Something new for Dinner & Dessert and about 500 calories!

This is one of my new favorites.

Fried Taco Flatbread

It's similar to a Chalupa from Taco Bell.

Ingredients:

• Joesph's Flax Lavash Bread.
• 1 TBSP Coconut Oil
• Extra Lean Ground Turkey or Beef
• 2% Shredded Cheese
• Taco Seasoning

Directions:

• Heat coconut oil in the frying pan
• Prepare beef, add on top of Lavash Bread
• Add cheese
• Roll it up and place in frying pan 
• Spread oil around and cook until golden brown

Nutrition Info: Per Taco

•  350 Calories
•  20 grams of Fat (12 as MCT)
• 14 grams of Carbs, only 8 Net 
• 6 grams of Fiber
• 35 grams of Protein

Fudge Brownie with
a White Chocolate Candy Shell

You won't believe this is healthy

Ingredients:

• VitaBrownie
• 1/2 TBSP Coconut Oil
• 1/4 Cup of White Chocolate Chips

Directions:

• In a small glass bowl add coconut oil and add chocolate chips on top
• Microwave sauce for 25 seconds or until creamy
• Have thawed brownie on plate and add creamy chocolate sauce on top
• Put brownie in the fridge for 10-20 minutes
• The sauce hardens into a candy shell!

Nutrition Info:

• 200 Calories
• 9 grams of Fat
• 28 grams of Carbs
• 10 grams of Fiber
• 3 grams of Protein

Delicious Dinner and Dessert for just over 500 calories!

• High Protein
• High Fiber
• High levels of MCT Oil
• Filling
• So yummy!

My oil of choice is and always we be coconut oil!

MCT Oil is unique and a huge weight loss benefit.

Weight Loss

"Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight."

95% of Americans don't get enough Whole Grains, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?

This is not the breakfast for me

That's right people, according to General Mills, we don't eat enough of their food.

Let me start by saying you could live a long and healthy life without eating a single whole grain. We don't need whole grains for health. So how can a company say that 95% of us don't eat enough? I think they may have left out the back-end of the statement, 95% of American's don't eat enough whole grains, for us to make our profit margins. Maybe? Maybe not?

You see protein is essential to our health, and dietary fats are too.  Whole grains, not so much.

Now I am not a "no-carb" dieter, trying to push another form of the "Atkins Diet" in fact I love carbohydrates, but they have their time and their place.

Personally I believe cereal first thing in the morning, is just about the worst thing you could have for breakfast when you are trying to lose weight. Want a better-for-you breakfast?  Try egg beaters, with center cut bacon. Or if you're in a hurry, grab a Ready-To-Drink protein shake. They will give you the energy, and metabolism boost you need without spiking your insulin levels.

Anyway back to the subject, I saw a commercial promoting cereal with this tagline so I wanted to find out who says that we don't get enough whole grains? Well it's a Doctor of Health and Nutrition, who works for General Mills, how convenient. The best part of her quote "As part of a healthy diet, whole grain can help with diabetes and weight management"

Really Doctor?  What she's not telling you is carbohydrates have zero benefits to weight-loss, and diabetes? Did you know that the GI of Corn Flakes is 84? compare that to regular table sugar that is a 64 on the GI scale.
 So whole grain Corn Flakes will affect your blood sugar and spike your insulin levels more than eating plain sugar! So how do whole grains help prevent diabetes?

This ad is so misleading that it needed clarification, especially to those who are trying to lose weight. Carbohydrates, and whole grains are great for immediate energy but they are not necessary for our health. A diet high in lean-meats, fruits, and vegetables is far better, than a diet high in whole grains.

I am very proud to say that I am one of the 95% of Americans that don't eat enough whole grains, and you should be too.

BMI is Bad Misleading Information

BMI is a sham, I'm not kidding. I am very worried that our government may give this crazy little formula too much power.  If all Insurance Companies use BMI. which really stands for Body-Mass-Index, to judge my health I will be in trouble.  You see even though my body-fat percentage is between 10-11% which is in the athletic range, my BMI is 28.4, and because of that I am considered "overweight" by doctors and insurance companies.

BMI Categories:

• Underweight = <18.5
• Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
• Overweight = 25–29.9 (ME)
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

This is what "overweight" looks like according to BMI

11% Bodyfat is in the "Athletic" range, better than fit & Healthy

Other people that will join me in the overweight category include the Viking's Adrian Peterson, actors George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon.
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/pressRelease_detail.cfm/r/79-oceans-12-tons

Why does this matter?
Because you and I will pay more for our Health Insurance and possibly even be turned down for insurance if our Bad Misleading Information is to high.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17385151/ns/health-fitness/

BMI is trying to put everyone in the same shape, and we are not. Just because someone is 6'2 180lbs doesn't mean they are healthy just like being 6'1 215lbs doesn't mean you are unhealthy. We should each be judged on our individual body types and BMI should be thrown out completely.  It was a nice try, but it doesn't work. 

Find your BMI

Another sad fact is all of the "Overweight America Charts"  from the CDC use BMI as their standard. So how overweight is our country really? If you are not a thin you are overweight, that is just sad.

How to win a weight loss competition

I love weight loss competitions because it keeps us motivated and accountable. In the past when I dieted and tried to keep it a secret I was doomed to fail, but when I was confident and told my friends about my weight loss plans I was much more likely to stay on track and succeed. Well a weight loss challenge is just like that, you are proclaiming your desire to many and once you start there's no looking back. You need to see it through. Most of us are very competitive people, and once you begin you really want to win, and the desire to be the champ will keep you motivated.  Which leads to the best part about these challenges, everyone loses weight, therefore everyone is a winner.

SPIKE84 is running a weight loss challenge at Anytime Fitness in Elk River & Rogers, and it has me pumped.  After the first weigh-in we had 9 of the 14 contestants lose 9+ pounds and one guy lost an amazing 22lbs in just 28 days! This is the third such challenge I have overseen and this one is our most competitive.

Here's several tips that will give you an edge in your weight loss challenge.

1. Prior to your first weigh-in, have a couple of spike days. You will gain a few extra pounds of water from glycogen storage to give you a higher starting number, and also get your metabolism cooking at the start.
2. Log everything! The competitors who win, log their food, log their workouts, and log their moods. The data you collect will help you when you need it, and knowing your calorie goals will keep you honest.
3. Follow a plan, this year our competitors are using SPIKE84, and simply having a plan to follow is helping everyone stay on track and move forward with confidence.
4. Don't be afraid of lifting weights. it's difficult to actually add pounds of muscle while losing weight, and the boost of fat burning through weight training is important.
5. Don't worry if you see someone jumps out to a huge lead, neither of our past winners were the top losers in the first month. It's how you finish that really matters.
6. Drink plenty of water in the week leading up to your weigh-ins, this will help you lose extra water weight.
7. Avoid carbs 24 hours prior to weigh-ins to burn up glycogen and flush out water weight.
8. I've known of some who spend 20-30 minutes in a sauna right before weigh-in to drop water weight.

I have many more weight-loss tips in other blog posts, but I wanted these to be specific to a weight-loss competition. When your dealing with pounds, water weight is a big factor.

Good luck, and you have nothing to lose but weight

The Myths of a High Protein Diet

I have been dieting for years. My personal experience and success is proof positive that I absolutely know what I’m talking about when it comes to losing weight. I have tried just about everything and through these trials I have come up with plans that work. Many of my ideas run against the grain., They are new and different than mainstream thinking. I believe it’s time to rewrite the nutrition books and start a new revolution in dieting! Our population is nearly 70% overweight. The old rules are not working. Athletes, bodybuilders, and myself know that if you want to have a great physique you need to eat a high protein diet.

So why are people afraid of high protein diets? 

The myths of high protein diets.

1.  High protein diets will make you fat. 
2.  Protein causes kidney damage.
3.  Protein is only beneficial for weight and muscle gain. 

Myth #1 High Protein Diets make us fat. 

WRONG!

Many experts lump high protein diets with low-carb/high fat diets like Atkins™. This is like saying all bodybuilders are muscle-heads! It’s a stereotype and just because some high protein diets have us eating large amounts of foods high in saturated fat, it doesn’t mean they have to. I eat a very high protein diet, but it is also low fat. There are many low fat/high protein options.

•  2% Cheese sticks 
•  Beef Jerky 
•  Lean Meats 
•  Skim Milk 
•  Protein shakes and bars
•  These are just a few examples

The truth is excess calories make us fat, and as long as you are within your calorie limits, protein will not make you fat. 

Myth #2 Protein Causes Kidney Damage 

WRONG AGAIN!

The truth is, if you have kidney damage a lower protein diet is better for you.
BUT, High-protein diets are not hazardous for the healthy kidneys. 

It’s like running is great exercise for healthy individuals but not so great if you have a heart condition. 

"is it possible to eat too much protein? There are no dangers associated with higher intakes of protein - unless you have kidney disease."

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/high-protein-diet-weight-loss

"From the results it was shown that the HPLC (High Protein- Low Carb) diet is a safe and effective option for medically supervised weight loss in severely obese adolescents."

 http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/articles/diabetes-news/9186-efficacy-and-safety-of-a-high-protein-low-carbohydrate-diet-for-weight-loss

Myth #3 Protein is only beneficial for muscle and weight gain 

FALSE! 

To be honest, this was my belief for many years because this is what I was told, and I didn’t know enough then to question it. Now my opinion is that protein is as much, or more, beneficial for weight loss. Studies have shown that high protein diets help us in several ways with weight loss. 

• Increase satiety (makes us feel full) with less calories
• Increased thermogenesis
• Increase sleeping metabolic rate
• Increases protein balance and fat oxidation 

http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/23/5/373

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18301271

In conclusion, if your goals are to lose weight, then not only should you limit your calories but you should increase your protein. 

This is not just my opinion but it is proven in study after study that a high protein diet safe and it is very effective for weight-loss!

Getting Ripped Without Cardio By Eating Your Carbs At Night | Muscle & Strength

Getting Ripped Without Cardio By Eating Your Carbs At Night | Muscle & Strength

Getting Ripped Without Cardio By Eating Your Carbs At Night | Muscle & Strength

Getting Ripped Without Cardio By Eating Your Carbs At Night | Muscle & Strength

Minnesota Starvation Experiment - What a diet can do to metabolism!

Ancel Keys "Minnesota Semi-Starvation Study"

This is the study that truly opened my eyes to why most diets fail in the long term.  The amazing thing is this study had nothing to do with weight loss for health, but instead the effects of what the doctors called "severe famine" on a population. I do use this study to prove the effects of long-term restricted calories on our metabolism and long-term weight loss success.

So what did the doctors think "severe famine" was?

1,600-1,800 calories per day! for 24 weeks.

The study was done with only males, so using the BMR formula that would roughly be the equivalent of 1,200 calories for a female. I know many females who also only 1,200 calories daily or less while dieting.

Personally I have been on many diets where I would eat only 1,500 calories daily, but I wouldn't ever make it 24 weeks. In the past I would always plateau and then eventually fall of my diet and gain the weight back. It was one of my biggest struggles with trying to get in shape and maintain it.

The goal was for the participants to lose 25% of their weight, and see what this did to them physically and psychologically. Then have a rehabilitation period to get them back to normal.

The Study had 4 Phases

1. Control Period (12 weeks) 3,200 calories daily
2. Semi-Starvation Period (24 week) average was 1,600 - 1,800 calories daily.
3. Restricted Rehabilitation Period (12 weeks) They were divided into groups and given different levels of calories and nutrients.
4. Unrestricted Rehabilitation Period (8 weeks) Calories and food was unrestricted but recorded and monitored.

So what happened to the subjects during this "diet"?

While the participants lost weight during the restricted calorie period, most of them all gained the weight back and more during the unrestricted rehabilitation period.

Sounds like the typical yo-yo diet to me!

The good news is the researchers found the main culprits for why they regained weight. 

1. The participants showed significant increases in depression.
2. They showed a preoccupation with food, both during both the starvation and rehabilitation phases.
3. There was also a significant decrease in each subjects basal metabolic rate, slowed metabolism.

If you have a slowed metabolism, a preoccupation with food, and depression, wouldn't you gain weight?

If you have been on a diet you can completely relate to this study, before the Spike Diet this was me exactly. Metabolism burns body-fat, but how can we maintain fat-burning with a decreasing metabolism?

The moral of the story is; don't go into "Starvation Mode" you may feel like the only you can lose weight is to starve yourself, but trust me those results are very temporary.  Losing weight is like a game with our brain, we must trick it and stay ahead of our body's natural instincts by varying our calorie intake and taking a break from dieting often.

It's been 7 years since I lost 100lbs, and every week I am in better and better shape.  The Spike Diet has allowed me to maintain a healthy lifestyle and I still have every weekend to have fun and enjoy the foods I really love.

The Spike Diet keeps "Starvation Mode" in the Stone Age.

What is "Starvation Mode"

Everyone by now has heard of Starvation Mode but not many people really know what is it?

Hears my understanding in a nut shell.

Our body-fat is stored energy, long-term stored energy, and it is there in case we need it.  The reason why we store it in the first place is a means of survival when food is not present. Think of a bear that hibernates, they eat a bunch of food and live off those stores for several months without eating. When a bear hibernated their metabolism is extremely slow they can live longer on what they have.

Metabolism is really 2 parts, 

• Part one is our normal every day body functions, from our brain, to the growth of our toe nails.  
• Part two is the digestion of food, when we eat our body metabolizes the calories and sends them where they need to go.

The first part of metabolism is pretty steady 24 hours a day, when we sleep we are not active physically but our brain is extremely active and our brain alone needs about 100 grams of glucose daily. 

 

Part two is a variable, if we eat 5,000 calories we have a lot of food to metabolize, if we eat 1,000 calories we have far less. Also the type of calories matter too, if we have 1,000 calories of protein, we will need about 300 calories to metabolize the protein into amino acids. If we have 1,000 calories of carbohydrates, we only need about 70 calories to metabolize it.

 

So by simply dieting and eating less calories, we burn less daily through metabolism.

 

But the true meaning of Starvation Mode, is when our overall metabolism slows down because through our dieting our brain believes food is scarce and it slows down our overall calorie burning to prolong the use of our fat stores to help us survive longer, much like the bear hibernating.

 

It can take a few weeks for true starvation mode to kick in, I believe it is gradual and happens quicker with more extreme diets.

BUT, from the first day of your diet, when you begin eating less you will begin burning less through metabolism because of the second part.

 

There was a study done on the 1940's that proved that there is pretty severe slowdown of metabolism with restricted calories called the Minnesota Semi-Starvation Study. 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment

Time Efficient Workouts that Work

I am all about efficiency

When I tell people I only workout 3-4 days a week and my workouts last about 15-30 minutes they are surprised. There's a perception you have to "kill" yourself in the gym for hours and hours to get results.  I actually just watched a re-run of Doogie Howser MD, and poor Doogie wanted to get buff for his girl, so he spent 3 hours in the gym and drank the infamous raw egg.  Thanks Rocky!


The good news is that it's not necessary.


I believe there are three main factors for building muscle;

1. Progression through "Failure" - By lifting a weight to a point you can't do any more, our body then has a reason to adapt and become stronger. Failure is the switch that tells our brain to build a muscle stronger so that it can do it the next time. Then by increasing the weight and reps each workout you continually become stronger.
2. "Burning out" - Recent studies have shown that lactic acid is the precursor to Growth Hormone or exercise-induced growth hormone response (EIGR). So please "feel the burn" your body decides how much GH to release based on how much lactic acid is present.
3. Recovery - (protein, sleep, and rest) 

• If you don't get enough protein through diet, your body will still get what it needs by catabolizing other muscle tissue for it's amino acids. So you have a viscous cycle of building and burning muscle. Raw eggs are not a good protein option. You can avoid catabolizing muscle by eating a high protein diet, and getting protein at the 3 critical times; morning, post-workout, and before bed. 
• Another important factor for recovery is resting muscles in between workouts. You should rest each muscle group at least 2-3 days, and longer if you are still sore. The soreness is your brain's warning that it is rebuilding muscle and you should heed that warning.
• Sleep is the other part of recovery, you should get 7-8 hours of solid sleep a night, to allow your body time to recover, and maximize growth hormone release.

My "Failure & Burn" workouts involve sets that begin with one-set failure exercises and end with, "Spike Gauntlet",  a few exercises that are done without rest to burn-out and promote lactic acid.

FAILURE & BURN

When you workout with the "Failure-Burn" Principal you can get a great workout done in under 30 minutes, and with proper recovery you will be able to build muscle in the most efficient and healthy way possible.

I lost 9lbs today!!!

Honestly I did.

 I weighed in last night before bed at 214lbs, now tonight I'm down to 205lbs, almost exactly 24 hours later.
So what was my secret, is it the the New Spike24 Hour Diet?
I wish...

The King of the Scale!

Here's what I did today to lose 9lbs, I ate my daily calorie goal of 2,000 calories, and I skipped my workout because I was too busy. That's it. 9 pounds gone!

The secret is; it's all just water weight of course.
You see, the scale thinks he's a comedian, and he likes to make us the butt of his jokes, and some butts bigger than others, including me.

We work really hard one week, and eat right and the scale doesn't move, then we slip up and avoid the gym and we lose a pound.  It's all a big joke right?
It's not a joke, it's the harsh reality, I have declared water weight the "King of the Scale" and we all must bow to his power.

So the moral of the story is, if you have a week you lose 5+ pounds, go ahead and be happy and proud, but I am telling you from experience, it is nearly impossible to lose 5lbs of fat in one week. So when the following week you don't lose 5lbs, don't be discouraged. If you were to average 2lbs lost a week you would in fact lose 104lbs in a year! 2lbs lost per week is a very reasonable and realistic goal, and even argue that it is much better for your long term aspirations of keeping the weight off.
If you stay consistent and patient you will lose weight over time. just don't give up when the "King" comes for his ransom, because he will.

A Revolution for your Resolution!

There will never be a "Magic Pill" for weight loss, but Spike84 is a "Magic Program" that makes it easy to lose weight and get in shape!

Most diets lower metabolism and lead to a "plateau"

Those of you who follow the Spike Diet know you can in fact have a day to eat whatever you want and still lose weight.  Well Spike84 takes it up another notch. Using even more of the science behind how our body's natural metabolism works.

In researching Spike84, I read study after study to find the science behind how our body and our metabolism works, to maximize fat burning. This is what I found:

• The most important factor in losing weight is calories in versus calories out. If we don't cause a calorie deficit we will not lose weight.
• Of our energy output (calories out) metabolism burns the carbs we eat, but also it will burn body-fat.
• Exercise burns the carbs we eat plus muscle and liver glycogen.
• The process of building muscle increases metabolism.
• Calories are not created equal, we want to eat the types of calories that maximize metabolism.
• Spike84, takes the science behind metabolism, and puts it into an easy to follow program.

Spike Diet and Spike84 emphasize protein, this study shows that high protein diets: 

1. Increase satiety (makes us feel full) with less calories
2. Increased thermogenesis
3. Increase sleeping metabolic rate
4. Also increases protein balance and fat oxidation  

With Spike84 you still get the weekly Spike Day! This is another study that shows the benefit of overfeeding on metabolism and fat-burning.

• When we diet we cause stress to our brain, especially overnight when our brain needs the majority of it's glucose for energy. 
• So when we follow conventional diets, long term the stress of the diet has a negative effect on our metabolism.
• By having a day to overfeed, "Spike Day", we increase our metabolism, and decrease the negative stress hormones, like cortisol.

Spike84 has an amazing food plan, that changes a bit for each of the 3 Phases, to keep our body guessing, and tricking our brain into spiking metabolism!

Another key of Spike84 is the timing of our calories.

• By limiting carbohydrates early in the day, we open a "Fat Burning Window" where your body is literally forced into burning more fat for energy.
• You will eat the majority of your carbohydrates and calories in the evening which allows you to eat regular family dinners, and store glycogen back into your muscles for your upcoming workouts.
• By eating high protein meals during the day, you will keep hunger away and continue spiking metabolism.

The other important part of Spike84 is the Failure & Burn Workouts!

• By going to failure, our body wants to adapt and get stronger.  By increasing muscle, we increase metabolism.
• At the end of the workouts we "burn out" to jump start the recovery process by rushing blood and amino acids to the muscle we just worked.
• By focusing on these two factors I was able to develop effective workouts that can be done in as little as 10 minutes!

Spike84 is currently in production and will available in stores sometime in the next year, but you don't have to wait. The full eProgram is available now, and for the special introductory price of just $19.99.

With designing the program and writing the Spike Diet, I also follow these plans, I have lost 130lbs, and I'm in the best shape of my life. I have been a "yo-yo" dieter most of my life, but "Spiking" has put me in control of my weight and my cravings. There is nothing else like this on the market, it's easy to follow, it's fun, and most importantly it works!