5 Meal Planning Tips That Make ALL The Difference

To get optimum results from physical training of any kind, you MUST also focus on your diet.

The idea that you can “workout so that you can eat whatever you want” is 100% false.

In 99% of cases … if you are a “normal”, non-competitive athlete adult that puts in less than, say, 10 hours per week of actual workout time … you CANNOT out-train a bad diet. The numbers just don’t work. You can’t burn enough calories to make up for poor nutritional choices.

Now that we are on the same page with that concept … I think different folks have challenges with their nutrition for different reasons.

For some, it’s a matter of WHAT good nutrition actually looks like … like figuring out exactly what the best plan is, and exactly what they need to eat.

For others, it’s more things like having the time to prepare meals and breaking bad habits that holds them back from reaching their nutrition goals.

Today I have a guest article from our wonderful FVT trainer Pam. Pam started her health and fitness journey later in life. She spent over 20 years living an unhealthy lifestyle and took medication daily for health issues related to her obesity. On January 1, 2010 she decided it was time to make a change. Since that date, through dedication, determination and discipline, she has lost over 75 pounds and has fully embraced a healthy lifestyle incorporating physical activity, healthy eating, and work/life balance. She has since received a “clean bill of health” from her physician who took her off the medications she required for years.

Pam inspires me personally on a daily basis!

That’s why I was so happy when she agreed to do this guest article. She has some meal planning tips that will make a HUGE difference for you.

Enjoy –

– Forest

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** If you are in the Northern California area and would like to attend a workshop where Pam and I are going to cover the basics of FVT “5 Minute Fat Loss” nutrition principles, eating tips like the ones in the article below, and a WHOLE lot more, click HERE for more info and to reserve your spot (early bird discount still in effect)

**If you are NOT in the Northern California area but would like to learn the basics of healthy eating through a comprehensive home-study course, click HERE to see the new-and-improved-for-2013 “official” FVT Fat Loss Meal Planning System

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Planning Ahead Makes All the Difference!
by Pam
Certified Personal Trainer
FVT Superstar

 

I hear fairly often from individuals that they go out for lunch or dinner because that is all that they have time for. Here are a few tips and tricks I have used to minimize my eating out and to ensure that I have wholesome healthy food readily available throughout the week.

• Plan your Meals.

Most of us rely heavily on GPS or navigation systems to help us find a new destination. I do the same with my food. I plan my meals out for the week making sure that I have incorporated the appropriate amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats into each meal. (I use an on-line food tracking program to help with the planning.) Then I make up my grocery list and head to the store!

• Decide which day is your “batch cook” day and cook away!

With my busy schedule I usually only have a weekend afternoon or an evening to make a huge batch of food for the week. Typically I will bake a good number of chicken breasts or tilapia fillets, green vegetables (e.g. broccoli, green beans, cabbage) and a starch (e.g. brown rice, sweet potatoes) all in quantity. With these items readily available and a few kitchen staples such as whole-wheat tortillas and picante, I know I have a solid nutritious meal within a moment’s notice.

• Portion out your meals.

I make most of my meals for the week on my batch cooking day. I weigh and/or measure out the food items that I have batch cooked and assemble my meals into easy to grab, easy to wash plastic containers.

This week, for example, my lunches consist of 3 ounces of chicken, 1 cup of green beans and ½ cup of mashed sweet potatoes. I tend to use the K.I.S.S. (Keep it Super Simple) method for each of my meals/snacks and eat similar items the entire week. Each day’s meals, including loose items such as fruit or nuts are placed into my refrigerator by day. That way when I’m running out the door, all I have to do is grab the food items for that particular day.

• Have a “back-up” readily available.

There are those times when you might not be able to eat the meal you have packed. Always have a protein shake or some other easily stored snack ready. In a pinch, a shake or a protein bar is a great way to hold yourself over until you are able to eat a full meal. Certainly better than hitting up the vending machine!

• Carry a cooler if needed.

I have a great luxury during the day in that I am able to store my food in a refrigerator. I realize that not everyone has that situation however, most people can pack a cooler and carry their meals with them.

 

I hope this has been helpful to you when it comes to meal planning. Attend the FVT Nutrition Workshop at 7:00 p.m. on November 21st to get more of my thoughts and tips.

=> Click here to reserve your spot at the November 21st FVT Nutrition Workshop

 

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Yours in Health,

Pam

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THANK YOU again Pam for sharing these tips. I know that focusing on preparation and planning ahead was a KEY part of my personal weight loss efforts … so I agree 100% with everything you said in this article.

And again … if you are in the Northern California area and would like to attend a workshop where Pam and I are going to cover the basics of the FVT “5 Minute Fat Loss” nutrition principles, eating tips like the ones in the article below, and a WHOLE lot more, click HERE for more info and to reserve your spot

AND … if you are NOT in the Northern California area but would like to learn the basics of healthy eating through a comprehensive home-study course, click HERE to see the new-and-improved-for-2013 “official” FVT Fat Loss Meal Planning System

Thanks for reading, train hard, and talk soon –

Forest Vance
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach

November 2013 Challenge Workout Results

Here’s the November 2013 FVT Challenge Workout, in case you missed it:

=> November 2013 FVT Challenge Workout

 

And the results:

 

(Men Non-Modified)

CC 13:18
RM 13:30
PK 13:37
RA 14:43
RB 15:01
JM 15:57
CB 16:15
MP 16:45
BD 16:50
BK 16:59
CB 6.25
KS 5

(Men Modified)

JM 13:39
CB 15:37
PD 16:12
KS 6.75

(Women Non-Modified)

GV 9:00
JM 10:43
LC 13:13
LA 13:21
MA 13:30
MG 13:40
PK 14:07
CA 14:15
RK 14:15
JM 14:40
DS 14:40
BR 14:41
MT 15:07
JS 15:41
AS 15:55
AB 16:03
SG 16:24
AT 5
NP 5

(Women Modified)

AL 10:55
FY 13:09
AP 13:42
BR 15:01
MD 15:06
MW 16:05
AB 16:45
DB 16:52
LC 5

Veterans Day – a FVT Message

FVT Flag

Today is Veterans Day.

Today we say THANK YOU to men and women of the U.S. armed forces.

Thank you to those who have fought for us in the past – and to those who are still out there serving this great country.

Take some time to be grateful today for your friends and family. And then be sure to thank a veteran.

Have a great day –

The FVT Team

PS – Got a guest blog post from fellow NorCal resident and kettlebell expert Tyler Bramlett up yesterday on the science behind breaking
bad habits … we’ve gotten a ton of great feedback on it, so wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it. See the post here:

=> The SCIENCE Behind Breaking Bad Habits

PPS – To learn more about Tyler’s full 27 Body Transformation Habits YOU Can’t Ignore program, click here:

=> 27 Body Transformation Habits YOU Can’t Ignore

Fat Loss Meal Planning Made SUPER Simple (sample day)

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A lot of folks think that fat loss meal planning:

  • Takes time
  • Takes effort
  • Is just plain difficult

So in today’s short article, my goal is to dispel these myths. Dieting doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time!

Imagine this:

You wake up and eat a healthy, balanced breakfast of cottage cheese, an apple, and a few almonds. You have a cup of coffee, fire up, and head out to work.

(The best part about this breakfast? It only took you TWO MINUTES to prepare!

Every other day, by the way, you switch it up with an egg, a corn tortilla, and a few slices of avocado.)

Mid-morning rolls around, and you have a homemade protein bar and a 16 oz. glass of ice water. You took a few minutes to make up a batch of bars on Sunday night, and now you have a half a dozen of ’em ready to go for the week.

(BTW, we’ll show you how to make these homemade protein bars at our Nutrition Workshop on November 21st.)

Now it’s time for your “five minute lunch”. This tasty and healthy lunch only took you five minutes to prepare last night. It’s a salad with spinach leaves, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, chicken breast, and some olive oil and vinegar dressing.

(Tomorrow for lunch, your plans include a 1/2 turkey sandwich and a piece of fruit.)

Couple of hours roll by … mid-afternoon comes along … PM snack time … usually low – energy … but a high-protein snack of a hard boiled egg helps you power through! You also have a cup of green tea for a nice, mild and healthy energy boost.

(You boiled up a half a dozen hard boiled eggs on Sunday night, too – so getting this ready the night before is as easy as grabbing one out of the fridge.)

Now it’s time for dinner … and a tasty dinner of tilapia fillet, zucchini and a five oz. glass of red wine finishes off the day. Again, a quick, easy, and healthy meal. (You just as easily could have had any other lean meat and vegetable for dinner, too.)

In conclusion, if lack of time is an obstacle for you when it comes to eating healthy, I challenge you to follow the plan outlined here for a week. And see if you don’t feel better, have more energy, and lose a few pounds in the process!!

Forest Vance, Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach

 

PS – The day of eating outlined in this article is a sample of the content we’ll be covering in our Nutrition Workshop on November 21st at the FVT Studio.

Get more info and reserve your spot at the workshop here (grab your ticket now for early bird discount!):

=> Nutrition Workshop Nov 21st, 2013 @ FVT

November 2013 Challenge Workout

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It’s time to get excited …

Today I’m bringing you the November 2013 FVT Challenge Workout:

  • 7 kettlebell goblet squats
  • 14 kettlebell swings
  • 7 burpees
  • 14 push ups

Complete 7 rounds as fast as possible.

Regulation weight is 24k for men, 16k for women.

Push up “standards” are from the toes for men, from the knees for women.

Good luck! And stay tuned for results later this week …

Announcing – FVT Nutrition Workshop Nov 21st (discount expires)

five min fat spiral

Do you have the desire to eat healthy – but just can’t seem to find the time to plan ahead and prepare your meals?

Have you tried various different diet approaches, but have yet to find one that’s really worked?

I say enough is enough with the conflicting diet advice.

It’s so hard to know – is intermittent fasting for you? Paleo? Gluten-free? Vegan? You KNOW you need to focus more on your diet to get the most out of your workouts … but at the end of the day, what’s the best approach?

=> Find out here

 

I’ll be the first to tell you that different things work for different people. ALL of the above approaches can work, if applied properly.

But I’m also personally all about keeping things simple. I barely have time to make dinner most of the time, let alone plan my meals out in advance. The reason I’m writing you this message today, is that I’ve discovered an easy, fast, and painless way for you to get to your goal weight and stay there …

And I’m going to share it with you at my 5 Minute Fat Loss Workshop at the FVT studio on November 21st, 2013 at 7pm.

=> Click here for workshop details and to grab your spot at the early bird discount rate

 

At this workshop, you’ll discover:

  • A done-for-you list of foods to eat to lose fat fast. You will know exactly what to eat and when and how to eat it to reach your goals.
  • How to figure out exactly how many kcals YOU need to lose weight. You’ll never be at a loss again as to figure out how to figure out how much to eat for your weight, body composition, etc.
  • A list of the BEST sources of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. You’ll know exactly what food types to focus on, and which ones to avoid.
  • Simple, SUPER easy-to-prepare snacks – so that you can eat healthy on the go. All take 5 minutes or less to prepare.
  • Sample breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, so that you can see exactly what a day of healthy eating looks like. All take 5 minutes or less to prepare.
  • More details on things like how much water to drink, how to work cheat days into the schedule, if you can consume alcohol and/or caffeine, and much more
  • Additional tips and tricks – like on how to eat well while eating out, easily prepare meals in advance, beat food cravings, extreme methods for super fast weight loss, and much more!!

PLUS, as a FREE bonus, when you sign up you’ll ALSO get the deluxe version of my 5 Minute Fat Loss program, in digital form – both instantly delivered when you sign up, AND on a jump drive for your convenience (a true everyday $47 value – yours FREE when you attend this workshop)

=> Click here for workshop details and to grab your spot at the early bird discount rate

 

That’s it for now. Have a great day, and talk soon –

Forest Vance
Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach

PS – My 5 Minute Fat Loss Workshop will help you lose your fat and maintain your perfect weight, without the complexity and hassle of many popular meal plans on the market today. This isn’t a fad diet or extreme plan – it’s simple to follow and you will see the results you have been looking for!

=> Click here for workshop details and to grab your spot at the early bird discount rate

1036 Kcals Burned in One Workout?

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Here’s a question we get frequently –

“How many kcals do I burn in a boot camp workout?”

The average 150 pound person burns around 400-500 kcals in a typical 45 min boot camp workout – depending on a variety of individual factors, like lean body mass level, etc.

Just for fun though, I thought I’d put together a 1000+ calorie workout for you. Whether you partied too hard last weekend, or you’re just feeling extra motivated and want to kick your training to the next level, this could be just what you’re looking for.

You could do this entire workout on your own … OR you could simply tack on the cardio and yoga portion AFTER one of your workouts at the FVT studio and have a full 1000+ kcal workout day!

Check it out –

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The 1036 Calorie Workout

 

1 – Do a 15 minute dynamic warm up – joint mobility, self myofascial release, dynamic stretching – check out this article if you need more details (90 calories burned)

2 – Do 35 minutes of high-intensity kettlebell/body weight training – something like the workout below (336 kcals burned):

 

BTW – the workout below is much like what we do in our group training sessions at the studio … if you’ve been considering giving them a try, this week you can do so at a special rate – check that out HERE

*Warm up – Do five Turkish Get Ups on each side. Start easy – with no weight at all or a light weight – and work up to a heavier weight with each rep. Switch sides after each rep.

*Perform the first exercise in each pairing. Immediately move to the next exercise (or exercises) and complete the prescribed number of reps. Rest :30 and repeat each sequence a total of three times.

1a: 8 reverse lunges
1b: pull ups – one rep short of failure

2a: 6 kettlebell presses
2b: 20 body weight squats (explosive tempo)

3a: 25 kettlebell swings (your choice)
3b: 15 push ups

3 – Run 5k – 3.2 miles – at a medium (6 mph) pace (504 calories burned)

If you are not into running, you could also do about 35 minutes of medium-to-high intensity biking, swimming, rowing, etc.

4 – Finish with 15 minutes of yoga work – here is a great sequence for you to try (106 calories burned):

=> Yoga for Big Bastards

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If you ate a little too much cake last weekend … or if you’re simply looking to take your workouts to the next level … this 1036 kcal workout could be just what you need!

Hope that helps, and talk soon –

Forest

PS – We have a special limited-time offer on our Semi Private training program going through tomorrow night. Several folks have already hopped on it and there are just a few spots left. If you’re interested, get details and sign up here:

=> Semi Private Training at FVT (special offer, time sensitive)