Archive for Diets
6 Quick Protein Enriched Meals For Your Fitness Success
Posted by: | CommentsA lot of people look at dinner as a chore, like doing laundry. But take it for what it really is: an opportunity to stoke your fat burners, awaken your senses, even feed your soul. Why settle for lack-luster takeout when you can cook one of these 6 amazing meals in less time than it takes to have a pizza delivered? These dishes are a protein powerhouses, fueled by everything from bacon to beans, so they’re primed to beef up your metabolism. But don’t read them as formal recipes. Think of them as road maps that can steer you in delicious directions. So take charge of the dinner hour — the best time of the day, if you work it right.
Note: Use 12 to 16 ounces of meat or fish in recipes that don’t specify amounts.
1. Chicken Braised in Soy Sauce and Lemon
Brown bone-in chicken pieces in a few tablespoons olive oil. Remove them and stir in some chopped garlic. Add the minced zest of a lemon, a pinch of cayenne, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/3 cup water; stir. Add the chicken, cover, and simmer. Turn the pieces once; the dish will be done in about 15 minutes. Add lemon juice and more soy sauce to taste.
2. Grilled Chicken with Pesto Sauce
To make the pesto, puree 2 cups fresh basil, 1 garlic clove, a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, and 1/2 cup olive oil in a blender or food processor. Season 1 pound chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Grill them, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Paint with pesto and serve.
3. Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Cut boneless chicken thighs into 11/2″ chunks. Shake on salt and pepper. Thread onto skewers and grill about 12 minutes. To make the sauce, combine the minced zest and juice of a lime, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, a pinch of cayenne, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, and 1 chopped onion.
4. Chicken with Citrus Sauce
To make the sauce, warm the zest and juice of a lemon, plus the sections of another lemon, an orange, and a grapefruit, in a pan. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, a small minced onion, salt, and pepper. Rub boneless chicken with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Broil or grill. Serve with the citrus sauce.
5. Chicken Tikka with Yogurt Sauce
Cut boneless chicken into 1″ chunks. Combine with 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup ground cashews, and a teaspoon each ground cardamom, ground coriander, minced ginger, and minced garlic. Remove from the marinade, and grill until it’s brown and cooked through. To make the sauce, mix 1 cup yogurt with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and some lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve with the chicken.
6. Broiled Chicken Breasts with Cilantro and Lime
Combine 3 tablespoons peanut oil, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 tablespoon chopped shallot, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and some salt and pepper. Spread half in a pan and add the chicken; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the remaining mixture. Broil until cooked through. Garnish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.
So I hope that this helps! Remember that we should utilize dinner time as a rebuilding and replenishing tool. All the time that we use in the gym is not meaningful until we nourish what we broke down!
Keep Goin’
Matt Harshfield
Healthy Tuna Salad Recipe
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome back everyone! Recently a friend of mine was telling me about the tuna salad recipe he has come up with and i knew then that i would want him to share it with us over here at the site. So when i asked him if he would share this healthy tuna recipe with me he was okay with it, so here ya have it, a healthy,tasty, tuna salad recipe.
Great Resource For Weight Loss Help
Posted by: | CommentsTake a look over my shoulder as i run you through how to use the resources at MyPyramid.gov, this is a great resource that we should all be using or at least use once so you will gain some knowledge in the Nutrition Department. Come take a look….
Well guys i hope this video was helpful. I recommend you go to the site MyPyramid.gov and create a profile and keep a food journal for at least 3 days, then go to the site and enter in all the food and drink you consumed so you can see how you did in all the areas besides just counting calories. It will help you with your weight loss plan, i promise. Now remember this all calories are not created equally that is why i want you to do more than just count calories…. I’ll explain what i mean by this in my next post. Until next time.
Get Goin’
DTLW
5 Simple Weight Loss Tips
Posted by: | CommentsSometimes in the battle against weight loss you may become frustrated and lose your focus. Also, their is the case every so often where the beginner doesn’t know where to begin. 
In light of these scenarios and any other case that you might find yourself in i want to share with you 5 simple weight loss tips.
1. Eat a healthy wholesome breakfast as i outlined in this previous post here. Try to keep it with a balanced mix of carbs, fats and protein.
2. Try to consume 2-3 whole eggs per day. I outlined the reasons why in a previous post here.
3. Exercise at a moderate-high intensity for 30-45 minutes 3-5 times per week.
4. Eat very light at night, especially the last 2 hours before sleep. Keep all carbs minimal in the evening time and sugar as well.
5. Get a good nights rest. Most scientific studies recommend 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night.
I hope these 5 simple weight loss tips will help you with your weight loss goals. 
Get Goin’
DTLW
The Whole Egg??
Posted by: | CommentsI was doing some research online about eating eggs and the benefits that can be derived from their consumption. It lead me to some good findings. Here is a quote from one study, Going to work on a couple of eggs might be the way forward if you want to drop those unwanted pounds.
“According to new research from the Rochester Centre for Obesity in America, eating eggs for breakfast could help to limit your calorie intake throughout the rest of the day, by more than 400 calories.” Now that is a serious caloric shift, 400 calories times 7 days a week =2800 calories which is almost 1 pound in just one week and if you include some quality exercise during that week you will easily lose over 1 pound.
So after most people read that, they will hopefully immediately run to the store and purchase some eggs and begin eating at least 2 eggs per day. You might now be confused as whether or not to eat the whole egg or just the egg white? The answer is simple and don’t ever forget it…. EAT THE WHOLE EGG! The yolk of the egg is where all the vitamins and minerals are located and the healthy fats that help our brain and body function much more efficiently. Here is a good article on that topic by Mike Geary http://www.truthaboutabs.com/whole-eggs-or-egg-whites.html.
Now that we have those obstacles taken care of i want you to know which eggs are the best for you. There are two things i want you to look for when buying eggs.
1. Purchase the “Organic” and “Cage Free” variety. One reason is all you have to do is see some of the images or videos online of certain farms where these hens are packed on top of each other in a tiny cage and fed a diet of grains only.
2. Look for the eggs that say they are fed a vegetarian diet or mixed diet of veggies and some grains. This will ensure a much healthier hen that will produce eggs with a much higher omega-3 ratio. Here is a good article on which kinds of eggs to buy and why. http://dustinmaherfitness.com/2010/02/25/the-healthiest-eggs-to-buy/.
Guys i hope this post clears things up a bit in terms of eggs. Key things i want you to remember are…
1. Eating eggs = weight loss
2. When buying eggs look for “cage free” and “organic” or “with omega 3′s”.
3. When eating the eggs eat the Whole Egg!!! And begin to lose weight!
Get Goin’
p.s. here is the one of our fellow fitness professional Mike Geary’s Truth About Abs product that has helped thousands of men and women tighten up their midsection. We here at Do This Lose Weight support his product.
Disregard*** FN4QC6ZRBTT9
Don’t Eat Subways Free Breakfast and Snack on This
Posted by: | CommentsI’m sure all of you have seen it and so have I. The fast food giant Subway is now serving breakfast and i am sure that the rumors are true and they are offering some kind of buy one get one free breakfast deal or something to that effect. My thoughts on that real quick are this A) good for them because after all this is America and they have the right to offer there products and services to anybody and everybody and yes i do love the American dream along with the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. B) Although Subway may be attempting to offer up a healthy (err) breakfast option it is still going to be full of simple carbohydrates, ample saturated fat and void of any fiber, with the end result being a supposedly healthy (err) breakfast without any of the truly healthy stuff. That is all i want to say about that. So what i did was throw together this video on my breakfast smoothie of choice most mornings. And here it is…..
And if you want to see the health benefits and why to consume this snack often then click here.
Guys i hope you try that out sometime and love it every bit as much as i do!
Get Goin’
5 Rules for a Healthy Diet Plan
Posted by: | CommentsHey guys and gals i hope your St. Patrick’s day is filled with fun, excitement and maybe a beer or two or three. But when the day of drinking is over and gone i hope you can return to your healthy eating and drinking diet plan. But if you are off the healthy path and are looking for a healthy diet plan to follow then you have come to the right place, today i want to share with you 5 amazingly simple rules to follow that i guarantee will have you on a healthy diet plan that you can follow forever. So throw out that fad diet book or article you just read about and lets get down to the fundamental guidelines that every healthy diet plan should include.
1. Eat breakfast every day. End of story, no excuses. It could be eggs and oatmeal with fresh fruit which is what i would say is probably the best choice, however if you are one who is always hitting the snooze button until the last minute then you could try a smoothie recipe that i also like when i too am pressed for time, check it out here . Bottom line is that if you want to lose weight, feel great, be healthy and look good then breakfast is an absolute must every single day.
2. Eat 3-5 servings of fruits per day, and a minimum of 4 servings of vegetables each day as well. As for the fruits, try to consume them earlier in the day as they tend to have an effect on blood glucose levels which is a key component in fat storage. But remember this good tip veggies are your “builders” and fruits are your “cleansers”. 
I don’t want to go too far into detail about which fruits or veggies are best and why and how, just know that you will have the upper hand against weight loss when you consume these on a daily basis. However if you want to know more about the glycemic index of various foods then check out this great resource here.
3. Consume lean meats such as fish, turkey, tuna, chicken, bison meat, steak and lean beef on a daily basis. Keep the red meat consumption to 1-2 times daily and try not to consume meat at every meal. Now when i say that i mean for you to not eat meat in between meals where you are just having a snack to hold you over until your next meal.
4. Which leads me straight into this rule that any healthy diet plan should include. Snack wisely, and snack often. It is proven that if you eat smaller meal portions with a snack in between meals you will have your metabolism always firing which will not only lead to greater amounts of fat loss, but it will also preserve your lean muscle mass, and you will have much more sustained energy levels; on a side note i hate when i overeat or eat the wrong foods and that resulting energy crash just takes me down and there is not a single thing i can do about it until my body restores its metabolic balance. Great snack ideas would be low on the sugar and low on high glycemic index carbs, have a decent amount of healthy fat and a small amount of protein. Examples are almonds, pecans, walnuts, low fat yogurt, string cheese, low-fat low-sugar milk, whole wheat whole-grain crackers, turkey,maybe some berries, etc… Remember snack wise, snack often.
5. And the final rule to a healthy diet plan is to include a cheat day or cheat meal periodically. If you do this and are not too tough on yoursdelf you will find it much easier to stay on this healthy diet plan which correspondingly leads to a healthy lifestyle. The important thing to remember is that if you do allow yourself a cheat day you must get back on the bandwagon the following day or you will lose momentum and get sucked back down the path that you so desperately were trying to get away from when you started eating healthy. So allow yourself to enjoy those cravings but remember consistency will win the battle.
Do you have any other tips for weight loss?? Please share them with us.
Also click here for a proven weight loss solution program!
Get goin’
Jeff
What to eat before a workout?
Posted by: | CommentsHey guys and gals today i wanted to talk with you about what you should eat before a workout. There is a ton of information and dis-information out there as well. So in light of this topic i wanted to share with you a great article i recently read pertaining to workout tips and great pre-workout ideas. This article is written by a good friend of mine, certified personal trainer Jamal Yusuf of JamalYusufTraining.com. So without any further rambling on my behalf, here is the article.
Ladies and Gents,
Happy New Year, Feliz Navidad, etc etc. It’s 2010, and time for us to take our fitness goals to the next level. Right?! And to help you get there, I wanted to make sure you are putting the right fuel in before you get going.
The age old questions…
- Was the world really created in 7 days?
- Who really shot JFK?
- What came first, the chicken or the egg?
- What should I eat before a workout?
While, the answer to some of those questions might not ever be answered, rest easier because the answer to one of them is here. Egg…and the workout one!
The closer to your workout, the smaller the snack. If you have an early morning workout…like 5:30am (Katelyn)…the smaller you want to keep that pre-workout meal because it is not enough time to digest a big healthy breakfast. A bananna or grapefruit would be an ideal snack. Also, the closer to “sweat time”, keep the meal more carbohydrate based than fat or protein. Carbs get digested in the small intenstine, whereas fats and protein get digested in the stomach. So basically the snacks heavy in fat and protein are going to cause indigestion and cramping, so keep away from alot of fat and or protein.
Here are 5 easy suggestions…
- Celery and peanut butter – Take some celery sticks and fill in the grooves with almond or peanut butter. The celery has fiber and nutrients (including calcium and vitamin A) and only 6 calories per medium stalk. The nut butter has just enough protein and fat, providing great “slow-release” energy for a solid consistent feeling workout.
- Apples and almonds – the apple is an awesome pre-workout snack because it has just the right amount of sugar, plus the pectin fiber slows the entrance of sugar into the bllodstream (not to mention vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants). Throw in some almonds for a source of fat and protein and you are good to go (this will also slow down the sugar into the body, keeping energy sustained).
- Whey protein – whey protein is great because it is the easiest protein for your body to breakdown, plus it supports the immune system by providing building blocks for glutathione, one of the body’s most important antioxidant. According to one French study, eating whey protein before exercise supports fat burning and may help with gaining or maintaining lean body mass. My favorite whey to prepare the whey (I know its misspelled, play on words) is with water, frozen berries (they will last alot longer in the freezer), and some ice. If you are trying to get a little bit more calories for bigger muscle mass, throw in some peanut butter as well.
- Berries and cheese – berries are filled with phytonutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and are low in sugar. Throw a bowl of berries together with one string cheese (HEB sells them by the singles) for an easy pre-workout snack. The small amount of cheese has 8 grams of protein, a little bit of fat to keep your hunger away, only about 80 calories, and is an excellent source of calcium.
- Turkey and grapes – this is an excellent combination of protein, carbs, and low calories to give you what you need to workout with me. Turkey is low in calories and gives you a good amount of protein, plus it contains a cancer-fighting mineral called selenium. The grapes add some carbs to the party along with phytochemicals. Remember, fresh turkey from the deli is best because it has a ton less sodium, and go for red or purple grapes because they have more antioxidants.
I believe that any one of these 5 ideas would be awesome to have about an hour before one of our workouts. Try mixing it up by trying different snacks before a workout and see which one helps you perform and feel better. Or just let me know and we can record it from week to week and see if we can’t figure it out together…word. Let me know if you guys have any questions or concerns, later!
*FORWARD TO 2 FRIENDS, LOVED ONES, OR CO-WORKERS, PASS THE KNOWLEDGE*
Jamal Yusuf
Certified Personal Trainer
www.JamalYusufTraining.com
My Best Weight Loss Shake
Posted by: | CommentsHello all and welcome back to Do This LoseWeight! It has been a while indeed. Excuse me and my partner of course for being a little bit complacent as far as this site is concerned. We still plan on bringing the best possible information, news , and current events in the health and fitness industry directly to you. We want Do This Lose Weight to be your place to visit frequently in order to help you achieve your weight loss goals as well as increase your knowledge about health, diet, and fitness in general. Okay, enough with my rambling, lets get down to business. Today i want to share with you what is in my opinion my best shake for weight loss or as some of you may call it a “smoothie”. I am going to break it down for you step by step so you can try it out when you see fit. Here is a quick list of the items you will need.
1. Approx. 4-8 fluid oz. of water ( vary it according to your smoothie thickness preference)
2. Whey Protein (or your preference of protein)
3. Natural Peanut Butter
4. 5-6 blackberries
5. 5-6 strawberries
6. Approximately 1/2 of a peeled and sliced frozen banana
Now that you have all these ingredients combine them into a blender and mix away for about 30 seconds. You will now have a berry protein smoothie guaranteed to delight both your appetite and your muscles. Let me tell you, it is “berry” tasty. This has been my breakfast as of late but when this is the time of consumption i will normally throw in about a 1/2 cup of uncooked oats to add some complex carbohydrates to the equation in order to fuel my start to the day more effectively.
A brief review of the nutritional information regarding this smoothie. The whey protein is going to fuel your muscles and help them repair,recover and grow. The peanut butter is going to giver you a feeling of fullness and hold you over for a longer period of time until your next snack or meal because of the fat content (unsaturated of course). Side note on the fats Unsaturated fats = good , Saturated fats = bad. And the blackberries and strawberries are going to give you a boost of simple carbohydrates to help refill your depleted muscle glycogen levels. The reason I chose these types of fruit is because they have a low Glycemic Index which in lamens terms means they will not spike your blood sugar levels which in turn leads to increased fat storage and a major decrease in energy levels “crash” after your insulin spikes. Additionally if this is going to be your breakfast meal replacement i highly recommend adding some uncooked oats or possibly some granola in order to give you some quality complex carbohydrates which will hold your blood sugar levels very steady until your next meal. Lastly, the frozen banana is a a very simple carbohydrate that can lead to a spike in blood sugar so i really recommend the banana for times such as post-workout and breakfast when your body requires the addition of those simple sugars. Now go out there and seize the day with your full tummy.
Get Goin’
Jeff
The best breakfast/diet for long term weight loss
Posted by: | Comments
Hey guys i get asked this question all the time, “hey jeff what is the best thing i can eat for breakfast to help me lose weight?” Now i must admit that although i consider myself knowledgeable in this department i don’t quite have the resources to conduct a full peer reviewed double blind study. So when i came across this report on the best breakfast/diet that helped individuals not only lose an average of 23 lbs in the first 4 months but also helped them keep the weight off and lose even more, needless to say i was very interested in seeing what the hype was all about. To read the article for yourself click this link http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617142920.htm Throughout the past 5 years i have seen many fad diets come and go. Low carb, no carb, low fat, no fat, all fruit no fruit, blah blah blah truth is they are all usually a quick fix ponzi scheme to help you lose weight immediately, but then two three or four months later you find yourself at the same weight you were before you began the “ponzi scheme” diet or even worse sometimes you actually weigh more. The truth is that we need a certain amount of dietary fat in our diet; and those carbs that you are told to avoid or you’ll get, fat yep you need those too or you will find yourself in a serious energy deficit without them. The same goes for protein, fruit, vegetables, bread; we all need to focus on consuming the right portions of a little bit of all these nutrients to ensure our health and vitality. So now that i got that off my chest allow me to get back to the main topic which is why eating a balanced breakfast high in carbs and protein will help us lose weight and keep it off for good. The findings of this study show that eating a breakfast high in carbs and protein keep you fuller longer and because of the increase in carbohydrate consumption you keep your cravings for sweets and starches down. So what can we learn from this study?
1. Eat a high carbohydrate/high protein breakfast
2. Taper off your carbohydrate consumption as the day goes on. Example breakfast carbs 60 – Lunch carbs 30-40 – Dinner carbs 15-25 * *later in the day try to consume more complex/low glycemic index carbs only.
3. Eat a balanced diet consuming whole grains, lean meats, healthy fats, and consume a minimum of 2-3 servings of vegetables and fruit daily. Doing all this will keep you healthier and more energetic.
Again here is the link to the actual study http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617142920.htm
So guys tomorrow morning when you wake up remember it is time to “break” the “fast” from the nights sleep and fuel back up for the day. So get those carbs in you and start your day off on the right foot.
For a proven effective weight loss program click here!!
To a great day, Jeff
p.s. feel free to write a comment and tell us your favorite breakfast ideas… because we would love to try them out!