Seek Truth

From Elizabeth Gilbert

'The Physics of The Quest' -- a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this...

'If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared - most of all - to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself... then truth will not be withheld from you.'

Thank you Angela and Renee for passing this on.

There is NO success without ACTION

"Achievement seems to be connected
with action. Successful men and
women keep moving. They make
mistakes, but they don't quit."
- Conrad Hilton

Team Barbelles, my current Lean Eating for women group, is just weeks shy of the end of their body transformation contest.

My new group of Lean Eaters are just weeks away from the beginning of their transformative journey.

Thus, the timing could not be more perfect for this quote.

I often say to my clients, "there is no success without action".

If the MIND is the match for success then ACTION is flame. A fire spreads. ACTION produces MORE ACTION - not just within yourself but within others.

At this time of the year, we are full of dreams, goals and motivation. However, all those are just match sticks. You need to ignite and give life, light and energy to those dreams for them to become reality. LIFE, LIGHT and ENERGY require ACTION.

Thus, the next step is the DOING!

Lean Eating is ALL about doing. We continually ask you and remind you of what you must DO to accomplish your goal. Learning is key. Motivation is key. A positive attitude is key. A strong commitment is key. A realistic goal is key. However, each of these KEY elements requires the action for you to accomplish the goal.

You DO and Lean Eating and me as your coach will HELP YOU DO and CONTINUE TO DO.

But you must DO.

Your 2011 Bucket List

I could have called this the Non-Resolution Thread but that's negative... so NOT like me .

I am not a fan of New Year's Resolutions as they tend to die very quickly and by about 3 weeks into the new year they are completely forgotten.

I like to frame the idea of resolutions a bit differently.

If you were FREE of much of the things in your life, your mind and perhaps even your body that hold you BACK from living the life you want and ream of, what would you be doing in 2011?

A Bucket List of sorts, but not for life, but this year.

Let me play along so you can get in the swing of this.

First, some tips:

* SEE and FEEL it
* ARTICULATE it
* FILTER FREE

I am asking you to be real and vulnerable to some extent here. Just write it down. Even if you don't want to share it here because it's THAT personal or just because, at least write it on a peice of paper just for you.

Bullet point, just put it down. If you want to then discuss in more detail do that after your list is done.

Do not include too many items as it's a Bucket List for THIS year remember, not life.

KRISTA's 2011 BUCKET LIST

1. Create an original peice of art
2. Get organized (home & office)
3. Give meaningfully to others (more and more often)

I have one more, but it's personal (however I have written in my mind). Your turn.

Full Time Lean Eating!

I am thrilled to be able to announce that I am now working full time for Precision Nutriton as a Lean Eating coach.

Precision Nutrition has been an important part of my life and my lifestyle since 2005 and many of my clients have not only benefitted but changed their bodies and lives through PN's Habits of Highly Successful Eating.

MY HISTORY WITH PN

I was fortunate to be introduced to Precision Nutrition and the teachings of Dr. John Berardi very early on in my career in the fitness & peak performance industry. I was thrilled that these resources and this community existed at it provided the answers and tools I was personally looking for to reshape my body.

THE CALL FROM JB!

I became active in the PN community very quickly and within a year became a Precision Nutrition Network member so I could teach the habits and provide essential resources to my cleints so they could accomplish their goals.

Not too long after that I caught the attention of the PN team and was asked by John Berardi to become a Moderator and contribute to my own PN Blog. Saying I was honoured and excited would be an understatement. Imagine how you would feel if one of the most knowledgable and impactful fitness and nutrition experts called you at home! It was like talking to a celebrity. Well in our industry, I WAS talking to a celebrity.

KRISTA's PN BLOG GAINS POPULARITY

My Blogs became very popular and at one time my name was apparently searched more than Dr. Berardi's himself (JB is very modest and didn't mind one bit!). My threads such as Sometimes Less is More and my Training Logs were of particular interest.

In addition to contributing within PN, I also lead my own Peak Performance and Fitness business, Defining Edge. Within Defining Edge I did a slew of different things wthin the industry, all with the underlying goal of empowering people and helping them become their personal best.

HOW CAN I IMPACT MORE PEOPLE?

However, success can be a double edged sword. The more bodies and lives I transformed, the more that were lining up to get a peice of the success! I am very passionate about my "job" and had a very hard time saying no. I really did want to help everyone. But I am just one person and there are only so many hours in a day.

In no time I was working from 6 am to 9 pm most days of the week and my life became my work and vice versa. There was little division between home time and work time and I felt like I wanted to impact more people and impact them in a different manner.

I had come to learn, in my more than a decade's experience in the industry, that the REAL secret to success was nutrition. Training is important - very important but it was FOOD that really impacts and transforms a body.

Just when I was feeling overwhelmed and stuck about how to help more people and help them better, I was offered a position as a Lean Eating coach with Precision Nutrtion.

LIVING THE DREAM

It was my dream! To be part of a highly skilled team and deliver the most quality nutrition curriculum - full of integrity and research and results - and to work with more women in a more flexible environment, online.

And now today, I will be doing just that full time.

I am 100% commmitted to Precision Nutrition and beleive strongly in the community and the products and services they offer and the philosophies that they are built on.

I am sad to see Defining Edge be a part of my past, but every client that I worked with in the last 5 years has molded me into a fine Lean Eating coach and has provided important lessons and tools along the way.

Thank you Defining Edge clients for being an imporant part of my own personal and professional journey.

I hope you will continue on your own journey and consider joining either Lean Eating or Scrawny to Brawny programs in the near future. You will learn lots, further transform your physique and we may have the opportunity to work together again!

For my professional clients and colleagues, the Precision Nutrition Certification is a MUST. There is nothing out there that beats it.

Blonde Bombers Unite

One of my favorite classic bodybuilders is Dave Draper.


His physique, his dedication to the iron, his presence, personal and poise - I admire and related to them all.





In an article with www.t-nation.com he states:

competition stood between me and the relief of hoisting the iron — the private exertion, the pure delight, and the daily fulfillment of building muscle and strength.

This quote resonated within me as if they were my words - because they are.

I compete in powerlifting because I love lifting.

I compete in bodybuilding because I love building a lean and mean physique.

I don't really like competing that much.

I like the journey and don't care about the destination.

I have written about this in may ways and for many years - it's not about collecting trophies.

You can read Lessons on True Progress from the early 2000's, written for Natural Strength or Winning Essentials from the end of the decade for Precision Nutrition and my principles ring clear.

If you are in it to WIN IT, you are not really in it. You have to be in it to WIN in the game of life. And in this game you never really win and you never stop playing but we love the pursuit. And the trophies are given not gotten.

K

I hear you Dave!

We Do It For the Food - THE Cookie

I would like to thank Carol Brady, one of my athletes, clients and friends for this kick-ass cookie recipe.

As I often say, "I do it for the food". We DO don't we! We train hard and often and eat lean and clean 90% of the time so we may earn and enjoy these heavenly treats.

Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie - Defining Edge Style

1 cup succunant sugar
3/4 cup natural almond butter
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup Dark Belguim Chocolate Chips (large morsels) - Bittersweet (From Bulk Barn)

Mix and use a cookie scoop to measure out onto a silicone baking sheet. Place on top of regular baking sheet.



Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

Cool completely and store frozen as they are crumbly when thawed.

Each cookie is 100 calories and gluten-free.

Which Super Hero Are You?

Power Girl must not have been an option :-)

I am The Flash but could have also been Green Lantern or Cat Woman. I feel pretty strongly about Cat Woman but am cool with The Flash also.

The Flash 80% Green Lantern 80% Catwoman 80% Wonder Woman 75% Iron Man 65% Robin 52% Hulk 45% Superman 40% Supergirl 40% Batman 35% Spider-Man 30%

Fast, athletic and flirtatious.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

The Strength That Binds Us

Bound by Light & Gravity

Krista and Renee,

The last few weeks I have been introduced to the tools and drive that was missing in my life to work towards the dreams that I have been hunting down. Renee has done that for me... from that I have a great reverence for you, since from what I understand, you are the one who introduced Renee to those same tools and drive that she too was searching for. Through that you have both become bound to one another ..... "The Strength That Binds Us...Bound By Gravity And Light"

I think you both know that there are few people in our lives that you become instantly bound to... not by blood, but a true destiny and fate. True friends, comrades... whom you feel and sense, even when you are miles apart. You feel each others pushes and pulls, and you push and pull each other when needed... Like the sun and the moon.. and the earthly forces that ground us. You are those forces in each others lives and no matter where life may take you or you take each other... you will be truly bound to each other.

Painting this picture has also been a journey for me. Understanding your relationship in order to conceive the best imagery that would represent you both has been a joy. I can not paint a person with out thinking and wondering about them. I have to admit I'm strongly attracted to painting strong, bold, gutsy women who like to truly show their strength and diversity. I see that in both of you.



Painting people is an intimate affair. People don't often realize that by the time I have observed multiply images of a person to try and understand their expressions, how they hold their body, the beautiful folds and creases of their skin, eyes, cheeks when they smile, I have uncovered a little more about them. How they naturally like to gaze or that saucy little flash of emotion that comes across in their more candid photos. To me when I paint a person it is almost like they are physically in front of me and I'm bringing out their beauty with each brush stroke, discovering their curves and skin folds! I know them quite well by the time I finish... even if words have never been exchanged. Our body language and the degree of respect(or lack of) that we give our physical and spiritual body's say a lot about us... and both of you show a degree and respect for your own and each others bodies and souls that is very evident... even without words.

For you both are truly "... Bound by gravity and light."

For you both...I truly give my best...

Angela Hardy
www.angelahardyart.com

She is the Moon

She is the mistress of the night
She grants the gift of tenuous sight
Bound by gravity and light
She is companion, to hunter and prey alike.

She only shows her most beautiful side
Her dark side is turned away, always hidden
She is ruler of the tide
Life flows to her rhythm.

She is sister to the Sun
She bathes in her glow
Reflecting her light, when night has come
To comfort the Earth below.

She dances with planets and stars in the sky
All the heavens are her ballroom
She makes wolves cray
She is the Moon.

by Scott Walker

She is the Sun

She is the goddess of light
She is energy eternal
Without her, there is only night
Flower bloom to her arrival.

Sharing her strength is her one true pleasure
To feel her warmth is the Earth’s greatest desire.
On occasion, the Moon dares eclipse her
A jewel set in a ring of fire!

She wears a necklace, strung with planets
The Earth and the Moon lie over her heart
In all the Solar System, they are her favourites
Until the end of time, they will never be apart.

When she smiles, she brings rainbows
She wields the magic of fusion
With beauty and power, she forever glows
She is the Sun.

by Scott Walker

Chicks on the Roof - Female Empowerment

I want to extend a heart felt thanks to my all female work crew who volunteered their entire long weekend to help me put a new roof over my head.

These were the hardest working, strongest women I have had the pleasure to work with! Thank you also to a few good men - my Dad (project manager), my uncle (token dude on the roof), Mark and Scott for hauling those heavy bundles of shingles off the hoist to the top of the roof. They moved them no problem whereas it took every ounce of strength we had. And my Mom who blessed me with her strength - she spent 7 hours working around the property gardening, cleaning siding, picking up shingles, moving bundles. What a team!

But the girls could do everything else that had to be done! And it feels really good to know when it rains hard now, I am dry and protected.

I was also reminded the value of great friends and family. Thank you doesn't cut it... but thank you!

Girl Power!!!

K

Protein Pudding

Use this OCCASIONALLY only as a treat because it's so good I could eat way too much.

1 package Jello fat free chocolate pudding
2 scoops whey or casein protein - chocolate or peanut butter flavour (such as IsoFlex Peanut Butter)
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbs ground flax
2 tsp chia seeds

Prepare with 1 cup lactose free milk skim or 1 cup unsweetened almond milk and 1 cup light coconut milk (from fridge)

Mix with hand mixer 2-3 minutes and then add in 2 tbsp natural peanut butter (or nut butter of choice) to finish this dessert off.

If you want to make this lighter, use 2 cups of milk (omit coconut milk) and also omit the additional fats (nut butter).

Pour into 4 dishes and chill.

Trust me on this... eat ONE bowl only and share with the family. Get rid of it... Hard not to eat all four bowls even though the pudding package is only an additional 80 calories it tastes so good it feels like an added 500 calories.

To enjoy ANYTIME: keep coconut flour, coconut milk and nut butters in
For POST WORKOUT: omit coconut flour, coconut milk and nut butters and add eat with 1/2 banana

Take a Shot!

If you have ever thought about competing in physique but could benefit from a stepping stone, consider preparing and peaking for a photo shoot.

The preparation is almost exactly the same as a contest without the pressure of being on stage in front of hundreds of people and minus competitive jitters.

It can be a life altering experience.

Both of these beautiful women would tell you that it was just that! You walk away with memories and momentos of your polished physique, but more importantly it changes you from the inside out.

"...sometimes we must do the things we think we cannot." Eleanor Roosevelt

This shoot was done with Lisa from Vavoom Photography of Haldimand County.

Great job Nadine and Kerri! A picture speaks 1000 words.

Dreams DO Come True

(photo courtesy Scott Walker)

After you read one of T-Nation's latest articles, Sure Fire Fixes for Weak Points: Biceps (by Bryan Krahn), most of you will understand why yesterday I experienced one of the most rewarding moments in my career thus far as a performance coach and strength & physique athlete.

It a pleasure as always to be asked my opinion as an expert about how to grow biceps, but the celebration came when I saw my picture above Arnolds as a reference to great bicep development.

Thank you to Scott Walker and Glen E. Grant for the photos. I actually have quite puny and soft arms - the pictures just make me look good.

An additional thanks to the Body Transformation team for helping me with those freaky biceps. That picture was taken 3 weeks out from OPA Provincials where I placed 2nd in Masters and Middleweight and qualified for Nationals (aiming for 2011).

Krista Qualifies for CBBF Nationals!

From DE Coach, Kate Kline PICP

I want to extend a huge congratulations to Precision Nutrition's Krista Schaus and her coaches- Precision Nutrition's Dr. John Berardi and Carter Schoffer

Krista competed this weekend at the Ontario provincials in Masters Bodybuilding and Open Middleweight divisions. It was a great weekend and Krista brought her best physique yet to the stage. She was the runner-up in both classes and qualified for Nationals in August. It was a very close call and definitely a "personal best showing" for Krista.

From Krista:

I am very pleased with my 2nd place finish in both Masters (over 35) and Open Middleweight (under 124.5 lbs) at the Ontario Physique Association National Qualifier this past Saturday in London Ontario.

Although at Arnolds last year I faced some of the best female bodybuilders in the works (Jo Stewart, Elena Shpotrun), this contest brought the tighest competitive line up I have been up against yet. The physiques were all very competitive in the Top 5. I would not want the judges' job!

I love good competition - I thrive on it and it brings out my best. It was also a great experience to place 2nd and leave me something to work for and strive to improve even more. I know some things I will work on for Nationals coming up at the end of August in Toronto.

Ontario Physique National Qualifier - June 19th

Krista will be competing June 19th at the Ontario Physique Association provincial championships to qualify for Nationals to be held in Toronto (Masters) August 28th. If you would like to see in action on stage, you can purchase prejudging, finals or VIP (both)tickets by calling Centennial Hall:

PREJUDGING $20.00
� Tickets are available only at the door on the day of the show

FINAL SHOW TICKETS $45.00 + Tax
� Are available from Centennial Hall box office by calling 519-672-1968

VIP PREFERED SEATING TICKETS FOR ALL EVENTS $80.00 + Tax
� Are available from Centennial Hall box office by calling 519-672-1968



Krista will be bringing her best physique to the stage June 19th - you won't want to miss Strength & Beauty personified!

Pouring on Extra Pounds?

So, you've got the exercise part down and have cleaned up your food choices. With Spring upon us this is the time the liquids can be a problem - from the fruit punch at the bridal shower to the booze at the BBQ those empty calories can pack on the fat and the pounds.

Beverages should be calorie free except for the fortified versions that are aimed to keep your nurished, energized and alkalized!

Fortify Your Fluids

Protein and grains are acid-forming foods; they cause the pH of the blood to rise. While this may not sound serious, it has a myriad of negative consequences on our health — not the least of which is an increased release of the stress hormone cortisol.

The process of buffering the acids of acid-forming foods results in a decrease in lean mass (both muscle--through the action of cortisol--and bone, through the calcium buffering action of neutralizing the acid) along with an increase in fat storage, particularly in the abdominal wall.

When you eat an acid-forming food, you must neutralize the acid. This can happen in one of two ways: Either your body will neutralize the acid on its own, using the mechanisms summarized above, or you can help your body neutralize the acid by producing an alkaline or basic load.

For obvious reasons, the second option is a better choice. Fortunately, alkalinizing your intake is easier than you might suspect!

Here are a few ideas:

• Eat several servings of vegetables or fruit at each meal (you're all doing that already, right?).

• Add freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice to the water that you drink.

• Drink more various teas.

• Take in at least one serving of a Green or Red food supplement each day. It actually has all of the fruits, vegetables, and green tea packed into one supercharged drink!

• Aim to include some of these powerfoods in your Metabolic Drive protein shakes. Give this recipe a shot:

Forified & Fueled - Power Shake



1 cup chilled pomegranate green tea
½ cup hemp milk, unsweetened
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
½ packet frozen acia pulp
1 tsp ground flax & chia seed blend
1 scoop Poliquin Primal Meal, berry
½ scoop Poliquin Primal Reds
Ice cubes (optional)

Combine in a blender and enjoy.

Time to get your liquid lunches working FOR you and your waistline, not against you.

Getting Lean the Hormone-Friendly Way

As many of you know, I am not a fan of harsh supplements and relied on them very little for my contest preparations where I would get very lean for bodybuilding.

Rather, I like to use Aceyl L Carnatine Propionate and Green Tea Excellence 2.0.

I typically use 1 capsule of each upon waking and again in the early afternoon.

Cmmercial stimulants / fat burners can come into play as a tool to drop the last 1-2% body fat if you are competing or already very lean and peaking but for most they are more harm than good.

ALC and GTE promote fat loss, energy and other health benefits in a more hormone-friendly manner.

When / if I do get into contest prep and chose to use a commercial "fat burner" I also cycle on and off with Green Tea Extract in the following manner (as an example):

1 to 2 weeks "fat burner"

1 week ALC and GTE

I also use smaller dosages than recommended for "fat burners". If they recommend 2 capsules, I will take 1. I also do not use them for more than a few weeks.

I like to get lean as naturally as possible first to avoid any hormone or metabolism pendulum swing after I peak.

As Brendan Brazier says so brilliantly in his book The Thrive Diet, stimulants are like using credit cards.



“If stimulation is used when it will not help you achieve something of value, it is an uncomplimentary stress. I consider coffee drinking an uncomplimentary stress. I view it as a form of credit, similar to shopping with a credit card. You get energy now that you don’t actually have, but you pay for it later – when the “bill” or fatigue hits. Simply drinking more coffee to put off the inevitable is like paying off one credit card with another: It will catch up with you sooner or later. You’ll most likely pay a high interest rate as well, needing more time to recover than if that energy had not been borrowed in the first place.”

Brendan Brazier, The Thrive Diet

You are borrowing energy and you WILL have to pay it back at some point in time. So I prefer to magnify my own energy or boost is ever so slightly with something like GTE rather than a major overdose of a harsh stimulant.

Defining Edge Powerlifting Brings Home Hardware from Nationals

Defining Edge athletes, Sonja Bedic (75 kg Open), Ashley Werner (67.5 kg Junior) and Carol Brady (67.5 kg Master III) all brought home medals from the 2010 CPU National Powerlifting Championships held in Quebec City April 7th to 11th.

Their accomplishments are even more amazing considering it was their first national championships, they were up against some impressive competition and it was a particularly harsh day on the platform with very strict judging.

Carol Brady of Caledonia brought home gold and established National and Provincial records in the Master III category with a 95 kg (209 lbs) squat, a 47.5 kg (105 lbs) bench press and 92.5 kg (203 lbs) deadlift for a personal best total of 235 kg. Carol is now looking forward to the 2011 IPF Masters Worlds hosted by Niagara in Fall 2011.


Pictured: Ashley Werner attempting 155 kg squat

Ashley Werner of Jarvis stood at the top of the podium in the 67.5 Junior division with an amazing 142.5 kg (314 lbs) squat, 85 kg (187 lb) bench press and 145 kg (321 lb) deadlift, totalling 375.5 kg. All of those lifts are Provincial Junior records in Ontario!

Sonja Bedic of Simcoe should be very proud of her bronze finish in the 75 kg Open division as she had to battle to secure the third place in a very competitive class. Her 130 kg (286 lb) squat, 57.5 kg (126 lb) bench press and 135 kg (297 lb) deadlift got her to the medal platform and also a personal best total of 322.5 kg.

Coach Krista Schaus, a Canadian powerlifting champion and record holder, chose not to compete in the recent National championship to devote her energy and attention to her athletes. She commented, ``I am so proud of the strength they have gained, both physically and personally through their powerlifting preparations. Some of the most memorable and life altering movements I have experienced in this sport over the past decade have taken place in the past 10 months coaching these insprigin women.``

Krista would like to extend her congratulations to all of these amazing ladies and also a special thank you to assistant coach, Pete Koning and supporter Ruth Smith

For full results and contest information visit: http://nationals2010.wordpress.com/results/

The Defining Edge Powerlifting team will be taking some well earned time off from the competitive heavy lifting and focusing on general strength and fitness over the next few weeks. You can watch Defining Edge powerlifting on the platform at the London Open May 15th and the Niagara Open August 21st in the more near future. To learn more about Defining Edge go to www.definingedge.ca.

Forget about The Zone, get with The Flow

Flow is a state of mind and being where you are fully engaged and immersed in whatever you are doing. When you are in The Flow you will feel that whatever you are doing is effortless, energizing and highly fulfulling. You will have no worry about future and no regret about past. Being in The Flow allows you to be present and being present enables you to be in The Flow.

If you are currently struggling with your goals, your relationships, your work or just life in general, perhaps it's time to get in The Flow!

Learn more about the experience of flow from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi at TED (20 minute video presentation).

The Weight Debate - Today's Lean Eating Lesson

As many of you know, I am a Lean Eating Coach with Precision Nutrition.

I felt today's Lean Eating Lesson is an important on for all my clients and colleagues. Feel free to spread the message and perhaps generate a movement that being your best and progress with your health, fitness and physique goals has very little to do with what you weigh.

The Ongoing Weight Debate

What does your weight really mean?

We've seen it time and time again. Come "measurement day", clients who have been feeling proud and happy with their progress, suddenly are left feeling defeated. Like they're spinning their wheels.

It can go the other way too. With a single step on the scale, folks suddenly feel like they are doing everything right when in fact they've been doing the right things all along.

It got us thinking. Why do we give so much value to a number on the scale?
Perhaps it's time for a little perspective from Coach Krista Schaus, who weighed in on what it all means during her contest prep for the Arnolds in 2009:



I am in the process of accepting the fact that the weight debate will never die. I have a hard time understanding why we are so attached to this number. I am trying to empathize, but one thing that has been reinforced as I prepare for the Arnolds is that we do not walk around with our weight tattooed on our forehead. On stage, I will not be be judged by my weight. Only by how I look.

I weigh 7 lbs more than I did for my last contest, but at this weight, I look, feel, and perform better. When other people see me, they think I look like I weigh less than I do... not that I care about that either.

My point is this: focus on making the body you want inside and out, and then see where the weight comes in. You may be pleasantly surprised that your best body is not the dream weight you've been envisioning for yourself for years.

Maybe this dream weight is just that... an unrealistic mirage that does not apply to your structure and does not actually bring your "best".

Or maybe you'll find that once you get to your goal weight, you haven't achieved the look you expected to see.

This disconnected focus on the scale, and on a certain number or weight range can largely contribute to not getting the visual progress you want with your body.

Where does endurance training fit in with the scale?



Every coaching group, we get clients who come in with the preconceived notion that performing hours of cardio is a necessary part of the weight loss equation. Some even go as far as setting their sights on marathons or triathlons for the sole purpose of achieving their weight loss goals. We hear from clients taking in 1200 to 1500 calories a day and training 2-3 times a day... and wondering why they have not seen progress on with their body or on the scale.

While using sporting events and competition can be a strong drive for success, there are some problems with this mindset.


1. The action (endurance event training) does not necessarily lead to the outcome (weight loss / better looking body). Because elite endurance athletes typically have the token "lean and light" look, it's common to assume that they go hand in hand. However it's not generally the case that one leads to the other.

The reality is, most people looking to achieve a lean and fit look would benefit from the complete opposite -- 5 hours a week of resistance training, 1-2 hours a week of a combo of high intensity interval training and steady state cardio, paired with perfectly nutrient-timed and combined nutrition... stricter than you ever imagined. NOT a triathlon when you are not built for it, do not even like it, and are eating basic survival calories.

2. Embracing this strategy can backfire if you are not coming from a healthy place mentally. If the goal is all about seeing a certain number on the scale, and there is no larger purpose -- balanced intrinsic motivation and JOY in the process -- you won't make progress. Not only will the strategy not work, you will be pushed further back ... into more disordered thinking, more frustration, and a more sluggish metabolism.

For further reading on where cardio fits in with your weight loss goals, check out Clearing Up Cardio Confusion. (Note: link will open in a new browser window).
Weight loss - exactly
Often the most profound insights come from one of our Lean Eating participants themselves:

I can't focus on weight loss - that's not something I can control. What I CAN control is the PROCESS. My choices. And enough good ones built up consistently will lead me to my goals.

Exactly.

Outcome-based goals, like losing 20 pounds of fat, we have no control over. Might as well rub our magic lamp, make a wish and take a nap on the couch.
What we do have control over are those behavior-based goals. You know, the goals that we can set each day that LEAD to the outcome-based goal. That is where true success remains. Working hard and accomplishing the healthy behaviors, while letting the rest fall into place.

WHAT TO DO TODAY

Consider how weight is tied into your goals and behaviours.

If you're basing your goals on a number or pursuing the wrong activities for your ideal body, it's time to adjust your attitudes and actions. Do what you enjoy and make sure your goals are coming from a healthy place

Focus on behaviour-based vs outcome-based goals.

Outcomes are beyond your control but you can control the behaviours that lead to a leaner body.

* Ramp up your nutritional habits to eat "cleaner" than you ever imagined possible
* Focus on nutrient quality and density in your food choices. Do not skimp on calories or nutrients
* Consider your overall activity -- exercise frequency, volume and intensity -- and adjust your intake accordingly
* Fuel/feed your workouts. If you enjoy and are pursuing improved performance in endurance sports, will need more than 1/2 or 1 serving of post-workout, low-GI carbs if you want your body to play along


Adjust how you view your weigh-in.

If you have all the right behaviours in place, the scale becomes just one more piece of information to help you understand how your body is changing. The number does not reflect how well you're doing, nor does it tell the whole story when it comes to your body composition.

Outside of weekly weigh-ins for your coach to track your progress, if the scale is hampering your results more than helping, weigh yourself only to see "Hey, I look good... I wonder what I weigh in this better looking bod?"

To learn more about Lean Eating program visit: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/products/consultation-coaching

Being Hot Fudge Sundaes - by Genee Roth

Hi Krista

Your email from this morning (thank you!) inspired me to forward to you the following email newsletter I received last month from a woman name Geneen Roth who writes about emotional eating from a place of knowing (you can check out her website for her personal story, but it's not necessary). Anyway, at the same time that you provided me with amazing insight regarding my personal weight and scale struggles, I received the email below. It really hit home, and coincides with what you continue to remind me of in your role as a coach and mentor.


Being Hot Fudge Sundaes

It’s never been true, not anywhere at anytime, that the value of a soul, of a human spirit is dependent on a number on a scale. We are unrepeatable beings of light and space and water who need these physical vehicles to get around, and when we start defining ourselves by that which can be measured or weighed, something deep within us rebels.

We don’t want to eat hot fudge sundaes as much as we want our lives to be hot fudge sundaes. We want to come home to ourselves. We want to know wonder and mystery and possibility, and if instead, we’ve given up on ourselves, if we’ve vacated our longings, if we’ve left possibility behind, we will feel an emptiness we can’t name. We will feel as if something is missing because something is missing—the connection to the source of all sweetness, all love, all power, all peace, all joy, all stillness. Since we had it once--we were born with and as it--it can’t help but haunt us. It’s as if our cells remember that home is a resplendent and jeweled palace but we’ve been living as beggars for so long that we are no longer certain if the palace was a dream. And if it was a dream, then at least we can eat the memory of it.

During the first few bites, and before we get dazed by overeating, everything we want is possible. Everything we’ve lost is here now. And so we settle for the concrete version of our lost selves in the form of food. And once food has become synonymous with goodness or love or fulfillment, you cannot help but choose it, no matter how high the stakes are. No matter if your doctor tells you that you won’t live another month at this weight. Because when you are lost, when you are homeless, when you’ve spent years separated from who you are, threats of failed hearts or joint pressure don’t move you. Dying does not frighten those who are already half-dead.

The most challenging part of any system that addresses weight-related issues is that unless it also addresses the part of you that wants something you can’t name—the heart of your heart, not the size of your thighs--it won’t work. We don’t want to be thin because thinness is inherently life-affirming or lovable or healthy. If these were true, there would be no tribes in Africa in which women are fat and regal and long-living. There would be no history of matriarchies in which women’s fecundity and pulchritude were worshipped. We want to be thin because thinness is the purported currency of happiness and peace and contentment. And although that currency is a lie—the tabloids are filled with skinny miserable celebrities—most systems of weight loss fail because they don’t live up to their promise: weight loss does not make people happy. Or peaceful. Or content. Being thin does not address the emptiness that has no shape or weight or name. Even a wildly successful diet is a colossal failure because inside the new body is the same sinking heart. Spiritual hunger can never be solved on the physical level.

Physique Friendly Pizza - Step 2 The Toppings

THINK OUTSIDE THE PIZZA BOX!

Once you have a physique friendly crust, the toppings are the easy part.

The top two problems with traditional pizza toppings are the cheese and the deli meats. Keep your sauce, keep your veggies but replace the type of cheese and reduce the amount.

I personally use light or fat free mozzarella as the glue that keeps all the toppings together and crumbled goat's milk cheese for amazing taste and texture. You need much less shredded cheese than you may think. Use just enough to keep your toppings in place. I prefer light to fat free as fat free is too plastic like. Plus fat gives food its taste and texture.

Pepporoni is no longer a part of my diet. There's nothing about pepperoni that is physique or health friendly.

Here are my favorite replacements for pepperoni:

- Organic bison, beef or venison pepperettes (sliced thin) from Lakeland Meats in St. Catharines.
- Diced chicken
- Cajun shrimp
- Ground turkey or chicken
- Oven roasted turkey or chicken deli slices (low sodium / low fat) - if you can find nitrate free, even better
- PC reduced fat meatballs (beef or chicken), sliced
- Turkey bacon

As for veggie toppings, be creative! Some of the best pizzas have unique ingredients. Think outside of the pizza box! Here are some suggestions to get your creative pizza juices flowing:

- chopped spinach
- sauteed red onion
- roasted red peppers
- baked eggplant
- zucchini
- diced orange pepper
- scallions
- thinly sliced apple
- dried currants or raisins

This combination is amazing for taste and nutrients:

- Pepperoni substitute of your choice (I would chose diced chicken for this one)
- crumbled chevre (goat's milk cheese)
- Sauteed orange pepper, red onion and egg plant
- fresh chives, chopped fine
- pineapple, chunks
- raisins
- Top with sea salt, cinnamon, ground pepper, garlic powder and fresh basil

Physique Friendly Pizza - Step 1 THE CRUST

I love pizza but have given it up for a few years now as pizza did not love me. Most pizza is too carb, fat and calorie dense not to mention the oodles of ooey gooey cheese was causing more harm than good digestively.

The first step in making a physique and performance friendly pizza is the CRUST:

Protein Pizza Crust RECIPE: (high protein, high fiber, low carb)

1 cup egg whites
1 cup eggs
1 cup ground flax
1 scoop brown rice, pea or hemp protein powder (I prefer hemp)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
2 cups spinach

Blend in blender until smooth. Pour over PAM Sprayed (olive oil) large frying pan to a moderate / thin layer. Cook covered over medium to medium-high heat until many bubbles appear and it starts to cook through. Flip and cook other side. Cool completely. Cover with pizza toppings after cooled and bake on stone (round pizza size) for 8 minutes as 400 degrees.

DE Client Peggy Rainbow takes 4th at Arnolds!

Bodybuilding.com - 2010 IFBB Arnold Amateur International Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure & Bikini Championships Women Pre-Judging Photos! Page 3

Full details coming soon.

Congratulations to Peg for her continued hard work, dedication and commitment to seeing her goals through!

(picture: side pec - prejudging)

Do what makes you feel ALIVE - solutions for a hard day

One thing that has always worked for me during the toughest times is coming back to the stuff that makes me feel alive:

* Training... the harder the better
* Eating... the cleaner and more taste bud stimulating the better
* Fun... finding my best friends and just laughing until it hurts
* Art... pulling out the paint, brushes and canvas and not caring if it looks like anything or if anyone else will like it
* Writing... journalling is a conversation with yourself and often stuff will flow out that you didn't even know you were thinking. Let it out rather than keeping it in is what makes us feel alive as caged emotions are unhealthy.
* Exploring... just go somewhere - anywhere - and explore. Might be a road you never knew existed in your community, a new walking trail or a quaint coffee shop.

Time to live and get out of the confines of your mind and stop the ongoing mental traffic jams.

My best advice is this: Focus on how you want to FEEL not how you currently feel. Anytime a negative thought or feeling comes in, acknowledge it and replace it with a good thought and feeling.

Keep doing this. It takes practice. It's my "secret" and now it's yours too.

Think Outside the Box...of chocolates

To no surprised, both myself and my husband life "The" lifestyle.

We schedule life around healthy habits such as consistent, intense exercise and properly timed and combined meals.

Holidays are no exception.


Clearly Krista's husband does NOT celebrate Valentine's Day with booze and box of chocolates.

We celebrate but we do it Defining Edge style.

Too often we associate holidays with excess alcohol, inactivity and poor food choices or simply too much food.

On Friday night Pete and I first stopped in at Starbuck's for a duppio espresso with cream before heading to the Chedoke Stairs (290 steps) and took a leisurely yet challenging walk up and down them.

The air was crisp and all that we could hear was the sound of a nearby waterfall. It was a gentle workout but beautful and we enjoyed each other's company.



Next stop was Lemongrass Restaurant where we shared grilled chicken skewers in a satay sauce and mango salad.

No commercial chocolates for us. We are beyond that and we hope to inspire and educate you to be also.

Looking forward to hearing your non-traditional ways of celebrating this "lovely" weekend.

What's so great about tomato products?

Concentrated tomato products (salsa, hot sauce, tomato sauce / paste) are very high in a compound called lypocene. Lypocene is a highly powerful antioxidant and has been shown to help clear free radicals in the body. It is known as an anti-ageing / longevity nugget and has a strong positive impact on sex organ cancers (prostrate, breast) and male / female hormone balance.

From a simpler perspective, salsa is an easy way to get some additional vegetables in your system. I like finding salsa that does not use a lot of preservatives like vinegar, salt, sugars. Look for organic options at your grocery stores as tomato skins can be subject to more pollutants from pesticides and fertilizers (thin skin, dark coloured fruits and veggies should be bought organic where thick skinned light colours are protected).

Is Green Tea Better Than Coffee?

It’s not necessarily about better or worse as both have beneficial properties. It’s about picking the right tools (food and/or supplements), nutritionally, for getting a specific job done (goals)

Green tea has many benefits. A few that we specifically care about for our clients:

Green tea has an alkaline pH balance which is health promoting (good for the cells and the blood) coffee is actually neutral acid / alkaline but commercially prepared coffee is harsh on the digestive lining. When the lining of the stomach gets too thin, digestive pain and symptoms. Additionally coffee can inhibit absorption of nutrients from food and supplements so drinking coffee around your meals or with supplements is not recommended. We aim to feed the body things that AID in digestion (like green tea, lemon juice) and limit foods / drinks that can HINDER digestion ( like coffee and vinegars)

Green tea is high in something called L-theanine which increases neurotransmitters and brain wave activity that makes you feel good, happy, content, euphoric. When you feel good / happy you are more likely to make healthy food choices and engage in healthy habits

Green tea is lower in caffeine (only an average of 35 mg / serving) whereas most traditional coffee we drink is high (150-200 mg). If someone suffers from adrenal problems (high stress / high cortisol levels /sleep problems) caffeine can over stimulate the adrenal gland (where cortisol, the “stress hormone” is released) even more.

Stress is one of the #1 contributing factor in our society for the problem with our weight and health. So anything we can do to manage stress levels helps us get lean and healthy. Additionally, excessive caffeine intake can actually contribute to constipation in that it acts as a strong laxative. We want the digestive system to work more naturally and not really on harsh laxatives to get that system going.

For more info on negative side of coffee, check here.

The best way to drink your coffee: Organic, free trade Arabica beans recently roasted then prepared in a French press.

Bad Food Made Better

We all have our vices and one of my favorites, is ANYTHING chocolate peanut butter. So rather than giving up "bad" food all together, just find a way to make bad food better.

As long as I get that flavour combination, I am good to go.

3/4 cup cottage cheese (1%)
1 tbsp natural peanut butter, smooth
2 tsp chocolate Olvaltine
1/2 tsp Splenda
A sprinkling of dark chocolate chips (optional)

By making these kind of creative concoctions, not only will you take your body and your health to new levels you will also refine your taste buds. You will just be too good for Reece's!


Reeces Big Gut or Butt maybe!

Winter Feel Good Food

Soup makes winter a much warmer season. However soup can be a little less than satisfying. One of my favorite recipes that satisfies the tongue, tummy while helping you make a physique transformation is my Dad's Turkey Harvest Soup.

1 Package lean ground turkey (or ground chicken), cooked, rinsed & drained (reserve drippings)

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 leeks, sliced
1 onion, chopped
6 cups squash, peeled and diced
1 potato, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken stock plus the drippings
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup milk or light coconut milk

In large saucepan, melt butter with oil over medium-low heat; cook leeks and onion., covered, stirring often for 10 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add squash, potato, chicken stock, white and cayenne peppers; bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Puree in a blender, food processor or with a hand mixer. Add milk and cooked ground turkey; heat thoroughly but do not boil.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Breakfast - Makes You or Breaks You

That first meal really is the most important meal of the day.

What you eat / drink first thing at the start of your day will create the body's environment and response to many things for the rest of the day.

Most of you reading this are interested in fat / weight loss and high performance.

Start your day with a breakfast of animal meats, green vegetables, garlic / onion, healthy fats and good dose of morning supplements. Do this for 2 weeks straight and feel the difference. See the difference!

My current favorite:

Extra lean ground beef or bison
red onion
Spinach or Swiss Chard
Sea Salt and Bragg's non-fermented soy liquid seasoning

You may feel worse before you feel better if you are used to no breakfast, little breakfast or a toxic breakfast (commercial breakfast foods such as breads, cereals, coffee, juice...), but you WILL feel better in anywhere from 1 day to a week.

What supplements?

Start with a BASE supplement protocol:

Quality multivitamin such as New Chapter, Progressive or AOR
Green food supplement (1/2 scoop to start) such as Progressive Greens or Greens +
Glutamine (start with 1 tsp and work up to 1 tbsp)
Acetyl L Carnatine (500 to 1000 mg) or Green Tea Extract (2 capsules) for the right kind of energy boost

And do yourself an extra favour and either replace morning coffee with green tea or move that coffee to just a bit later in the morning such as after breakfast (1 hour after).

Starting your day on coffee means starting your adrenals into chronic overdrive which we need no additional help with in our overstressed lifestyle. Not to mention it's highly acidic. The green tea and Greens+ will put you in an alkaline environment where health will flourish rather than disease.

Do You Fear the Wrong Fat?

Which will help you get leaner and healthier? THIS?



Or THIS?



Are you fearing the wrong fat?

Yesterday I overhead someone saying they didn't want the cashew chicken stir fry because it was "too high in fat. Cashews are fattening.", and proceeded to order the Chicken Quesedilla instead. The waiter asked "keep the cheese?". He apparently didn't understand her thinking either. "Yup! Keep the cheese."

HMMM?!

I have heard this before from many people... olive oil, nuts and seeds, avacado, salmon, coconut oil - "Oh, they are too high in fat!" as they eat their snack of a protein bar (7 grams of saturated and hydrogenated fats).

So let's clear something up - fats in their natural form are VERY GOOD FOR YOU and GOOD for fat loss.

Replace your commercially prepared "light" foods and your dairy, protein bars, cereal bars and daily lattes with olive oil, flax, nuts/seeds and coconut milk and let the results in the way you look and feel be the judge.

Embrace Change

Today I posted a welcome message to my Precision Nutrition Lean Eating group where I very briefly discussed change.

This brief video revealed the power of that little word "change" as it causes a chain reaction of deep discussions on the power of change. However it was more than the word, more that the topic but rather the energy I put into the conversation. I truly FELT what I was saying and more importantly the message I was aiming to convey.

Be not afraid of change as we ARE change - our body, our environment, the planet, the universe - is in a constant state of change. Yet, we are deathly afraid of change.

Once we learn to embrace change as a necessary part of life and that it is essential for true growth and development, then it is exciting and not scary.

A colleague of mine said this recently, "There are reasons and there are results". But focusing on results, you can view change positively. Reasons (excuses) are related to fear of change. Results (focus on doing) matter. Reasons are just words.

I feel strongly that 2010 is a year for beneficial change for all of us. If not RESULTS, then planting the seeds in preparation for results.

Embrace change.

Strive for results.

Stocked for Fat Loss?

If your partner put this under the tree for you, I would toss the partner first then the Doritos

Is your kitchen stocked with the right stuff to help you acheive and maintain a lean, fierce physique?

Testosterone Nation asked the pros what their fat loss essentials were. Here's what I had to say:

Krista Schaus

The WORK required to get lean is usually not done in the kitchen, but I have been known to bust out a few burpees while my chicken is cooking.

There are a lot of components that go into building a lean body, but here are a few that I believe your kitchen absolutely must have:

1. A CLEAN pantry — trigger foods keep your abs in hibernation. Replace cheats with clean treats like coconut milk and Metabolic Drive pudding that will keep you primed for fat loss and prepped to ward off the crap cravings.

2. A STOCKED supplement cabinet. Abs = 75% nutrition + 20% training + 5% supplementation. That 5% can make you or break you. Peaking requires a targeted supplement strategy.

3. A SUPPORTIVE partner, not one inhaling Doritos and saying, "C'mon baby, you only live once!" Ditch them! Find someone equally hot for clean food, insane training, and intelligent supplementation.

Here's more from my colleagues.

Sexy People Eat Dried Plums!

When you think of prunes you think of old wrinkley people (who look much like prunes) sitting down to a glass of prune juice at their morning breakfast of all bran and grapefruit because it helps them "stay regular".

Don't deny it - we associate prunes with old people.

My goal is to change that and to improve the image of the prune. I am officially making a statement that SEXY PEOPLE EAT PRUNES and that they are the official sexy food of the new decade.

GOOD-BYE PRUNES... HELLO DRIED PLUMS!

Prunes realized that they were being picked last for the team and often overlooked so they started the image change campaign well before I got on the cause. They are actually the dried version of Eurpean plums, so when asked what you are eating, say "dried plums" and you won't be accused of being an old fart or suspected of suffering from a slow digestive system.

BENEFITS OF PRUNES

High in phenols, an antioxidant that has been shown to help prevent oxygen-based damage to fats and since every cell of our body is surrounded by fat, this is a rather significant benefit.

Excellent source of Vitamin A (beta carotene)which further compounds the prune's ability to protect us from oxygen-related cell damage. Beta-carotene acts as a fat-soluble antioxidant,eliminating free radicals that would otherwise cause a lot of damage to our cells and cell membranes.

Potassium-rich! 1/4 cup of prunes (I mean dried plums) provides over 300 mg of potassium. The effectiveness of potassium-rich foods like prunes in lowering blood pressure has been demonstrated by a number of studies.

Prunes are already known for being a great source of dietary fiber, specifically soluble fibre, supplying 12% of the daily value for fiber in a 1/4 cup. Soluble fibre not only helps your digestive system but also helps stabilize blood sugar levels by delaying the absorption of glucose following a meal. Not to mention their ability to increase your feeling of satisfaction following a meal.

It's time to change your perception of prunes starting from the name - dried plumbs are fibre dense nutritional nuggest that can increase your insulin sensitivity, protect cell membranes and serve as an effective weight loss and management tool.

The only connection I will allow to make to old age, is if you START including prunes in your diet NOW, you WON'T look like a prune later.

Survival Food for Evening Cravings

Evening is the "danger zone" in my books for myself and many of my clients. Why is it that in the evening hours we crave sugary, savory, high calorie, feel good, crunch munchy or sweet and smooth stuff?

There's a few possible answers.

1. Conditioning - We have trained ourselves put our feet up and enjoy satisfying food and drink as we wind down by ourselves or over conversation with our friends, family and loved ones. It's a habit that has been passed down over many cultures and generations. It's a part of our leisure time and our evening ritual.

2. Stress Buster - Foods that are high in calories, fats, sugars and/or alcohol put us into a semi-comatose state which prepares the body for rest. Many of us are in overdrive during the day which can keep our hormones in overdrive also. Certain types, quantities and combinations of food have a naturally tranquilizing effect on the body.

3. Undereating / Overeating - As busy people during the day who are also health / body conscious, many are undereating and under-nurishing themselves during daytime horus. Our bodies are highly adaptive and incredibly intelligent machines. If you are not getting enough energy (macronutrients) and nourishment (micronutrients) during the day you WILL have cravings in the evening as the body is taking over the controls. The body will always get what it wants (needs) in the end as it's built with survival as the primary priority. Some cravings feel so strong and hard to resist because your body is needing something in that food. This is often the case for women and chocolate particularly during menopause. So give the body what it needs in moderation - 2-3 squares of organic high quality dark chocolate every day as it's packed with nutrients menopausal women could benefit from such as magnesium and essential oils.

So now that you know why evenings are a dangerous time if you are attempting to get leaner or lose weight, what do you do about it?

* Feed and nourish the body during the day by eating frequent smaller feedings that are high in nutrients, protein and essential oils.

* Follow a targetted supplement strategy designed by a performance specialist or natural health professional who can identify some of your unique nutritional needs.

* Set yourself up for rest and relaxation in the evenings through means other than food or alcohol such as herbal teas such as chammomile, taking a hot epsom salt bath or exchanging massages by candlelight and ambiant music with your partner.

* Replace high calorie, high sugar favorite evening foods with more appropriate options that will help you reach your goals while satisfying your need for comfort foods such as Chocolate Coconut Protein Pudding.

Chocolate Coconut Protein Pudding

1/2 cup coconut milk (canned, frothy kind)
1/2 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1-2 packets Splenda (optional)

Just put all in a small bowl and mix until smooth and savour each heavenly bite.

Now it's time for you to survive the Danger Zone!

Come up with half a dozen evening treats that comply with your nutrition rules or habits, your lifestyle, goals and likes/dislikes.

Feel free to share them here in COMMENTS.