeks.

The calendar will keep you focused.  Now that you have placed these workouts and shopping days in your planner, they are immovable.  You will plan around them from now on.  There will be no skipping because of a lunch meeting if you see a potential conflict.  You already have a meeting scheduled — a meeting with yourself.  Or, consider it a meeting with me at the gym.

Go to the grocery store one day a week.  Use the grocery list I just gave you with the food plan you like.  My grocery list is pretty clean.  So if you are choosing things that are not on the list, they probably should not be going in your mouth.

Finally, come home and cook and prepare your meals for the whole week.  Use the food log to help you figure out which days you will choose which meal plans.  If you cook everything ahead of time, or if you prepare the ingredients so you can come home and whip up the meal in no time, you are more likely to succeed.

I guarantee that if you spend a little time planning, and you make the cooking and shopping part fun, you will make better choices this month.  You will feel better and you will see changes without making huge sacrifices.

Besides, aren’t you glad I didn’t send this before Super Bowl weekend?  Now get planning!

Walking into a room with the enemy.

The enemy is food.

However, it doesn’t have to be.

You see, I know that the chefs (who cook with all the wrong ingredients) want you to enjoy the dining experience at their establishment.

After all, if you don’t come, they won’t make a living.

You are the customer and you are paying the bill.

So, what are the keys to getting your food prepared the way you want?

KNOWLEDGE AND TIMING.

The knowledge is: knowing how you would like your meal prepared.

The timing is: when to ask.

For example, if you only eat Kosher food, are vegetarian, or follow other dietary restrictions, oftentimes food substitutions can be made.  Heck, if you inform airlines ahead of time, you can even have your meal on the plane prepared to meet your dietary requests.

BUT if you don’t plan ahead and call first (there is that timing thing again) you will either have no meal or you may need to eat something that does not fit with your lifestyle choice.

So let’s say you are not that strict with your eating choices.  You may choose something like chicken with wild rice and steamed veggies.

Great job, right?

You made good choices.  Yes?

Sure, but do you know how they prepared your great choice?

You see, the chef and the restaurant are all about everything tasting amazing.  And that sometimes means taking liberties with the ingredients they use and their preparation.

Which often means: high fat, high sugar, high calories.

So here are some subtle changes you can make to your order when you speak to the server to ensure you have a meal that is 400-500 calories instead of 1400-1500 calories.

“Waiter, could you please ask the chef to go light on the (cheese, oil, butter, cream, sauce) __________?”

Many times, you can eliminate these things all together.

Sandwiches- “Waitress, could you please exchange the cheese and mayonnaise with spicy mustard and a tomato?”

Chicken- “Pardon me?  Is the chicken white meat or dark meat?  I would prefer a white chicken breast please.”

Baked Potato- “When you bring me my baked potato, can I please get the condiments on the side?”  (NOTE: Only eat half the potato and use condiments to taste.  Meaning, don’t drown your potato!)

Fish- “Sir, could I please have my fish (choose baked, broiled, poached or grilled) ___________, rather than deep fried?  And, could you use olive oil and lemon or vinegar for seasoning please?”

Salads- “Madam, I would like the vinaigrette dressing on the side instead of the creamy Italian.”  Then dip your fork in the dressing before you start getting into the salad.  You will be amazed how much less dressing you use and how little you miss the soupy taste.

Eggs- If you absolutely despise egg whites try this- “Can I have 3 eggs?  2 egg whites and one whole egg?”  Similar taste, but less fat and cholesterol.

Italian Sauce- “Can I please have the chicken with marinara sauce rather than alfredo?”

Bread- “Please make my toast whole wheat with sugar-free jam on the side.”

Finally, if you know you are going to have a high calorie choice and it is around dinner time- choose to divide your meal in half before you even start.  Have the rest boxed up and take it home.

You will be amazed how satisfied you will feel.  And I don’t know about you, but I love leftovers!

* Participants were physically active but did not utilize resistance training frequently.
* They were instructed to consume nothing but a protein shake and water within the two hours before and after their training sessions, and eat healthy and regularly the rest of the day.
* Participants ingested 25 grams of protein in a shake pre and post workout.

It should come as no shock to you that the participants they chose had less than ideal fitness levels.  For example, they didn’t frequently utilize resistance training.  That already puts you ahead of the game because if you follow any of my programs you already workout with weights.  What might shock you is that the group achieved significant gains in muscle fiber size, overall body fat reduction, and increased strength by doing the limited number of exercises they were asked to perform.
 
WIN, WIN, WIN- A result we always like to have.
 
Food logs often show me that until I start to review my clients’ eating habits, most do not get nearly enough protein in their diet.  This is an easy and efficient way to get those much wanted supplements.

Many experts agree that a well trained male athlete should ingest 1 gram of protein for every pound they want to weigh and for women ½ to ¾ of a gram of protein for every pound they want to weight.  So let’s say a woman wants to weigh 120 lean lbs, which means she should ingest 60 – 90 grams of protein per day.  And a male who wants to weigh 180 lean lbs would need to ingest 180 grams of protein a day.  This is very hard to do on food alone.  That is what makes the shake such a delicious addition.   I also recommend (whether you have issues with milk or not) using just water as the liquid.  It seems to blend better and does not cause any side effects like bloating or stomach discomfort.
 
Protein shakes can be really tasty too.  There are so many flavors out there – Chocolate, Vanilla, Orange Crème, Cappuccino, etc.  You can also add things like strawberries, bananas, oranges, etc. to your shake to add fiber and extra vitamins.  Most of the companies put out a reasonably good product and I am not one to endorse many things.  But if you would like my suggestion, shoot me an email or add it into the email you are already writing to me above with your burning questions.
 
Most powders also come with some sample shake recipe books for you to change things up a bit.  For now try to get a good shake in your diet before and after your workouts.  It will satisfy your hunger, help you work out more efficiently, and give your body the proper fuel to get the most out of your day.  And they can be pretty darn tasty!

* Week One- You must continue to eat the way you have been eating.  The reason for this is that I will inevitably use a red marker on your food log the way your third grade teacher graded your spelling tests.  If you eat well, then there is no way I will know where the problems are and I will assume that I need to cut back from your current eating plan to help you achieve your ultimate goal.  And if I cut back from what you perceive as a clean week of eating… then you will probably starve to death.  Not a good start, so you must show me the way you eat so I can help you make adjustments after week two.

* Week Two- Now I want you to give me you best shot at clean eating.  I know you are intelligent and when pushed you will make relatively good choices.  This is where I help you target your weaknesses and help you learn where you fall off the wagon.  Normally, you have no idea what portions you eat, you don’t know that you choose the wrong time of day to eat certain foods and that you cheat a little more than you think.

* Week Three- This is where I give you a plan that was created by a specialist and you will learn how to eat for a truly healthy lifestyle.
Now, you might be wondering how my new clients have done so far.
 
Well I am not going to throw them under the bus and make them feel bad.  Instead, I think this is a good time to mention some similarities that they may have in common with you.  I say this because I believe many of you make the same mistakes and can learn from the feedback I give my one-on-one participants and group training classes.  The following are some common areas my current clients have issues with.  These are areas where they and you might need to improve to achieve the results desired:

* No one eats enough breakfast.  It is the most important meal of the day and the meal most often skipped.  You will have all day to burn off those calories and most people do not realize that the idea is to “break the fast”.  If you haven’t eaten since 6:30 the night before and you choose not to eat until 10am, 11am, or 12pm think of how many hours you have starved yourself.  YOU NEED TO EAT MORE IN THE MORNING.

* Portions are huge.  People have no idea how much they eat.  A measuring cup is your friend and the more you understand the idea of how big a certain item is, the more you will make smarter choices.  The following is a guide for you to use when understanding how big items should look on your plate:
        -  Woman’s fist or baseball:
               1 serving of vegetables or fruit is the size of your fist.
           -  A rounded handful:
               About ½ cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, 1 piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or
               pasta.  This is also a good measure for a snack serving, such as chips or pretzels.
        -  Deck of cards:
               1 serving of meat, fish or poultry or the palm of your hand (don’t count your fingers!).
               Examples: 1 chicken breast, ¼ pound hamburger patty or a medium-sized pork chop.
        -  Golf ball or large egg:
               ¼ cup of dried fruit or nuts
        -  Tennis ball:
               About ½ cup of ice cream
        -  Computer mouse:
               About the size of a small baked potato
        -  Compact disc:
               About the size of one pancake or small waffle
        -  Thumb tip:
           About one teaspoon of peanut butter
        -  Six dice:
           1 serving of cheese cubes
        -  Check book:
           1 serving of fish (approximately 3 oz.)

* People cheat more than they think.  Once I break out the red marker it is obvious, but on a daily basis you need to work on not making the choices you tend to make.  It is ok if you are on a maintenance program.  But people need to realize that getting to the body fat and image they most desire takes work and a little bit of sacrifice.  It is much easier to maintain than it is to get there.  Do the work and you will reap the rewards.

* There is WAY TOO MUCH SALT in most people’s diets.  Most don’t know how much salt is already in foods.  You should never need to add salt to any item and you probably already have a ton of salt from other choices.

* White Flour and pretzels are NOT good choices.  Too much salt and bad carbs.  Enough said.

* Skipping meals is the death of your food log later in the day.  Skipping meals makes you hungry and more likely to make bad choices.  You are not doing yourself any favors by missing meals.

* Alcohol will destroy any program.  I will not say to cut out alcohol from a food plan.  As a matter of fact, there are plenty of studies that have shown that a glass of red wine now and then is good for you.  The problem occurs when you have a glass of wine and it leads to another and another.  Limit yourself to one or two nights a week and you should be fine.

* Salads are okay as long as you pay attention to the dressing.  Find out what a serving size of salad dressing is and you will see how much you should use.  Restaurants never use just one serving.  They use more like 4 servings.  You think you are making good choices, but you are being sabotaged by the people in the kitchen.

So here is this week’s challenge.  Fill out the food log.  CLICK HERE to download a F*R*E*E* copy of our Food Log!  Follow the advice from above and see what happens.
 
If you see a pattern that is counter-productive… break the habit.  Make a deal to trade food-logs with a friend and you will see the areas that get you in trouble.  Once you start to make good decisions you will see how easy a healthy lifestyle is to follow.
 
In future newsletters, I will show you how to cheat accordingly.  For now, make an attempt to eat clean.  Even if you are off the mark, it is probably better than when you really don’t pay attention at all.

Bobby