Category: Uncategorized

*The title of this post was taken from the Eagles song of the same name*

It would be quite a  world if we all had access to local, organic, free-range, all natural, humanely raised and practical foods. Thankfully, as the demand for these items has gone up, the cost of them has generally come down.

However, that isn’t exactly the world we live in. Sometimes we have to succumb to convenience. And sometimes, convenience leads us to the drive -thru of those establishments who carry anything but local, organic, free-range, all natural, humanely raised foods. Hell, at least they’re practical (one out of six ain’t bad!)

If I’m being honest (and I try my very best to be), sometimes it just comes down to budget and in many ways, the convenient can be the most cost effective…just not always.

So, this is my attempt at helping you survive the fast food lane. I asked the members of our client-only closed community on Facebook to help me tally up their favorite fast food establishments. I’ll be tallying up the breakfast and lunch/dinner options that will help you reach your weight loss goals, regardless of whether you are male or female.

There are a few things to note before you dive into this. Due to the nature of fast food, these generally won’t be the best ratios for a proper macronutrient balance. So, if you are focusing on optimizing body composition or if you’re training for endurance events, this is probably not the menu for you. Also, note that the sodium counts will be higher than what the average individual needs. It would serve you best to keep your water intake high any time you eat fast food or even at your run of the mill restaurant. In addition, fast food is terribly low in fiber. You might want to consider a fiber supplement to continue to eliminate waste as needed.

I’ll also be working within some general ranges. For women, somewhere between 1200-1500 calories. For men, somewhere between 1500-1800 calories. If you are not certain where you fall within the range, start on the high end and assess your weight loss progress. If you are not losing, you can make gradual drops of 100 or so calories to see the changes you’re looking for.

I should also note that this is not by any means meant to replace healthier options if you have access to them. I personally would not spend much time with fast food. However, if you’re travelling, short on time, or just didn’t plan your day appropriately. These options could really help you stay on track. Please also be aware, there are no french fries mentioned in this list. This will simply be for entrees. I made every effort to keep every choice roughly 500 calories (maybe less, maybe more.) I also made every effort to keep protein at least 20g per meal.

Some menu options may be seasonal or temporary depending on the establishment.

BREAKFAST

Taco Bell

Breakfast Quesadilla-Bacon (510 cals, 26g protein)

Breakfast Quesadilla-Sausage (500 cals, 24g protein)

Breakfast Quesadilla-Steak (500 cals, 29g protein)

Cheesy Burrito-Bacon (490 cals, 23g protein)

Cheesy Burrito-Steak (480 cals, 26g protein)

Chick-Fil-A

Egg White Grill (300 calories, 25g protein)

Breakfast Burrito (450 calories, 30g protein)

Chicken, Egg & Cheese Bagel (480 cals, 27g protein)

Wendy’s

Artisan Egg Sandwich (360 cals, 20g protein)

Mornin’ Melt Panini (520 cals, 31g protein)

Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit (510 cals, 21g protein)

McDonald’s

Sausage McMuffin With Egg (470 cals, 21g protein)

Steak, Egg & Cheese Biscuit (530 cals, 25g protein)

Burger King

King Croissan’wich With Ham & Sausage (530 cals, 23g protein)

LUNCH/DINNER

Taco Bell

Burrito Supreme-Chicken (380 cals, 20g protein)

Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla (Order 2 for 360 cals, 24g protein)

Fresco Soft Taco-Shredded Chicken (Order 3 for 420 cals, 30g protein)

Fresco Soft Taco-Steak (Order 3 for 420 cals, 30g protein)

Power Menu Bowl-Chicken (480 cals, 28g protein)

Power Menu Bowl-Steak (490 cals, 27g protein)

Power Menu Burrito-Chicken (450 cals, 26g protein)

Power Menu Burrito-Steak (460 cals, 25g protein)

Cheesy Gordita Crunch (500 cals, 20g protein)

Cool Ranch Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch (500 cals, 20g protein)

Fiery Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch (490 cals, 20g protein)

Meximelt (Order 2 for 500 cals, 28g protein)

Nacho Cheese Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch (500 cals, 20g protein)

Quesadilla-Chicken (510 cals, 27g protein)

Quesadilla-Steak (510 cals, 27g protein)

Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich (440 cals, 28g protein)

Chick-Fil-A Deluxe Chicken Sandwich (500 cals, 31g protein)

Spicy Sandwich (450 cals, 29g protein)

Chick-Fil-A Nuggets (260 cals, 28g protein)

Chick-n-Strips (350 cals, 28g protein)

Grilled Chicken Sandwich (310 cals, 29g protein)

Grilled Nuggets (Order 2 for 280 cals, 50g protein)

Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich (430 cals, 37g protein)

Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap (350 cals, 37g protein)

Chicken Salad Sandwich (500 cals, 27g protein)

Wendy’s

Double Stack Cheeseburger (390 cals, 25g protein)

Jr. Hamburger (Order 2 for 480 cals, 28g protein)

Grilled Asiago Ranch Chicken Club (520 cals, 42g protein)

Homestyle Chicken Sandwich (520 cals, 30g protein)

Spicy Chicken Sandwich (510 cals, 30g protein)

Grilled Chicken Sandwich (360 cals, 35g protein)

Crispy Chicken BLT (440 cals, 20g protein)

Grilled Chicken Wrap (270 cals, 20g protein)

10-Piece Chicken Nuggets (450 cals, 24g protein)

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Half Size (310 cals, 21g protein)

Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad (450 cals, 40g protein)

Spicy Caesar Chicken Salad, Half Size (410 cals, 23g protein)

Chili-Large (250 cals, 23g protein)

McDonald’s

Mac Jr. (460 cals, 21g protein)

Hamburger (Order 2 for 500 cals, 26g protein)

Double Cheeseburger (430 cals, 25g protein)

McDouble (380 cals, 23g protein)

10-Piece Chicken McNuggets (440 cals, 24g protein)

Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich (380 cals, 37g protein)

Bacon Ranch Salad & Buttermilk Crispy Chicken (490 cals, 33g protein)

Bacon Ranch Grilled Chicken Salad (320 cals, 42g protein)

Southwest Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Salad (520 cals, 28g protein)

Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad (350 cals, 37g protein)

Burger King

Whopper without mayo (470 cals, 26g protein)

Hamburger (Order 2 for 440 cals, 22g protein)

Double Cheeseburger (350 cals, 20g protein)

Bacon Double Cheeseburger (370 cals, 21g protein)

TenderGrill Chicken Sandwich (420 cals, 32g protein)

FlameGrilled Chicken Burger (480 cals, 22g protein)

Original Chicken Sandwich without mayo (450 cals, 28g protein)

10-Piece Chicken Nuggets (430 cals, 20g protein)

BK Veggie Burger (390 cals, 22g protein)

Dr. Corey Peacock joins me this week to discuss many of the protocols that he uses with his own elite-level athletes (MMA, NCAA football and more.) Corey touches on his best practices and how they can crossover to general population. While I admit that I don’t follow the MMA world closely, Dr. Corey has a lot of great tips and thoughts on how technology helps him succeed with his athletes. To connect with Dr. Corey you can find him on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/drcpeacock and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/drcpeacock To learn more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Also, you can link up with us on the new Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/revolutionaryou Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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*The title of this post was taken from the Nada Surf song of the same name*

A few months ago, I wrote a piece about a client of mine with Down syndrome named Tina. You can revisit that article here. Since that article was released, Tina has made it through all of the holiday events of last year and teetered around the same few pounds without seeing a new low in weight loss.

While she is very self-sufficient, Tina also requires the help of a provider to get her to and from work and to assist with some of her activities of daily living. She has changed providers over the time that I’ve known her and her job schedule continues to change as well.

I do try to keep conversation going to gain a better understanding about what’s happening with her diet and exercise regimen. She sees me twice a week and we normally focus on getting some strength training and some cardio work in that she might not be able to do on her own.

Recently, after not seeing a lot of progress with weight loss, I started to drill down some more with one of her providers to find out what was happening with the diet. Most of the meals had been portioned so she was only able to access a certain amount.

However, there were a couple of things that popped up that sparked further conversation. At lunch, she was eating half a sandwich, a yogurt and a rice cake. She regularly would go to Subway and get a 6″ sub with condiments (mayo, ketchup, or dressing). Frequently, in the middle of the night, she would eat another rice cake.

I asked her to remove both rice cakes and any condiments from her sandwiches aside from mustard.

A week later she was down nearly 2 lbs and back to her lowest weight.

So that I don’t step on my toes with previous advice, please remember that nothing happens in a vacuum. Tina could have made some other changes as well (dietary or exercise.) By removing her rice cakes and condiments we were realistically shaving off somewhere between 100-300 calories a day (depending on the condiments of choice.) It did shed a light on some of those sneaky places where calories might pop up.

Rice cakes can vary between 30-70 calories. Condiments can run the gamut. While mayonnaise can be a bigger problem than ketchup, they both have calories. Dressing can beat out mayonnaise depending on type and fat content.

The point is, if you’ve been doing really well with your diet but you’ve gotten bored with it, some of these extra things can creep in and they add up (even if we like to think they don’t.) It’s easy to point a finger at the big culprits like second helpings, a side of fries or the extra two slices of pizza when you really meant to eat one.

If you’re stalling with weight loss, you may need to look a little closer and find out what secrets you’re keeping. Have some routine meals and snacks that are basically fool-proof and require little to no guesswork when it comes to how many calories are involved. In Tina’s case, subtracting a couple of rice cakes and some condiments got her moving in the right direction again.

And her journey continues. This is a picture of Tina at her lowest weight since she’s been training with me.

 

 

Dr. Mary Malek returns to our show after her excellent appearance back on episode #25. This week, we talk about forming the support systems around ourselves so that sabotage doesn’t take place. We cover friends, families and more. Dr. Mary always delivers amazing, practical advice and this episode is no exception. To learn more about Dr. Mary, check out http://www.marymalekphd.com To connect with your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com and the new Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/revolutionaryou Download, subscribe, share with your friends, and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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*The title of this post was taken from the Filter song of the same name*

John was frustrated. At the time, he appeared to be doing everything right to lose weight. Frequent exercise: strength training and cardio, food seemed to be on point, water intake was high. The weight just wasn’t coming off at the rate that either one of us had expected.

Around that time, he was reading a copy of my book and covered the section about celebrating little victories. When you’re trying to lose weight, it can be easy to lose sight of the progress you’re making. Being able to make note of any successes along the way can help when you’re feeling like maybe you want to throw in the towel.

So, John took my advice.

He went back through a series of pictures I had taken of him on a particular lift and noticed a significant change in his face from when he started to that most recent day. There was another “victory” that he could claim even if the scale wasn’t showing him everything he wanted to see.

A few more tweaks were made to his plan and little by little the weight started to trend downward again. The motivation those pictures provided were just enough to keep him focused on the goal.

Here’s John after he hit a hard fought 20lbs down:

Then I think about Cherie and Aly, our resident mother-daughter duo who I wrote about previously here. Much of Cherie’s success I can attribute to sending me pictures of what she eats. Does she have to do it? No, but it certainly helps. She’s realized that even though she’s lost nearly 30lbs, every time her diet starts to get sideways, she gets herself back on track by sending me pictures of what she’s eating. There’s no shame or guilt in the correspondence but it helps keep her honest. Of course, she could be cheating and not sending me the second helpings or snacks but Cherie’s honest and she knows she would only hurt herself if that were the case.

While Aly has only utilized the picture strategy a few times, it generally has the intended effect of keeping her cognizant of what the intake is so she can stay on track as well. For any other clients who want to use this, I’m always happy to take your meal shots so you can get closer to your goals as well. I know how much it’s helped these two and while the strategy isn’t for everyone, it works really well for those like Cherie who need a point of accountability.

This was the shot of one of Cherie’s recent snacks (an apple and some peanut butter)

And how could I leave out the pictures that say it all. All of the pictures I’ve been blowing up social media with on a daily basis. The shots of our clients doing great things: dropping pounds, getting stronger, having (*gasp*) fun??!!?? For someone who generally has never been a big fan of photography, I love posting pictures of what our clients are doing.

Who knew that bombarding social media with all of these shots would keep so many people motivated to do more?

Granted, nothing happens in a vacuum and it sure as hell takes a lot more than some iPhone photography to reach your goals but day after day, week after week I get to look back at what all of our resident rockstars have been doing and see how far they’ve come.

This would be one of those circumstances where the pictures don’t lie. In fact, given the right context, they may be some of your greatest assets.

No matter how you regard photos, unless they’ve been completely doctored (and it’s always possible that they are), being able to look back at something in a photo that was genuine can be a huge help. So, whether you’re at RevFit or you’re on your own, some honesty in photography can go a long way.

Like many other things (namely diet and exercise) consistency is crucial. Long before I started filling up Facebook walls with black and white pics of RevFit awesomeness, the few pictures I did post were all over the place. I could go weeks, if not months, without posting a thing. Now, Monday through Friday, you’re seeing a lot of what makes this place tick. Great people, great results, a TON of camaraderie and genuine support. I am a small piece of the puzzle. Our clients? They’re the reason RevFit family continues to thrive.

So, take a picture. Even if it’s not worth a thousand words, it can have enough worth to keep you on track.

Oh yeah, and here’s Derek after his milestone of 20lbs. Just.awesome. 🙂

 

Dr. Jenna Nadolsky joins me for her very first podcast episode ever! She and her husband, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky have recently welcomed their first (Piper) into the world. Piper tunes in to the show as well, so you’ll get to hear both mother and daughter on this one! Dr. Jenna and I discuss some general thoughts for exercise planning regarding active women and how to change training as they progress through term. This is a fairly short episode packed with some great tips that you don’t want to miss. To learn more about what the Nadolsky’s have happening, please visit http://www.docswholift.com or connect directly with Dr. Jenna on Facebook. To learn more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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*The title of this post was taken from The Troggs song of the same name*

Allow me to take a slight detour from my usual posts of motivation, client success, weight loss, etc. and just dedicate a small post to love. It is Valentine’s Day, after all. Or as one of my clients hilariously called it: S.A.D. (Single Awareness Day!)

Hopefully, you have someone special in your life. A spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, or just someone you have your eye on. If not, maybe the someone special just needs to be you for awhile. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a little bit of self-love. It probably will take you further than you know.

Maybe you heard the news that my wife, Marissa, and I are having our first child together. The due date is tentatively August 9. I can’t begin to say how happy I am that we get to share this chapter together. I am also very excited to see my little guy, Jackson, evolve into a big brother.

So, to my favorite co-pilot: I love you. Thank you for once upon a time taking a chance on me.  Thank you for accepting not only me, but my son as well. We were (as they say) a package deal.

Through all of your years in theatre, you have managed to inspire children from far and wide. It’s now time to inspire a child of your own.

For all of the things I’ve loved about you over the years, I am truly in love with the thoughts of what type of mother you’ll become. I can promise you, the man my son helped me become was the best man I could offer you.

And in your words, our “next adventure” will be here before we know it.

I love you and I am so very grateful for you.

And to you lovely readers, I’m pretty crazy about all of you too. Because like it or not, you’re all helping me be better as well. My wife and I both thank you for that.

Happy Valentine’s Day you lovebirds. Now stop reading my blog and go give someone you love a big fat kiss.

(Photos courtesy of Sara Beatty)

Dr. Mike Israetel joins me on the final episode of the first full year of shows! I am a huge fan of all of the content that Dr. Mike gives to the public. Of the many topics we could have touched on in our first round, we tackle sustainable tactics for your diet and your fitness plan. Since this show will be released in the first half of February, many New Year’s resolutions may have fallen off. Dr. Mike brings some tips and best practices so that you hit your goals for good and never look back. To connect with Dr. Mike, he is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/michael.israetel or you can purchase some of his work through http://www.renaissanceperiodization.com To learn more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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*The title of this post was taken from the F.O.D. song of the same name*

When you’ve had the good fortune and honor of working with hundreds of clients over a particular time span, you learn a lot. In my case, I know I have. Fortunately for both myself and my clients, I keep trying to learn because I know that no matter who I work with and no matter what trends I see, I will have never seen it all and there will always be exceptions.

That being said, we are all creatures of habit. Those habits create patterns. Those patterns become our life, our lifestyles and perhaps manifest in our physiques.

When I initially sit down with a client to discuss a food plan that will help them hit their goals, I try to explain how much of the plan is personality driven. Meaning, my personality is different from yours so we may not be able to follow the same plan for the same results. It’s of huge importance for any person to know who they are to pick the right plan. Sort of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” for weight loss or wellness goals.

Some people need daily caloric intake goals.

Some need detailed macronutrient (protein/carbs/fat) goals.

Some need to stop eating so much at dinner.

Some need to stop nighttime snacking.

Some need to cut back the alcohol.

Some need Weight Watchers.

Some need a trendy diet.

Some need to stop drinking so many liquid calories (aside from but not excluding alcohol.)

And some still need to be more honest with themselves about how much they are ACTUALLY consuming.

Want to know something cool? Every one of those types of people trains with me right now.

I would be foolish to assume that every trick I have up my sleeve will help someone with weight loss. I have a lot of tactics to offer. I have a lot of tips that can help. I do not have them all.

For instance, let’s use the Weight Watchers example. I currently have 2 clients (off the top of my head) who are on the WW program and seeing good results. Fact of the matter is, it’s a helluva lot easier to count 30 points than it is 1400 calories. No harm, no foul.

I have about 5 clients who bounce from one trendy diet to the next. I’m fine with that too. If it makes someone more cognizant of intake, forces them into a deficit and they believe they can sustain it, more power to them. It’s not my place to judge. It’s my place to support and troubleshoot.

I have an undetermined amount of clients who have looked at me frustrated and confused when the scale doesn’t budge. They are adamant that they are eating on point and staying the course. Fast forward a few weeks/months when the scale weight starts dropping and I ask:

“What are you doing differently?”

To which the reply is:

“I’m watching what I eat…”

Hmm. 🙂

The point of all of this is not to judge the path. It’s to highlight the path. It’s also to note the extremely important fact that no journey is the same. What works for one will not work for another. Just because someone starts training with me and SAYS “I’m ready to lose weight” does not mean they are in fact ready. They may need to take these small baby steps and stumble a few times to get ready. I’m okay with that too.

The worst thing for me to do as coach/trainer/friend/confidant is to remain dogmatic in the approach.

I care that the weight comes off.

I care that you are responsible with it.

I care that you can sustain the weight loss and not rebound.

I care that you care enough about yourself to believe you deserve to reach your goal.

The tricks of the trade just might help along the way.

 

 

Georgie Fear makes her Revolutionary You debut! She is the bestselling author of Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss and the founder of One By One Nutrition. We both dive into our respective journeys with depression and how it led us into the fields we’re in today. To connect with Georgie, check out http://www.facebook.com/georgie.fear and http://www.facebook.com/onebyonenutrition To learn more about your host, please visit http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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