14 snack ideas

Hey guys here are a bunch of cool snack ideas put together by one of my clients Elizabeth Czartowski.  They are fully compliant with the "nutrition rules to live by"  and so they are a great compliment to any fat loss plan.

Enjoy!

1) apple or pear with cheese (try low fat cheese strings, Allegro cheese – less than 4% fat and high in protein, or goat cheddar/mozzarella); try a tart apple like Granny Smith vs. sweet apples for a different taste combination


2) fruit and dip – make a dip from plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, or goat yogurt...add lemon juice, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger...whatever you like; try adding juice squeezed from a clementine or small orange for extra flavour; try adding the zest too!

3) veggies and dip – make a dip from plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, or goat yogurt – add herbs like dill and/or seasonings, sea salt, garlic, lemon juice; add baby carrots, celery sticks, peppers etc.

4) fruit salad – experiment with different combinations like pineapple, honeydew melon, and strawberries with crumbled feta on top, or blueberries and peaches with squeezed orange juice and/or lemon juice and ginger...top with regular goat cheese or a naturally flavoured one like fig goat cheese...sprinkle some slivered or sliced almonds for some crunch and healthy fat

5) tomato and/or avocado and/or buffalo mozzarella cheese...slice everything and make open face veggie sandwiches; drizzle with balsamic vinegar and season with fresh or dried herbs like basil and oregano; add sea salt and/or pepper to taste

6) chick pea salad – combine chick peas, shredded carrot, sliced purple onion, red and green peppers...season with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and season to taste...cilantro adds a fresh taste!

7) tuna wrap – tuna with yogurt, lemon/lime juice, seasonings, chopped celery...roll in a wrap or half a pita; roll up in endive leaves

8) shrimp with mango salsa (mango, avocado, lime juice, salt, cilantro, hot pepper (optional), purple onion)

9) chicken with salsa and shredded cheese on rice crackers

10) hummus with carrots, celery and/or other veggies (pepper strips)

11) tabouleh with rice crackers or cakes/flatbread

12) salmon salad – leftover grilled or baked salmon, with yogurt, dill, seasonings, chopped celery, green pepper or onion; rice crackers/cakes, flatbread

13) quinoa salad – quinoa, celery, pear or apple chunks, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, seasonings/spices/herbs, sprinkled almonds or walnuts

14) cucumber salad – sliced cucumber with vinegar, salt, pepper, green onion; crumble feta on top; OR for a creamy salad, add yogurt, Greek yogurt, or goat yogurt

Appetite backlash: The reason you may not be seeing results

Of the many challenges that one faces when starting an exercise program, appetite backlash can keep your gears in neutral on route to your fitness goals.

We all know the feeling after a hard workout just after you catch your breath and you realize that over the course of the last 60 minutes you now have developed a bottomless pit where you once had a stomach.

Activity stimulates the appetite. Given that calories are a lot more difficult to burn then they are to eat, once hunger strikes, you can easily undo all your hard work with a bad choice. For example a fancy coffee beverage a day can easily cancel out the calorie burn from a 5k run.

Another challenge faced is that food is so closely tied in with our reward systems that any type of physical activity will prompt us to overeat or chose a food that pulls us away from our goals. Have you ever found yourself saying “I can have that pizza I ran today”, and then indulging more than usual?

One thing to be aware of is that there is a strong physiological drive to replace expended calories – (especially in females). So the question is how do we avoid taking a step back after doing the hard work? The trick is to make your body feel fuller while gradually reducing your calorie intake. Fill up on nutrient dense and energy light foods like fruits vegetables and whole grains while limiting calorie dense foods like those that are high fat or made from refined carbohydrates. Other studies have shown that protein is integral to fullness and maintain metabolism boosting muscle loss while cutting back the calories.

A great trick for fat loss is to reward yourself with starchy carbs only after a workout when your body is looking to replace expended energy and less will be stored as fat. Aim for ¼ to 1/3 of your plate from starchy carbs and choose nutrient rich options like Quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes and whole grain pasta.

When fat loss is the goal, taking in less calories is as important as burning them. Keeping these points in mind will help you to avoid the potholes as you begin your fat loss journey.

Derick

The Ten Day Diet Challenge!

The biggest challenge to getting lean and staying lean is not only what we eat but how we eat it. The food customs that formerly governed how we eat have all but disappeared and been replaced by distracted eating, eating on the go and predetermined portions in packaged foods.  This breakdown of eating structure has left many people unhappy with their weight and without a solution.

The challenge: Follow the ten day diet solution by dietician Brad Pilon, and keep a full food journal from Wednesday September 15th to Saturday September 25th. Thsi food journal must include:

1) What you eat
2) Time you eat
3) how you feel after meal  i.e tired, lethargic, energetic, light etc.
4) a short reflection on the challenge of that particular day

The Payoff: One full week of training Quiktrain style for you and a friend. This includes 3 fat blasting workouts and one metabolic conditioning class (fat burning accelerator)

Rules:

1) Training sessions must be in pairs and completed at the studio between Monday September 27th to Sunday October 3rd.

2) Training partner cannot be a client or former client of Quiktrain.

THE TEN DAY DIET SOLUTION

Day 1:
Today I want you to think about what I consider the basic guideline of eating:

“Eat less while enjoying the foods you eat. Eat lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and cook with herbs and spices.

For the next ten days I want you to think of this statement whenever you are buying, preparing or eating foods.

Day 2:

Today you will eat like you normally do, except you will only drink water or other calorie free beverages. Today’s lesson is aimed at avoiding the hidden calories in the things we drink (part of calorie displacement). So as you are drinking your green tea or water, and are craving the things you usually drink, pay special attention to when you crave, why you crave and what you crave. This one lesson alone could help you easily shave 500 extra calories out of your day.

Day 3:

Today I want you to avoid eating anything that comes in a box. No breakfast cereals, no granola bars, none of the typical packaged foods that are meant for kids’ lunch boxes.Boxed foods can cause distorted portions because of their convenience AND because of their pre-determined serving sizes. As an example, Pop-Tarts come in packages of two, but a serving is only one Pop-tart. Does anyone really wrap up that second Pop-Tart to save for tomorrow? And, what if one and a half Pop-Tarts was the ideal serving size for you? Then what do you do? Use today to discover how often you really eat foods that come in boxes.

Day 4:

Today you will eat all of your meals off a plate or from a bowl. This will allow you to concentrate on portion sizes, and force you to slow down while you are eating. Many of today’s meals are quick and convenient. You grab food on the go and you eat on the go. The problem with this is that often times you are in such a hurry you end up eating too much, too quickly and never really allow yourself a chance to feel full. So concentrate on slowing down, and watching your portion sizes.

Day 5:

If you are a commuter, then the next three days could be the most important days of this entire program. For the next three days you will no longer eat in your car. You can drink, you can have your coffee in the morning, but absolutely NO FOOD IN THE CAR. This one custom could easily save a commuter 2,500 calories a week of mindless, distracted eating. This new custom is so important; I want you to try it out for three days. If you don’t commute or don’t own a car, then switch this to ‘No eating while walking’. Really, our new custom is to not eat while you are on the go. So if you want to take this custom all the way to the level of the Japanese or French, then you will avoid eating at all while on the go. So even if you are walking through the mall or grocery store, NO EATING. While this may seem like a difficult task to complete, keep in mind that what I am really asking you to do is to slow down and take the time to actually taste and enjoy the foods you eat.

Day 6:

Today you will eat at least three different vegetables, and I want one of these to be a vegetable that you have never tried before. Learning to increase the variety of ‘good foods’ in your diet allows you to get rid of the habit of eating bad foods simply because you’ve run out of good food ideas. (Another factor in Calorie Displacement). Fruits and Vegetables are also very low in Calories, despite their relative bulk. Replacing other foods in your diet with fruits and vegetables helps to undue some of the Calorie Displacement caused by the convenient, but high calorie foods that we are surrounded by every day.

Day 7:

Starting today and for the next three days you will eat an apple a day. This will help displace useless junk foods that have crept into your daily habit. Make apples your nutrition custom, get rid of the muffins. Don’t forget you are still not eating while you are in the car.

Day 8:

Today you will only concentrate on smaller portion sizes and you will try to reduce the amount of snacking that you do. Keep eating the foods you love to eat, but reduce the size of each portion to a level that you are comfortable with. Don’t forget your apple!

Day 9:

Today you will only eat in your kitchen or dining room. You will not eat in front of the TV, or the computer. While at work, you will eat in the lunchroom. This is a great way to reduce the amount of distracted eating in your daily routine.

Day 10:

Today you get ice cream! Concentrating on portion size you will have a SMALL bowl of ice cream. No chocolate sauce or caramel sauce, rather you will load up your ice cream with fresh berries. You should have as much, if not more berries then you do ice cream in your bowl. Not only is this your reward for the last 9 days, it is also meant to teach you another great nutrition custom. You can you use foods like ice cream as extra flavor, but always keep the majority of any meal as nutritious.

THE TEN DAY DIET SOLUTION CHECK LIST

DAY 1: Plan to follow the golden Guideline

DAY 2: Only drink water or green tea

DAY 3: Avoid eating anything that comes out of a box

DAY 4: Eat all of your meals off of a plate or from a bowl

DAY 5: Eat three different vegetables and no eating on the go

DAY 6: Eat an apple today and no eating on the go

DAY 7: Eat an apple today and no eating on the go

DAY 8: Concentrate on smaller portion sizes, eat 1 apple

DAY 9: Only eat in the Kitchen

DAY 10: Ice cream day!

Quiktrain BBQ contest

CONGRATULATIONS!


First place -$100 cash prize :                         Kim Holas! 
Second Place -(2 votes) Wonderland passes:  Sylvia Samuel
Third Place - (1 vote):  Ontario place passes:    Richelle Samuel
Fourth Place:- (0 votes)  Water bottle                 Jafette Madrigal 

You can collect your prizes this week!!!

Thanks for playing!

Derick

Winners of the 1st annual Quiktrain BBQ Challenge!

Thanks again for those who came out and made the afternoon!  I had a blast.  When i see how competetive you guys get, I am reminded why I love working with all of you so much!   

After eat this not that and exercise charades teams 1 and 2 were in a dead tie.  So it all came down to the quiz....

In second and third place there was a 3 way tie with 8 right answers.  So I'm going to need your help!  Vote on the best drawing and the top two will win a prize. Voting will be open only for today so get it in fast!

A                                             

B

C

I wish I could announce the winner of the cash prize however that person after getting 9 correct answers failed to put their name to it!  So whoever the bottom drawing belongs to is or winner!  Contact me to claim your prize!

Thanks again to everyone who made it and to those who didn't we will see you at the next social in the winter!

Derick

New 14 day meal Plan!!

Breakfast 7 – 8 am

Express option - Chocolate & banana smoothie

- 1 banana
- Chocolate Isoflex whey
- Tbsp peanut butter
- Almond milk or water

Or

Breakfast BLT

- 1 egg, 1 egg white
- 2 strips turkey bacon
- Ezekiel toast
- 2 tomatoes
-  Avocado

Morning snack 10 – 11 am

- Grapefruit (metabolism boosting properties)
- Greek yogurt

Lunch 12 – 1 pm

Mixed vegetable stir fry

- Frozen mixed vegetables
- Extra lean ground turkey

Afternoon Snack 3 – 4 pm

- Apple and yogurt Or Apple and peanut butter

Workout 6 -7 pm

- Post workout shake
- Whey protein & water or almond milk

Dinner 8 – 9 pm

-Tilapia
-Brown rice
-Asparagus

GROCERY LIST

Fibrous Carbs
Frozen mixed vegetables (imperial stir-fry frozen vegetables from costco is magic)
Grapefruits
Apples
Asparagus
Tomatoes
Bananas

Starchy Carbs
Ezekiel bread
Brown Rice

Protein
Whole Eggs
Tilapia
Extra lean ground turkey
plain Greek yogurt 2%
Isoflex Chocolate Whey Protein shake
peanut butter
Almond milk:optional

Fat
olive oil
Peanut butter
Avocado

Suggested condiments & Spices
Hummus
Bragg’s all purpose liquid soy seasoning
salsa
Club house Italian spice seasoning
Club house vegetable seasoning

The tyranny of the majority

Remember in elementary school the unfortunate kid who fell in the mud and for the rest of the week was labeled as a walking cootie by the rest of her classmates? (Melissa if you’re reading this I’m very sorry but at the time I hadn’t yet read the research disproving the existence of cooties) Even though we all knew that cooties didn’t really exist going for that temporary feeling of superiority that came from being cootie free was very appealing at the time. As we grew older and discovered real self esteem and free will, we figured out that just because most people thought it didn’t necessarily make it right. However some still bow to the whims of the majority when it comes to their eating habits.

For people trying to do something better, anything at all like manage their money, spend more time with family or stick to an exercise regime one of the most important things that you can have is support from the people around you. So you’re the person who wants to lose a few, you sit down to a nice family dinner and as fast as you can pass on your auntie Hortence’s pasta salad, the cootie calling jackals resurface. The psychology of these people is that they cannot see your choices independent of their own. The more disciplined you are, the less disciplined they feel.

“Obsessive is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated”

 

Being selective about your food portions, prioritizing whole foods over processed foods and eating lots of fruits and veggies is the way to a healthy disease free existence. Not to mention the fact that you’ll have more energy and tones of confidence from looking great. It’s not fanatical, strange or hippie like. We are simply changing our habits based on the information that is available to us. We now know that excess sugar can feed certain types of cancer. We know obesity raises the risk of having a stroke, developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes exponentially. 40 years ago parents would lift their young children into the back seat of their car, cigarette hanging out of the side of their mouth and drive to grandma’s house without seatbelts. I wonder what everyone said to the guy in the backseat who suggested buckling up? Paranoid bastard

So next time instead of just being easygoing and chubby tell Auntie Hortence that eating enough processed carbs to run the Boston marathon is as outdated as her northern reflections sweater and the both of you will be better for it.

DS

14 day fat blasting meal plan!

Fat loss the quiktrain way!

Here is a fat loss meal plan for the next two weeks. This collection of highly nutritious fat busting foods will have you feeling light and energetic. If you are an afterwork exerciser it reflects the phase 2 nutrition plan. Combine proper eating with a workout plan and your body will be ready for the fast approaching bathing suit season!

Remember follow proper plate pattern. Protein the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand, starchy carbohydrates the same and veggies are the size of the other two combined. Also use spices instead of sauces to add flavor to your food without the extra calorie count.

Portion size is everything and they will vary from person to person and from men to women so contact me at derick@quiktrain.ca for a more specific plan tailored to you!


Breakfast 7 - 8 am

1 whole egg, 3 egg whites, 1 slice wheat free toast banana

Or

2% Greek yogurt, berries , oatmeal

Snack 10 - 11 am

1 apple & tbsp peanut butter

Or

1 Banana & 1 tbsp peanut butter

Lunch 12 - 1 pm

Turkey or Chicken breast, Roasted red pepper, broccoli

Or

Canned pink salmon or fresh salmon, Quinoa, steamed broccoli

Snack two 3 - 4 pm

Raw broccoli, Carrots & 1 tbsp hummus

Workout 6-7 pm

Post Workout Smoothie-within 15 minutes of exercise

1 scoop Isoflex Whey Protein Chocolate, water or skim milk, blueberries & raspberries, 1/2 banana. 1ce

Dinner 8 - 9 pm

Turkey or chicken breast, baked sweet potato, steamed broccoli

Or

Salmon, roasted red peppers , quinoa


Your grocery list

Fiberous Carbs
Broccoli
Baby carrots
blueberries & raspberrries
apples
bananas
red peppers

Starchy Carbs
quinoa (pronounced ki-noa)
sweet potatoes

Protein
skinless chicken or turkey breast
Whole Eggs
egg whites
fresh salmon or canned pink salmon
plain greek yogurt 2%
Isoflex Whey Protein shake
peanut butter

Suggested condiments & Spices
Hummus
bragg's all purpose liquid soy seasoning
salsa
Club house italian spice seasoning
Club house vegetable seasoning

5 more foods you should never be without

Canned salmon
With tonnes of protein and convenient packaging, salmon should be a staple in any diet. Salmon is a better source of calcium, omega 3’s and vitamin D than tuna. As well, research shows that the healthy fats in salmon shrink your belly by improving insulin sensitivity and reducing fat storage while ramping up the metabolism of fat cells. Eat salmon in sandwiches and mixed into salads.
4 oz pink salmon: 152 calories, 24 g protein, 0 g carbs, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g fiber

Red bell pepper
In comparison to other veggies red bell peppers pack a tonne of vitamin C. Besides acting as an antioxidant vitamin c helps produce carnitine a compound required for fat oxidation. Bell peppers also contain lycopene, an antioxidant that protects against prostate cancer. Enjoy red peppers raw or roasted both have the same nutritional value
1 cup: 46 calories, 1 g protein, 9 g carbs, 0 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 3 g fiber

Greek yogurt
This stuff has a wealth of gut friendly probiotic bacteria and calcium, which helps burn fat with almost twice as much protein as regular yogurt. Plain is best as others may hide a lot of sugar but add fruits to add some flavour!
8 oz. 2%: 150 calories, 20 g protein, 6 g carbs, 4 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 0 g
fiber

Broccoli
This nutritional powerhouse boasts fiber, folate and vitamin C in large amounts; Broccoli also has the antioxidant sulforaphane which helps fight cancer. Broccoli has also been known to reduce excess estrogen levels in the body and in turn prevent fat storage.
1 cup: 31 calories, 3 g protein, 6 g carbs, 0 g sat fat, 2 g fiber

Quinoa
This whole grain power food cooks fast and has lots of protein along with fiber iron and magnesium. The magnesium helps to maintain weight by controlling blood sugar levels.
1 cup; 222 calories, 8 g protein, 39 g carbs, 4 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 5 g fiber

Cant We all just get along

I was at the gym and I did something I hate to do. I got into a discussion about exercises with another trainer. What was I thinking! In case you’ve never heard fitness professionals talk about training, they tend to believe strongly in their own methods and these discussions tend to get heated. The point of contention was whether or not you should arch your back when you press for the best results. And what I said had people up in arms.

One guy was talking about physiology origins and insertions of muscles and really pulling out all the stops. Another got so upset that he started yelling and stormed off claiming “everyone knows you arch your back when you press! Arghhhhh! Then he threw a weight plate at a mirror. Okay the last part is a lie but he was that angry. You want to know what I said to get them so heated?

“The form you use all depends on what your goal is”

They looked at me like I was Christopher fucking Columbus when he claimed the earth wasn’t flat. All this animosity based on the fact that I wouldn’t pick a side. We were both right. Arching your back shortens the range of motion and is great form for power lifting. Keeping your back flat uses a complete range of motion and is better for building muscle in the chest. Two situations where using a different form would make complete sense. Form is a variable that you manipulate depending on what you want to accomplish; Tools in your toolbox

People often ask me do you think yoga is good, what about boxing fitness, do you believe in kettle bells? My answer is that they are all tools with some aspects that are useful to your purpose and others that aren’t. It all starts with the goal. The stronger the goal the easier it is to make choices about what tools will bring you closer or further away from that goal. Some smart guy at some point in history said something that went like:

“The pitfall of knowledge is once you think you know something you stop looking for answers”

I look at everything from Pilates to power lifting when looking for ways to get people to their goal faster. My only hope is that when I look back at what I believe now that I am confronted with the question: What was I thinking!

Derick

Can you live to be 100?

In this clip, Dan Buettner comes as close as ive seen to answering the question "how can we live longer?" as he identifies some of the simlarities of cultures with the most Centenarians.

This is a must see for yourself and for anyone you want in your life as long as possible. Make sure you pass it along to everyone you know unless you owe them money in which case you'll have a better shot at holding out if you don't.

Derick

What do you mean no sweet potatoes?

I had this crazy chest pain over the holiday that ended up being a muscle spasm but felt like a bacon induced heart attack. Unfortunately it happened on Christmas eve which meant missing my mothers annual Christmas eve party and spending most of Christmas holiday in a hospital bed. This short stint in the hospital made me realize a couple things about life.

The only feeling more helpless than lying in a hospital bed not knowing what’s wrong with you is looking at somebody you care about in a hospital bed not knowing what's wrong with them.

After the initial muscle spasm I wasn’t experiencing any real pain, going to the hospital was more about finding out why. Try convincing your mother, siblings and close friends of that when your sitting in emerg hooked up to all kinds of machines. I would say they were 10x more scared than I was. I felt sorrier for them than I did myself.

The other thing I realized is that I don’t ever want to get sick for real. The food at the hospital was horrible. All I wanted was some sweet potatoes on Christmas. They don’t serve sweet potatoes at North General. The other thing about life I realized is I don’t want to be anywhere where they don’t serve sweet potatoes.