Throw some D’s on that……

You know ……like the song. Throw some D’s on that……

Not those D’s……….

Or those………..

Nope still not those…………

Those D’s!!!

When people ask me what supplements are mandatory youll always hear me say protein powder, healthy fats, and vitamin D. Most of the replies I hear are stuff like, “really? vitamin D? like the stuff in milk?!?”

Yes really Vitamin D. More importantly vitamin D3.

I know you’ve heard of vitamin D but why is it so important?

First let me give you a crash course on what it is. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that has different forms. D2 is the plant form and D3 is the animal form.

The sun is another way to get vitamin D and youd think living in texas would give you an overdose of vitamin D. Wrong!

But I get it from being outside- honestly how long are you really outside? Especially with the weather weve been having recently.

But my office has a window and the sun hits me all day- Glass practically blocks all UVB which prevents your body making it.

But I really do spend alot of time outside- If you wear sunscreen or lotion even with as little as spf+15 decreases the amount of vitamin D made in your body by 99%

I eat cheese and milk- Vitamin D does not naturally occur in these foods, theyre fortified with it. Plus most people are allergic to milk. Why would you drink something youre allergic to?

Here are a few cool reasons why you should be taking it-

-Vitamin D deficiancy has been linked to at least 17 different types of cancers

-Parkinsons and alzheimers have been shown to have low levels of vitamin D

-Psoraisis has been linked to low vitamin D

-Low Vitamin D levels may contribute to depression, seasonal affective disorder, and chronic fatigue

-Vitamin D may protect against both types of diabetes

One of my favorite studies showed that mortality was 26% higher in people with low vitamin D. Let me put it backwards, people with great levels of vitamin D were 26% more immortal. That means Vitamin D prolongs life. Hell yea the closer to immortal the better right!!!

This immortal dudes oozing vitamin D

Ok enough of the boring but important reasons. Lets get to the REALLY cool reasons you should.

The Best Reasons-

- A new study by Dr. Shalamar Sibley showed adding vitamin D to a reduced calorie diet may lead to better and faster weight lost. To top it off when there was plenty of vitamin D3 in the body it got rid of excess body fat faster and the abdominal area.  What was even cooler was these same subjects retained muscle while losing fat.

-Insulin sensitivity is correlated with vitamin D3. Since keeping your blood sugar in check is important so is vitamin D3

-Vitamin D3 is needed in order to build muscle strength.

-Studies showed men with lower vitamin D also had lower free testosterone levels.

-Vitamin D plays a role in female fertility and hormone function.

Ok so how much vitamin D should you take?

I reccomend a higher range for athletes anywhere from 5,000 Iu to 7,000 IU. People who workout regularly I like a range from 4,000IU to 6,000 IU. People who dont workout at all should be about 2,000IU to 4,000IU.

To make it easier 4,000IU a day is a good range to shoot for.

That and being outdoors alot more. Sunlight isnt as crazy as the media likes to make it seem.

Maybe its the whole twilight vampire obsession that makes people scared of sunlight.

Spending more time outdoors leads to you being more active. Soak it up!

A common theme ive been seeing alot is people coming up to me saying theyre eating 1200 calories and doing zumba, bootcamp, personal training, bodypump, and crossfit and still not losing weight!

Doing all that with only 1200 calories is a slap on the head! But well leave that for another post, thats not what im gonna talk about today.

So when I ask what they eat for those 1200 calories ill either hear uhh……ummm…..uhh… I dont know. Or ill hear I ate 100 calorie snack pack, and some chips that are only 100 calories, some yogurt, etc.

Acalorie isnt just a calorie. Its like trading a Ferrari for a Fiat. Theyre both cars right? Ladies its like MAC make up or makeup from the gas station across the street………………………(record player stops)

disclaimer-As I feel the need to teach Jen fitness and supplement stuff when we go to GNC, she feels the need to teach me makeup and clothes stuff at the mall.

Moving right along.

So a calorie isnt just a calorie. a 300 calorie meal of chicken and veggies is gonna do more good for you than a 300 calorie meal of cookies and punch.

But lets not focus on calories. I love K.I.S.S.ing   (keep it simple stupid). Keeping things simple so we can have an easier time following them. The only times I would really recommend counting calories is when your job or goal depends on it. For instance a figure competitor or bodybuilder getting ready for a show, a pro athlete, a model getting ready for a shoot etc. Or losing the last 10-15lbs of your goal.

Thats when crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s are necessary. For general fat loss and fitness just following simple rules is perfect.

*Warning*- Dont be fooled by the simplicity of it. Just because its simple and doesnt involve alot of mathwork and big technical words doesnt mean its not effective. Simple does not mean easy.

Ok so here are the rules!

Rule #1- Protein is king. The easiest nutrition plan for fat loss and muscle building is all surrounded my protein. Youll have alot of people tell you different things as far as protein and how much you should have a day.

I still love and have had tons of success with clients and myself with the 1 gram per pound rule. Top physique athletes have 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. Ill stick to the 1 gram rule and ill explain why.

Top physique athletes get paid for being on top. Not only that, theyre energy demands are more than normal not to mention the level of leanness they already are.

Well stick to the 1 gram rule but with a bonus twist. Shoot for 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight you wanna be. For example a male weighing 220 that wants to be a lean 185 would shoot for 190 grams a day. A female weighing 150 that wants to be a lean 130 would shoot for 135 a day.

Now dont go extreme and weigh 200 and wanna be 115 so you shoot for 115 a day. Nope nope it doesnt work that way.

I put it that way so we can adjust the levels according to the results were getting. Shooting for your lean bodyweight gives us some room to up the protein when results start stalling.

So every meal revolves around protein.

Rule #2-  Complete sources of protein. Not every protein is the same and will have the same effect. The 3 grams of protein in a trail mix wont have the same effect as 3 grams of protein from eggs or chicken.

Stick to lean meats like chicken, fish, meat, turkey, eggs etc. The list goes on. NO SOY!!!!!!!!

Vegetarians have trouble with this issue so there are ways around this like finding complete sources of protein from veggie types like quinoa, ezekiel bread, etc.

I wont go into protein sources too much with that one because its been said a million times and fingers are starting to cramp from typing.

On another note to keep your fingers from cramping I strongly recommend you exercise them like this.

Rule#3 Going green! The Hulk had it right, go green! Veggies should be the next thing added to your plate at every meal. Now when I say veggies I mean fruits too. I know fruits arent veggies but like to place carbs in 2 categories. Fibrous being one, and everything else being the other.

Any kind of veggies, the more variety in color the better.

As far as fruits throw them in the mix too. I would cut them out around 1pm or 2pm. Your body should be downshifting by then doesnt need any extra sugar. After all we are trying to get lean right.

Hulks was pissed when he found out those green things in the background were only trees, not broccoli.

Rule#4- Stachy Carbs. If youre training hard with resistance (weights or bodyweight) starchy carbs are needed. But choose them wisely and sparingly. On any other plan these would be ok the play around with, but if the goal is fat loss use them sparingly.

These carbs are the fuel to your workouts and muscles. The trick with these is timing.

The best time to have these is first thing in the morning for breakfast. And around workout times meaning pre, during , and post. ALWAYS HAVE CARBS POST WORKOUT.

These types include old fashioned oats, steel cut oats, sweet potatoes (my personal favorite), white potatoes, brown rice.

Men should have 150-200 grams of carbs per day, majority being after workout

Women should have 100-130 grams of carbs per day, majority being after workout

Heres an awesome recipe for a great postworkout meal from the Gourmet Nutrition cookbook that will keep you sane on these low carb days.

(photo courtesy of Precision Nutrition)

Banana Cream Pie Oatmeal

Ingredients
Low-fat milk or almond milk 1 cup
Coconut milk ¼ cup
Old fashioned large flake oats ½ cup
Water ¼ cup
Vanilla protein (equal to 25 g protein) 1 scoop
Banana (sliced) ½

Serving Size
Serves 2 large or 4 small.

Preparation Time
3 min. Preparation Time
10 min. Cooking Time

Introduction
This recipe combines fresh bananas and coconut milk – a beverage made from the meat of mature coconut. Packed with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal agents, coconut milk is not only delicious; it’s also very good for you. If you like the taste of piña coladas, you’ll love this oatmeal recipe.

Instructions
In a small pot bring milk and coconut milk to a boil over medium heat. Add the oats. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until milk is absorbed (approximately 7-10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Combine 1?4 cup of water with protein in a separate bowl. Mix with a fork until protein is dissolved. For a smoother consistency, mix powder with water in blender or food processor and blend until protein is dissolved. Pour protein mixture and bananas over oatmeal and serve. Serves 2 large or 4 small.

Variations and Options
If you like your oatmeal softer, add 2-4 tablespoons of extra water to the pot before adding oats. If you are lactose intolerant or wish to avoid dairy, replace the 1 cup of milk with 1 cup of water and ½ scoop of protein powder or 1 cup of almond milk. Alternatively, you can substitute with non-cow’s-milk dairy (e.g. goat’s milk, yogurt). For a creamier mixture, instead of mixing the protein with ¼ cup of water, try combining the protein with ¼ cup of apple sauce or yogurt. If you’d like your oatmeal to be infused with banana flavor, add ½ cup of mashed banana once the oatmeal has simmered for 5 minutes. Then continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes or so.

Nutritional Information
(per serving)     large     small
Calories (k/cal)     523.1     261.6
Fat (g)     16.7     8.3
Saturated (g)     11.5     5.7
Monounsaturated (g)     1.4     0.7
Polyunsaturated (g)     1.2     0.6
omega-3 (g)     0.3     0.1
omega-6 (g)     0.9     0.5
Carbohydrates (g)     53.9     26.9
fiber (g)     6.1     3.1
sugars (g)     14.0     7.0
Protein (g)     39.4     19.7

Rule #5- Refeed. At the beginning of a lean phase you should refeed at least once a week. I call it cheat days or refeed, you can call it whatever you like. Choose one day (mines saturdays) and bring up carb levels with some foods youve been craving. Im not saying go all out eat whatever you want all day.

Choose one meal time and eat whatever you want then. I have a list that I write of everything im gonna eat on that meal, its another tip to keep you sane during the week. Read about it here DEFERRED EATING

Once youve been eating clean for a while and start getting leaner, these refeed days can be every 4 or 5 days. Yay for more muscle!

Theres alot of science about this involving leptin and how it boosts metabolism and fat loss but again my fingers hurt so another day.

Rule#6 – Eat 4- 6 meals a day. Now this has had a ton of debate and over time my thoughts on this have moved around a little. With this centuries crazy lifestyle eating all those meals isnt always possible. Honestly I feel you can get away with the same old 3 meals a day as long as the meal size stays with the target your shooting for the day (obviously more food in those 3).

Notice 2 key words on that statement, isnt always possible, and you can get away with. Isnt always possible is true, but where theres a will theres a way. And get away with isnt ideal, once you find out you can get away with something, you wanna find out what else you can get away with.

So try to stick with the 4-6 meal rule. If needed 2 or 3 of those meals can be liquid meals in shake form, ta da!!! You cant tell me you dont have 5 seconds to chug a shake. Gets you closer to your college days. Except the end result is a more muscle less fat, instead of a hangover and a stomach that hides your feet when you look down. Thumbs up for maturity!

Rule#7- Meal timing. First thing is to eat some sort of protein within 30 mins of waking up. This small tip alone will help boost results. Especially if its in protein shake form.

Meals should be every 3-4 hours.

Let me give you a scenario I like to say alot.

If I leave you stranded on an island and I feed you at 8 am then I feed you at 10pm. After doing this for 3 days what are you going to do?

Duh save some of the food because you know im not gonna feed you till 10pm. So why should your body be any different. If youre body digests its food and knows its gonna be fed soon, then theres no reason why it should store fat for energy.

If you eat 1 or 2 meals a day way spaced apart I dont care if its the healthiest meal it wont be enough to cover your bodies energy needs so its gonna store some. Its meant to survive.

Rule#8- Write it down. Write your stuff down so you can have something to follow off of. What can be measured can be improved, I dont know who said that its true.

Tracking everything you eat keeps you on track and also gives you a reference. Say 2 months ago your energy was great and you felt your leanest and you dont feel that way this week. You can always look back and see what you were eating differently and how that helped.

Learning how your body reacts to certain things is the best thing to do.

Rule#9- Make it a habit! If after you reach your goal you go back to your normal eating. Dont freak out when you go back to your normal weight.

Make it a habit, you didnt do all that work for nothing!

There you have it! Follow those 9 and lean muscle will be thine. (When you say it, say mine instead of thine it sounds way better)

Just as things are starting to calm down here at HQ other crazy things pop up like the texas fires. I hope everyone around there is safe.

This weekend Im heading out to vegas for a seminar and spending some time with one of my mentors. I feel blessed to have mentors that I can easily reach out to whenever I have a question or want to learn more.

Sometimes after a long day my minds always racing and that doesnt let me get alot of sleep. So I turn to the first thing that I love doing but know itll knock me out quick……reading. I love to read, only thing is if its late at night ill only get to about the 3rd page before I K.O.

Last night I was reading some old nutrition texts that I have and read a sentence that I thought was the best out of the entire book!

It said “good nutrition is honest and outcome based.”

Its like one of those sayings that stick with you. An old powerlifting coach of mine used to tell me everyday before I entered the gym “leave your ego at the door!”. Youre not here to show off your here to perform better.

“good nutrition is honest and outcome based” is one of those sayings.

Its true! If your nutrition is really on point then you should be getting results. If you say I eat clean but Im still overweight. Or my nutrition is great Im just not getting results. Chances are your nutrition isnt that great.

At least he’s honest

Whats the best way to find out?

Self awareness. Being honest and self awareness are a pain in the ass but youll be surprised how great it works. Why do you think keeping a food journal is one of the best ways to keep you on track.

If you really need even more self awareness then take it a step further and take a picture of each meal, sometimes you dont really eat what you think you do. At the end of the day writing down what you ate changes, a 4 oz turkey patty and 1/2 cup of brown rice turns into a 4oz turkey patty with cheese and fries and 1 1/2 cups of brown rice. Taking a picture of it wont change. Youll see exactly what you ate.

What you thought you ate

What you really ate

It helps show the difference of what you thought you ate and what you really ate. You dont really have a good idea of what you eat or do unless you journal it.

This tiny tweak can help you big time! If you have a smart phone then its even easier.

My favorite app of all time is Evernote !

For someone as unorganized as me this is perfect. You can create different journals and folders. I have one for my workouts, one for my nutrition, and so on.

The coolest part is if I can use it on my phone or if im on my laptop I can use it there. So I dont have to wait till after a meal to go to my journal and write it down. I can do it then and there.

Ive learned that anything that deals with me writing physically is a pain. Im not sure why maybe its the new age where texting is 100x faster but the actual process of writing is a hassle. So evernote helps me get around that.

Not only that but it uploads pictures, videos, music, recordings ect. So if I dont have time to write what I eat ill take a picture and upload it to my nutrition folder. If I have an idea for an article or workout ill voice record it and upload it. Easy!

Make this a habit and watch the results pour in

Just real quick here are 2 cool replacement ideas!

Im all for eating healthy and making it taste good. Especially at the start of clean eating when its hard to stay away from your favorite foods. So instead of completely removing some of your favorite meals or snacks and going cold turkey, try replacing it with a similar healthy option.

These 2 recipes are some common ones I get asked about alot so I decided to put them here on the blog.

The first one is a pizza replacement. Pizza is #1 when it comes to junk food you cant stay away from. I know me personally I love eating 2 of the tostinos hamburger pizzas on my cheat days. So me and Jen decided to try and find a way to make it healthier. The main ingredient that makes it healthy is a pita bread I found at the HEB here is the exact one I use

WARNING: IM NOT THE BEST CHEF, IF I CAN MAKE IT YOU CAN MAKE IT. SO IM PRETTY SURE IF YOU TWEAK THIS YOU CAN MAKE ONE THAT TASTES GREAT TO YOU.

Ingredients:

Thin pita bread

Ground beef (or sirloin), turkey pepperoni, or turkey sausage

Any kind of good tasting pasta sauce (I choose garlic and onions pasta sauce)

Some mozzarella cheese

Real bacon bits

Directions- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On one pan start cooking your ground beef with whatever seasoning you like. As soon as its done grab one of the pitas and spread the pasta sauce all over it, a couple of tablespoons is usually good enough. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese over it and top it with your cooked meat. Then sprinkle some bacon bits to finish it off and stick it in the oven for 6-10 min.

The meats already cooked and the pita’s thin so it wont take long in the oven.

Its one of my favorite recipies.

1 pita has only 10 grams of carbs and 7 grams of protein. Along with your choice of meat brings the protein count up to a good count. Not bad.

The Second recipe is one for all you Starbucks lovers. Ive heard this scenario countless times. “I dont eat breakfast, I dont have time. But I have to have my Starbucks frappucino I cant give that up”. Starbucks is awesome, but is it healthy every day? Nope.

So lets see if we can mimick the Frapp to make it healthy. Ive tried this recipe out and actually tastes pretty good. Dont forget the main ingredient

Heres what you do.

Ingredients:

1 scoop chocolate protein (I use wheybolic extreme)

1 cup almond milk

1 packet of mocha starbucks via

3 tablespoons of stevia

1 teaspoon of raw unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups of ice.

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend it up.

Side note- Most starbucks frapps have double strength coffee in them so if needed put 1 1/2-2 packets of starbucks via.

20 grams of protein and low carb sugar free.

Test it out let me know what you think.

Also if you have any healthy replacements please comment and share them below!

Check out 3 of my favorite words of advice 2 of them from unlikely sources.

Comedian Kat Williams- so what she/he keeps talking about you and hating on you. What do you think a ‘hater’s’ job is..to hate. If you have someone hating on you right now you better think of how to get five more people hating by Christmas. You need haters to make you stronger..without haters most people wouldn’t try to become better. Just tell them “bitch you just hate me because you can’t be me..”

Sir Richard Branson- One of the best entrepreneurs out there. The dude owns his own island. When asked by a group of the worlds top minds. “What is your best tip for productivity?” His answer, “Workout” “When we exercise our body releases endorphins, which are known for being able to produce a feeling of well-being. Which leads to a clearer mind and the ability to focus. Which leads to increased productivity.”

And my personal favorite

Zig Ziglar- “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

Also a quick bonus. I got this recipe from Jason Ferruggia awesome stuff. If you have a sweet tooth try this one. (I promise itll look way better than my protein bars)

Raw Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients
• 2 bananas
• ½ cup dates
• ¼ cup carob or cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Directions
Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Let chill in refrigerator for 60 minutes before serving. If you wanted it to be a little sweeter you could always add a little organic honey to taste.

I wanna share with ya a great protein bar recipe I found online. Its great because its quick and easy. Im not the best chef in the world so for me to do it was great!

If you have a sweet tooth try this along with the protein ice cream recipe I gave you a while back.

Heres the recipe with some modifications-

Makes 5 Bars
Ingredients
* – 8 scoops chocolate protein powder
* – 1 cup oatmeal
* – 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
* – 3 tbsp honey
* – 1/2 cup 1% milk ( you can use almond milk or coconut milk, I used milk to add a bit more calories)

* – 3 tbsp crushed peanuts

I also added 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, and I also didnt use the honey. You can take if off  or leave it depending if youre craving sweets.

Directions
* 1. Mix together the protein powder, oatmeal, peanut butter, honey and milk.
* 2. Form into 5 bars and then roll in the crushed peanuts to finish.
* 3. Place in the fridge for about 30 mins

Nutritional Facts (Per Serving – 1 Bar)
* Calories: 452
* Protein: 50g
* Carbohydrates: 36g
* Fat: 12g

I cut the servings in half to make 8-10 bars instead of 5. It let me have more servings, I just eat 2 if I need more protein.

Heres the new nutritional facts

calories- 226        protein-25 grams        carbs-18grams            fat-6grams

So if youre looking to gain weight use the first serving, if youre looking to lose weight use the second serving size.

A quick tip about the bars. Try to shape them into a bar shape. I just rolled them up like I was playing with play-dough and they did not look good. They tasted good but they looked funky. How do I say it without sounding gross……..

They look like Mr. Hanky from south park. Oh well.

let me know how you liked them. Ill be on the lookout for more

Ok so let me tell you why sometimes I think im a little weird. You see alot of people watch all sorts of crazy stuff.

From x rated movies to racy tv shows. Like that show called SKINS, I know alot of parents who are upset about it. Anyways let me just go ahead and spit it out………

Where as some people watch that and get excited. I like to watch the food network and shows like MAN VS FOOD. Well call it food porn if you will.

Before you go and think I get “excited” about that ill tell you why I think its awesome and how itll actually help you. See everytime I watch the food network and all these cool foods that arent in my normal eating pop up I write it down and imagine myself eating it.

I write it down on my list. Usually saturday is my “cheat day” (everyone should have one, not only will it help with fat burning if done right itll keep you sane). I have 1 huge cheat meal where anything goes. So I have a notebook where during the week I write down any and everything I wanna eat. Last saturday was fruit tart from madeline, pizza hut, mongolian beef, potstickers, and tres leches cake. Yes I eat all of that in one sitting. Ill talk about cheat days and how they help another day.

This is what I look like on a saturday

Writing your cravings down is basically deferred eating. Think of a post dated check. You know youll get the money its just at a different date.

It helps by 2 ways

1. Its a reward. By doing great during the week and not messing up you know that you will have that on your “cheat day”
2. Knowing that it will happen soon keeps you from reaching in the pantry and eating cookies or anything similar to what youre craving.

Try it for 1 week. Write down on a little journal all the little cravings you have. At the end of the week or whenever you choose to have your meal reward yourself with some of the things on the list or all of them.

Now the key word is REWARD. It is a reward if you work hard and eat clean. So enjoy it, dont feel guilty, dont feel like you have to do a 30 mile run after it. Just be happy and enjoy it.

Now if your nutrition is not on point and your not working out like you should dont use this as an excuse to stuff yourself. Ive seen it countless times where someones eats shitty during the week, throws in 2 workouts, and “deserves” a cheat day. Again if youre not busting ass during the week dont worry about this. Dont tell your friends Jonathan told me to. Same applies if you eat like shit and workout hard.

YOU CANT OUTRAIN A BAD DIET

Now write your post dated check and let me know how it helped.

Hope youre weekend went great! Its MONDAY and its time to start rockin!!!!!

YUMMY

So today im gonna show you 2 of my favorite protein bars thatll help you without giving up great tasting stuff

Nobody wants to eat chalky tasting protein bars.

Let me know what you think

So lately ive been going 100mph getting our stone location up and running! Its going great, its good to see everyones faces again.

Anyways yea lately its been so crazy that sometimes I forget to pack up some of my meals for the day.  And with Jen being so busy as well shes not able to help me out sometimes

Luckily almost across the street from our stone oak location a NEW “restaurant” has arrived. I put restaurant in quotes because its different then your normal restaurant. First of all its completely healthy which is a plus and second its convinient. Its called My Fit Foods.

So I got Chelsea from My Fit Foods to do a quick interview for us. Here we go

What makes my fit foods different from other “healthy” restaurants? And what kind of ingredients do you guys use?

            What sets My Fit Foods apart from other “healthy” restaurants is that our meals are all pre-packaged and pre-portioned. All of the food in each of the meals is weighed and measured by the kitchen staff. We use 90 percent or leaner protein, low glycemic carbohydrates, and heart healthy fats. There are no added preservatives, fillers, or refined sugars. All the ingredients we use in our meals are always fresh; we don’t freeze anything. We also try to avoid the major food allergens such as wheat, soy, gluten, and dairy. The front-of-house is more than knowledgeable about which foods contain these allergens. Another great thing about My Fit Foods is that we have a nutritional consultant on staff if you have any questions about the meals or appropriate portion sizes.

Where do the recipies come from? Is there set recipies or are they made by the genius chef in the back?

            The menu items we have at My Fit Foods were all created by Mario and Anthony, the two owners. We have a set recipe book that was recently redone and modified by our corporate nutritionist, Meg McCall. All of the stores use the exact same recipes. We have a set menu, but occasionally we will have weekly specials which are not on the menu. These items are created by Manny and Clara, our two kitchen managers.

How does My fit foods work? How do you order or know what to order?

            All of our meals are made fresh daily in our kitchen. There is no need to order. You can just walk in and grab what you need out of the coolers. If you would like your meals all bagged and ready for you when you walk in, then contact the nutritional consultant at your my Fit Foods location. The consultant will place all pre-orders for you and give you personalized dietary recommendations!

Can I take the meals home with me and how long do they last?

            Yes, all of the meals are pre-packaged and pre-portioned for you. Customers can come in and pick out as many meals as they need. You can stick them in your refrigerator at home or work and just microwave them when you are ready to eat. There is a 4-5 day shelf-life on our meals, and all of the best by dates are listed on the labels.

Is there a way to see how many calories im eating or the macronutritient breakdown?

            Of course! All of the calories and macronutrients are listed on the labels. This information can also be found on our website. We try to stick with a 40/40/20 macronutrient breakdown. What this means is that 40 percent of your daily calories are coming from low glycemic carbohydrates, 40 percent of your calories from lean protein, and 20 percent from heart healthy fats.

In your opinion whats the best dish yall serve? (can you list some of yalls popular dishes?) I like the salmon stir fry

            All of our meals are great, and it just depends on personal preference. These are the meals that are always very popular:

            Breakfast: Good Morning Sunshine, Breakfast Tacos

            Lunch: Lean Lemon Turkey, Turkey Pasta

            Dinner: Denyse’s Killah Chili, Chicken Berry Salad, Gimme More Chicken Salad

I noticed you guys have nutrition experts there on hand to help people choose the right meals, thats awesome! Howd you come up with that idea?

            There is a nutrition consultant at every My Fit Foods location. Each consultant is corporately trained and knowledgeable of all the items sold at the store. They will help you with any questions or concerns you have regarding the meals. If you want the consultant can create a meal plan for you and get you started on a 21 Day Challenge.

Who thought of this idea and where did yall come from, SA’s been needing this for a while?

            Mario Medias is the founder of the company. He was a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness, and his clients were not getting the results they wanted due to dietary intake. Mario decided to start cooking healthy meals for his clients which eventually expanded into a catering kitchen. As the business grew, he created the My Fit Foods concept. We have been in Texas for four years now. There are currently fifteen locations in Houston, four in Austin, three in Dallas, and two in San Antonio.

Are you planning on other locations?

            Our first two locations in San Antonio are at Stone Oak and the Quarry. We are currently looking into other locations but nothing has been set in stone yet.

Hopefully one on I10

What is the 21 Day Challenge?

            For the 21 Day Challenge, you will sit down for a free hour long consultation with the nutrition consultant. During this consultation, you will learn eating behaviors to promote a healthy lifestyle. Your consultant will create an individualized meal plan for you according to your personal goals. During the 21 days, you will be eating five meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks). Your meals will be ordered for you by your consultant, and all you have to do is stop in the store twice a week to pick-up. Mention this ad and get your first day of food free when you open a house account.

For a free consultation please contact:

Stone Oak Location

Chelsea Davey

832-724-2359

chelsea.davey@myfitfoods.com

The Quarry Location

Katie Davidson

281-841-8529

katie.davidson@myfitfoods.com      

Awesome well thanks again for everything Chelsea, youll see us there mon wed and fri now

If you have any questions regarding the restaurant and the cool stuff they have feel free to call them or send them an email. Hopefully well see more of these pop up here in SA.

P.S. We were able to twist their arm enough to give a discount of 10% off from now till Oct. 31st!

Just mention this blog post and they’ll take care of ya

That’s all great. But whats the use of having all the home gym tools in your home if you don’t have all the tools you need in your kitchen?

If your kitchen isn’t stocked with all the fat burning tools you need then your not getting anywhere.

Now im gonna show you the top 9 tools you need to burn fat.

Before I tell you which ones i’m gonna give you a heads up. Wether you count calories or not you should be measuring something. How else are you gonna know what goes in your body. If you need to eat 185-200 grams of protein a day then how are you gonna know if you don’t measure things? One way or another you are going to have to measure or count something. It doesn’t mean you have to be paranoid and count every little thing. Just remember this : You may not count calories or measure food, but your body does!

1. A Food Scale- This goes down to the whole measuring thing. Im not a big fan in counting calories and living by numbers in that sense. But I am a big fan in knowing what’s going in my body. I know that a 4oz chicken has more or less 20 grams of protein then I know I need to add another ounce or 2.
2. A Really Cool Knife- A trusty sharp knife by your side is always needed to cut up your meals.
3. A Really Cool Pan- I bought the Green Pan a couple of weeks ago and it’s awesome (especially cause I would burn most of the stuff).
4. A Cookbook- It’s great to have a good cookbook in your kitchen to battle bland boredom. Choose a healthy one like The Eat Clean Diet, or my favorite Gourmet Nutrition by Precision nutrition.
5. A Bunch of Tupperwear- If you’re gonna be cooking in bulk then you need somewhere to put it right.
6. Fruits- Having fruits in your nutrition plan helps you battle fat.
7. Digestive Enzymes-They help you assimilate all the nutrients in your food.
8. Veggies-You need veggies in your diet, nuff said.
9. Quick snacks- Wether its beef jerky, rice cakes, or protein bars.You can’t control everything in life so when you’re on the go, at least you have snacks ready.

 Having these little tools will help you a ton in your quest for fat loss.

Bonus Tip: An extra tool I like to use is one of those Rocket Blenders. It’s the same thing as the Magic Bullet but i’m able to hold more liquid and stuff in the rocket. It’s great for on the go food like shakes.

Now go load up your kitchen with your new Fat Loss Arsenal!