Dining with Krista - A Favorite

One of my favorite "commercial" foods is President's Choice Roasted Vegetable & Chicken Burgers.

I could not find them in stores for the longest time but they recently made a come back!

I let them thaw and made them on the stove top as ground meat, not burgers. Then added diced tomatoes. How simple! The flavour from the roasted veggies is amazing. no seasoning necessary.



And the drink is NOT swamp water but rather chilled green tea with Progressive Green Food Supplement, Xtend BCAA's in Blue Raspberry and other powder supplements such as glycine and glutamine. It tastes much better than it looks.

Krista's Food Journal

Keeping a nutrition & training journal is one of the easiest and affordable ways to tighten up on your diet, be more consistent with your workouts and make positive progress with your goals.

Not only does it increase accountability (to yourself or whomever you are sharing your journal with - coach, nutritionist, friend), but you can also learn about your pattners, food triggers and "best strategies".

Get started! All you need is a pen and paper and an accurate, honest recording of what you are doing and eating each day.

Dining with Krista - Simple, Nutritious & Yummy

1 package extra lean ground beef or bison (if you can find it)
1 red onion
2 green onions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 head kale

* Chop kale
* Dice / chop onions
* Sautee onions over medium / high heat in a large frying pan.
* Cook beef in a separate frying pan (no oil needed)
* When onions are brown, add kale
* Season kale / onions with sea salt and pepper
* Season beef with low sodium steak seasoning or garlic powder
* Cook kale until crispy / slightly wilted
* Measure out 1 cup of beef mixture and 1-2 cups of kale mixture
* Squeeze lemon juice over top


Yum!!!

K

Lean Eating January 2011 - Team Iron Phoenix

Never been an athlete before?

Never belonged to a real team where the stakes are high, the challenges are daily and the rewards are impossible to even articulate until you cross the finish line?

And there is not real finish line. The goal just keeps moving and the rewards just keep getting bigger and better?

That sport is Lean Eating.

Some of my "athletes" are just NOW beginning to understand that this journey, this transformation from the inside out is THE BEST GAME in the world.

I am raising my glass of Greens and BCAA's to my team, IRON PHOENIX.

You want to know... "How do you differ from competition prep to off season?"

A picture is worth 1000 words.


January 2011 - 16% 144 lbs



May 2010 - 8% 132 lbs

Top 3 Tips for Level 3 Eaters

1. Always Be Prepared


A Level III eater won't be forced to eat crap food or no food because they were "busy" or "out all day". It's simple. They bring their food with them. Eating on the road, on vacation or when busy is no different than eating at home or when you have ample free time.



2. Super Hero Drink Mix



Not Gatorade, not KoolAid...

A mixture of supplements rather. Mix them in a big container to follow #1 (always prepared) and easily have your drink every day. If you say "it's not convenient" or "I always forget" and "I am too busy", then MAKE IT EASIER.

In my Super Hero drink mix:

Protien Powder
Greens
Cocoa Powder
Glycine
Glutamine
Creatine



3. Variety is Key

Yes fish oil rocks and olive is a staple but a Level III will have ALL the best oils. Open my fridge door and you will find hemp, flax, macadamia nut, almond, vegan mixture, fish oil, coconut oil and quality olive oil. And yes I also have and use butter.

Lunch at The Argyle Street Grill

A lean & local lunch with a beautiful and inspirational lady. Patty is a former client of mine, and was featured in an article series with Figure Athlete about being fit and fabulous over 50.



She is still fit, fabulous and I think even BETTER into her 50's. I hope to follow up with her for another article soon! She lives the Precision Nutrition and Lean Eating lifestyle with grace, ease and joy.

She even brought me 3 of her homemade Pumpkin Supreme protein bars, the recipe is found in PN's Gourmet Nutrition Cookbook.

She had not yet been to the new restaurant in Caledonia - The Argyle St. Grill. I am very happy with the local flare to the menu and even use bison and grass fed beef! You can taste the difference.

Post Workout Omelette

A twist on the traditional omelette!

This was inspired by creperies in Paris where you can order sweet or savory crepes.

IT IS DONE! And striving for Maintence is BS

Of course breaking into the teens for BF% is possible :-)

And no WANTING 2011 to be your year. IT IS your year. Always operate from a mentality of it is done when you are thinking about your goals.

When I compete... I AM THE WINNER.

When I lift... I AM THE CHAMPION

Even if I am 6 months or 6 weeks out from the actual contest.



This poster. I have this in my gym. Print it out. Heck find it online and order it if you want, but this is your vision for 2011. You will be reminded that you are anything you say and think you are.

2011 IS YOUR YEAR

you ARE 18% body fat.

Got it?

And this wanting to move into Maintenance is BS.

You know what I think about maintenance? "Striving for maintenance is settling for mediocre". Nope - you just find your new "Spam" and set a new "Super Hero Goal".

*************************************************************

I really want 2011 to be the year that I am done with fat loss and move into maintenance!!This is my third time in LE and every time I advanced a little bit,but I hope to be able this round to get more focused and involved with you so we can achieve results!!

My goals this year is getting my BF% down to 18-20%.Is this even posible?I want to thinks so.What would my goal weight be then?

6 Weeks out from Anything, Anytime.

What you see is what you get - pictures are still your best Accountability Cop

I have been hearing from many Level 2 Lean Eaters and more vetran PN Community Members recently is that they really want to attain that "6 weeks out from anything" goal that I often talk about.

From Healthy Contest Prep - An Oxymoron?

A New Fitness Goal: Always Be 3-6 Weeks Away

Let me be really honest about something here. There are some folks who have an advantage when it comes to physique sports. Indeed, those who find getting ready for physique contests easy are those that are naturally very lean; those that walk around with a near contest-body year-round. In essence, they’re 3-6 weeks from being ready for a contest year-round.

Personally, that’s exactly what I aspire toward. Indeed, my goal has always been to be a well-rounded representative of what I value most – strength, leanness, health and fitness. What that means in concrete terms is that I want to be able to participate in or compete in anything health and fitness related at almost any time.

* If I want to step onto a lifting platform – I’m only 3-6 weeks of training away
* If I want to step on the stage – I’m only 3-6 weeks of training (& dieting) away
* If I want to enter a CrossFit challenge – I’m only 3-6 weeks of training away
* If I want to participate in a team sport – I’m only 3-6 weeks of training away.

Maybe this is really what most people in the health and fitness world aspire toward. Maybe it’s not the contest per se that people find most important. Maybe it’s being strong, athletic, and lean enough to compete in any number of activities with only a little preparation.

Now, beyond the comfort (and ego boost) of knowing that you’re fit enough to participate in most sports at any time, there’s another huge benefit of always training for physical preparedness. When you’re training year-round and staying “3-6 weeks away,” your preparation phase is much less stressful on the body.

Think about it, if you only have 10-15lbs to lose for a competition it takes much less time (and much less of a huge lifestyle overhaul) than if you have to lose 30-40lbs for that competition. The negative energy balance doesn’t have to be as great. So, you can keep eating lots of nutrient rich foods while simply cleaning up the diet and ramping up the exercise program.


MEASURING UP?

So where do I measure up to that goal - right now today?

Squats this week - 205 x 5 - Raw, Full ROM, ass to the grass. 6 weeks is a push but doable.

Deadlifts last week - 255 x 3 - Raw, no belt. Won't PR, but can for sure bring a 300 plus deadlift in 6 weeks.

Bench press - 155 x 3 - Ditto

Bodyweight Dips - 33 - I think that's a bodyweight PB

And the body? 6 weeks could be pushing it, but I could do it.

Weight - 139

Waist - 27.5"

Room for improvement - absolutely. But I need my own accountability cop. We all need someone to hold the mirror in front of us now and again to keep it real. You guys are all my watchful eye.

My Roots in The Iron Game & Iron Truth

Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors - Volume I by Randy Roach
http://www.randyroach.ca/

This is a MUST BUY! This is my most cherished book.

Randy and I exchanged emails quite a few times before Christmas. I was blown away by this book. I LOVE it! The kind of love you feel for something prized and cherished and held with the utmost respect.

Not the type of love I feel for peanut butter and chocolate.

It would make me very happy if Randy received a slew of inquiries and orders as a result of this post.

He does not think that he has very many female fans or that many people are interested in the history of the Iron Game.

In the notes section just let them know that Krista sent you.

Not at all true. Perhaps the information just has not gotten out to the right people at the right time.

Randy plans on bringing out more books and continuing the history of the Iron Game. But sadly, he lost his sight during the making of Muscle Smoke and Mirrors Volume 1. Volume 2 (The Women) will be out but it will take much longer than planned as his research methods have had to change and it is much more time consuming.

He may have lost his vision but he is going to complete his vision.

Let him know you too are a lover of the Iron Game.

It is my roots and thus always a part of me.

How ironic that as I speak of my roots in the Iron Game I was emailed yesterday about a new website, www.irontruth.co.uk, where some of my old and original articles have been republished. It is very cool to be listed with greats like Bob Whelan, who gave me my 1st opportunity to write online back in 1999, John McCallum, Arthur Jones and Stuart McRobert.

PS - Bonus mark if you know who is on the front of the book WITHOUT googling.

K

Breakfast Pizza

I love pizza but I love a high performance, lean and healthy physique just a bit more thus the Fritatta or Breakfast Pizza.

It's the best of both worlds!

In a large pan (spray with Olive Oil PAM), pour in 3/4 cup egg whites and 1 whole egg. Cook over medium high heat until 2/3 cooked. In a separate pan (or before eggs), sautee any vegetables you would want on your Breakfast Pizza. You can chop up or prepare any other toppings also like diced chicken, turkey bacon, feta cheese or veggies you want to put on raw (like green onions).





Arrange sauteed or prepared toppings on the egg and cover with a large lid. Cook until the egg is cooked thoroughly. Top with condiments of choice and enjoy.

Krista's "Secret" to a Leaner Lower Body Revealed

In addition to patience, persistence and Precision Nutrition habits of successful eating, for a female to attain a very lean lower body a a series of protocols working in synergy is required which includes my "secret" Skinbrush Protocol... which is out of the bag now!



You can find discussions on this going back to 2008 at Precision Nutrition when I was in the prime of my bodybuilding ... 8 shows in 12 months. DOH!

Do this in the evening ideally for a full protocol

EVENING PROTOCOL

* Wish a medium to hard bristle skin brush, brush the lower body (legs, thighs and glutes) and any `trouble`` spots in an upward circular fasion
* Repeat 3 to 5 times or until it starts feeling a bit sensitive
* Apply a generous layer of a body mud mask such as The Body Shop`s Pure Detox Clarifying Clay Mask to the same areas
* Let dry for 5 to 10 minutes (a great time to do your facial care regiment while you are waiting)
* Fill tub with hot water for a bath and add 2 to 4 cups of epsom salts
* Soak in tub for 20 minutes and ideally you will sweat
* After 20 minutes, wipe off any excess mud treatment from the lower body with a cloth and then drain water while laying in the tub still (this is a very cool feeling if you have never done this before)
* Once out of the tub, apply a body firming cream like Murad`s
* Take any evening supplements and go to bed. The epsom salts will likely make you feel very sleepy.



Variation - DAY TIME PROTOCOL

* Shower rather than bath
* Omit Epsom Salt protocol
* Wear exfoliating gloves in the shower and wipe off mud treatment from the lower body
* Exfoliating gloves can be used routinely during morning showers
* Once out of the shower, apply a topical fat burner such as LipoDerm, LipoDerm, Napalm or Dermalean (NOTE: not recommended or necessary for someone over 16% body fat)

Krista is the QUEEN of one-pan meals

Let's face it... we are ALL busy. I hate that work. We are very active people.

But we still have goals and we still need to eat well. PN-Style as I say. Meat and veggies for "ANYTIME" meals and lean protein and carbs for "POST WORKOUT" (that's the secret to a lean and mean body by the way).

Some people are sectional plate people and others are one-pan people. I am a one-panner. My partner (my "dude") is a sectional plater. You know the sectional plate... a chicken breast, a pile of brocolli, a sweet potatoe. They are not touching! Like a baby's sectioned off plate. But this is not a baby meal.

Today I put together one of my famous one-pan meals and now I have ANYTIME feedings ready for the day.

Dine with me... out of one pan:

Turkey, diced peppers, onions, pineapple, cranberries & sesame seeds. One Pan Shopping!

Krista is the QUEEN of one-pan meals

Let's face it... we are ALL busy. I hate that work. We are very active people.

But we still have goals and we still need to eat well. PN-Style as I say. Meat and veggies for "ANYTIME" meals and lean protein and carbs for "POST WORKOUT" (that's the secret to a lean and mean body by the way).

Some people are sectional plate people and others are one-pan people. I am a one-panner. My partner (my "dude") is a sectional plater.

Today I put together one of my famous one-pan meals and now I have ANYTIME feedings ready for the day.

Dine with me... out of one pan:

Embrace your Greatness

From a Lean Eating January 2011 client

Krista,

Do you ever feel like you're just constantly yanking wayward balloons back down to earth? That's what I feel like you did for me... Suddenly I am grounded again.

*
I very much appreciate when you let me know my impact. We all need reminders of our greatness.

And you are great... Great actually. There's a difference ;-)



K

10 Things Elite Coaches Do - From PN

One of the best articles I have read to help direct and guide professionals in the coaching and performance industry.

A MUST READ!

Craving something? Make it fit.

I have been eyeing this stupid freshly baked sausage bun for a few days now. So rather than toss it or try to be strong and ignore it I CONQUER it by making meal timing work for me.

My post workout meal yesterday:



Nothing is off limits you just have to best combine and time your foods to fit into your goals.

It was good!

K

Dining with Krista

I was so wanting ice cream and so I made my own.

Pumpkin puree (canned ED Smith)
Cottage cheese (1%)
1 tbsp coconut butter
Splenda to taste
Vanilla extract
Cinnamon

Blend, freeze and enjoy!

Yup, you really can have both - good tasting food and a good looking body. You just have to think outside the ice cream box.

K