Be careful what you drink

You can eat a perfect diet and work out until you're blue in the face and still have a difficult time losing fat if you're not careful with alcohol consumption.

First, alcohol has 7 calories per gram, almost as much as fat (9 calories per gram) and nearly twice as many calories as a gram of carbohydrate or protein (4 calories per gram).

So even just a couple of drinks can set you back as much as 300-400 calories, which will make creating that critical calorie deficit very challenging.

In addition, when you consume alcohol at the same time as food, your body tends to burn the alcohol first, sparing the fat. The more alcohol you consume, the more likely some of your food will be stored as fat.

And studies show that alcohol not only makes people hungrier but at the same time, it lowers their inhibitions, so they are more likely to binge or make unwise food choices. The more you drink, the less you care about what you are eating and how it might be sabotaging your progress.

This is not to say you have to cut out alcohol altogether. Alcohol, just like fat and sugar, can be consumed in moderation. If you drink regularly, we suggest cutting back to a glass every other night, or a glass on the weekends, or only when you go out to eat.

There are ways to minimize the impact alcohol has on your diet. If you're going to indulge, please consider these suggestions:

- Choose a light beer over some of the heavy microbrews. Several lite beers now have as few as 64 calories in a 12-oz. bottle, whereas some microbrews have more than 200 calories!

- Use diet soda, diet tonic, Crystal Light, or seltzer instead of sugary mixers such as juice, regular soda, or syrup in mixed drinks. This can save you 200 to 300 calories or more per cocktail.

For example, lemon Crystal Light, fresh squeezed lime or orange juice, and a little tequila will offer a lot less calories of a traditional margarita because you're cutting out all the sugar and calories from the mixer.

Some margarita's have more than 500 calories and close to 100 grams of sugar! But a Crystal Lite margarita has just over 100 calories. And it tastes really good ... even better, in my opinion.

- Do you enjoy wine? It can be a good choice, as it has fewer calories than many cocktails and most microbrews. However, consuming 2 or 3 glasses means a lot of additional calories, so watch your intake.

Don't forget the water. For every alcoholic drink you have, drink at least one extra glass of water. This will help your body metabolize the alcohol and may counteract some of the dehydrating effects of the alcohol on the body, such as next-day hangovers.

It takes your liver 1 hour to process and metabolize 1 ounce of alcohol, so space your drinks out accordingly. The less you overload the liver, the better it will be able to process the alcohol and work on any fats waiting to be broken down.

As you well know by now, it's critical that you burn more calories than you consume to lose fat. So, if you plan on going out with friends for a drink or two, plan accordingly and eat fewer calories throughout the day and try to be a more active as well to help maintain a calorie deficit.

One last word about alcohol. In general, alcohol has few, if any, nutrients; that's why they're called "empty calories." If you're getting 500 calories from a few beers, for example, it means that you'll be missing that same amount in beneficial nutrients that support fat loss, muscle building or preservation, and good health in general, such as fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals.

So, for maximum fat loss, keep your drinking to a minimum and only indulge once in a while.

Key points to remember:

1. Limit alcoholic beverages, as they are very calorie-dense and often lead to overeating or making unwise food choices.

2. When you do drink alcohol, choose wine or lite beers instead of microbrews, and choose cocktails mixed with sugar-free juices or sodas.

3. Also, when you know you'll be drinking, plan accordingly. Eat fewer calories throughout the day and be more active to account for the extra calories that you will be consuming in the alcoholic beverages.


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Megan

Fats to look for, limit, and avoid

There are fats that you want to limit, fats you want to avoid altogether, and healthier fats to look for to include in your diet in small amounts.

Fats to Limit:
Saturated fats come from animal products and you want to limit these.
Animal sources offer some of the highest quality protein and even the leanest varieties will have some fat.

Stick with extra lean varieties of meat, low- or non-fat dairy, and just one egg yolk a day, for example, so that you get high-quality protein, but not too much saturated fat and too many calories.

Fats to totally avoid:
Hydrogenated, also called "trans fats," have been in the news a lot. These are fats that have been chemically altered in such a way that your body cannot use them properly, so they're terrible for you.

They are found in solid margarines and many commercially baked goods, including cookies, crackers, doughnuts and pastries, chips and other snack foods, and many deep-fried foods. Since these are mostly all processed carbs as well, and contain the unhealthiest kinds of fat with no benefit, we recommend avoiding such foods as much as possible.

The fats to look for (in moderation):
So for the fat your body needs, look for unsaturated fats, which contain essential fatty acids (EFAs). Seeds, nuts, nut butters, olives, olive and flaxseed oil as well as avocados all work well. Some kinds of coldwater fish, like salmon and anchovies, also contain unsaturated fats. In moderation, they're a great choice too.

Remember, it's good to have small portions of these types of foods each day, but because they're so high in calories - 9 calories per gram - make sure that you eat only small amounts.

For example, a quarter cup of nuts and some fruit or raw veggies make a good snack. Protein Freeze is made with a little peanut butter, so you get lots of high-quality protein and a little healthy fat as well. Or try some sunflower seeds or a few olives or a couple of avocados slices on your salad as a tasty way to add healthy fat to your diet.

Key points to remember:

Limit saturated fats by choosing extra lean and lowfat animal products.

Try to totally avoid hydrogenated fats (also called "trans fats"), those that have been chemically altered in commercially baked goods, margarine, and other processed foods.

Choose unsaturated fats in small amounts, such as seeds, nuts, nut butters, olives, olive and flaxseed oil, and avocados.

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Let Go of the Trigger

Okay, go get your journal or log in to your online Fitness Diary. I'm going to start showing you how to break the cycle of emotional eating. Below are two questions. For a week, before you eat anything, whether it's dinner or a small snack, I want you to answer these two questions in your journal. By doing this, you'll begin to distinguish between real hunger and emotional triggers.

1. Are you hungry?
Are you experiencing any physiological conditions that are signaling to you that you are hungry? Is your stomach growling? Do you feel weak or tired? Has it been longer than three or four hours since you last ate?
If you concentrate on answering these questions, it will be very easy to determine whether you are genuinely, physically hungry or whether you are eating for a different reason. If you've determined that you are hungry, then it's time to eat. If not, it's time for the next question.

2. Are you depressed or anxious?
Did you just get into a fight? Are you anxious about a work-related deadline? Whatever it might be, write down what you're feeling and why you think you're feeling it. Getting in touch with your emotions here is critical. If you can't, you're going to have an incredibly difficult time reaching your weight loss goals. Dig deep, and get it in writing.

PEANUT BUTTER CUPS CANDY

I got this recipe from my friend, Diane.

PEANUT BUTTER CUPS CANDY

1 1/2 cups extra virgin coconut oil melted
3/4 cup organic roasted peanut butter
1 Tbsp organic vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
3 droppers Vanilla Crème Stevia liquid
3 tsp Stevia Plus Stevia
4 Tbsp Sweet Cactus Farms agave nectar
3/4 cup roasted carob powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup hemp seeds

FILLING
1 cup organic peanut butter
3 tbsp agave

For candy:
-Line mini cup cake tins with paper liners.
-Melt coconut oil under hot water or spoon into saucepan and melt over low flame.
-When coconut oil turns to a liquid, pour oil in medium bowl.
-Slowly whisk in peanut butter until smooth.
-Whisk in vanilla, cinnamon, liquid and powdered Stevia, and agave nectar one at a time.
-Then slowly stir in carob and cocoa powder a spoonful at a time.
-Stir in almond meal and hemp seeds one at a time sprinkling evenly as you go. -Batter should run off of spoon easily but not too runny.



For filling:
-In separate bowl, mix peanut butter and agave.
-It’s best to use a thick peanut butter.
-Spoon candy mixture into cup cake papers until a third filled.
-Spoon in a ½ tsp of the peanut butter filling.
-Pour candy over peanut butter leaving space at the top of the paper
liner.
-Chill in freezer for 15 minutes. Keep in the freezer!

ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING TRULY SPECIAL LATELY? by Mike French

This is a great article from my friend Mike French.

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Megan

*************************************

I'm talking about a life changing, didn't think you could accomplish it, goal.
Something out of your reach right now. Something you REALLY want.
Be it, reaching a body weight goal, running a marathon, completing a triathlon.

Achieving a goal that others doubt you can reach.

“Why did I achieve this goal? Because you said I couldn't”

What is stopping you from reaching this goal? What is holding you back? We can all come up with 1000 excuses on a daily basis. “I work too much.” “It's to tough to eat clean for that long.” “I am too busy with my Family.”

Excuses are like rear ends, EVERYONE has one. Decide to drop your excuses..TODAY!

Leave nothing to chance. Do what must be done to move you towards your goal RIGHT NOW. Life is short, too short to waste time.

Imagine for a second how AWESOME you will feel if you achieve a goal that you and others around you didn't think was possible. Believe me, its an INCREDIBLE feeling.

So many people plod through life, hoping good things will happen to them. Don't hope, MAKE good things happen. Aggressively go after your goal until you achieve it!

Make a difference in your life. Blow some peoples minds, your own included.

Take a SPARTAN approach to achieving your goal. Accept nothing but your very best. Be an example for others to emulate. Take a stand and lead from the front. Don't be a follower. Make something truly special happen in your life.

Wheat Free VEGAN Cardamom Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a recipe by Melissa Costello.. Tony Horton's personal chef!

2 c. Spelt Flour
3/4 c. Rolled Oats
1/2 c. chopped Walnuts
1 c. Grain Sweetened Chocolate Chips
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
3/4 tsp. Baking soda
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch Ground Cardamom
2/3 c. Agave Nectar
2/3 c. Grapeseed Oil
2 TBL Water or Almond Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add wet mixture to dry and stir well with wood spoon. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Place by the tablespoon on a baking sheet lined with Parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy with a glass of cold Almond Milk.

Veggies for fat loss?

Everyone knows they're healthy, but most don't realize just how extremely effective they are for fat loss. Here's why...

1.) They are very low in calories, so perfect for creating that necessary caloric deficit. You'd have to eat 20 large bags of spinach, or 5 heads of broccoli, to equal the calories of just 1 cup of pasta or 1 tablespoon of butter.

So, you absolutely do not have to go hungry on tiny portions when you load up on veggies. In fact, it's almost impossible to eat too many. Load 'em up!

Take grilled vegetables and shrimp, for example. This is a perfect combination of fibrous carbs with protein, which is exactly what you want later in the day. A large portion that fills up your entire plate has only around 250 calories.

Compare it to a plate of processed carbs and high-fat foods. You only get to enjoy 1 REALLY small, thin slice of pizza for 250 calories and almost no nutritional value, and none of the energy or protein you need.

But when you focus on veggies you can eat a LOT more food, with less calories and a lot more nutritional value.

2.) Veggies are also high in fiber. This is both good for your digestion and fat loss because fiber expands in your stomach, making you feel full and satisfied.

A bowl of spinach has 8 grams of fiber, about 1/3 of your daily requirement.
Broccoli, green peas, and other green leafy vegetables are also good sources of fiber.

3.) The third reason fibrous carbs are perfect for fat loss is because they have almost NO adverse affects on blood sugar levels. While it's still a good idea to balance veggies out with a protein source, even eaten alone they're okay because they don't cause an increase in insulin.

4.) And finally, they're loaded with vitamins and minerals and other very beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants and phytonutrients, that will help you look and feel better, fight off disease, and improve your overall health.

If there's any one type of food that is the most helpful for fat loss, it's definitely vegetables.

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