Summer Summer Summer Time!!!

Summer is right around the corner!! After a weekend of poor food choices, I need a little kick in the butt. I know I'm not the only one feeling this way. The other day, I had a girlfriend ask me what she could do to tone up a little before summer. Nothing is worse than being in a swimsuit and covering yourself up with a towel or not wanting to take your shirt off. Last summer, I got a glimpse of what it feels like to not care and this summer, I'm hoping to look and feel even better!

Here are some ideas of what you can do to be more comfortable this summer! 

#1 Diet. 

The most important thing. Try for a week to track your food if you're not already. This will put into perspective what you are really eating and how much of it. Some people do not realize how many calories are in the foods they are eating and how that adds up. Especially what they drink. A lot of Coffee, soda, and fruit juices all have high amounts of calories and sugars. Not going to help your bikini body! Try limiting the carbohydrate intake. If you are tracking your food, try to keep the grams under 150. Ideally around 100g. Try to eat your carbohydrates earlier in the day and cut them out after lunch. Always eat whole grain and limit your portions. Eat as many veggies as you want. Especially greens. This will keep your cravings in check. Water water water. Use common sense and do not eat fried food. I'm guilty of that this weekend and trust me it was not worth it.

#2 Workouts 

Try to do 3 days of cardio a week for no less than 30 min. Since its nice out, try running outside. This gets your heart rate up and you will burn more calories. Do intervals. Lift weights or do some work at home. If you do not have weights, use a bottle of water or a heavy object. You should feel good for the first few reps and push yourself for the last 3-5. Any harder than that means your weight is too heavy. Any easier and it's too light.

Here are some workouts you can do at home. 

Do one set of each, then repeat. 

Legs 

1. Squats 3 * 15 

2. Wall Sits 3* 30 seconds 

3. Lunge 3* 10 ( each leg) 

4. Leg Lifts 3 * 10 (lift one leg in front of body for 10 times, continue to the side, then the back. One continuous movement. Each leg) 

5. Jumping Jacks 3* 1 minute. Repeat. 

Arms

1. Pushups 3* 15

2. Bicep Curl 3* 15 

3. Arm Raises 3*10 ( hold dumbbell out in front with straight arms, lower to side and back up 10 times, widen arms to a V and continue 10 more times , finish with arms to the sides, 10 more times.

4. Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3* 15 

5. Jump Rope 3* 1 minute. 

Abs

1. Plank 3*30 seconds

2. Side Plank 3*30 seconds(each side)

3. Crunch 3*25 

4. Bicycle 3*25

5. Jumping Jacks 3* 1 minute Repeat  

#3 Take Pictures

This will get you motivated to stick with the gym and diet. I recommended taking pictures every week in the same swim suit at the same time. This way you can see your progress.  

Hope this helps!! Good Luck!!

Cravings!

Cravings are one of the most difficult things to overcome. I cut down on my carbohydrate intake and made sure that I was not eating more then 100g a day. This was a drastic change from what my body was use to. I never find myself having an overwhelming craving for carrots...why is it always chocolate or candy?? Never in my life have I even craved sweets, and for the first 6 months of cutting carbohydrates, they are all I wanted! One night I needed chocolate so bad that I walked to the gas station at 10pm just to get a candy bar. I couldn't figure out why but I knew this had to change. I asked a trainer and this is what I found out...

The carbohydrates that we eat, such as bread, oats, and potatoes, have sugar in them which is called glucose. Glucose is the body's primary source of energy. When you cut out carbohydrates, your body is craving glucose..aka sugar. So the more I cut out carbohydrates, the more I was eating candy to get rid of that feeling. Not good. The way I see it now is I would rather have a half a cup of brown rice and keep my glucose levels in check then eat candy or chocolate which has no nutrition benefit.

I now have a piece of whole wheat toast or a pita bead in the morning. This helps control my cravings through the morning and keeps me full longer. For lunch, I will have quinoa or brown rice. This truly does help my cravings. I eat less through the day and stick with foods that will benefit me.

Caprese Salad

Love Caprese Salad! This is a fun way to change it up! Perfect for a party!

Caprese Salad

1 BelGioioso Unwrap & Roll Fresh Mozzarella Sheet

2-3 Tomatos

2 Tablespoons EVOO

Fresh Basil Leaves

Salt and Pepper

Unwrap mozzarella sheet

Slice tomato and spread out on sheet

Add basil leaves

Tightly roll up

Cut into 1/2- 1 inch pieces 

Drizzle with EVOO

Add salt and pepper

Enjoy!

 

Moooore Food!

Kenzie came over for dinner tonight and we made Buffalo Chicken Wraps! I always love cooking with Kenzie! We love trying new healthy recipes.This is not as "clean" as I would like it to be but it was nummy!  Here is the recipe...Simple and sweet!

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

1 Chicken Breast 

2 Tablespoons Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce
1 Tablespoon Light Ranch Dressing
1 Whole Wheat Tortilla
Lettuce

Maranate Chicken in Sauce
Cook Chicken
Add to Tortilla
Top with Ranch Dressing and Lettuce
Enjoy!

The Way We Wear Our Clothes

Today, my friend Kenzie and I were talking about what we look like now compared to what we looked like months ago. To me, there are two parts to losing weight. At first you compare yourself to what you were and you're so happy to look better. Then there is a point where you start comparing yourself to what you want to be. One minute you can be happy with how you look and the next you're miserable again.

I had a hard time with this and it hit me hard and still is. I am so happy I took pictures because looking back at old pictures is what kept me going. We were also talking about how before, we never thought we were "that" big but we notice we wore our close differently. I would wear clothes that were not too tight or revealing and hid my body. Now, I kinda want to show what I have worked for and I feel more confident in form fitting clothes. These pictures are 1 year apart. They are from my friend Jessica's birthday party. I wore a dress in both but they are completely different looks.

4-9-11

4-14-12

Self confidence is so important and it truly is something you have to find within. No one is going to be 100% happy with their bodies but there are little things you can do to remind yourself how far you have come and how hard you have worked. I get mad at myself when I call myself fat or that my legs are too big. I have transformed my body and still am. The second you start putting yourself down means you are one step closer to giving up. You are your biggest cheerleader and if it wasn't for YOU none of your weight loss would be possible. Remember that!!

Better Dinner Choices

After a long day, a lot of people come home and eat their emotions away. I used to spend all day thinking about what I am going to make for dinner and it was never healthy. Pasta was a number one choice for me and it was never whole wheat. Dinner is one of the most important meals. After you go to sleep, your body is not burning as many calories. You want to make sure what you're eating is healthy and high in protein. There are ways to make comfort food healthy. Here are a couple meals that I make often.

Taco Salad/Wraps

4oz Turkey Meat (Seasoning added)

Romaine Lettuce

1/4 cup Black Beans

1/2 Red, Green, or Yellow Pepper Sliced

1/2 Cup Chopped Onion

2-3 Tablespoons Light Sour Cream

4 Tablespoons Salsa

1/4 cup Mexican Cheese is optional

Cook turkey meat and add taco seasoning

Chop romaine lettuce or tear off 3 leaves

Add turkey meat, beans, peppers, onions, sour cream and salsa to lettuce

Enjoy!

 

BBQ Chicken FlatBread

 

1 Harvest Wheat- 100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flatout Bread

1 Diced Chicken Breast

1/2 Cup Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1/4 Cup Sliced Red Onion

2 Tablespoon BBQ Sauce

Toast Flatout in oven until lightly brown

Spread desired amount of BBQ sauce on Flatout (less is more)

Spread 1/4 Cup Mozzarella Cheese on Flatout

Add Chicken and Onion

Add rest of Cheese on top

Toast until Cheese is melted

Enjoy!!

Clean Clean Eating

I'm on a mission to clean up my diet. I want to be as toned and fit as I can before summer. I'm switching up my meals a bit and starting a stricter diet. I'm sticking with my egg whites in the morning along with a protein shake. My mid morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack are going to be a chicken and vegetable mixture. Adding rice to lunch. I'm going to play around with different recipes so I do not get burnt out on veggies and chicken. Simplicity is key! I don't have a lot of time to cook so the easier the recipe the better!

Chicken and Vegetables with Soy Sauce

This is another one of my favorites!

Green Beans, Chicken, Feta Cheese and EVOO

 

I have been following Courtney Prather on Facebook. She is a Fitness Model who kinda has the same approach to things as I do. I'm not a huge fan of the "bodybuilding" look but I think she has great tone and dedication. Here is a link to an interview she gave. She explains her workout schedule and nutrition.

http://www.simplyshredded.com/rising-star-fitness-model-bikini-competitor-courtney-prather-talks-with-simplyshredded-com.html

Get Active!

I have not talked much about my workouts so I thought today would be a good day to do that. When I started, I was a cardio junkie and stayed far away from the weight room. I felt like everyone was staring at me and laughing because I was doing everything wrong. In reality, no one really notices you and if you learn the correct way to lift weights then you have nothing to worry about. It was nice to have a partner to do my first lift with but not everyone has that option. Women are afraid to lift because they think they are going to get bulky and big. Trust me that is not possible! I have been lifting for over a year now and am nowhere near bulky and big. Lifting builds muscle mass and the more muscle mass you have the more calories you will burn. Also, muscle takes up less space then fat so you will be smaller and look more fit.

Our first lift was a full body lift spread out between 3 days. Staring out, you do not want to push yourself. Take it easy and learn the correct form for each move. If your able to go to a gym that's great but if you have to workout at home you can make it work too. Two months into my workout out I went to Texas. I did not let that stop me from doing my lift. I took some workout bands with me and used a gallon of water as a weight. If you want it bad enough you can make it work.

If you are not able to go to a gym there are plenty of things you can do at home. I can't tell you how many Saturday mornings I've woken up and the last thing I want to do is go to the gym. If its nice outside go for a walk or run. I love doing interval training on the trail. That's when you run for a short amount of time to get your heart rate up then slow down to get your heart rate back down. Interval training has a list of benefits. It increases your metabolism and keeps it running smoothly when you are not working out. It also gives you a burst of energy while toning and building muscle.

Jason our trainer would give us a lift that we did  for the first 7 months. After that, I created my own and for the past 90 days I have done a program called Live Fit that I got off Bodybuilding.com (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html)

I had a hard time following the nutrition because it is really strict but I did follow the workouts. I skipped Phase 1 but if you have never lifted before, I would start at the beginning. I really liked the workouts and I do see a difference in my body.

Some of my favorite things

This is the new Love of my Life! I tried this pita bread at a friends house and fell in love. It is amazing! Only 45 calories and only 8 grams of Carbs! I have it with my eggs in the morning. Also, I warm it for 10 sec and add 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1/2  banana. Nummy!!! I get mine at Cub Foods in the deli section.

If you are counting calories I highly recommend weighing your food. That way you know exactly how many calories you are eating. I bought this scale from Target for 5 dollars. I use it for everything! Prepare your meals ahead of time, weigh your food, and then you know how to spread your calories throughout the day!

This is a side dish I made the other night. It's Quinoa with tomato's and black beans. Quinoa has a higher protein content than wheat, barley or other major grains. One cup of quinoa has 9 grams of protein and contains all 8 of the essential amino acids. It is a nice change if you eat brown rice often.

 Quinoa Tomato and Black Beans

1 Cup uncooked Quinoa, Cook according to package
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
1 Can Black Beans
1/4 - 1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro
1/4- 1/2  Cup Chopped Red Onion
Lime Juice
Lemon Juice

Slice Tomatoes, Rinse Beans, Chop Onion and Cilantro, add to cooked Quinoa
Add desired amount of Lime and Lemon Juice
Enjoy!

Support system

I can not begin to tell you how important my support group has been. I have had Beth through this whole journey and we have encouraged and supported each other the whole way. You also need your friends and family supporting you. Tell those close to you that you are trying to lose weight and that any support and encouragement would be highly appreciated. A true friend will support you and be happy for your success. People will talk. That is what some people do but be proud of yourself and what you have accomplished. They are just envious of what you have achieved.

When I went to pay for my RMR test, I found out that my wonderful friend Kenzie paid for it as a thank you for all I have done to help her. I have worked with her over the past few months and helped her lose 25lbs. Not only did I help her but she has helped me realize how much I love helping people with fitness. I realized because of her, how great it feels to be a part of someone's weight loss journey.

My friend Jessica has also been such a great support system. One of my goals was to buy a new pair of Seven Jeans as a reward to myself for hitting my goal weight. Once I hit my goal weight, I kept putting off buying the Jeans for fianial reasons. One night Jessica handed me a card which explained how proud of me she was and a check to go buy a pair of Jeans. Totally unnecessary but such a wondeful unselfish thing to do.

I know any day that I feel weak, I can go to my support system and they will lift me back up. I love all my friends who have been supporters and I could not have done it without you! I know you know who you all are!