No Diets...No, No, No...

Let me make something clear, I am NOT on a diet. I am not on supplements and I am not following any particular nutrition plan. Recently, alot of people have been asking me what I have been doing to lose weight and maintain my fitness. So I figured I would write a post about my daily meals for those that are curious or interested. DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a trainer, nutritionist, or anything of the sort. I'm merely a regular girl who has tried EVERY diet under the sun and finally found a system that works for me! So lets get started!

I am a foodie and I love food! So I am not the type of person who can just eat the same thing every single day. I try to mix it up and make each of my meals different throughout the week. I think that's why alot of diets and meal plans never worked for me. I need to have the freedom to eat what I want. Whether it be a shake, fruit, or waffles! The main thing I have learned throughout this journey is finding ways to make healthier versions of my favorite foods. For example, I love cheeseburgers and french fries. In my fat days McDonald's and I were very close friends lol...So in order to satisfy my craving for a cheese burger and fries I have gotten creative. I generally throw a turkey burger on the grill along with grilled onions, and mushrooms with lowfat/vegan cheese on top.  I then place it between two huge pieces of lettuce with tomato and there you go, my healthier version of a cheeseburger! :) I also cut up a sweet potato, bake it in the oven, sprinkle with garlic salt and enjoy some fries with my meal. It's all about finding something that works for you.

 As long as you are primarily eating veggies, fruits, proteins, and whole grains you will start to look and feel better. I avoid fried foods and instead bake and grill everything! Cream sauces generally are a no no, so instead I use good fats such as avocado, salsa, and fresh tomato sauces instead. I'm lactose intolerant so I was never big on dairy in the first place. My primary staple now is almond milk! I use it in alot of my cooking, and it is fantastic and low cal! As far as carbs go, I LOVE pasta and bread so instead of completely eliminating them I have found healthier alternatives. I love tofu shirataki noodles instead of pasta. One serving is only 20 calories and is a great alternative to pasta! I also love using veggies such as spaghetti squash as a base. I have removed white bread from my diet completely and instead eat wheat. I LOVE Ezekial bread, which comes in different flavors such as cinnamon raisin, sesame, and wheat bread. It is gluten free and super good for you! Below is a sample menu of what I eat in a day.

Breakfast:

During the week when I don't feel like making something I will whip up a quick protein shake. My favorite is the Super Advanced Whey Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor. I blend one scoop of protein with a frozen banana and cup of almond milk. It is honestly delicious and tastes like a milk shake! lol....Oh, I also take a women's multi vitamin in the morning to ensure that I am receiving all of the nutrients and vitamins my body needs! (Multi Vitamin not pictured)

Snack #1...

Two hours after breakfast I grab a fruit for snack such as an apple. My favorite is Gala apples. I always have a grip of them on deck at the house ready for snack time!

Lunch:

Usually my largest meal of the day. I will generally have one of my pre-prepared meals from the week, or a salad like the one above filled with tons of veggies and grilled chicken. I don't use salad dressing because I love the flavor without it and for me the avocado adds a creamy consistency and works instead.

Snack #2

For my second snack of the day I grab trail mix, a granola bar, or some whole wheat crackers and almond butter to keep me going till dinner.

Snack #3

Because of my crazy work schedule I often don't have dinner until 7:00pm. With that being said after snack #2 I start to get hungry again! That's when I break out more fruit to give me a boost. I am currently obsessed with "Cuties" the mini tangerines. They seriously taste like candy to me lol...

Dinner

Depending on when I get home I will usually cook something for dinner or eat one of my pre-prepared meals like the one above consisting of sauteed garlic chicken breast, broccoli, and asparagus with grilled onions and mushrooms! Yum!

Desert/Late Night Snack:

When I workout late I often get hungry AGAIN. In cases like these I try to grab some fruit or a granola bar depending on how late it is. If it's right before bed I try to tough it out by drinking a bottle of water and going to bed. 

Like I said, this is just an example of what I eat during a regular day. I try to switch it up so that I don't get tired of the same things and have tons of snacks and food options lying around my house so that I don't get tempted to eat something bad! I have been eating like this since January and it has been working for me. This along with regular exercise has helped me to lose 27lbs so far. I don't count calories and instead focus on eating healthy balanced meals with as many fruits and vegetables as possible. I feel alot better and have more energy. Eating like this won't work for everyone. I suggest that you experiment with different types of foods and find something that works for you and your body. I would love to hear about other peoples daily meals. What's on your plate?

Still on my Fitness, so I ain't Got No Worries!

Hey Everyone!!!
I feel like it has been forever since I have written a post, but don't worry I'm still on the fitness wagon! I have just been super swamped with work and haven't had time to post anything. I will try to do better!

This week I finally got below my plateau! I was SOOOO excited when I stepped on the scale and saw that the numbers had gone down! I was also ecstatic to see that I continue to lose inches. Above is a progress pic I took this week. It's hard to explain what it's like to FINALLY start to like my body again. I didn't realize that I had grown to hate my body the bigger I got, but I had. I know we are supposed to love ourselves at any size but at 187lbs I did NOT love myself. I hated myself. I was depressed that I had let myself get that big which only made me eat more and get bigger. It was a vicious cycle. To be able to break that pattern is the biggest victory for me. For those of you still dealing with this cycle of self hate and weightloss there IS a way above it. If you put in the time and effort your body WILL change. Don't be impatient either, because it is going to take time. It didn't take me a month to gain 50 extra pounds and it's not going to take me a month to lose it.

I continue to push my limits in the gym and was so proud of myself in the above pic when I was able to squat 135lbs! My goal is to be able to squat my own weight, so I am not to far off. I have to admit, I get a kick out of going to the gym with my gloves and lifting with the boys! Of course there are some women there but most of them look like the incredible hulk lol....

My outdoor workouts continue to help me keep variety with my workouts so that I am not just sitting on the treadmill everyday. Plus, you can't beat the view from places like Runyon Canyon or the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook! These places help me clear my head and stay focused on why I am on this journey in the first place.

Nothing about working out is easy. Believe me there are MANY days that I practically have to drag myself to workout because I would rather be doing something else. BUT it is 100% worth it. After a workout I have the biggest adrenaline rush and feel like I conquered the world!

Recently I have had alot of people ask me about my fitness journey and how I have been able to make the progress I've made. In one word, the thing that has gotten me the results I have is CONSISTENCY. I have been consistent with my workouts and eating healthy. I have also learned to pace myself. You have to start at your own level. If you have never exercised before, don't try to jump into a 6x a week workout regimen. You will kill yourself! lol..Take your time and ease in to your new lifestyle. Try three workouts a week no longer then 30 minutes and then begin to slowly increase them. It's important  that you don't push yourself to hard in the beginning or you will set yourself up for failure. Remember this is a lifestyle change, NOT a fad diet. Good luck on your fitness goals this week, and don't give up! 

Would You Believe Me if I said I'm in Love?

Because I am! I'm in love with the changes I have seen in my body since I've started working out and eating healthy! I have been really down on myself for plateauing these past couple of weeks but I have moved on from that and am now celebrating my "non scale victorys!" 

The main "non scale victory" I am celebrating is that my clothes are fitting better! I had my own little fashion show in my walk in closet where I decided to try on all of the items I haven't been able to wear in awhile. I couldn't have been happier to see how many of them I can now wear! Another "non scale victory" is the increase in my energy level. I am no energizer bunny, but I am definitely not as tired as I was before I began working out and eating better.

I have to say that I am pretty proud of myself! I have been trying all different types of workouts and activities in order to stay motivated to keep going. One of my new activities is tennis! So let me start by saying that I am in no way Serena Williams, lol...And I am EXTREMELY uncoordinated, BUT it's so much fun! Though most of the time the tennis ball seemed to be flying everywhere but in the court I know that with practice I will get better. (Hopefully) lol...

My absolute favoritest (YES I said favoritest lol) new activity is the Sweat Cycle classes I started! Sweat cycle is regular cycling but in a 95 degree room, Bikram style! As you can imagine within a few minutes of cycling you are pouring sweat. I honestly thought I would HATE sweat cycling, but I LOVE it! 

Cycling has truly made me push myself and see how strong I have become since starting this journey. After each class I feel amazing and cleansed of all of the bs and drama of life. I am so glad that I have found workouts that I enjoy to keep my journey new and exciting! What are some of your favorite workouts or exercises that you have started doing???? I would love to hear what other people have tried and enjoyed!

Turnt Down...

I've been upset that I haven't lost any weight in the past two weeks. As I was laying in bed this morning I realized that my workouts have been more "turnt down" then "turnt up". I am not pushing myself as hard as I can. It seems like I have hit a plateau and what I am doing now is maintaining my weight
instead of continuing to shed pounds. This is no bueno. I know that weight loss takes time but I want to make sure I am doing everything I can to challenge myself! Has anyone else felt like this? How did you push past it???

My Fav's!

Since my fitness journey started I have been using alot of awesome apps and websites to try out recipes, exercises, and other cool stuff! I figured I would share my current addictions below and hopefully assist others as well! Enjoy! 

#1. PINTEREST
If you have never gone on Pinterest be warned, IT IS ADDICTIVE! There are so many AMAZING ideas, recipes, quotes, crafts, etc that you can stay on for hours at a time! But for our purposes we are going to focus strictly on the "Health and Fitness" area on Pinterest. I mostly use the Pinterest app on my Iphone because it's easier to cruise through the posts. I have found tons of awesome healthy recipes, exercises, and inspirational quotes for my healthy lifestyle journey. Plus the great thing is that it continually updates so every time you log on there is new stuff to look at! (Hence why you can be on it for hours at a time) If you haven't checked out Pinterest you definitely should!

#2. Hungry Girl
My second obsession are the "Hungry Girl" books and website! The "Hungry Girl" is a woman after my own heart! She loves food and uses creative ways to revamp calorie loaded recipes to something light and healthy! She has re done everything from lasagna, chili cheese fries, cocktails, and milkshakes! This woman is a genius! Be warned, this is another addicting website! I purchased one of her recipe books but it's not necessary since you can find a majority of her recipes on the site. She also sends awesome emails about healthy food products and new recipes weekly. I LOVE HUNGRY GIRL! Check out her website at www.hungry-girl.com

#3. FREE WORKOUT APPS
I totally love the free workout apps for Iphone! My favorites are the Leg Workout, ab workout, and butt workout! If you haven't downloaded one of these I suggest that you do! It shows clips of the exercises and times you as you complete them. I love it because often I run out of things to do on my own. But these apps give me tons of ideas and enable me to complete quick workouts in the comfort of my own home. I also love the app "Map My Ride" to track my bike rides, runs, and hikes! It tracks your time, miles, and calories burned!

#4. GROUPON
Groupon freaking rocks! I have been able to try so many awesome classes because of groupon deals! My newest love is bikram inspired cycling at a place in North Hollywood! Next I want to try aerial yoga! I'm keeping my eye open for any deals lol....

What are your fitness obsessions???

Squat it up Squat it up!

So along with my usual workouts I decided I want to do a 30 Day Squat Challenge! Gotta make sure my tush is firm! ;)

So after completing Day 1 of the April Squat Challenge I realized one thing, this ish is hard!! 50 squats were no joke, and that's just the beginning! I have many more days of squats to go! Each month I am going to pick a different area of my body to focus on so this month its all about the butt! Who's going to join me in this months Squat Challenge!???