Expectations

Oh expectations, how you like to ruin me.  Remember when I said I was going to blog several times per week?  I even did it for a week or two.  I also was all gung-ho on keto.  I did that for a little over a week before tweaking my diet (still clean) to keep me sane.  When signing up for the Phil Heath, I said I wanted to do several shows this season.  As of now, I don't have any shows on the horizon.  At the start of each week, I have lofty aspirations of having an immaculate house by the end of the week...we all know that that has probably NEVER happened.  See a pattern here?  I set these expectations in the disguise of a goal quite often.  I would venture to say I'm not alone in this process.  To what degree you set these "goals" for yourself, I'm not sure.  I know that I shouldn't feel bad when things don't pan out the way I planned, but isn't that human nature?  Maybe it's the control freak in me...

I'm transitioning out of comp-mode with my eating and workouts, still.  I'd brainwashed myself that if I don't do/eat XYZ, then I'm not successful that day.  Lies, they're all lies.  Slowly, I'm changing that mode of thinking.  I've become a big fan of the "if it fits your macros" or as some half-jokingly call it - "if it fits your mouth".  IIFYM or flexible dieting is all about finding that sweet spot of balance.  There's nothing you can't have.  I am a HUGE fan of My Fitness Pal and use their app on my phone all day long.  It's the only way I can make sure I'm staying in my calorie range and percentages.  I've customized it for myself and play around with my percentages based on not only my goals, but how I'm feeling that day.  Am I run down because I stayed up past midnight on Pinterest?  I'll allow myself more carbs that day.  Am I feeling bloated because I ate chips and salsa the other night?  Bye bye carbs.  I typically stay in the range of 30-40% carbs, and split the remainder between protein and fat.  No need to count sugar for me as it all translates back to carbs.  I've also pretty much cut out all my fake sugars.  They weren't being very nice to my body anyway.

Ok, so now that summer is quickly approaching, and for me that means kiddos are out of school...I needed to start planning what my summer routine will look like.  *I had a friend joke about her making a 30/60/90 day plan for her family...but I guess that's kinda what I'm doing, isn't it?!*  In a perfect world, I would be lounging by the pool while the girls played and I wouldn't have to worry about them drowning or the pile of laundry waiting at home.  A girl can dream, right?  Instead, I know they will require me getting in the water with them.  This will be the perfect time to use them as little water weights and do some laps around the pool.  The park will also be a great place to get some plyos and HIIT in.  I'm planning on (without huge expectations put upon myself) doing this 12 minute AMRAP - as many rounds as possible - this evening from Kama Fitness :  

Whatever your goals are, set mini goals along the way.  No one is going to fault you for things not happening on an exact timeline.  Treat each day like a new day.  God willing, you get to wake up each morning and start over.  Maybe you had a kick-ass day the day prior, that doesn't necessarily mean today will be the same...it could be even more amazing or a complete let-down.  Pick your battles with yourself and above all else, just keep going.  Set your intentions and move forward!!  

Are YOU hungry for a change?

Sugar is bad, mkay?  If you know a smoker or have ever been a smoker, you know how bad breaking that addiction can be.  Sugar is the same way and you know what...it's in EVERYTHING!  Well, it's in everything that's in a box or can on a shelf.  I'm sure there are a few things here and there that don't contain it, no need to call me out, I'm just making a point. ;)  It's the food industry's way of keeping us coming back for more like crazy sugar zombies.  

Watching Hungry for a Change today was pretty enlightening.  I've always been a proponent for clean and healthy eating, but there were plenty of science based statements that I know I'll carry with me forever.  Bye bye diet sodas, bye bye crazy (albeit sometimes delicious) sugary foods.  I don't need your crazy chemicals.  I truly believe that I can change not just how I look, but how I feel and how my body ages.  I want to feel and look young for-ev-er.  (catch that Sandlot reference?)

Once you understand that sugar is a drug, just like cocaine/weed/alcohol/meth, the better off you'll be.  It's addictive!  We're all probably addicted, if you're not, congrats!!  I am the first to admit that I have a sugar problem.  My sweet tooth is HUGE.  I'm not saying I will never ever put sugar in my mouth again.  Will it be a daily thing?  Hell to the no.  Weekly, maybe.  I'd like it to be even less often than that.  I've done it before, I can do it again.  There's plenty of ways to have a treat without compromising my health.  Seen those recipes on Pinterest for Avocado Chocolate Pudding or Sweet Potato Brownies? Yah.  Delish. 

Bread, pasta, soda, candy, chips, and ANYTHING processed has sugar in it.  Do yourself a favor and start eating real, whole foods.  Real food is delicious.  Very few Americans are eating real foods, we're eating food-like substances.  Don't just eat to look good, eat to feel good.  The looking good part will follow.  Eat to live.  Eat to nourish your body and soul.  Cheetos, though yummy, do not nourish your soul.  Mac & cheese used to be my drug comfort food.  Right now, I get that "ahhh" feeling from my brown rice and lean meat.  Tonight, I got that same feeling from my trusty baked chicken, asparagus, and sweet potato with a sprinkle of cinnamon.  

What's the easiest way to avoid sugar?  Don't buy it.  Shop the perimeter of a grocery store.  Fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, lean meats.  Better yet, find a co-op, grow a garden, shop local.  Two of my favorite quotes from Hungry for a Change was the tip of not thinking "I CAN'T EAT THAT" but "I can, but I DON'T WANT TO" and "People are overfed and undernourished".   Watch the first part of the movie here.

A scary fact was that a lot of the chemicals we're exposed to in our food are lipophilic (fat loving).  So here we are, sweating and trying to burn fat.  Unfortunately, we're not riding our toxins that have built up.  What can help?  Chlorophyll, think parsley and cilantro.  Both are great cleansers.  Cilantro detoxes heavy metals (think mercury) and parsley not only freshens breath, but cleanses your entire blood supply.  Make some homemade salsa and BAM you're cleansing!  Just don't dig into said salsa with chips...use it as your dressing on salad or in your morning eggs!  I also love drinking hot lemon water in the morning.  I LOVE coffee, but definitely feel better when I drink my hot lemon water.  I even just use a drop of my Young Living Lemon Oil!  Chia seeds and other gelatinous fibers will bind to those fat loving toxins and sweep them out of your system.  Chia seeds don't just have to grow on your terra cotta head/dog/other strange form from 1980.  You CAN eat them and even drink them!  Weight will come off when you cleanse.  It's more than that though, cleansing your body is like giving your car a tune up, it just runs better.

Try this chia seed recipe:   

Skinny Banana Bread with Chia Seeds

I'll be making a version using almond milk and a gluten free flour. :)  Enjoy!!

Year-round Bikini Body? Yes, Please!

I know what you're thinking, did I just blog on Monday?  Why yes, yes I did.  I'm going to do my best to stay on a routine/schedule of blogging throughout the week about several different topics.  Lucky YOU, get excited!!  Since I couldn't really narrow down my blog to just one main interest, I'm going to throw several different things at you each week.  Again, get excited.  Feel free to comment with things you want to read about or questions that you may have that I can tackle!

Today I was inspired by a friend who's in the middle of his comp prep.  He's a warrior.  For real.  It's ridiculous how well his body responds to his meals and training.  Notice I didn't say "diet"?  That's because it's a lifestyle!  The sooner you let yourself think that way, the better.  There's always a flood of selfies on Wednesday of "Workout Wednesday" or "Waisted Wednesday".  This friend included both, but saved us on the #hashtags.  I'm a little hashtag obsessed, so I put my own in for him.  #hashtaghumorisawesome  *have you seen the YouTube of Justin and Jimmy hashtag talking? hilarious...and true.*


Summer is quickly approaching despite Dallas' fickle spring weather.  I'm bundled up in a blanket and sweatshirt right now as I sip on my hot coffee.  Three days ago, I was in flip flops and drinking an iced coffee.  Gotta love Texas.  Now is the time to start shedding your winter coat.  Ladies, that could mean a variety of things, I know.  (leg shaving season, exfoliating all the dry skin off your body, etc).  What I'm referring to right now, is that nice little layer of body fat.  Love chub.  Winter coat.  Whatever you want to call it.  Abs are definitely made in the kitchen, sorry.  You can do a million crunches, but all that hard work isn't going to show if you go home and eat oreos.  My body is a prime example of that.  I had amazing results with my body transformation because I was lifting like a crazy person, but I was eating perfectly.  Not every person wants to do that, I know.  There are a few easy tweaks you can make, though!

Five Fab Abs Tips:

1.  Cut out alcohol!  There's a reason it's called a beer gut.  Alcohol turns right to sugar, causes insulin spikes, and in return our bodies store those cals as fat.  Womp womp.  Still want that glass of wine?  Make it a spritzer by adding La Croix or Pelligrino to your regular glass.  Half wine, half bubbles.  It's yummy!!  If you don't like the bubbles, just limit yourself to one 4oz glass and then switch to water.  Your tummy (and head) will thank you.

2.  Limit the amount of processed foods.  Seriously limit.  Anything from a box or can relies heavily on salt and sugar to flavor it.  Especially if it's low-fat.  They have to do something to make it "taste good" if they take all the fat out!  Fat isn't bad.  Processed food is the devil in food form bad.  Period.

3.  Watch your gluten.  Breads, pastas, cereals; they all have it!  While you may not be gluten intolerant, I almost guarantee you'll notice a flatter tummy when you take that nasty stuff out.  I know bread is delicious, trust me.  I could down a whole loaf of hot french bread, by myself.  However, that is here nor there.  We're talking about how to shrink your waist!  Bread will not help in that goal.

4.  Fasted cardio.  This means cardio on an empty stomach.  I believe it to really help burn fat.  Some say it doesn't matter.  Play around with it and decide for yourself.  If you're eating clean and lifting weights, I advise 20-25 min of cardio 5x/week for best results.  I see tons of cardio queens at the gym.  They're not skinny.  You can't out train a bad diet.  Fact.

5.  HIIT.  High Intensity Interval Training.  Heard of it?  Doesn't it sound scary?  I thought it did.  However, once I got over the scariness of it, I've learned to love it.  I can kick butt for 5-10 minutes and be done.  Think sprint intervals, tabatas, and small circuits.  Not only do they blast fat, but they can also help you build muscle...this in turn helps you burn more calories while you're at rest.  It may be all in my head, but I feel like I wake up looking amazing slimmer after my HIIT days.

Wanna try out some HIIT?  Here's what I did today:

Step Mill Sprints:
Easy walking pace (mine was level 8) - 1 min warm-up
*once you complete the 1 min warm-up, alternate running and resting for 30 sec for 5 rounds total*
Running pace (I did level 17) - 30 sec
Hop off step mill (I keep it going with one foot pushing a step every now and then) - 30 sec
You can control your speed.  I know that I'm only running for 30 sec, mind over matter!  I'm also wanting to die huffing and puffing after!

Jump squats: Drop down into a deep squat then hop up as high as you can.
5 rounds of 20 jump squats - rest 1 min between sets
Beginner's aim for 3 rounds of 10.  Work yourself up to 20, then to 5 sets!

I did the above combo, then an easy 15 min of elliptical at a 120ish heart rate.

Try it out and let me know what you think!!