Making It Work

WOW! Great feedback today. Everyone seems to be adjusting really well, and finding the right foods to choose. Remember to use the group for ideas, my grocery list is under the files section on the Facebook page and the fun facts blog post is a good source as well. When I started eating this way, the key for me was logging EVERYTHING. If you know me well, you know I am super OCD. I was a total freak about logging everything perfectly. Not everyone is like that so do what works for you, but believe you will have better success if you log your food. I still to this day do better when I am logging what I eat, even though I feel like I am a pro at this.

So here we are 3 days in!! YAY!! I will tell you week three is when I really started to see my body changing and I was feeling amazing. I was lucky enough to start this part of my journey with a couple good friends, I swear ALL we did was talk about what we were eating and exchanged ideas constantly. I believe it brought us even closer than we already were! Right, Kelly and Cara! Ha! So if you have friends in this group, talk, text, email etc. There are a lot of awesome people in this group and thats why doing this together will be another key to your success!

During week five, I remember looking over at my friend Kelly after the back track in Body Pump and telling her, “man we are not the same people we were a month ago!” Our lives were forever changed, not only were we looking great, it was the best and strongest I have felt my whole life. I never thought after 2 c-sections I could ever have my pre-baby body back. Well I didn’t my body looked and felt EVEN BETTER!!!

SO now the next question is HOW? After 12 weeks of eating this way, how do I keep progressing?? Well the answer is…this is NOT a diet, it is a lifestyle. Not only are you continuing on your journey, but you have a created a healthy lifestyle that will make you feel and look great. We continue to do this by finding ways to satisfy our cravings and learn to choose the right foods. I tell my clients ALL the time, when you can live with a lifestyle that teaches moderation you will be successful. One of my favorite quotes ever is, “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day” -Jim Rohn

It might be hard to see this now, but YOU are living a healthy lifestyle, setting an example for others around you, inspiring someone to start or reach their own goals, motivating someone to make a change! Thats what this is ALL about!!

That being said I made an amazing dinner tonight!! WHO said you CAN’T have a burger and fries?!?!?!

4oz 93/7 hamburger patty. I skipped the bun tonight but you could very well have one!!!                   Sweet Potato fries, peel and slice thin, I sprinkled with a small amount of olive oil (coconut oil is good as well) place in toaster oven or oven on 425 for 20 minutes or so. I moved them around alot, because they need to crisp up. You could even broil the last few minutes. Paired with steamed Broccoli. This dinner was amazing, macro friendly and loved by the whole family.

 

Macro!!! What is it all about!

If you’ve ever read a fitness blog, forum, or even Instagram, you’ve probably heard the term macros thrown around. Short for “macronutrients,” it refers to carbs, fats, and proteins—the three basic components of every diet. If you get their proportions right, it makes dieting a lot more effective when simple calorie restriction fails.

One of the problems with traditional calorie counting is that it doesn’t take into account what you’re eating, just how many calories. Sure, portion control alone might work for a while, but unless you switch to the right foods—foods that leave you satiated or even stuffed while on a caloric deficit—your self-control will eventually break down.

The Three Main Macronutrients

There are three main macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Alcohol is a macronutrient too, which we’ve covered extensively here. Let’s go through each macronutrient to get a basic understanding, then calculate how many grams of each we need every day.

Protein
Calories: 4 calories per gram.

Overview: Arguably king in the world of fitness nutrition, protein is mostly associated with building muscle and primarily found in foods like meat and dairy. However, its uses extend beyond muscle: it’s the core component of organs, bones, hair, enzymes, and pretty much all other types of tissue in your body.

Proteins are made of amino acids, many of which the body can make itself. However, there are nine amino acids that are strictly required for normal body function that your body can’t biosynthesize. These are (aptly) called essential amino acids, and the full nine can be found from all meat sources. Unfortunately for vegetarians and vegans, it’s rare to find the full nine in legumes and grains, so you need to make sure you eat a large variety to get all of them.
Carbohydrates
Calories: 4 calories per gram.

Overview: First friend, then foe, then friend again–the diet industry’s relationship with carbohydrates has been fickle at best. While it’s technically the only macronutrient your body can survive without, doing so would be no fun. Carbs are your body’s most easily accessible source of energy, and is broken up into glycogen (used by muscles and your liver) and glucose (used by the brain).

In common nutrition speak, carbs are largely divided into simple and complex carbohydrates. The two classifications refer to the length of the carbohydrate molecules. The shorter the molecule chain is, the easier it is for your body to break down, so it’s “simpler”—basically they’re sugars. On the other hand, larger molecules, like starch, are “complex” because it takes longer for your body to break it down into usable components.

In the world of macros, a carb is a carb, whether it comes from sugar or starch. Be clear: this isn’t an endorsement rely on pop tarts and candy to meet your targets. In fact, what you will notice is that after counting macros a while, you’ll probably gravitate towards complex sources of carbs for satiety’s sake. But the freedom of choice is there, and relaxing this boundary between “good” and “bad” foods is important to develop a healthier relationship with what you eat.

Fats
Calories: 9 calories per gram.

Overview: Fats are a key component of essential dietary supplements like nutella, bacon and peanut butter. In all seriousness, though, fat often gets a bad rap because its the most calorie-dense nutrient out there. But they’re very important to normal body functions, acting as the backbone to important hormones, insulation for nerves, skin and hair health, and so on.

There are a bunch of different types of fats, from saturated to monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fats. Out of all of them, the main three you should be concerned about are trans fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-6 fatty acids.

Trans fats, colloquially known as “frankenfats”, have been consistently shown to increase the risk of coronary heart disease, and should generally be avoided. They’re usually found in packaged foods and various brands of margarine.

The latter two, however, are what’s known as essential fatty acids. Similar to essential amino acids, your body can’t produce them by itself so you have to obtain them through your diet. Omega-3’s can be found in fatty fish, flax, and walnuts (note that they’re more easily absorbed from animal sources), and omega-6’s from pretty much all kinds of vegetables.

WOWSZERS!!!

Wow!! I am astonished at how many people joined this awesome group!!!! This group originally started with some of my prior clients, then to random Facebook friends, old high school friends, some of my best friends and family, people I have never met, and even my real estate agent!!!! This is WHY, I absolutely LOVE my job. I love that I can inspire people to start living a healthy lifestyle and encourage them that they CAN reach their goals.  Just goes to show how inspiring a picture can be to others that are looking to start their journey, or may have started one and are at a stand still. Well this is where you change your life, today, you will never look back.

So I will give you a quick version of my story, I am a mom, I have two children, Morgan (6) and T.J. (4). I had my second child at age 31 (5 years ago) when my son was 6 months old, I experienced a horrible case of postpartum. I couldn’t understand why this had happened to me, in a nutshell it was the worst 3 months of my life. I was on some pretty shitty medication, but it got me through, and I ended up weaning off everything after a year. During that year I gained 20 pounds, it was so strange. I had always been very health conscious, but going through this rough time I just lost touch with myself, but despite the weight gain, I was so thankful to have gotten past that awful experience and get my life back.

In January of 2014, I started a silly group called the 100 day cardio challenge. I thought what a good way to start my journey, but also help others. I thought to myself if I run this group, I can’t quit, so man if I workout for a 100 days straight I am sure to lose some weight. Well I was right, it was a great start!! I still run this group today, and actually quite a few people in this group are also part of my cardio challenge!!! YAY, you guys. This group just started round 9, and we will hit day 1000 at the finish of this round! HOLY heck thats pretty exciting and something I am very proud of.

My next milestone was Gold’s Gym, I met an amazing person there and his name is Francis Shelton. If you belong to Gold’s Manchester Meadows and you don’t know him, you need to meet him. Not only is he the best group fitness instructor there, but he is probably the most genuine person I have ever met in my life. Just by taking his amazing classes I was inspired to become an instructor. In January of 2015 I became a certified Body Pump and group fitness instructor. At this time Gold’s was also starting their 12 week Spring challenge and Francis talked me into joining it. Myself, my best friends, Cara Worley and Kelly Clark (who are also both in this challenge) teamed up and crushed this challenge. We held each other accountable, worked together and motivated each other to make good nutrition choices. When we started this challenge I had lost all 20lbs I had gained, so this 12 weeks is what really changed my life and my body. Francis taught us how to eat, when to eat, and also the science behind why this way of eating would truly make a difference. Not only did I look great, I felt great, I was lifting more weight, I wasn’t tired. Best I ever felt and looked my entire life, even before I had my kids!!!! During that challenge I lost 10.6lbs, 4% body fat and two clothes sizes. I have never LOOKED back!!!

After the challenge ended, it was summer and I was feeling great! I ended up deciding to get my personal training certification and started training clients at Gold’s in September of 2015. Since then, I have managed two rounds of the 12 week challenge, my first team had 17 members and my second team 37!!! Wow, what an experience that was!! Not only was this team amazing, but I also had the third largest team in the company nationwide!!! Pretty cool accomplishment and even better accomplishment was this team lost 230lbs!!! During this time, my husband was offered a new position within his company. We decided that excepting the position was the best decision for our family and we relocated to Sarasota, FL just two week ago.

SOOO here we are, and the reason I am running this group online. I want to be able to help ALL of you to reach your goals and I am here for any questions and to help guide you on your journey. I have been there and know how it feels to try something new, but honestly STARTING is the hardest thing. Just remember you can do this, you have a coach, a huge group of supporters and a routine! Routine is key. I can’t tell you how many people I have trained or coached have a time issue. We all have time issues, if you really want it, you’ll make the time!!!

So next, here is your motivation, and this is only a couple handfuls of clients I have managed, but here are their 12 week results!!! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!! And every single one of these people below are continuing on their journey!! Fitness goals never end, there is always something you strive to be better at. GOOD LUCK!!!

Hump Day!!

Well I just typed up an entire post from my phone and it deleted somehow! AGH! So here it goes again. Day #10 in sunny Sarasota, and honestly I absolutely LOVE it here!! Morgan’s school is a haul from our condo, but it is right next to the house we are building so it is exciting being able to see what they have done each day!!! It is really coming along.

The gym that I am working at (Lakewood Ranch Y) is great and I have been offered a ton of opportunity in the teaching department there. Starting in July they are adding a M/W/F early 6 am class and I will be teaching ALL 3! So excited about that. Until then I have the opportunity to take on a lot of sub hours and will be doing a long term sub class on Tuesday nights. Anyway super pumped (literally ha!) about having this opportunity walking in to a new gym.

I did pump today (no teaching) and I’ll tell you what, 97 has not gotten any easier! If I had to pick, I would say this is by far the hardest release so far!! What does everyone else think about that? Tuesday I tried BodyAttack for the first time! (yes! I have never done it before! MM did not offer this program) I loved it, it is super challenging, much like combat, nut a different type of cardio challenge. If you haven’t tried it, get over to Ellisville Gold’s and check it out!!!

I’ve also been blessed with a Super Target! haha! OMG, talk about best Target store ever, they have everything! The kids and I were there yesterday and I picked up a beef bottom round roast. It was delicious. This cut is low in fat and high in protein! Perfect for those of us watching those numbers!! (recipe posted below) I paired this with sweet potatoes and sauteed zucchini and onions! YUM!!

I hope you are all as excited as I am about getting this group and challenge under way! You guys are the reason I love what I do and continue to help motivate others to live a healthy lifestyle. 🙂

 

Beef Bottom Round Roast

2.5lb roast

1 tsp of onion powder

1 tsp of garlic powder

Sea salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 475

Set roast out so its at room temperature. Rub the roast with the seasonings above combined.

Put on roaster pan or cookie sheet.

Place the roast in oven on 475 for 16 minutes. About 7 minutes per pound. Then turn the oven down to 225 and let sit for 45-60 minutes. Check at about 45 minutes and check to your liking. I cooked mine a little too long, I like it more med rare and it was to done.

Take out and slice thin.

We had French dip sandwiches on low calorie wheat buns with Swiss cheese.

Macros on roast for 4ozs are about 26p/0c/10f

A one hour workout is 4% of your day!!!

Why is exercise good for our bodies and minds? So many reasons I can list here. But, first and foremost is YOU!! Many of us get so wrapped up in our everyday lives of having careers, children, husbands, meals to cook, errands to run, the list goes on and on. But, we need to remember WE need that time too. Time to reflect, time to sweat, time to feel good about life. Exercise and nutrition enables all of those feelings!!! Exercise creates endorphins that our bodies love and need to stay healthy and fit. When you tie good nutrition and exercise together thats when we start to see results.

So remember when you are thinking about skipping that workout because you are too tired, or had a long day, its only 4% of your day!! Just do it!!

 

New Beginings

Wow! I just moved my family to Florida, said good bye to so many important things in my life. We have been here a week, and I can honestly say I miss home a ton, but I am so excited about starting my new life here in Sarasota. Leaving my job, class members and clients was heart wrenching, but I am excited about leading this blog and website to provide fitness tips, nutrition information and workouts.

My Last BP Class at MM

My amazing members

Some Fun Facts

Alcohol: Alcohol hurts your liver’s ability to metabolize estrogen, which can then cause your estrogen levels to rise.  When the liver fails to break down estrogen, it stays in the body and is stored as fat.  Alcohol also causes your body to produce less testosterone (YES, women need this for fat loss!!).  This hormonal imbalance over time will make you fat.  When your liver is strained by too much alcohol, it responds by slowing down the fat burning process.  Unfortunately, wine is higher in fast-digesting carbs than clean liquors such as vodka, so it tends to pack on weight more easily.  If you’re going to drink, stick to vodka & water, or vodka and some diet soda/mix.  Avoid juice mixtures (such as cranberry juice), because they only add a TON of extra SUGAR & CALORIES!

Water: Water helps cleanse your live and kidneys, which allows your body to excrete hormones efficiently.  It also helps your body to flush out toxins, prevents water retention, and curbs cravings.  Aim forAT LEAST 3 LITERS a day! I try and drink close to a gallon!  Trust me, it will be worth the extra trips to the bathroom!  Add a little lemon juice (from a real lemon) to activate the burning off of stored fat in your body.

Whey Protein:  Whey Protein is a high-quality protein powder, found in various different flavors.  It suppresses the buildup of fat in the liver, plus revs up fat-burning activity.  Whey protein contains branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are critical in building lean muscle.  Whey is a natural detoxifier too, by promoting the health of your liver to flush toxinsfrom your body.  A whey protein shake is a convenient and healthy meal replacement/snack even on the go!

Leptin:  The fat cells in your body produce a hormone called leptin.  At adequate levels, leptin works as an appetite suppressant- AKA it tells your brain when it’s time to stop eating.  EAT SLOWLY!  It takes about 20 minutes for leptin to kick in, and for you to start feeling full.  Drink a full glass of water with your meal as well.  Your body produces leptin while you sleep, so not getting enough ZZZ’s can drastically lower levels- and when levels are too low, leptin signals your body to store fat.

Carbohydrates:  Carbohydrates are necessary to fuel our bodies. They provide energy for our cells to work, including the cells in our muscles and brains.  When choosing what kind of carbohydrate to eat, select from the “good” carb list vs. the “bad” carb list.  Good carbohydrates are healthy, will keep your blood sugar levels stable, and keep you feeling fuller longer!

Good Carbs:

▪ Fruits & Vegetables

▪ Brown rice

▪ Oatmeal

▪ Sweet potatoes

▪ Quinoa

▪ Whole grain/whole wheat breads

▪ Whole grain/whole wheat pastas

▪ Beans

▪ Some Dairy

Bad Carbs:

▪ Items high in sugar, esp. added sugars (ex: candy, cookies, cakes, etc.)

▪ White bread

▪ White rice

▪ Regular (not whole grain or whole wheat pastas

▪ Potatoes (NOT including sweet potatoes)

Fats:  Fats provide essential fatty acids, which are not made by the body and must be obtained from food.  Fat serves as the storage substance for the body’s extra calories.  Fats are also an important energy source.  After the body burns up energy from carbohydrates, it begins to burn the calories from fat.  Types of healthyfats are monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and omega-3 fatty acids. Unhealthy fats are saturated fat and trans fat.

Healthy Fats:

▪ Olive oil

▪ Coconut Oil

▪ Peanut oil

▪ Canola Oil

▪ Vegetable oils

▪ Avocados

▪ Nuts & Seeds (Almonds)

▪ Cold-water fish such as salmon

▪ Flaxseeds, flax oil, and walnuts

Unhealthy Fats:

▪ Animal products (fats from meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard, and butter)

▪ Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils

▪ Commercial baked goods (crackers, cookies, cakes)

▪ Fried foods (doughnuts and french fries

▪ Shortening & margarine

Protein:  Protein is required by the body for the growth, maintenance, and repair of all cells.  Protein is a major component of all muscles, tissues and organs, and is vital for practically every process that occurs within the body (ex: metabolism, digestion, and the transportation of nutrients and oxygen in the blood).  It is also necessary for the production of antibodies, which fight against infection and illness, and is the main nutrient that keeps our hair shiny and healthy, our nails strong, our skin fresh and glowing, and our bones strong and healthy.

Healthy Proteins:

▪ Boneless skinless chicken. The skin is also LOADED with fat and calories, so make sure to remove it before eating!

▪ Lean beef- look for the kind that says “EXTRA LEAN”, or 96% lean

▪ Pork tenderloin/lean pork

▪ Eggs- egg whites are even better!

▪ Whey protein shake

▪ Beans (ex: black, kidney)

▪ Skim milk, Almond milk (unsweetened) low-fat/fat-free cheese, and Greek style-yogurt (watch the sugar content in the yogurt though)

▪ Fish such as tuna, tilapia, and salmon

▪ Shrimp

▪ White-meat turkey

▪ Tuna salad/chicken salad (made with low-fat/fat-free mayo/miracle whip)….NOT from restaurants or pre-made from the store, because they use regular mayo!

▪ Lean Steak

▪ Cornish Hens

▪ Lean Turkey Burgers

Sodium/Salt:  Don’t let this stuff fool you just because it has zero calories!  Foods high in sodium/salt cause your body to hold onto large amounts of water.  Packaged/can foods are notorious for being high in sodium.  Be cautious of the labels….and when possible, buy the low-sodium/no-salt added products!

Salads:  Beware very cautious of salads!!!  Don’t assume that just because “salad” is in the title that it is healthy!  Many places offer salads that more calories than a Big Mac!  Not to mention drenched in dressing.  Look for salads that have healthy proteins on it and lots of veggies.  These will be the healthiest!  Skip or go light on the cheese, and always have the dressing on the side!