 
What makes some individuals successful when taking on a challenge such as losing weight while others fail? With concern about healthy eating-for-fitness, Houston Personal Trainer Melissa has spent time trying to learn the psyche of individuals who have self sabotaging behaviors that prevent them from achieving their weight loss and workout goals in Houston and in other cities as well. Recently, in fact, a Personal Training recertification class said in a nutshell, that the "rewards" for over eating, even though the rewards may be temporary, provide much satisfaction and that those rewards outweigh the long term "punishment" of eventually being overweight or fat.
In order to help these men and women personal training workout clients succeed at weight loss and slimming, intense and personalized communication has to go on about each persons destructive behaviors that do not contribute to success. Some people learn from others mistakes and self destructive behaviors happen with weight loss, drugs, and sexy. This problem appears in so many things in life ...and situations where undisciplined behavior leads to failure in life, can be much worse than weight gain, such as prison, sickness even death.
Some clients complain that no matter what they do, they seem to have weight accumulate in their stomach. The biggest cause of weight gain with clients Melissa has trained, appears to be too much sugar in the diet and often it is hidden sugar such as high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup and cane juice. To help combat the sugar dillemma, recent articles have said that ground chia seeds help improve a persons ability to avoid sugar in the diet because the ground seeds have a lot of fiber, which helps clients feel full and it also has magnesium which helps balance blood sugar as well as omega 3 fatty acids to help burn fat.Two tablespoons daily are all that is needed and can be added to cereals, pasta dishes and tomatoe sauces.
Real Maple syrup also is good for balancing blood sugar and two tsps. has 25 percent of the required amount of maganese and also has a good supply of zinc which stimulates immune cells. Studies show that grade B syrup is more effective than grade A. It can be poured on berries, in soups and on bread.
Below is an eating plan for four days to help cleanse the body and get a kick start on weight loss while maintaining muscle and vitamins.
Make sure you are drinking half your weight in ounces of real lemon water in between meals and snacks
Though it is sometimes helpful to combine food..such as eating vit. c when taking Iron to facilitate absorbtion, it is also important to remember to just keep a wide variety of food in the diet and most meals are a combination of fat, protein and carbs anyway.
Low calorie diets are effective for weight loss but ultra low calorie diets such as below 800 calories, can trigger binging.
Also, Melissa encourages clients to have a larger breakfast and lunch and a smaller dinner, mainly because energy is needed during the day for activities rather than at night so the calories are more important as fuel during the day. Some think that eating late at night causes more fat storage, and this is true but only to a small extent. The main reason to eat earlier is for energy.
It is important to remember that carbs are also necessary in the diet and help boost the metabolism. The carbs that are best are the ones with fiber that are not processed such as whole grains, fruits and veggies.
Below is photo of Healthy eating coach Melissa in a little black dress highlighting her long blond curly hair.
Smoothie for breakfast..recipie
cranberry juice one cup
one apple peeled and cored
one half cup frozen blueberries
five cubes of ice
Blend
Snack One V8 and ten goldfish crackers
Lunch One protein shake and one orange
snack More V8 and baby tomatoes
Dinner Soup, fat free tomato basil and salad with veggies and lean ham slices
Soy milk before bed
Day two
Breakfast smoothie recipie below
apple juice one cup
pinapple chunks about a half cup
one banana
ice ten cubes
blend in blender
Snack One Protein shake and cup baby carrots
Lunch Salad at panara bread the fuji apple salad with no bread but with an apple
Snack V 8 juice
Cup of grapes
Dinner Chicken vegetable soup with extra chicken put in the soup
Milk before bed
Day three
Breakfast smoothie recipie below
Cup grapes
half cup frozen blueberries
cup orange juice
ten cubes ice
blend
Snack V 8 juice and package foil wrapped tuna
Lunch Chic fil a kids meal with nuggets and carrot raisin salad instead of the fries and milk
Snack V 8 Juice and baby tomatoes
Dinner Vegetable soup and grilled fish
Milk before bed
For the fourth day pick one of the above and repeat it
Snack Items
One third cup hummus with half cup raw veggies
one small apple with 100 calorie snack pack almonds
8 ounce soy latte with small banana
Seven whole grain pretzels with ten grapes
fat free low cal yogurt drink poured over half cup berries
mini bag microwave popcorn,
wedge laughing cow cheese or string cheese with pear
half of a grapefruit
EZ breakfast items
Cottage cheese and ½ cup of Fresh Fruit
1 protein 1 fruit
Yoplait yogurt & toast
Above photo of melissa in yellow shirt and jeans shorts who is about to jump on her trampoline for a great workout to go with her healthy eating for fitness.
Recipies for some healthy eating for fitness ideas from Houston personal trainer Melissa. Keep in mind that in one day it is important to get five half cup servings of cooked fresh veggies without sauces, two servings of fresh fruit, at least half your body weight in grams of protein, and half your body weight in ounces of water as well as some dairy and low sugar high fiber carbs. These recipies are tried and true and are popular with Melissa's clients and have been popular with their families and children as well.
Helpful food suggestions and appx. calorie ranges
FRUITS Apple – 40 calories cup off strawberry 50 calories ½ banana 50 calories Watermelon, 1 cup of grapes
VEGGIES cabbage ¼ head or ½ head is a serving cucumber ¼ spinach cooked ½ cup broccoli & cauliflower ½ cup cooked 1 cup raw green beans ½ cup
PROTEIN almonds 10- Chicken broth in a can with added chicken- 1cup boiled shrimp = 50 calories cottage cheese ½ cup = 80 calories tuna 4oz 2 eggs
Photo below of Personal trainer Melissa doing the low crawl in Houston to workout after eating a healthy snack low in fat and high in nutrition.
Chocolate cream cones
Prepare non fat milk with jello pudding mix and then mix with carton of nonfat kool whip. spoon into flat bottom ice cream cone and pour one tsp non fat chocolate syrup on each one. each serving is 84 calories
Pigs in blankets
Get eight fat free hot dogs and cut each into fourths and then wrap all the pieces with a triangle of pillsbury crescent refrigerater dough and bake for twelve minutes one serving of four little pigs in buns is 134 calories
.
Chicken Parmesan 250 calories appx.
Counts as 20 grams protein per serving
1 pk boneless chicken breast
Italain bread crumbs in can
Chunky spag sauce
low fat Mozzarella cheese slices
grated parmesan.
Cut fat off chicken with shears - cut chicken breast in ½ to make breasts thinner - flatten with meat tenderizer
Put small amount of olive oil and one tsp butter in fry pan – coat chicken breast with dry bread crumbs- fry in pan till golden
Place each fried chicken breast in baking pan and top each piece of chicken with a small piece of mozzarella cheese- top with chunky spaq sauce and then place ½ of piece of mozzarella cheese on top of sauce & chicken- lightly cover top with parmesan cheese
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes
Serve plain with veggies
EGGS FRITATTA 200 calories appx.
counts as 16 g protein and 2 veggie
2 Eggs
1 Bell peppers
½ large flat onion
Cheddar cheese(small amount)
Picante sauce
tsp olive oil
Cut up and sauté ½ and onion and 1 bell pepper in tsp olive oilo
Put 2 eggs in after veggies are cooked and cook on top of veggie sunny side up and
Put cheese on top and picante sauce
Cover turn off stove and let simmer for about five minutes until eggs are cooked
Blueberry shake- makes 6 small 50 calories or 3 large 100 calories appx.
counts as 2 veggies 2 fruits
1 bag of fresh spinach well washed
1 bag of froze blueberries
1 carton very silky soy – very vinilla or vanilla light
1 banana frozen
Coconut extract or vanilla extract
Sugar & ice
Put whole bag spinach in blender – ad d one half cup vanilla soy and one half cup water in bottom portion- then add one cup frozen blueberries, one frozen banana and five cubes ice- and one tsp vanilla or coconut extract ..blend
Ad sugar one or two tbs.
Puts in six separate containers
drink one of them and freeze the other five in freezer – to drink ..take out of freezer a half hour before eating...let thaw..stir..delicious..
Continue more recipies below photo of Houston Personal trainer Melissa in pink bikini showing the benefits of healthy eating for fitness.
Stuffed Bell peppers 1 = 75 calories appx
counts for 1 veggie 1 protein for one half a pepper
Red, orange or yellow bell peppers
LB hamburger meat
1 small package grated sharp cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper
Cut peppers in ½ remove seeds – brown hamburger meat and drain oil- mix meat and cheese together stuff bell peppers with mixture. Place bell peppers in baking dish half inch of water at bottom cover and bake at ------ for 20 minutes
Beef Tortilla Soup appx 50 calories eat almost all you want =) IF you make it this way
counts for 2 veggie 1 protein for large bowl
1 1/2 LB of ground beef
1 package of taco seasoning mix
1 jar of tomato spaghetti sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes or rotel
1 can corn drained
1 can dark or regular kidney beans
1 can of gargarzo beans
1 can cut green beans
1 small package of baby carrots chopped
1 small pkg celery chopped
1 head of cabbage coarsly chopped
5 beef bullion cubes
Brown meat drain oil, in a LARGE pot dump spagetti sauce and tomatoes in large pot, add cut up celery, carrots and cabbage
Open and drain all cans of beans and corn place in pot fill with water and ad 5 bullion cubes and taco seasoning cook at least an hour and a half..
HAM ROLLS 2= 75 calories appx.. great for lunches
2= 1protein 1 veggie
1 package or 1 ¼ LB of lean fat free ham
1 package of lite strawberry or chive cream cheese
-Chose one of the below... and cut in thin strips
(Green bell pepper,Cucumber, Celery )
Fold ham in ½ spread SMALL amount of cream cheese on meat
put two strips of cut up chosen veggie onto ham and roll and secure with toothpick if necessary
Eat 2 a day for snack or with other veggies for a lunch
You can make the night before to take for lunch
Orange Mandarin Jell-O 1 cup = 100 calories appx and kids love this
1cup= 1protien 1 fruit
1 large carton small curd cottage cheese
1 package orange Jell-O..not the sugar free kind
1 canof crushed pineapples WELL DRAINED
4 cans of mandarin oranges drained
1 large carton fat free cool whip thawed
Drain oranges and smash drain pineapples – mix all together in a large bowl with cottage cheese, jello and thawed cool whip and let refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.
It is important to see that all healthy eating should be accompanied by activity. In below picture, Personal trainer Melissa is stretching her hamstrings and calves standing by the Houston Bayou after running along the bayou trails. More recipies below for healthy eating.
Chicken Picatta= 250 calories appx.
counts for 1protien
1 pk boneless chicken breast
Italain bread crumbs
White wine
Capers
Olive oil & butter
Chicken stock
Lemon juice
Cut fat off chicken- cut chicken breast thinner by cutting in ½ - flatten with meat tenderizer
Put two tbs olive oil and one tbs butter in fry pan – coat chicken breast with bread crumbs- fry in pan till brown
Place each fried chicken breast on plate to keep warm
-------- In frying pan deglaze pan with one cup of white wine
Add one cup of chicken stock after wine has cooked down, cook some more till reduced to half. add ½ jar of capers, 2 table spoon’s of lemon juice and take off heat.
pour over chicken breast and serve.
Pork Chops=200 calories appx
counts for 1 protein
1 pkg. of lean pork chops
Italian bread crumbs
Olive oil & butter
Can of spag sauce
Coat pork cops with Italian breadcrumbs, fry in one tbs butter and two tbs olive oil, place aside in pan, top cooked pork chops with spaghetti sauce cook in over for 20 minutes at 300 and serve
Pear Avocado salad=200 calories appx
counts for one fruit and one veggie
1 can of pear halves drained
1 avocado
1 head of lettuce
Cheddar cheese small amount
Poppy seed dressing (water it down by putting a quarter cup of dressing in a glass and mixing with a quarter cup water.)
Make 4 servings
Cut up lettuce into four wedges and put onto plate – arrange slice pears & avocado slices into 4 servings and add to lettuce on the plates.. sprinkle small amount of cheddar and top wth watered down poppy seed dressing.
Personal trainer Melissa likes to make healthy eating for fitness fun and appetizing for her weight loss clients. Below in photo by the pool, Melissa knows that food that is fun to eat is less of a sacrafice and clients will have more success in weight loss. See more recipies below.
Fruit salad 1cup 75 calories ½ cup 40 calories appx.
counts for two fruits
1 pkg. strawberries fresh
1 pkg. blueberries fresh
1 pkg. seedless grapes
½ watermelon cut in small chunks
4 kiwis sliced in small bits
1 pineapple cored and chopped in small chunks
Sprite
Quarter strawberries, ½ grapes, slice kiwis, cut pineapple and watermelon into chunks and mix all ingredients together. when about to serve..add splash of sprite to top of each serving
AMAZING Tomato Basil Soup just like La Madelines =100 calories appx. Low fat version with no cream
1 cup – 1veggie
18 roma tomatoes quartered
five garlic cloves
Balsamic vinegar one or two tsp.
olive Oil a few tbs.
1 large sweet onion chopped
Basil a cup of fresh
Salt two tsp. iodized
Chicken broth optional
put Cut tomatoes in to in baking pan with sides and add garlic and 2 table spoons balsamic drizzle several tbs.oil and toss to cover with oil. and bake at 300 for 45 min- sauté onion in small amount of butter.
Put baked tomatoes in blender and add onions and basil and salt to blender and blend all..you may have to blend in sections.
Add more salt to taste if necessary .Heat in large pot and if too thick add chicken broth to thin out... serve.
Humus with red peppers 100 calories
¼ cup 1p 1 s
4 cans of garbonzo beans/chick peas
3 red bell peppers
Fresh garlic – 3-4 cloves
Olive oil
Water
Salt/pepper appx one or two tsp.
Drain cans, put in blender – bake red peppers in over with small amount of olive oil at 300 degrees- cut up 3 garlic cloves add to blender- add half cup olive oil and cup water blend ..if difficult to blend..add a little more water and olive oil– add bked red peppers blend again- add salt to taste during blending
serve and Eat with veggies as a dip
very easy crock pot bbq chicken 250 calries
take a whole chicken and wash it and take out the guts..put it in a crock pot and pour french dressing from the bottle over it and put lid..cook all day...no other liquid..when home..fix veggies to go with it and you can eat the white meat..it is yummyyy and falls apart
guys might like additional bbq sauce of their liking on top after serving.
english muffin meal 250 calories appx
counts for one fruit and carbs
add one tbs peanut butter and half banana to half a toasted english muffin
cantelope with cottage cheese 160 calories appx.
counts for one fruit and one protein.
quarter of a cantelope with half cup of cottage cheese and cinnamon
chicken, cucumber and hummus wraps 200 calories appx.
place cooked chicken breast and cucumber slices and hummus spread in the fifty calory tortilla from HEB. roll up and eat for lunch
broccoli and veggie stir fry 50 calories appx.
counts for two veggies
get olive oil and stir fry broccoli and carrots chopped up...add some chopped lettuce and cabbage and bean sprouts and garlic and soy sauce at the end and cook a little longer..serve hot
cucumber boats with tuna salad 120 calories appx.
counts for one veggie and one protein
make tuna salad with low fat mayo and pickle relish..scoop out center seeds from a peeled cucumber...fillwith tuna and sprinkle with paprika YUMMY
egg and sausage wrap with potato and pepper 210- 240 calories appx.
counts for one protein
cook turkey sausage till well done and drain well and bake some tater tots in the oven..cook a scrambled egg in the microwave..put three broken up tater tots, a bit of sausage, the egg and a little cheese in the fifty calorie tortilla , add salt and wrap it up..serve with picante sauce..you can make a bunch of these in advance
grapefruit cocktail slices 50 calories per cup appx.
counts for one fruit
get three or four grapefruit and peel them..cut in quarters and cut the quarters in half..cut out the center seed part of each piece..put allthe grapefruit in a container of water ..add a half cup of sugar to the water and grapefruit mixture..put a half a jar of maraschino cherries in it..when you want to eat it..spoon out the grapefruit and cherries..one portion is about a cup..do not need to drink the juice =)
ambrosia 50 calories per cup appx.
cut up grapefruit, oranges, add cherries and grated coconut and cut up pinapple mix together in bowl.
Blueberry muffins 100 calories appx.
Get boxed blueberry mix with canned berries – prepare mix like instructions and place in small size cup cake holders filling to half way full- add 20 fresh blueberries to each cup cake and sprinkle brown sugar on top cook and eat only one.
Sautee Cabbage 50 calories per cup
Slice into thin strips and saute in pan with olive oil, add water or chicken broth, add chopped onion and cook for 3 min You can add shrimp to make a meal
Five grain pancakes filling and delicious and crunchy
This recipe makes about fifteen 3-inch pancakes and one serving is two pancakes.
1/2 cup Flax Seeds, 1/2 cup millet, 1/2 cup whole grain oats, seven eggs beaten (or egg whites only if trying to lower cholesterol), 1 1/2 cup water one cup soy milk, 1 tbs. sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tbs. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 to two Cups, quarter cup whole wheat flour, four tsp. wheat germ Flour , quarter cup sunflower seeds, , mini chocolate chips and berries.
Beat eggs and add water , soy milk and vanilla and then all of the dry ingredients. Stir and if the mixture is too thick, add more water till it is the consistency of a creamy soup. Pour three inch pancakes into a heated skillet and top with about six mini chocolate chips. Serve TWO pancakes with light syrup and fresh berries...the recipe will make pancakes for a week if you make the whole recipie and store them in a plastic container.
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