Here’s what you need…
For the wrap:

• 1 green tortilla
• 1 chicken breast (or your choice of protein: veggie patty, lean turkey, hardboiled egg, smoked salmon, grilled white fish, or baked tofu)
• Sliced tomato
• Romaine lettuce
• 1 Tablespoon hummus

For the veggies:

• 1/2 cup cut veggies (try broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and bell peppers)
• 1/4 cup hummus

For the yogurt:

• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• Handful of berries (strawberries and blueberries)

For the trail mix:

• 1oz raw mixed nuts
• 5 golden raisins

1. Spread the tortilla with hummus, line with lettuce, tomato slices and chicken breast. Wrap and slice in half.
2. Wash and pack the cut veggies in plastic container. Pack the hummus in a small container.
3. Pack the yogurt in a small container and top with the berries.
4. Mix the raw nuts with the raisins and pack in a small container or bag.
5. Don’t forget to pack a container of water and a napkin!

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 547 calories, 19g fat, 39g carbohydrate, 12g fiber, and 55g protein.

Share this recipe with your friends.

I had a consultation with a new client today that really hit home.  The session went well, but brought back a true story I heard a few years ago and made me reflect on many situations in my life that held me back from success.  This story (and reality of the situation) highlight a common reason people fail to achieve their goals

Let’s start with the story (as told to me by Bedros, one of my mentors) that shows an interesting fact about crabs and the parallel with people in our lives…

On a trip to Alaska with his family, my friend happened to be walking by some fisherman on a pier.  Beside the fisherman was a large white 5 gallon pail filled with a number of crabs.  As he watched the crabs crawling over each other, one ambitious crab started climbing towards the top of the bucket.  He managed to get a claw over the top rim of the pail and was well on his way to a “jail break”.

Being the good Samaritan that he is, Bedros informed the fisherman that he was about to lose a crab.  The fisherman casually said “Thanks, but I’m not worried.  Crabs ‘self-police’ each other.  Just sit back and watch”.

As he continued to watch, my friend was shocked when the remaining crabs casually reached up, grabbed the trailing legs of the ambitious crab and dragged him back down into the bucket.  The fisherman said “see, there’s no need to worry.  The other crabs won’t let him get out.”

This story was a major “ah-ha” moment for me.

It brought to the surface a lot of situations throughout my life and that many of my clients have faced.  It made me think hard about the people in my life who acted like those crabs and how I had even been my own crab in life by brooding over negative thoughts and self-perceptions.  A lot has changed, but those situations are still a powerful influence on your thoughts and behavior when they are allowed to creep in.  Thankfully I’m much more aware of my own limitations and those created by the crabs around me!

Back to my consultation today.  My client was telling me how many people in her family and circle of friends do the same thing as the crabs I just mentioned.  They blatantly tease and taunt her with fast food when she is trying to diet, and try to talk her out of starting a new exercise plan when she wants to get in better shape.  Plus. in the past when she actually started seeing some results, they downplayed her efforts and even stepped up the intensity of their sabotage!

Hearing this from my client today got me very fired up.

I realized that this “Crab” story is a sad, but true picture of human behaviour.

Consider what we are faced with each day.  Our path through daily life is surrounded by “crabs”, energy vampires, and haters who as my mentor says “suck up your precious time, quash your ambitions, motivation, passion, and enthusiasm.”

Our “crabs” in life can be anyone from strangers to casual acquaintances, to close friends and family members.  Perhaps even your spouse.

These people are motivated largely by fear.  They fear change, being left behind, and having their own inadequacies and poor self-image being damaged if you actually begin to change, grow, and flourish in a new way.  Because they don’t have the courage or conviction to make these changes themselves, they focus their energy on sucking yours, dashing your hopes and dreams, and generally raining on your parade.

They may not even do it consciously, but the impact is the same.  Too much time around the crabs and vampires and you will be a “bottom feeder” forever.  You will be doomed to frustration by your lack of progress in life, business, health, or whatever you aim to accomplish!  Maybe it’s even you who is the crab?  Does any of this strike a chord with you?

So, what do you do about it?

First, you need to identify the crabs, vampires and haters in your life.  Look and listen closely.  They are there, waiting to drag you down.

Crabs kill Creativity!

They drain your Mojo!

They are energy Vampires!

If your own thoughts and behaviors are holding you back, start your changes there before moving onto others.

The next thing you need to do is begin cutting the crabs out of your life.  This is easier said than done and sometimes hard decisions have to be made when close friends, business partners, spouses or family are the culprits.  In situations where a person can’t realistically be cut out completely (i.e. family, spouse who you have kids with), the best solution is to limit distance and exposure to them.  For example, we all have the “crazy” annoying family member who after every conversation leaves you feeling exhausted, depressed, and like you’ve been hit by a truck.  Avoid these people like the plague!

So, take stock of the people, thoughts and ideas around you that are holding you back from success.  Lose the crabs and start hanging around with those who challenge, encourage, and support your dreams, goals, and efforts in life!

Have a great day and watch out for crabs!

If you have stories about the crabs in your life, I would love to hear them.  Just add your story to the comments section below!

Tim Borys is a Calgary Personal Trainer and with over 20 years of professional training and coaching experience.  He is the owner of FRESH! Fitness, a top Calgary Personal Training company specializing in helping people live a better life, have FUN with fitness, and get the results they’ve always dreamed of!

The good news is that I have a simple solution for you.

Do you feel like exercise is an uphill battle some days?

If you find yourself in this “low energy” or lazy situation, just show up and do SOMETHING for 15 minutes.  The chosen activity must require you to move your body for the entire time, but doesn’t have to be intense of difficult.  Think of it as an extended warm-up.

How does this help?  Well, most of the time you will feel better after 15 minutes, your energy will improve and you will be able to continue with your workout.

That means you rescued a potential missed workout from the trash heap of procrastination!  Congratulations, you are miles ahead of those people who gave in to their lethargy and decided to spend their time on Facebook or laying on the couch flipping channels!

After 15 minutes, if you still don’t feel better, then you are free to stop and call it a day.  Hey, at least you got in a few minutes of activity!  That’s better than if you had never started in the first place!

The hidden bonus of this behavior trick is that it programs you to build a healthy ROUTINE of making TIME for exercise on a regular basis (ideally daily).  This is the key to long-term results and making a true LIFESTYLE change rather than continually fighting with exercise because you consider it a chore that must be suffered through a few times a week (if you are lucky)!

So, next time you feel sluggish or unmotivated to exercise, try this simple, yet highly effective trick.  It’s something that I’ve used many times over the years and that I teach my Calgary Personal Training clients.

Tim Borys is a Calgary Personal Trainer and owner of FRESH! Fitness.  His expert team of Personal Trainers specialize in Fitness Training, Nutrition Coaching, and Metabolism Testing that will get you “Fit for the Sport of Life!”

Servings: 2

Here’s what you need…

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 small tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 (4oz) cans of fire-roasted, diced green chiles
• 12 egg whites
• 2 Tablespoons water
• Non-stick cooking spray

1. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and chiles and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper and salt and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl whisk the egg whites and water. Lightly coat a medium non-stick skillet with non-stick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add ¼ of the eggs and swirl to evenly coat the bottom of that pan. Cook until the eggs have set, about 2 minutes.
3. Use a rubber scraper to lift the eggs up and let the runny uncooked egg flow underneath. Spoon 1/4 of the Chile mixture onto half of the omelet, fold over, and slide onto a serving plate. Repeat with remaining egg whites and Chile mixture.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 163 calories, 5g fat, 6g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 26g protein.

If so, you are in good company. Even the most seasoned athletes experience times when their results plateau.

When you continue to put in the same effort day after day with little or no results it is safe to say that you’ve hit your own fitness plateau.

Your body adapts quickly to any repetitive routine. The definition of ‘insanity’ is to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results. This holds true for your workouts. When your results stop then it’s time to do something new.

I have good news – the following 4 tactics are guaranteed to crank your workouts up to the next level and to deliver the fast results you want.

Tactic #1: Focus on Negatives

Each time that you do a weight lifting repetition you are utilizing three types of strength. These are:

Positive strength: the motion of lifting the weight.
Static strength: holding weight in a contracted position.
Negative strength: the motion of lowering the weight.

Most people completely miss the benefit of the negative in each repetition by allowing the weight to drop quickly with little control. It is understood that the negative portion of a repetition is just as important as the positive portion, and possibly more important.

Focus on the negative portion of each repetition by lowering the weight very slowly. Concentrate on the negative contraction, and make each repetition count.

If you are advanced, then use a training partner to assist you in moving heavier-than-normal weight into a contracted position, then lower it very slowly.

Another way to utilize negative repetitions on a machine is to lift the weight using two limbs but then lower it with just one. For example, use both legs to lift the weight on a leg extension machine, but then lower it back down slowly using only one leg (Note:  normally I don’t recommend using these types of traditional machines…because they are useless to train you for the “Sport of Life”, but for those of you who can’t seem to let go, this tactic will help with your strength levels)

Tactic #2: Do a Drop Set

Drop sets have long been used to fight off exercise plateaus. This technique is great for adding muscle strength, endurance and for increasing the cardiovascular benefit of your workout – resulting in more fat burn.

Here, in a nutshell, is how to do a drop set:

When you perform an exercise to exhaustion, don’t stop there. Drop the weight by 80% and do another set.

You could take it a step further by dropping the weight twice, making it a double drop. Or drop the weight three times for a descending drop set.

Use this technique only once or twice per workout, on the final set of the exercise.

Tactic #3: Modify the Exercise

There are certain exercises that are considered ‘staples’ in the gym.

The squat. The lunge. The chest press. The shoulder press. The Pull-up. You get the idea…

While you shouldn’t throw these exercises out the window, find creative ways to modify the familiar motion in order to challenge your muscles. Try these exercise modifications:

Squat on a Bosu ball or balance board.
Place a weighted bar across your shoulders and do walking lunges.
Use an exercise ball for chest presses instead of the bench (or do 1-arm dumbbell presses).
Do a full squat between each repetition of shoulder presses.
Do a shoulder press between each repetition of bicep curls.

Tactic #4: Use Active Rest to turn each workout into High Intensity Interval Training

Every minute of your workout is an opportunity to increase intensity and to burn more fat. Don’t waste precious minutes with long rest periods between exercises.

While it is important to catch your breath if you feel winded, most of the time you would benefit more from an active rest than a passive one. Perform one of the following activities for 30 seconds between exercises and turn your regular workout into High Intensity Interval Training.

High Knees with Alternating Punches:

Alternately bring each knee high to your chest in a quick jumping movement while alternating forward punches at shoulder level.

Burpees:

Start in a sanding position and bend at the waist. Once your hands hit the floor, push your entire body back, extending your legs until they’re straight and you’re in the push-up position. Go down for a push-up, and when you push yourself up, jump slightly to bring your feet back near your hands. Finally, jump in the air with your arms fully extended over your head.

Side-to-Side Jumps on Bench:

Stand on one side of an exercise bench. Place the foot closest up onto the bench, jump up and switch feet, then land on the opposite side of the bench.

Mountain Climbers:

Place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart on the ground in a push-up position. Bring one knee to your chest and then back to the starting position, alternate each leg quickly.

Side-to-Side Ab Twists:

With feet close together, jump and twist your legs left to right – holding your abs tight. Keep a bend in your knees and swing your upper arms with each twist.

Jump Lunges with Pop Squat:

Start in a lunge position, lunge down then quickly jump up, switching your leg position in midair, land in an opposite leg lunge. Once you’ve done both legs, jump straight into a squat.

Medicine Ball Squat Jumps:

With feet wider than shoulder-width apart hold a medicine ball at chest level. Squat down until your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Explosively jump up, raising the medicine ball straight over your head.

If you’d like a sure-fire way to break through your fitness plateau and to melt away unwanted fat, then contact me for a fitness consultation.

Call or email today – I look forward to hearing from you.

None of these workout sources really matter because in 99% of the cases, it’s not the exercises that make the difference.  It’s HOW you do them, WHY you do them, WHEN you do them, and WHAT you are doing outside your workouts that make the biggest difference.

Yet, many people still think they can “do it on their own”.  I always have to ask…”How is that working for you”

People will often train and struggle through years of trial and error getting few results in the process.  This is like doing your own legal contracts, performing surgery on yourself, or diagnosing and treating your own illnesses!  While some people may see results after a heap of research and dedication, for most of us, it’s more practical to get professional help.  The aforementioned professionals go to school and specialize in those areas and are able to get you better results much faster and with less effort than you could on your own.

Yet with fitness, health, nutrition, and lifestyle change, it seems to be different.  Perhaps it is the reputation of the industry at large (more on that in another post…it really is the “Wild West” in some areas).  The fact is, a qualified and professional trainer will run circles around an amateur in terms of quality, quantity, and longevity of results.

As shown in the image, the difference in results is staggering and shows that without seeking expert help, most people end up wasting their time and become frustrated with the process of trying to get fit, lose fat, and feel great

Click here to find out more details on Personal Training at FRESH!

If you would like to find out the CORRECT way to hire a Personal Trainer, download my Special Report that walks you through the entire process.

As a Calgary Personal Trainer and Fitness Expert for 20 years, this report comes from firsthand knowledge with thousands of clients and teaching hundreds of trainers

Servings: 1

Here’s what you need…

• 1 sprouted grain, flourless tortilla
• 1 Tablespoon hummus
• 1/3 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/4 cup cooked black beans
• 1/2 cup cooked chicken, chopped (or baked tofu)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh corn kernels
• 2 Tablespoons chopped cucumber
• 1/4 cup shredded arugula
• 3 cherry tomatoes, chopped

1. Warm the tortilla in a dry skillet. Spread the hummus evenly over the tortilla.
2. Top the tortilla with rice, beans, chicken and veggies.
3. Fold the two sides of the tortilla in over the filling, then flip up the bottom edge and roll tightly.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 380 calories, 7.8g fat, 45g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, and 31g protein.

Clients will sit in front of me and SWEAR that they eat healthy and the right portions.  The fact is, you don’t get to be fat and overweight by eating small healthy meals!  Without getting into too much detail on the technical aspects of nutrition, here is ONE SIMPLE THING you can do at your next meal to start the process of dropping those pesky extra pounds of fat…without feeling you’ve deprived yourself of something you like!

OK, here is is…this simple mind shift will literally change your life (and your body):

Instead of eating until you feel full, stop eating as soon as you are no longer hungry.

This tip is so simple, I bet you are already trying to dismiss it.  That would be a mistake that costs you many pounds and years of frustration!  It takes time (some say up to 20 minutes) for your brain to register that your stomach is full.  That means if you are full, you should have stopped eating 20 minutes ago!

Here are a couple different variations of this trick that also work perfectly!

• Eat your meals on side plates
• Cut a regular sized meal in half (or more depending on the size) and take the rest home for your next meal
• Order a single meal and share it with a friend

Servings: 12

Here’s what you need…

• 2 cups raw pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla beans, divided
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cup pitted dates, divided
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded and sliced

1. Combine the pecans, 1/4 teaspoon of the vanilla bean, sea salt and 3/4 cup of the dates in a food processor. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a pie pan, set aside.
2. Combine the remaining 3/4 cup dates, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean and water in a food processor or blender. Mix until a thick syrup forms.
3. Place the mangoes in a large mixing bowl. Toss with the syrup until fully combined.
4. Arranged the mangoes over the crust, then sprinkle with the remaining crust.
5. Keep in the fridge and eat within 2 days.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 220 calories, 12g fat, 27g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 3g protein.

Having dealt with so many different trainers in my lifetime, I mean it when I say you are the BEST. That’s why I continue to recommend FRESH!.
- Candice M.