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. :)

Healthy hot chocolate on a cold day...

It's a cloudy day in Phoenix, and because I can't have too much sugar at a given time, I had to make an alternative to the super sweet hot chocolate packets sold in the store, but I still wanted to get some protein in there.I have no idea if this recipe exists elsewhere (it probably does), but here's what I did. For a single serve, lower sugar, and less processed version of the typical hot chocolate packets you would find in the store: 6 oz of nonfat milk fill rest of cup with water (2oz) ---heat in a microwave for 1 min 30 - 2 min. Add: ~1 teaspoon of vanilla syrup (like the kind you would be in coffee or drinks) 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 1 packet of stevia in the raw (equivalent to 2 teaspoons of sugar. Mix it up, and tada! This recipe is only 100 calories, and contains 13 g sugar (10 of which are in the milk, the other 3 in the syrup, .5 g fat, and 8 g protein. You could also try amaretto or hazelnut syrup for a different flavor. Or add cinnamon. (opposed to 115-150 calories with plain water and 20-25g sugar for the packets).

How I Want to Identify Myself...

...is not how I've been acting. I want to be active, energetic, a clear athlete. When people see me, I want them to be able to tell that I appreciate my body, and am willing to spend time on it. If you aren't willing to spend the time on yourself, no matter how much, why should you expect anyone else to do the same? If you want the man with the bulky biceps or six pack, is that hypocritically that you do not try and treat your own body like a champion? We only get one, and we should treat it like our temple. People who have nice bodies, just look like they are in control-- of their lives, and their bodies. And I would love to have and maintain more control in my life. A contract to myself: -take care of yourself! -don't eat shit that you know it will make you feel like shit! -limit drinking, especially binge drinking on weekends -exercise! Be the girl who needs to exercise as a daily part of life, where it's not a dreaded situation to go to the gym. -if you're not completely satisfied when looking in the mirror, keep working. But understand that these things take time, and with commitment and dedication, it can happen. -maintain a positive work life balance, and try to remove stress and negative things from your mind. Goals: -workout 4x a week. -cook my lunches every Sunday night + freeze -complete lesson plans + busy work on Friday night + Saturday mornings - keep the weekends open! I've been working on a 30 min treadmill plan lately, and it includes a variance of speeds and inclines, to help work various muscles of the legs, while still creating a calorie burn from interval training. I also do 20 minutes of weights.