No Time to Work Out???

Guess what??? NO ONE has time to work out, however; those who are serious MAKE time to workout. You can't just expect time to fall in your lap that is labeled "workout time". That just doesn't happen, we have things come up, emergencies, priorities, events, etc. You HAVE to schedule your workouts just like you would a meeting or a family dinner/party and such. Once you have carved out a window for that specific activity, you have made time to workout. Now, I know a lot of us barely have time to breathe some days, so if you want insane results in a short amount of time, you better be willing to put in your FULL (110%) effort into your workout. HIITs are a very effective way to train. a HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Interval workouts is where you do bursts of high intense movement or activity at maximum effort for about 30-60 seconds and rest for the same amount of time. HIIT's can be anywhere from 15-30 min long. I'd keep the max at 30, I feel anything longer than that could produce injury or break down the body a little too much (only if you are truly giving your full effort). You can create a HIIT workout in ANY exercise activity. You just have to add 30-60 seconds of INTENSE (maxium effort) intervals and alternate between your highest intensity and rest. There are scientific studies that show HIIT workouts can be more effective than regular, steady cardio exercise. HIITs actually elevate your metabolic rate and create a longer after burn effect. This means that you are burning more calories at rest AFTER your workout, where as traditional cardio you'd be burning more calories during only the workout and then it is steady throughout the day. I usually do HIITs in my runs or just do a fun dvd workout that has HIITs in it. NOW DON'T get me wrong, traditional cardio is still a good form of exercise and HIITs may not be for everyone, but they do produce some insane results. DISCLAIMER: Make sure you consult a physician before you start doing any different type of exercise, they are the ones able to tell you what would work best for your body by examining specific characteristics or health issues that you are having or may have.

Skipping To Get Skinny???

Hey guys! Sorry about the MIA! This weekend was jam packed with graduation celebrations and heliping my sister move into her new place (Congrats Cayli & Brando!) as well as moving new furniture into our house and all that jazz :) so... again sorry for the delay!

Today I wanted to talk about what A LOT of people do that they think will help shed some lbs. more quickly...but can actually push you in the opposite direction. So, you're on a "diet" or more restricted calorie plan. Fine, with some weight loss routines you may need to cut back on some of your intake to balance out your input of calories and your output (calories burned). That DOES NOT mean starve yourself. Skipping meals (don't you roll your eyes you breakfast skippers) does quite the opposite in losing weight. This is why (especially women) get so frustrated in their weight loss journey. They think that completely removing meals from your day will help shed the pounds quickly. When you skip meals, your body starts to go into starvation mode. Your body is a smart machine and wants to do everything in it's power to stay alive and working. When you go into starvation mode, your body begins to "freak out" and is concerned with the next time you are going to eat. Then, it begins to hold onto anything you eat after that skipped meal and stores it as fat so that it has something to feed on while you are starving yourself. This is where your body holds on to the weight and even adds weight to your body. You really shouldn't skip meals, if you are restricting your calories just opt for lower caloric and high nutrition options. Continuously feed your body every 3 hrs. You want to keep your blood sugar from crashing along with your metabolic rate. If you can feed yourself throughout the day, every 3 hours, with clean and nutritious food, you can keep your metabolism up which in turns helps you burn more calories and efficiently utilize the food to fuel your body. You also won't feel the need to go off the deep end and splurge due to your increased hunger from skipping meals. Like I've said before and I will say it a million more times, 80% of your results comes froms nutrition. Period.

                                                          

Weight Lifting for Ladies

Ladies, this one is for you! How many of you are afraid to lift heavy weights because you are afraid of or don't want to "bulk up". Well guess what? You can't. You do NOT have the hormones to "bulk up". You do not have the amount of testosterone needed or required to get chuncky muscles. It WILL build muscle, but not to the point where you feel like a man. You will get more toned and lean by add resistance training to your workouts. DO NOT be afraid to lift HEAVY. I was totally in the same boat when I started exercising in the beginning. I didn't touch weights at all. I did strictly cardio for   5-6 days a week. However, as I lost the weight...I had "flabby" looking areas. The weight was going away, but it left a flappy body. I then started doing a strength training program that applies the overload principle which is doing fewer reps (10-12) with heavier weights. Then doing about three very slow and concentrated reps after I failed anywhere between 10-12 reps. By doing this, you break down the muscles more quickly (this is good, just make sure you are aware of your limits and proper form). Once you break down the muscles to this extent, you build a much more lean and tight body more quickly than you realize. It is great! I never realized how important weight training is! Not only do you look tight and toned, but it revs your metabolism for the rest of the day, strengthens your body not just through muscles but your bones as well, and makes all of your cardio and everyday life activities soooooo much easier! Plus, more muscles= higher metabolism= more food! Make sure its clean food though! Weight training doesn't mean you can do a couple bench presses and bicep curls and go eat a pizza pie without a problem. Do NOT be afraid of weights! I am so glad I began to add resistance training to my workouts! You should be lifting at least 3x's a week. Do not neglect this part of your new lifestyle! It gives you some serious results!

Peanut Butter Addict

Yup, that's right. I am a peanut butter addict! IT IS SOOOOO GOOD! Unfortuanely it's very high in calories & fat. Not to mention the normal/popular peanut butter brands  you buy off the shelf is process peanut flavored shortening. That is the basics of your popular store brand peanut butter, not a joke. You want to stick with natrual brands where you have to stir the peanut butter with the oil. Pay attention to the ingredients, you basically want just peanuts in the ingredients, and a little bit of sea salt if you really want that flavor and minimal to no sugar. However, even it being natrual it is still high in calories and fat... So what is a peanut butter addict to do????

SOLUTION
PB2 or Just Great Stuff

This stuff is LEGIT. It is powdered peanut butter! Sound weird? Get over it! all you have to do is take 2 Tbl. and add a little water...PRESTO peanut butter with (drumroll) 85% less fat AND ONLY 45 Calories per serving! GASP! It even comes in regular peanut butter flavor AND....wait for it....chocolate peanut butter! YUM! I use this in EVERYTHING!!!! Shakes, sandwhiches, drizzled on fruit, etc. Just Great stuff is a bit more rich in nutrients, but I buy PB2 because I can get four 1 lbs bags on amazon for $30. Just Great Stuff is sold here locally (at least not that I know of) and on amazong for a small jar is a bit pricey, in my opinion. Either way you cannot fail! This is the answer to health fanatic peanut butter lovers everywhere! So you can have your peanut butter and eat it too! (cheesy, I know).

Not Always What You See

 

Holy crap is this picture TRUE! You can't always see success right away. I know a lot of poeple get very frustrated when they don't see immediate results and give up. REMEMBER, everyone is different and has different genetics or different body types. You have to learn from your mistakes, and press onward. You have to fail sometimes to succeed. I don't think you can ever truly fail as long as you KEEP going. It may not be your A game or your best, but you are doing WAY more than someone who isn't even trying. I honestly never saw my body drop the weight. The only reason I started looking more closely is when people around me started asking me if I had shed some pounds or that I looked different. ONLY THEN, did I actually notice the pants getting bigger, energy level being higher, workouts and everyday life activities became easier. Sadly, I didn't see it in myself until others started noticing. You will always have a skewed perception of yourself, you are your worst critic, you know. No matter how tough it gets, or how little you feel you did or feel like your making progress, it is ALWAYS one step closer to your goal. NEVER give up, because you will be that much closer to your dreams than not trying at all.

 

P.S. I uploaded a scrumptious (and healthy!) Recipe, just go to the Recipe tab :)

 

 

 

Ingredient Swap!

Alright, so you've heard be go on and on about how important your nutrition is, but now it's time that I back it up for you. When you cook, there are a lot of ingredients that add extra fat, calories, sugar, carbs, etc. that you can actually find much better alternatives to. Especially if you love to bake! I am a baker and I LOVE me some carbs, but I have to make these adjustments to fulfill my cravings, but not fall of the wagon. They are very simple swaps and they can really beef up the nutrition you get from your foods and cut out the "bad" in your food. So in this post I have some healthy replacements for your next home cooked meal or treat. Just an FYI, I am not a nutritionist. These are just some habits I have used and still use as apposed to some of these ingredients. They may not be to everyone's liking, but it's just some ideas to maybe help you find what works for you.

Swap oil or butter for....Unsweetend applesauce! YOU BETCHA! The applesauce actually can help make your batter more thick and fluffy and cut out the extra unwanted fat. Unsweetend is great because it really doesn't taste unsweetend, it tastes just like apples (which are already sweet) you won't need the extra sugars and sweeteners!

The applesauce won't necessarily keep your batter from sticking to the pan or cookie sheet it's in/on. So what can we use that won't add extra crap to my banana bread (or your choice of baked good)? Not all oil is created equal or represented fairly. You actually CAN have some oils because they provide good fats with less calories and MORE nutrients. Of course, extra virgin olive oil is an obvious choice. To avoid putting too much on your pans, just put some on a napkin and rub around the pan or buy and oil sprayer bottle and put your olive oil in that. Why is it so much better? Because extra virgin olive oil is more easily absorbed by the body and contains healthy vitamins like A & D. It also doesn't increase your blood pressure or negatively effects your cholesterol thanks to the antioxidants it carries.

Now, lets talk flour. Guess what? White flour provides little to NO nutrition. It has been stripped of its nutritents for appearance. Whole wheat flour provides a lot more fiber and nutrients and contains more vitamins. Well, you chefs would argue its too heavy and grainy. Fair enought, then go buy whole wheat pastry four. That stuff is lighter and fluffier than air. All my breads, pancakes/waffles, cookies, etc turn out so moist and fluffy it is crazy!

Sugar. Ha, yeah I went there. Sugar is SOOO easy to replace! I recommend first and foremost Raw stevia. It doesn't spike your blood sugar like regular sugar does. It doesn't bring you up to speed at 100mph and make you crash and crave. You don't need as much and it is zero calories. I also love raw, local honey or agave nectar. You just have to pay attention to the ingredients. You want to avoid the pasterized products and opt for more organic ones. Both of these options provide a steady affect on your blood sugar, and are very sweet and contain enzymes and is a very natural sugar and is digested like sugar from fruit or other natural foods.

Those are just a few options that I have swapped out for better options. If any of you have other questions on ingredients to swap, message me please! I'd love to help you find more options or even help me look into better options. I love to hear feedback!

Excellence is a Habit