Skinny Girls Get Fat Too - Stop Skinny Shaming

"You should eat a hamburger."

"You look better with a little meat on you."

"It's easier for you because you're skinny."

"Oh you just have good genes."                                                    <--- lie, genetics only play like 25% of a role.

"You have a faster metabolism because you're skinny."               <--- massive lie, not true.


BULLSHIT.

I am at a healthy weight. I still strive to have more muscular tone. I am not too skinny. It is not easy for me to be thin. So stop skinny shaming me because I work for it.

Being thin is not easy. I think we can all agree on the fact that losing weight is hard. I gain weight just like anyone else, and it's time to celebrate people who work their ass off to be in good shape and have the body they want. The amount of times we must say no to something we want, or stop at one bite is unreal. The attention to detail we often pay to our nutrition plans. The extra time in the gym to gain muscle mass or knowledgeably make up for the extra piece of cake (a 30 minute run WON'T do). Calories add up fast.

In today's society, where there are so many options for food, and so little emphasis to lead a healthy lifestyle and be at a good body fat percentage, it is hard to be thin. Thin people, are a vault of healthy secrets. If they didn't know what they were doing, chances are, they wouldn't be thin. So instead of talking shit to them and saying they're only skinny because of their genetics or their metabolism (LIE!), go to them for advice.


Here's the bottom line:
If you eat more calories (in food) than you burn off (through BMR and exercise)...you will gain weight.

It doesn't matter how much you weigh. 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225.
Your body's basal metabolic rate varies depending on your weight, age, and height.
A person that weighs less must eat less, or they gain weight.

Let's look at me, opposed to a 200 pound woman-- Basal Metabolic Rate (activity slightly taken into account--results may vary depending on the calculator you use, there are much more accurate ones than this)=

Assuming I live a fairly light lifestyle, and don't workout much:  I can only eat 1664 calories or I will gain weight.
This 200 lb person, can eat 2055 calories to stay at their current weight.

Check yours here. 

REALITY CHECK!! Most people eat MORE than what their body burns!! That's why people gain weight.
It is not any easier for me to not gain weight, than it is for anybody else. In fact, it's harder in some ways because I get to eat less!!

I don't gain weight because I make a true effort to stay within my means and not gain weight. Self-control is a bitch, and I struggle with it just like anyone else. It's not easy.


My metabolism is NOT faster than yours if I weigh less. In fact, it is probably slower since I weigh  less. And no, you cannot eat a magical food to increase your metabolism to make enough of a difference to do anything.

Thin people work really really hard to be where they are at, and it completely discredits all their hard work when we hear comments like the ones I posted above. Use them as a support because they've got it figured out, instead of a person to point fingers at and make them feel bad because they've worked so hard to achieve the body that they have.


So, why don't we form a support network of how to properly be healthy, lose weight, and live our best lives. Fad diets= don't last. Miracle wraps= don't last. Vitamin patches= don't last.

Get informed.

This is not designed to make people feel bad if they are overweight. It is to say we're all in the same boat when it comes to the pressure of food and exercise. People don't think about the effects of skinny shaming, but hey, it exists.  I am not looking for an argument here either.

Stitch Fix Review

As many of you know, I have an obsession with subscription boxes. My new favorite is Stitch Fix, which is a personal stylist service. First, you complete a survey about your sense of style and the clothing sizes you wear. You are given a stylist who selects 5 pieces for you (usually 4 clothing and one accessory) and then mails them to you for a $20 fee (the fee can later go towards the price of any item you buy). These deliveries are called Fixes. Once you receive your Fix, you try on the clothes, keep what you want, and then send back what you don't in a postage paid envelope. You complete a survey once you get your box that allows you to provide feedback, such as how well the items fits, if you like the style, or if the price point is okay with you. You peg items as "Keep it" or "Return it." Items you keep are automatically charged from your card on file. You are given the opportunity to add comments, and then request specific styles or items for your next fix. Stitch Fix also allows you to paste in your Pinterest Board so that they can use that to help style you as well.


Now, to my review. I have received three fixes so far:

Fix #1:
I received 4 pieces of clothing and a necklace.

Item #1: RETURN IT. The necklace, I thought was hideous, strictly because it was just a long piece that hung straight down...there wasn't that rounded appearance around your neck that necklaces typically have--not my style.  ($28)



Item #2: RETURN IT. A blue dress, with white embroidery around the edges. While I wanted to like this dress, the embroidery rubs on my neck the wrong way. Overall, the dress was a great fit, and was even long enough for my longer legs (dresses are normally too short on me, and I told my stylist that). I couldn't find a picture though (sorry!)($48)

Item #3: KEEP IT. A light pink shirt with a design. Needs an undershirt, but thought it would go well both for work and for an afternoon out. Nice and breezy. Slightly tight around the arms, but overall I like it.  ($38)



















Item #4: KEEP IT. A grey and white striped 3/4 sleeve sweater. Fitted arms, lose around the torso. Super soft material, and comfy cozy. ($40)








Item #5: Skinny streth-fit jeans, with an elastic top. I first looked at this and thought....maternity wear? BEST DESIGN EVER. Soooo comfy for jeans, and the band was forgiving so I didn't have to worry about having too much to eat, or that my pants would fit if I was bloated or gained a pound. ($85)









All in all, I got three items, and spent about $170. While this is way more than I typically spend for clothes, I had to take into account the following things: 1. I didn't have to go shopping!! 2. The items were better quality than what I typically buy, and 3. I have horrible fashion sense and this stranger helped me figure it out a little bit more. Hahha.


1st thought? SUCCESS! Ready for Stitch #2....and 3. I'm addicted!!

Fix #2, I had a different stylist, and quite honestly, I returned the whole box except for a necklace (see the necklace I have on in Fix #3). With the $20 styling fee that I could put towards the price of the necklace, I only paid $8 for the necklace.


(Stitch 3 addressed in the next blog....!)


Want to try Stitch Fix? Help me out and use my referral code please!!! :)
https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/7270638

2016 is HERE! The Year of Fit Starts NOW!

It's January 1st...what are you doing to prioritize YOUR health today?

As I sit here in Rocky Point, Mexico, overlooking the sea of Cortez, it gives me opportunity to reflect and find peace. Boy is it beautiful. It is also my final days off before I go back to work, so having a plan is essential. It's time to map out more morning, and next week...

The last blog post detailed the key meals I planned on focusing. A note on that--You may have asked "why didn't you include calorie counts or a detailed list of ingredients/amounts? My diet is my diet...I do what I need to help myself. You are going to have slightly different needs, and you want to make sure you are enjoying the food you eat as much as possible. Granted, feel free to model your meals after mine.

My last deluxe dinner was garlic mashed potatoes (potatoes, garlic, butter, salt, water), salmon (poked with spears of garlic while cooking) w/ teriyaki, and sauteed bok choy. I cook as lean as possible, but use plenty of spices to make up for flavor in place of extra fat. I only used a tablespoon of butter in my mashed potatoes, and only even went that far because I no longer eat dairy and couldn't put milk in. I am NOT saying to cut out fat...in fact, that's the last thing you want to do, but it does add a lot of calories simply because 1 gram of fat is 9 calories, while carbs and protein are only 4 calories a gram. Refer back to former posts for a few examples of my meal plans. The key here, that is so powerful, is that you need to be doing these YOURSELF. Awareness is everything. And keep tracking your food!

Back to my plan...Meals are roughly sketched out. It's more important to plan out the types of workouts I want to have so I can accomplish this. Instead of saying "Monday is this...Tuesday is this..." I like to create a list of the workouts I want accomplished by the end of the week, and allow myself the flexibility to choose the one I want each day, as unexpected situations may arise and I may not feel like doing arms after moving 40 jumbo desks in my classroom.

A rough sketch looks something like this:
3-5 days of core/abs
3 days of arms/shoulders/back
2 days of legs
3 running days

These will all take place on a total of 5 workout days, so I will cut and paste as I feel. For example, legs with running one day, but upper body with running another. Of course, for each day, I have a series of workouts that I typically do. I will further discuss them as we go along, but for now here are a couple of them:

Upper Body Workout Day
3 x 12	Bicep Curl
3 x 12	Tricep overarm bend
3 x 12	Hammer curl
3 x 12	Tricep kickback
3 x 12	Bent Over Row (10-15lb weight)
3 x 12	Shoulder press (5-10 lb weight)
3 x 12	Shoulder rotation (5-10 lb weight)
30	Rear back lift (5 lb dumbbell)
3 x 12 each side	Side arm lifts (3-5lb weights)

Lower Body Workout Day
3 x 12	Squats - shoulder width
3 x 12	Hamstring - Deadlift
10 ea side	Lunges
Hold for 15 pulses, each side	Pulse lunges
15	Squats - sumo style
	Leg lift circuit

Total Body Workout Day
	Shoulder Width Squats
	Narrow Squats
	Sumo Squats
	Biceps + Triceps
	Shoulder Press, Shoulder inversion
3 x 12	Dead lifts w/ bent over row
3 x 15	Upright row (5-10 lb weight)
30 each direction	Calf Press

Commit by taking 15 minutes and planning out the list of workouts you plan to accomplish. Also include the time you plan on accomplishing them, and the last case scenario time. For me, I plan on doing short workouts in the morning before work, but if that doesn't work, and I don't get to the gym, I will do a workout at about 6 pm on my yoga mat in my living room. PS....if you don't feel the burn, you may need to step it up a notch. Beneficial workouts are often uncomfortable-- if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you. I recommend consulting Pinterest for a few workout ideas, or blogilates. If you sign up for the free newsletter, you receive access to monthly workout plans. These are services I can provide for a fee ($8/week each for workouts OR meals, $15 for both), but I don't deny free is better for some of you. The benefit with paying, is it will be more designed specifically to you and your needs.

Today's workout plan for me is as follows:
1 mile run on the beach (sand will really kick it up a notch)
Lower body circuit - 3 series squats, lunges with weights, thigh circuit, bridges, donkey kicks
Abs circuit - 5 minute plank series (get's some arm workout in there), flutter kicks, holds, russian twists, bicycles, v-ups
Biceps - 10-15 lb dumbbells, bicep curls - 3x15.

I just had my cup of coffee, I believe I will take an hour to get some work done, and enjoy the beautiful morning sunrise, and then off to the beach! ....don't get too jealous, it's only 65 here. Brrr!

Getting in the Mindset...Meal Planning and Preparing Your Workouts

I want to welcome in the new year with a bang! Oh I'm not denying that I will indulge on New Years Eve....but it's about taking appropriate measures before hand so that it does not sabotage you. I tend to scale back my calorie content about 100 calories a day the week of a big event...allowing me an extra 500-700 calories to eat/drink without gaining anything. I could of course run 7 miles instead to make up for that...but, this just seems easier!

And of course, if you know you are going to be in a situation with horrible food, take measures ahead of time to address it/bring something yourself so you can eat. The whole "oh I brought this new dish I wanted to try out!" (code for -- I am really afraid to eat any of your buttery food and am trying to exercise self control).

Anyways, I decided to start my program a few days early. The reason for this is I go back to work next week and it's about to get CRAZY! I need to be back in the habit of meal planning, and especially, working out.

Yesterday I topped out at 1400 calories. Lower than I normally do, but I'm preparing for NYE remember. I won't go any lower though because my body needs about 1300 calories to even run itself (BMR). It was not a conventional day of eating by any means. And that will happen. But I started my morning strong with a lentil soup from Amy's (the canned kind--320 calories for the whole thing, 14 gram protein), and made a lean meal in my crockpot (porkloin stew-- with eggplant, asparagus, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, seasonings and chicken broth) that could serve as lunch and dinner. Add in some Chex cereal w/ almond milk and a bag of popcorn and tada!! See....Indulging in an entire bag of popcorn doesn't have to be an end all be all.

Pork Loin Stew

Yesterday's/This morning's workout was as follows. I did a double dose of arms, and I definitely could feel how much weaker I was today. I don't typically recommend that, but I was sure to have protein shake when I was done (instagram= healthyteachergirl for the recipe and to follow me!):

Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake

Yesterday: Chest/Core
15 Tuck Jumps
15 Seconds of Burpees
20 Pushups (10 one legged)
20 Russian Twists
5 Full Crunch/Extensions
60 Reverse Crunches
50 Crunches

This morning: Abs/Shoulders/Chest
15 Tuck Jumps
15 seconds of Burpees
20 Tricep Dips
10 pushups
18 Pike Pushups
10 One legged Pike Pushups
10 One legged pushups
3 Side plank pushups

Later today I plan on getting my run in. I signed up for the ColorRun on January 23 and need to show up looking like I can manage to run a mere 5k. And I'm really ready to have a nice ass again.


And to meal planning:
My CSA box this work serves as my inspiration:
*Komatsuna
*Oranges
*Yellow Tomatoes
*Cabbage
*Acorn Squash
*Bok Choy
*Micro Greens



I found some chicken breast and pork loin on sale last week so they will serve as the bulk of my protein for the week. I also will get some seafood (shrimp and salmon) to get some Omega's in.

I am a simple creature when it comes to eating so I do one of two things for ease:
Make a double portion of dinner so I can eat the rest for breakfast or lunch the next day,
or I cheat and buy the healthy choice dinners that I can pop in the microwave really quick. Those are the only two ways where I can really know what I'm eating, since it's either already labeled, or I have done the calcs already from dinner the night before.

So far, I have planned the following dinners:

Garlic pork loin w/ mashed acorn squash
Pulled Pork (BBQ) and stuffed yams (Monday night...I need something I can crockpot)
Pulled pork tacos
Asian Salmon w/ Bok Choy (tonight's dinner)
Thai Pumpkin Curry with Bok Choy
Chicken sandwich with lettuce, sprouts and tomatoes 

You'll notice that I don't have a lot of starches in there like pasta and rice. There are two reasons for that: 1. My blood sugar stays a lot more stable when I avoid those foods, and they are high glycemic and therefore cause a blood sugar rollercoaster (increasing hunger), and 2. they are more calorie dense, and I like eating a lot of food!

Snacks for my prep hour at work include:
Lentil Chips,
Sliced Veggies + Hummus
Hard Boiled Eggs


I have a good week's worth of meals here, so now I shall head back over to Pinterest to find some breakfast ideas in case I don't want leftovers :) After I find my meal there, I will usually reconstruct it if I feel it will be too calorie dense, and then add the items to my grocery list.

Fit Tip: Definitely make sure you incorporate protein at every meal/snack (20-30 grams). This will help decrease hunger and stabilize blood sugar. It also helps rebuild your muscles if you are exercising! 

Going to finish my shopping list, and then off I go to the store!
Fit Tip: Do NOT go back to the store during the week, so make a good shopping list and meal plan now! Eat a bit before hand (with protein!) so you're not hungry at the store. This helps curb any spur of the moment junk food encounters. And do not buy any junk food!

Prepping for the January Challenge - Determining your Goals, and Planning

Part 1 of Preparing for the January Challenge: Determining your Goals and Preparing to Meal Plan (Part 2 will essential meal planning tips and ideas to create a strong meal plan for you. Former blog posts touch on this already).

This challenge is not designed to be a "who is the best" type of challenge. This is a challenge for yourself. It is time to take the steps to reflect on you, your wishes, and where you want to go.

Bottom line: the #1 reason for being overweight is a lack of energy balance (you are eating more calories than your body can burn). (Why you are eating too much is an entirely different issue).

Questions to ask yourself, that I will answer as well for myself:

What about your health/body would you like to change/What fitness goals do you have for yourself?
*I want to be able run a 5k and not get winded.
*Have defined ab lines
*Use 30 lb dumbbells for my squats, 15 for my biceps, 20-25 for shoulder row
*Workout 4 days a week
*Decrease stress - allow more relaxation time for myself

Based off of the answers to these questions, my January plan needs to incorporate cardio (running), weight training, and specific ab circuits. The only way to see the abs is to decrease body fat so they are visible + work those muscles!

Break it down. What do you have to do to reach those goals:
-Treadmill / outdoor running 3x/week- Running specific distances/slowly increasing the distance ran. Also, for some muscular definition I will be increasing the incline and having some interval workouts as well (go tushy and calves!)
-Do a 10 minute ab circuit 5 days/week before/after work
-Have a more defined workout time
-Clear nutrition plans to keep calorie goals in check (counting calories is the only way to know for sure where you're at)


What is standing in the way from you achieving your goals?
*My own excuses and willpower. I often talk myself out of why I can't workout (oh I'm busy, oh I'm tired) --for example, once I'm done writing this I'm already telling myself that I'm still sleepy from traveling yesterday and that I won't have enough time to workout before my ortho appointment. THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO STOP!
*Having a specific time to workout every day (i.e. after work every day, no matter what). Routine naturally makes things easier. In an ideal world, I would be working out in the morning before school. But I would have to get my work life together enough to make that happen first! ....unpeeling the layers of the onion. Remove all excuses.

It is very important to know the specific goals/the steps to reaching them, and what's holding you back before you begin. If one of your goals is to lose weight, be sure in incorporate meal planning. For this reason, there are two challenges that I am asking that you do yourself. Keep it private, or go public to get more support and accountability! If you are not sure that your goal is reasonable, or doable, check with me if you'd like!

Prep-work #1: Answer the questions above. Be specific. If you need help constructing some goals, contact me. Start with things you can measure yourself. If "want my pants to feel more lose" if your goal, that's fine. Want to run a 10 minute mile? Also fine. Just have a way to keep track of it. For extra encouragement and accountability put it in the comments below.

Prep-work #2: Take pre-measurements/photos of yourself. January 1 to January 31. Include things like weight, waist circumference, how your favorite pair of pants feel. Whatever your specific goals are, be sure to include a photo for them (example: have more define calf muscles, take a picture of your calves).

Challenge 1: Tracking Your Food. Track everything. Meal plan EVERY week and measure every single thing that goes in your mouth. To make this easier, I plan everything out on Sundays, and put it into containers for pre-made portion sizes. No WW points. Those are not specific enough to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Use MyFitnessPal, as it allows you to monitor things like sugar intake, protein, etc. For those of you concerned about weight loss, this is the all powerful tool here. Yes, other aspects of nutrition absolutely do matter. But step 1 is understanding how you eat.

Challenge 2: Meeting Your Goals: This part is clearly indivdualized, but focus on about 3-4 of your goals that you are going to accomplish this month. The larger goals, or remaining goals can roll into February. They are not going there because you got lazy, but because you want to focus on a few things at a time. Plan it out first. 


Before January 1, create your first meal ideas for January 1-9. Include grocery items needed, approximate calorie counts (you will be getting the exact ones when you make it). Make sure you include items with protein!!! Don't forget to plan out snacks, if you are the type of person that likes to snack. If you plan on working out, don't forget to plan a post workout snack w/ 20 g protein for weight training days, and 4:1 ratio carbs to protein for cardio days (you only need 100-200 calories for post workout). 

I highly recommend creating a Pinterest board for this. It makes it easier to pin everything to one place, you can label which day you want it in the comments before you pin it.

If you don't already have a planner, I recommend getting one. They are fun to doodle in, and it makes working out and accomplishing tasks more fun (for me at least!). I use the Happy Planner, and plan to add everything in to that, but there are some great fitness planners available as well!
http://www.ogorgeous.com/product/2016-blogilates-fit-planner

My Happy Planner:

 Now that you have somewhere to start, get to it! We've got work to do!!

3 Free Fitness Apps You've Gotta Try!

The majority of us can say they have some type of fitness app on our phones now days. But can you say, that this is a quality app, that isn't giving you some bogus information/wasting your time? How do you even know that? This week, I am going to let you know what I think some fantastic fitness apps are. They are all free, with paid premium subscriptions, but I think for the first time ever, you might just cave and buy the paid one for one of them!


FitStar - Personal Trainer / FitStar Yoga
http://fitstar.com/

This app starts off free but has a premium service that costs about $40 a year (I have seen two different monthly prices advertised--one for $4.99/month, one for $7.99). 

But, it still offers a great service that is FREE -- two, specific workouts per week. 

You first take a fitness assessment (similar to that of insanity, but much shorter). After you do each exercise, which is timed, you input how many reps of the exercise you did, or how long you were able to keep up. You then input your exerted effort. The app uses this information to design your next workout. So far, the workouts range from 11-22 minutes. Short and sweet (or miserable, depending on how you look at it).

Input your level of exertion, and how well you did on each exercise.

Despite the fact that it only provides 2 exercises/week for the free service, you can still supplement it with some of their pre-designed workouts. I am using the app for those days that I am not up to go to the gym or do a run, but still need to be doing something active. If you don't have a gym membership, I would recommend paying for the premium version. 

Provides you with a single exercise, and a timer to keep you paced. You can go faster if you wish.

 










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Argus - 
http://www.azumio.com/s/argus/index.html

Assuming you don't already have some sort of fitness tracking device like a fitbit (or even a new iPhone), but own a smart phone, this is the app for you. Argus uses location monitoring to track your footsteps throughout the day. The only problem is if, like me, you put your phone down during the work day so it doesn't truly track what you've done. It can monitor other user inputted things, such as water, coffee, and exercise, but I use it strictly for the footsteps as I have other apps for everything else.



MyFitnessPal -
myfitnesspal.com

 MyFitnessPal is your best friend if you're trying to lose weight and just can't seem to understand why it's not working! It's also awesome for maintenance, and those days where you *think* you're doing alright but for some reason you're feeling a bit bloated (aka my life). It's simple. To lose weight, you must eat less calories than your body burns in a day. No, don't worry about what you're eating just yet, that comes later. Only worry about how many calories you eat (unless you're battling some health issue, everyone obviously has specific needs). This app is great because it has virtually every single food in there. You measure out what you eat, enter it in, and waalaa! You need to be honest with yourself. Don't guess how much you ate. Get a food scale, measure things out, and enter it in. You may be shocked by how much you're actually consuming.

So before you go into shake land, or some fitness program that makes you "lose 7 pounds per week!"....use FitnessPal. And be real with yourself. Being at a healthy weight isn't always easy. No, I don't have a faster metabolism (that's a complete myth), I just work hard to stay thin and in good shape.





Those are my 3 go to fitness apps!  I think they are a great combination, being able to monitor your nutrition, activity, and exercise levels. Stay tuned for my January Fitness Resolution Challenge!!  Hope you join!

Note-images are not mine, and I do not claim them to be. Please see image location for sourcing information. 

For the lazy days...

I work my butt off. I am up by 5 am preparing for the day, writing lesson plans and responding to work emails. It isn't until a full twelve or thirteen hours later (or more) that I finally walk through the door after work. Unfortunately long days don't mean active days, and I find my body exhausted yet conflicted because I need to do something to get back in shape. But I have absolutely no energy to do that. My new solution: work out in bed!

No, not sex...you have a dirty mind.

It is incredibly easy to do an ab workout and leg workout in bed. You feel the burn, but you don't have to roll out of bed. I call that a win-win. I think while watching Netflix makes it a super win.

My inspiration for the day: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicaprobus/lazy-people-exercise-moves

http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/1011409-19-absculpting-pilates-moves-can-home/?pp=0#slide=1?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=fitness

If you are seeking this for tone and physique, don't forget to count calories y'all, or you won't be able to pull this off. The most important thing to weight loss is calories in must be less than calories out. But then again, if you are gung ho about getting fit I don't think you'll be looking for excuses to exercise in bed. Otherwise, gotta start somewhere! :) 

Basic Advice for Weight Loss Beginners

As an educator, every summer is a great opportunity for reevaluation. Weather is great (unless you're here in Arizona), attitudes are more positive, and you can be more active on a daily basis. For myself and other professionals in education, it's time to start gearing up for the new school year. I really enjoy assessing where I am at both emotionally and physically, and I use this time to create a plan of action, and better educate myself in areas where I am lacking. This is something that regularly needs to happen, and it should be a habit. Even though I don't have kids of my own, I am still responsible for 160 children on a daily basis. I still work from 5:45 am until 5 pm nearly every day. The pieces of advice below have saved me. I am tired of people telling me I'm skinny because of my genes, or that I have a faster metabolism (big misconceptions about weight...see my blurb below). It's called planning, knowledge, and self-control.

My blurb: My boyfriend has an AMAZING blog that's going to debut next month....It is blunt as hell at times, but very helpful for people who are serious about losing weight, and contains very helpful information to educate you about health and nutrition topics--not the mass misconceptions that are being portrayed all over the internet. Stay tuned for that. :) Nothing is live yet, but it can be found at weightequation.com. So go bookmark it. :)

Anywho....Prior to creating goals....a few pieces of advice.

1.) Stop kidding yourself. Think about the reality of the situation. Are you at a healthy weight? Are you participating in behaviors that keep you from reaching goals? Knock it off!

2.) Once you have a plan, actually do it. Don't say you'll do it and then don't.....don't lie about how much your doing....don't make excuses as to why you can't do it as much as you want to. If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you.

3.) Plan, plan, plan. It's in those busy or spontaneous moments that people tend to lose control. You're starving after a long day at work and you don't have anything quick to eat except potato chips and granola. NO!


What to do?
1- Evaluate yourself. You need to know your starting point to go anywhere from there. Determine your primary goal -- weight loss you say? Then go figure out what your daily calorie burn is (by identifying your basal metabolic rate + activity level), and then don't eat as much as that number says. Fact of the matter is, you need to be BELOW that number by the end of the day. The easiest calculator of them all is bmrcalculator.org. But don't lie about how active you are. Most people fall into the low category. Even when I'm on my feet 8 hours a day I categorize myself as being in the "light" category. The number provided will be for weight maintenance. If you want to lose, you need to cut calories. 3500 calories is 1 pounds. Therefore, if you cut 500 calories a day, you will lose one pound a week (500x7=3500).

You could eat pure acai, kale, quinoa, and coconut oil (supposed superfoods)... but if you eat too much...you're done for. Diets that say "you can eat as much as you want" are full of shit. They claim that because they recommend you eat low calorie foods, so therefore it is possible that you are under your calorie goal in order to lose weight. Well, that's not the case for every person, and you will be robbing yourself of a well balanced diet.

2- Track your calories. Stop making excuses. Don't be lazy about it. Until you have a well developed habit and knowledge about portion sizes and calorie contents (and you're at your goal weight), you can't afford to guess. Download Myfitnesspal on your phone, and start measuring your food. Hell, get a food scale. You might be surprised at how off you are. The calorie content is more important than what you're eating right now. I do have viewpoints on better eating habits, but that's for later.

3- Start planning. Get on pinterest, make a plan. Food prep ahead of time. It will be extremely overwhelming to do this on a daily basis. Sitting down on a weekend to plan out the week, go grocery shopping, and make your meals for 4 hours for the entire week is way easier than dealing with it every day after work when you're tired and hungry. Or when you're in a hurry running late for work in the morning.



Now, I'm off to take my body fat measurement, and make a meal plan for the next week. Ta-ta for now.

Elimination Diet: Day 4 - Bored but Still Alive

The first day was absolutely the worst. I not only received 0 real food (everything was pureed), I also had one of the worst headaches in my entire life. Words do not express.

Day 2 was a tad better...I ended up switching to phase 2 then based off how poorly I was doing from phase 1 (note: they say to stay on it 2 days...I'm a big, bad rebel). I got a little bit of protein in that I was desperately craving (from chicken), but still not horrible satisfying.

It is now day 4....The one thing I have noticed is that I'm not quite as tired when I get home from work. I am unsure as to if this is due to removing something in my diet that I was intolerant to, or because I'm eating less carbs than I was (I'm hypoglycemic...so carbs are bad for me..a rollercoaster ride). Regardless, even if I don't discover a food intolerance, at least I have gotten back on track for better eating for my hypoglycemia.

On another note, I have discovered some interesting foods, as I have to read nutrition labels for hours upon end in order to find something without added sugar and soybean oil in it (or gluten, or nuts, or dairy...etc).  I've also cooked some fairly interesting things....

Today-

I made turkey sausage with some spices and a tiny drop of honey (can only do honey or maple syrup pretty much...no sugar), then diced up some avocado. --> breakfast 1 (I have to eat a lot)

A smoothie with a few strawberries, half a banana, a cup of unsweetened coconut milk, and vegan protein powder. --> breakfast 2

Apricot for a snack or two

Salad with turkey, avocado, and apple cider vinegar

Lentil Chips for another snack.

Dinner was mahi mahi with some garlic seasoning, and then I made rice noodles and tossed it with olive oil, garlic, and sauteed mushrooms.

Sweet tooth dessert was homemade warm apple sauce with cinnamon.



Granted, this diet doesn't have much variety so I go towards my love of fruit...which is not good for me...but oh well! I am over the daily sugar amount...up to like 50 gram today...shame on me. But! I also hit my minimum protein (80 gram).

And, I have consistently had 10-12 cups of water every day!! :)

All in all, I miss variety in my food, and I have to bring food with me to places so that I can eat...but it's going all right now! 

Elimination Diet - Detox Stage (aka hell)

What can I say...my head is pounding....I'm beyond tired, my concentration level has flatlined.

I asked for it.

If I didn't know any better I'd think I had the flu.

The detox stage of this diet is absolutely horrid. Way worse than any symptoms before. I woke up this morning, made my usual cup of coffee, put my creamer in it....

Crap.

I can't have coffee.

I can't have the creamer either.

Soybean oil, corn syrup, sugar. Nope. Not happening.

I for a second thought my headache may be from my coffee withdrawal. I guess it's possible, but I only have one cup a day, and it took 7 hours past my usual coffee time for this headache to set in. I've felt progressively worse throughout the day actually. Let me tell you the two reasons this detox stage sucks: there's practically no protein consumption, since everything is on the "no foods" list, and it's actually fairly hard to get your calorie goal without getting incredibly bored from the few foods you can eat. And the foods allowed (fruit) have a lot of simple sugars. Bad idea. So I guess that's three. But, I must continue, I have an end goal in mind.

I woke up, and got my mason jars ready. On the right, my usual water, this time with strawberries and mint. Then the hell sits in.

Green smoothie of death. Everything that makes a smoothie delicious (milk, juice, almond milk, yogurt) is not allowed during this diet. Sooooo, that blows. I opted for strawberries and spinach, with some flax seed and coconut. Not horrible, but definitely not tasty.

And then, on the left is a variation on my soup I've made before. It has sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, apple. Cook it with some olive oil, and purée, and tada! The whole "everything needs to be puréed" thing about this diet is just nonsense. I get the reasoning, but I like eating!

So, I ate/drank what you see for the day, and then some coconut water, and here I am, feeling absolutely horrible. 

Phase two includes solid foods and chicken/turkey/fish. No products with gluten, dairy, nuts, sugars, corn, soy. But I get quinoa and oatmeal! For the sake of my survival, phase two has now begun. If you have serious symptoms, or do not have hypoglycemia, try and do phase 1 for up to 3-4 days (book recommends two). If that's your thing!

More updates mañana! Time for food prepping! Steel cut oats for breakfast!

The Elimination Diet - Determine Your Food Intolerances

If only I had stuck to my water...

Right before I sat down to type this entry, I was sticking my fingers into a cake my students had given me last week. So I'm a little uncivilized, but as I was cleaning out my fridge and kitchen to start my next journey, the craving hit...I couldn't let good cake go to waste! And in I dove, white frosting, moist gooey cake. All over. Yum.

(The cake....now cleaned up):

Not smart, Jennifer.
And then the nausea and weakness hit.

My body doesn't appear to like me much. I am sick often, to the extent where friends and family members find it hard to believe. I don't have a visible injury--you can't tell that I'm feeling weak and nauseated. But it's a legitimate thing, that plagues my life. So apart from my poor self control, it's clear that it's time for something new. Something, with my decreased work schedule over the summer, that actually might be able to manage....The elimination diet.

For those of you that know me personally, you know I have struggled with some health issues over the years, mainly this recurring nausea and weakness I was just mentioning that seems to haunt me at random moments. While hypoglycemia (my diagnosis) probably plays into this, I continue to think something else has got to be off. I'm exhausted, I have lingering anxiety that doesn't go away, I'm shaky, weak, have stomach cramps. But my blood tests always come back normal. So what gives.

Upon searching for my summer reading in Barnes and Noble the other day, I stumbled across the food and diet section. I was hoping for a sign--something to help me with these mystery conditions. Nothing popped out at me. It wasn't until my good friend amazon.com had some recommended titles for me that I caught wind of my must-read for the summer (apparently they know I'm a basket case). One of those being, "The Elimination Diet."

The principal of this diet is based off removing any possible triggers from your diet to determine what may be causing unwanted symptoms-- fatigue, nausea, cramping, headaches, etc. It has used scientific studies to determine the foods that most commonly cause people to have allergic reactions or intolerances, and then takes those away.  This is not a diet in which you strive to lose weight and watch calories. This is a diet where you watch your food consumption and are consciously aware of what your body is doing and how it feels.

It is a process to identify the triggers for the unwanted symptoms and feelings that have gone undiagnosed for years.

I invite you to follow along in my journey, and even participate in your own journey as well. I bought the book on my kindle app for iPad for $12.99, or you could get it shipped to you. I don't typically like digital versions of books, but I felt like this was an urgent matter that I couldn't spend any more time waiting to begin. I would love to hear your own situations as well...does anyone else have nagging symptoms they can't seem to figure out?

Tomorrow, I begin step 1 - The detox.

Essentially, they want me to starve and whither away first. Okay, that might not be entirely true, but that is probably how I will feel by the end of day 2. It is based off of soups and smoothies. No solid food. Hmm. I'm not typically a "fasting" or juice cleanse endorser-- explicitly opposed actually. But, for the sake of my case study, I'm going to give it a go. Veggies all ready in the fridge!

(Unfortunately I don't get to drink the wine during this journey....)

Until tomorrow....

Inspiration for the Week: Mason Jars and Cod

When it comes to weekly meal planning, there are often 2 choices: take the longer, tedious route and enjoy variety throughout the week, or go for the quick method which involves a lot of meal repetition. I think I found the best of both worlds this week with my mason jar inspiration.

These jars could contain virtually anything. They're sturdy, and they're easy to transport. This week, I will be packing them with a variety of shaker salads. Remember the shaker salad McDonald's used to have like ten years ago in the plastic cups? Yes, that's what we're going for....just a bit classier.

As for the dinners, they are not quite as varied, but I usually will flex a bit from my plan based off how I feel. I always keep ground turkey on hand to mix up some quick shell-less tacos, lettuce wraps, or taco soup, depending on my mood. But I had extra cod on hand, and it's a great source of lean protein.

Here is my weekly meal plan. Pictures to follow.

After following my plans more consistently, it's amazing the change in my overall well being. If I do have the occasional fall-off the wagon (like yesterday), usually it's not enough to crash me as long as I'm doing well throughout the rest of the week.

Keep it clean. Raw when possible. Low glycemic. Supplement with probiotics, omegas, and B-vitamins. Live well.

Food Prep is Key for Consistent Eating

The past month I have devoted myself to my eating and health. Bumps in the road have definitely occurred, but as time continues to pass, new habits have evolved and become easier to follow. For example,

1.) I enjoy having a few drinks when I go out (and I go out a few times a week). Before, I would occasionally go over that. Now, I always stop at 2 drinks, and always always ALWAYS eat something with a considerable amount of protein (and fat) in it to help with the blood sugar, and drink plenty for water (1 qt per drink!). I realized this after two instance in the past month where I thought I was invincible (alcohol tends to do that, haha), and did not feel well for days afterwards. Oh. My. Goodness. You don't have to be hypoglycemic to heed that advice, it is beneficial for everyone.

2.) Consistency is key. Just one bender day will set me off on a negative course, sometimes affecting me for 4-5 days afterwards (such as one of the days mentioned above).


It is time consuming, but taking the time to prepare meals every Sunday for the week ahead has proven very beneficial for my health, and my stress levels. The last thing I want to do at the end of a long day (dealing with 175 hormonal middle schoolers) is come home, try and figure out what I want for dinner, and then cook it for an hour. The same goes for the next morning, when I can hardly crawl out of bed. Just get up, grab and go my breakfast and lunch, and I can be out the door.

The trick is go grocery shopping once a week (Sundays are best for me), and then immediately cut up your food for all quick-to-prepare dinners throughout the week, and then bulk cook a few meals that you would like to eat throughout the week. I will tend to have one meal a few times a week, to cut down on food prep, but you can do as much as you feel is reasonable. I will usually get some inspiration on pinterest to create a meal plan, plan my shopping list, and then go grocery shopping (about 1 1/2 for all that). Then I'll take about 1-2 hours to prepare all my food for the week. Here is the meal plan I originally came up with last week. I did end up switching a few things around for lunch, but they were all already prepared.

If you are aiming for low-glycemic like myself to stabilize mood and blood sugars, be sure to limit your fruit intake to only 1 piece of lower-glycemic fruit a day (pairs better with a meal to balance it out). Look up the glycemic index for a list of fruits that are best for this.

Additionally, I am taking a few supplements to help with mood stabilization and overall health, stress, + energy levels. These are : a probiotic (refrigerated section), an Omega-complex (I have the Udo brand, also refrigerated), a B complex vitamin, and a homeopathic remedy called ignatia amara, recommended by my doctor (ask them for recommendations, these can be quite potent).

Food prep begins tomorrow, and I'll be sure to post the next week plan then! Until then, please ask if you have any questions. You can find my recipes + pictures of many of these foods on my instagram page:

#healthyteachergirl

Rollercoasters, the Glycemic Index, and Health Pacts. Enter: Healthyteachergirl

Find #healthyteachergirl on Instagram.

Many of us are often silently suffering through health problems. Many of these problems may be significant concerns to us, such as arthritis and diabetes, but others are small, nagging problems--a variety of symptoms with unknown causes, that we just wish to be over. I myself have been suffering through a hodgepodge of symptoms for about 3-4 years now. These range from stomach cramps and shaking of the hands (with a weak feeling attached), to nausea, vomiting, and an inability to walk some mornings. It. is. terrifying. In recent months I have been experiencing severe anxiety and depression as well that only contributed to my overall feeling of misery. While I have known how to eat, and what to be eating, I just wasn't being strict enough, mainly due to peer pressures and wanting to fit in, and I was therefore on a sickening roller coaster.

There are a large variety of fad diets out there, or "lifestyles," such as vegan, raw, South Beach, or Atkins. But ultimately, most of these diets have one thing in common: your body consuming natural, unprocessed goods, that are low on the glycemic index.

All foods have a ranking on the glycemic index. This scale ranges from 0-100, and the lower the score, the better. Lower scores indicate that that particular food causes your blood sugar levels to spike less than other foods might. Less of a spike, means less of a crash. And the majority of our ills are due to unregulated blood sugar, or the crashing of the blood sugar.

There is obviously more science to this, but when it comes down to it, a low glycemic diet is best. No person benefits from huge spikes and then drops in their blood sugar. By focusing on a low glycemic diet, you naturally begin to eat less refined and processed foods (as they are all higher on the G.I.), more protein, and more fibrous vegetables. The one thing you might think you need, fruit, is actually not very good for you. Fruit contains high levels of sugar, natural or not, that lead to blood sugar spikes and weight gain. I do have some fruit in my diet, but they are on the lower side of the G.I.. Trust me, it's hard. I love fruit. Love, love, love.

So enter healthyteachergirl. This is my new persona, to motivate myself to stick with my eating style, and hopefully encourage and educate some of you on healthy ways to eat.

Through my Instagram page, I hope to provide you with meal ideas, important supplements that need to be included in your diet, and general encouragement on your path to living a healthy lifestyle. Let's make a pact. Comment on this blog if you are ready to make that commitment to yourself, and the public universe to live your best life. Hopefully through persistence, dedication, and this new community I hope to find, we can all find peace and comfort within ourselves.

Please follow me on Instagram, username healthyteachergirl.

Find #healthyteachergirl on Instagram

Adjusting Your Diet to Reduce Inflammation - Check Out "therawfoodies.com"

You are driving home from work-- your body aches, you're exhausted, and you are counting down the minutes until you can plop down on the couch with a drink and a snack. If this sounds familiar, and you've ever experienced increased fatigue and unusual pain or soreness in your body, there is a possibility that you are suffering from inflammation. While it can be caused by an external factor, such as a car accident, very often the food that you eat can be a leading contributor to this inflammation and its related symptoms. Making small changes in your diet can reduce this inflammation, increase your mood, and put you on track for living a healthier, pain free life.

Foods that we eat every day are silently sneaking an attack on our bodies. Check below to see if you are eating any of these foods so you can become aware of it. A future post will discuss alternatives to these foods.

-processed foods: the preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats in processed foods all contributed to inflammation.
-dairy products
-meats
-alcohol
-sugar/sweeteners
-sodium (salt)
-gluten

Eliminating all of these foods from your diet is not simple, and for some of us, might not even be possible. While there are a variety of ways to begin phasing these things out of your diet, one solution that is very to the point is a raw food diet. This means all of your food is consumed in the raw, uncooked state--no processing, no pasteurization (as is used with dairy), no cooking/heating above a certain point.

One might find a raw food diet intimidating -- especially the idea of not being able to eat meat and dairy, or commonly eaten processed foods like pasta. Prioritizing raw food in your diet doesn't mean you have to give it up completely to have health benefits. There are a variety of ways to cut back on inflammatory foods, or modify the foods that are often inflammatory, while still enjoying yourself. Future posts will discuss this.

But for now, if you are interested in raw food living, a friend of mine has recently undergone a raw vegan lifestyle, and she has some wonderful insight on the raw vegan lifestyle. She will be updating her blog regularly, but I highly suggest checking it out.

The Raw Foodies

3 Fitness Recommendations

Over the past 7 years, I have kept my nutritional fitness routine rather simple - always pre-workout snack 30 minutes before my workout (100 cal or so), and a 100-200 calories post-workout snack with at least 20 grams of protein. Many people might find this counter intuitive, putting more calories in your body when you're trying to rid yourself of them in the first place while at the gym. But let's remember that small snacks throughout your day are not only completely fine but also recommended if you're the type that gets hungry easily or has blood sugar problems. With that said, if you're concerned about the calories, just watch your other meals to ensure that you can add these two to your workout regimen.

A small snack (100-150 calories) consisting of mostly carbs prior to a workout is very beneficial in preparing your body for the stress it's about to endure. It allows your body during a workout to feed off of the fuel you've just given it, rather than your muscle stores (=negative workout results, longer recovery time). I most commonly would have something simple and quick, such as an apple and a light cheese stick.

The post-workout snack is even more important, whether you've done just cardio, or mostly weights. Depending on your workout, the composition of this snack may change slightly. If you've done primarily cardio, focus your snack on carbs, with some protein (10+grams) to ensure your muscles (most likely your quads, hamstrings, and calves) can recover as well. While working out your body burns glucose, which are your energy stores that are made from the food you have eaten throughout the day. If you do not replace these stores quickly within 30min-1 hr (which are made by eating those carbs), your body is not able to regenerate glucose as quickly and it will result in decreased performance the following day or two.

If you've done mainly weights in your workout, it is extremely important to get at least 20 grams of protein within around 30 minutes of your workout. The reasoning is very similar to what I just discussed, but instead of just replacing just glucose stores, your main concern is to replace protein stores, or else your body will start to use it's own protein (aka your muscles) to try and regenerate itself, which equals =lost benefits and near pointless workouts. Every time you workout, you are creating tiny microscopic tears in your muscles, which are repaired over time, and with the assistance of our buddy protein. Soreness is normal, but too much is an indicator that you're either working out too hard (and injuring yourself), or not properly nourishing yourself after a workout. Expect 2 days recovery time for upper body (arms, shoulders, back), and up to 3 days for lower body / large muscle groups (like your quads). Now, with that said, you must find a snack that works for you. While real food is best, as it provides additional vitamins, there are a few products that can help you provide that benefit as well (and that I often resort to to keep calorie count down). Here are my 3 product recommendations to ensure that you can have a solid workout each and every time, as well as a faster recovery.

1. Pre-workout drink (if any of these are optional, I'd say this is the one). I have never advocated for these drinks before, but I recently tried one because I was lagging prior to going to the gym, and let me tell you, I could tell the difference in my energy. It allowed me to workout longer, and a little harder. The particular one I use is called Volt Pre-Workout, by Neon Sport, in Berry Pomegranate. I got mine at GNC.

2. Protein Powder. You want to have a protein powder with whey isolates for faster absorption. While any protein is good, if it is complex it takes longer for your body to absorb and use, slowing your recovery time. Hydrolyzed will provide the fastest absorption because the protein has already been broken down. The particular one I use is called ProtoWhey Power Crunch by BNRG. It tastes great, has 20 grams of protein, and there are a few carbs mixed in to restore your glucose levels as well. Even better? Only 140 calories (many protein powders clock in at around 200).

3. Foam rolling. This is beneficial for runners and people who workout their larger muscle groups a lot. In my opinion it is best for IT band and hamstrings. It should be added to your stretching routine and can help speed up recovery as well as knead out any knots you may have.

Working out and sculpting the body you want definitely doesn't happen over night. But you can begin to see results fairly quickly if you are dedicated to both your workouts and your diet. Please remember, that while workouts can help burn calories and sculpt lean muscle, it is your diet that predicts your weight/body shape by up to 80-90%. If you aren't eating well, you will not see the results you want. But it is definitely possible, and easiest if you try to gradually change your lifestyle.

Well there you have it. Between the things suggested here and solid dedication to your workouts (and pushing yourself), expect to see wonderful results in no time! :) Any questions, never hesitate to ask! Have a great day!

Full Time Teacher, Part-Time Health Freak. My Weekly Suggestions

Being healthy isn't hard.

Being healthy in this fast-paced technology crammed world is. Add in a full time job that requires you to work overtime and it's even more difficult. But there are a few easy tricks to still make sure you're getting in at least a small dose of health, whether it be in your diet (which is easiest), or your activity level. I'm here to tell what some of these tricks are.


So while I realize a lot of my friends and family have figured this out for themselves, I kind of felt the impulse to write about it anyways. Maybe someone will have an A-Ha! moment. If so, great. If not, at least this is a cathartic activity for me that isn't self-depleting. Here we go.


Number 1. Go grocery shopping once a week. While it may encourage some of us to spend more money, if you only wrap around the outside loop of the store you'll be fine. This is probably one you've heard everywhere. But you can't even begin to be healthy if you don't have that fresh supply of fruits and veggies, dairy, and lean proteins. And being as they can go bad after a week in the fridge, that's why I said it. Almost anything fresh in produce is fair game, assuming you don't eat 25 peaches in a day and nothing else. The meat department of my life consists of three things: 1.) low fat (90/10 or less) freshly ground turkey/chicken (Jennie-O status), 2.) Wild salmon, or some other kind of fish that's not dirty (i.e. talapia), and 3.) chicken breast. All great places for protein, but not full of that nasty fat like a steak will give you. My very fast go-to protein consists of some deli-shaved ham or turkey breast. Make sure it's not full of additives, nitrates, sodium, and mechanically separated stuff. Ick. While it can be high-sodium, if you look, there are brands that aren't too horrible. If I didn't have it, my breakfasts would be very sad.

Dairy... It's not dairy, but I love almond milk. It's great to drink plain, or in cereal, and only 60 calories a cup (for the kind I get) with a bundle of calcium in it. While there isn't a gob of protein in there (which I'm very bummed about), you can make it up elsewhere in your diet. My go-to brand, because I just think the flavor is better and there are less additives/ingredients is Silk, the original kind. I then of course have my gallon of fat-free milk, and greek yogurt--both high in protein. (Protein is probably the most helpful thing when it comes to eating well, because it keeps you full). Look out for the high sugar content in Greek yogurt though. Anything above 15g for a 6oz cup is a lot. I recently found the mini Chobani cups that are 70 calories and 8 grams of protein. While tiny and not to be used for a meal, they make for great add-ons and snacks to keep you rolling until lunch.


Number 2...Easy way to force yourself to take 30 seconds to be healthy is to sign up for the daily challenges by meyouhealth.com. You can have them sent to your cell phone at a certain time every day. I am enrolled in the Cardio track and get a short challenge that normally only takes 30 seconds sent to me at noon. I'm super busy, but at least I do SOMETHING because of it. If you haven't completed it by 7 they give you a reminder (you can pick what times they text you).

And my final tip today, is a new fitness tracking app called Argus. While I still use myFitnessPal for tracking all of my food (also awesome), Argus is nice because it helps you track your steps and has a very quick format to log your water consumption, sleep, activity, and take pictures of your food. It's free! Hooray...go get it!!!


So my goals for the week: Eat well (your weight is 90% determined by how you eat), and get a jolt of exercise in by doing my fitness challenges and using Argus.

If anyone actually reads this and wants to know something specific, please feel free to comment/ask. I'm not talking out of my ass here, really. Apart from taking a ton of human phys in college, I was a nationally certified personal trainer until I chose to let it expire lol. If I wasn't a teacher, I would definitely be doing this kind of thing.

I will be participating in my first half marathon in 18 weeks and 1 day!! Working 12 hour days at school and then coming home to plan lessons and work on my masters HW, it isn't always easy to fit in that time at the gym. I am determined to run this half, and have already paid over $100 to do so, so now is my time to make it happen. You never regret having gone to the gym, but you do regret not. Training for my half-marathon begins October 2nd.

Monday: Get back on my training routine. BAM! :) By August 13th, I'll be rocking my size 5 pants again, instead of squeezing into them haha.

Gettin Back to the Grind...

BAM! This girl is coming back! I have finally found a healthy pace in my life, to where I feel like I can manage to implement at least 3 workouts a week on top of my crazy work and school schedule. Those workouts, have made all the difference. Because I know I can't get into the gym every day, I generally do a full body workout and cardio session each time I'm there. As many of you are probably already aware, these kinds of workouts usually are not placed back to back to each other, and are given a rest day in between. Hence the idea of doing arms one day, legs another, etc. But there's no time to waste! I spend 30 minutes doing a high interval training cardio session on the treadmill, which consists of speeds from 3.5-8mph, and an incline between 2 and 10. This type of interval training gives multiple muscles in my legs the opportunity to get the work, while still giving my heart and respiratory system the benefits of cardio training. Interval training is great for weight loss also, and a lot of people find it easier to implement into their workouts because they get that "resting, or cooldown" period, opposed to the "run 6mph for 30 min straight, now go." That type of running...bores the hell out of me, and it turns into a mental struggle to keep going. In addition to my cardio, I spend 20 minutes doing weight training, then with a 10 min session of abs and then stretching. On the days I can't get into the gym, I still try to do 10 minutes of abs twice a week in my living room at night. My weight training focuses on upper body supersets, particularly on the shoulders, triceps, and biceps. I get a bit of lower body training from my running, so I generally only supplement that with a few sets of squats, lunges, and deadlifts. This is only the beginning of the 3rd week of consistent training that I have begun, but I can already tell a world of difference. My pants are no longer cutting off my ass's circulation, and I can button them without sucking in. Hahaha...TMI? I haven't had the opportunity to get to a body fat caliper, but it's obvious to me that I have lost some given percentage based off the way I look in the mirror. The scale, which I generally do not rely too much on, because muscle weighs more than fat, has gone from 132-133 down to 128-129. 127-128 was what I was shooting for, so I figure I'll probably reach that in the next week or two. Now, don't get me wrong. this is all in addition to a very focused eating plan, and I really watch what I eat. I make sure I get a lot of protein, low levels of sugar, and some multigrains in. Nothing processed, nothing with added sugar. And I think I stick under 1600 cal a day. This of course is going to vary for all people, especially depending on your activity level and current weight. If you would like some suggestions, feel free to ask. :)