Dear Client,

Forge Online Fitness & Nutrition Coaching is pleased to serve you by developing programs that fit your individual

needs and enhance the quality of life. With Forge, I have carefully constructed a fitness solution that integrates

education, professional assistance and accountability to maximize your experience. I look forward to partnering

with you on this fitness journey and invite you to communicate openly and directly.

I understand the challenges that surround fitness and proper nutrition in our modern world of processed foods,

demanding careers and lack of time or energy. It is my personal goal to support you and eliminate some of the

frustration that comes with jumpstarting or maintaining a fitness program I wish to see your success last a

lifetime and prepare you to make better nutrition choices and build the positive fitness habits that inspire

consistency in your workouts.

This document is intended to be a source of education and helpful information so you can maximize your results.

If you have any specific questions, simply contact me and I will be happy to assist you!

In health,

Michael S. Parker CPT, NASM, NESTA 916 742 4394 website | facebook | appointments

Welcome!

Proper nutrition is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle and critical to personal performance. Individuals must ensure their

food intake is aligned with their sport and personal goals by consuming whole foods with high nutrient density. This

means avoiding “fast” foods, processed or pre-packaged-high preservative foods. If you sacrifice quality for convenience,

the results will show in poor performance and declined health. We highly encourage our clients to choose foods such as

vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and clean fats.

Protein - 4 calories per gram: Protein is in every living cell in the body. Our bodies need protein from the foods we eat to

build and maintain bones, muscles and skin. We get proteins in our diet from meat, dairy products, nuts and certain grains

and beans. Proteins from meat and other animal products are complete proteins. This means they supply all of the amino

acids the body can't make on its own. Plant proteins are incomplete. You must combine them to get all of the amino acids

your body needs. It is important to get enough dietary protein. You need to eat protein every day, because your body

doesn't store it the way it stores fats or carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates – 4 calories per gram: are the most important source of energy for your body. Your digestive system

changes carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar). Your body uses this sugar for energy for your cells, tissues and organs.

It stores any extra sugar in your liver and muscles for when it is needed. Carbohydrates are called simple or complex,

depending on their chemical structure. Simple carbohydrates include sugars found naturally in foods such as fruits,

vegetables, milk, and milk products. They also include sugars added during food processing and refining. Complex

carbohydrates include whole grain breads and cereals, starchy vegetables and legumes. Many of the complex

carbohydrates are good sources of fiber.

Fat (Lipids) – 9 calories per gram: Despite common belief, fat is a type of nutrient. You need some fat in your diet but not

too much. Fats give you energy and will help your body absorb vitamins. Dietary fat also plays a major role in

your cholesterol levels. But not all fats are the same. You should try to avoid Saturated fats such as butter, solid shortening,

and lard along with Trans fats found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other

foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs). Try to replace them with oils such as canola, olive,

safflower, sesame, or sunflower.

Hydration - The American Council on Exercise has suggested the following basic guidelines for drinking water before,

during, and after exercise:

• Drink 17 to 20 ounces of water 2 to 3 hours before you start exercising

• Drink 8 ounces of water 20 to 30 minutes before you start exercising or during your warm-up

• Drink 7 to 10 ounces of water every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise

• Drink 8 ounces of water no more than 30 minutes after you exercise

Clients may want to measure how much fluid they lose while training to get a more specific measurement of how much

water to drink - 16 to 24 ounces of water for every pound of body weight lost.

Nutrition Basics

Signs of Dehydration - Dehydration is the result of expelling more water than you consume. When your body doesn’t have enough water, it can’t work properly. Dehydration can range from mild to severe with symptoms ranging from:

• Dizziness or lightheaded feeling

• Nausea or vomiting

• Muscle cramps

• Dry mouth

• Lack of sweating

• Hard, fast heartbeat

Symptoms of severe dehydration can include mental confusion, weakness, and loss of consciousness. Also, darker colored

urine may be a sign of dehydration.

Catabolic and Anabolic states - A catabolic state means that your body is breaking down tissue. Whenever you work out,

whether it's cardio or weightlifting, you're causing tiny tears in your muscle. The longer and harder you work out, the more

damage you'll cause to your muscle tissue. Conversely an anabolic state means that your body is building or repairing

tissue. When you rest, your body goes into damaged muscle tissue and begins repairing it. It's during rest, not exercise

that you actually put on all of your size.

The importance of snacks each day - Most people have time to eat a good lunch and dinner, but it’s the snacks in between and getting a complete breakfast that are the most difficult – and the most important. This is where the modern meal

replacement product can be beneficial. However, one must be very careful when selecting pre-packaged meal

replacement products. A quality meal replacement should have the proper ratio of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and a

low glycemic index. It is important to find low sugar and minimally processed bars and shakes to keep in line with the

whole food approach of proper nutrition.

Supplements – Proper supplementation is a helpful tool when looking to make adaptations to the body and add additional

nutrients. However, supplements should be whole-food based or a trusted source. Products like multi-vitamins and

minerals, antioxidants, meal replacement, and exercise recovery products should be minimally processed and used

sparingly. Supplements should be used to help make up deficits in nutrition and not be the primary source of sustenance.

Plan your meals: Meal planning and preparation is a fundamental key to success. Modern lifestyle and the on-the-go

culture make meal planning a necessity for maintaining proper meal timing, calorie control and nutritional quality. Meals

can be prepared and 3 or even 5 days in advance and placed in containers with the appropriate ratio and calorie value.

This will allow you to properly manage food intake and ensure caloric intake is in line with your objective.

Track your intake: When you track and journal what you are eating you become more accountable for what you’re eating. You’ll be less likely to eat that donut if you have to write it in your journal and see the calories in black and white. We

recommend applications such as My Fitness Pal because it syncs to your Forge Personal Training Trainorize mobile app.

Habit One: Eat Slowly and Stop at 80% Full

Many of us eat far too quickly. At each meal, we expect to eat to the point of fullness. However, this type of eating presents

challenges to leanness, performance and health regardless of the type of foods we choose. This habit is absolutely critical

and may be the most important habit to ensuring your success. It will teach you to slow down and to listen to your hunger

and appetite cues which will help you stop eating at the right time. This habit doesn’t have much to do with what you eat but how you eat which plays a very important role in your success.

Why? It take about 20 minutes for our satiety mechanisms to kick in. In other words, the communication from our gut, to

our brain, and back is slow. Because of this, if you eat quickly, you’re likely to eat too much in the time period before your

brain says, “I’m content. You can stop eating now.”

The goal is to strive for about 15-20 minutes per meal (at a minimum). This an ambitious goal but definitely where we

want to be. Have a seat; slow down; and eliminate distractions by turning off your phone and the television. Take smaller

bites and chew your food slowly and completely. One little habit that has worked for countless others is to put down your

fork between bites. When you slow down this way, you tend to eat fewer calories with each meal, drink more water with

each meal, and better tune into your appetite cues.

How You Should Feel Timeline

Hour 0: Immediately after

You’re still a little hungry. It will take roughly 15-20 minutes before you feel a sense of satisfaction. If you are a fast eater,

wait it out before you go for more.

Hour 1: One Hour after Finishing

You should still feel satisfied with no desire to eat.

Hour 2: Two Hours after Finishing

You may start to feel a little hungry, like you could eat something, but the feeling isn’t overwhelming. This would be a good time for a small snack like veggies and cheese, or veggies and nuts. Especially if you know that you won’t have the chance to eat for a couple of hours.

Hour 3: Three Hours after Finishing

You should feel like it’s time for the next meal. Your hunger should be a 7 or 8 on a scale of 10. Not really hungry yet? You

likely had too much food at your previous meal.

Hour 4: More than Four Hours after Finishing

You’re quite hungry and nothing is going to get between you and your next meal! This is when we are feeling like “I’m so hungry I could eat just about anything.” Don’t let yourself get to this point. Have some healthy snacks prepared so that you aren’t tempted to make poor eating decisions.

Habits & Nutritional Lifestyle

Habit Two: Eat Protein Dense Foods with Each Meal

The research is pretty clear here: quality protein sources are essential for achieving your best health, body composition,

and performance. It is very hard to achieve your goals without a proper protein intake.

Keep these things in mind:

• Women should aim for a portion size that is roughly equivalent to the size of the palm of their hand without the

fingers.

• Men should aim for a portion size that is equivalent to two palms.

This should ensure that you have adequate protein intake, proper metabolism stimulation, improved muscle composition,

and a reduction in body fat and recovery time.

Examples of Quality Protein Dense Sources

• Lean meats such as beef, chicken, turkey, bison, and venison

• Fish such as salmon, tuna, cod, and roughy

• Eggs

• Dairy: cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, cheese (depending on your tolerance)

• Coconut milk

• Beans, peas, legumes, and fermented tofu or tempeh

Habit Three: Eat Vegetables with Every Meal

Plants provide essential micronutrients and phytonutrients to the body. The give you the most bang for the buck when it

comes to providing the most nutrition for the least amount of calories. Another important quality of vegetables is that

they provide an alkaline load to the blood. Both proteins and grains provide acid loads to the blood so vegetables provide

the healthy blood pH balance that we need. Too much acid and not enough alkalinity means the loss of bone strength and

muscle mass. To ensure that you stay balanced and get enough vegetables:

• Aim to eat at least 1-2 fist-sized servings of vegetables with every meal

• Women should aim for one closed-fist size portion while men should aim for two closed-fist size portions

• Aim for 1 cupped handful of fruits at 1-2 meals per day.

• If that seems like a lot more than what you are used to, work up to it. Start with a little less and work towards the

above recommendations.

Habits & Nutritional Lifestyle

Habit Four: Eat Carbohydrate Dense Foods with Most Meals, Especially after Exercise

The old USDA Food Pyramid recommended 50-55% of calories to come from carbohydrates, for everyone. Then in the late

90’s the Atkins and South Beach diets recommended nearly zero carbohydrates. The current fad is “Paleo” which recommends avoiding grains and other foods like dairy. The current research, however, indicates that optimal results lie

in an intake somewhere in between.

The specific intake of carbohydrates really depends on body type and physical activity level. The fact is, if people just

consumed a small amount of carbohydrates with most meals, and had a good chunk of them within a 3 hour window post-

workout they would be meeting their body’s specific needs for carbohydrates. Additionally, meals would be more satisfying and consistent.

We recommend that a majority of carbohydrates come from whole, minimally processed sources and that it is ok to have

some carb-free meals. The truth, according to research, is that your body needs carbohydrates to fuel and to recover from

your activity. In fact, carb intake post-exercise introduces much needed glucose back into the body to refuel the process

by which your body re-makes ATP for energy and it raises your metabolic rate. This helps you burn calories more efficiently

throughout the day.

To ensure you are eating a reasonable amount here is what we recommend:

• Women should aim for 1 cupped handful of carbohydrate dense foods with most meals

• Men should aim for 2 cupped handfuls of carbohydrates with most meals

Examples of Carbohydrate Dense Foods:

• Breads and cereal grains (preferably whole or sprouted grain)

• Pastas (preferably whole or sprouted grain)

• Rice (whole grain, minimally processed)

• Oats (whole, steel-cut, or old-fashioned)

• Quinoa (loaded with protein)

• Potatoes and sweet potatoes

• Corn

• Legumes, beans, lentils

• Fruit (all varieties; esp. berries)

Habits & Nutritional Lifestyle

Habit Five: Eat Healthy Fat Dense Foods with Most Meals

About 30% of your calories should come from fat. This sounds like a lot but really this is the optimal amount of intake to

ensure a healthy fat distribution. It is easier than you may think and by including a small amount of healthy fat dense foods

with every meal you will meet your daily needs.

• Women should aim for 1 thumb of fat dense foods

• Men should aim for 2 thumbs of fat dense foods.

Your diet should be made up of a balance of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats.

Saturated Fats

• Animal fats (in eggs, dairy, meats, butter, chesses, etc.)

• Coconut oil, and other non-sweetened coconut products

Monounsaturated Fats

• Most nuts,

• Olives, olive oil

• Avocado, guacamole

• Peanut butter

Polyunsaturated Fats

• Fish oil, algae oil

• Most seeds

• Brazil nuts

The idea for this guide is to get away from calorie counting and establish healthy habits that one can live with. Restricting

foods, calorie counting, and an unhealthy labeling of “good vs. bad” foods is counterproductive when it comes to

establishing healthy eating patterns and, to be quite honest, it is demotivating and boring. Variety is the spice of life. Get

out there and try some new things. Who knows, you may just find a new favorite food.

Habits & Nutritional Lifestyle

Nutritional Lifestyle & Choices

EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES, and drink mostly water as your usual beverage. Unsweetened green tea, and black

coffee are good choices for something with a little extra flavor. Our bodies are made up of 60% water and water plays a

key role in most physiological functions. Your health, weight loss, and performance will all suffer if you don’t drink enough

water. With regular exercise, most of us should be taking in about 16 cups of water.

STAY AWAY FROM ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS. Artificial sweeteners will hamper your performance, slow down your

metabolism, and damage your body’s ability to regulate insulin levels. There is no nutritional benefit provided to your

body by artificial sources. By eliminating these sweeteners, you will look better, feel better, sleep better, and reduce the

risk of headache or migraine. Finally, artificial sweeteners are especially troubling to a woman’s physiological functions and can be particularly threatening to their reproductive systems.

EAT MOSTLY WHOLE, MINIMALLY PROCESSED FOODS When in doubt, eat as close to nature as possible. If what you’re eating is more than a couple of steps away from how nature made it, make another choice. No pill, powder, or supplement

can come close to matching the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are inherent to whole food. Don’t rely on multivitamins and other supplements to do the job that a diet rich in whole, real foods can provide.

PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE FOOD IN ADVANCE Many people find that often the most challenging component of healthy

eating isn’t necessarily choosing which foods are going to be the right ones or even understanding how much or what

kinds of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to eat. The hardest part is consistently eating those foods. This can be even

more difficult with a stressful job or a complicated schedule. If you take the time to prepare some of those foods in advance

it will be much easier to stay consistent. This may mean pre-cooking meals or prepping a bunch of foods on Sunday for

the upcoming week. Make it a family event. Make it fun. Make it convenient to eat good choices for the week ahead.

EAT AS WIDE A VARIETY OF GOOD FOODS AS POSSIBLE Most of us eat in a very habitual manner. We eat the same

breakfast foods; the same lunches; the same dinners quite often and sometimes every day. Include seasonal foods by

shopping at the local farmer’s market. Ask for preparation advice or a recipe from the vendor and try something new.

Instead of pasta, bread, and rice; try quinoa, amaranth, barley, couscous, or lentils. Search for a new recipe on the internet

and try it out.

PLAN TO BREAK THE RULES 10% OF THE TIME 1 out of 10 of your meals will be non-compliant. It will get away from

portion sizes or might be more carbohydrate or fat than normal. It might be an extra-large steak at an anniversary or

birthday dinner. This is challenging but not impossible and virtually no one is going to be 100% meal compliant. The

important thing is to allow yourself to have a cheat meal or a food that you wouldn’t normally eat while trying to lose weight. Enjoy it. Move on.

Habits & Nutritional Lifestyle

Food Groups & Nutrient Density

Now that you know exactly which foods to choose, you're ready to handpick the foods you enjoy and put them all together

into your own personalized meals and menu plans. Creating effective, result-producing menus is quite easy once you know

the simple formula.

Step 1: Choose a lean protein from the list for every meal.

Step 2: Choose a complex carbohydrate from the list for breakfast and post-workout meals.

Step 3: Choose a veggie from for every meal.

Step 4: Choose a thumb sized portion of healthy fat for every meal.

Step 5: Assign a time for each meal.

Step 6: Prepare your meals ahead of time whenever possible.

Breakfasts (meals one and two)

Because you'll be eating five or six meals a day and the first two meals will probably be in the morning, we'll call meals

one and two "breakfasts" for simplicity. The first step in creating a breakfast is to select a protein such as eggs. The second

step is to choose a starchy carbohydrate such as oatmeal. The third step, which is optional, is to pick a natural simple

carbohydrate such as an orange. Now all you have to do is adjust your portion sizes to fit your personal calorie needs.

There you have it. As easy as one-two-three, instant meal! Here are several examples.

Of course, there's no reason whatsoever why you can't have green vegetables and chicken breast for breakfast if that's

what you want. However, this isn't what most people would consider an appetizing or “traditional” breakfast. Traditional breakfasts usually consist of either hot or cold cereal for complex carbohydrates, a piece of fruit for simple carbohydrates

and eggs, protein powder or a dairy product for protein. Nutrition is very personalized so if you like to change it up, just

keep the ratios in check and be creative.

Lunches and dinners (meals three through six)

Meals three through six will usually fall in the afternoon and evening, so group these meals together and call them “lunches and dinners”. As with all meals, you begin by selecting a lean protein such as fish or chicken breast. Second, you choose a starchy carbohydrate such as a baked potato. Third, you choose a fibrous carbohydrate such as broccoli. Here are four

examples:

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4

Chicken breast

Baked potato

Broccoli

Top round steak

Yam

Green beans

Salmon

Brown rice

Asparagus

Tuna, real mayo, mustard

Sprouted-grain bread

Salad

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4

Veggie omelet w/

cheese

Sprouted grain toast

Orange

Protein powder

Steel cut oats

Banana

Scrambled eggs

Whole wheat toast

Butter

Whole grain cereal

Skim milk

Protein shake

How to Create Your Menu

Eating out can be very challenging when trying to stay within your nutrition plan, but it is not impossible. With some

specific instructions to your server you can have a healthier choice even in a restaurant. Below we've compiled some ideas

for different types of restaurants.

Breakfast: Order a veggie omelet and skip or get a half order of cheese. You may add any vegetables that you want into

it. Request 1 or 2 (women v. men) slices of whole-wheat toast with light butter. Better yet just ask for the butter on the

side so that you can make sure that you get the right amount.

Chinese: Order steamed chicken, shrimp or scallops. Remember that you can ask for a mix of shrimp and chicken. Request

steamed vegetables instead of rice. To add flavor if you like spicy food, use the dry chili pepper flakes. You can also use

their plum sauce, ginger or lite soy sauce. Most of all, pay attention to portion control. This is high-calorie food and easy

to overdo.

Continental: Order any grilled fish or chicken breast without butter, oil or sauce. Just ask that it be cooked with seasonings

but no fat. Top with diced onions, tomatoes, or steamed spinach. Ask for the vegetable of the day to be steamed without

butter. Ask for olive oil or butter on the side to control the portions.

Italian: Order grilled fish, such as snapper, or chicken breast, without butter, oil or sauce, smothered in steamed spinach

with garlic and tomato sauce on the side and steamed asparagus or other vegetable. Italian can be very high calorie with

pastas and sauces so be mindful.

Mexican: Instead of chips, ask for corn tortillas, dip in the hot sauce and enjoy just like the fried chips. Order fish or chicken

breast rolled in Mexican spices and char-grilled with no fat. Smother the fish or chicken in Pico de Gallo and get some

steamed vegetables on the side. You can also order grilled chicken fajitas without the skin, butter or oil. Place the chicken

breast in corn tortillas with onion, Pico de Gallo, or salsa. Actually, grilled shrimp fajitas without butter or oil, wrapped in

corn tortillas is a great meal and will contain less fat and calories than the chicken fajitas! Add all the Pico you want.

Seafood: Order a low fat fish, rolled in the same seasonings they blacken their fish with. Ask for it to be chargrilled without

butter, oil or fat. Most seafood establishments offer Pico de Gallo which goes great over grilled fish. Ask for a plain baked

potato topped with salsa or mustard and steamed veggies. A great choice if you like seafood is ceviche or shrimp cocktail

with a baked potato.

Steak House: Filet mignon not only tastes great but has the least amount of fat of all the steaks, but be sure to order the

petite size. You may also order a grilled lobster tail without the butter, a plain baked potato topped with salsa, catsup or

mustard, and steamed vegetables such as asparagus or broccoli.

Sushi: Order the shrimp or cucumber rolls, crab or California rolls made without mayo or fish eggs. Other items that would

be a great choice include scallops, snapper, flounder and tuna. Be sure to use the light soy sauce for less sodium.

How to Create Your Menu

Q How can eating six meals per day actually help me lose fat?

A There are three reasons why eating frequently, in the range of five to six small meals per day, helps you lose weight.

First, smaller meals are less likely to be stored as fat. This is because the body will more efficiently metabolize calories in

smaller quantities and reduce the excess energy which may be converted to fat. Second, frequent meals help stabilize

blood sugar levels and control insulin, especially if the food choices are low in glycemic yield and regulated to your current

activity levels. This insulin & glucagon control helps you stay in a fat burning state of lipolysis. Lastly, every time you eat,

your metabolism is raised (meaning you use up more food as energy) due to a process called thermogenesis.

Thermogenesis is simply the name for the process of your body burning calories during the digestion process.

Q Do carbohydrates make you fat?

A Consuming more calories each day than you burn makes you fat. Carbs and proteins each provide 4 calories per gram

and fat holds 9 calories per gram. It is the total combination of calorie consumption that determines if excess calories are

stored as fat. However, there are “good carbs” and “bad carbs”. There are also carbs that fit somewhere in the middle. Bad carbs are highly processed and refined comprised mostly of simple sugars. This would include things like the refined

flour found in cake, traditional pancakes, regular tortillas, white bagels, etc. Potato chips, candies and product containing

high fructose corn syrup are even worse. These carbs elicit a large insulin spike in the body and are easily converted to fat.

These are called “high glycemic index” type carbohydrates. It is recommended we consume carbohydrates that are

predominantly whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. In addition, it is usually wise to combine your carbs with protein

sources. The protein diminishes the negative “insulin-spiking” effect of carbs. The lean proteins, combined with the fibrous carbs you are eating will minimize or eliminate any negative effects of the whole grains and fruit.

Q. What about alcohol, can I still drink during my transformation?

A. Alcohol is essentially a toxin and as soon as it is ingested, your body will begin working hard and fast to eliminate and

neutralize it. Alcohol also interferes with your metabolism which will take you out of a “fat burning” state, and lower your

body’s ability to produce those crucial muscle-building, fat-burning hormones that you are working hard to build. Alcohol

also has a dilatory effect on your liver, cellular process and cerebral acuity.

Q. What about eating out at restaurants?

A. For those times when you must eat out, don’t be afraid to ask for “special” preparation instructions for your food. One

of the greatest challenges with restaurant dining is the hidden ingredients and unknown food qualities. Many restaurants

will list their nutritional facts and if they are not published on the menu, the chef or management may have access to that

data and will share with you. When in doubt, the best options may be a lean piece of fish or chicken, some “dry vegetables” (no added butter or oil) and a baked sweet potato or brown rice. It is recommended fast food be avoided as it is nearly

always rich in calories and very low in nutritional quality.

Quick Nutrition FAQ

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