I'm Not Happy

OK,


Perhaps I'm talking to myself when i speak about nutrition. it seems that i am because i've noticed that the food logs (majority) lately are not getting better.

what i expect is that your eating habits continue to get better and better. i expect that you take your nutrition seriously and understand your food log, and not just write stuff down to turn in your homework.  i expect that you know the difference between proteins and complex carbs,and that protein is the FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCK TO OUR SUCCESS!!

your nutritional guideline has everything you need to eat properly. why then am i seeing meals without protein, meals with only carbs, meals with fattening carbs, entire days with no protein, etc.

we are running this treadmill getting minimal results each month because we are not getting better with our eating. if  you have been with me for 2 months or more, there's NO darn reason that you should not be getting better with your eating. if you still don't know how you should be eating, please let me know. here are a few things that are beginning to burn me up:


1. eating poorly on the weekends: we are all on the go on the weekends. plan ahead. make sandwiches, drink a protein shake, take boiled eggs, canned tuna or salmon, fruit bags.....ANYTHING. just eat! taking weekends off is NOT good. we can't afford 2 days of poor eating each week. that's 8 days of poor eating each month....provided that you eat PERFECTLY the rest of the week. now, imagine....8 days of poor eating out of 30 days.  that's roughly 25% of the month that you eat poorly. see how it adds up?

2. not eating protein: chicken, fish, beef, turkey and eggs. chicken, fish, beef, turkey and eggs. chicken, fish, beef, turkey and eggs. chicken....you get the point! u can boil it, saute it, grill it, broil it, bake it, marinate it, microwave it, George foreman it....do whatever you need to do with it, but eat it. your diet must have more protein than anything else. PROTEIN is good for you. its the best thing you can do for your body. its better than a handful of nuts, three wheat thins, a peanut butter sandwich, a can of soup, granola or all the other stuff i see of these food logs. quick/easy protein options:
    turkey or beef burger patties - make a bunch in advance and take em with you
    boiled eggs
    canned tuna or salmon
   chicken/turkey/beef deli sandwiches
    protein shakes

3. understand what a carbohydrate is and what it does to your body - a complex carb is an energy source. it is not used by your body to help you burn fat or lose weight. it is a compliment to a diet high in protein. most of you have sit down jobs and eat TONS of carbs daily and sit at a desk, therefore you are not using the carb for energy, but rather allowing it to go to waste. if you fit this bill, you should eat more proteins and fruits than carbs while at work.

4. NUTS ARE FATTENING. period. they taste great and have protein, but the amount of fat they contain isn't worth the protein.


now that we've gotten a few things cleared up, i expect food logs go get cleaner and continue to move in the positive direction or i expect a lot of questions this week during training sessions. many of you have suffered the consequence of bad food logs during your workouts. if i have to burn the fat for you, it will not be as easy as you doing it by eating properly.

like our parents always said, "i do this because i love you". LOL.



the first person to txt me and tell me how many times i wrote "protein" in this blog gets a free session.







   

GETTINCUTE

Welcome back Perfect Phit family,

i hope everyone had a great holiday. now its back to business. its time to dig back in and rededicate ourselves toward our goal. if you recall i challenged everyone to lose 5 lbs during the month of December.
i purposely did that because December is the most difficult month to maintain discipline, because of holiday, travel, kids out of school, etc. If you can conquer december, the rest of the year will be a piece of cake.

Beginning on Monday, Jan 2nd we will begin weigh ins for everyone for 201. i want to see who took the challenge and who was able to meet the challenge.

as we move forward, i want to reinforce the most important aspect of what we do....NUTRITION! our goals are on our dinner plates, our lunch bags, our snack packs and at breakfast. THIS IS WHERE WE WIN!

for those of you who are not aware, there's a disease going around that i want to make sure none of you acquire it. its called "gettincute"!!

Yes, GETTINCUTE is a widely spreading disease and its prevalent among those who are trying to lose weight and life a healthier lifestyle.  its airborne, so its easy to catch. people who suffer from GETTINCUTE usually don't see the signs of having it until its too late.  there are 3 stages of GETTINCUTE that you should be aware of:
1. oh you fancy, huh - the first stage of gettincute is when people lose the initial 5 to 10 lbs and begin to celebrate by saying, "i deserve a cheat day or a treat". and that one cheat day or treat opens the door to a mental lapse in discipline.
2. DUECES - the second stage of gettin cute is when we throw up the deuces and stop doing what got us the 1st 5 to 10 lbs of weight loss. we stop doing cardio daily. we stop eating 5-6 small meals a day and we begin making excuses why we cant work out.
3. Back to life...back to reality - NOW you've slowed down your metabolism, you don't feel your body moving in right direction and you panic. you start thinking, "diet" or "running" or "not eating" to lose the weight again.

usually when stage 3 of GETTINCUTE is acquired, you've lost the battle. don't let this be you. don't become the next victim of this disease.

what do you need to do:

GET BACK ON TRACK - if you fall off, get back up. keep getting back up until you no longer fall off. the common misconception is that if you try to lose weight and fail, ur done. its through, the mission has failed. NO. as long as the desire is there, continue to fight the battle.

EAT every 3 hours every day, ESPECIALLY ON WEEKENDS when you are busy and on the go. i've heard many of you say, "i eat great except for the weekends". well, that's 2 days that you store fat. we can't have that. its counteracting everything that we work hard monday thru friday to accomplish.  even if its the same turkey sammich and an apple (yes, i said sammich)....do what's necessary to eat every 3 hours.  by now, you all know that it works...so let's get it right.

you've heard me say it, the body that we work on now, will be on display this summer.  don't get left behind.  do the work NOW.

eat right and do your daily cardio. no excuses.

Today's Pain= Tomorrow's Pleasure

Good Afternoon PP,

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday. It's time to get back on track so we can make a strong push for the end of the year.

A lot of people make new year's resolutions, where they vow to start or quit something cold turkey on Jan 1. this is the most idiotic thing in the world to me because if you have the willpower to stop cold turkey, then do it right now.  And if your reasoning is something like, "i want to start fresh or i want to get in all my junk food or bad habits in before i start getting in shape"....let me tell you...you probably have been saying that for YEARS and  you'll be saying it for years to come.

We are not in that group. we have decided to make a change today (or months ago) to live a healthier lifestyle. the end of the year is approaching us and i want to challenge each of you within viewing distance to shed 5 lbs during the month of December.  i present this challenge to you because it is critical to know that how you end the year is probably how you will start next year. If you end it on a strong note, you'll carry it through.  so let's make this strong push to the finish of the year to ensure that when 2011 hits...we are mentally prepared and well disciplined to achieve our goals.

the hard work that you put in today will be the pleasure that you will receive tomorrow.  i want each of you to think about where you want your body to be in April/May/June of next year. when the weather breaks...the sun is back in season...and its time to wear your summer gear...do you want to be among the those saying, "i wish i looked like that" or do you want to be the person they are referring to?
let's put in the work NOW and reap the benefits LATER.

this is hibernation season, folks. let's do the grunt work now and step out in the spring like BAM!!!

"OK Ramont....i'm all in. my chips are on the table. What do i need to do?"

You need to EAT properly. 5 to 6 meals per day. lean protien (boneless, skinless meats), plenty of fruits, no carbs late at night, no white/flour carbs, NO SUGAR, NO FAT!

stop it with the negotiating and compromising, "well can i eat one of these, what about a little of that". you know damn well what u need to do, so let's do it!


so, again...i am personally challenging EACH of YOU to shed a minimum of 5 lbs during this month, heading into the new year.

who accepts the challenge?

Today's Pain = Tomorrow's Pleasure

STICKIN' TO THE SCRIPT

Good Afternoon PP,


I'm so happy to announce that everyone who's been with the perfect fit program for at least 4 weeks has been weighed in and has seen results. Our range of results is from 5 lbs to 10 lbs, where some have been on the program longer. This is absolutely wonderful.

Also, what is says is that THE PROGRAM WORKS!!! If you believe in the process and have the patience and discipline to work the program, it will work for you.

one thing that i get a lot, which is no surprise, is frustration. i totally understand it because it's part of the process. when i first started working out with a trainer, i thought i should see results sooner. and i had to realize that everyone's body is different, they react differently and what makes me lose weight, may not make another lose weight and vice versa. for example....some of you are on more carb restrictions than others. some of you do more cardio than others. but each of you has a plan that will help you develop and sustain a healthier lifestyle....guaranteed.

as some of you have seen results, a common question is "can i eat sweets now" or "can i have a cheat day" or "when will i get to go back to eating fried foods", etc.

STICK TO THE SCRIPT!! why would you want to do ANYTHING other than what has been proven to work? what typically happens when people lose weight is that they get cute...people start telling them they look good and they start feeling themselves. they say, "one piece of cake wont hurt" or "i don't have to do cardio every day now...i'm looking good". NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!

STICK TO THE SCRIPT!! if you've lost 5 lbs....don't do anything differently that you THINK will help you lose another 5 lbs faster. just stay on the path, golden child.  losing weight is not supposed to happen quickly. let me say it again, losing weight is not supposed to happen quickly.
we are all brainwashed with the commercials that say, "lose 10 lbs in 10 days" or something like that. that's not normal or healthy. it took you a long time to pick up that weight, so why do you think it'll come off fast?

STICK TO THE SCRIPT!!! another thing that i want to encourage you all to do is DON'T QUIT QUITTING! falling off of the wagon is human. its not the end of the world. discipline is not an overnight attribute. it takes time to develop. a lifestyle change is not an overnight accomplishment. if you have a bad day, or even a bad week of eating, this does not mean you should give up, or even take drastic measures. just get back on and STICK TO THE SCRIPT!! the key to your success is learning from the things that lead you to falling off of the wagon.
for example:

1. if you fell off by eating fast good. try to have snacks in your car when you leave the house so that you don't need to stop. or if you have to stop on the go....go to the gas station and get a protien shake.  eating at fast food restaurants is unacceptable because there's a protien shake at any gas station. stop using that as an excuse.
2. if you are skipping meals and this is why you fell off....set an alarm on your phone to remind you every three hours to eat SOMETHING. take fruit with you to work and walk to the cafe or the fridge down the hall and eat a few grapes and go back to your desk.
3. if you are not doing cardio.....GET UP 15 minutes earlier and do some cardio. go to bed 15 minutes earlier to make up for it. DVR your favorite show and watch it later when you get home if you dont want to miss it.


what i'm saying is, figure out where you are falling off and why. then STOP DOING THE SAME THINGS.

STICK TO THE SCRIPT!!!

The Power of Believing

We are all aware or have heard that faith without action is lost. That is also true where there's action and no faith.The things that we've become, the way that we have become them are all a result of our actions and our faith.
A healthier lifestyle is more about faith than it is about action. We can go through the motions, but if you don't truly believe that you will get there, your results will only be as large as your faith is. You limit yourself by believing more of what you can't do or what you haven't' done, as opposed to believing in what you can do!

As i said in a previous blog, it all starts with CAN DO attitude. You have to believe with all of your energy that you can lose that first 20 lbs and drive though that goal like a freaking mack truck. The power of your word is the strongest ally that you have. it can also be your greatest opposition.
if you tell yourself everyday with conviction...."I CAN LOSE WEIGHT and I CAN EAT HEALTHY", you will begin to believe it with every fiber of your being. but if you tell yourself,
"i can't...i don't like this, i can't do that, this is too hard, that tastes nasty....." you have already defeated yourself mentally and your actions will follow your faith. you have to simply believe and verbally put into the universe what you want to accomplish. once you put it out there, guess what.....IT EXISTS!! once it is
 spoken into existence, ITS REAL. and once it becomes real....IT BECOMES ATTAINABLE!!

its all about believing. now, if you read that last sentence backwards, you'll see how lack of faith can keep you from doing just about anything.

if you think its not attainable, then to you, its not real, therefore it does not exist!!! you have already lost.

the power of your words is so strong. if you around anyone who doesn't think you can do it....tell them to beat it. if you are around people who dont help you eat properly..remove yourself. if you around people who don't understand the power of positive outputs and positive results....remove yourself. THIS IS LOVE TEACHING yall! 

believe in whatever your goal is, create it in space and go after it. I, WE can ALL do this if we just believer that we can.

No more negative thinking. No more, "i can't". no more, "its too hard". No more, "it takes too long". change all of those to "i can", "its hard, but its worth it" and "i'll go as long at is takes to get this".

Believe!!!

The Three D's of Success

Ok, this week i've had to do more coaching than in week's past. So i figured i'd share with everyone my mentality on eating healthy.

There are and there will always be things that you cannot control, which will make eating healthy somewhat challenging at times. We all go through our busy days, our bad days and our days where nothing goes our way and we just feel like shit. We feel like we aren't making progress or that the progress is coming too slowly.

But with all of that, there are things that we CAN control and we need to focus on them. They are the 3 D's of success.

1. Determination - we can control our determination. no one can take this away from us. if we are determined to succeed, to lose weight, to lose body fat, to eat healthy and to maintain a better lifestyle...we must become and REMAIN determined. Even through the bad times, our determination cannot waiver. Challenges will always come your way. busy days or bad days will always be in abundance. that's the pendulum of life. expect it. but our determination must remain constant through it all. so when we do get knocked off of our horse or if we do feel like quitting or cheating, we have our determination that says. "I WILL NOT QUIT...I WILL NOT CHEAT...I WILL NOT GO BACKWARDS".  You control your determination.


2. Discipline - deciding to stay the course is something that we choose to do. we all have friends that will want to go out and eat fast food and drink. we all have long days at work and find it easier to just pick up something on the way. we all crave that sugar from chocolate and that margarita from our favorite watering hole. WE ALL DO. but the successful ones find a way to remain disciplined and keep themselves out of harms way somehow. if you have to find an accountability partner to keep you disciplined, then do that. find someone who supports what you are trying to do and call them when you feel weak and let them talk you back on track. if you are in a negative circle of friends and they encourage you to eat poorly or will let you eat what u should not....change your circle of friends while you are trying to accomplish your goal. discipline is a series of choices that we make or dont make. You control your discipline.

3. Decision Making - our choices are OURS and no one else's. Your friends are not to blame for you drinking. Your friends or your kids or your spouse are not to blame for you eating sweets. No one makes you pull into taco bell but you. Just like your decision to start eating healthy was all yours, your decision to backslide or not to is all yours. we must get away from ALL excuses and understand that we are in the drivers seat with regards to what we do and what we don't do.  You control your decision making.


I hope this helps you stay accountable to yourself so that you will remain focused and on pace for your success.

Holiday Madness

Before we even get into November, i want to address the holiday season, the Perfect Phit expectations and also dispelling the mentality that most of us have regarding the way that we eat.

During the holidays, in particular, Thanksgiving and Christmas, we use these two seasons (not days....but seasons) to over indulge in fatty foods and sweets because its traditionally what we've done as african americans. Our families get together and we fellowship over a feast. good food is thought to be an antidote to bring families close together. Soon thereafter, we all find a corner in grandma's house and take a nap because we've eaten ourselves to sleep. this state of being is what i call DUMB FAT AND HAPPY.
then, we wake up and have seconds while we watch movies and sports in the evening.
then, as if that wasn't enough, we'll damn sure take a plate or two home with us so that we can "keep the party going" for the next day or two.

Well, my friends....this WAS your holiday plan. it was your destiny BEFORE you decided to have a healthier lifestyle. this SLAVE eating is no longer a part of our culture.
i'm not saying we can't enjoy the holidays, but we must understand that enjoying the holidays is NOT WORTH the major setback that we'll undergo if we partake in the traditional feast.

if we eat like that, all of the progress we've made will be jeopardized. we'll slow down our metabolism that we've worked so hard to speed up...which keeps us losing calories while we rest. we'll put sugar and fat in our bodies and add to our body fat total, thus taking us into the negative direction!! ITS NOT WORTH IT. ITS NOT WORTH IT.

We cant let slave traditions keep us obese, unhealthy and closer to health risks just because its what we've been doing. Decide RIGHT NOW to unlearn the traditions and start a new one.
start a tradition of healthy eating for the holidays, smaller portions, better choices and NO REGRETS!!
The scale won't lie. You don't want January 1st to come around and you have to start all over with the resolution crowd.

you've already decided to have a healthier lifestyle, don't be grouped in with new years resolutioners. by the time they get started, you will have been on your way for months.

REMEMBER, THE BODY YOU WANT NEXT SUMMER IS CREATED IN THE OFF SEASON!! the body you want is not made in the gym, its created at home during EACH MEAL!!

we'll discuss this more in detail as we get close to the holidays, but i wanted to put it on your mind early.


 the holiday season is no reason to start cheatin!!
 the holiday season is no reason to start cheatin!!
 the holiday season is no reason to start cheatin!!


(think i'm playin)

FAQ's about SUGAR IN THE RAW

Good Morning Perfect Phit.






I figured that i'd provide this information to everybody so that you can have this for yourself.  Whevever I discuss the nutritional guidelines and tell people that they must cut out sugar, I get 50 million questions:


1. can i just eat less sugar
2. can i have splenda or equal
3. can i have sweetened cereals, etc
4. can i have sugar in the raw.






This article below is about sugar in the raw, how it is created and what its value is or lack thereof. It is HEALTHIER.....ER, ER than white sugar...but I STILL DON'T RECOMMEND IT!


with this information, you can decide for yourself if you want to use it. 


what i get from it it this: it does come from the sugar cane, therefore its natural. BUT, there is very minimal nutrient value, with 5 grams of carbs and 20 calories. 


so, what this means to me is this: i'm putting 5 grams of carbs and 20 calories into my system with NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE.  so, does it do me any good? NO. does it help me reach my goal? NO. 


does it hurt me? not AS MUCH as regular sugar. 


you decide if this ratio of risk vs reward is ok with you and is it worth extra days in the gym and paying for a trainer


ENJOY YOUR SUGAR!!






What is Sugar In The Raw? 
Sugar In The Raw is a natural, unrefined sugar made exclusively from sugar cane. Juice is extracted from the sugar cane, and then crystallized through evaporation. These crystals are rinsed with a very small amount of water to remove just enough stickiness to make the product free flowing. We pack this turbinado sugar and market it as Sugar In The Raw.

Because Sugar In The Raw is a natural product, there will be a variation in crystal size and color.

What makes Sugar In The Raw different from other sugars? Is it healthier for me than regular sugar? 
Sugar In The Raw's distinctive color and taste comes from the sugar cane juice flavor that naturally occurs in the crystals. By contrast, white sugar is obtained by refining the sugar cane crystals to remove all the sugar cane juice flavor (and with that, all of the nutrients). Thus white sugar is basically 100% sucrose whereas Sugar In The Raw contains very small amounts of nutrients. Some nutritionists believe that these very small amounts of nutrients contribute to the advantages Sugar In The Raw over refined white sugar. Some commercial brown sugars are made by adding coloring and flavor back to refined white sugar; this is not the case with Sugar In The Raw.

How many calories in a packet of Sugar In The Raw? 
One packet (approximately 1 teaspoon) of Sugar In The Raw has 5 grams of carbohydrate and only 20 calories.

How may I use Sugar In The Raw? 
Add it to your coffee, tea, cappuccino or latte. Replace white sugar in recipes with an equal quantity of Sugar In The Raw. Sprinkle over cereal or fruit. Mix with cinnamon and sprinkle over pancakes, waffles, or French toast. Use as a topping on muffins, cookies and other baked treats. Blend with fruit and skim milk or yogurt for a healthy smoothie. Use in glazes and sauces for meat and poultry.

Belly Phat!!

The most common question i get from new clients or people who are inquiring about a healthier lifestyle is, "how do i lose my belly fat".
well, there's realistic answer and then there's the answer that you want to hear. which one do you want?
i'll start with the one you want to hear:

1. How do I lose belly fat - what you want to hear
Most people think that doing mad crunches, sit ups, ab turns and twists will remove stubborn belly fat. while these things may help a little, the reality is that they really don't help lose the fat around your belly. they may help burn calories in general....which aids in belly fat loss over time. but if you are looking to target the tire on your midsection, these activities will only frustrate you over time.



2. How do I lose belly fat - the truth
Belly fat is a storage closet for all of the chips, cookies, cakes, pies, donuts, brownies, enchilladas, wings, fried chicken, ribs, energy drinks, tacos, burgers, fries, loaded nachos, burritos, mixed drinks and beer. This storage closet, unlike some that can be broken into is the safest and most secure storage closet in the world. For as long as you keep putting your goodies and treats in there...it will HOLD THEM FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, nice and safe!!
If you'd like to remove take the goodies out of storage and reduce that unsightly roll that ruins your nice fitting shirts, there's one proven method (not surgery) and that is  TO EAT PROPERLY!!! in order to lose belly fat, your diet must change. your eating habits must change. its not a quick fix, nor is it a diet, but rather a lifestyle change. your body stores fat. so if u put more fat in there...what do you think will happen? contrarily, if you stop putting fat and sugar in there, and put in the right foods with modest portions, it will begin to push the stored belly fat out of your system. 
how long will it take, ramont? well i'm glad you asked. it depends on how much stored body fat you have and how well you eat. so,its really up to you.  and unlike a diet or surgery, you will have a sustainable plan to keep it off...which is called "lifestyle change".

so, there you have it. the answer to the question, "how do i lose belly fat".

Can Do Attitude

Today was a great day for me. Not only do i aspire to help people reach their fitness and nutritional goals, but also i pride myself in helping people with life lessons through working out.  Today i had two clients back to back who came in with frustrations and i could tell that neither of them had their A games with them.  I helped them will themselves through the workouts using a "CAN DO" attitude.

if you think you can't do it, you won't be able to do it. you defeat yourself immediately with a can't do attitude. but even if its difficult and you are up against the unknown...a CAN DO attitude will give you the perseverance to see it through.  randomly, i took one client jogging for 25 minutes and had her recite, "i can do anything" the entire time. the second client, i had her punching the heavy bag reciting, "i can, i can". the motivation enabled them to not only get through the workout, but we talked about how the CAN DO attitude is critical for life success as well.

i think we had two major breakthroughs with regard to the outlook on life and how your approach to it is half of the battle.

I CAN!!!

Welcome To the Fitness Forum

Hello Everyone and welcome to the Fitness Forum. This blog site is for us to share your success stories, our journeys and our fears about nutrition and personal fitness. We are all in search of a Perfect Phit. Some of us have further to travel than others, but as we all blaze this trail, we can inspire and motivate each other toward our goals.

I would encourage you to speak freely and respectfully and let your story and your milestone and your success be an inspiration for someone else.

-Pit Boss, Perfect Phit.