PerfectLeanBody: Perfect Nutrition

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

All about dieting - 3. How big should be my portion size

Hello guys,

we already know, that we should eat often, the best is 5-6 meals a day. But lot of us are afraid of gaining weight if we eat that often, especially women (am I right??:-).

You will not gain weight, if you control your portion size. Imagine how much food you eat during the day. You can do the test and write down on the list all the food you eat during the day. Do you have any idea how many calories you have consumed? Do you know how many protein, carbohydrates, fat you have eaten? Most likely you have no clue, unless you are educated in nutrition.
Try not to overeat. My grandmother always said: Eat to live, not live to eat.

Today: How big should be my portion size?
Next post: What food is easy to digest?

Have a great day!

Pavla

3. HOW BIG SHOULD BE MY PORTION SIZE?

Portion sizes are given in grams, ounces or cups and it is hard to visualize it.
Easy way to find out.
Look at your hand and use it as your food guide.

Recommendations:

pasta, rice, cereal, vegetables, fruits - 1 cup is recommended portion size. What is one cup? Look at your closed fist. Your fist is about a cup size. Your fist = cup.
meat portion = as big as your palm
added fats (butter, mayo, salad dressing) - size of the top of your thumb

If you look at your plate, divide it to:

one quarter: protein
another quarter: starch, preferably a whole grain
half: veggies

None of the foods should overlap or be piled high!

DEAL #6: LOOK AT YOUR PLATE, HALF OF THE PLATE IS VEGGIES, ONE QUARTER PROTEIN, ANOTHER QUARTER STARCH.

I found this webpage and really like it. It helps you to visualize your portions on divided plane. You see how much vegetables, milk and diary, grains, fruits, fats and oils, sweets and treats, mixed dishes you should eat for weight loss with 5-6 meals a day.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate

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Monday, January 21, 2013

All about dieting - 2. How often should I eat

Hello guys,

When we try to lose weight, we have a tendency to eat less and few times per day. Eating smaller portions per day is right and exactly what we should do, but eating few times a day (once or twice) is wrong. The amount of calories consumed in two meals per day is more likely higher than the amount of calories consumed in 5-6 small meals.

Let`s talk about how often you should eat for weight loss.

Next question: How big should be your portion size?

Pavla

2. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I EAT FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Eat often, smaller portion size. At least 3 meals a day, the best is 5-6 smaller meals, depends on your active life. You should never skip breakfast, then follow with snack (fruit or vegetable), lunch, snack, dinner and last snack. If you eat more frequently, you boost your metabolism and actually burn calories you consumed. By more frequently I mean smaller portions and healthy choices. Not 3 hamburgers per day and fries as a snack. Eating four to five times per day (meals or snacks) is associated with reduced or no obesity risk. Eating less than three meals or snacks per day may increase the risk of obesity.
When you eat regularly throughout the day, your body knows that more food is on the way and it is more like to burn the calories you consume than store them as fat. Eating at regular intervals may help stabilize blood sugar and energy levels.
How does it practically work? You do not need to cook several times a day. Simply cook one regular sized meals and split them in half. Keep the other half in the fridge and eat it when you feel hungry later.
As soon as you notice your body`s hunger signals, make sure you eat within an hour. Irregular eating patterns and skipped meals can confuse you body and mess up you metabolism. Plus, if you wait until you are feeling ravenous, you may be more likely to overeat.
Make sure you meet your body`s needs for all other key nutrients like protein, vitamins, minerals. Eat balanced meals for the best results. Your mini meals should be nutritionally balanced, containing complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats. Each meal should be about half the size of a "normal" (3 meals a day sized) meal. When you eat these "mini meals", you take in the same calorie and nutrients by the end of the day, just with different timing.
Eating more often is not for everyone. If you have trouble stopping eating once you start, you may wind up overeating. If you turn your mini meals into large meals and you have problems with discipline or portion control, then eating more often during the day might have negative consequences for you. Do what works the best for you.

Example of meals per day for weight loss:

Breakfast:

scrambled eggs or egg whites
whole grain toast
banana
fresh orange juice

Snack:

greek non-fat/low-fat yogurt
blueberries

Lunch:

turkey, chicken, fish..
rice
salad

Snack:

grapefruit
almonds

Dinner:

chicken soup, beef soup, vegetable soup.. or chicken/turkey/fish
salad

Snack:

broccoli
low fat cottage cheese

DEAL #5: EAT (AT LEAST) 3 TIMES PER DAY

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

All about dieting - 1. What should I eat to lose weight?

Hi guys,

Dieting is part of our life, it is actually a science!

Many of you asked the same questions about eating right, clean, healthy. Because there is so many information about nutrition and healthy eating, we start from the beginning and basic in nutrition. I will dedicate each post to one of your question.

I will make few deals with you and if you follow my diet tips and deals, you will be healthier, leaner, fit, happier and proud of yourself.

If you have any questions about dieting, just feel free to ask me on facebook and I will answer according to my best knowledge.

Your first question: 1. What should I eat to lose weight?
Next post: How often should I eat?

Pavla

TIPS HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT

EAT VEGETABLES TO HELP YOU FEEL FULL
DRINK PLENTY OF CLEAR WATER
DO NOT BUY TEMPTING FOOD
DO NOT EAT JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE BORED, GET BUSY
EAT ONLY FROM A PLATE WHILE SEATED BY THE TABLE, NOT IN FRONT OF THE FRIDGE
DO NOT SKIP MEALS

1. WHAT SHOULD I EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT

it is as simple as it is. When I go to the restaurant or watch my friend`s dishes, they do not eat lot of vegetables and fruit. I do not mean fried vegetable, but fresh vegetable and fresh fruit.
Vegetables help you to feel full. Fruit is excellent source of fiber and energy.

FRESH VEGETABLE LIST TO EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT:

Let`s make a deal between you and me and try to eat every day 3 items of fresh vegetable:

spinach,
lettuce,
tomatoes,
asparagus,
broccoli,
cauliflower,
carrots,
peppers,
avocado,
celery,
cucumber,
zucchini,
parsley,
cabbage and others, but if you stick with these, you have already great variety of vegetables

DEAL #1: EAT EVERY DAY AT LEAST 3 ITEMS FROM THE VEGETABLE LIST

FRESH FRUIT LIST TO EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT:

Fruit is important part of our diet. Full of fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals and great source of sustainable energy. Lot of people around me use zero or low calorie sweetener, drink fruit juices or eat dry fruit (which contain a higher concentration of sugar) instead of fresh fruit. Many people consume excess of sugar, which causes inflammation and can lead to a variety of diseases. Believe me, fresh fruit is much better than zero or low calorie sweetener. Your body needs energy and natural sugar. And if you eat more fresh fruits you will minimize your sweet tooth.

Fruits lowest in sugar:

lemon and lime
rhubarb
raspberries
blueberries
cranberries

All berries are excellent for boosting metabolism and low in calories.

Fruits low to medium in sugar:

strawberries
casaba melon
papaya
watermelon
peaches
nectarines
cantaloupes
honeydew melons
apples
guavas
apricots (fresh)
grapefruit (great for boosting metabolism)

Fruits with medium-high sugar content

plums
oranges
kiwi
pears
pineapple

Fruits with highest sugar content

tangerines
cherries
grapes
pomegranates
mangoes
figs
bananas
dried fruit (raisins, dried apricots, prunes)

DEAL #2: EAT EVERY DAY 3 ITEMS FROM THE FRUIT LIST

I do not recommend to eat 3 bananas per day, make it colorful and smart in sugar content. Mix it, make it colorful, for example: blueberries, orange, banana. Fruit with the most sugar eat in the morning for energy (banana) and fruit with less sugar eat in the evening (I do not recommend after 6pm) - berries.

LEAN PROTEIN

EGGS - is the highest quality protein, prefer egg whites for lower calories and fat.
DAIRY - non-fat or low fat milk, yogurt, cheese. Lean cheeses are usually soft types (feta, ricotta, cottage cheese, cheddar, mozzarella)
FISH - leanest choices are flounder, tilapia, lobster. Tuna and salmon are also lean and the fat it does have is very healthy. Avoid deep fried fish!
POULTRY AND MEAT - white meats are generally leaner than red meat. Lean cuts of meat are tenderloin, round or center cut. Ground meats will be higher in fat. Specialty meats like buffalo or ostrich are extremely lean proteins.
VEGETABLES AND GRAINS - lentils, different types of beans like black beans, chickpeas, soy nuts and combine them with whole grains like barley or cracked wheat.

DEAL #3: CHOOSE LEAN PROTEIN INSTEAD PROCESSED FOOD

In stead of fried chicken, fried fish, choose grilled chicken or tuna, tilapia, salmon, turkey, beef. Low fat fishes are generally easy to digest and low in calories, full of protein.

You can eat healthy in a restaurant. Choose grilled chicken with salad. Be careful for dressing, tell them to put it on a side, not mix it. Dressing has a lot of fat, sugar and calories. Tuna salad is great choice too, just be aware of dressing.

When you are really hungry and need to eat something quickly, do scrambled eggs or boiled eggs. I eat mostly egg whites, because I am watching for my waistline. If you want to lose fat, eat egg whites.

If you like yogurt, milk, cheese, always look for low fat or non fat. Dairy is full of protein, but also high in fat.

If you are vegetarian, eat lots of lentils, beans. They have so many health benefits, plus keeps you look young!

HEALTHY CARBOHYDRATES

HIGH FIBER 100% WHOLE GRAINS
RAW, WHOLE, FRESH FRUIT
VEGETABLES (raw and lightly steamed vegetables)
BEENS, LEGUMES, NUTS AND SEEDS
MOST LOW FAT DAIRY

DEAL #4:
EAT LOTS OF VEGETABLES, MAKE IT 1/2 OF YOUR PLATE

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Monday, November 19, 2012

Fast Fat Loss Diet after one week

Hello guys,

week ago I posted information about Fat Loss Diet that was based on three food groups: Meat, legumes and vegetable. I mixed and matched those three groups.

One week has passed and I am here to share my experiences. Some of you might ask, why am I doing, does it make sense to stay on diet just one week, how could I lost some body fat in only one week?

I am a personal trainer and this is not only about exercise, but also nutrition. You can workout for hours, but then eat all the junk food you have at home and see not results. Some of you might be dieting, starving, trying all kinds of different diets. We all are different and what works on one, does not have to work on the other. My goal was to try if this diet works and how I feel.

How did I do with this Fast fat loss diet? For one week I gave up dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) and carbohydrates (pasta, rice, bread, cereals, potatoes) and limited fruits. Replaced it with egg whites, meat, beans. Believe it or not, this diet is working and I saw my body shrinking in couple days. I did my fat burn workouts, steady cardio and weight training. All together it made great changes with my body. My muscles are more defined, I am leaner, my abs is stronger and I lost some belly fat.

After all, is it working? I say YES! Who would I recommend? If you do not like milk, dairy products and fruit, if you like meet, beans and vegetable, then it is perfect for you!

Pavla

Fast Fat Loss Diet

Fast Fat Loss Diet after one week

What I mostly ate:

boiled egg whites
meat with vegetables and beans
chicken soup
baked vegetable with eggs

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Sunday, November 11, 2012

60 Days Training- DAY 42

Hello guys,

REST day!

I love rest days. Our body needs rest, recover from the work during the whole week. In my rest days I go for a nice walk, sleep a lot, enjoy the food I stay away during the week.

I also went out dancing with a friend of mine as you can see on the picture above. I had few drinks (raspberry vodka) and I can honestly say the other day I felt a little bit sick. My body is just not used to alcohol. I had great time, rested enought for the next week full of great workouts.

Enjoy your week!

Pavla

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Fast Fat Loss Diet

Hello guys,

Lot of people around me ask me very typical question: how to lose fat fast.

I always answer - eat everything in moderation, exercise and live healthy. Easy said, sometimes hard to follow. Especially when it comes to stressful situation it is hard to follow healthy diet rules and sometimes there is lack of motivation to workout.

I was thinking about one of my friend who is overweight - what diet would be the best, because we all are different and what works on me does not have to work on others. There are so many opinions about dieting, so many diets and of course they work, because if you rapidly change your eating habits, you do lose weight. But how to lose FAT without "yoyo" effect, losing muscles and water? It is all about what you eat and if you eat food that support keeping/growing muscles, then it is the right way to go. According to latest research the most safe and effective diet is high protein/ low carb diet. As I said the best is eat everything in moderation, but for some people, especially overweighted, it is hard to know what "moderation" is (half plate of food, one plate of food, two plates of food?) What food is heatlhy and what food to avoid. I have been asked many times if fried fish is a healthy meal.

I try to eat heatlhy - lot of vegetables, fruits, low fat diary, lean protein (chicken, fish, beef..), minimize carbs (especially bread, sugary cereals..). That is the best eating style for me.

The diet I found is similar to my eating habits, that is why I like that diet, because I do not change RAPIDLY my eating habits, but I do small changes, which are the best for reaching the goal. If you jump into new diet with huge changes, there is high possibility you give up. It is not for everyone. I give you as much information about the diet as I know and can, but others is up to you.
I start this diet tomorrow, I will make a pictures of meal and post it. For breakfast I am going to have eggwhites and vegetable. For lunch beef, beans and vegetable. For dinner chicken with vegetables and beans. I am going to miss milk and fruits a lot, but I want to try this challenge.

Have a great day and if you want to try this challenge with me, be strong and do not give up. One week is a short time.

Pavla

FACTS ABOUT THIS DIET (source: www.fourhourworkweek.com)

you can lose up to 20lbs in 30 days by optimizing exercise and diet
with this diet you keep your muscles and water
it is low carb diet and high protein diet

FOOD TO AVOID

WHITE CARBOHYDRATES - those food are prohibited except for within 1,5 hours of finishing a resistance training workout (at least 20min in length): bread, rice, cereals, potatoes, pasta and fried food

RULES TO FOLLOW

Eat the same few meal over and over again (the most successful dieters with goal fat loss or muscle gain recommend to eat the same few meal over and over again).
Mix and match each meal from three food groups: protein, legumes, vegetables
Don`t drink calories (drink water, unsweetened ice tea, tea, coffee or other no calorie/low calorie beverages). You should not drink milk, soft drinks, fruit juices.
Take one day off per week - it is your gone wild day. This day you are allowed to eat whatever you want. If you eat that day whatever you want, you do not want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn`t downregulate from extended caloric restriction

FOOD GROUPS - match and mix

1. PROTEINS

EGG WHITES, 1 WHOLE EGG FOR TASTE
CHICKEN BREAST OR THIGH
GRASS FED ORGANIC BEEF
PORK

2. LEGUMES

LEGUMES
BLACK BEANS
PINTO BEANS

3. VEGETABLES

SPINACH
ASPARAGUS
PEAS
MIXED VEGETABLES

Example of meals:

scrambled egg whites with one whole egg, black beans, mixed vegetables
grass fed organic beef, pinto beans, mixed vegetables, extra guacamole
grass fed organic beef, lentils, mixed vegetables
post workout pizza with extra chicken, cilantro, pineapple, garlic, sundried tomatoes, bell peppers, red onions

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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

60 Days Training - DAY 23

Hello guys,

New month - new resolution, new fitness goal.

My fitness goal is to get rid of cellulite as much as possible and I am sure you are in this with me.

How to get rid of cellulite?

regular exercise - something we already do
eliminate drinking alcohol (alcohol is dehydrating and retards blood circulation)
reduce consumption of caffeinated beverages and replace it with water and non-caffeinated herbal teas
eliminate/giving up eating processed food (contain excess salt, sugar, additives and trans fats which can leads to increased fat storage in the body)
eliminate saturated fat
replace refined carbohydrates such as white rice, pasta, breads with whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat flour.

Let`s try to keep those rules to reach our fitness goal!

Have a great day!

Pavla

TRAINING

FEEL YOUR THIGHS WORKOUT
CARDIO 30min

1. FEEL YOUR THIGHS WORKOUT

Recommendations:

strengthening training
do 3-4 rounds, depends on your fitness level
do each exercise 30times
always keep your core tight
keep your back flat, shoulders back

One round:

plie position: feet jump in x out, 30times
plie position: jump up (keep your hips low), 30times
squat, 30times
squat: little pulse and count till 30
plank: alternate leg lift (feel contractions of your glutes as you lift up the leg), 30times

2. CARDIO -30min

Do not skip this part of training. Cardiovascular activity is very important not only for burning fat, calories, but also for healthy reasons.

Great example of cardio/aerobic activity:

running
jogging
brisk walking
cycling
hiking
swimming
dancing
kickboxing
cardio machines (treadmill, elliptical...)
and others

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Monday, September 10, 2012

Training 60 days - DAY 7

Hello guys,

the first week of training is over and today is REST day. Your body needs to recover and regain energy.

How do you guys spend your rest day?

You know that if you want to get stronger and leaner, you need to continually push yourself harder. But if we workout hard every day and never give our bodies the chance to rest and recover then eventually we will either reach a plateau in fitness or get overtrained. Rest and recovery is as important as training.

Go for a walk, listen to the music, read nice book, go for a massage, spend the day with your family or people you love.

Spoil yourself with good, tasty, healthy food.

Have a great day,

Pavla