All who hate broccoli, say I...

What's for dinner tonight? Baked Tilapia with Roasted Broccoli-If you would have asked me 2 months ago what my favorite healthy meal was--Tilapia wouldn't have made the Top 100, but I have created a new recipe that definitely pleases the palate!

"Hate" is such a strong word... let's say dislike. Broccoli and its kin contain compounds which are closely related to those in mustard gas, the original chemical weapon. However, it can be delicious when cooked properly! So, No fear...Trisha is here! I have a no-fail way to make broccoli yummy beyond belief! Using dry heat (or roasting) to cook broccoli has the ability to trigger chemicals that intesify the natural sugars in broccoli which can balance out any possible bitterness. (Feel free to try this with other green veggies as well-I've done fresh green beans, sugar snap peas, asparagus, etc. You name it...It's delicious!)

Roasted Broccoli
Ingredients:
Broccoli Florets* (Frozen or fresh-I prefer frozen because I'm lazy and it tastes just as good!)
1-3 Cloves of Garlic (Depending on how much you like)
Olive Oil
1 Lemon
Salt & Pepper

Preheat Oven to 425
Spread broccoli florets on a baking sheet (with a rim)
Smash/Whack some garlic and rough chop it-dump it on broccoli
Drizzle Olive Oil over broccoli (Approx 1-2 Tbsp) Toss to coat
Salt & Pepper

Put in oven for 25-30 Minutes (stir half way)
(Broccoli should get a little brown on the edges--it makes my mouth water just thinking about it!)Zest your lemon over the broccoli and then cut the lemon and squeeze lemon juice over broccoli. Stir and enjoy!

Side Note--Broccoli contains almost as much calcium as milk. It has more vitamin C in it than an orange. It also contains vitamins K and A, it's an excellent source of dietary fiber, folate, riboflavin, iron, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus. It also contains some very special antioxidants that can jump-start what's called "phase II detoxification enzymes", which have the power to kind of flush potentially harmful free radicals from your body. And that qualifies broccoli as a bona fide super food! Be aware though: A study in The Journal of Food and Agriculture found that microwaving broccoli reduced it's antioxidant compounds by 74-97%.

One thing I have always been scared of cooking is fish. I know, I know, everybody's doing it-so I created this little marinade and jumped right in!

Baked Tilapia
Ingredients:
Tilapia Fillets*
2 Garlic Cloves
Salt & Pepper
2 Lemons

Grab a gallon size zip lock bag=easy cleanup (or a container with a lid=more dishes)
Fill with 1-2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 Smashed/whacked cloves of garlic
Salt & pepper your tilapia- drop them in the bag. Massage them around and let them sit on the counter about 30 minutes. (While you are making your broccoli!)

HEAT OVEN TO 375
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil=easy cleanup (or not=more dishes), spray with non-stick spray. Place the fish on the pan and bake for 8-12 minutes (fish should flake with a fork)Zest lemon over fish and squeeze half of lemon over fish- DONE! Perfection...

NOTE* I didn't put "amounts" on here. I usually cook larger quantities of broccoli approx 2 lbs at a time, it re-heats beautifully and tastes great the next day or two. I use about 1-1.5lbs of Tilapia. It tastes great the next day too!

Lemon is one of those ingredients I enjoy using. Sure...I have a lonely bottle of lemon juice in my fridge - But using a fresh lemon and lemon zest is SO much tastier! Lemon adds a great deal of freshness and flavor without adding Salt and Fat! So zest away!!

And as I always like to say, this meal will definielty be YUMMY-DELISH!

Grocery Shopping...Yay.

Hi everyone, it's Trisha Lee! I'm invading "Chad's Blog Space" today to share a few tips on shopping for food.

First of all, this may sound totally obvious, but I'm just going to say it. If you buy healthy foods, you will eat healthy foods. I know...newsflash, right?! Seriously though, too few people plan their shopping accordingly and end up with a bunch of junk they will find themselves eating later. Having "problem foods" available in the house, office, car, backpack, purse,or pocket can be asking for trouble, even if you vow to "only eat a little." If something threatens your restraint, say fatigue or boredom, you can pay a dear price for the decision you made hours or days earlier to buy the food. On the other hand, if your refrigerator resembles a salad bar because of wise shopping, weakened restraint can inflict only minor damage.

Here we go (in no particular order):

-Shop on a full stomach
-Plan your meals and snacks and shop from a list
-Buy ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables
-Park your shopping cart at the ends of the aisles*
-Before you check-out, double check your list and your cart. Sometimes things have a way of magically appearing in our cart.

*Do not do this if you have valuables in the cart; including, but not limited to children, purse, Ipod, etc. Any could go quickly missing. :o)

I can't say enough about planning ahead. Having breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks planned out will not only save you MONEY, but will definitely save you CALORIES!

I hope to be a guest writer next week on Chad's Blog too! Several YUMMY Healthy Recipes to come including a "Crock Pot" Favorite! Stay Tuned

Mastering the Scale.

Shoes off. Clothes off. Exhale completely. Step on Scale. Open Eyes. Peek Down. You jump off with excitement-Down 2 pounds....or sigh with horrible disappointment. Program is over.

Using the scale wisely can be a great help, but it also can be troublesome. Weighing too often is generally the problem, yet avoiding the scale when one slips is also common.

The primary disadvantage is that ups and downs unrelated to your behavior can generate strong feelings, and these feelings can derail a program.

REMEMBER: The scale can be a powerful influence in your weight loss efforts - both positive and negative; so think seriously about how often you and the scale should communicate. This is where your judgement must prevail. Weigh yourself as often as you see fit.

I recommend no less than once a week and no more than once a day. One problem with paying too much attention to the scale is that it can lead to undeserved euphoria...or disappointment. The scale should be a general guide about progress, not a day-to-day index of how well your program is working.

As for me, I choose to weigh once a week. With my shoes off.

Motivation...I'm BACK!

http://www.premierfitnessonline.com/

Is your motivation wavering? C'mon it's only the 3rd week of January! You can do better than that. Let me help you rev up your motivation by providing 7 Tips. Why 7? I don't know, it's lucky I guess. Who needs luck though, right? Right! Here we go.

1. Analyze the cost. Many people wistfully dream about the body they desire without considering the obstacles involved. So, if they make an attempt, they quickly give up after the first few hurdles. Considering the costs involved gives you power. It prepares you and offers the opportunity to look for solutions before problems arrive.

2. Analyze the rewards. List everything you can think of because there will be many that you will overlook or maybe haven't even come to your mind yet.

3. If the benefits outweigh the costs, make a commitment to start working toward your goal.

4. Begin by ANTICIPATING the rewards. Add power to your anticipation by visualizing the advantages of acting in clear, specific terms.

5. Take small DAILY steps. They accumulate. They accelerate. They motivate.

6. Repetition strengthens outcomes. For example, you feel good after losing one pound, feel better after losing 5 pounds, and feel great after losing 10 pounds! However, motivation won't continue unless you notice the improvements. Keep records and monitor your progress.

7. Don't deviate from your plan. As long as you keep up the pace, motivation will remain strong. But if you let things slide, there will be fewer rewards, and therefore, less motivation.

I have a 37 year old client who started training with me in September. Each month we've done an assessment checking his blood pressure, weight, percent body fat, measurements, etc. This has helped him keep his motivation high because of the continual improvements. So far he has lost 7 inches in his waist and 25 pounds! He went from 30.7% body fat to 17.7%. (His goal is to be under 10% in the next few months.) Check back to see his before and after pictures this spring!

Achieving a fit and healthy body takes continuous effort - or more correctly, good planning and consistency - but the rewards are clear: a lean, fit body, increased self-esteem, improved health and more enjoyment from life. It's natural to encounter mental roadblocks and resistance when you undertake a major lifestyle change.

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily" - Zig Ziglar

God Bless-Chad Lee

Let's make a PLAN!

OK- My lovely wife is wonderful. I mean seriously. Love that lady. She is always there...pushing and prodding me along. Like with the Blog...I know I need to write it. I know I'm hilariously entertaining and I've got extremely important information to share. You'd think it would come easy for me. Well...Did you look at the date since my last post? Let's just say, it's been a while.

But, here is one of my resolutions. Write this blog. Try to do more than one post a year! (I don't set my goals too high now, do I?) Seriously though. Listen up folks!

Blog numero uno for 2012:

Plans are important.

Thank you very much. See you next year.

Just kidding. But, not about planning. Everyone is busy. We all have the exact 24 hours in the day. How is it that some of us take time to exercise and some of us don't? Well, I believe it breaks down to having a solid plan in place.

Everything from planning your week's menu to planning your exercise to planning ahead for a vacation! If you know you are tired after work, you should plan on exercising before work. Not a morning person? Schedule a lunch workout. You have to make the decision. If you are prone to excuses-make a list of those "typical" excuses and write out ways to combat them. It works. For example: Excuse- I'm Tired. COMBAT- Exercising will give me more energy for the day. It will give me strength and help me to sleep better tonight.

Take Drew for example. He was in good shape when he started training with me. But he wanted to make it to the next level. We made a plan. He worked the plan. He got outstanding results.





















If you want to get results-get a plan.

Does your plan involve a personal trainer? Some nutritional counseling? I want to help you develop your plan and make it work for you!

I'm planning on having a great 2012! How about you?

-The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!-

Mother of 2 wins Mrs. Kansas 2011 Swimsuit/Fitness Award

I have been married to a beautiful woman for the last nearly 10 years. She never ceases to amaze me. When she came to me 6 months ago and said she wanted to compete in the Mrs. Kansas America pageant...I have to tell you, I was a little amazed.

My first thoughts were ,good for you, that will give you a solid goal with a deadline. Then I got pretty excited because I realized she wouldn't have an excuse. I truly had a captive audience. I also realized from training other couples that this would be a dangerous proposition. Training couples together works best when they're dating or newlyweds. We were neither. When I asked my wife, Trisha what her plans were she said something that I'll never forget,"I'm going to do exactly what you say." Which initially I was super excited, until I realized she was only referring to pageant preparation.

As I was designing her training program and diet there were many things I had to take into consideration. She's 32, a busy mother of 2 (handsome boys, I might add), and wife to an awesome, incredible, etc. etc. etc. sexy man. Her days are fully loaded with things to do.

This is from Trisha's point of view:

Wow...I couldn't believe it. I had signed up to (among other things) walk around a stage in a swimsuit. I had to admit it, there was something exciting about carving out a little time to work on myself; on my style, my body, my wardrobe, my brain...everything needed a little work! I knew there was going to be some hard work ahead.

Chad designed a program that included about 4-6 days a week of exercise. Some days were weights, some were cardio, some were cardio and weights. It was a little different every day, just to keep me on my toes!

I guess the hardest part for me was the diet he had recommended. (This is kind of a joke between us, people always say, I can't believe your husband MAKES you eat like that...He has never made me do anything--He just politely recommends!) I think it's the hardest part for a lot of people. It's so "in your face" figuratively and literally. It's such a constant thing. You have to eat several times a day, so you need a plan. If you don't have a plan, you'll eat just about anything when you're hungry.

It's always hard to "change." At least for me. Change my diet, change my workout... I don't even like to change the sheets! But I guess that was the issue-LIKE. It was going to be a daily struggle -But then it came down to, Do I LIKE the way I look and feel? And the answer was an emphatic "NO!"

So everyday, I got up and renewed myself. Daily affirmations, daily pep talks, daily workouts, daily meal plans, everything was on a day to day basis! That made it easier. I didn't have this huge obstacle course in front of me, just a daily hoop to jump!

When my deadline was up, I have to admit-I was so proud of myself. I know that sounds silly, but I have never been so disciplined in my life. It was so worth it!!! To set a goal, follow a plan, work hard and see the reward! I am the current swimsuit winner of the 2011 Mrs. Kansas Pageant. (I also won evening gown, and was awarded 1st runner-up!)

This is right after my second child. I was at my highest weight ever!

This is during the swimsuit portion of Mrs. Kansas. I was 53 pounds lighter!

I can honestly say, I'm in the BEST shape of my life!

I've been married for almost 10 years to a personal trainer...this is the first time I've listened to his...recommendations. You should too! You will be so glad you did!

So, the take aways from this post are as follows:
1. Everyone is busy so that's not a valid excuse
2. Set a goal with a solid deadline
3. Get a plan and follow it
4. This one is obvious, hire Chad Lee if you want to win a swimsuit competition. Just Kidding.....but not really.
5. Hire Chad if you want to get in the best shape of your life!

Happy Healthy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving! A time for all the family, the friends, and …the food. THE FOOD!!
How many times have you regretted eating too much during a Thanksgiving, Christmas or other holiday dinner? You know the feeling. You sit down at the table, enjoy all the mouthwatering foods made by generations of family members, and you feel fine, happy, even content. But, then as soon as you stand up from the table, all the food you ate “hits bottom” like a ton of bricks. And that same guilty feeling comes over you. The same feeling that snuck up on you last year. That feeling that echoes in your head saying, “Oh no. I did it again. I ate too much.”

Well, make this year different. Let me give you a few tips to not just have a Happy Thanksgiving, but a Happy HEALTHY Thanksgiving!

Use the acronym "HEALTH" to help you overcome the vicious cycle of overeating this holiday season!

H- Have a glass of WATER! Remember: Calories from alcohol tend to be stored in the abdomen. People who are overweight actually gain weight more easily when they consume alcohol.

E- Eat breakfast/lunch: we often eat faster and more when we are hungry - therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and/or lunch on the day to avoid overeating at the party.

A- Activity: take nice brisk walks with your loved ones and enjoy their company in the holiday season.

L- Limit high fat items: high fat food items can be found in fried food, cream-based soup, cheese-filled casseroles, pies, processed meats such as salami and sausages, some pastries and baked goods.

T- Trim the Trimmings: 'Nuff Said!

H- Have smaller portions: treat yourself a nice drink, dessert, chocolate or sweets without guilt, but always watch your portion. Go for small portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.

Try to ramp up your physical activity! Schedule your exercise regimen daily and try to stick to it. If you need help, you're not alone. Click here for more information to stay fit and active this Holiday season! Please feel free to give me a call or shoot me an e-mail if you have any questions 316-990-7777.

Please remember to take time this season to be thankful for all your blessings. "Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is Good. His Love endures forever." Psalm 136:1