Fitness Tip of the Day: Scrap the Old Ways
I have been doing a lot of research on my break. I have noticed that what we used to think we were doing correctly, is totally wrong. That just sucks for me. I hate when I'm wrong. Combing upper body and lower body exercises into one routine will burn fat up to 50 percent better than just working your upper body and lower body independently. Guys, this sucks for you. The time of puffy chests and skinny bird legs is not desirable. Think about it: Legs weigh about 65% of your body mass. If you can tone those, then you can drop the pounds like that. Also, the stronger you legs are the stronger your abs will be. Anytime you want to work your lower abdomen, or muffin top (which just makes me giggle) you have to strengthen use your legs. The stronger your legs are, the better your abs will be. No more muffin top. It will be more a sheet cake, delicious.
Food Tip: The bird
Okay so did you make the turkey. If you have not, after carving it, save the carcass. You can use this to make stock. All to many of the store bought stocks are high in salt. At least, if you make this stock, you can store it and add what you like to it. Here is my stock recipe.
Turkey stock
1 bay leaf
1 dead turkey carcass
2 carrots roughly chopped
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 tsp basil
water,
Take a stock pot (I know, ingenious) and place all the ingredients. Place enough water to submerge the bird. Boil the heck out of it for about an hour and half. that's it. Let it cool.
To store, either put in a Tupperware or here is a sneaky trick. Fill up some ice cube trays with the stock. Freeze them then place in sandwich bags, That way you will have pre-portioned stock in your freezer that is easy to use when needed.
Also, I know you tend to starve yourself when trying to lose weight. Not sure what to snack on?
Eat like a kindergarten student
Talk some celery stalk, smear them with peanut butter. It's filling,and has tons of fiber and protein! Plus it is both salty and sweet! it's kinda perfect. Plus it takes me back to times where sandbox etiquette was my concern rather than social hierarchy.
That's just the easy thing to do with the bird. Other recipes are coming.!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
January 5th, 2010
First of all, I had trouble transporting my Facebook notes to my blog...for yesterday's blog, checkout my Facebook notes. Friend me at Kevin Kusinski.
Fitness tip of the day: God I love the gym in January. You can just feel the excitement. It smells of promise, sweat and redemption. It is busy and despite the die-hard's drones because they may have to share equipment, it is the best time of the year.
Here's my suggestion for all of you embarking on their first or second day of their journey. It important to know that Rome was not built in a day. It takes more energy to take pounds off than to put them on. Remember that because we tend to forget it. We tend to think we spent our time in the gym, why does the scale not reflect it. The biggest thing I can tell you is that you must record, record, record. Write down what you and search the caloric content. Make sure that you are eating around 1300-1400 calories for women, and 1600-1800 calories for men trying to lose weight, and 2000-2200 for guys looking to gain muscle. Write down what you are eating. if nothing else, become accountable for your actions. Even if you don't last twenty minutes on the treadmill, become accountable for your food consumption. That is a victory in and of itself. It takes 3500 calories to burn one pound of fat. Hit the gym for 40 minutes a day and burn 500 calories and you are on your way. Sounds daunting, but remember what I just said about Rome.
Food Tip: Plan for the week
I can't say this enough. If you don not cook your meals and pre-portion them ahead of time, you will make bad choices and you will gain weight. I know this and you do. It is is easy to go to the drive-in or pick-up food because the last thing you want to do when you get home is cook. So do it before hand.
My big tip: Roast a turkey.
It is really one of the easiest thing to do. In fact, if monkeys were cleaner, they could probably do it. But I roast a turkey breast all the time. Here is why. First, having turkey on hand creates several menu options for the rest of the week that can be made in seconds. Second, cooking a real turkey breast is heck of a lot better than buying that processed, pre-cut turkey that contains mostly water, and probably gizzards and God knows what else. And third, who does not pick at a turkey. I pick at turkey like I pick on those geeks on American Idol who have no talent or shame. But picking at a turkey is good source of protein, it keeps you full and eating pure protein as snack literally sheds fats. Roasting a turkey is win/win.
Tomorrow: Stayed tuned for fast recipes to do with that turkey breast, beside a sandwich.
Fitness tip of the day: God I love the gym in January. You can just feel the excitement. It smells of promise, sweat and redemption. It is busy and despite the die-hard's drones because they may have to share equipment, it is the best time of the year.
Here's my suggestion for all of you embarking on their first or second day of their journey. It important to know that Rome was not built in a day. It takes more energy to take pounds off than to put them on. Remember that because we tend to forget it. We tend to think we spent our time in the gym, why does the scale not reflect it. The biggest thing I can tell you is that you must record, record, record. Write down what you and search the caloric content. Make sure that you are eating around 1300-1400 calories for women, and 1600-1800 calories for men trying to lose weight, and 2000-2200 for guys looking to gain muscle. Write down what you are eating. if nothing else, become accountable for your actions. Even if you don't last twenty minutes on the treadmill, become accountable for your food consumption. That is a victory in and of itself. It takes 3500 calories to burn one pound of fat. Hit the gym for 40 minutes a day and burn 500 calories and you are on your way. Sounds daunting, but remember what I just said about Rome.
Food Tip: Plan for the week
I can't say this enough. If you don not cook your meals and pre-portion them ahead of time, you will make bad choices and you will gain weight. I know this and you do. It is is easy to go to the drive-in or pick-up food because the last thing you want to do when you get home is cook. So do it before hand.
My big tip: Roast a turkey.
It is really one of the easiest thing to do. In fact, if monkeys were cleaner, they could probably do it. But I roast a turkey breast all the time. Here is why. First, having turkey on hand creates several menu options for the rest of the week that can be made in seconds. Second, cooking a real turkey breast is heck of a lot better than buying that processed, pre-cut turkey that contains mostly water, and probably gizzards and God knows what else. And third, who does not pick at a turkey. I pick at turkey like I pick on those geeks on American Idol who have no talent or shame. But picking at a turkey is good source of protein, it keeps you full and eating pure protein as snack literally sheds fats. Roasting a turkey is win/win.
Tomorrow: Stayed tuned for fast recipes to do with that turkey breast, beside a sandwich.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
5 steps
The 5 steps you need to start a “diet.” This is what I am doing and I want to share with you.
1. Buy some protein powder. Protein needs to be anywhere to 40 to 50 percent of your diet. But you also need to lose weight and therefore need to take in fewer calories. Supplementing a snack with a protein shake or having one after a workout will aid in recovery and helps to add protein without added calories.
2. Buy a journal. Write down everything you eat in a day. This journal will hold you accountable for what you take in your body. You will also think twice before what you eat if you have to write it down.
3. Get a scale. You have to weigh yourself to accept where you are in your progress. If the scale is not moving, your intensity needs to. Weigh yourself daily at the same time. Don’t weigh yourself after meals or after water intake.
4. Load up on fiber rich foods. Add a ton of apples, carrots, berries and celery. This will keep you full while not adding too many calories.
5. Throw away the starches. For the first few days of a diet, avoid starch. Yes we need carbs for energy. But try to get carbs from only fruits and vegetable. You will notice that avoid starches will increase your energy and filing up on fruits and veggies will make you feel fuller and less sluggish.
1. Buy some protein powder. Protein needs to be anywhere to 40 to 50 percent of your diet. But you also need to lose weight and therefore need to take in fewer calories. Supplementing a snack with a protein shake or having one after a workout will aid in recovery and helps to add protein without added calories.
2. Buy a journal. Write down everything you eat in a day. This journal will hold you accountable for what you take in your body. You will also think twice before what you eat if you have to write it down.
3. Get a scale. You have to weigh yourself to accept where you are in your progress. If the scale is not moving, your intensity needs to. Weigh yourself daily at the same time. Don’t weigh yourself after meals or after water intake.
4. Load up on fiber rich foods. Add a ton of apples, carrots, berries and celery. This will keep you full while not adding too many calories.
5. Throw away the starches. For the first few days of a diet, avoid starch. Yes we need carbs for energy. But try to get carbs from only fruits and vegetable. You will notice that avoid starches will increase your energy and filing up on fruits and veggies will make you feel fuller and less sluggish.
Monday, November 2, 2009
November 1st, a day late
November 1st, 2009 (all my posts will be a day late for I will writing late at night these days)
This is crunch time. Six weeks ago, a tragedy happened. While attempting to relive my youth whilst enjoying the musical styling of Lady gaga, I heard a large pop. At first, I thought the pop may have been the floor buckling from the heat of my thunderous pelvic gyrations. Or perhaps it was a thunderous clap of applause from my spectators. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The pop was my hamstring and for the last six weeks, not only have I been unable to disco, but I have been unable to do any sort of cardio. As a result, I have put on a few extra pounds. Nothing crucial, but it is enough that I am getting serious.
So here is what I am going to do. For the next month, I am on a stringent diet of cardio and exercise. Prior to the added 5 pounds, I did not count all my calories. However, for the next month, I am going to take those 5pounds off plus 3 more. We are going for 8 pounds this month. And I am going to blog about what I eat, what kind of cardio I am doing and what challenges I am facing to show you how you can do it, and to let you know that you are not alone in your battles.
Therefore, ill will report how today went tomorrow; In the meantime, enjoy a recipe while I enjoy another 30 minutes on the Stairmaster.
My famous Moroccan meatballs
Here is the best recipe I have, truly!
My Famous Meatballs 2 lbs ground turkey
2 pieces of stale bread (or not so stale)
1 oz milk
1 tbsp garlic powder,
2 tbsp ginger
1 sprig of clove
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp of fennel seed
1 tbsp minced onion (dried is great)
1tsp oregano
Take bread and saturate in milk for a few minutes. Then ring it out. This makes really moist balls! Yes I said it. Place in mixing bowl. Combine last 7 ingredients in a coffee grinder and blend. Add to a mixing bowl with bread and turkey. Mix until even. Roll into quarter -sized balls. Place on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Sauce.
2 28oz cans of tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
1 red pepper, roasted and peeled
1 bunch basil
1 tsp cinnamon
Juice of one lime
1 pinch red pepper flakes
½ with onion
1 tbsp of masala (Indian curry seasoning) You can find at whole foods
Take all ingredients and place in food processor until smooth, If it does not get smooth, add chicken stock or water. Place on stove and get to boil. Then lower the sauce temperature to simmer while place balls in the sauce. Cover and cook for an hour on low heat. Serve over polenta, couscous or nothing at all. Freeze and make meatballs sandwiches later in week,
This is crunch time. Six weeks ago, a tragedy happened. While attempting to relive my youth whilst enjoying the musical styling of Lady gaga, I heard a large pop. At first, I thought the pop may have been the floor buckling from the heat of my thunderous pelvic gyrations. Or perhaps it was a thunderous clap of applause from my spectators. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The pop was my hamstring and for the last six weeks, not only have I been unable to disco, but I have been unable to do any sort of cardio. As a result, I have put on a few extra pounds. Nothing crucial, but it is enough that I am getting serious.
So here is what I am going to do. For the next month, I am on a stringent diet of cardio and exercise. Prior to the added 5 pounds, I did not count all my calories. However, for the next month, I am going to take those 5pounds off plus 3 more. We are going for 8 pounds this month. And I am going to blog about what I eat, what kind of cardio I am doing and what challenges I am facing to show you how you can do it, and to let you know that you are not alone in your battles.
Therefore, ill will report how today went tomorrow; In the meantime, enjoy a recipe while I enjoy another 30 minutes on the Stairmaster.
My famous Moroccan meatballs
Here is the best recipe I have, truly!
My Famous Meatballs 2 lbs ground turkey
2 pieces of stale bread (or not so stale)
1 oz milk
1 tbsp garlic powder,
2 tbsp ginger
1 sprig of clove
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp of fennel seed
1 tbsp minced onion (dried is great)
1tsp oregano
Take bread and saturate in milk for a few minutes. Then ring it out. This makes really moist balls! Yes I said it. Place in mixing bowl. Combine last 7 ingredients in a coffee grinder and blend. Add to a mixing bowl with bread and turkey. Mix until even. Roll into quarter -sized balls. Place on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Sauce.
2 28oz cans of tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
1 red pepper, roasted and peeled
1 bunch basil
1 tsp cinnamon
Juice of one lime
1 pinch red pepper flakes
½ with onion
1 tbsp of masala (Indian curry seasoning) You can find at whole foods
Take all ingredients and place in food processor until smooth, If it does not get smooth, add chicken stock or water. Place on stove and get to boil. Then lower the sauce temperature to simmer while place balls in the sauce. Cover and cook for an hour on low heat. Serve over polenta, couscous or nothing at all. Freeze and make meatballs sandwiches later in week,
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wed oct 28th
Fitness Tip of the day: Eat!
Have a mid-afternoon snack. What happens when you get home after work is you say hi to the dog, then immediately go to the pantry to see what you can stuff in your mouth. You are hungry and you need to eat. But this is when you make the worst choices. You probably end up snacking about 500 empty, processed calories just because you are too hungry to wait to eat to dinner. You have to eat an afternoon snack. I am not saying get a candy bar or hope that someone at the office is having a birthday so you can eat some cake. Some great snack ideas include: reduced-fat peanut butter on a multi-grain cracker, a couple of pieces of low-fat string cheese and an apple, or protein shake with some berries. Notice in each instance you want to eat carbs and protein. You can’t have one without the other. If you do, you are either eating empty carbs or eating protein that will not absorb and will just flush right thru you.
Food Tip of the Day: Poach it.
I have yet to talk about the wonders of poaching. Poaching is essentially the process of gently simmering food in liquid, generally water, stock or wine. Next time you make a protein like fish or chicken try poaching it. Here is what you need.
1. The poaching liquid. (get a good stock or a wine that you might drink…never use a wine you would not drink because you will have food you would not eat)
2. Fresh herbs: (the idea of poaching is lightly simmering aromatic spices into your food. Get some herbs and you will gently infuse the herbs without oil or poor seasoning)
3. Mirepoix: This is simply diced carrots, onions and celery. It is essential to making a good poaching liquid.
4. Get a pan, and get the liquid to about 170 degrees. That’s it. Best thing about poaching is that you can start to poach but can do something else because the process is slow and not cumbersome.
Have a mid-afternoon snack. What happens when you get home after work is you say hi to the dog, then immediately go to the pantry to see what you can stuff in your mouth. You are hungry and you need to eat. But this is when you make the worst choices. You probably end up snacking about 500 empty, processed calories just because you are too hungry to wait to eat to dinner. You have to eat an afternoon snack. I am not saying get a candy bar or hope that someone at the office is having a birthday so you can eat some cake. Some great snack ideas include: reduced-fat peanut butter on a multi-grain cracker, a couple of pieces of low-fat string cheese and an apple, or protein shake with some berries. Notice in each instance you want to eat carbs and protein. You can’t have one without the other. If you do, you are either eating empty carbs or eating protein that will not absorb and will just flush right thru you.
Food Tip of the Day: Poach it.
I have yet to talk about the wonders of poaching. Poaching is essentially the process of gently simmering food in liquid, generally water, stock or wine. Next time you make a protein like fish or chicken try poaching it. Here is what you need.
1. The poaching liquid. (get a good stock or a wine that you might drink…never use a wine you would not drink because you will have food you would not eat)
2. Fresh herbs: (the idea of poaching is lightly simmering aromatic spices into your food. Get some herbs and you will gently infuse the herbs without oil or poor seasoning)
3. Mirepoix: This is simply diced carrots, onions and celery. It is essential to making a good poaching liquid.
4. Get a pan, and get the liquid to about 170 degrees. That’s it. Best thing about poaching is that you can start to poach but can do something else because the process is slow and not cumbersome.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday Oct 27
Fitness Tip: Supplements
I get asked all the time, what kind of supplements do you use? Obviously, those guns of mine get people talking. But truthfully, I am not very keen to supplementation. Whenever possible, I think that it is important that one tries to eat and take in the supplemental vitamins that they can naturally. But I understand that it is difficult to do so. So here is how I access supplements by category.
Fat-burners: Stupid, don’t work and are a lazy way of “working” out. There are many ways to speed up your metabolism. Drink some green tea, eat whole grains and fruits. Or, I don’t know, run? A pill is not going to do anything except make you have explosive diarrhea and no one really wants that do they?
Fiber: This is a yes. Fiber supplementation is a good idea if you know you cannot get 6 servings of vegetables and fruit a day. Finer is not going to help you lose weight. But what fiber does it keeps your tummy fuller and lowers you glycemic index that make your metabolism quicker. So instead of just plain water, a spoonful of fiber supplements won’t kill you.
Creatine: Yes and no. If you are apt to burn out in your workouts quickly, take the creatine supplement. However, cycle creatine and do not take every time you workout. It will kill your liver akin to Nic Cage in Leaving Las Vegas. You can take in creatine naturally by upping the amount of lean, red meat in your diet. Go carnivore before you go careless.
Caffeine: Um yes. It does not aid in weight-loss, it just doesn’t so don’t think it does. It is a diuretic so make sure for every cup of coffee you supplement that with that much water. But as for caffeine, if I go without it would be like having to watch E! Reality shows all day long with Carrot Top. Torture!
Recipe: Quinoa salad
Serves 6
Quinoa has a ton of protein while being low in calories. It is a perfect starch to use instead of pasta.
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tblsp. Apple-cider vinegar
¼ cup fresh basil,torn
1 tblsp mustard seed
1 tblsp cilantro, dried
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions, put use chicken stock instead of water for better flavor
1 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 red bell peppers, diced
2 cups of spinach, fresh, and torn into small pieces.
2 scallions chopped
Whisk olive oil, vinegar, basil, mustard seed, and cilantro and garlic in a large bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the quinoa, corn, and peppers and scallions to the bowl; lightly toss to combine. Add spinach last and fold lightly into bowl.
I get asked all the time, what kind of supplements do you use? Obviously, those guns of mine get people talking. But truthfully, I am not very keen to supplementation. Whenever possible, I think that it is important that one tries to eat and take in the supplemental vitamins that they can naturally. But I understand that it is difficult to do so. So here is how I access supplements by category.
Fat-burners: Stupid, don’t work and are a lazy way of “working” out. There are many ways to speed up your metabolism. Drink some green tea, eat whole grains and fruits. Or, I don’t know, run? A pill is not going to do anything except make you have explosive diarrhea and no one really wants that do they?
Fiber: This is a yes. Fiber supplementation is a good idea if you know you cannot get 6 servings of vegetables and fruit a day. Finer is not going to help you lose weight. But what fiber does it keeps your tummy fuller and lowers you glycemic index that make your metabolism quicker. So instead of just plain water, a spoonful of fiber supplements won’t kill you.
Creatine: Yes and no. If you are apt to burn out in your workouts quickly, take the creatine supplement. However, cycle creatine and do not take every time you workout. It will kill your liver akin to Nic Cage in Leaving Las Vegas. You can take in creatine naturally by upping the amount of lean, red meat in your diet. Go carnivore before you go careless.
Caffeine: Um yes. It does not aid in weight-loss, it just doesn’t so don’t think it does. It is a diuretic so make sure for every cup of coffee you supplement that with that much water. But as for caffeine, if I go without it would be like having to watch E! Reality shows all day long with Carrot Top. Torture!
Recipe: Quinoa salad
Serves 6
Quinoa has a ton of protein while being low in calories. It is a perfect starch to use instead of pasta.
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tblsp. Apple-cider vinegar
¼ cup fresh basil,torn
1 tblsp mustard seed
1 tblsp cilantro, dried
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions, put use chicken stock instead of water for better flavor
1 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 red bell peppers, diced
2 cups of spinach, fresh, and torn into small pieces.
2 scallions chopped
Whisk olive oil, vinegar, basil, mustard seed, and cilantro and garlic in a large bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the quinoa, corn, and peppers and scallions to the bowl; lightly toss to combine. Add spinach last and fold lightly into bowl.
Monday, October 26, 2009
You have homework
Fitness Tip. Avoid barbells and machines
This request, I realize, is more difficult than any other fitness tip I can give you. I am sure that a lot of you go to the gym, use the machines, and do machines because that is what you know how to do. If that is the only way you can work out, do it. I am not going to stop you. Put if you are going to work out with free weights, use dumbbells over barbells. Here is why. Dumbbells use stabilizer muscles and core muscles, so it allows you a better-rounded workout. Barbells do not allow for the same amount of stabilizer muscles. Plus, if your favor your right side, while using the barbell, the right side will do all the work while the left side will be left out. Therefore, dumbbells are not so dumb after all.
Food tip: Think of a swap
Today I am starting a new thing on my blog. Think of a healthy swap of the day. I told you before, that the best way to get results is to think of healthy solutions to food that you like. So I decided to add something a tad more interactive on this post this week. Post a healthful swap that you do so that you can still have your favorite food but not sacrifice the flavor. I am going to give you three great ones. Hopefully, this will get your mind going so you can think of more. Post your responses on Facebook notes or on the blog itself.
1. Instead of mayonnaise, use an avocado. Same creaminess but better fat!
2. Instead of using oil in baked goods, use applesauce. It gives the same texture with less calories and saturated fat.
3. My favorite, instead of mashed potatoes, refer to my cannellini beans recipe. Yum!
This request, I realize, is more difficult than any other fitness tip I can give you. I am sure that a lot of you go to the gym, use the machines, and do machines because that is what you know how to do. If that is the only way you can work out, do it. I am not going to stop you. Put if you are going to work out with free weights, use dumbbells over barbells. Here is why. Dumbbells use stabilizer muscles and core muscles, so it allows you a better-rounded workout. Barbells do not allow for the same amount of stabilizer muscles. Plus, if your favor your right side, while using the barbell, the right side will do all the work while the left side will be left out. Therefore, dumbbells are not so dumb after all.
Food tip: Think of a swap
Today I am starting a new thing on my blog. Think of a healthy swap of the day. I told you before, that the best way to get results is to think of healthy solutions to food that you like. So I decided to add something a tad more interactive on this post this week. Post a healthful swap that you do so that you can still have your favorite food but not sacrifice the flavor. I am going to give you three great ones. Hopefully, this will get your mind going so you can think of more. Post your responses on Facebook notes or on the blog itself.
1. Instead of mayonnaise, use an avocado. Same creaminess but better fat!
2. Instead of using oil in baked goods, use applesauce. It gives the same texture with less calories and saturated fat.
3. My favorite, instead of mashed potatoes, refer to my cannellini beans recipe. Yum!
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