Chicken Quinoa Stirfry

While I always say that I'm a trainer not a nutritionist and rarely comment on specifc things related to an individuals eating habits, I do give suggestions on making healthier food choices and I'm known to do my thing in the kitchen from time to time!

Here is a simple, wholesome meal that is ready in 30 minutes – perfect for busy weekday dinners. There's no reason to hit the take out line when you have this quick and delicious recipe on hand. Eating simple, wholesome meals like this and exercising regularly will get you to your goal weight.
Servings: 4

Here's what you need:

•1 cups cooked quinoa
•1 tsp olive oil
•1/2 onion, chopped
•1 clove garlic, minced
•1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
•1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
•1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
•1 ear of corn, kernels cut from cob
•Handful of asparagus stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
•2 cups baked chicken breast, cut into small cubes
•1 can of organic black beans, drained and rinsed
•splash of lemon juice
•splash of lime juice
•dash of salt and pepper
•splash of soy sauce
•1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1.Cook the quinoa and set aside. Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, onion and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers, corn and asparagus, cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the chicken and beans, cook for another 10 minutes, adding the rest of the ingredients.
2.Place a serving of quinoa on each plate and top it with the vegetable mix.

3. Most importantly, HAVE FUN WITH IT. The beauty of cooking is it's like Jazz, it's full of improvisation. Feel free to add or subtract ingredients as you choose and let me know how it comes out!
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 293 calories, 5g fat, 32g carbohydrate, 4.6g fiber, and 29.4g protein.

5 Obstacles to Fitness Success

The article below is taken from my bimonthly newsletter "The Ramble" log on to www.centralparkfitness.com and sign up to receive it and receive your free ebook!

You want to be fit. You know how much you should weigh. You know your ideal pant size. You can even picture how great those skinny jeans will look.

So why aren't you living life in your ideal body?

There are many complex reasons that make weight loss a challenge, reasons that go deeper than simply calories-in versus calories-out.

I'm talking about the life issues that get in the way of your success.

Read the following 5 obstacles and the solutions to unlock your best body ever.

1. You don't want to be bothered.

It's in your DNA to avoid pain and seek out pleasure. Unfortunately this works against you when trying to get fit. In your mind, it's painful (or at least uncomfortable) to deny yourself the tasty food that you crave and to exert yourself with exercise.

There's a simple way to work around this obstacle: Find something painful about being fat to motivate yourself towards healthy eating and exercise. Focus on the negative impact your current weight has on your health, self-esteem and lifestyle. Convince yourself that the pain of being out of shape is much greater than the discomfort of losing weight.

2. You don't want to wait for the good stuff.

Just as you wish to avoid pain, you are also an expert in seeking out pleasure - namely food. This served the cavemen well, but these days it ends up as extra pounds around your waist and thighs.

There's good news: extra calories are not your only option to stimulate the pleasure center of your brain. Find an activity or two that make you smile and indulge in those regularly.

A walk outside
A good book
A night out to the movies or theater
A spa day
You can also retrain your brain to crave the pleasure of exercise-induced endorphins. Talk about weight gain kryptonite!

3. You are crazy busy.

Let's face it, you work too much, commit yourself to too much and don't even get enough sleep most of the time. The fast-paced way you live leaves you exhausted, stressed and hungry for comfort food. You even begin to feel too busy to take care of your health.

It's time to reprioritize. Let go of your perfectionist standards and remove a few commitments from your schedule so that you are able to cook healthy meals, exercise and get a good night's sleep. Remind yourself that taking care of your health is not a luxury - it's a necessity.

4. You don't deserve it.

I don't agree with it, but you sure act like you don't deserve to live the good life in the body of your dreams. Take a moment to think back on all the times you have self-sabotaged your weight loss efforts. If you don't believe deep down that you are worthy then you'll never give yourself a chance at a fit body.

I believe that you deserve to have a healthy body - and I urge you to dig deep down to uncover why you don't. Once you conquer your feelings of unworthiness, getting on an exercise and healthy eating plan will be easy.

Take the time to take care of yourself. You DO deserve it.

5. You are afraid.

You're afraid to start because you just might fail, and wouldn't that be embarrassing? You're also afraid to start because you just might succeed, and change makes you uncomfortable – even if it's change in the right direction.

When you decide to get fit you will need to go through a bushel of changes:

New diet
New exercise routine
New friends at the gym
New clothes
New self-image
Focus on all of the ways that losing weight will make your life better. Envision that better life everyday so that it goes from being new and scary to familiar and comfortable.

I want to personally help overcome every obstacle standing between you and your ideal body. Call or email today to get started on a program that will change your life and body forever...in a good way :)

Free Report Reveals 21 Fitness Success Tips

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92% of all New Year's Resolutions will end in failure

While millions will start gung ho in January with lofty goals for massive weight loss, the reality is that most will fail. Here's why:

They bite off more than they can chew.

In all the excitement of becoming a better person and transforming their life in the New Year, they make the crucial mistake of committing too much. But reality soon sets in and they give up.

Want to be apart of the 8% who will achieve their resolutions?

Then set realistic goals.

•Instead of resolving to lose 50 pounds by June, commit to exercise 3-4 times each week.
•Instead of resolving to give up all carbs, commit to bring healthy snacks to work instead eating from the vending machine.
•Instead of resolving to drop 3 sizes in 3 months, commit to losing 1 pound each week until you reach your desired size.
•Instead of resolving to never eat out again, commit to eating healthy all week and reward yourself with one meal out on the weekends.
Remember that the whole point of making a New Year's Resolution is to become a healthier, happier and more successful person. Small changes done consistently will make a big difference.