Great recipes.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lMNPmE5mpeOqXkQ5tvkYu-IFbPMTnukK/view
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Fat Burn Blitz
What is the fat burn blitz? Essentially sticking to the 5 & 1 plan, NO extras added. A two week plan what keeps you low carb without extra condiments or anything else. This summarizes it.
Explanation of Fat Burn, Optavia
I am not a nutritionist, not a doctor, just sharing what was in a post I read when someone asked…. can I eat a donut? Will it put me out of fat burn? Is it worth it?
EXPLANATION OF FAT-BURN 🔥
We get a lot of questions about the fat-burning state, one of the main features of the 5 & 1 plan that we use in OPTAVIA.
Reminder, food is fuel, look at that donut and ask… what is it giving my body? Is it useful? If it takes 3 – 5 days to get into burn is it a good idea?
Ketosis refers to a metabolic state where your body is burning fat instead of its preferred fuel of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates exist in two forms when you are eating normally – “free” or accessible carbs, and stored carbs called glycogen. When your body needs fuel, it will burn the free carbs first (like when you drink a glass of OJ full of carbs). When all the free carbs are gone, your body will burn the stored carbs (glycogen). In humans, glycogen is made and stored primarily in the cells of the liver and the muscles, and contains carbs and water stored together. Once the glycogen and stored water is gone, your body turns to fat.
In the first week of this program, you will lose a lot of weight. Most of that will be as a result of using up the glycogen, because every gram of stored carbs ALSO stores 3 grams of water. If the glycogen is used, the water is released. Result? Large weight loss.
This is ALSO why, if you have a high carb meal at some point, your weight goes UP UP UP. Every extra gram of carbs will be stored with an extra 3 grams of water. This is why if you eat 1 lb of chocolate, your weight goes up by 4 lbs (at least! 1 lb carbs + 3 lbs water).
The first 3 DAYS days while your body is transitioning into KETOSIS you may feel more hungry or tired, and this shift in fluids and electrolytes may result in symptoms such as headaches, light headedness or muscle cramping. Speak with your COACH about effective ways to mitigate these symptoms, including proper hydration, Propel Zero, and pickle spears.
DAY 4 you will wake in ketosis feeling incredible, focused, and energized, with a notable drop in any hunger or cravings! Life is GOOD when you’re in ketosis.
The Optavia 5&1 program produces a MILD ketogenic, or “fat-burning” state. For diets that invoke a SERIOUS ketosis, like the Atkins diet, your carbs are limited to less than 20g per day. On the 5&1, we are eating between 80 -85 grams of carbs daily – JUST enough to keep your brain functioning well, and JUST enough to put you into mild ketosis. This is why it is so important to measure everything and limit your condiments, as any extra carbs have the potential to kick you out of ketosis.
You will KNOW that you are in ketosis IF you have been 100% ON PLAN for 3 days. This is because your body only stores enough glycogen to provide fuel for 3 days. Once the glycogen is GONE, after 3 days, you will be in mild ketosis.
Bottom line? To be in ketosis, you need to be 100% on plan. If you aren’t, you will still lose weight (because you’ll be eating fewer calories every day than normal) – but it will be much more slowly, and you will be hungry. The more CARBS you add to your daily intake , the less BODY FAT your body will metabolize as fuel. Happily, once you’re in ketosis, your hunger dissipates, and you get the best of both worlds: faster weight loss AND reduced hunger.
Note that if you eat a really high fat diet – cheating on nuts or cheese or something else (and yes, even if it’s no carbs) – you WILL stay in ketosis, BUT your body will metabolize the FREE fat from the nuts because it is more easily accessed than your stored body fat. Again, this means slowed weight loss, or even weight gain.
Note also that ALCOHOL itself is metabolized as FAT, so if you have a glass of liquor, you will still stay in ketosis, but your body will use the wine as fuel instead of your body fat. Result? SLOW weight loss. Sugary mixed drinks, beer and wine on the other hand contain extra carbohydrate which CAN kick you out of ketosis as well.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. How fast do you want to get to your target weight? How willing are you to stay on plan in order to support that goal of a healthy BMI?
Grocery Haul
This morning my husband has been watching YouTube videos. He likes the ones posted by malone.optavia.com
They show one of their grocery hauls. He is a visual and seeing “optavia grocery hauls” is a great for him to know what he can get at the store.
Taco Salad (1 Lean, 3 Greens, 3 Condiments and 1 Healthy Fat)
This is my family’s favorite, so far. We made the recipe shared by Instagrammer “GetFitWithGab” but have also done the one on Sandy’s Kitchen here:
It was so good! Had to split it into two meals. But we loved it so much we made it again today. But I didn’t have the Quest Chips, so we modified.
Today we did:
6.5 oz 99% turkey (3/4 lean)
1/4 cup shredded cheese (1/4 lean)
1.5oz avocado (1 healthy fat)
1 TBS Light Ranch Dressing (1 condiment)
1/4 cup grape tomatoes chopped (1/2 green)
1/4 cup bell peppers chopped (1/2 green)
2 Cups Lettuce (1 green)
1/4tsp cumin, 1/4tsp chili powder, 1/4tsp garlic powder, 1/4tsp onion powder (1 condiment)
This got our 3 greens in, our condiments, healthy fats and enjoyed a great salad that was so big we had to split it into 2 fuelings. I added my Zesty Italian Crunchers to mine when I had the 2nd half of it, so so good.
Fueling Hacks and Recipes… OH MY.
Beginner’s Optavia Tools You May Use
This has helped me, but there are so many resources, once you get into your health journey you will see how much support is out there. I’m not a dietician or medical professional, I’m using this plan for personal reasons. This year I got Covid, need an anti-inflammatory diet, something easy without too much thought. I am busy, busy, busy and meal planning isn’t something I have a lot of time for. BUT my health matters. So I began this journey. What has been useful to me, two weeks in. I am on the Lean and Green, 5 and 1 plan. I eat 5 prepackaged fuelings and one lean and green meal I make at home. If you don’t know what the plan is, this is the summary: https://optaviamedia.com/pdf/learn/OPTAVIA-Lean-and-Green.pdf
The only thing I really ever have to make is one meal (which you can split and have with different fuelings). For instance, tonight I had 6oz of grilled chicken (1 leaner), 1 cup spinach (1 green), 1 cup lettuce (1 green), 1/2 cup bell peppers (1 green), 1.5oz avocado (1 healthy fat). I get the fat because I chose a “leaner” meat option. I couldn’t finish it all, this is a LOT of food, so I put some of my salad in the fridge and 3 hours later am eating it with my Zesty Italian Crunchers on top as a fueling. So good!
Tools to Keep You On Plan
My list. I’m putting links in so you can find these items quickly. But please note, there are many options and similar options. I went with items that had many good reviews.
The list: Kitchen food scale. Meat thermometer. Nutribullet. Measuring spoons. Measuring cups. Electric small grill. Waffle iron. Reusable straws. Bags. Pam or other nonstick cooking spray. Stevia packs. Laughing cow light cheese. Almond milk (unflavored). Everything but the Bagel seasoning.
A kitchen scale. GAME CHANGER. I had no idea how big 6oz of chicken was. Wow. I use a basic scale like the one in the photo. It can be “tared” or zeroed out. I put a paper plate on it, hit tare, make sure it is on OZ then add my chicken. I use this to weigh all my meats.
Meat thermometer. I’ve been cooking on an indoor electric grill and sometimes I cook my raw chicken right from frozen. A digital meat thermometer is a must. Click the image to read more about this thermometer and see if it is right for you.
Grill. I’m not a fan of using our outdoor gas grill. I never really got the hang of it. But my little electric indoor grill.. YES please. I put it on my stovetop, under the exhaust fan. In 6 minutes my chicken is 165 and grilled to perfection. I spray the grill with a little Pam. Click the image to read more about this grill and see if it is right for you.
Nutribullet. This is perfect for my shakes and smoothies. I love the chocolate shake with a little bit of coffee, water and ice. Blended is just delicious. I also use it to “rice” cauliflower. Doesn’t get it as small as the food processer, but if the processor parts are in the dishwasher, I grab this.
The Dash… seriously the cutest kitchen appliance you will own. I use the waffle maker almost daily to “waffle” my buttermilk herb biscuits with a little less than 2T of egg beaters. Spray the waffle maker with Pam, pour the batter and BAM deliciousness. I top mine with a wedge of light laughing cow cheese and a dash (see what I did there) of everything but the bagel seasoning. The mix is one fueling, the cheese is one condiment, the seasoning is one condiment and the egg beaters don’t really count (I do log them in my fitbit app).
Reusable bags. My husband is taking fuelings to work but didn’t want to deal with the hassle of co-workers giving him a hard time. So he puts his fuelings in a bag. Instead of using toss away plastic ziploc bags, these can be reused. We plan the fuelings and put them in here. I carry mine in a bag in my purse so I always have them handy.
WATER BOTTLE. No joke, water water water. You have to drink your water. I track mine in my fitbit app, but still forget sometimes. This bottle helps.
The other items, like seasoning, almond milk, measuring cups, you can get anywhere. But the biggies, this is what I use almost every day. Good luck to anyone on this journey, I’m a two weeks in and loving it so far.
Lean and Green, Optavia 5 & 1 Fuelings, Snacks, Late Nights, Long Hours and Exercise
This may be a long, run-on post. It has info that has helped me, but there are so many resources, once you get into your health journey you will see how much support is out there. I’m not a dietician or medical professional, these are just bits of information about Optavia and things I’ve used on my plan to help me.
The fuelings. On the 5 and 1 you need 5 fuelings a day plus one lean and green. Pretty simple. For me, it takes the decision making out of eating. I just pack my 5 for the day in a bag, plan my 5 & 1 on the weekends for the week… and I’m good to go. Essential the 5 & 1 limits calories while delivering nutritious fuelings to your body every 2-3 hours a day. You must eat an hour after waking, have to keep that blood sugar regulated. Then eat every 2-3 hours after that until bed. What if you are up late? This is NS (Nutrition Support) approved, you’ll see NS in multiple places and that is all it means, that someone verified it with Nutrition Support. How do you call Nutrition Support?
The Nutrition Support Team is available Monday through Friday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM ET at 1.888.OPTAVIA (1.888.678.2842) or NutritionSupport@OPTAVIA.com.
- If you are an OPTAVIA Coach, please press “1” then “4”.
- If you are a Client, please press “2”, then “3.” You will be asked to verify your account info, you may use your email to do so.
Back to fuelings… if clients are going to be up for later hours, we do not recommend adding extra Fuelings, as this contributes extra carbohydrates and may take the client out of the fat-burning state. Instead, we recommend that clients either utilize the optional snack or 2-3 oz. of additional protein if staying up for later hours. It is important that clients get in 5 Fuelings and a full lean and green every day. We do not recommend that clients skip Fuelings or any of their lean and green meal. Skipping any of these options could potentially inhibit a client’s weight loss results, as getting too low of calories can send our body into a conservation state. If clients start their day later than usual and feel that they’re going to have a hard time getting all of their Fuelings in for the day, we would recommend that they shorten their time intervals to get everything in (i.e. eat every 1.5-2 hours instead of every 2-3 hours).
If a client feels that they are going to miss their 5th Fueling later in the day due to emergency circumstances, we would rather them double up on their last two Fuelings for the day than to skip a Fueling.For clients who are up for longer hours regularly (i.e. nurses or those who have shift work), we recommend they spread out their eating times to every 3 hours, split their lean and green meal into 2 portions, utilize the optional snack, and add an extra 2-3oz. of protein.
If they feel this is not enough food or they find themselves hungry throughout the day, we could potentially switch them to the 4&2 plan. This plan would give them 2 lean and green meals to split into two portions.It is okay for clients to eat right before bedtime (including eating their lean and green meal right before bedtime), as long as they are physically comfortable doing so (unless they have a pre-existing medical condition such as acid reflux, which may prevent them from eating so close to bedtime).
Exercise info: The Optimal Weight 5&1 Plan® is designed to only support up to 45 minutes of light to moderate intensity activity per day. We describe light to moderate intensity activity as something you can do while holding a conversation comfortably with someone, or as something that keeps your heart rate maximum under 65%. This may include activities such as brisk walking, gentle yoga, light resistance training, etc. If clients feel they are a bit more hungry on the days they do an activity that falls within these parameters, they can add an additional 2-3oz. of protein to their day. If the client is doing more activity than what falls within these parameters (whether in terms of intensity or duration), then we would have to switch them to a higher calorie program altogether in order to support that activity and see results.
Check this out as well: https://answers.optavia.com/help/what-if-i-work-night-shift-or-have-long-days
What is the 5 & 1 Plan and how do you know if an item is “on plan?” When you are planning your lean and greens, be sure any “substitutes” you use keep you within these daily boundaries. My husband wanted sausage, but got smoked, high sodium, high fat to protein ratio sausage. I called NS (nutrition support) and they said it was not on plan. So chicken it was. Basic plan numbers (also I am always over 1000 calories, not by much, but I’ve been exercising and need a little more):
Calories: 800 – 1000
Fat: 10 – 30g
Protein: more than 70g
Carbs: less than 100g
Sodium: less than 1000mg MAX
Grocery Lists for Common Stores, Shopping Lean and Green
If you are on a health journey, trying to make every choice a better choice, and Optavia 5 and 1 is part of your plan, then you probably wonder “what can I eat?” So many options! These are tools that have helped us over and over again. If you have a list for another store, please let me know I’ll add it.
First, shopping… what can I get when I need something different or fast from various stores. Trader Joe’s has lots of options.
Trader Joe’s Shopping List, I found this on Sandy’s Kitchen. You may download the printable list here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dfN4J3706CL9ARZ942Hw234qLwmP2H4j/view
Trader Joe’s 5&1 Grocery List
(Corrected & Updated for 2021 by Julie Bays, RD)
Frozen Items:
-Turkey Burgers: 1 1⁄2 burgers=1 lean
-Chili Lime Chicken Burger: 2 burgers=1 lean
-Mahi Mahi Burgers: 2 1⁄2 burgers=1 lean
-Tuna Burgers: 2 burgers=1 lean
-Crab Cakes: 2 cakes=1 leaner
-Turkey Meatballs: 5 meatballs=1 lean
-Shrimp Burgers: 2 1⁄2 burgers = 1 lean
-Salmon Burgers: 2 burgers=1 lean
-Langostino Tails: 7 oz=1 leanest
-Argentinian Red Shrimp: 7 oz=1 leanest
-Shitake Chicken Frozen Meal: 1 1⁄2 cups= Complete Lean & Green
-Frozen Kabocha Squash: 1⁄2 cup= 1 green
-Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry: 1⁄2 cup=1 green
-Zucchini Spirals: 1⁄2 cup (1⁄4 container)=1 green
-Frozen Grilled Asparagus: 1⁄2 cup=1 green
-Asian Vegetables with Beijing Style Soy Sauce: 1⁄2 cup=1 green
Meat Aisle:
-Ground Turkey, Ground Chicken, Extra Lean Ground Beef:
- 85-94% lean: 5oz = 1 lean
- 95-97% lean: 6oz= 1 leaner
- 98%+ lean: 7oz=1 leanest
- Wild Skipjack Tuna: 2.5 pouches = 1 leanest
- BBQ Cut Fresh Atlantic Salmon Filets: 5oz=1 lean
-Boneless Skinless Chicken: 6oz=1 leaner
-Chicken Hot Dogs 3 links=1 leaner (limit to 1x/week due to sodium levels)
-Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage: 1 1⁄2 links=1 lean
-Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage: 2 1⁄4 links=1 lean
-Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage: 1 1⁄4 links = 1 lean - Chicken Breakfast Sausage: 6 links=1 lean
-Chomps Meat Sticks: 1 stick= 1⁄3 lean
Meatless Lean Items:
-Beefless Ground Beef: 1 cup= 1 leanest
- Trader Joe’s Hi Protein Veggie Burger: 1 patty= 1 lean
- Trader Joe’s High Protein Tofu: 6oz= 1 lean
- Trader Joe’s Plain Tofu, extra firm: 8oz= 1 lean
- Trader Joe’s Plain Tofu, firm: 8oz= 1 lean
- Trader Joe’s Sriracha Baked Tofu: 7oz= 1 lean (Note: the Teriyaki option is NOT
approved)
-Trader Joe’s Hi Protein Veggie Burger: 1 patty=1 lean
-Trader Joe’s Meatless Meatballs: 10 meatballs= 1 lean
-Almond Mozzarella Style Shreds: 1 1⁄4 cup= 1 lean
-Egg Beaters: 2 cups= 1 leanest
-Whole Eggs: 3 eggs= 1 lean (limit to max 2x/week)
Dairy:
-Reduced Fat Cheese (Mexican, Cheddar, Mozzarella): 4oz= 1 lean
-Lite Havarti Cheese: 4 slices= 1 lean
-Lite Shredded 3-cheese blend: 4 oz= 1 lean
-Fat Free Cottage Cheese: 1 1⁄2 cups=1 leanest
-Low Fat Cottage Cheese: 1 1⁄2 cups=1 leaner
-0% Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt: 12oz=1 leanest
-2% Low Fat Plain Greek Yogurt: 12oz=1 leaner
-Unsweetened Original Almond Beverage: 1⁄2 cup=1 condiment
-Unsweetened Almond Cashew and Macadamia Nut Beverage: 1 cup= 1 condiment
Green/Produce Items:
-Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry: 1⁄2 cup=1 green
-Riced Cauliflower: 1⁄2 cup=1 green
-Riced Broccoli: 1⁄2 cup=1 green
-Jicama: 1⁄2 cup=1 green
-Spiralized Zucchini (zoodles): 1⁄2 cup=1 green
-Plain Frozen Riced Cauliflower: 1⁄2 cup=1 green (found in frozen food aisle)
-Hearts of Palm, spears or medallions: 1⁄2 cup= 1 green (found in canned-food aisle)
-Many approved fresh veggies available in the produce section: 1⁄2 cup=1 green
Misc. Items/Condiments:
-Cauliflower Thins: 2 thins: 1/3 lean + 1 green
-Enchilada Sauce: 1 Tbsp= 1 condiment
-21 Seasoning Salute: 1⁄2 tsp= 1 condiment
-Everything But the Bagel Seasoning: 1⁄2 tsp= 1 condiment
(their other spices qualify as well: 1⁄2 tsp= 1 condiment)
-Salsa: 1 Tbsp= 1 condiment
-Coconut Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate: 2 oz= 1 condiment
- Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole: 1Tbsp= 1 condiment
- Satay Peanut Sauce: 1 Tbsp= 1 condiment
- Spicy Cashew Butter Dressing: 1⁄2 tbsp= 1 condiment
-Thai Yellow Curry Sauce: 1⁄2 tsp= 1 condiment
-Thai Red Curry Sauce: 1 Tbsp= 1 condiment
-Trader Joe’s Green Goddess Dressing: 2 Tbsp= 1 condiment
-Cilantro Salad Dressing: 3 Tbsp=1 healthy fat OR 1 Tbsp=1 condiment - Creamy Roasted Cauliflower & Onion Dip: 2 Tbsp= 1 healthy fat
- Creamy Cauliflower Jalapeno Dip: 1 Tbsp=1 condiment OR 3 Tbsp=1 healthy fat
-Spinach Sour Cream Dip: 1 1⁄2 Tbsp=1 healthy fat
-Trader Giotto’s Balsamic Vinaigrette: 1 1⁄2 Tbsp=1 healthy fat
-Jicama Wraps: 2 wraps=1 green
-Trader Joe’s Organic Tomato Basil Sauce: 1⁄4 cup= 1 green
-Three Cheese Pomodoro pasta sauce: 1⁄4 c= 1 green
-Organic Dill Pickle Spears: 2 spears= 1 optional snack
ALDI Shopping List…Medifast/Optavia NS (Nutrition Support) Approved For 5&1 Plan
- *FROZEN:
- Sea Queen Shrimp (cooked and raw)
- Sea Queen Wild Caught Pink Salmon Fillets
- Sea Queen Wild Caught Founder Fillets
- Sea Queen Tilapia Fillets
- Specially Selected Ahi Tuna Steaks
- Never Any Chicken Breasts
- Broccoli Florets
- Green Beans
- Earth Grown Vegan Zesty Italian Meatless Meatballs (10 meatballs is 1 lean – no healthy fat needed on 5&1)
- Sea Queen Wild Caught Teriyaki or Chipotle Salmon Burgers (2 burgers is 1 lean – no healthy fat needed on 5&1)
- Kirkwood Mexi Cali Style Chicken Burgers (1.25 burgers is 1 lean – no healthy fat needed)
- Kirkwood Mediterranean Style Chicken Burgers (1 burger is 1 lean -1 healthy fat needed)
- *MEAT:
- Fit & Active Ground Turkey (93% lean)
- Appleton Farms Turkey bacon (divide and freeze for future needs; 2 slices count as 1 oz towards protein/lean of the day)
- Kirkwood Mild Turkey Breakfast Sausage (2.5 oz count as 1/2 lean, need 1/2 lean from a source with less sodium)
- Never Any Country Style Chicken Breakfast Sausages (2 1/2 links count as 1/2 lean, need 1/2 lean from a source with less sodium)
- Never Any Mild Italian Chicken Sausage (1 link counts as 1/2 lean, need 1/2 lean from a source with less sodium)
- *PRODUCE:
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Rice (sometimes not in stock)
- Zucchini
- Tomatoes (cherry/grape or Roma)
- Bell Peppers (any color)
- Asparagus
- Cucumbers
- Baby Bella Mushrooms
- Avocados
- *”DAIRY”:
- Happy Farms Spreadable Cheese Wedges (original and Garlic & Herb)
- Friendly Farms 1% cottage cheese
- Simply Nature Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk
- Fit & Active Cheese Sticks
- Countryside Creamery Butter with Canola Oil
- Happy Farms Reduced Fat Cheese
- Eggs
- Liquid Egg Whites
- *GROCERIES:
- Powdered Peanut Butter
- Sweet Additions Sweetener packets (Stevia or sucralose)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Carlino Cooking Spray (olive or canola oil)
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Almonds (and other nuts)
- Pickle Spears
- La Vie Sparkling water
- Low Sodium Taco Seasoning
- Black Olives (canned)
- Fit & Active diced tomatoes (seasonal)
- Mama Cozzi’s Turkey Pepperoni (1 oz can count towards your lean)
- Simply Nature Aged Balsamic Vinaigrette (1 TBSP is 1 healthy fat)
- Fit & Active Light Balsamic Vinaigrette (2 TBSP is 1 healthy fat)
Costco Approved 5 & 1 Shopping List.
Bees Bees Bees
Today is the last day in January in Ohio. Beekeepers are busy planning for the Spring. Deciding how many packages to order and what kinds (Italian or Russian). Italians always seem to be sweeter but Russians are more durable, or so the bee stories go. People keep asking me where we get our bees, and when. The place we get them from takes orders and starts delivering late March into April. We get ours the first week of April as we live in Northwest Ohio and the springs here vary so much.
Woodenware orders are also being placed. Sugar is bought, so syrup is ready to be made if the bees need fed. A beekeeper is always busy thinking about keeping the bees. In Ohio, we won’t be able to even check the hives until late March, if it gets warm enough to open them. So for now, we just hope they are safe, and keeping the queen cluster warm. My husband, the Bee Man, is anxious for Spring. ME TOO!!
This is a great calendar by a Cleveland area group that beekeepers can use. https://www.greaterclevelandbeekeepers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Beekeepers-Calendar-for-Northeast-Ohio.pdf
Essentially these months (January, February, March) are a lot of prep months, reading months. Then the fun begins!
Stories From the Shore 