Click here to learn more about Eddie and send any diet questions to UFTrainingCenter@aol.com

Summer barbeques are notorious for having some of the wost-for-you foods known to man. Just about everything is smothered in mayonnaise, barbeque sauce and cheese. But FEAR NOT, I have some great tips that will help you survive summer barbeques and NOT gain weight! Follow my tips below and see how easy it is to cut out nearly 40 grams of fat in 1 meal at a summer barbeque!

What to Eat at A Summer Barbeque

Good news, there is plenty to eat! Most of what is being served at the barbeque will be fine for you to eat, with a few moderations, of course.

Here’s how to turn a typical cheeseburger into a diet-friendly meal.

Burger + 1 slice of cheese + bun = 359 calories/20 grams fat/21 carbs (approximate numbers)

Here is how to make this burger diet friendly.

1) lose the cheese and save 110 calories and 9 grams of fat

2) lose 1/2 the bum and save 60 calories and 1 gram of fat

Your diet friendly burger with no cheese and only 1/2 of the bun now has 189 calories and 10 grams of fat!

**If you opt for chicken over hamburger meet you’ll save another 9 grams of fat and bring your fat intake down to about 1 gram total.

What Not to Eat at a Summer Barbeque

Unfortunately, you’ll need to stay away from anything made with mayo or butter. Use balsamic vinegar on your salad and you’ll save about 14 grams of fat. Salad dressings are LOADED with fats. The host may not have balsamic vinegar on the table outdoors, but just ask. Nearly every house has red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. Both go great on salads.

If you are having corn on the cob, skip the butter, you’ll save 110 calories and 11.5 grams of fat!!!!!

You just saved 36 grams of fat!

By following these simple tips (no cheese, 1/2 hamburger bun, balsamic vinegar instead of regular salad dressing, no butter on corn on the cob) we’ve managed to cut out about 36 grams of fat!

About Eddie

Eddie is a renowned personal trainer in NJ and fitness guru. Eddie is a former body builder and a former Mr New Jersey title holder. Currently, Eddie is the owner and director of personal training at Ultimate Fitness, a 24 hour gym in NJ.

You can also visit Eddie’s diet and fitness blog online.

Q: Eddie, I have recently lost 20 pounds over a few months. I ate everything the same but cut all my portions in half and started walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes every day at about 3.5 miles per hour. For the last 2 weeks or so, it seems as though everything has stopped. I haven’t lost a pound. Why am I not losing any weight if I am still doing everything the same? — Melanie T., Jacksonville, FL

Ask Eddie your weight loss questions. Send an email to UFTrainingCenter@aol.com

A: Weight loss plateaus are very common among dieters and those exercising to cut pounds. You actually answered your own questions without even realizing. Read the last sentence of your question and that is where the answer lies. “I am still doing everything the same”.

Ask any personal trainer, weight loss coach or fitness guru and everyone will tell you the same thing…you have to keep changing up your exercise routine so that you continue to challenge your body. After several months of walking on the treadmill at 3.5 miles per hour for 30 minutes, it’s no longer a challenge for your body. This means that your heart does not have to pump as hard to supply your body with oxygen and your energy output is reduced = burning less calories than you used to by walking on the treadmill.

Start Losing Weight Again!

The bad news is that you hit a plateau, the good news is that this is easily remedied. All you need to do is change the way you are walking on the treadmill to make it challenging once again. There are a few different approaches you can incorporate into your new cardio routine:

1) Reduce the speed slightly and raise the grade/incline of the treadmill so that you are walking up a steep hill

2) Intervals: walk at your usual 3.5 miles per hour for 2 minutes, then pump it up to a light job 4.5-5.0 miles per hour for 2 minutes, then back down to 3.5 for 2 minutes, and back up to your light jog for 2 minutes, and so on. Keep that up for the entire 30 minutes.

3) Incorporate upper body strength training during your 30 minute walk on the treadmill. Grab a pair of 5lb hand weights and pump those biceps, shoulders and triceps while you walk.

The most important aspect of your cardio program is that it continues to challenge you. Be creative, have fun and most importantly challenge yourself.

You’ll need to change it up once again in another few months to avoid another plateau, but this should help you kick it into high gear again.

*****Consult your physician first. Even though you have been doing cardio and losing weight, you are about to change your exercise routine and challenge your body. It’s a wise decision to take the time to consult your physician and ensure that your heart, body and mind are up to the challenge.

NJ Personal Training and Weight Loss Questions Answered

Do you have a question for Eddie about personal training, exercising or losing weight? Feel free to send Eddie an email (uftrainingcenter @ aol.com) and your question will be answered promptly!

About Eddie:

I began my career in the 1980’s as a body builder and competed nationally and won the Mr. New Jersey title in ’92. Shortly thereafter, I began to use my knowledge to help others achieve their goals in fitness and health. I train individuals ranging in age from 12 to 70 years, from the fitness novice to the professional athlete.

It’s never too early or too late to make a commitment to better health.

I provide training, counseling and coaching or a range of clients, young and old with personal training and diet plans. I design fitness programs that work and keep you motivated and interested. I believe in simple lifestyle changes to help you achieve your goals while still enjoying the best life has to offer.

Eddie’s diet and fitness blog is also online!

Eddie is the owner and director of personal training at Ultimate Fitness in NJ.

For dieters, hidden sugars can spell disaster.  Even though it’s natural sugar, your body still treats it the same way.  The body essentially considers sugar a toxin.  Your body’s principal way of getting rid of sugar is to burn it. The sugar which your body can’t burn will be stored as glycogen, and when those glycogen reserves are full, sugar gets stored as fat.

Even though the naturally occurring sugars found in fruits (fructose) are not as bad for you as the confectionary sugars in sweets, you still need to be careful about how much sugar you consume each day. 

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends no more than 8 teaspoons per day of added sugar based on a 2,000 calories/day diet.  That’s 32 grams if you’re reading labels. 

Below is a list of fruits that contain the least amount of carbs and sugar:

• Cantaloupe,
• Rhubarb,
• Berries,
• Watermelon,
• Melons,
• Tomatoes,
• Apricots,
• Grapefruit,
• Guava,
• Lemons,
• Limes,
• Oranges,
• Papayas,
• Peaches,
• Plums,
• Raspberries,
• Tangerines,
• Kiwis

 Stay tuned for my next diet and weight loss blog which will focus on foods that you think are healthy but are loaded with sugars!  These are foods that even sound healthy, but in actuality are destroying your diet!

I’m not talking drastic changes, I’m talking simple things you can do right now to help you shed the first few pounds.  See, once you shed the first few pounds by making these simple changes, you will be motivated. You’ll be asking me for the next set of tips to help you continue your weight loss.

So here they are, simple things you can change, swap out, or eliminate to help you shed some quick lbs.  And yes, these really do make a BIG difference!

1. Instead of cream and sugar in your coffee use milk and sweet n’ low
2. Instead of white bread and regular semolina pasta–choose whole wheat (every super market offers a wide selection of whole wheat pastas, breads, english muffins, hamburger buns, etc)
3. Change white rice out for brown rice
4. If you drink regular soda, switch to diet, or cut your total day portion by 50% if you don’t want to switch to diet
5. Before you eat each meal, drink a full cup of water
6. Try turkey meat or bison (buffalo) meat instead of regular beef (a lot of diners and chain restuarants now offer turkey burgers or buffalo burgers.  Bison (buffalo) meat is practially a dead ringer for red meat)
7. Instead of regular chips, get the baked..Doritos, Potato Chips, etc..they all now come in a ‘baked’ version that have less fat

These are just a few to start out with.  If I didn’t touch on anything that relates to you, send me an email and we can work up some more simple changes that you can use to help you shed pounds effortlessly.

njfitnessexpert@aol.com

www.fitnessdietsonline.com

Now imagine another scenario…you start your fire with a few pieces of wood, it’s blazing.  In a couple of hours, before the fire has a chance to slow down too much, you through another 2-3 pieces of wood in it.  What happens? It blazes again, nice and strong, burns the wood up real fast.

Think of your metabolism like a fire.  The less you feed it, the slower it burns (calories).  The more often you toss in a few small, sensible meals, it continues to blaze and burn off calories real quickly.

Don’t you hate those people who can eat whatever they want and never gain a pound?  They have a fast metabolism. You may not, but you can train your metabolism to speed up, just by eating the right foods frequently.

This is why you always here people saying eat 5-6 small meals per day.  Ok so what constitutes a small meal?  Here are a few examples.  Keep in mind portions, a portion healty portion should be the size of your fist or palm.

Examples of small meals:

• Breakfast- egg whites and oatmeal
• Lunch: sliced turkey, apples, broccoli
• Dinner: Salmon, brown rice, veggies

If you eat meals like this, you can eat 5-6 times a day.  You will never feel hungry or deprived, your metabolism will be stimulated to burn calories efficiently, and you will lose weight.

Email me for more ‘small meal’ ideas.  njfitnessexpert@aol.com

The thought that lingers in the minds of the mindless is that exercise is for those who want to be built or buff. There are so many benefits to exercise that you have to be a little on the ignorant side not to want to make it a part of your life.

The power of exercise can not only slow the aging process, but it can reverse something so crippling like osteoporosis which can be a crippling disease. It’s also been a benefit for all types of arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, poor circulation and MORE. Not to mention that it’s great for your heart and connective tissue.

With the few things that I just mentioned, should there even be a second thought about making exercise a part of your life?

If you’re having trouble getting started or understanding which foods are healthier than others, drop me a line.  A customized weight loss diet starts as low as just $6.00 per week. 

 Edward Albert

Master Fitness/Personal Trainer

EAFit@aol.com