Spinach & Sun-dried Tomato Frittata:

The frittata is similar to an omelet, but is more filling and dense, like a quiche. This Italian dish in packed with protein to keep you and your guests satisfied throughout the afternoon, and touts heart-healthy benefits by substituting some of eggs with egg whites, cutting the cholesterol in half.  Your mom will be sure to thank you for including the high nutrient-dense spinach, as it contains potassium to help regular blood pressure, antioxidants to helps protect against cancer, and phytonutrients to keep skin glowing.

• 4 C raw spinach
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/8 C  chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 C egg substitute or 8 egg whites
• 4 whole eggs
• 1/4 C low-fat mozzarella cheese
• salt & pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 400F. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and egg whites then add sun-dried tomatoes and salt/pepper. Set aside.  In a medium, non-stick pan, sautéed spinach and onions over medium heat until tender in olive oil and minced garlic.  Evenly pour egg/tomato liquid over the spinach and onions and cook on medium heat until set, approximately 3-5 minutes.   Sprinkle frittata with cheese evenly then remove from stove and place entire pan in the oven for 12-15 minutes on 400F.  Let cool, then cut into quarters and serve like pie. Makes 4 servings.

Ezekiel Raisin & Blueberry French toast:

Homemade French toast was a Sunday breakfast favorite for me growing up.  Now as a more health-conscious adult, I have found a way to make my French toast in a way that I can feel good about eating any morning of the week.  Share this dish with your mother and you can tout the many benefits she is getting from the Ezekiel bread, including protein, fiber, and organic sprouted whole grains.  The blueberries are rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants and when served hot a-top this delicious French-toast, your guests will forget who Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Buttersworth even are.

• 8 slices Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted 100% whole-grain cinnamon raisin bread
• 1/2 C vanilla almond milk
• 4 egg whites or 1/2 C egg substitute
• cinnamon
• 1 C frozen blueberries
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, almond milk, and cinnamon. Cut Ezekiel bread in halves, place in egg mixture, and let the bread absorb the liquid, approximately three minutes. Note that since Ezekiel bread is more dense, it will take longer to absorb the egg then normal bread.  In a non-stick pan, place dipped bread on pan and flip until both sides are evenly golden brown.  In a microwave safe bowl, microwave frozen blueberries on high for one minute, or until hot.  Add syrup, and with a fork, crush hot berries to extract juices.  Top French toast with blueberry/syrup mixture in lieu of syrup.  Makes 4 servings.

Greek Yogurt Berry Parfaits w/ Honey-toasted Almonds:

Greek yogurt started popping up on grocery store shelves in the past five years.  Introduce this thick, creamy and delicious yogurt to your mother this mother’s day and she’ll get the gift of a new high-protein, calcium-rich food good for any time of the day.  The almonds are rich in healthy fats, protein, and antioxidants, which can help regulate blood sugar and lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

• 12oz vanilla or plain Greek yogurt
• 2 C assorted berries
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp slivered almonds
• cinnamon

On an ungreased baking pan, evenly spread out almond slivers, and then drizzle with 1 Tbsp honey.  Bake on 350F for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Let cool.  In a tall clear glass or ice cream dish, layer 2 oz yogurt then 1/4 C berries until filled. Top with toasted almonds and additional honey & cinnamon.  Makes 2 servings.

To my amazing mother back in Pennsylvania~ Happy Mother’s Day!….and make one of your other loving children cook you a nice, heart-healthy breakfast until I visit this summer

“Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread.” Food For Life. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://foodforlife.com/product-catalog/ezekiel-49/breads/120C6-organic-sprouted-whole-grain-flourless-bread>.

“Natural & Organic Health: Food Benefits, Directory, Nutritional Value.” Health Benefits of Spinach. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-spinach.html>.

“Almonds.” WholeFoods. Web. 11 May 2012. <http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice>.

Hello tweakfit.com followers. For those of you who read my previous article, you know that I have begun a thirty day personal challenge to go gluten and dairy free. I am well into week two, but wanted to recap for you all how my journey went throughout my first seven days of changing my diet.

Slip-ups:

I jumped into this challenge head-first I knew it would be difficult at times, but darn….at times it was really difficult! The first day of my new diet actually fell on my boyfriend’s birthday. We usually celebrate special occasions with a meal out, and for birthdays with a cake. Hmm…this could be hard! My boyfriend’s favorite foods are pizza and Mexican…but with most pizza crusts, cheese, flour tortillas and sour cream out of the mix, I was a bit hesitant to hit up some of his favorite restaurants. Then it hit me! Sushi! Rice is gluten-free and there should be a lot of options for me on the menu. I was delighted to get to Doraku, a trendy Japanese restaurant in Waikiki, and find that we could order edamame, salads, seaweed salad, and two rolls with no gluten or dairy. I felt so proud of my decision, until half way through our sushi I realized one of them contained cream cheese….strike one!! However, overall I thought the meal was a success. Knowing that I wasn’t prepared to become a full-on vegan baker on my first day of going gluten & dairy-free, I stopped by Dairy Queen earlier in the day and picked up a special treat for my man in lieu of a birthday cake. Of course I wanted a soft serve cone with sprinkles, but on day one, it was pretty easy to pass up.
My other slip-up came on Day 4. Relaxing and watching a movie after a healthy gluten & dairy-free dinner, we decided to end our meal with some dark chocolate. I didn’t even think about the milk in the dark chocolate…opps. Two slip-ups in four days isn’t bad in my book…but hoping I can get through week two without any more.

What was hard?

I never really gave too much thought about how much I actually really do consume gluten on a regular basis. I typically eat a lot of vegetables, and try to steer clear of white bread/products for the most part. I knew work would be hard, since I am currently at a restaurant/bar that has killer thin-crust pizza on the menu. It wasn’t hard for me to pass up cereal for breakfast or cheese on my scrambled eggs….but after not eating for hours at work and seeing everyone literally make “MMmMmmmM” noises about the hot roast pork sandwich with melted cheese on fresh baked French bread made me feel sadder then my piece of plain pork on a plate looked. At the end of the day it did feel good to have a reason to pass up on a piece of pizza here, or a handful of pita chips there…and made me realize I probably was eating way more than I thought I was by being around all that food.

What was easy??

Like i previously said, making healthy choices most of the time has never been tremendously difficult for me.  Being able to eat gluten-free starches like sweet potatoes, rice, and oats made eating dinner more “normal” for me and not feel too deprived.  I suggest stocking up on those items if you decide to go gluten-free.  Leaving out bread also made me eat even more vegetables then I usually do, which left me ultimately feeling full and with less cravings.

Getting Creative in the Kitchen…

After a day or two of plain carrots and celery, I decided to whip up some homemade hummus with whatever ingredients I had in my fridge/pantry.  The result was a black bean and kalamata olive hummus made with natural peanut butter in lieu of tahini.  I think it turned out awesome, so try it yourself if you want a gluten & dairy-free way to make your veggies more interesting:

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 gloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 5 kalamata olives
• 1 tbsp olive oil

- Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.2 tbsp= 1 serving

Before this challenge, I used to make protein shakes for breakfast or post-workout snack.  Since I haven’t gone out and bought a non-dairy powder yet, I decided to throw a bunch of fruits and veggies in a blender and see what I could come up with for a meal replacement.  The result was a semi-thick green shake, which actually tasted pretty good & gave me a ton of energy.  Try it out for yourself!

• 3 C raw spinach
• 1 C raw kale
• 1 small apple, with skin
• 1 frozen banana
• 4 frozen strawberries
• 1/2 lemon juice
• 1 1/2 C water
• 5 ice cubes
• Steve/Truvia 1-2 packets

Hope you enjoy the recipes and feel free to share some of your own!

Forewarning: I’m totally going to nerd out on supplements on this one.

A Glimpse of My Recent Order from TrueNutrition:

Pre-workout Staples

Creapure® – Creatine Monohydrate Powder (1000g) – $17.90

I loaded on creatine at 0.3 * kg of bodyweight for a week, then I continue to supplement 5g daily to stay at my optimal level. For non-workout days, I take 5g first thing in the morning. For workout days, I take 5g with carbs post workout. Based on that, this bottle should last me almost 6 months.

Beta-Alanine Powder (1000g) – $37.80

I loaded on beta-alanine at 6g per day for 3 weeks, then I continue to supplement at 4g daily to stay at my optimal level. On non-workout days, I take 2g first thing in the morning and 2g again 12 hours later. On morning workout days, I take 2g after I workout, then 2g again 12 hours later. Base on that, this bottle should last me about 8 months.

Citrulline Malate Powder (1000g) – $48.50

I supplement with citrulline malate 8g 15 minute before I workout and I workout on average 3 times per week. Based on that, this bottle should last me about 10 months.

BCAAs – Branched Chain Amino Acids (1000g) – $35.90

I supplement with 20g of BCAAs whenever I do fasted training in the morning. I typically do this twice per week, so this bottle should last me about 6 months.

Stimulants

Alpha GPC Powder (100g) – $46.99

For extra focus, I add 500mg of Alpha GPC into my pre-workout whenever I will be attempting heavy singles or maxes (about twice per week). Based on that, this tiny bottle should last me over two years!

Burn Fat Burner 502mg Capsules (135 Capsules) – $14.99

For extra energy and fat burn, I typically take 2 capsules before I do super early morning fasted workouts (once per week). Based on that, this bottle should last me at least 8 months (most likely much longer because I cycle off of stimulants time to time).

Flavor Packs

Premium Flavor Key Lime Pie Flavor Pack (50g) – $4.49

Premium Flavor Hawaiian Punch Flavor Pack (50g) – $4.49

Premium Flavor Lemon Meringue Pie Flavor Pack (50g) – $4.49

Custom Pre-workout Mix

Experimental custom mix late day pre workout formula (1 lb) – $11.51

• Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Super Grade (30%)
• MCT – Medium Chain Triglyceride Powder (20%)
• Dextrose (30%)
• Fructose (10%)
• L-Leucine (10%)
• CEC / PEC / Vitamin Mineral Mix / Electrolytes
• Premium Peanut Butter and Jelly Flavor
• Optional: Alpha GPC (500mg)

At 45g per serving, this will last only 10 workouts. With each serving, I add my 8g of Citrulline Malate to this mix. I use this mix when I’m not in a fasted state when I workout (afternoon / early evenings) so that I can take advantage being able to ingest nutrients into in the bloodstream to help me lift. I only workout once a week at night, so this should last me a couple of months.

Note that Alpha GPC is fat soluble but we don’t need to add fish oil into the mix because our Medium Chain Triglycerides will serve as the fat source to aid in Alpha GPC absorption into our digestive tract.

Late day post workout formula (not really a formula, just things I consume after workout)

• Creatine (5g)
• Beta-Alanine (2g)
• Protein source (100g)
• Carb source (50g)

Early morning fasted workout formula (mixed from staples):

Top reasons why I like ordering from TrueNutrition:

1. They sell the building blocks to let me totally nerd out my supplements.
2. I like knowing which supplement and how much of it goes into my body.
3. They cut out all the bull shit marketing expenses and bring the savings to the consumer.
4. Each product info page educates you on the supplement in detail, its proper dosage, and any warnings related to the supplement.
5. They offer bulk discounts. On my recent order, I bought 1000g of BCAAs for $35.90. That is at least 20% cheaper than any other designer BCAAs out there (e.g. Xtend).
6. You can create your own custom mix of proteins, supplements, and even the flavor of the mix.

Use TrueNutrition Discount Code “TAK129″ to get 5% off!!

When purchasing from TrueNutrition.com you can use TAK129 to get 5% off of your order. Booyah!

Also let me know if you have your own personal mixes that you like in the comments section below!

Photo © Thomas Rosenau

Photo © Magen Petit

Confused as to what to eat after your workout? Simply put: carbs and protein.

You should try your best to make sure you’re getting this meal in immediately after your workout. The maximum length of time I’d go is an hour, but ideally within 30 minutes of completing a workout. Personally, I eat this meal as I’m leaving the gym, but then again, I always have food with me. Can’t go around starving! That would do nothing for my muscles or my metabolism!

What Kind of Protein?

The best source of protein for your body after a grueling working is a whey protein powder. I mix Gaspari Nutrition’s Probiotic Myofusion with water in my BlenderBottle®.

Liquid meals digest quicker than a solid food like chicken or tuna, and the whey protein powder is the fastest digesting form of protein out there. In the end, your muscles will be happier and thank you.

What Kind of Carbs?

First, you should know that not all carbs are bad, especially after working out. After your workout, carbs will help your body restore your glycogen levels that were depleted. Eating carbs will help build any muscle tissue that has been broken down.

Another thing to note: “good carbs” aka complex carbs (oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes) contain fiber and other nutrients that slow down digestion. After working out, you want something that will digest quickly. Simple carbs do this, which means foods like white potatoes, white rice, or white bread are great choices for a carb source after your workout.

Of course, it’s even better if you can get it in a liquid form! The abovementioned will definitely do the trick, but if you want something that’s fast-acting, then I’d suggest dextrose. Dextrose is a type of sugar that is usually found in sports drinks.

Yes, you can actually have sugar, but in your post workout meal, which is when your body can handle this! My choice of dextrose, however, is not a sports drink. Instead, if you ever see me leaving the gym, you’ll notice I’m snacking on gummy bears. That’s where I get my dextrose. (The red ones are my favorite!)

About an hour-and-a-half after having my post workout meal, I’ll eat my next meal, which – for me – is usually my second-to-last or last meal before I head to bed.

Happy eating!

Fortunately, there is actually an ideal time for you to be feeding yourself such sweet soul food, and that time is during the post workout feeding window.

Ideally you’d want to be eating food high in carbohydrates and protein immediately after an intense workout so that you can restore your spent glycogen stores and provide amino acids for muscle repair.

Pancakes alone won’t do you as much good in the post workout feeding window without some protein, so it’s best to HACK it to amp up its protein content. Here’s the recipe for the high protein blueberry pancakes that I made and ate this past Saturday.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup fat free milk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 scoops (64g) of vanilla whey protein powder (I use ON Whey at 24g of protein per scoop)
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• cooking spray
• 1/2 cup blueberries

Directions

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to “sour”.
2. Combine flour, protein powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk egg and butter into “soured” milk.
4. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 of the batter onto the skillet
6. Just when bubbles start to appear on the surface of the pancake, add blueberries by pushing them into the batter.
7. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Macronutrients

Makes 4 pancakes with each pancake having the following macronutrients:

• Calories: 260
• Fat: 6.7g
• Carb: 33g
• Protein: 17g
• Ratio (Protein/Carb/Fat): ~30/58/12

You can try to experiment to see if you can add more scoops of protein into the mixture, but I found that doing 1 scoop gives the protein the best texture and consistency (really can’t tell there’s extra protein in there). 2 scoops still gives the pancake pretty decent consistency but you can start to tell the difference. Try and experiment to see how many scoops you can throw in!

If adding more scoops break your consistency, you can always throw the extra scoop of protein powder into a shaker bottle along with some milk and use it as your beverage.  Ah.. the wonders of protein powder. Enjoy!

I recently had a break through and found out a way to fish out the scooper with no mess at all: Use a fork!

Look mah! No mess! MIND BLOWN right?

I’ve never been a big fan of protein shakes made with the combination of protein powder and fat free milk or water. I came across a lot of great low carb and high protein baked goods but I never seem to have ALL of the ingredients. Thus, I decided to just make a recipe up using stuff I might just have lying around and lo’ and behold – it was actually pretty good. Just thinking about the chocolate  soufflé is making me drool. Anyway, check out the easy recipe below:

What you need:

1 leveled scoop (70 cc, 70 mL, or roughly 27g) Chocolate casein

I used Gold Standard 100% Casein.

3 eggs (separated to get 3 egg yolk & 3 egg whites)

I used Judy’s Organic eggs from Whole Foods

1 tsp vanilla extract

I used Kirkland’s Pure Vanilla Extract

1 tbp unsweetened cocoa

I used Ghiradelli Unsweetened Cocoa

1/8 cup of brown sugar

I used Trader Joe’s Organic Brown Sugar

¾ cup fat free milk

I used Whole Food’s Organic Fat Free Milk

3-4 ramekins bowl

I had it from buying it for $3.99 at Ross.

Stovetop

1. Fill sauce pan with ¼ of water with heat at low-medium so the water is simmering and not boiling like mad
2. Using a medium metal mixing bowl or even a medium pyrex glass bowl, place the protein powder into the bowl and place the bowl in the water filled saucepan.
3. Slowly add the fat free milk (1/4 cup) at a time while whisking the milk and protein powder together. Once the powder is mixed turn off the heat and let the bowl cool.

Egg Whites/soufflé puffiness part

1. Separate the yolk from the egg whites, placing the egg whites in a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer and whisk the egg whites till it gets foamy (like 30 seconds), then add in 1/8 cup of brown sugar. Whisk again until it thickens and when you pick up the whisk (2mins), you get a stiff peak.

Cooled Powder & Milk Mixture (aka chocolate mixture)

1. This is a good time to preheat the oven at 400F.
2. Whisk 1 tsp vanilla extract into the mixture and tbp of unsweetened cocoa to the mixture
3. Using the same whisk, break the three egg yolks and whisk evenly. Add in two spoonful of the cooled (its okay if the mixture is still a little warm) to the beatened egg yolks. Then in three parts, mix in the rest of the powder+milk (So, pour 1/3 of the chocolate mixture to the yolk, mix till its even, then repeat two more times).

Combining chocolate mixture, yolk, and egg whites

1. Add the mixture from previous step into the egg whites, again in three parts making sure that its evenly mixed every time.

Baking

1. Pour the mixture into the ranskin bowl till the line of the bowl.
2. Using another baking tray, fill water to half of the tray and place the ranskin bowl into the water bath (see picture on right)
3. Now bake for 14-16 minutes. Your protein-rich soufflé should have risen.

Disclaimer: I used a mini electric oven to bake the souffle because the gas oven was out. Should be the same temperature in the gas oven though, you might not have to use the water bath in the gas oven if you place the bowls on a cooking tray.

Looks, Texture, and Taste

It’s funny how the top of the souffle looks slightly burnt, I think I

overcooked it a bit since I had to rush it over to the mini oven from the gas oven after my apartment started smelling like gas.

Below the deceiving top layer of the souffle lays the moist and fluffy delicioso mousse-like souffle. It looks like the picture on the right, half eaten.

I can barely smell/taste the protein powder. The souffle is not too sweet and very sponge-like, just how I’d like to have my souffle. Couple this baby with your own protein ice cream and/or favorite fruit, and you’ll be in for quite a treat.

1. Garmin Forerunner 910XT

Why: It’s really, really cool. With all the features of its predecessors, the 910 XT is sleeker, smaller, and has a number of additional functions the previous versions don’t. Most of the previous GPS watches were incredibly bulky, making the watch awkward and annoying — especially if you plan to wear it when not working out. Plus, may people complained that sweat around the wrist caused the watch to malfunction (something I know firsthand from paddling). Apparently the 910XT no longer has that problem, and its barometric altimeter can help improve the mapping data during ascents/descents. Plus, the swim mapping features can be transferred to the kayak stroke — which is perfect for me. At a retail price of $449, however, this is not a cheap toy.

2. A Juicer

Why: Anyone who’s read my posts knows I’m not really into fad diets, but I’ve seen variations of the juice-diet work firsthand. My sister, my sister’s boyfriend, and my mom have all lost over 20 lbs. on juice diets, and have never looked or felt better. I’ve had the juice blends, and they’re quite tasty. If you’re looking for a quick and convenient way to pack an amazing amount of nutrients into a small, low-calorie meal, I highly recommend “juicing.” Juicers range from about $75-$200.

3. Vibram Five Fingers Bikilla LS Shoes

Why: I’ve begun to see these shoes more and more in gyms and on local trails and running routes. Designed to mimc the barefoot marathon runners of Kenya and Ethiopia, I’ve known many people who swear by these and will never return to regular running shoes. Evidently barefoot running, when executed properly, is better for the foot’s natural arch and curvature and many people say these shoes are substantially more comfortable than more traditional versions. Vibram’s latest version was recently named one of the top fitness products of 2011 by Health.com. You can generally find these for under $100.

4. A Lifetime Supply of MET-Rx Bars

Why: I tend to favor “real” food, such as roasted seeds, nuts, and fruit slices to boost my energy during long workouts, but I’ve also used MET-Rx bars for years. As I’ve posted in prior articles, you don’t need nearly as much protein to balance the protein cell degeneration cycle following a workout as nutrition suppliers would have you believe, and carbohydrates are probably more important both during and following a workout. Therefore, high-protein bars aren’t of much value, in my opinion. But I’ve always thought the classic MET-Rx bars have the best flavor and consistency of any workout bar on the market — much more easily dissolvable than the rubbery Power Bar. I recommend these if you don’t have time to prepare a real snack for your workout or training. The classic MET-Rx bar was also named Askmen.com’s top-rated fitness bar in 2011. The chocolate chip cookie dough flavor is my favorite, and a box is about $20.

5. A GoProHD Camera

Why: Ok, this isn’t really a fitness product, but it’s still a really fun toy. The world’s leading sports action camera, the GoPro is ideal for the extreme sports athlete who wants to recapture and relive their physical heroics. So why am I interested in it? Well, I am a kayaker and I’ve found that stopping to pull out a camera from my waterproof compartment is a bit of a hassle. Plus, most waterproof cameras take pretty poor pictures. While the GoProHD cannot match that of a really good non-waterproof camera, it’s close. Plus, with a camera mounted on either my boat or my person, I always feel inspired to work out harder and venture into areas I wouldn’t normally go. This may work for you, too. Like the Garmin, it’s pricey at just under $300.

There’s my list. I’d love to hear about your favorite fitness products as well. And if you’d like to know where you can send me gifts, please send me a message.

I’ve written about some of these diets in other posts, but I want to reiterate that weight-loss is not a secret. Any diet program that claims that losing weight involves the consumption of some “magic bullet” nutrient or avoiding other key macronutrients is likely a gimmick. Not only are they gimmicky, but they are costly. Personally, I find it funny that losing weight — which should actually lower your grocery bill because you are consuming less — ends up costing people thousands of extra dollars each year.

Luckily, you don’t need these costly programs to lose weight. These programs offer nothing you cannot replicate yourself. I will admit that most people I know who go on some of these diet programs do end up losing weight. In fact, some of them shed amazing amounts of weight very quickly. But when I look closely at their diet programs, I quickly realize one of two things. Either the program is physically dangerous, or it is no different than the tried-and-true weight loss strategies that dietitians have know for years. Here’s a closer look at what expensive commercial weight loss programs offer, and how you can replicate similar, or better, diet strategies at home for free.

Motivation

Perhaps the biggest advantage commercial diet programs offer is the psychological benefit. They require you to set goals, monitor your food intake and exercise performance, and many even have counselors and support groups in which you can motivate each other and share stories. They require you to cut calories, exercise more, and stick to your program.

This will be the most difficult part of losing weight yourself, but you can do it. You have to start by setting a goal, and I recommend that your goal have nothing to do with the amount of weight you lose. There are no guarantees that you will lose a certain amount of weight with any program, and this should not be the key determinant of your program’s success. Instead, set  a goal of achieving 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day. Set another goal of cutting 250 to 500 calories from your diet each day. If you do these things, weight loss will take care of itself.

Monitoring

Most online weight loss programs allow you to record what you eat, enter it into a diary, and some even provide elaborate graphs and charts of your food intake. This simple goal measuring strategy is one of the key reasons commercial diet programs are so effective. They provide a visual representation of your progress, they allow you to see how well you are actually following your program, and they allow you to set new goals.

You can easily keep track of your own food intake. I suggest WebMd or the Mayo Clinic websites, which each have similar tracking systems. You can also simply graph your food intake and exercise patterns in an excel sheet or home diary.

Specific Diet Strategies

Here’s where commercial diet programs begin to veer in many different directions. Low-carb diets are popular because of the misconception that carbohydrates cause weight-gain. Protein-based diets help because protein requires more energy to digest, thus burning more calories. However, the small effect these programs have on your metabolism pales in comparison to the effects of simply cutting calories and increasing activity level.

According to the Mayo Clinic, most commercial diet programs are effective because they emphasize restricting caloric intake and monitoring your food intake. As mentioned above, you can easily do this yourself. Start by following the 3,500-calorie rule — you need to burn 3,500 calories beyond what your take in through food to lose 1 lb. of body fat. This rule may vary slightly from one person to the next, but it’s a great start. If you cut 500 calories from your diet each day, you’ll lose about 1 lb. each week. Burn more calories through exercise, and you’ll lose more.

Quick Weight Loss

Any diet program that advocates losing weight quickly is ill-advised, and places you at risk of nutrient deficiencies and dehydration. For example, much of the weight lost in protein-based diets is from dehydration, not fat. Low-carb diets should actually focus on avoiding simple sugars and foods high in the glycemic index, but not carbohydrates in general. Consuming less than a certain number of carbohydrates each day can limit your intake of certain vitamins and minerals.

Quick weight loss programs are dangerous and you don’t want them. Not only are they dangerous, but they typically do not provide lasting results. Once the weight is gone, many people resort back to their old eating habits. Losing weight slowly allows your body to shed fat rather than water weight or protein stores, and also forces you to engage in healthy physical activities which you can enjoy for the rest of your life. Avoid attempting to lose more than about 1 to 2 lbs. each week if you really care about your body.

Below you will find my recommendations for men and women for snack portions of protein bars for both weight loss and weight maintenance.  Remember that calorie needs may vary person-to-person depending on metabolism and activity level and these calorie levels should be used as a basic approximation for a moderately active individual.

Women weight loss Snack (Approx. 1200-1500 calories/daily diet):

• 120-150 calories
• <15g carbohydrates
• 9g protein
• >3g fiber
• <6g sugar

Women weight maintenance snack (Approx. 1800 calories/day diet)

• 180-200 calories
• <20g carbohydrate
• 13g protein
• >3g fiber
• <8g sugar

Men weight loss snack (Approximately 1600 calories/day diet)

• 150-200 calories
• <20g carbohydrate
• 15g protein
• >3g fiber
• <8g sugar

Men weight maintenance snack (Approximately 2200 calories/day diet)

• 200-300 calories
• <30g carbohydrates
• 20-25g protein
• >3g fiber
• <10g sugar