Goal:  To weigh 165 lbs. which will add up to a total weight loss of 80 lbs.  Continue to make healthy eating choices daily and encourage others to do the same.

Bio: Married for 12 years to Christina Pelletier (Designer Whey Blogger). Father of three beautiful children with a fourth child expected to arrive July 2012. Graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA with a BS in Kinesiology with a concentration in teaching. Currently, teaching inner city youth in Sacramento, CA at a local continuation high school. I started and coach an after school fitness/boxing program at the school. Teach students a healthy lifestyle through fitness and nutritional health. Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Education and considering pursuing a Doctorate degree in Education. Fitness activities I like to do: boxing, running, and swimming.  I am 37 years old.

The journey to fitness and health starts at different times and weights for everyone. No one plans on becoming obese but daily we make compromising food choices which we know will add up over the years. Current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics reveal that nearly 24% of American adults are obese. Children emulate their adult parents/guardians and CDC discloses 17% of children are obese in the United States. Sadly, I am part of the adult statistic of obese adults. Three years ago I weighed 245 lbs. which is an unfortunate weight when you are vertically challenged standing only 5’8”. When you start to resemble one of the Oompa Loompas in the Charlie Chocolate Factory it is time to make a change. 

My wife and I joined an MMA/Boxing gym which literally knocked some of the pounds off of my body. I learned at the age of 37 years old I could not eat the things I use to at the age of 17. Besides increasing my fitness, I started to change my eating habits. Lowering my caloric intake and eating more low-calorie snacks throughout the day. I have learned that the most important meal each day is breakfast. Each morning I drink a couple glasses of water, my coffee, and grab a nutritional breakfast. The mornings I find my three kids clamoring for my attention, ignoring my parental direction, and preventing me from crafting my morning fuel, forces me to go to my alternate breakfast plan. This former fat guy never leaves the house without some morning nutrition so I will grab one of the Designer Whey protein bars which are made in three delicious flavors.   Each bar has about 160 calories which contains about 10 grams of protein. The bar will hold off my hunger for the next few hours before I get to my next healthy snack attack. 

Currently, I weigh 205 lbs. and have dropped from a size 44 waistline to a size 36 waistline. I never want to go back to being 245 lbs. and asking my wife, “Do I look fat in these jeans?” When I am not dodging my wife punching me in the boxing gym, which is a great way to let the wife blow off some steam and save on marital counseling service invoices, I am combating my weight loss through healthy nutritional choices. Join me on my journey to a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) which for an Oompa Loompa my size I need to get down to 165 lbs. Stay tuned as I keep giving you some golden nuggets of fitness/health wisdom on my way down to skinny town.

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“Let food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be thy food.” Hippocrates

Doctors and nutrition experts all agree – eating healthy foods, known as “super foods” can help you live a healthier life, even warding off diseases and lowering your cholesterol.

It’s comforting to know that adding some super foods to your daily diet can put you on the fast track toward better health. Imagine having enough energy to sail through even the most hectic of days.  Who wouldn’t want to be in a better mood, enjoy a better night’s sleep and even have an increased libido? Maybe the best part about eating super foods is that you don’t need a prescription. They’re available at your local supermarket. When possible, try to eat organic, the way Mother Nature intended.  

Here are some of our favorite super foods you need to start enjoying today: 

Whey Protein - helps build and maintain lean muscles. Also helps muscles recover faster after exercise

Blueberries – high in immune-boosting antioxidants

Yogurt – contains probiotics to aid digestion

Pumpkin – a rich source of dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals,  & vitamins A, C, & E

Spinach – an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamins  C, E, B2 & B6, and potassium. It’s a very good source of protein, zinc, and copper. Plus, it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids

Flax Seed or Flax Oil – contains heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids & fiber

Broccoli – contains dozens of nutrients including calcium to support strong bones

Oats – fiber & protein pack a 1-2 nutritional punch

Oranges – an excellent source of vitamin C.  One orange (130 grams) supplies nearly 100 percent of the recommended daily dietary intake of vitamin C

Salmon – a delicious way to get your protein & Omega-3 fatty acids, which helps boost brain power

Tea (green or black) – rich in antioxidants to help protect the body against cell-damaging free radicals

Tomatoes contain high level of lycopene - an anti-oxidant that helps prevent cancerous cell growth

Walnuts – these tasty nuts, which are great for snacking, help lower LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol)

Beans – a rich source of protein & fiber (and a great meat substitute for vegetarians!)

The easiest way to start reaping the benefit of super foods is to treat yourself to a healthy Designer Whey shake every morning. Toss in a handful of frozen organic blueberries, a ½ cup of non-fat or low-fat yogurt & some flax oil. Check out some of our shake recipes that include spinach and pumpkin! They’re delicious…we promise! And you’ll love the way you feel. Here’s to a healthy 2012!

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We fitness fanatics here at Designer Whey absolutely love the holidays. We also love getting a fresh start in the New Year and getting back into shape. Let’s face it. It’s easy to go overboard during the holidays with lots of eating, drinking, and being a little too merry!

If you’re ready to take on 2012, we’ll help get you back on track to make this your best year yet. Ready? Let’s get started.

First and most importantly, decide what your fitness goals are. Your fitness goals need to be clearly defined, specific, realistic and measurable. Once you get clear on what you need to accomplish, it’ll be easy for you to put together your plan of attack.

What does a specific, realistic and measurable goal look like? Here’s an example. Instead of saying “I want to lose weight” say, “I’m going to lose 20 pounds by April 30”. Here’s another example of a specific, realistic and measurable goal: “Next November, I will run the New York Marathon under 5 hours”. You get the picture.                                                                                                                         

Now that you have a clearly defined goal, you need to put your plan into place. If you’re not sure what you need to do to achieve your fitness goals – here’s a hint: exercise is part of the part of the battle, but the most critical part of getting fit is your diet. That’s right.  Eating a balanced, healthy, protein-rich diet is the most important part of losing weight and keeping it off.

Which diet is best for you?
Finding and sticking to a diet that’s best for you can be complicated. The clutter of information on the topic can be confusing & overwhelming. Some nutrition experts recommends eating 5-6 small meals each day, while others say eating in-between meals only adds unnecessary calories.

No matter what meal plan you find works best for you, there’s one thing that can’t be denied: eating a protein-rich diet will help you build lean muscle. And more lean muscle means better fat burning.  

For those of you looking to slim down, you’ll get the most out of your diet & exercise regimen by adding DESIGNER WHEY protein powder to your daily lifestyle. Whey protein is scientifically proven to reduce appetite and increase your metabolism because it’s the most calorically efficient way to give your active body the protein it needs.

The bottom line is to burn more calories than you take in. Know your BMR and plan accordingly. Oh, and keeping a food journal doesn’t hurt!

Let’s Get Moving!
Getting back into your exercise routine after the holidays can be tough, even for the most disciplined gym rats. Here are a few tips to help you get back on track:

1) Don’t go overboard! Start back with a reasonable workout that won’t strain or overwork your muscles. Injury and excessive muscle fatigue will only deter you from sticking with your plan. Start off with a gentle yoga class or brisk walk every morning.  As your body adjusts, increase the intensity and lengths of your work out.

2) Hire a personal trainer to get you going and keep you motivated

3)  Find a new & challenging form of exercise that gets you excited.  If the same gym routine or run seems boring to you, why not mix it up a bit? Try a hot yoga or pilates class, give Zumba on your Wii a try, or kick some butt in a boxing class.

Take it from Manny Pacquiao’s nutrition trainer:

“Let 2012 be your year to get fit. Obesity is the main cause of heart problems, arthritis, stroke and other diseases. Get on and stick with a good fitness program and eat right. Make sure your diet is high in protein and low in sugar and saturated fats and you’ll be on your way to looking and feeling your best.” – Alex Ariza

Join our resolution to get fit and stay fit. Visit Designer Whey on Facebook every day in January for life-changing nutrition and fitness tips!

Posted in DESIGNER WHEY Healthy Minute | 2 Comments

I love the little packets of fifty calorie ProteinToGo that taste like lemonade.  My seven year old daughter sometimes feels hungry after we get done eating.  I like having an option for her after fruit and vegetables, if she is STILL hungry.  And, I love the Lemonade ProteinToGo too! 

I thought it would be kind of milky tasting lemonade, since they use whey protein which is derived from cow’s milk.  To my taste bud pleasure, they taste just like a big glass of ice cold lemonade. Also, there is no sugar and ten grams of protein!  To Go Lemonade is a perfect little treat in between meals or on the side to get in some much needed protein.

The other thing is, sometimes I do not want to add protein powder to my smoothies.  Sometimes I just want a nice tall glass of slushy fruit.  Different strokes for different folks, or as I like to call it, different shakes for different breaks!

So the next time you need a serving of protein and do not feel like digging a hole in your backyard to host your own luau with genuine roasted pig or whatever other protein foods you enjoy, try a little lemonade instead!  Or the other flavors: Tropical Orange and Mixed Berry.  My kids love all three!

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Designer Whey^® would like to thank all of our loyal fans and show our appreciation with another protein bar giveaway! 100 lucky fans will win one of our delicious protein bars! Test your knowledge by taking the following quiz:

Think you know everything about your favorite Designer Whey^® protein products? Which of these statements is false:

1. Designer Whey’s delicious bars pack a 10 gram protein punch.
2. Designer Whey^® protein powders have only 3 grams of fat and sugar per serving.
3. Designer Whey’s satisfying bars have only 170 calories or less.
4. Our deliciously-healthy powders give you 18 grams of protein at only 100 calories per serving.

Need a hint? Get the scoop on our delicious protein bars here: www.designerwhey.com/designer-whey/products-bars.htm

And on our protein powders here: www.designerwhey.com/designer-whey/products-powders-original.htm

The first 100 respondents to email the correct answer to winner@designerwhey.com will win one of our delicious protein bars! Good luck!

HOW TO PLAY:

Simply email the number of the FALSE statement to winner@designerwhey.com by  Friday, December 2, 2011 at 3pm PST / 6pm EST. The first 100 correct responses will automatically win a Designer Whey^® protein bar. Be sure to include your name and mailing address with your answer. We will announce the 100 winners on our Designer Whey^® Facebook page on Monday, December 5th. If selected, your bar will automatically be shipped to you via USPS. Contest eligible to U.S. addresses only. One prize per household. Must be 18 or older by December 2, 2011 to enter. Giveaway void where prohibited by law, and is subject to federal, state and local regulations.

Posted in DESIGNER WHEY Healthy Minute | 1 Comment

The thing I love most about Designer Whey Protein Powder is that in a pinch for protein I add it to a meal and get some extra protein into our diet for the day.  With three kids it is not convenient to make chicken and oatmeal for breakfast.  Ha! Ha! Ha!  Chicken and oatmeal!  That would be weird!  But putting some protein powder into the oatmeal is so convenient. 

I just jazzed up our breakfast the other day, realizing we had been a little slim on protein sources as of late.  I was rushing away in the kitchen making a big vat of oatmeal, stevia, strawberries, and blackberries and realized, duh!  I can just add in a scoop or two of protein powder.  I used the Designer Whey Vanilla Almond flavor.  It was highly received by my kids.  I was truly surprised by their fervor, because I could not find the Organic Cane Sugar to give it that “Extra-Kid-Kick!” that tends to help them be yummified.  Even without sugar, they were quite happy with their healthy breakfast and I felt satisfied that I had gotten in some extra protein into their diet.

If only chicken and oatmeal were possible?  Thankfully, Designer Whey Protein Powder works great added into so many meals and snacks.

1. Smoothies
2. Oatmeal
3. Pancakes
4. Muffins
5. Waffles
6. Cereal – as a milk replacement – I used to do this very regularly when I was training for a Sprint Triathlon after my first daughter was born.  It is so quick and easy!

In a pinch, I love that I can mix the various Designer Whey Protein Powders with water and go.  No prep required.  I am so about getting delicious and done!

Happy “In a Pinch” Eating To You Today!

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Where does the time go? Summer is coming to a close, the kids have headed back to school and my precious baby boy is almost four months old (Wow!) Meanwhile, I feel like I’m still trying to figure out a day-to- day routine.  Despite my grand plans of jumping “back in the saddle” and shrinking back to my pre-pregnancy weight as quickly as possible, I have barely begun. I know, I know, “it’s only been four months,” you say, but it’s discouraging when you look in the mirror and the person looking back isn’t who you remember.

Finding the motivation, time and energy to start a new routine (or return to an old one) can seem like a mountain looming ahead.  Some days I feel strong, empowered and ready to go! “Tomorrow,” I think. “Tomorrow will be the perfect day to start getting back into shape!”  And then tomorrow comes and despite my optimism, it doesn’t go as planned and before I know it, another week has passed without so much as a single crunch, lunge or cardio routine.  DRAT. I’ve decided to use the headache of back to school as my motivator!

 I have to get up early to get my 6^th grader to school on time, (6^th grader ?!?) Getting up an extra 20 minutes early to get in a little cardio or do a quick ab routine while she gets ready and the little ones (and Hubby) sleep is the perfect “window” for me.  It’s not a lot of time, but that little bit allows me to feel a sense of accomplishment (no matter how small) and gives me hope that I will soon be able to get the rest of my day moving a little more smoothly! To coin a phrase, “Just do it!”

Oh, and a brownie at the end of the day doesn’t hurt either! While not as “gooey” or “dense” as the classic, these chocolate-y treats have been a hit with the whole family, so here’s the recipe to reward you for getting the ball rolling!

Andrea’s “Fudgy” Black Bean Brownies 

2 scoops Designer Whey Chocolate protein powder
Nonstick cooking spray
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon espresso powder or instant coffee (single-serve packets work great here)
¾ cup egg substitute
½ cup non-fat yogurt, any flavor 
¼ cup granulated Splenda or Stevia in the Raw
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

¼ cup fat-free cream cheese, room-temperature
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons Splenda (or Stevia in the Raw)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the beans, cocoa powder, espresso powder, protein powder and egg substitute and yogurt in the bowl of a food processor (or heavy-duty blender.) Process until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through.

Add the Splenda (or stevia) and vanilla. Process until all ingredients are combined, about 1 minute.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, turning the dish halfway through the baking time. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out with soft batter clinging to it. (The trick is to slightly under-bake.)

For the frosting, whip cream cheese, splenda (or stevia) and cocoa-powder until combined and fluffy.

Let the brownies cool completely in the baking dish on a wire rack. Cut into twelve squares. Frost using a Ziploc baggie with a corner trimmed off and make “kiss” sized dollops (see pic) and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Posted in Andrea M. | 1 Comment

Ever feel cranky?  You wake up in the morning and EVERYTHING goes wrong?  Sometimes I feel like I cannot pull myself out of my morning slump.  I open my eyes and sluggishness takes over.  A slug has taken over my eyelids. Yuck!  I step out of bed, drag myself to the kitchen, step in the dog’s bowl of water, and discover the house is a mess.  The counters are still dirty from the night before.  There are toys on the floor and a mountain of laundry to put away.  I am in a bad mood!  Grr!

So what CAN help me out of this bad mood?  One thing that helps me is proper nutrition.  Foods can increase our energy or deplete our energy.  One of the biggest energy suckers is sugar.  There are many negative side effects to sugar, including feeding cancer cells, increasing your risk for Alzheimer’s, contributing to hormone imbalance, and gaining weight and fat.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want ANY of those side effects.  My daughter, Britney, wanted to let you know that sugar causes sugar bugs in your teeth!  And they probably do not exist, but cavities definitely do!

Do you think food does not have an effect on your brain chemistry?  Think again.  Everything we put into our bodies becomes a living part of us.  So choose wisely.  Today!  Every day! 

Ever cruised the aisles of the grocery store and wondered if the food is good for you?  I did not used to think about all of the bad stuff in our food.  Now when I go through the grocery store, I see aisles and aisles of stuff that will not help make my body healthy: crackers, chips, candy, cereals, prepackaged foods, and frozen meals.  Many of these foods have extra ingredients that are not really food. 

There is great stuff out there!  You just have to find it!  Even in the prepackaged, frozen foods, and chips and crackers departments!  Just do your research and read ALL the ingredients and know what they mean.  It takes time to get knowledgeable about nutrition.  I have heard from two friends of mine recently about a popular brand of chips with MSG, which is not listed on the label, causing them headaches.  MSG, food dyes, and other additives are not going to help us get healthy.

So what is safe?  Designer Whey has a great healthy product, low in fat, high in healthy whey protein.   My personal favorite, French Vanilla, is sweetened with a natural sweetener called Stevia   Awesome!  I enjoy knowing that my kids get the taste of sugar without the side effects of weight gain and craziness that sugar can cause in kids.  Britney would also like to let you know too much sugar can make you wild!  Watch out for that!  We do not want any wild kids, grown-ups, or grown up children!

So, here is my soothing Cranky-Attitude Busting Smoothie: 

Strawberry Bliss

1 scoop French Vanilla Designer Whey Protein Powder
6 – 8 Strawberries
4 cubes ice
½ cup Coconut Milk, Organic Milk, or Organic Soy Milk
1 small piece ginger – less than 1 tsp
1/8 cup pistachios – Roasted and Salted is fine

Blend well and enjoy!

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‘Twas the week of recovery and all through my body, not a muscle was twitching, not even my patoddy (eat your heart out Dr. Seuss!)…  and yah, well, that’s a load, but I did enjoy the lightened workouts!

Recovery is a good thing.  It gave me an opportunity to let my calves unwind a bit and to have a mental breather.  Most of my workouts were shortened to about 20 minutes and the intensity was dialed way down…  like 1-900-sir-jogs-a lot and kick them nasty thoughts!  Anyone?  What- you didn’t know this was a musical blog?

This week was also good in the diet department.  I upped my intake of protein by almost 50% and I learned a few things about when I should take my supplements.  You see, there is a window of maximization for absorption immediately after you work out.  I was a bit late in gobbling up my DW shakes after I worked out and realized that I wasn’t being very efficient with this aspect of my training.  So, now I have half a shake before I go out for the energy boost and a shake and a half within 20 minutes after to help with recovery.  I definitely noticed less muscle fatigue and soreness.  I prefer the DW chocolate shakes- they’re a great size to pound down real quick.  I also have access to some freaking delicious bars that we just released.  I’m really not trying to plug this for work- I have a couple a day and they taste like a candy bar.  Hook up the chocolate caramel flavor- 10 grams of protein and only 170 calories! And did I mention they are scrumdiddiliumptious (I’m not sure that Webster has my back on that one, but you get the point- they are good).

The other interesting part about my week was that by the end of it I had such a mental shift in perspective.  I was about 90% pain-free and found myself enjoying the workouts more.  It was a far cry from the way I felt during previous weeks. 

Now, this wouldn’t be an authentic jogger-blogger post without a little meat between the bread slices, ok?  I do want to share something my wife told me as we were chatting about this subject over lunch.  She feels like when she is constantly “nagging” me to do things around the house for her that she sees the burden of letting her down on me.  She says I “wear it-“ in my posture, on my face and in my eyes.  She admitted that sometimes she wouldn’t bother me about things because she knows I’m trying (or she was too fed up).  The coolest part is that in letting me up for air she noticed a change in my attitude.  She said I was more apt to help out around the house because she was giving me space.  I suppose it was easier to do some dishes and fold some laundry because I wasn’t being beat down by her continual “reminding.”  It’s as if my performance as a husband increased even though I wasn’t cutting it in prior weeks. 

Although it seems a bit opposite of conventional logic, giving those we love space to repair, to heal, to gain perspective…  can ultimately achieve that which we were pushing for in the first place.  Pounding my body into the ground week after week will actually allow me a better chance to succeed if I can pair it with some time off (or a lightened load)…  muscles and relationships, it seems, can become strengthened with a little less intensity from time to time.

Thanks for reading party people- I do enjoy sharing with you.  If you’ve got something nice to say (we all know what NOT to do if you don’t), then hit me up on our wall.  I would love to hear from you.

[The FDA, NWO, NASCAR or any other acronym you can think of have not approved the above statements.  They are the sole opinions and ramblings of your resident jogger-blogger…  and oh yeah, “patoddy” is seussian for buttocks…  not really, but that’s what I meant.]

Posted in David Ewing | 1 Comment

I can’t believe that I’ve finished my second week already… 

Actually, let me rephrase:  I can’t believe I’ve finished my second week…period.  Every step I took on every run was pain.  My calves are knotted up and my knees feel like brittle branches one pinecone away from breaking.  I feel like the pace of these workouts is increasing too rapidly.  It cast doubt as to whether or not I can finish into every corner of my mind as I laced up for each day’s gauntlet.  I say gauntlet, because it truly feels like every molehill, gust of wind, ray of sunshine, skinny girl in spandex and pebble that lay before me was conspiring to stop me.  I’m sure I was a sight to see, wincing in pain with that bitter-beer face scrunched up, as I made my way though the run.

The cool part about my week though was that I heard from several people in the company about their own struggles to be consistent…  whether that was in workouts or diets or what-have-you.  It was actually encouraging for me to see that I was not alone in my increasing desire to quit or to go easy.  I think I was under the impression that it was a cakewalk for them- like somehow they had it all together because they seemed better off than me.  The real interesting part is how different we all are- how we are in such different spots in our health and fitness (and in life) and yet, somehow, we can still relate.

There are a group of women from my work that can literally run circles around me…  one actually did because I was plodding along so slowly (I was harnessing my inner turtle!).  They are in such better shape than I am, but are still challenged daily with eating right and exercising to the standards they’ve set for themselves.  In that sense we are very much in the same boat- in a constant state of construction to erect discipline and devotion in our lives.  Since they made themselves vulnerable, I benefitted and became empowered to forge ahead knowing new challenges await me!

It makes me think about my life outside of training and how when I’m going through a difficult time, I may be reluctant to share in that with someone. There may be fear of sounding weak or like a drama-king… or it could be that I just don’t want to burden anyone with my problems.  The crazy thing is that sharing hardships isn’t just about you dumping on someone else about your life.  It can help the other person (or people) to gain perspective- to see that their situation is better off than yours!  It can also foster an environment where the person you’re unloading on feels safe to discuss their own challenges.  Finally, it gives someone else the opportunity to pour love and compassion into you which can do wonders for their own self-apathy.  Nothing works better to pull you out of your mud-hole like doing something for someone else!

The parallels between running or working out and real life is staggering to me.  I was always a sucker for a good sports analogy, but living it out and seeing fruit has been quite the maturation process.  I have definitely reaped more than I bargained for in accepting this 5k challenge.  The encouragement and advice I get from my support system at Designer Whey is profound.  Someday I will be on the other end of this and that gets me excited.

I’m curious to hear what workout epiphanies you’ve realized?  Leave a comment and I look forward to doing this again next week…  why don’t you have your people call my people and we’ll do Facebook.

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