JP Fitness and Nutrition Coaching

𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐘𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒

🛡 Save this for a quick reference for cook times!

All air fryers are different so these are "loose" cook times and temperatures to get you in the right ballpark and then you can adjust, as needed.

I use mine several times a week for prepping chicken or making a quick side of veggies or potatoes for dinner. Such a time saver!

Some tips -
🌀 Air fryers cook with cyclonic air, instead of oil to get that crispiness.

‼️The vent in the back is VERY hot so be sure to pull it away from your countertop wall
converting recipes from oven to air fryer can reduce cooking times 20% approx.

🤬 They're a B@ #$ to clean so take a sheet of tin foil and line the bottom. When you're done cooking just toss the foil!

⬆️ If you're planning to invest in one, I highly suggest you go for a larger (5 quart) or larger because if you want to cook something like potatoes, chicken and veggies for just yourself at the same time - you'll need that extra space. The small ones are better for one item at a time so you'd have to do several batch cooks for each item. The larger ones take up some real estate on the counter, BUT they'll save you time.

We have the Power Air Fryer XL 5.3 Quart. Amazon has it listed on sale right now for $75 (reg. $100).

Are you refueling your body after your workouts? Here’s some key point for giving your body what it needs after a workout.

1️⃣ lower fat foods that are easier to digest
2️⃣ 1:3 protein to carb ratio
3️⃣ a protein shake is the easiest and fastest way to refuel followed by a regular meal 2-3 hours later.

My top 3 Supplements 💊 🐟 💪🏼

Do you need a protein supplement? No. Might it help you from a convenience standpoint? Yup! Investing in a high quality protein powder is handy if you find it difficult to hit your daily protein goals, you aren’t able to cook or prep as often as you’d like, you’re constantly on the go, or don’t have time for a sit down meal.

Vit-D does a TON for our body. It’s the only vitamin that acts like a hormone. It promotes calcium absorption, optimized thyroid function and supports your immune system... to name a few.

Omega 3 (fish oil) is SO
beneficial for ALL, not just those that workout or do intense cardio like running. It’s crucial for heart, cognitive, joint, connective tissue and inflammatory balances.

Creatine Monohydrate helps increase muscle size and strength, enhances recovery, helps improve anaerobic capacity and helps improve brain function and mental cognition. For those that wonder about it causing bloat - staying around 3-5g daily should not cause water retention.

Do you ever refer to that area under your glutes as the "under butt"? 🍑

That “under butt” area is your Glute Max. The Glute Max is a large muscle and so when trained through various movements, different points of the Glute Max will be more challenged.

My favorite exercises for myself and for my clients are those that are most difficult in the lengthened position:

🍑 Deadlifts
🍑 Leg Press
🍑 Split Squats
🍑 Squats
🍑 Walking Lunges

☝🏼These types of exercises challenge the glutes when they are in their lengthened (stretched) position. For example, the bottom position of a walking lunge, the bottom position of a squat, or the bottom position of a leg press.

We've got the under butt covered so now let's round out that b***y with some glute moves to target the upper point of the Glute Max. As you probably guessed, these are exercises toughest in the shortened (contracted) position such as:

🍑 Hip Thrusts
🍑 Glute Bridge
🍑 Hyper Back Extensions

Prioritize that glute max as it’s our biggest glute muscle, and who doesn’t want b***y gains?!

🛒 Grocery Staples & Meal Planning 📝

We all have our methods when it comes to grocery shopping. What I do and encourage my clients to do as well, is to shop by categories and/or macros. When you're writing out your list, organizing and buying 2-3 things from each of the following groups will result in a well balanced shopping cart of eats.

My standard list looks like this:

🥩 Protein: 97/3% ground turkey, egg whites, chicken breasts, seasoned tuna pouches, turkey jerky & Greek yogurt

🥔 Carbs: Microwaveable rice, variety of potatoes, salted rice cakes, baby carrots & whole grain wraps

🥑 Fats: cream cheese, nut butter, avocado, eggs

🥗 Non starchy veggies: green beans, riced cauliflower, asparagus, spring mix, spinach

🍎 Fruits: bananas, cuties and blueberries

When you unload your haul into your kitchen...

💦 🔪 Wash and chop your veggies so they're ready to rock next time you're grazing for a snack - you'll be WAY more likely to go for veggies if the prep work is already done.

👩‍🍳 🍗 Cook a few days worth of meat so you have some lean proteins to throw into quick lunches & dinners (brown and season some ground turkey, throw a few chicken breasts into the air fryer or instantpot). Keep seasoning minimal with s&p & then spice it up more for whatever dish you decide to make the next couple days.

🫐 🥒 Store your fruits & veggies at eye level and not tucked away down in a dark drawer where you'll likely forget about them.

Meal planning tips:

👉🏼 plan your meals around your protein source first & then add some carbs & fats i.e.: if you have prepped ground turkey then start there, then choose your carb source (rice, pasta, potato...) and then choose a fat source (cheese, avocado, butter...)

👉🏼 add a fist-size serving of fruits or veggies in every meal to increase fiber & micronutrients!

👉🏼 If you're down with logging food, pre-logging meals the day before is a fool-proof way to get uber organized around meals

👉🏼 prep individual meals OR if you have more flexibility and time in the kitchen you can just store your prepped proteins, veggies, etc in their own containers and then pull from those containers, as needed.

𝙃𝙤𝙬'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚?

Are you making strides towards your goals? Are you seeing results? Or does that workout keep slipping through the cracks?

If you're working out a little here and there, maybe you're doing various workouts you see on Instagram... That's great you're making an effort and being active. Are you seeing results though?

If not, take another step towards your goals and commit to whatever number of days you can train each week. Adhere to that schedule and a structured program for the next 6 weeks and I promise you, you'll see results.

It can feel a little overwhelming at first so DM me if you have questions or need some guidance on your current program or setting up one that works best for you and your schedule.

🍋 🍝 Lemon Herb Spaghetti Squash

Tasty and too easy to make!

Ingredients:
650-750 g spaghetti squash
12-16 oz chicken breast (or shrimp would be good too)
9 g olive oil
25 g butter
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp lemon zest
½ cup chicken stock (or sub dry white wine or half wine, half stock)
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
Salt, pepper, parsley to taste

Directions:
Sauté chicken in oil and butter. Add garlic and sauté for additional 2 min until chicken is cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Add lemon juice and zest, wine/chicken broth, mustard, and seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer until it has thickened some. Whisk in yogurt and parsley.

Combine spaghetti squash, chicken and sauce. Then divide into four servings (or portions that work best for you)! Enjoy!

Macros (for 1/4 of dish):
245 calories
26g protein
19g carbs
8g fat

Are you struggling to uphold a new year's resolution of working out consistently? Feeling like you don't have the time? Consider this... 👇🏼👇🏼

❓ How are you currently using your time? You're reading this right now so I'd say you may have a little extra time in your day 😉. I encourage you over the next few days to write down what you do during the day, and how much time you spend on each task/activity. Be honest about your time management and I bet you could find a few small windows that you could use for a quick workout, a few laps around the office or neighborhood, or prepping lunches or dinner for the next day.

📝 Failing to plan is planning to fail. When we plan ahead, we're not only setting a schedule for the task but also getting mentally prepared as well. Abs being mentally “all in” is a huge factor in adhering to new positive habits. I find that when I time block my to-do's on my calendar, it helps keep me on task and more efficient with my time. And on days that I have less going on, I use that time to get a head start on other more busy days (order groceries online for curbside pickup, plan out a couple dinners for the week, catch up or get ahead on steps for the week...).

⚖️ It doesn't have to be all or nothing. If a 30-60 min workout 3-4x a week is totally undoable for you and your schedule then scale back the plan to 15-20 min 2-3x a week and stay focused on your nutrition and daily movement. Ask for help, delegate tasks. If it’s truly important to you, make adjustments wherever possible.

Who needs a new crockpot recipe? Give this one a try and then enjoy the leftovers with a couple nights off from cooking.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

1 lb lean ground chicken or chicken breast (or grab a rotisserie!)
3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can white/northern beans
1/2 cup Franks buffalo wings sauce
4 oz fat free cream cheese
1 Ranch dry mix packet
2 oz bell pepper (whichever color/flavor you prefer)
1 oz diced white onion
1 can Rotel or diced
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
*a can of corn adds volume and some sweetness too

Cook your chicken and then add all of the ingredients into the crockpot, EXCEPT for the cream cheese. Mix everything together and then add the cream cheese on top.

If you like toppings on your soup and want to keep calories down, try a couple scoops of plain Greek yogurt (in lieu of shredded cheese or sour cream) for added creaminess and an extra boost of protein.

Macros (just soup):
Serving ~ 300g
179 cal / 23 protein / 18 carbs / 1 fat

Remember when the frozen meal aisle was only like 2 door sections? Now, there’s entire aisles with dozens of frozen meals! And thank goodness because with work, kids, life-packed days, at least meals can be quick, when needed.

It’s common though that the meat and veggie portions of these frozen meals are toddler-sized, making the meal low in protein and fiber.

Easy fix? Pimp your frozen meal! Beef it up with extra lean protein like shrimp or lentils, avocado for healthy fats, broccoli, bell peppers and onions to increase the fiber and antioxidants. These nutrients help keep you fuller for longer, so you won't be raiding the pantry an hour later.

This 👆🏼 takes less than 10 minutes which is still fast and gives you an even more nutritious meal.