Tag: the dolce diet

CrossFit Re-examined

by Mike Dolce

The sound of barbells crashing to the floor was like thunder. The glint of gym chalk floated through the air like snowflakes on the first dusting of winter. The temperature was 102°F at 10:30 am and bodies of athletes lay across the ground in a flowing river of sweat, with smiles on their face and ears filled with the supportive roar of the crowd.
I was standing at the Sin City CrossFit Police & Fire Games in Las Vegas, NV.

As a longtime athlete, coach and business owner in the health and fitness niche, I remember CrossFit hitting mainstream in the early 2000’s as I transitioned from powerlifting to mixed martial arts. One of my first muay thai coaches, Greg Mihovich, introduced me to this new way of training and I must say, it was intense and I enjoyed it.
As time went on, my own personal training methodology evolved as a hybrid of my experience as a powerlifter and competitive amateur wrestler. This I felt was the perfect blend to maximize athleticism, power output, metabolic conditioning, endurance, flexibility and injury prevention. My system has evolved many, many times over in the past 20 years, and I kind of forgot about CrossFit styled workouts.

With the advent of the CrossFit games being telecast on ESPN, and major sponsors like Reebok supporting the movement, it seems you can’t drive down the street without seeing a CrossFit BOX on the corner, or flipping through a magazine and seeing one of the ‘World’s Fittest Athletes’ looking, well… pretty darn fit on the inside pages.
I must say, I believed this whole CrossFit movement was a passing fad. In my protracted view, I couldn’t believe that soccer moms and workaholic dads, troubled teenagers and shift-working college students could thrive in such an environment of what appeared to be a very specialized system of advanced exercises at levels of intensity even the most seasoned professionals may turn around and run away from.
Boy, was I wrong!
At the Sin City CrossFit Police & Fire Games, I saw over 150 competitors giving it their all in the spirit of competition. There were at least three times the amount of spectators in the audience cheering on their family member, teammate or friend. I saw 55+ parents supporting their 30-something children, and I saw pre-school children cheering on their ‘super hero’ versions of mom and dad.
In speaking to many members of the event, both spectator and competitor, I found that these were regular people with regular lives. There were no professional athletes here, just regular folks that make up the lifeblood of ‘any town’ USA. I met a school teacher, a lawyer, a brick layer, a student, an auto mechanic, a stay-at-home mom, a high school kid, a cop, a gym owner, a real estate broker and so many more that would have to wake up for work at 7am on Monday and punch the time clock.
“What drives these people?” I asked myself, and the answer was within the question. These people drive themselves. They are internally motivated. They do this because they absolutely love it.
In CrossFit, you are truly competing against yourself. All day long, I heard athletes talking about their own PR’s (personal records). They were not as much concerned about their standing against the competition because they were competing against themselves.
When I realized this, I realized CrossFit is awesome and can have a place in anyone’s life.
Just like any other sport, you must do your research. Find a qualified instructor at a reputable gym and start slowly. Learn as much as you can about the training system and be honest with yourself as to how you will proceed. Once you have decided this is the course you will take, go all in and make it a lifestyle.
CrossFit is no different from the martial arts. Your experience will be as good as the facility, instructor and teammates allow it to be, and you will become an integral part of that experience for all those around you.
I could spend days writing articles on all the problems I have seen in martial arts gyms, but I have spent a lifetime experiencing the positive benefits this culture has brought me.
I look forward to exploring more of the CrossFit culture as I continue to evolve.

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August is Kids Eat Right Month!

Kids Eat Right Month is hosted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation. So this month, look out for all kinds of Dolce Diet blogs on kid-friendly, healthy snacks, dinners, lunches and breakfasts, along with other kid-friendly advice, like shopping with your kiddos! #DolceDietitian

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Fuel Growing Athletes With These Dolce-Approved Kid-Friendly Recipes!

by Samantha Wilkinson, MS, RDN, LD, Dolce Dietitian

If you are a follower of the Dolce Diet Principles, chances are your kids are too, which means they are active and fit! What we eat pre-, during and post-workout is extremely important, and it is especially important in our aspiring athletes. So let’s properly fuel them to keep those little feet moving and get those bodies growing!

Note: As always, strive for organic, grass-fed ingredients!

Pre-Game/Practice

Gather everyone around the table for breakfast. Odds are if you’re all going to the game, then you all have time to eat together. Try to do this approximately 3 hours before game time to get digestion started and to avoid an upset tummy. To make things easier, make the same breakfast for everyone, even if not everyone is going to be active. You’ll still be getting nutritious, delicious food. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests a breakfast of potatoes, eggs and nutrient-dense carbohydrates, such as fruit. Try out this Dolce-Approved breakfast pairing with your family:
Egg Scramble with Tater Tots (both recipes from the Living Lean Cookbook)
Egg Scramble (makes 1-2 servings)
3 whole eggs
¼ diced red pepper
¼ diced onion
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
Handful of spinach
Dash of sea salt
1 slice organic white cheese (optional)
*If you have picky eaters who won’t eat many veggie choices, simply choose one veggie that they like to add into the scramble. If making for more than two people, simply double or triple this recipe to make preparation easier, and so that everyone can eat at the same time.
Directions
Lightly coat medium sauté pan with grapeseed oil and put on low heat.
Dice peppers and onions and add to pan. Sauté about 2 minutes, then add mushrooms.
Whip eggs in medium mixing bowl.
Once the peppers, onions and mushrooms soften, add spinach leaves.
Once spinach begins to wilt, evenly pour eggs into pan.
Lightly stir into a scramble.
Once desired consistency is reached, turn off stovetop, mix in cheese and serve with toast smeared with avocado.
*If you have picky eaters who won’t eat many veggie choices, simply omit or choose one veggie that they like to add into the scramble. If making for more than two people, simple double or triple this recipe to make preparation easier, and so that everyone can eat at the same time.
Tater Tots (makes 4-6 servings)
8 red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ red bell pepper, diced
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
Black pepper, to taste
*Simply divide this recipe up into however many servings necessary.
Directions
In large pan, heat grapeseed oil on medium and add potatoes, mixing frequently.
When potatoes begin to brown, add in onion, bell pepper and garlic and continue mixing about another 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Serve hot.
To finish off your breakfast presentation, place a bowl of fruit at the center of the table filled with berries and melon. Freshly squeezed orange juice is another great way to get your kids some fruit prior to their game.

During & After Games/Practice

Hydration is the most important aspect to closely monitor during games and practice. Sweat loss of greater than 2% of bodyweight can be dangerous for your little athletes. Be sure to have plenty of water for your child(ren) and have potassium-rich and carb-rich snacks for them post-game such as, bananas or Greek yogurt. The same goes for throughout the week. Your kids may need a small snack to hold them over before dinner is ready. Fruit and yogurt is a great post-workout/game snack.

Post-Game/Practice Family Dinner

Your kids have worked hard during their practice or game, and probably had school all before that. It’s time to refuel them to keep their growing muscles grow even stronger. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests lean protein, whole wheat pasta and veggies. And luckily, Mike and Brandy really hit it on the head with this Dolce-Approved dinner (you’ve probably tried them out for yourself, now it’s time to share the wealth!):
Noodles a la Roon (makes 2-4 servings) (via Living Lean Cookbook)
16 oz of your favorite whole wheat or gluten-free pasta noodle
16 oz plain 2% cottage cheese
½ lb. ground turkey
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
¼ cup nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil noodles until soft, rinse and drain and add to a large casserole dish.
If using turkey meat, brown in pan and drain juices. Add to casserole dish.
Add cottage cheese to casserole dish along with salt and pepper. Mix well.
Sprinkle top of casserole with nutritional yeast or Parmesan and bake for 20-30 minutes until the tips of the noodles at the top of the casserole brown.
Serve and enjoy!
Round off dinner with Gram’s Baked Apples (via Living Lean Cookbook) and a glass of almond milk or dollop of Greek yogurt!
Gram’s Baked Apples (makes 2-4 servings)
4 large apples
¾ cup plain almond milk
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Sprinkle of nutmeg
Drizzle of organic maple syrup
½ cup golden raisins
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice apples in half. Clean out the seeds and hard center. Place in baking dish.
Coat in maple syrup and then almond milk.
Add in raisins.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Bake 40 minutes while intermittently basting apples with the milk/syrup mixture from bottom of baking dish. The apples are done when a fork easily pierces the apple.
Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes.
Place apples in bowls and spoon the almond/maple syrup mixture over the apples again in the bowls. Be sure to get the raisins, too!
*You can always add more almond milk/syrup to taste.
It’s refreshing when modalities match up. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics works around the clock to provide sound, evidence-based nutritional information for children and adults. The suggestions above are based on science, and we are lucky enough to have delicious, Dolce-Approved recipes that fall exactly under those recommendations. Science and flavor can’t lie! The goal here wasn’t to re-create the wheel, it was to support the fact that the Dolce Diet is battle-tested and backed by sound evidence. You’ve probably tried many of these recipes before, but now you know that there is merit behind them, and when it comes to your kids, you want and need concrete evidence.
Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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Get Your Kids Involved!

by Samantha Wilkinson, MS, RDN, LD, Dolce Dietitian

August is Kids Eat Right Month!
Kids Eat Right Month is hosted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation. So this month, look out for all kinds of Dolce Diet blogs on kid-friendly, healthy snacks, dinners, lunches and breakfasts, along with other kid-friendly advice, like shopping with your kiddos! #DolceDietitian

Nutrition is such an important aspect of life. With so many bad food habits starting at such a young age nowadays, it’s time to take charge and set a sterling example of what it means to eat right and stay healthy. And we can do that the Dolce-Approved way!
Kids tend to copy a lot of what we do as adults. Is it a wonder as to why they have toy vacuums, razors, and kitchen sets? They even have adorable, child-sized shopping carts at most grocery stores now (and not those cheap plastic ones, the real deal). With this added feature in so many stores, it makes it that much easier to get your kids involved in your weekly shopping trips. This is the perfect opportunity to get them used to making proper choices and learning how to navigate through the store.
Something you’ve probably all heard is shop on the perimeters of the store and avoid the middle aisles whenever possible. This is something useful to teach your kids since it will get them used to gravitating toward the produce section, which is filled with color and nice aromas anyway. It’s a naturally attractive area for kids to gravitate towards. Take this time show them what real, whole foods look like. Use this opportunity to present to them “GO” and “WHOA” foods. This is a better way of deciphering “good” foods from “bad” foods as we don’t want to make negative connotations with foods, especially at such a young age. “GO” foods include your fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat products, dairy products and whole grain products. “WHOA” foods would be your processed cereals/snacks/desserts, frozen dinners, sugary beverages and treats, and candy. The two lists go on and on, but I think you get the picture.
Now, there are some vital items we need from the inner aisles, such as, quinoa and oat bran, so we aren’t telling you to avoid the middle completely, just limit your exposure. This is where really teaching your kids about good choices becomes especially important. In the produce section, pretty much everything is at about waist-height of an adult. However, in the cereal, cookie, and chip aisles, the shelves go all the way down to the floor, perfectly at toddler/child level. This is where food companies get smart. They tell these stores to place specific products at certain eye levels so that you’ll will be naturally attracted to that product and purchase it.
A lot of soda and chip companies have their own employees stock the shelves in a specific manner to attract as much traffic as possible. The same goes for kids, who tend to be much more vulnerable, naïve and susceptible to the colorful packaging or cartoon characters that grace the front of the package. In this situation it is best keep your child on task and help you look for what you need, even if you’ve already found it. Keep them preoccupied by having them truly be a part of your food journey. They will be so distracted by trying to find that food item (what kid doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt?) that they won’t even realize the other temptations that lie before them.
Now, once you’ve gotten everything you need, paid, loaded into and out of the car, keep your kids involved by having them help you put the items away, and then having them help you prepare the next meal. Obviously you should do the chopping and cutting for safety reasons, but have them help by separating the foods, putting them in containers or sandwich bags, throwing away the scraps, washing the produce, cleaning the countertops and taste-testing! They will feel like they’ve helped so much, plus you can use this opportunity to teach them proper hand-washing and food-handling standards.
There are so many ways to get your kids involved and teach them valuable health lessons at the same time. Hands-on experience usually yields better retention of the information and a higher likelihood of putting those experiences into practice.
What other ways do you get your kids involved in your Dolce-Approved lifestyles? Share them with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #DolceDietitian.

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CHIA: Our Favorite Seed

We love chia seeds here at the Dolce Diet due to the overwhelming nutrient profile of these little guys! But do you know what makes them so great? Below is a list of reasons why we love chia seeds!

Ounce for Ounce

100% more potassium than a banana
100% more fiber than bran flakes (10 g of fiber in 1 oz of chia seeds)
200% more iron than spinach
500% more calcium than milk
500% more protein than kidney beans
700% more Omega-3’s than salmon (excellent for non-fish eaters)
1400% more magnesium than broccoli (many functions, but can help reduce inflammation)
So for a little extra bump in your nutrition, add some chia seeds to virtually any snack or dish! We usually recommend 1-2 tablespoons per recipe.

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PRE-ORDER IS NOW OPEN. BOOKS BEGIN SHIPPING SEPTEMBER 1.

THE DOLCE DIET: 3 WEEKS TO SHREDDED
(230+ page REVISED EDITION)

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED:
“Mike Dolce has earned the reputation as one of the top coaches in mixed martial arts.”
MEN’S FITNESS:
“Dolce trimmed himself from 280 pounds down to 170 when he was competing.
It’s safe to say that he is an expert in training and nutrition.”
ESPN:
“Dolce is a lifestyle changer.”
ELLE MAGAZINE:
“Mike Dolce is the go-to guy in the world of martial arts.”
UFC WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION RONDA ROUSEY:
“The Dolce Diet’s Results were impossible to ignore.”
UFC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION JOHNY HENDRICKS:
“When I have a fight scheduled the first person I call is Mike Dolce.”

Mixed Martial Arts is a sport known for its drastic weight cuts! For the first time in print, MMA’s 2013 Trainer of the Year, Mike Dolce, shares his powerful weight cut and rehydration techniques used with the world’s greatest combat athletes! 3 Weeks to Shredded includes not only the incredible new weight-cut method used for Thiago “Pitbull” Alves’ 2014 career-defining comeback performance, which earned him UFC Fight of the Night honors, but a bonus section detailing Mike Dolce’s original 2007 3 Weeks to Shredded meal plan in which he cut 42 lbs. in 6 weeks!
What’s Inside:
How to manage a weight cut
Exact meal plans used during real weight cuts
Hydration & Rehydration techniques
Traveling while cutting weight
Dangers of weight cutting
AND much more!

Called “the patron saint of weight cutting,” Mike Dolce has coordinated the high-profile weight loss for many of the world’s top athletes, including…
* “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, UFC women’s bantamweight champion
* Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks, UFC welterweight champion
* Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort, UFC two-time world champion
* Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, UFC / Pride FC world champion
* Thiago “Pitbull” Alves, UFC world title contender
* Chael Sonnen, UFC world title contender
* Gray “Bully” Maynard, UFC world title contender
* Mike “Quicksand” Pyle, WEC world champion
* Duane “BANG” Ludwig, UFC/K-1 veteran & World MMA Awards 2013 Coach of the Year
* Michael “The Count” Bisping, The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner
* Nik “The Carny” Lentz, #6 ranked UFC featherweight
and many more!

Eat to Grow

Simple Rules For Proper Nutrition for Children

by Samantha Wilkinson, MS, RDN, LD, Dolce Dietitian

The growing years are the most important time for teens and children to properly develop both physically and mentally. It is our responsibility to provide them with nutritious foods and positively influence their health choices by leading by example.  Not only will it help with their body functions, but it can help stave off obesity, diabetes and heart disease, which is a growing problem in children and teens in this country. So make health a family activity! The Dolce-Approved lifestyle isn’t just for adults! Get your kids on board and start living lean together!
Whole-Grain Foods

• Look for whole-grains with adequate carbohydrates fiber and B-vitamins
  • Carbs for brain fuel
  • Fiber for satiety
  • B-vitamins for energy metabolism
• Choose foods that list whole grains as the first or second ingredient on the food label
• Give kids whole-grain crackers for snacks and whole-grain pastas at dinner

 
Fruits and Vegetables

• Packed with vitamin A and C, potassium and fiber
  • Vitamin A for eye health/development
  • Vitamin C for healthy tissues/wound healing/immune health
  • Potassium for healthy heart rhythms/contractions
  • Fiber for satiety
• Fresh is always preferred, but frozen is perfectly acceptable for frozen fruit snacks/smoothies
• For breakfast, give them fresh fruit on oatmeal, slices of melon with whole-grain toast and/or a glass of orange juice fortified with vitamin A and D
• For lunch, try crunchy baby carrots or sliced apples as a side
• For dinner, create some color variety with broccoli, corn, sliced peppers, asparagus or leafy green salad

 
Low-fat Dairy Foods

• Contain protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus
  • Protein for muscle growth and repair, healthy hair and nails
  • Calcium for bone health/density
  • Potassium for healthy heart rhythms/contractions
  • Magnesium for energy production and muscle contractions
  • Phosphorus for proper kidney function and filtration of waste products
• Children and teens should strive for 3 dairy servings per day
• Try these nutrient-dense dairy snacks
  • Non-fat, Greek yogurt with fruit and honey for breakfast or an after-school snack
  • Fresh mozzarella

 
Lean Meat/Poultry/Fish/Eggs/Beans/Nuts

• Packed with protein, iron, zinc and B-vitamins
  • Protein for muscle growth and repair, healthy hair and nails
  • Iron for blood health, hemoglobin formation, muscle function and brain function
  • Zinc for cognitive function, wound healing, and activation of T cells, which control immune responses and attack cancerous/harmful cells
• Try scrambled eggs at breakfast
• Test out bite-size pieces of meat/poultry/fish for dinner (grass-fed, free-range, wild-caught)
• Provide them with trail mix as a snack

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The Benefits of Coconut Oil During & After Pregnancy

by Samantha Wilkinson, MS, RDN, LD, Dolce Dietitian

Here at The Dolce Diet we love coconut oil, not only for cooking and adding to our coffee, but for many other reasons, including during pregnancy. Do you know how many beneficial elements coconut oil contains? Well, we are here to fill you in on this creamy oil’s health benefits for mom and baby!

For Baby

Lauric Acid
-Coconut oil contains Lauric Acid, a medium chain triglyceride (MCT) only found in mother’s milk and coconut oil. (Ratios are identical between human milk and coconut oil)
Make Baby’s skin silky smooth
Rub a small amount on baby’s skin as a moisturizing agent for any dry spots.
Teething tool
Rub a little bit of coconut oil on baby’s gums as a natural pain-relieving agent (much better alternative to whiskey).
Natural Diaper Rash Cream
Use coconut oil in place of diaper rash creams for an all natural alternative.
Natural Vapor Rub
Mix coconut oil with extra virgin olive oil and rub on baby’s chest to help clear congestion.

For Mom

Milk Supply Multiplier
Taking 3 1/2 tbs. or more per day may increase milk supply, which means less pumping for you!
Immune Booster
Coconut oil has anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties that can help strengthen Mom’s immune system, which becomes weakened during pregnancy.
Morning Sickness
Extra virgin coconut oil may help reduce morning sickness by leveling off blood sugars.
Stave Off Stretch Marks
Rubbing coconut oil on your pregnant belly may help reduce the appearance of stretch marks since it works as a natural moisturizer. (You can also apply it to dry nipples during breastfeeding, and it’s not harmful if baby suckles with coconut oil applied.)
Curb the Constipation
Taking coconut oil daily during pregnancy may help reduce constipation since it acts as a natural laxative.

Of course, always consult your doctor before trying this or any supplement/remedy.

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Hydration Standards

by Samantha Wilkinson, MS, RDN, LD, Dolce Dietitian

Hydration is often a frustrating subject. The standards change so frequently and there is almost no hard and fast recommendation. The 8×8 has come and gone so many times it’s baffling. Many of the guidelines are based on the size of the athlete, their intensity level, the duration of their workout, their sweat rate, concentration of sodium loss and environment/climate at which the athlete is working in. We will try to make some sense of it for you and help you stay as hydrated as possible to keep you going before, during and after your workouts.
For the most part, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) seems to have the most clearly defined recommendations on hydration levels. Their exercise physiologists spend countless hours testing athletes in the lab, getting as accurate information as possible.
Here are some guidelines:

Meal consumption improves hydration levels

-Don’t skimp on meals
-Fluid retention and intake increases with the presence of food
-Sweat losses need to be replaced, most of which can be replaced by the foods you eat

Fluids BEFORE Exercise

-Slowly drink 5-7 mL/kg body weight at least 4 hours before the exercise task
Example: 110 lbs. female = 50 kg, so she should try to consume 250 – 350 mL prior to her event
-If you do not urinate, or the urine is dark, you should slowly drink more liquids (approximately 3 – 5 mL/kg) about 2 hours before the event.
-It is very important to make sure you are producing urine while hydrating so as not to drown in your own body! It’s about BALANCE!! Equal input and output.
-Consuming beverages with sodium (20-50 mEq/L) and/or small amounts of salted snacks or sodium-containing foods may help retain consumed fluids and prevent an overload of sodium loss during exercise.

Fluid Replacement DURING Exercise

-Hard to recommended based on differences in sweat rates of individuals
-Average predicted sweat rates range from 4 to 1.8 L/hour
-Average recommendation for marathoners, for example, would be as needed from 0.4 to 0.8 L/hour
-Higher end for larger, faster individuals in warmer temperatures
-Lower end for smaller, slower individuals in cooler temperatures
-Keep up the carb consumption (for endurance athletes – exercise lasting > 90 minutes)
-30-60g carbs/hour to maintain blood sugar levels and prevent excessive sweat and electrolyte loss
-Goal is to lose no more than 2% body weight from starting body weight

Fluid Replacement AFTER Exercise

-Goal is to replace all fluid and electrolyte deficit
-2-3 cups (16-24 ounces) of fluid per pound of body weight lost through sweat

Rapid rehdyration

-1.5 L/kg body weight lost or 7 cups/lb of body weight lost
-Increased load accounts for rapid urine output (loss) to following rapid hydration
-Try to consume over time rather than in large doses to maximize fluid retention
-Consume fluids with snacks that have sodium to speed up recovery and ensure return to normal hydration status
Unfortunately, most recommendations are geared toward endurance athletes, like triathletes, since they go for so long without eating full meals and drinking regularly. If you are an athlete who participates in high-intensity, short-duration activities, hydrating prior is important and similar to the above recommendations. Hydration during activity should not be nearly as much in order to prevent GI distress, but enough that you feel satiated during the workout. Even during sprint intervals it’s ok to stop for a gulp of water. Mainly, try to drink when you feel that dry mouth sensation. And after exercise fluid replacement is still just as important, but maybe not at quite as large as the quantities outlined above. Get yourself some fluids, carbs and a little bit of protein to promote muscle recovery. The carbs and protein will help retain those fluids and electrolytes lost.
The main take away is to listen to your body and keep it satiated. If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. If you are someone who sweats a lot, you will need more fluid replaced. If you are someone who produces a lot of sodium in your sweat (you can actually see a light, white film on your skin), you will need more fluid replaced as well. You know yourself better than anyone, so use the guidelines that work for you!
 

Source: American College of Sports Medicine.

 

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The Mike Dolce Show fitness podcast answers your wellness questions! In today’s episode, Mike talks about functional core workouts, earned meals, working with diabetic athletes, foods to eat during your menstrual cycle, plus we catch up with a couple MY Dolce Diet Program users, AND MORE!
Mike Dolce is the 2013 World MMA Awards Trainer of the Year. As the founder of The Dolce Diet & creator of UFC FIT, Mike Dolce is known the world over for his work managing the weight cuts of UFC athletes like Johny Hendricks, Gilbert Melendez, Vitor Belfort, Thiago Alves, Chael Sonnen, Nik Lentz, Jake Ellenberger and more!
His #1 international best-selling books include The Dolce Diet: 3 Weeks to Shredded, The Dolce Diet: Living Lean and The Dolce Diet: Living Lean Cookbook. For more information on Mike’s books, MMA weight cuts, weight management, gaining muscle, weight loss, overall healthy living, UFC FIT and so much more, visit TheDolceDiet.com, TheMikeDolceShow.com and UFCFIT.com.

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE PODCAST APP & SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

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Overcoming the Crabs in the Pot:
How to Deal With Negative People When Pursuing Lifestyle Goals

by MyDolceDiet.com Member, Nicolle Garcia

For some reason, in our culture today, people like to tear down those that are doing well. This is noticeable in diet, exercise, sports or just overall good deeds. So the question becomes, when we are doing well in our own lives, how do you quiet the doubt? Often times, we get stuck in our own heads, and talk ourselves out of what could be the seeds of greatness.
This has been true in my own life, going on almost 2 years ago now; my husband and I made a conscious effort to become healthier. We changed our lifestyle, which included a change in diet and exercise, and making new friends that held the same mindset that we were developing.

Eating clean, Earth-grown nutrients seems so foreign to many, and it meant we would bring our own food to family functions or choosing not to eat certain things and got sideways glances for it.

I think the phrase we heard the most was/is, “What diet are you on?” We were not dieting, it was not some quick fix, and we would tell them it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change.
Slowly, the inches and pounds started to come off and people took notice, we both became for confident in ourselves, and we have tried to encourage those around us to do the same. Some chose to take the challenge, others still to do their own thing.
We would still hear, “Are you still dieting?” Nope we are not dieting, becoming healthier is going great, just look. We have more energy and feel great, “How can you eat that?” It is because it gives us energy for days.

The main key to our success had been a positive circle of influence.

My husband and I encourage each other with our food, and exercise. I think the most fun has been learning the amazing art of jiu jitsu together; we plan on working towards our black belts together. In June of this year, my husband and I completed my #1 fitness goal for this year – our 1st half marathon! We also spent the 4th of July holiday running a 5k, and our 7-year-old daughter placed in the top 10 in her age division.
So I guess, to encourage others, DO NOT let the self doubt and negative talk around you bring you down. Weight loss and healthy living are a marathon not a sprint. It is going to be hard at times; if it was easy everyone would be fit and healthy. Embrace the free tools around you, from apps to books in the library.
A couple of good places to start are MyFitnessPal, which also has a corresponding website, and MyDolceDiet.com. Mike Dolce’s website is great due to the fact that it’s a selective community with recipes, exercise and a community of people that all have the same goal- to get and stay fit and healthy. If I can do it, as a busy working mom and wife, I know anyone can do it!