Members Only - Robaina Fitness Associates!

21 Day Challenge Keys to Success

Dec

2010

Leave a Comment

Follow these guidelines and you’ll maximize your fat burning potential within a three-week window.

If at all possible, attempt this plan when you know you’ll have a reasonably low stress three-week period ahead of you.

Get rid of temptations in your fridge and pantry (but be reasonable if you have a significant other or kids to feed).

Maintain a regular eating schedule eating every 2 ½ to 3 hours, even if initially you don’t feel hungry when mealtime arrives.

Try to eat your meals at the same time each day. You want to train your digestive system to function with consistency.

Do NOT miss any meals or cut back on any meals. Stick to the caloric content provided each day. Cutting back will only negatively affect your fat loss.

Drink lots of water. Water cleanses the body of toxic waste products resulting in accelerated fat loss.

Do not add any outside training or attend 2 bootcamp classes a day trying to speed up your fat loss. You might feel your energy levels drop at first as your body adjusts to the eating plan. You want to avoid putting extra training stress on it. Don’t worry, in no time you’ll feel stronger and better than ever (and look it too)!

Prepare your meals ahead of time. For example, make enough chicken to last a couple days; separate veggies into meal sized portions and pack it in zip lock bags. Cooking that last two or three meals makes it easier to stay on track.

As your metabolism speeds up, so may your hunger pangs at times. Don’t hold out if you’re starving. This will not only begin to slow down the fat burning process, it will most likely lead to you overeating and make it difficult to get back on track. Have a small snack (make sure your snack is something that is on your meal plan).

VERY IMPORTANT: If after your 21 days you still need to burn additional fat and would like to continue the 21 day food strategy, let us know. We can discuss any modifications so your body doesn’t hit a sticking point and continues to improve. This is also the perfect time to learn about our Eat & Be Lean strategy. Eat & Be Lean is a LIFETIME plan. Never go on another diet! EBL will teach you how to eat to maintain a lean, healthy body for life! DO NOT skip this VITAL aspect of the program. Ask us about Eat & Be Lean TODAY.

Filed Under: 21 Day Challenge

Eat & Be Lean 101

Oct

2010

Leave a Comment

Quick Start Tips

These are some of the basics I consider a MUST if you're serious about fat loss. If you’re not familiar with our Eat & Be Lean program, these tips will get you going in the right direction. However, I highly recommend you purchase the video & get started right NOW. It has invaluable information for the lifestyle change you’re looking for.

DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES

Liquid calories add up very quick! After the can of soda, latte, smoothie and cocktail, you already have ingested more calories than some people require in a day. The average margarita has about 500 calories. Even with all the protein and vitamins dropped into smoothies nowadays, they can still pack between 500 to 1000 calories. One can of soda has an equivalent of 11 tbsp of sugar! Your brain doesn't register liquid calories the same way it does calories that are chewed. It doesn't send the signal letting you know, "hey, you're full now you can stop eating". That's why eating a meal that has 1500 calories may have you feeling stuffed and drinking 3-4 margaritas may just make you hungrier. Stay away from juices also. Even if they are all natural and organic. They still have a lot of sugar.

ALWAYS CHOOSE A PROTEIN FIRST

First thing you should do when you're deciding what to eat is choose your protein source. All your meals should revolve around a protein. Even your snacks. If you want to have an apple, have it with protein. Example- apple & cottage cheese or small protein shake. How do you know if it's a protein? If at one point it was walking around, running around or swimming around, it's a protein. Cottage cheese is the only cheese considered a protein. Eggs are protein. And although peanut butter and milk are considered proteins on other programs, here peanut butter is a fat while milk is a carb.

HAVE ONLY ONE CARB SOURCE PER MEAL

You can have rice and beans...just not at the same time. Choose your carb source and stick to just that. And make sure it's roughly the same size as your protein source. Don't have a serving of fish that fits in the palm of your hand while your rice is falling off the plate. For a sandwich, have it with only 1 slice of bread. I use lettuce as the other half of the bun. You could also just opt for a wrap instead of bread.

EAT 5-6 MINI MEALS A DAY

This is very important. Many people try to eat less and cut calories way too much, You CANNOT drop fat like this. You'll lose water weight, muscle and bring your metabolism to almost a complete stand still. For every pound of muscle you lose, your body also starts burning 50-100 calories LESS. Most people who are very overweight are the same people who don't understand why if they only eat 1 -2 meals a day. Doing that sends a message to your body telling it to hold on to as much fat as possible because food is scarce and we don't know when we're going to eat again. That worked during the caveman era when we hunted for our food. Food is everywhere these days. Eat! Let your body absorb the nutrients it needs and eliminate the junk.

A little side note for coffee lovers…

COFFEE- Many of you enjoy coffee as much as I do. Provided you drink it in moderation AND drink it the way I'll describe, coffee will rev up your metabolism. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and causes the body to release a small amount of energy from its fat stores. However, when you add the milk, cream or sugar you cause insulin levels to rise, which diminishes the metabolic effect. Your best bet with coffee is to drink it black. NO cream...NO milk. I like to sprinkle cinnamon in it to add flavor (cinnamon is also good to bring up metabolism and keep insulin levels down). NO sugar. NO equal or spelenda either, both have many risk factors to them. Try stevia. It's a natural herb used for sweetening. You can find it at Whole Foods. I keep a few packets in my purse so I'll be ready when I want my coffee. Another option, use a ready to drink protein shake as your creamer. This turns your cup of coffee from just a drink to one of your mini meals by packing it with protein.

Hunger Busting 3 Bean Chili

Oct

2010

Leave a Comment

Why I like it:

It’s packed with protein and fiber that will keep you satisfied and away from the vending machine. This meal is on the spicy side, which I loveeee. So if you don’t like spice, adjust accordingly. This recipe also includes cinnamon (stabilizes sugar levels) and cayenne pepper (brings up body temperature and metabolism a bit).

What you’ll need:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion

1 lb extra lean ground turkey breast

1 can diced tomatoes with jalapenos

1 10.5 oz can of chickpeas, black beans and kidney beans drained

1 can low-sodium chicken broth

¼ tsp each salt (optional) and cumin

1/8 cinnamon and cayenne pepper

How to make it:

In a large pot, heat oil in medium-low. Add the onion and sauté until soft (3 to 5 minutes). Add turkey and brown it (about 5 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Top with a little bit of low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, if desired. Key world being LITTLE J.

Filed Under: Nutrition

Abs Of Your Dreams…

Aug

2009

Leave a Comment

I’ve been working in the fitness industry going on 6 years now and hands down the most common question I have been asked is, "what’s the best exercise for my abs?"

It’s actually rather simple...The only type exercise for your abs that will make a difference is whatever exercise occupies your hands so you can’t constantly put food in your mouth! Your diet is everything when it comes to Abs.

My goal involving this topic is to infect your mind with the “exercise smart & eat clean” virus. You need to burn that layer of subcutaneous fat you have wrapped around your midsection. Burning fat is roughly 70% eating “clean” and 30% working out “smart”. Doing that in reverse is a whole other story. I don't care if you can do decline sit-ups holding a hippopotamus over your head. If your fitness regimen is more like 70% working out smart and 30% eating clean, you'll never see your superhuman abs.

Another important fact…you can't spot reduce fat. You reduce fat all over your body or you don't lose any fat at all. You have to move your center of gravity through space. What does that mean? Move your BODY! Boost your metabolism by lifting weights and interval training. Lying on the ground and doing a million crunches is going to do more damage to your neck than benefit to your Abs. That would be equivalent to me trying to obtain lean and chiseled legs by sitting and standing off a bar stool. Yes, eventually my legs will get tired, but most likely out of boredom than anything else. You need to treat your Abs like any other muscle in your body. If you want to build them, you need resistance. Using kettle bells, medicine balls and ankle weights will take you light years ahead of standard sit-ups and crunches.

Most people are so over “fat” no amount of abdominal work will make any difference to your abs at all. You need to exercise smart AND eat clean to burn the fat. Exercise alone will not give you the Abs of your dreams. If your food plan sucks, you'll have the Abs of your nightmares.

Filed Under: Abs

Six Foods That Help You Burn Fat

Jun

2009

Leave a Comment

1. Ginger

This root has the spice it takes to get your metabolism running laps. It’s a vasodilator, which means it expands blood vessels to increase body heat and metabolism by as much as 20 percent.

2. Garlic

This spicy bulb is known as a thermogenic, packing enough power to keep insulin levels low to maximize fat-burning and boost metabolism. Garlic also supports a healthy immune system.

3. Plums

Mother Nature’s “eliminator.” Plums are a great source of fiber, which can help keep you regular an important (and often overlooked) piece of your fat-loss puzzle. Just one plum has up to two grams of fiber, or about eight percent of your daily recommended intake (which is around 25 grams per day).

4. Extra-virgin olive oil

Recent study suggests that monounsaturated fats increase the breakdown of fat in fat cells. Also, swapping other fats, like saturated oils and butter, for extra-virgin olive oil is a better, waist-happy option overall. However, keep in mind that it is still fat ( at 9 calories per fat gram) so let's keep it to a tablespoon per serving.

5. Balsamic vinegar

A Harvard study looked at the benefits of this ancient goodness and found that it not only carries essential enzymes to help digestion and boost metabolism, but it’s also a natural appetite suppressant. And if that wasn’t enough, the amino acids in balsamic vinegar have been shown to slow the effects of aging.

6. Spinach

The iron maiden of leafy greens. Spinach is a fat-free way to get a dose of iron to help boost energy when you’re pumping iron at bootcamp. Unlike red meat (which is also packed with iron, but contains fat) spinach is a good choice for vegetarians or people who have a difficult time digesting meat. Not to mention that it’s portable, less expensive and easy to eat on the go.

Filed Under: Nutrition

Chicken V.S Beef

Jun

2009

Leave a Comment

If you’re doing an overall comparison, chicken is the healthiest (skinless of course). Red meat tends to be higher in saturated fat. The bottom line with chicken…ditch the skin and stay away from the wings. If you’re paying close attention to your fat intake, choose the leaner breast.

The only real difference is that red meat contains a high amount of iron. But you can get iron from many sources such as spinach and lentils. Does this mean you should avoid red meat altogether if you’re trying to lean out relatively quick? Nope, you don’t need to take that route if your only concern is fat loss. Just opt for the leaner sources like top sirloin. Buffalo and venison are great alternatives to either chicken or beef. However, when purchasing buffalo ( a.k.a bison) make sure it doesn’t contain any added fat. Anything containing more than 3 grams of saturated fat, has added fat.

Weather you decide on chicken or beef, don’t order it charred (black grill marks). Those grill marks are carcinogenic. Over grilling any protein source creates HCAs (heterocyclic amines) which have been found to cause cancer. If grilling at home, using a marinade will help protect your meat.

And on that note…here’s a chart I found that I thought you all might like to reference when choosing the right protein for your needs.

** THE CHART IS BASED ON A SERVING SIZE OF 4OZ.

TYPE & CUT OF MEAT CAL TOTAL FAT SAT. FAT CHOLESTEROL

Chicken breast 160 2g 1g 93mg

Turkey breast 160 1g 0g 74mg

Chicken wings 329 22g 6g 95mg

Chicken thigh 187 9g 3g 113mg

Ground turkey 120 1g 0g 55mg

Ground chicken 230 15g 5g 169mg

Top sirloin steak 280 16g 7g 100mg

Eye round steak 227 9g 4g 80mg

Brisket steak 387 28g 11g 107mg

Chuck steak 294 22g 11g 93mg

TIP: Careful when buying ground chicken, if it doesn’t say anything on the package, there is a big chance that it contains chicken skin, thighs and all other parts of the chicken that are NOT lean.

Filed Under: Nutrition