Trader Joe’s Four Cheese Jumbo Ravioli

Are you in search of new food ideas while maintaining the caloric intake recommended for weight loss? Trader Joe’s Four Cheese Jumbo Ravioli toped with Trader Joe’s organic tomato basil marinara sauce makes for a filling dinner with reasonably low calories.

One serving of both the Jumbo Ravioli (about 5 ravioli = 300 calories) and marinara sauce (1/2 cup = 60 calories)  totals 360 calories and 15 grams of protein.  Perhaps your budget doest have room for 360 calories, in this case you can figure one ravioli is equivalent to 58 calories so all you must do is eat 4 versus 5.

The solutions are there.  All we must do is use our brains and do the elementary math.  If you truely want to lose weight but continuously fail and refuse to count calories then do not complain.  You must use that brain of yours to calculate the calories.  Yes I know, I’m a smart ass, but this is the reality of the situation.  Many people think they do not need to count calories, however they have been struggling with weight problems for many years.

It is highly unlikely genetics are hindering your weight loss, but your lifestyle likely is.

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Destructive Eating Behaviors Resulting In Devastation

As a personal trainer who specializes in weight loss I have witnessed four common eating behaviors, three of which are close to perfect with exception to one or several devastating flaws.  If you are struggling to achieve your weight loss goal then it is likely you represent one or more of the listed eating behaviors.

Before I begin I would like to note that the first scenario is the only one among the four which is far from the ideal.  The others are close but need adjustments.

Eating Behavior: Eating 3 meals a day with 6 hour gaps between every meal.

When you finally ate, your body was depleted of energy and you were STARVING! So what did you do when it was time to eat?  You stuffed your face with the tastiest and most convenient food available because you were SOOOO HUNGRY you couldn’t stand it anymore!  Makes senesce, I would too.  In fact I have and periodically repeat this behavior.  The difference between you and I is I prevent this behavior from happening the following day, while you have likely done this for years.

I know that when I eat poorly such as in this scenario given, I will eat out and consume on average 1,000 calories each meal, totaling 3,000 calories for the 3 meals in that day, and then when Im at home relaxing in the evening awaiting sleep I will snack on XXL bowls of cereal or ice cream which will add an additional 300-600 calories for the day.

Because I am skinny and have consistently maintained high levels of activity since I took my first step as a child, my appearance has not suffered.  In contrast it is likely you are older and have not been physically active for the entirety of your existence.  Possibly you have kids, a career, and bigger bills to pay; all of which render you from high levels of activity and the frequent eating of controlled portions.

Countless years of this behavior will put your metabolism to sleep resulting in weight gain regardless of how many calories you consume.  If this eating behavior is similar to yours and you don’t experience starving sensations don’t for a second think that your in the safe zone.  All this means is that you have been doing it for so long that your metabolism has adapted and conservatively expends energy.  You must put an end to this behavior now.

Eating solution: eat 6 properly portioned meals daily.  Have no more than 3 hour gaps between meals.  What are your daily caloric needs?

Eating Behavior: You eat 6 healthy meals a day however you refuse to measure the serving sizes. 

Do you know what kind of damage this could result in?  Imagine if every time you thought you were consuming 1 serving you were actually consuming 1.5 servings.  What does this mean?  Well, if your goal was to consume 1,500 calories daily you would actually be consuming 2,250 calories daily because 1500 X 1.5 = 2250.

What’s the result?  It is likely you do not see a gain or a loss on the scale.  It’s just stagnant.  This can be discouraging and result in giving up, don’t let it happen to you and if it is we must make a change.

Do you know how one pound of body fat is lost?  <—Click on the question for the answer.

Eating solution: get out the measuring cups and use them for EVERYTHING.

Eating Behavior: Eating perfectly 5 days a week, however you slip on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday.  

If you had remained focused on the weekend and ate well you may have lost 1-2 pounds for the week; however that is not what happened.  Perhaps you ate out for 3 meals between Friday night and Sunday.  Warning!!!  When you dine out it doesn’t matter where you go, consuming less than 1000 calories each meal at a restaurant is unlikely no matter the size of the plate due to the consistency of the food.  If you do this 3 times in a week you will consume 3000 calories in 3 meals when you should have had on average 200-400, totaling 600-1200 calories in 3 meals.  This means you had 1800-2400 calories too many.

Another reason the scale didn’t represent a weight loss is because when you dine out you will consume an absurd amount of sodium resulting in extreme water retention, which results in extreme discouragement upon reading the scale.

Too often I will have a client who busted their butt in the gym and ate reasonably well all week, but when they return on Monday and step on the scale to see a fraction of a pound lost since last Monday they have a look on their face representing that of a person who just found out their dog died.  This person is then overwhelmed with discouragement because like I said, they performed considerably well all week and they are rewarded with -.2 pounds.  At this rate the person may lose a pound of body fat in a month.

In contrast those clients who behave 24/7 all month will lose 4-10 pounds.

Eating solution: Ask your family and piers who you spend your time with for their support.  Typically speaking they will understand and lend their support.  Perhaps the problem is not the social setting but it is something similar to activities and events with children or work.  If this is the case then you must plan.  There are options such as meal replacement bars, nuts, fruit, supplements; and you can even go as far as packing a cooler with yogurt, cottage cheese, salads, sandwiches, beans and tortilla chips.  Remember there are always options, the question is: Are you willing to take the extra step and prepare?  If you are not willing to, then do not whine and complain about not losing weight.  No one wants to hear it if you are not willing to make a change.  If you are willing to make the change but continuously fail, it is okay; I understand the difficulties and will remain supportive.  What you must do is assess the challenges and fix them.  Do not give up!

Eating Behavior: You eat 6 perfect meals all day every day; however your a sugar addict.

This particular challenge drives me crazy!  I lose sleep over it because I think it is ridiculous that a grown adult can’t resist crap candy and soda; but I too have my favorite, I just find it easy to say no.  Anyhow I will remain supportive in your time of need.  Lets discuss common vices in regards to this particular dieting challenge.

Perhaps you love those cute, squishy, and oh so tasty gummy bears that I eat until my stomach hurts.  Or maybe its liquorice or skittles.  Ohhh how I love skittles!

• 17 itsy bitesy little gummy bears contain 17 grams of sugar; however I like to eat about 5 times that amount when I have gummy bears.  That’s a staggering 85 grams of sugar which will be transformed immediately into body fat, unless you’re working out at a high intensity while stuffing your face with gummy bears.  If I’m with you when you are choking I can guarantee I will not be giving you mouth to mouth resuscitation should you stop breathing; because when I open your mouth to begin the resuscitation process I will see a pool of colorful, jelly like  saliva blocking the airway.  Sorry, we will miss you. RIP
• liquorice (I hate liquorice).  Every 3 pieces contains 15 grams of sugar.  I suspect those who enjoy these nasty pieces of “plastic” have a difficult time stopping at 3 measly pieces.  Eating tip: If you like plastic so much then get a pacifier.
• Skittles oh how I love skittles! 10 pieces of the smallest candies in the world are packed with 10 grams of sugar.  I like to eat no less than 100 of those fruity luscious, glossy balls of chew.  One gram per piece doesn’t sound like much; but remember that one gram is not one morsel of sugar, its probably hundreds, if not thousands of morsels per gram.

Moving on from my rant… Do you drink soda instead of coffee?  One 20 oz of Coke has 65 grams of sugar!  I don’t even get 65 grams of sugar in a day.  Worst of all, those sugars will go straight to your fat stores since they are “simple sugars.”  The only way you will avoid getting fatter is if you are working out at a high intensity while you drink your favorite carbonated beverage. Eating tip: It’s going to be difficult to exercise rigorously while you’re burping and attempting to breathe all at the same time.

What bothers me most is when I’m at the gas station and I see an overweight person filling up a GIANT cup with fountain soda.  I just want to yell at them.  Okay sorry…moving on

Maybe you’re among the many whom only drink diet soda and think it’s okay.  It has not been declared factual, but dieticians, doctors, and scientist are highly suspicious of artificial sweeteners and their affect on the metabolism.  After all, they should be since artificial sweeteners are chemicals.

If you told me you were so thirsty for a soda but can’t afford the calories and I replied with “drink this battery acid, it taste just like soda and best of all it is sugar free!”  Would you drink it? I think not!  So when the soft drink manufactures say “drink this diet soda, you can’t tell the difference” why do you say…? “Oh okay! J”  They’re both comprised of chemicals.  Just because the government permits the consumption doesn’t deem it healthy.  After all, the government also approves alcohol and tobacco even though alcohol is proven to cause liver failure and smoking is the culprit of countless cancers.  In addition to destroying the metabolism, who’s to say artificial sweeteners are not responsible for the spike in cancer rates in the USA?

So if you insist on drinking that crap diet soda then I say “enjoy your cancer while fantasizing about weight loss.”

Okay….Im sorry, I was kind of mean L  If I help you will you forgive me?

Read this article —> Candy Weight Loss Diet.

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Candy Weight Loss Diet

Okay ladies, you drive me crazy with your daily emotional candy cravings which you undeniably satisfy; but I have some good news for you.  For several days I have contemplated sharing this with you because I would like to think you can live without candy; however some seem incapable of self discipline.  My observations have indicated that those who fail to resist and eliminate temptation are those whos husbands “work too much.”  FYI making your ass fatter is not going to get him to stay home more, perhaps the opposite will though

Okay here is my secret but before I share the candy weight loss secret  with you I recomend you do not abuse it.  Deal?

Eat your sweets after a hard workout, imediatly after, and do not over eat.  Be sure to count those calories.

Why can you eat your sweets post workout (intense workout)?

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and simple carbohydrates enter your blood streem quickly while complex carbs require exponentially greater time.  Post workout your body is depleted of glycogen and glucose (energy).  If you workout with me, you will often find yourself depleted of all energy, trembling to the kids club to retrieve the very person you blame for your increased waistline.

There you go candy craver’s! Reward yourself by satisfying your candy craving immediately after an intense workout only!

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Animal Cruelty

Here is why I haven’t eaten meat in 2 or 3 months.  Share you thoughts below in the comment section please!

Trader Joes Meal Plans & Grocery List

My experience has “shined a light” on a common problem with too few solutions, the problem is “Grocery Shopping Confusion”.  What is grocery shopping confusion? Do you find yourself wandering the grocery store looking at 30 different brands for one product without knowing which one is the best choice?  Perhaps you know which the best choice is but you don’t know how to plan your meals while meeting basic nutritional needs.  No longer will you need to go into the grocery store without a map and a plan because I have done the work for you. Product selection and weight loss meal planning will no longer be the biggest challenge among those in pursuit.

What I have prepared for you is a grocery shopping list with the exact product brand name and all products are almost guaranteed to be at one store, Trader Joes.  Hopefully you have one in your neighborhood and if not I am sorry.  You can still find similar product at your local grocer.

Before you begin I would like to highlight that the meals are lacking vegetables, I recommend you add 2-4 servings throughout the day.

Trader Joes Grocery Shopping List:

Click here to download Trader Joes Grocery List

I recommend you print the grocery shopping list and bring it to the store with you.  I would also recommend you record the prices of each item if you are one who takes their budget serious.   In addition I would also appreciate if you emailed me a copy of the list and the prices of each item, also include the store you went to so I can provide future readers with the estimated cost for their Local Trader Joes.  You may email me at mikebluestone@missionpossibledp.com.

Meal Plans:

Click here to download Trader Joes Weight Loss Meal Plans

By now you should have downloaded the Excel Spread Sheet Titled Weight Loss Meal Plans and have it open.   Take note that in the columns titled “Item” contain the generic name for the product, such as milk is listed as milk, not “Trader Joes Fat Free Organic Milk.”  I did this because the full name clutters the spread sheet.

There are 3 sheets in this work book:

• Daily Weight Loss Meal Plan 1
• Daily Weight Loss Meal Plan 2
• Daily Weight Loss Meal Plan 3

I designed it so you can have variety in your diet.  I recommend you continue to cycle through the weight loss meals, for example:

Sunday: Daily Weight Loss Meal Plan 1

Monday: Daily Weight Loss Meal Plan 2

Tuesday: Daily Weight Loss Meal Plan 3

Wednesday: Daily Weight Loss Meal Plan 1

Thursday: Daily Weight Loss Meal Plan 2

Friday: Daily Weight Loss Meal Plan 3

Saturday: Daily Weight Loss Meal Plan 1

In time I will have a new grocery list and weight loss meal plans available but I will make no promises on a date.

How to use the spread sheet:

Its quite simple because I have locked all of the cells with exception to the column titled “servings.”  Adjust your servings to obtain your calorie goal.  For example you should try changing an items serving to a strange number and see what happens…plug in 1.657 for something.  Notice the totals adjust and you do not have to do any thinking.  Cool?

Be sure to adjust the serving to satisfy your calorie goal

How many calories should I consume each day?

Good question!  Refer to my post titled “How many calories should you consume according to your goal?” by clicking on it.  Remember that I am not a dietician or nutritionist, the information I have presented in the post is from the American Dietetic Association.

How many proteins fats and carbohydrates should I consume each day?

Another great question!  Refer to my post titled “Macronutrients: Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate” Once again the information I have presented in the post is from the American Dietetic Association.

Suggested websites for calorie lookup:

• Daily burn
• The daily plate

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Bell

If you are in your later years and new to exercise then Bell is a true inspiration for you.  Like many in her shoes, Bell has dedicated her life to her career and family; leaving little time for herself.

Bell and I met when she was 59 and a stranger to the gym.  Today she is 61 year old “gym rat,” knows almost everyone at the gym, is positive, upbeat, always glowing with a welcoming smile, and best of all she is healthier and fitter than ever.

• 10-12 pounds of body fat lost
• Blood Pressure Lowered from:  152/90 down to 122/81
• Cholesterol Lowered from 253 down to 193
• Resting Heart Rate Lowered From 80’s down to 60’s
• Waist Measurement Reduced more than 5 inches

Bell puts fitness first and participates in group training/boot camp with me in St. Louis at Gold’s Gym which is located in Fenton.

Bell’s Strength:

Truly enjoys the gym.  Enjoyment is always helpful when routinely doing anything and Bell views the gym as her number one form of entertainment.

Bell’s Weaknesses:

Doesn’t eat enough.

Improve your health without blowing your budget by shopping at one of Trader Joes 4 locations in St. Louis using my Trader Joe’s grocery shopping list and referring to my sample meal plans.

St. Louis Personal Trainer:

Click to view the profile of her St Louis Personal Trainer (me)   

Be sure to take a look at my boot camp schedule which operates 12 different times on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Kristi

Among my success stories there are a few who were in need of body sculpting and Kristi is one of them.  As you can see from the before photos she was not over weight; however she was in search of a trim and tone body and is succeeding.

Kristi’s Strengths:

She has been committed to fitness with me for nearly 2 years and is highly functional in all planes of motion when it comes to exercise.  In addition to personal training she attends my boot camps and St. Louis Cardio Club.  The St. Louis Cardio Club meets at various locations in West County.  New comers are welcome.  Listed below are her accomplishments:

• -7 pounds on the scale
• lost 24% of her total body fat
• Sculpted her body so all of her muscles are visable
• Drastically improved eating habits; however she occasionally consumes large amounts of candy that results in scale fluctuation
• More energy
• Eliminated the “cottage cheese” which is her term not mine  Don’t get mad at me kristi (-:
• Kristi has trained with me for about 14 months and continues to do both group and personal training

Kristi’s Weaknesses:

She is human and has her challenges; food journaling is one of them.  She does not track her nutrient intake (calories, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) granted she could excel even further if she did; but either way I am proud of her commitment which has lead to her accomplishments.

Improve your health without blowing your budget by shopping at one of Trader Joes 4 locations in St. Louis using my Trader Joe’s grocery shopping list and referring to my sample meal plans.

Her other weakness is candy and diet coke.  Read about my candy weight loss diet if you too struggle with candy cravings, it’s not a miracle worker by any means; but it will help if you feel helpless.  I also have an article discussing the negative effects diet soda has on the weight loss.

St. Louis Personal Trainer:

Click to view the profile of her St Louis Personal Trainer (me)   

Be sure to take a look at my boot camp schedule which operates 12 different times on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Evelyn

I have never seen anyone lose weight as quickly as Evelyn.  She would spend 1.5-3 hours a day at the gym 6 days a week and lose 1-5 pounds any given week.  At one point she was 60 pounds down on the scale but for now she is out with a compressed disk in her spine.  I hope we can resume soon, but until then our goal is to keep eating healthy with some weight loss.

Evelyn participates in group training/boot camp with me in St. Louis at Gold’s Gym which is located in Fenton.  She is currently out due to a compressed disk in her spine but I am certain she will return and be ready to finish the job.  Granted her weight loss task is not complete I feel -56 pounds on the scale is worthy of a success story and I cant wait to finish the job!

Evelyn’s Strength:

Loves the gym.  She will often exercise for 3 hours a day, if you attempt this I strongly encourage you to bring a piece of fruit and drink a protein shake half way through.

Evelyn’s Weaknesses:

Dieting.  She will cycle through two extremes.  Eating very clean but sometimes too few calories and then other times she will eat some of the worst possible items.  Either way she is fitter than most skinny people.  When it comes to exercise, Evelyn takes fitness to the extreme and is a role model to all.

Improve your health without blowing your budget by shopping at one of Trader Joes 4 locations in St. Louis using my Trader Joe’s grocery shopping list and referring to my sample meal plans.

St. Louis Personal Trainer:

Click to view the profile of her St Louis Personal Trainer (me)   

Be sure to take a look at my boot camp schedule which operates 12 different times on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Bridie

Bridie has made a significant change in her body and I mean SIGNIFICANT!  Just look at her before photo.  Her pursuit was a difficult one with small but consistent loses on the scale.  Sometimes people do all the right things but achieve slower results.  If you are among those who are “slow losers” then look no further for inspiration because Bride has succeed in the face of similar struggles.  Also check out Cheryl’s Success Story, the transformation isn’t as noticeable but rest assured she is more than 20 pounds lighter than she started.

Bridie participates in group training/boot camp with me in St. Louis at Gold’s Gym which is located in Fenton.

Bridie’s Strength:

Determination.  No matter what obstacle stood in her way she remained determined to overcome it.  Thus far Bridie has accomplished:

• Eliminated 29% of her total body fat and is now in a very healthy range
• Lost more than 17 inches in her legs, waist, arms, and hips
• emplyed about 10 additional pounds of lean muscel and burns and additional  500-700 calories a day no matter what she does
• Recievevd 2 promotions at work
• eats 5-6 small meals daily
• exercises 4-5 time a week

Bridie’s Weaknesses:

I’m not really certain because she keeps her challenges to herself.

Improve your health without blowing your budget by shopping at one of Trader Joes 4 locations in St. Louis using my Trader Joe’s grocery shopping list and referring to my sample meal plans.

St. Louis Personal Trainer:

Click to view the profile of her St Louis Personal Trainer (me)   

Be sure to take a look at my boot camp schedule which operates 12 different times on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Cheryl

Don’t automatically presume you too suffer from hypo thyroidism because the odds are extremely low; however Cheryl was among the few who did.  It took tremendous dedication and strength for Cheryl to remain positive for 6 months of slow progress but Cheryl did it losing .5-1 pound every 1-2 weeks.

In all Cheryl has lost about 21 pounds on the scale and has gained about 5-8 pounds of lean muscle; with that being said  she has lost as much as 29 pounds of body fat.

Cheryl participates in group training/boot camp with me in St. Louis at Gold’s Gym which is located in Fenton.

Cheryl’s Strength:

Eating healthy foods and dedication.  If you are in search of healthy food ideas and a grocery shopping list then I recommend you view my Trader Joes post.

Cheryl’s Weaknesses:

Not eating enough.  There are two ways to speed up your metabolism: frequent eating and exercise. Cheryl has the exercise part down but fails to eat frequently and with too few calories.  Click to calculate your estimated caloric needs.

Improve your health without blowing your budget by shopping at one of Trader Joes 4 locations in St. Louis using my Trader Joe’s grocery shopping list and referring to my sample meal plans.

St. Louis Personal Trainer:

Click to view the profile of her St Louis Personal Trainer (me)   

Be sure to take a look at my boot camp schedule which operates 12 different times on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

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