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Grilled T-bone Steak & Asparagus

Hi there! Summer is here and that means grill-season.  Here, we present you a serious 3-ingredient steak recipe that does not require any steak sauce.

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the 3 ingredients are: Worcestershire sauce, lemon wedges, & any steak seasoning/rub

Grilled T-bone Steak & Asparagus
Prep time: 10 min, cook time ~12 minutes.
Ingredient calories Fat Carb Protein
12 oz T-bone steak (cooked into 10 oz) 544 cal 34 g 56 g
8 oz asparagus (about 15 spears) 43 cal 9 g 6 g
½ tsp oil to drizzle on asparagus 20 cal 3 g
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp steak seasoning/rub
2 slices lemon 4 cal 1 g
3 strawberries 6 cal 1 g
TOTAL 617 cal 37 g fat 11 g carb 62 g protein

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  1. Heat grill on medium high until hot.
  2. Drizzle 1/2 tsp oil on 8 oz asparagus to place on the grill.
  3. Rub steak seasoning on both sides of the steak. Throw on the grill.
  4. Drizzle on a moderate amount of Worcestershire sauce on the side that is facing up. Squeeze a wedge of lemon to tenderize the meat and for flavor.DSC_1215
  5. After 5-7 minutes, flip steak and asparagus over.  Drizzle Worcestershire sauce on top.  Squeeze a wedge of lemon on top and leave it on the steak.
  6. Grill to your desired level. We like ours medium rare 🙂
  7. Enjoy your quick dinner!

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Chicken & Turkey Memorial Day Salad

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When selecting ingredients to add to your grocery list, choose low-carb fruits & vegetables, low-carb cheeses, and lean meats as demonstrated in the photo above.  This is an example of our latest shopping trip for Memorial Day.

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Salads are one of the most flexible and easiest foods you can eat.  You’re free to choose whichever ingredients you want to add to the list to make the ultimate dish. Here, we present you with one of our favorites.  This Turkey & Chicken Salad is a low calorie, high protein & low carb salad mix.

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Recipes makes 2 servings.  Prep time: 15 min

Ingredient kcal Protein Carbs
6 oz oven roasted sliced turkey 230 kcal 51 g  
6 oz boiled chicken breast 270 kcal 52 g  
6 cups Spring Mix Lettuce 40 kcal 4 g 6 g
2 cup red cabbage 28 kcal 1 g 6 g
½ cup chopped carrot 25 kcal 1 g 6 g
½ lime 10 kcal   3 g
2 tbsp sour cream 50 kcal 1 g 1 g

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  1. Boil 8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast until cooked (usually 10-15 minutes). This will make 6 oz cooked chicken.  Cool & shred.
  2.  Chop or shred 2 cups of red cabbage.
  3. Mix all ingredients in an oversized bowl.  Squeeze in half a lime. Stir in 2 tbsp sour cream.  Serves 2.

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  4. Have your 12-month old toddler feed you.  This is a bonus step.  See below.

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When It Comes to Weight Loss: Muscle Matters

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Over the past few generations, countless people have exhausted themselves trying to “lose weight”. Rather, you should focus on exactly what are your “weight loss” goals. There’s no need to throw away the scale, but do keep in mind that in addition to fat, the amount of water and muscle that you have on your body can fluctuate greatly. Sometimes when the number on the scale goes up, it can be a good thing. The reason is simple: muscle takes up less space than fat, so a pound of muscle gained will shape your body differently than a pound of fat, while the number on the scale may remain the same. We don’t have to tell you that muscle looks much more visually pleasing. In addition to the aesthetic difference between muscle and fat, each pound of muscle gained burns roughly an extra 50 calories a day, which means that having more muscle will allow you to eat slightly more and there is some extra leeway in maintaining your body weight. It also means that for every pound of muscle lost, you will burn 50 calories fewer per day, sabotaging long term fat loss.

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So what does all of this mean to someone just wanting to shed some body fat? It means that if you want to get the best results, you should take up strength training. While not absolutely necessary for fat loss, strength training makes losing fat much easier while helping you notice faster results. Especially when eating at a calorie deficit diet, your body will protect muscle that is being used over muscle that isn’t, and so strength training preserves what muscle you have during the long term fat loss process. In other words, you lose what you don’t use kind-of-deal.

It also means that while dieting, you need to take measures to protect the muscle that you already have. There are a few things that you can do to help preserve muscle mass, like increasing protein intake, weight training, using the Elevation HCG diet, and meal timing (a more advanced technique worthy of its own post at a later time).  These factors all have a protective effect on your muscle mass during your slimming down.

So just remember that while exercise of any kind is a good addition to proper dieting, strength training has extraordinary benefits that often go overlooked when starting a fat loss program. Not only will you lose weight more easily while keeping muscle tone and improved metabolism, but you may find a new favorite hobby that will keep you fit.

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Catch us at the Pittsburgh Fitness Expo

We’re excited to announce that we will be at the Pittsburgh Fitness Expo this Friday 5/27/2016 at 4-10P and Saturday 5/28/2016 9A-5P at booth #408

We will be offering

  • B-12 Vitamin shots
  • B-12 Energy Blend shots
  • B-12 Fat Burner Blend shots

Contact our office at 412-458-5042 for questions.

Hope to see you soon 🙂

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Taco Beef Salad w/o Tortilla for 350 kcal

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5-7 min
*Recipe is for 2 servings

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Item Calories Carbs Protein
8 oz raw 85% ground beef (turns into 6 oz once cooked & drained) 425 kcal 44 g
½ head iceberg lettuce 45 kcal 9 g 3 g
2 tbsp sour cream 60 kcal 1 g 1g
1/8 cup shredded cheese 50 kcal 4 g
2 cups chopped tomatoes 64 kcal 14 g 3 g
1/4 bell pepper, chopped 6 kcal 1 g
1 lime, juiced  10 kcal 2 g
1 medium  onion 40 kcal 10 g 1 g
1/2 bunch of cilantro (~1 chopped cup)
 TOTAL 700 kcal 39 g 56 g

Seasoning: 
Taco seasoning
Salt to taste
El Yucateco Habernero Hot Sauce (if you’re brave)

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For the salsa: 
Combine in a bowl the following ingredients: tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, ~1/4 tsp salt to taste

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For the taco beef: On a medium pan, toss in ground beef and bell pepper on medium high heat, sprinkle taco seasoning (~1/2 tsp and 1/4 tsp salt to taste) cook for at least 5 minutes or until brown. Use a spatula to thoroughly crumble the beef.

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In a large bowl, mix in the lettuce, beef, salsa, sour cream.  Divide into 2 servings, topped with cheese, hot sauce, and enjoy.

 

 

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About Dr. Cooper

Dr. Cooper first became interested in health and fitness while in medical school where she began training in powerlifting and learning about how diet influences athletic performance. During residency, she continued her fitness pursuits and even participated in state-level powerlifting competitions. She used a tailored training and diet program to reduce body fat percentage while increasing strength and muscle mass.  Her hard work paid off when she placed 1st and set several Ohio State Records in her weight class during her first powerlifting meet in 2013.  As a result, she qualified for the 2014 Arnold Sports Festival Powerlifting Championship, where she placed 2nd in her weight class.  She continued to compete in 2022, placing 1st in Columbus, OH, Beyond Limits Classic Powerlifting Meet.

Over the past 9 years, Dr. Cooper has worked with thousands of patients in medical weight loss facilities and has come to love the opportunity to help others control their own weight and achieve their personal fitness goals.  She is happy to provide her extensive weight loss knowledge and share her experiences to help you shape the body that you deserve.

 

 

 

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Happy Mother’s Day

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Happy Mother’s day to all of the mothers, mommies, moms, and mums. Today is a day to honor the many sacrifices made by our mothers in always being there for their children. Here at Elevation we especially recognize the physical toll being a mother can have. Whether it be the result of stress eating, sleepless nights, or even just bringing us into this world, our mothers put up with so much. We love you for it.

Happy Mother’s day!

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Check One Off the Bucket List

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If there is one piece of advice that I gleaned from my experience running the Toronto Marathon, it would be to never run a marathon if you can avoid it. Of course I’m partly joking, the experience was grueling, uncomfortable, and frustrating, and this is exactly why I did it. It’s been said that no one has ever become great by being comfortable, and I have found this to be true in all areas of life including weight loss and fitness.

So many times we look at discomfort as a per se bad thing; however I see the willingness to endure discomfort for a purpose to be badge of honor, worn by those working hard to get what they want. Many times when we see a person who has made significant changes in their fitness we see only their results, but in reality what you are seeing are the culmination of hours spent in the gym, months of ignoring cravings and appetite, and a daily commitment to do whatever it takes to reach their goals.

I hope that you find something worth being uncomfortable for, and when you do that you take pride in the process of getting there. When your stomach growls and cravings hit, smile that you have made the choice to force your body to get rid of fat first. When your legs are sore and you are short of breath during exercise, imagine how your body will change to make your workouts easier. And if for some crazy reason you decide to complete a marathon, drag yourself to the finish line with the knowledge that you are tougher and more determined than all those people sitting at home on a Sunday morning. Remember that while they are being comfortable, you are becoming great.

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Dan’s Weight Loss: Real Results from Real Patients

Dan lost over 100 lbs in 10 months*.

Transcript:
[MUSIC] hi everybody, it’s hard to believe that we’ve come to our last section.>> That used to be me. I was over 300 pounds just a few years ago. I have lost a lot of weight over the years on various different diets. I’ve lost 30 pounds at a time or more but it always comes back and it adds a little bit extra when it does.

That was until Elevation, Elevation Weight Loss, there’s no strict or secret to it. Basically it’s just a matter of tracking your calories and then burning more calories than what you consume. That’s the only way to really, lose weight and keep it off. Now it’s not easy, but if you commit to that, Elevation Medical Weight Loss can help you make a little bit easier and allow you to succeed.

I know I did it, and I failed at a lot of diets before. So if I could do it, I know that you can as well. Again it’s not easy. I had to be very committed to making sure I stuck to a plan, but in 10 months, 10 months,I was able to lose over 100 pounds. I went from 312 to 212 in 10 months.

At Elevation, what they are going do is give you some tools and some encouragement and some help in order to stay on a program, and with the MyPlate app, it really makes it kind of fun, so that you do have to change if you wanna lose weight. I mean you can’t continue to eat everything that you always did and lose weight and keep it off.

But that App alone helps you to be able to track those calories and maintain and stick to it. Day after day, week after week, month after month. In just 10 months I was able to lose over 100 pounds**. Now, one of the things that makes it really difficult to stay on that, you might know what you’re doing and you might see what you’re doing with that app, but our appetite fights against us.

At Elevation, you’re gonna get some help. With the desire to eat, with the appetite. Now mentally you’re still gonna have times where you think about some food and you enjoy eating certain foods in certain restaurants and certain places, that’s not gonna go away. And it’s not gonna make you sick every time you eat certain foods.

All it does is help you do what you want to do, and what you’re committed to doing. When you keep yourself busy, and that’s another thing that Elevation will help you with, will talk to you and encourage that you need to be more active in your life. You need to get more exercise and be a more active person.

And if you keep yourself busy and you’re tracking your calories when you do eat, phentermine will then help you to kinda not think about food constantly and not be thinking about that next meal. So the combination of a smart app and the phentermine and just the encouragement, and the knowledge that you can get from Elevation just helps a lot.

Being thinner is healthier and it’s well worth the effort, it’s well worth the hard work that goes into. But I was on a blood pressure medicine and I no longer have to take that medicine. I was using a CPAP machine for my sleep apnea. I’m using it very little because I’m just breathing easier and better.

I still like to eat, I still love food and I still will eat too much of the wrong things at times. But I know that I have a program now that any time I need to, I know I can get that weight right back on, and that’s not simply by following the basic rules, increasing activity level, watching those calories and if I need to, I can go back on the phentermine and I’d say it helps with that appetite suppression, using all of the tools and everything that they provide for you you can do it.

I only tell you that because I did and I was one of those people that thought it’d never, ever happen. I remember so many times in my life saying, if I could just lose that weight, I believe I can keep it off, and now I get to prove that because I got it off and I’m determined to keep it off.

If I can’t do it on my own, I know that I have a program, I can go to Elevations Weight Loss and they can help me out. I know you can do it because I thought I couldn’t, but I did. You can do it too. >> Let me close by saying this, I’m proud of you. >> Well, thank you. Thank you very much.

[MUSIC]

*Dan is a patient of ours from another medical weight loss practice from January 2015-October 2015.  He had lost an average of 10 lbs a month over the course of 10 months.  Dan was placed on a calorie-restricted diet of 1600 calories a day, with a prescribed light exercise of 45-60 minutes every other day.
** Individual results may vary based on compliance to the calorie-restriction diet and adherence to the exercise regime.

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Coach Drew

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Andrew, or Coach Drew as he prefers to be called, has worked and been involved in the health and fitness industry for over a decade. While studying Biology in West Virginia State University, Coach Drew also participated in the WVSU Athletic Training program. Coach then earned his ACE personal training certification, training clients for 2 years before obtaining his Crossfit level 1 certification and coaching Crossfit for over 5 years before returning to school for his J.D. Coach Drew has extensive experience in functional athletic training, weight loss, power lifting, and sports nutrition. He loves to share his knowledge with anyone he can, whether they ask him to or not. As for the beekini baby in the photo, her name is MaiLan and she is his princess.