In my state of Alabama we have the sad distinction of being the 2nd Fattest state, and that is not a ranking we should be proud of. According to CalorieLab in 2011 Alabama has a population that is 33% obese. When you dig into the statistics even more Alabama is the overall fattest state when you combine the Overweight and the obese for a total of 70% of the population. These are staggering statistics that will take generations to reverse but the key is to start now.

I am currently sending in my Specialist in Fitness Nutrition Certification final so I can better help the clients in my personal training. These individuals are working on goals to lose weight or to get ready for a specific event. The clients that I see now have a belief that “dieting” is a temporary thing and when they reach their goal they can just go back to the old way of eating. The first goal is to train my clients to use real food and to cook for themselves the majority of their meals. It is easier for them to eat something out of the box instead of preparing a meal.

My clients also have a sense that eating “healthy” is a very complicated thing and that it will cost a lot more. I start by having them keep a food journal for a week without changing anything in the way that they eat. This exercise allows them to become aware of what they are eating and will show me what kind of foods they tend to like. At the end of the week I take the food journal and work up a basic meal plan that includes the types of foods they like and I’ll make the substitution for whole food sources whenever possible. Depending on the client this might be a very gradual transition so that they can see quick success in the way they feel and perform at work and other activities.

It is a challenge in Alabama because so many people are overweight and obese that a person of normal weight will appear “skinny”. The food choices will also seem weird if they are not fried or cover in some way. It is a long journey but it is worth the effort to be able to help just one person live a healthier life by helping them with their nutrition.

*Source of stats are from Calorielab.com

How many times in the last week did you drive-thru to “grab” something to eat?  How many times did you stay at home and cook a meal from scratch without using the microwave to warm-up something from a box?  If you answered yes to the first question then we have some work to do; but the good thing is your taste-buds will thank you!

Growing up I always enjoyed learning what I could about cooking, but my knowledge stopped at boiling noodles and pouring a can of sauce over them.  When I got real fancy I would brown a pound of hamburger meat to add to the sauce for a truly hearty meal.  This was the cooking pattern that I a carried into marriage with my lovely wife Jenda who’s cooking knowledge stopped at deep frying chicken tenders in the Fry-Daddy.

When Jenda and I began on our fitness journey with P90X, we quickly realized out how much we were eating from a box.  Most of our meals consisted of pasta in some form and maybe some chicken.  There were no vegetables and when they did appear they were in a steamer bag that we would microwave to melt the “cheese” in the bag.  In the last 3 years, all of this has changed because we now buy raw food to cook for dinner.

I know what you might be thinking.  I don’t have the time to cook a meal from scratch every night.  The kids have ballgames, I have meetings, we get home late and I’m just to tired to cook.  I agree that we are all very busy.  I work a full-time job while doing personal training after hours.  My wife works as a Pre-Kindergarten Special Education teacher and then we have our 4 little munchkins at home that also crave our attention.  Planning is the solution to our busy schedules.  Jenda and I sit down for no more than 30minutes every Saturday morning to plan out our meals for the next week.

Planning is KEY!

On Sunday I make the grocery run and I love this time.  I usually go by myself and get a chance to think about the week and what my goals are for the upcoming days.  I used to go directly to a grocery store to purchase everything, but since we have fresh vegetables in season I take a route by a local farmer’s market to purchase all my veggies and fruits.  The farmers market also has the best homemade sausage and strawberry preserves.

On Sunday evening I will pre-cook much of the weeks food so we can warm it up during the busy work week.  We enjoy grilling a lot during the summer, so I often grill all the chicken we will need for the week at this time.  Jenda will cut some up for a grilled chicken salad and then put away some grilled chicken breasts.  We will have 2 or 3 dinners prepared for the days we are going to be late.  By doing this, all we have to do is warm everything up. (This is the good way to use a microwave )

Now that Jenda and I are actually cooking meals, it is fun to find recipes to try.  Last week I bought some wild caught red snapper and grilled it with olive oil and some salt & pepper to taste.  I served it with corn relish made from the corn I bought at the farmers market.  It took a total of 30minutes and it was so good!  I recently found a recipe that looks delicious for roasted cauliflower that is said to taste like french fries.

http://summertomato.com/roasted-curried-cauliflower-to-die-for/

I encourage you to plan out next week’s dinners before you go to the grocery store.  If you go to the store with no idea of what you are going to cook,  you will almost always over spend and not make the best food choices.  If you need recipe ideas take a look at these websites for inspiration.

http://peakability.com/seasonal-garden-recipes

http://summertomato.com/category/recipes/

http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes

http://allrecipes.com

http://epicurious.com
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Matthew Hillis is a father of four that was letting life go by while he laid on the couch until one day he decided to change. He was able to lose 30lbs in his first 90 days of working out with P90X. Matthew has kept that weight off for 2 years and has helped hundreds of people just like yourself to achieve their own fitness goals. If your life is busy and you believe there is just no time to workout then allow Matthew to help tailor a fitness plan to you and your life. Together we are better!

I know you have experienced the dreaded feeling of the muffin top. If you are unfamiliar, a "muffin top" is the extra roll that sneaks out from on top of your favorite pair of jeans. In the 80's this was not too much of a problem because ladies jeans would reach under those nice big shoulder pads. In the last 10 years jeans have been built to go lower and lower and unfortunately the country waistline has increased. This has contributed to the Muffin Top epidemic. I know you want to wear your favorite jeans that make your butt look just right so how can we lose the muffin top.

Our body is a very smart complex systems of chemicals, solids and all kinds of things you don't have to understand to lose the belly fat. We can also spend hours on end doing the latest crunch, sit-up or ab routine and still have the slight pug. Our body's do not lose fat in specific regions. So the only true solution is to lose fat from all over our body.

• The first step is to measure your body just the way it is right now. Get a sewing tape measure and wrap it around your belly to center of your belly button. I prefer the suck in method to get the absolute smallest reading. Write down how many inches it is.
• Next wrap the measuring tape around your right arm, then your left to measure your bicep area.
• The last area I want you to measure is your left and right leg at the middle of the largest part of your leg.  

Please write down each of the measurements because in 2 weeks I want you to measure the same areas in the exact same way. We are not concerned about the actual numbers at the moment, however, in 2 weeks we want to see a trend of those numbers getting smaller. So you now have your measurements so we are ready to start the fun stuff.

If you are serious about losing the extra roll then I want you to shop for fresh food at your local grocery store.  Stay away from food that is in a box or can.  Frozen Food is OK but try and focus on fresh food that will spoil if you do not eat it within a few days.  Yes, you will have to visit the grocery store probably once a week but all your meals for the next 2 weeks should come from fresh food. The majority of that fresh food needs to come in the form of vegetables. Stack the veggies high on your plate with a piece of meat for protein. When you look at your plate one-third of it should have a protein and the rest should be filled with vegetables. The more colorful the better. Since we are just starting out I do not want you to worry about counting your calories. If you start eating all of your meals from fresh foods the calories will take care of themselves. I also have a sample week's menu that my family uses Sample Week Menu.

The next step is usually the first step my clients want to take and that is working out. I personally workout 6 days a week around 30 – 45min per day, but I know that everyone has a busy life. My 4 children keep me and my wife hopping too. I want you to find a program like TurboFire or a gym class that you love. The goal is to get your heart rate up at least 30min for 3 or more days per week. If you have problems finding something you like doing everyday then please email me at matthew@matthewhillis.com or send me a message on Facebook. Whatever program you choose,  it is important to your  success to not do it alone. Find a friend or a buddy to come over and workout with you. I will also help keep you motivated towards your goal too. Support is the key to success!

Matthew Hillis is a father of four that was letting life go by while he laid on the couch until one day he decided to change.  He was able to lose 30lbs in his first 90 days of working out with P90X.  Matthew has kept that weight off for 2 years and has helped hundreds of people just like yourself to achieve their own fitness goals.  If your life is busy and you believe there is just no time to workout then allow Matthew to help tailor a fitness plan to you and your life.  Together we are better!

I want to share our menu for dinners for the week. At our house, planning the week's menu in advance helps keep us on track with our food plans. I hope this helps you too! If you are interested in any of the recipes, let me know!

Monday – Mustard glazed cod vegetable stir fry garlic mashed potatoes
Tuesday – Parmesan -Dijon Chicken peas and carrots chocolate & nut coated banana
Wednesday – Herbed Turkey Cutlet green bean almodine vegetable stuffing jello and apple
Thursday – Broiled mustard steak spinach salad garlic mashed potatoes
Friday – Chicken Piccata broccoli spaghetti with garlic and oil cantaloupe & kiwi
Saturday – Tasty Turkey Burgers sweet potato fries (baked) watermelon
Sunday – Lemon Pepper Fish stir fry vegetables garlic roast potatoes cherry yogurt delight

I am going to share the recipe for one of these meals that we have eaten before and really liked. Let me know if you want any others

Parmesan-Dijon Chicken
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves : 4 Ingredients
• 1/2 cup panko, original style bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, fat free
• 1/4 cup margarine, canola-based, trans-fat free
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 pounds chicken breast, boneless/skinless, raw Preparation
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Mix bread crumbs and cheese and spread out on a plate.
• Melt 1/2 of the spread and combine with mustard in a shallow dish.
• Dip chicken into margarine mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture.
• Place in baking dish. Dot with remaining spread.

Baked uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Peas & Carrots
Prep Time: 5 minutes or less

Total Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes or less
Serves : 4 Ingredients
• 2 cups peas and carrots, frozen
• 1 1/2 tablespoons spread, buttery, low-fat Preparation
• Heat peas and carrots in a small saucepan or in microwave per package directions.
• Top with spread.
• Divide evenly among 4 plates.

Chocolate & Nut Coated Banana
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes
Serves : 4 Ingredients
• 2 bananas, small
• 1/3 cup chocolate syrup, fat-free light
• 5 teaspoons pecans, chopped
Preparation • Please note: the prep time does not include time for the chocolate to set.
• Coat banana with chocolate syrup. Drizzle with nuts.
• Place in refrigerator or freezer to set.
• Divide into 4 equal portions and enjoy for dessert.

You have got to be kidding me! There is a new report released out of Great Britain.  Doctors there claim that the extra daily fat from eating a Quarter Pounder with cheese can be off set by taking a statin drug.  I must say that I am amazed that medical doctors are making this recommendation.  It is as if people are going to eat the hamburger anyway, so lets through in some drugs to counter act.  I feel it would be better to teach people how to choose a healthier meal instead of adding pills.  The report equates statin drugs to wearing a seatbelt while driving a car, but a seatbelt does not have side-effects because your wearing it while driving.  A statin drug, on the other hand, can cause liver damage, muscle pain, muscle weakness, and memory loss.

We have become a society that runs to the pill box to fix everything.  There is a time and place to use drugs like statins, but to say that we should offer them with a Happy Meal is out right ridiculous.  Taking a balanced approach to food and general nutrition can have a greater impact on your overall health and happiness rather than be weighed down by popping pills with every Happy Meal.

Please understand that I am not recommending anyone stop taking medications a doctor has prescribed, however taking a statin as a daily vitamin has to be one of the craziest recommendations I’ve ever heard.

(The Picture above is a Happy Meal that was left sitting on display for 1 Year.  It looks like it just came out from under the heat lamp.  How can bread not mold?)

(Click here for a link to the report)