3 Weight Loss Myths... BUSTED!

As a health coach I talk to a lot of people about their weight loss/healthy living efforts and I see a lot of the same misconceptions. Some of this misinformation is sabotaging weight loss and some of the misinformation is making people miserable unnecessarily. I don't believe that you have to be unhappy in order to be healthy.

So let's clear some things up right now.

Carbs are not all bad. 
Carbs have gotten a bad reputation. They've been vilified, but all carbs aren't bad! In fact, your body needs them for energy. I know there are some successful diets in which carbs are restricted, but the problem isn't carbs themselves. The problem is the type of carbs that people are eating.

Instead of processed carbs- white breads, most pastas, candy, sugary drinks, desserts etc - choose whole grains, natural fruits and vegetables. Whole wheat or whole grain breads, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, vegetables and fruit are all good choices.

More about carbs and a healthy diet diet...


You don't have to give up meat. 
I don't really know why, but some people think meat is bad and giving up meat is the key to losing weight.

The truth is that meats provide your body with a lot of protein and protein is essential for developing and maintaining muscle. It also helps with fat loss and keeps you full.

So what kinds of meats should you eat? Lean meats that don't have a lot of visible fat.

You have to eat in order to lose weight 
I know. It doesn't make sense. But let me break it down to you.

If you don't eat, your body worries that it won't get enough fuel and it needs fuel to perform every day tasks. So, instead of burning what it has - it holds on to it, just in case.

Think about it like money. If you have a limited amount of money and you don't know when you are going to have more coming in, you don't spend it unnecessarily. Right? Your body is the same way.

So, if you want your body to "spend" more freely - you have to eat so it doesn't feel the need to be stingy.

Hope that cleared some things up for you. If you have questions let me know! As always, I'd love to hear from you all and would love to work with you on your fitness journey.

Send your questions, comments and concerns to jamar.paige@gmail.com. 

Quiche for Christmas Breakfast (Recipe Included)

My mom used to make quiche (key-shh) when I was little. It was always one of my favorite meals. So when I started cooking as an adult I asked her to tell me how to make one. It became part of my mental cookbook. At some point I made it for my God-mom and she became an instant fan. Now EVERY time I go visit her she has me make one. And even though it is a fairly simple recipe, she can never remember it. Maybe she will save this blog post :-)

So anyway, we came to visit her for Christmas this year and I knew I had to make them. I always have to make 2 because she like onions, but my God-sister doesn't.

I should probably do a quick disclaimer. A lot of my recipes are "clean" and super healthy. The pie crust makes this recipe a little less healthy & keeps it from being 100% clean. But in general quiche has a lot of healthy ingredients (protein and veggies). And in comparison to other meals that you may make to serve groups for breakfast - it is much healthier.

So on to the recipe.

Making a quiche is pretty simple. First, I chop my veggies and mix them with whatever meat I am going to use. I used shrimp, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach and onions in this one, but you can use whatever meats and vegetables you want. The veggies can be fresh or frozen. Typically I have about 2 cups of these ingredients.

I always use the deep dish pie crusts because, well... they can hold more. I generally use 6-7 eggs, a splash of milk and a couple handfuls of cheese. Mix all that with the other ingredients & pour into the pie crusts. 

Definitely put it on a pan because it may cook over if you have filled the pie crust too much. Better safe than sorry! I typically bake it on 375-400 degrees fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes. Check the middle to make sure it's done. Bake until it is no longer runny. No one likes a runny quiche. 

Or if you just want the recipe..... 

Q&A: How can I eat healthy while traveling?

Q: How can I eat healthy while traveling?

A: Good question! Especially this time of year. Here are my 3 tips -
(1) Pack healthy snacks before you go! This will help keep you from buying junk food while you're out on the road or in the airport. And you can pack things you want to eat. Take a small cooler if you have foods that need to stay cool.
(2) Look for healthy restaurants or at least healthy options on restaurant menus. Also, ask for the restaurants to make healthy changes to your meal. A lot of people use eating out as an excuse to indulge, when in fact, it is usually a choice.
(3) Workout before your travel starts. This signifies to your brain that you're still focused on your goals and still serious about your health.

Traveling doesn't have to be unhealthy, but you have to make a conscious decision to stick to your healthy lifestyle.

The Dreaded Holiday Weight Gain - Not Again!

Last fall I was in really great shape. My body fat percentage was dropping, my muscles were showing, I felt great all around - and then the holidays hit. In my mind, I was sticking to my normal routine, just a more relaxed version of it. But when I took my progress pics January 2nd, I was shocked at what I saw. The weight gain had snuck up on me over the holidays and I spent the first part of the year trying to undo the damage.

Foolishness.

Because the crazy thing is I didn't remember the desserts I "just had to have." I didn't feel any more rested because of the days I skipped my workouts. My instant gratification had long-term consequences that I had to deal with and remedy.

Sure, the weight I gained came back off - but why did I put myself in a position to have to lose it in the first place?

Not this year! This year I am 100% focused on my goals. No relaxed routines. No skipping workouts. No over-indulgent cheat meals. Business as usual, if not more focused than usual. Those treats add up and I have worked way to hard to go backwards now.

That's not to say that you shouldn't enjoy an occasional treat here or there. By all means, it's your fitness journey. But this is what I am doing this year.

So what are your plans? Have you thought about it?

If you want to stay on track or find a happy balance - be sure to check back her regularly over the next few weeks for my holiday survival tips!

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Frustrated? Confused? Discouraged? Me too! And it's ok.

If you have ever tried to change your body, you have probably experienced some frustrations. And if you haven't, you probably didn't stick with it very long or you're very lucky. It's a frustrating process. It goes well. Then it doesn't. You're working hard and then your motivation slips away. You're making progress and then you feel stuck. 

Believe me. I get it. 

This morning I woke up & was actually pleased with my progress as told by the mirror and progress pics. A little slower than I would have liked, but overall pleasing. Then, I got on social media. 

I follow a bunch of bikini and figure competitors. After a few scrolls the negative self talk began and I got discouraged because I still have a ways to go before I reach my goals. Yeah, completely disregarded this morning's happy feelings. 

The funk kinda stuck with me all day. I ate some snacks that weren't part of my meal plan. Clean snacks, but still not part of the plan. I was less motivated to start my workout. It really took a toll on me. 

Then I text my friend and told her I needed an intervention. 

She responded with some things to make me smile. And after all the positivity she said, "If 1-4 fail, blame your period. That sneaky hoe is always around the corner." Haha. Love her. Then she told me that I wasn't allowed to beat myself up anymore today. So I snapped out of it and had a productive workout. 

In the wise words of my dear friend, "Anyone who's ever worked toward any at least minimally ambitious goal has felt the spinning wheels feeling. Frustrating, but normal." 

So, whenever you are frustrated, discouraged, annoyed, or anything less than satisfied with your progress - know that it is normal. And it happens to everyone. Even trainers and health coaches. Heck, even the competitors that are all over social media. 

BUT it's what you do with that frustration that separates the people that reach their goals and the people that don't. Do you throw in the towel and quit? Or do you buckle down and figure out what changes, if any, you need to make to your program? One of these choices will get you to the results you want and one of these choices will leave you unfulfilled and unsuccessful. 

What choice will you make? 

I would love to work with any of you who are tired of spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. Email me at jamar.paige@gmail.com. 

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Welcome to My Fitness Journey

I don't share a lot of details of my fitness journey. Sure, I talk about working out and eating healthy - but I don't generally go into the details of my highs and lows.  I don't discuss my struggles. I don't discuss the bad days or the "off" weeks. But what good does that really do?

Truth is - I struggle some days. Everything doesn't work out the way I want it to. Most notably, I still don't have [visible] abs.

So I have decided to share my journey with you all. The good. The bad. The ugly. 

Hopefully it will inspire someone to keep pushing towards their goals.   

This week I started a new plan. I want to lose some body fat and build muscle. Right now I am targeting my flutes & hamstrings, along with my arms. Obviously my abs are always a thought, but they aren't my target right now. 

I started doing more interval/HIIT training this week. I also changed to a new lifting plan. So far I like the new workouts. I also started using my heart rate monitor again. I love that thing! It makes me push harder every workout because I set goal caloric burn amounts for each workout. 

Nutrition wise I have been eating clean. I haven't been counting calories, but I have been eating all high quality, nutritious foods. However, yesterday I was thinking I was going to do a Whole 30 or Paleo challenge to detox my body and get back to the basics. Then I woke up overnight with an upset stomach. I am definitely starting The Whole 30 or a Paleo diet Sunday - when I meal prep for next week. 

Feel free to join me. 

That's it for now. I'll post at least once a week, but sometimes it'll be more frequent depending on what's going on.