Does that make me feel great? Of course not.. But i know that NOTHING..ZERO percent.. about the approach I take of being open and persistent in choosing to lead by example, and trying to encourage/inspire others to learn, eat more nutritiously and exercise is based on arrogance. ZERO percent. It is about sharing what works for me and thousands of others, taking our health crisis seriously, and trying to reach someone that desires to change, get healthier, lead a more positive, energetic life, etc.,

It is also about my own accountability…If people are expecting it I’m more likely to continue to improve and stay healthy. This is actually why our challenge groups work (…at least for those that choose to be an engaged member.) So, we will continue to do what we do, exercising one of the greatest strengths in leadership- BEING WILLING TO DO WHAT IS UNPOPULAR. Along the way we will remind ourselves of these two points frequently:

1) If you try to please everybody, you will end up pleasing nobody
2) You don’t offend people, people allow themselves to be offended.

I , along with my team, the 80,000+ strong Team Beachbody coach network and ALL of the health community are willing to talk about health for the purpose of reaching those that want more, want health, want to feel energized and positive. It will be hard to convince anyone that the alternative of NOT talking about health will lead to improved health.

What is your opinion?

I agree the “environment” in which we live (outside of the home..) makes it more challenging to live a healthy lifestyle, BUT I absolutely disagree that it is the main cause for the unsustainable, dramatic rate at which Americans continue to gain weight and get sick.

While we may not have control over what foods are served at restaurants, public events and your work, etc…..EVERYONE has the choice to NOT EAT what is served or patronize such businesses. More importantly we ALL have 100% control of our home environment, and the choice to plan and be prepared when you know the majority of food options as such events or many restaurants will be fat full, sodium rich, highly processed and calorie stuffed obesogenic foods.

LET’S NOT BLAME OTHERS or solely the “environment” for a lack of our planning. That lets people off the hook when personal responsibility is still the overwhelming contributor for much of the obesity epidemic. If someone wants to be healthy bad a enough, they will find a way. They will decide to make exercise a priority, they will make the decision to learn how to eat more nutritiously (with little to ZERO added expense) than they are and they will plan their meals in advance. They will invest the $10 in a small, portable cooler/lunch sack and they will wake up 5-10 earlier to make sure they have their meal or snacks.

On the other hand, if someone is comfortable being obese and not yet willing to change their habits they will continue as is, and blame the “environment” and wait for them to change before they make the decision to change. That is a recipe for a continued escalation of the trend of obesity.

More government help??????? Seriously??? This is some serious shit…it’s about time we take it more seriously.

Those are warm, fuzzy words that invoke positive emotions and memories.

..and while I’m not trying to diss a trip to grandma’s house or a warm bowl of soup on cold as hell January day, I do think comfort can also be a little dangerous.

Comfort works against you when your decide to stop learning.
Comfort works against you when being 10 pounds overweight is acceptable.
Comfort works against you when you’re OK taking a yet another new medication.
Comfort works against you when being 20 pounds overweight is acceptable.
Comfort works against you when it becomes OK to miss your kids activities.
Comfort works against you when being 50 pounds overweight is acceptable.
Comfort works against you when it’s OK to not be paid what you’re worth.

When being comfortable leads to being 50 pounds overweight, taking 5 medications, working a job you hate where you are trading your time for money…and missing your kids activities… being comfortable sucks.

Maybe it’s my perception about being comfortable that’s perverse (prolly is), but I don’t see “he’s got it made” when looking at the image in this blog. I see…”what’s he missing?”

It’s not a fit50.com original.

But, in my opinion, having a “Go To” healthy cereal option or two on those super busy mornings is an important meal to have planned, too.

Quite frankly, this one we enjoy on the days where nothing is planned as well. Here’s why…the ingredient list.

Barbara’s shredded wheat cereal has ONE listed ingredient – 100% whole wheat. That’s it. No added sugars, corn by-products or preservatives, and zero milligrams of sodium.

And…it still manages to deliver 5 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein per 140 calorie serving…40 grams of whole grains per serving!!. This combination of protein and fiber keeps you feeling more full for a longer period of time.

As you see in the picture above, we do add some berries for added sweetness (in this case it was frozen blueberries.), and we topped it off with low-calorie almond milk.

Why almond milk? Well you’ll just have to wait for another blog for that answer.

Tell us, what is your favorite healthy breakfast cereal?…AND DON’T SAY GRANOLA!!

Yep. It’s amazing the responses you get from the most random Facebook status updates and tweets.  Sometime you put all this thought into a social media post and get crickets and other times you put the most random thing (see above) and you get “likes” and “Retweets.”

Anyhow…breakfast today was suggested by my wife, the lovely Katie Graue. She had seen a friend mention combining two of our favorites, egg whites and hummus, like a deviled-egg. Seemed like a reasonable combination to us, so we added it to the 5-day Breakfast Blitz.

Prep is simple, especially if you are using your favorite store-bought hummus. We like Basha – Original Flavor, and have bought some from a local specialty food store. All you have to do is cut the egg in half, remove the yolk and replace with hummus. I used not quite 1 TBSP for each egg, use more or less as you desire.

We then paired the egg whites and hummus with a whole wheat English Muffin and cantaloupe (not pictured) for a well-balanced breakfast that delivered 375-400 calories (40 cals from eggs, 120 cals from hummus, 120 cals from English muffin, 50 cals from a small amount of butter/jam and 50 calories from a portion of fruit), 15 grams of protein and 40 grams of carbs (including 6 grams of fiber, about 25% of what is recommended daily).

So, give this super-quick breakfast a try and come back to let us know what you think.

Stay tuned for the finale of the blitz tomorrow.

This is what happens when your photographer has to work the morning shift and you’re trying to make school lunches at the same time you are working on your project.

I’ve always enjoyed making (and eating) Egg Frittatas, and this is very similar. Hey, that’s why I wanted to make it! But there is one major difference from the Fritattas I’ve made that hooked my curious little brain (and taste buds) when I was flipping through the P90X2 Nutrition Guide.

What was unique to this recipe compared to similar dishes I’ve prepared is the use of white rice as a “crust” or “base” to the Egg muffins. It added soooo much, and left me thinking that I wish I would have found this idea sooner. Let’s face it, P90X2 is not only transforming home gyms across the country with the use of the rumble roller, weighted-stability ball and medicine balls, but also kitchens and recipe books.

These really were light as both the jalapeno and turkey sausage added so much flavor. I paired it with the fruit I had remaining in fridge (…time for a produce run). All told the calorie content for three Breakfast Egg Muffins and some fruit was around 450 – 500 calories. This is a decent-sized breakfast, but if you’re gonna go big for a meal, breakfast would be the one to go big with.  Not that a 450 calorie breakfast is HUGE by the way…but they do say:

“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. “

Have you heard this?

Anyhow, here’s my version of Breakfast Egg Muffins, and what you need to make 2 servings:

1/2 cup of cooked white rice (do it the night before)
1 cup browned, ground turkey sausage
1/4 cup of low-fat shredded cheese
3 eggs
3 TBSP fat-free milk
1 TBSP diced jalapeno (or more if you want)
1 TBSP diced shallot (or onion)
1/4 tsp of ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray

Again, you can save a few minutes of prep time by making the rice the night before, and maybe even brown the turkey sausage, too. To start, combine the rice, 1/2 of the cheese and 1 of the eggs in a bowl. Mix well and then divide evenly between 6 of the cups in a muffin pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Press the mixture against the bottom and sides of each cup and bake for 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees….While these are cooking prep the remaining ingredients.

To finish, whisk the remaining eggs and milk and then combine with the ground turkey sausage and remaining ingredients. Then spoon the egg-turkey sausage mixture evenly into the previously cooked rice-egg “shells” and return to the oven to bake for 15-20 more minutes until set.

Delish..

See you tomorrow for Day 4..

Of course that means, I had to bring out the best, a favorite, for the Mrs….so pancakes it is.

But…not just any ole pancake recipe will do when you’re trying to fuel your body to be your  best. A few months back I was charged with finding a protein pancake recipe that not only tasted great but delivered more taste and less nutritional fluff.

Here’s what I came up with…good stuff thanks to a secret ingredient.
I came up with a Protein Pancake recipe which I’ve altered from the original recipe (which was found under the lid of some Dannon Light Vanilla yogurt) by trial and error to deliver a morning protein punch with some crunch. The secret ingredient…Cornmeal.

This recipes makes 10 large pancakes, with a 2-pancake serving delivering 15 gm protein, 30 gm of carbs, 10.5 grams fat (only 1.5 gm saturated), 5 grams of fiber and 275 calories. The batter is thick, but trust the recipe!!! You even have some room to top these babies with some walnuts and maple syrup and still keep it around 400 calories.

Give these a try…we’d love to have you come back and comment on the recipe. We want to know what your experience was like?

See you tomorrow for Day 3 of the five day Breakfast Blitz.

Tropical Strawberry Shakeology is a really big deal. Here are a few reasons why:

A new, proprietary 100% Vegan protein source.

A mild, fruity, premium health shake that is easy to customize to your liking. What fresh fruit will you add?

Extraordinary health benefits in a glass, without synthetic sweeteners or preservatives…100% natural!

Raw, sprouted, bio-fermented brown rice, quinoa, chia, and flax among sources included in this plant-based protein that delivers all 9 essential amino acids.

A GREAT option for those who do not tolerate dairy products, whey protein..and contains NO Soy.

Tropical Strawberry Shakeology  has a smooth, creamy texture without the grittiness usually associated with vegan proteins (NO HEMP SWEATERS that coat your teeth with hemp-based proteins!! Haha.)

Key nutrients are derived from natural whole foods and there are NO added vitamins or mineral isolates…Vitamin and minerals are naturally occurring in the whole-food sources.

The numbers…160 calories, 15 grams of protein, 20 grams of carbs and only 70 mg of sodium.

What would it mean to you to replace one meal per day with Tropical Strawberry Shakeology?

Consider taking the Tropical Strawberry Shakeology Challenge for 30 days. Start by taking a before picture, weigh in and document how you feel. Replace just one meal per day for 30 days…and check back in in one month. There’s the 100% bottom of the bag guarantee, so there’s nothing to lose.

Click here to get started with your 30-Day Challenge.

Crunchy Munchy Honey Cakes

Food. Food. Food.

Fruit Salad (yummy yummy)

I KNOW they introduced me to Muesli. That being said, I had never tried it until by accident on a family vacation in 2011 when filling my plate while enjoying the breakfast buffet on the Disney Dream cruise ship. It was tasty, even though I was completely surprised that the combination of oats, fruit and nuts was served chilled.Yep, chilled. Who knew that uncooked, soaked oats could taste good? They do.

Muesli, like many foods has evolved and taken on new variations since its creation. The general rule of thumb is that Muesli consists of uncooked whole oats that have been soaked in water, milk or fruit juice, and then mixed with nuts and fruit.

The Homemade Muesli recipe I am sharing with you today was modified from the recipe included in the P90X2 Nutrition Guide. One of the great things about this recipe is that it is quick to assemble. After soaking the oats in the fridge overnight, all it takes the next morning is a few minutes of chopping and stirring. I paired it with turkey bacon to get some more protein, and to pair some “savory” with my “sweet.”

Here’s what you need to make 2 servings:

1 cup of whole, rolled oats
1/2 cup of almond, soy or fat free cow’s milk (I used unsweetened Almond milk)
1 apple, chopped
2.5 TBSP walnuts, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup plain or vanilla light yogurt

Again, the first step in preparing muesli begins the night before when you invest about one minute of your evening combining the oats and the milk. Stir them together, cover and refrigerate.

All you have to do the following morning is prepare the apple and combine the remaining ingredients with the refrigerated oat mixture. Then enjoy it, with some turkey bacon. All told, this homemade muesli and turkey bacon (4 pieces) breakfast for TWO delivers 425 calories, 45 grams of Carbs, 20 grams of Protein, 7 grams of fiber and 18 grams of fat (…mostly heart-healthy fats from the walnuts). There is a fair of amount of sodium (700 mg, almost completely coming from the turkey bacon), so plan accordingly with your salt consumption the rest of the day.

Give this a chance and make it yours. Change the fruit, change the nuts, change the milk or juice you soak the oats in…you have a lot of options.

…See you tomorrow for Day TWO of the one week Breakfast Blitz.

Wiggles photo courtesy of wikia.com

Unfortunately, both you know and I know that this is a prime time of year for many Americans to choose to put on a few pounds. A few…as in like 10 pounds. They are not “hot for the holidays.”

Why is it that so many individuals allow themselves to be influenced by their family, their friends, their co-workers and the expectation that weight gain is inevitable from Thankgiving through Christmas? It’s just not true.

Here’s the deal…

The Team fit50 Beachbody Coach Network says, “not for us”…”ain’t gonna happen”…”not gonna feel like poo for 5 weeks.” We KNOW there are others up to the challenge of losing weight to end the year; individuals that are up to starting the year with momentum in losing weight, getting healthier and achieving their goals.

We are actually proving it by coaching committed individuals in small groups all throughout our Coach Network. I, along with Fit50.com co-founder Katie Graue, am coaching 14 people using Turbofire, P90X, Power90 and Slim in 6. Each person has committed to a program and committed to drinking Beachbody’s Shakeology each day.

We are really excited about the friendships that are beginning to be made and what will continue to transpire with these small groups where accountability to the group is key. In the coming weeks participants will begin reporting on progress to the S.M.A.R.T. goals they have identified, and more personalized support and education will be delivered with an emphasis on nutrition, identifying meal plans and new food choices.

Did we mention these individuals are qualifying for daily $500 cash prizes, and several hundred thousand dollars which will be awarded as part of the Beachbody Challenge? It’s true!

If you want to take action NOW and believe that a great in-home fitness program, paired with personalized support and education, small group accountability, great nutrition and a financial incentive for your success is a winning formula for your personal transformation, then you need to check out this short 5-minute video.

We will be starting another Beachbody Challenge group beginning December 1st. We are thinking 10-minute trainer or P90X. Take advantage of the 15-20 percent discount and reserve your spot as soon as possible by emailing me at chad@fit50.com. We will take only the first five committed individuals for this next group.