Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Check out this great article and exercise and food
http://m.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_600/684_exercise-and-eating-connection.html
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Oxygen Women's Fitness | Blogs | Oxygen's Staff Blog
Oxygen Women's Fitness | Blogs | Oxygen's Staff Blog
Try this yummy healthy snack, I'm going to try it this week
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Dales Raw Food Protein Bar Discount Expiring Soon
If you have not had a chance yet to order your Dales Raw Protein Bars, do it by this Wednesday February 29 and you will receive a 20% discount off of your order if you purchase through the link on my blog website. Use the coupon code "PROTEINBAR20". A new low carb bar has just been added, the Low Carb Vanilla Cashew, but all flavors are great tasting. If you have any questions about the bars or his products please feel free to ask me. Happy Buying :)
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Do your know and keep track of what you eat and also plan for the future?
Are you one of those people who eats on the go, just grabbing whatever is available or do you plan your meals and have food readily available for you to eat as needed? Do you keep track of what you eat on a daily basis so you know why your feeling and looking the way you do?
If you plan your meals and have food cut and pre made or ready to make, then good for you, keep up the good work.
But, if you are one of those people who eats on the fly and whatever is available or in sight, now is the time to stop. If you don't know what your eating or how much your eating on a daily basis, now is the time to start. This random on the fly eating can lead to weight gain, even if you are not eating enough. It is so important for everyone to know what and how much you are eating. Many times we eat and don't remember or just eat way more then we really need and sometimes we don't eat enough, but either way if your keeping track you'll know if your eating well by knowing what you took in for the day and how much. If you don't keep track you are just guessing and your body is very important to you, so stop guessing and take charge. By keeping track you can see if you got enough or to much of the healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates that you need.
A good start is to write down what you eat for 5 days in a row and evaluate what you ate, how much you ate and the times you ate it. You can even write down how you felt that morning when you woke up, how you felt in the middle of the day and again how you felt close to the end of the day before you go to bed. Once you have written it down for 5 days, evaluate to see if you are eating enough or too much, you can see this calculation on my previous blog.
Next you want to see if your diet consists of about 20% healthy fats, 40-45% carbs (not from white or processed foods) and 35-40% lean protein.
Then, see if you are properly spacing out your meals, eating every 2-3 hours because your body can only process and use so many nutrients at one time and be sure your taking in a majority of your carbs in the morning and early part of the day and your healthy fats toward the end of the day while eating your lean protein at every meal.
Last, see what you need to do to change your diet in order to meet your bodies calorie needs, along with the appropriate ratio of fat, carbs and protein and build your meal plan and shopping list accordingly.
The only thing left to do is to prepare your food. Pre-cut, pre-cook and have foods available at all times for you to eat and have a cooler ready to pack if you need leave the house for anything, work, shopping, time with friends, etc. Remember to always leave your house with a healthy snack, that way when you take longer than planned, you have something to keep your metabolism going and won't have to worry about eating something that doesn't fit your needs.
Happy planning.... I do mine every Saturday morning right before I hit the farmers market :)
If you plan your meals and have food cut and pre made or ready to make, then good for you, keep up the good work.
But, if you are one of those people who eats on the fly and whatever is available or in sight, now is the time to stop. If you don't know what your eating or how much your eating on a daily basis, now is the time to start. This random on the fly eating can lead to weight gain, even if you are not eating enough. It is so important for everyone to know what and how much you are eating. Many times we eat and don't remember or just eat way more then we really need and sometimes we don't eat enough, but either way if your keeping track you'll know if your eating well by knowing what you took in for the day and how much. If you don't keep track you are just guessing and your body is very important to you, so stop guessing and take charge. By keeping track you can see if you got enough or to much of the healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates that you need.
A good start is to write down what you eat for 5 days in a row and evaluate what you ate, how much you ate and the times you ate it. You can even write down how you felt that morning when you woke up, how you felt in the middle of the day and again how you felt close to the end of the day before you go to bed. Once you have written it down for 5 days, evaluate to see if you are eating enough or too much, you can see this calculation on my previous blog.
Next you want to see if your diet consists of about 20% healthy fats, 40-45% carbs (not from white or processed foods) and 35-40% lean protein.
Then, see if you are properly spacing out your meals, eating every 2-3 hours because your body can only process and use so many nutrients at one time and be sure your taking in a majority of your carbs in the morning and early part of the day and your healthy fats toward the end of the day while eating your lean protein at every meal.
Last, see what you need to do to change your diet in order to meet your bodies calorie needs, along with the appropriate ratio of fat, carbs and protein and build your meal plan and shopping list accordingly.
The only thing left to do is to prepare your food. Pre-cut, pre-cook and have foods available at all times for you to eat and have a cooler ready to pack if you need leave the house for anything, work, shopping, time with friends, etc. Remember to always leave your house with a healthy snack, that way when you take longer than planned, you have something to keep your metabolism going and won't have to worry about eating something that doesn't fit your needs.
Happy planning.... I do mine every Saturday morning right before I hit the farmers market :)
Monday, February 20, 2012
What kind of exercise did you do today?
What did you do at the gym today or what kind of exercise activity were you able to fit into your schedule. Today I did 45 minutes of spin class, 15 minutes of interval walk/jog on the treadmill with 5 minutes of stretching. I try and do about 45-60 minutes of steady state or high intensity interval cardio training cardio two times a week on days that I don't do weights, since I lift so heavy I don't have enough energy for that much cardio on the same day, plus like most of you, I don't want to spend my whole day in the gym. Yesterday I lifted with my husband and we did back and triceps, doing giants sets of each. This meant we did back first and did one set of each of the 6 back exercises back to back and then rested 2 minutes repeating that 2 more times increasing weight for each set. We then moved onto triceps and did the same thing with the 6 more triceps exercises. It was nice working out with someone else, I think you push yourself a little more plus you have that other person there to encourage and help you.
I hope you all are doing well with your nutrition and figured out how much you should be eating daily for your bodies needs.
Have a great week and if there is any questions or topics you would like to see me discuss, let me know and I will do my best.
I hope you all are doing well with your nutrition and figured out how much you should be eating daily for your bodies needs.
Have a great week and if there is any questions or topics you would like to see me discuss, let me know and I will do my best.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Did you buy your box of fresh protein bars yet?
If you have not yet ordered your box of Dales raw protein bars, order today, click on the link located on the left side of my bog and purchase as many kinds as you would like to try, get 20% off your order with the code "proteinbar20" which expires February 29, 2012 just for knowing me. These protein bars are fresh, awesome tasting, raw and can travel with you anywhere (I like mine right out of the freezer though) and you can eat them everyday. Order today, you won't be disappointed.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Do you know how much, how often and what to eat?
Everyone out there reads all sorts of articles on how much, how often and what to eat, but most of the time they are reading information that doesn't even pertain to them. I am going to give you more accurate ways to determine how much you need to eat, let you know how often you should be eating and give you some examples on what to eat.
First you need to know how to determine how much you need to eat. Now, do not assume you need to eat less, as this is a huge misconception among most people, most of the time you actually need to eat more and different foods than you are eating now, so don't be shocked if your requirements determine you need to eat more than what your used to or think you should eat.
There are many ways to determine how much you need to eat. I will give you two ways, one that is pretty close to your exact needs and the other is just a rough estimate based on the Harris Benedict Equation(i would suggest the first one if you are serious about getting fit and lean).
With the first and most accurate equation you will need a few things before you can begin your calculation. First you will need to get your Lean Body Mass(LBM) number. In order to get this number you need to get your body fat %, you can obtain this number by having a skin fold test done by a trained professional or personal trainer, you may also get a test in the Bod Pod or the other body composition test of Underwater weighing. You can also use your body percentage obtained from a scale like the Tanita, but it will not be as accurate as the other 3 body composition tests. Once you have your body fat % use the following formula:
Body Weight x Body Fat % = Body Fat(lbs), then take your total Body Fat(lbs) -Body Weight(lbs) = Lean Body Mass(lbs) LBM
Once you have your LBM you can plug them into the following:
If you are trying to lose weight(lose fat) take your LBM and multiply it by 15- aka Cutting
If you are trying to maintain weight take your LBM and multiply it by 19- aka Maintenance
If you are trying to gain weight(gain muscle) take your LBM and multiply it by 23- aka Bulking
Your total number will equal the total number of calories you should be eating per day of clean healthy food.
Then you need to know how much Fat, Carbs and Protein to eat, which could be in the range of about 20% healthy fats (9 calories per 1 gram), 40% carbohydrates (4 calories per 1 gram), and 40% protein (4 calories per 1 gram). These percentages vary based on your body type and how you handle the breakdown of proteins, carbs and healthy fats. Your body fat should be tested and your weight should be recalculated at least every 6-8 weeks for accurate results.
For example see my latest calculations below.
Use the second equation which is based on the Harris Benedict Equation, if you are not able to get access to your Lean Body Mass(LBM)/ body fat %, which is as follows:
First, you need to calculate your Basal Metobolic Rate (BMR)-
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )
Last, you need will calculate your estimated daily caloric needs based on this formula-
•Sedentary (little or no exercise) : Daily Caloric Need = BMR x 1.2
•Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Daily Caloric Need = BMR x 1.375
•Moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Daily Caloric Need = BMR x 1.55
•Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Daily Caloric Need = BMR x 1.725
•Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Daily Caloric Need = BMR x 1.9
Now if you are trying to lose weight you need to take your caloric need and eat 500 calories less and/or exercise burning 500 calories per day and eat about 500 more calories of you are trying to gain weight.
To be more exact and take in the correct amount of calories you could be eating about 20% healthy fats (9 calories per 1 gram), 40% carbohydrates (4 calories per 1 gram), and 40% protein (4 calories per 1 gram). These percentages vary based on your body type and how you handle the breakdown of proteins, carbs and healthy fats. Your body fat should be tested and your weight should be recalculated at least every 6-8 weeks for accurate results.
Kristins nutritional needs starting 2/7/12 (Please keep in mind I am eating a little more now than calculated below because I am Breast Feeding)
Body weight 123.6, Body fat 18.38%.
Body Weight (123.6) x Body Fat % (18.38%) = Body Fat(lbs)(22.68), then take your total Body Fat(lbs)(22.68) -Body Weight(lbs) (123.6)= Lean Body Mass(lbs) (100.72)LBM
Cutting- Lose weight(lose fat) take your LBM and multiply it by 15- 1510.80 calories
Maintenance- Maintain weight take your LBM and multiply it by 19- 1913.68 calories
Bulking- Gain weight(gain muscle) take your LBM and multiply it by 23- 2516.56 calories
These last two weeks I have been bulking because I am trying to gain muscle. I will only do this for 2 weeks at a time before my body just starts gaining fat and storing food, which is not what I want, so then I will go back to my maintenance amount or cutting amount depending on my focus.
My daily consumption 20% healthy fats (9 calories per 1 gram), 40% carbohydrates (4 calories per 1 gram), and 40% protein (4 calories per 1 gram) which equates to 57g of Fat /256g of Carbs /256g of protein.
Next you need to know how often to eat all that food that you are expected to eat. I would like for you to focus on eating 5-6 meals a day. Your largest meals will be your breakfast and your post workout meal. Read my blog post about breakfast for a start. Then, plan on eating every 2-3 hours to allow time for food digestion but not hunger. Eat your post workout meal within 30-90 minutes of the end of your workout and be sure includes carbs and protein in that meal and limit the fat, but the sooner you eat after your workout the better for your body because you are replenishing your body. Limit your last meal or two(if needed) to high protein and healthy fats with limited carbs, except for vegetables, unless you workout later in the day and need to refuel your body with carbohydrates. For an example of an eating schedule for on and off days see below:
Workout On Day:
Breakfast (9am)- oatmeal, strawberries, Flax Seed, with 6 egg whites with 1/2 yolk
Snack (11:30am)- Protein Bar (Dales Raw Protein Bar)
Lunch (2pm)- Sweet potato, chicken breast and brocolli
Snack (5pm)- Protein Shake with Whey protein powder, oats or banana and berries (spinach and greens are also a great addition)
Workout 5:45pm-7pm
Dinner (7:30pm)- Brown Rice with Beef and veggies stir fry using cooking olive oil spray, with spices and herbs
Evening snack (10pm)-Protein Shake with Casein protein powder and almond butter
Workout Off Day:
Breakfast (9am)- oatmeal, strawberries, Flax Seed, with 6 egg whites with 1/2 yolk
Snack (11:30am)- Protein Bar (Dales Raw Protein Bar)
Lunch (2pm)- Brown Rice Noodles with green beans, peppers, zuchinni, and chicken with spices and herbs
Snack (5pm)- Protein Shake with Whey protein powder, oats or banana and berries (spinach and greens are also a great addition)
Dinner (7:30pm)- Salmon with Asparagus and greens salad with balsamic vinegar
Evening snack (10pm only if needed)- Protein Shake with Casein protein powder and almond butter
Last I will give you ideas of what you can eat to fulfill your day. A food scale is your best bet so you know how much you are eating at a time without guessing. Try and split up your fat, carb and protein needs evenly throughout your meals, so that you don't have a huge surpluses or deficit at one time, remembering that your body can only digest and use so much of that food at one time before it starts storing it as fat.
But, be sure you are eating higher carbs in the morning for energy and tapering of throughout the meals through the day.
Breakfast food options: Check out my Breakfast post
Snack food options: Raw protein bars, protein powder shakes with 1-2 servings fruit, greens and oats, Cottage Cheese, hummus and veggies, nuts and fruit, low fat string cheese.
Lunch food options: Rice, Oats, Brown Rice Pasta, Sweet Potatoes, Vegetables 2 servings, Chicken, Lean Turkey, Fish, Lean Beef, Eggs
Dinner food options: (only if you had a late workout- Rice, Oats, Brown Rice Pasta, Sweet Potatoes), Vegetables 2-3 servings, Lean Turkey, Chicken, Fish, Lean Beef, Eggs, Tofu and mix it up with making soups or dishes with fresh herbs and salt free spices.
You should also check out the magazine and cookbooks called "clean eating" which offer a large variety of meal options that I use daily.
I am also available as a nutrition and training coach if you need more help or information. Please let me know what you need and I will let you know what services I can provide and how we can get you to the goal your after.
First you need to know how to determine how much you need to eat. Now, do not assume you need to eat less, as this is a huge misconception among most people, most of the time you actually need to eat more and different foods than you are eating now, so don't be shocked if your requirements determine you need to eat more than what your used to or think you should eat.
There are many ways to determine how much you need to eat. I will give you two ways, one that is pretty close to your exact needs and the other is just a rough estimate based on the Harris Benedict Equation(i would suggest the first one if you are serious about getting fit and lean).
With the first and most accurate equation you will need a few things before you can begin your calculation. First you will need to get your Lean Body Mass(LBM) number. In order to get this number you need to get your body fat %, you can obtain this number by having a skin fold test done by a trained professional or personal trainer, you may also get a test in the Bod Pod or the other body composition test of Underwater weighing. You can also use your body percentage obtained from a scale like the Tanita, but it will not be as accurate as the other 3 body composition tests. Once you have your body fat % use the following formula:
Body Weight x Body Fat % = Body Fat(lbs), then take your total Body Fat(lbs) -Body Weight(lbs) = Lean Body Mass(lbs) LBM
Once you have your LBM you can plug them into the following:
If you are trying to lose weight(lose fat) take your LBM and multiply it by 15- aka Cutting
If you are trying to maintain weight take your LBM and multiply it by 19- aka Maintenance
If you are trying to gain weight(gain muscle) take your LBM and multiply it by 23- aka Bulking
Your total number will equal the total number of calories you should be eating per day of clean healthy food.
Then you need to know how much Fat, Carbs and Protein to eat, which could be in the range of about 20% healthy fats (9 calories per 1 gram), 40% carbohydrates (4 calories per 1 gram), and 40% protein (4 calories per 1 gram). These percentages vary based on your body type and how you handle the breakdown of proteins, carbs and healthy fats. Your body fat should be tested and your weight should be recalculated at least every 6-8 weeks for accurate results.
For example see my latest calculations below.
Use the second equation which is based on the Harris Benedict Equation, if you are not able to get access to your Lean Body Mass(LBM)/ body fat %, which is as follows:
First, you need to calculate your Basal Metobolic Rate (BMR)-
Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )
Last, you need will calculate your estimated daily caloric needs based on this formula-
•Sedentary (little or no exercise) : Daily Caloric Need = BMR x 1.2
•Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Daily Caloric Need = BMR x 1.375
•Moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Daily Caloric Need = BMR x 1.55
•Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Daily Caloric Need = BMR x 1.725
•Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Daily Caloric Need = BMR x 1.9
Now if you are trying to lose weight you need to take your caloric need and eat 500 calories less and/or exercise burning 500 calories per day and eat about 500 more calories of you are trying to gain weight.
To be more exact and take in the correct amount of calories you could be eating about 20% healthy fats (9 calories per 1 gram), 40% carbohydrates (4 calories per 1 gram), and 40% protein (4 calories per 1 gram). These percentages vary based on your body type and how you handle the breakdown of proteins, carbs and healthy fats. Your body fat should be tested and your weight should be recalculated at least every 6-8 weeks for accurate results.
Kristins nutritional needs starting 2/7/12 (Please keep in mind I am eating a little more now than calculated below because I am Breast Feeding)
Body weight 123.6, Body fat 18.38%.
Body Weight (123.6) x Body Fat % (18.38%) = Body Fat(lbs)(22.68), then take your total Body Fat(lbs)(22.68) -Body Weight(lbs) (123.6)= Lean Body Mass(lbs) (100.72)LBM
Cutting- Lose weight(lose fat) take your LBM and multiply it by 15- 1510.80 calories
Maintenance- Maintain weight take your LBM and multiply it by 19- 1913.68 calories
Bulking- Gain weight(gain muscle) take your LBM and multiply it by 23- 2516.56 calories
These last two weeks I have been bulking because I am trying to gain muscle. I will only do this for 2 weeks at a time before my body just starts gaining fat and storing food, which is not what I want, so then I will go back to my maintenance amount or cutting amount depending on my focus.
My daily consumption 20% healthy fats (9 calories per 1 gram), 40% carbohydrates (4 calories per 1 gram), and 40% protein (4 calories per 1 gram) which equates to 57g of Fat /256g of Carbs /256g of protein.
Next you need to know how often to eat all that food that you are expected to eat. I would like for you to focus on eating 5-6 meals a day. Your largest meals will be your breakfast and your post workout meal. Read my blog post about breakfast for a start. Then, plan on eating every 2-3 hours to allow time for food digestion but not hunger. Eat your post workout meal within 30-90 minutes of the end of your workout and be sure includes carbs and protein in that meal and limit the fat, but the sooner you eat after your workout the better for your body because you are replenishing your body. Limit your last meal or two(if needed) to high protein and healthy fats with limited carbs, except for vegetables, unless you workout later in the day and need to refuel your body with carbohydrates. For an example of an eating schedule for on and off days see below:
Workout On Day:
Breakfast (9am)- oatmeal, strawberries, Flax Seed, with 6 egg whites with 1/2 yolk
Snack (11:30am)- Protein Bar (Dales Raw Protein Bar)
Lunch (2pm)- Sweet potato, chicken breast and brocolli
Snack (5pm)- Protein Shake with Whey protein powder, oats or banana and berries (spinach and greens are also a great addition)
Workout 5:45pm-7pm
Dinner (7:30pm)- Brown Rice with Beef and veggies stir fry using cooking olive oil spray, with spices and herbs
Evening snack (10pm)-Protein Shake with Casein protein powder and almond butter
Workout Off Day:
Breakfast (9am)- oatmeal, strawberries, Flax Seed, with 6 egg whites with 1/2 yolk
Snack (11:30am)- Protein Bar (Dales Raw Protein Bar)
Lunch (2pm)- Brown Rice Noodles with green beans, peppers, zuchinni, and chicken with spices and herbs
Snack (5pm)- Protein Shake with Whey protein powder, oats or banana and berries (spinach and greens are also a great addition)
Dinner (7:30pm)- Salmon with Asparagus and greens salad with balsamic vinegar
Evening snack (10pm only if needed)- Protein Shake with Casein protein powder and almond butter
Last I will give you ideas of what you can eat to fulfill your day. A food scale is your best bet so you know how much you are eating at a time without guessing. Try and split up your fat, carb and protein needs evenly throughout your meals, so that you don't have a huge surpluses or deficit at one time, remembering that your body can only digest and use so much of that food at one time before it starts storing it as fat.
But, be sure you are eating higher carbs in the morning for energy and tapering of throughout the meals through the day.
Breakfast food options: Check out my Breakfast post
Snack food options: Raw protein bars, protein powder shakes with 1-2 servings fruit, greens and oats, Cottage Cheese, hummus and veggies, nuts and fruit, low fat string cheese.
Lunch food options: Rice, Oats, Brown Rice Pasta, Sweet Potatoes, Vegetables 2 servings, Chicken, Lean Turkey, Fish, Lean Beef, Eggs
Dinner food options: (only if you had a late workout- Rice, Oats, Brown Rice Pasta, Sweet Potatoes), Vegetables 2-3 servings, Lean Turkey, Chicken, Fish, Lean Beef, Eggs, Tofu and mix it up with making soups or dishes with fresh herbs and salt free spices.
You should also check out the magazine and cookbooks called "clean eating" which offer a large variety of meal options that I use daily.
I am also available as a nutrition and training coach if you need more help or information. Please let me know what you need and I will let you know what services I can provide and how we can get you to the goal your after.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Discount on Dales Raw Food Protein Bars
For all of my followers and readers, I have been given an opportunity to offer a discount to you for the AWESOME Dales Raw Protein Bars. Please click on the link/logo to the left of the home page and when you order your Dales Raw Protein Bars put in the code "PROTEINBAR20" for a 20% discount off of your order. Order one box or try a few different kinds, they are all great tasting and great for you. Happy Trying and I hope you ALL have a very Happy Valentines Day tomorrow.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Setting and Meeting Your Goals!!!
Today we are going to talk about setting and meeting your goals. Now, in order to set and meet your goals, you need to think about a goal you want to achieve. For me, I have a few goals I want to achieve.
My first goal is to start a blog for my business in order to talk about nutrition, fitness and how I achieve my goals and live day to day, in order to help and teach others how they too can live a healthier and active life.
My second goal is to become more involved in the fitness industry and try to model fitness and endorse companies within the fitness industry I support.
My third goal is to compete in figure competitions until I get my pro card.
Once you have your goals in mind I want you to write them down on paper, put them in your phone, put it on Facebook and/or announce it publicly to someone else you know that will support and encourage you to reach your goals. Remember, if you make your goals public and share them with at least one other person then chances are you will keep them and continue to try and meet them because you know someone else is watching you.
Next, you need to do research on how you can and will meet your goals. Read magazines, books, articles, google it and look at multiple posts where you are seeing consistent and accurate information and also speak with someone you trust and believe in who has great information and answers for you to meet your goals. The more information and research you do will give you more ideas and ways to meet your goal, just make sure the information you use isn't going to harm you and is realistic. I have done research, read articles and books, took classes and talked to so many people to get to where I am today and have the knowledge in order to succeed myself and help others succeed. I also know that I don't know everything so if there is ever anything I don't know, I don't just assume and research through the vast options we have in order to get the correct answer I need and believe in.
In order to meet my goals I had to research how to start and maintain a blog, I had to research what it take to be a fitness model and join different product company teams and I also had to research what it takes to get ready and participate in figure competitions.
After you have gathered enough information from research to meet your goal, you need to set a timeline, making it realistic. For me my timeline for my blog was to start it quickly and just update and develop periodically with extra time I had and to promote it more and more as I got more involved in my business and the fitness industry. My timeline to model fitness and join supplement and fitness industry companies is within the year 2012 and that is just to start with getting my name, face and pictures out there. My last goal timeline may take more or less time depending on how well my body responds and how quickly I can beat out other competitors at each figure competition I compete in. My first goal is to attend and compete in my diary competition in July in Ft Lauderdale and depending on how I do and what advice the judges give me I will work harder and go from their based on the guidance from my fitness mentors.
Also, if you happen to get off track or your not meeting your goal as quickly as you had hoped, just get back on track, your not going to have to start all over and keep on going with where you left off. You may also need to do more research and tweak your plan a bit in order to meet your goals because things can change and in order to meet your goal what you had originally planned to do may not be exactly what you started with.
Give yourself a reward for keeping up with your goals. Keep the reward realistic and give small rewards frequently instead of only one at the end. My person goal reward is that if I fulfill all of my workouts for the week and eat clean for all of my meals, on Saturday or one night of the weekend, I allow myself a cheat meal where I eat whatever my heart desires, usually including an appetizer, main course and of course a dessert.
Now, your reward doesnt have to be food, you can give yourself a spa treatment, a pedicure, a new piece of workout attire, a massage or anything you can reward yourself with every week or two that you are keeping on track as you fulfill your goal.
Last, keep track of your progress and your ups and downs. Whether its writing down all of your works outs everyday on your calendar as you do them or writing down what you ate for the day in a daily food log notebook, just keep track of what you do and also what you don't do. It also helps to keep track of how you feel and what happened that day because those thoughts, feelings and actions can relate to you succeeding or also why you got off track that day(s) and you can try to either avoid or continue to do what works and doesn't work in your life.
Remember, you can always ask for help if you don't feel like your on the right track, or are falling off track, or just don't know how to complete meeting your goals. It's better to ask for help than to give up on something you want to achieve.
Good luck and if you need help or ideas on how to meet your goals, you can email me anytime.
My first goal is to start a blog for my business in order to talk about nutrition, fitness and how I achieve my goals and live day to day, in order to help and teach others how they too can live a healthier and active life.
My second goal is to become more involved in the fitness industry and try to model fitness and endorse companies within the fitness industry I support.
My third goal is to compete in figure competitions until I get my pro card.
Once you have your goals in mind I want you to write them down on paper, put them in your phone, put it on Facebook and/or announce it publicly to someone else you know that will support and encourage you to reach your goals. Remember, if you make your goals public and share them with at least one other person then chances are you will keep them and continue to try and meet them because you know someone else is watching you.
Next, you need to do research on how you can and will meet your goals. Read magazines, books, articles, google it and look at multiple posts where you are seeing consistent and accurate information and also speak with someone you trust and believe in who has great information and answers for you to meet your goals. The more information and research you do will give you more ideas and ways to meet your goal, just make sure the information you use isn't going to harm you and is realistic. I have done research, read articles and books, took classes and talked to so many people to get to where I am today and have the knowledge in order to succeed myself and help others succeed. I also know that I don't know everything so if there is ever anything I don't know, I don't just assume and research through the vast options we have in order to get the correct answer I need and believe in.
In order to meet my goals I had to research how to start and maintain a blog, I had to research what it take to be a fitness model and join different product company teams and I also had to research what it takes to get ready and participate in figure competitions.
After you have gathered enough information from research to meet your goal, you need to set a timeline, making it realistic. For me my timeline for my blog was to start it quickly and just update and develop periodically with extra time I had and to promote it more and more as I got more involved in my business and the fitness industry. My timeline to model fitness and join supplement and fitness industry companies is within the year 2012 and that is just to start with getting my name, face and pictures out there. My last goal timeline may take more or less time depending on how well my body responds and how quickly I can beat out other competitors at each figure competition I compete in. My first goal is to attend and compete in my diary competition in July in Ft Lauderdale and depending on how I do and what advice the judges give me I will work harder and go from their based on the guidance from my fitness mentors.
Also, if you happen to get off track or your not meeting your goal as quickly as you had hoped, just get back on track, your not going to have to start all over and keep on going with where you left off. You may also need to do more research and tweak your plan a bit in order to meet your goals because things can change and in order to meet your goal what you had originally planned to do may not be exactly what you started with.
Give yourself a reward for keeping up with your goals. Keep the reward realistic and give small rewards frequently instead of only one at the end. My person goal reward is that if I fulfill all of my workouts for the week and eat clean for all of my meals, on Saturday or one night of the weekend, I allow myself a cheat meal where I eat whatever my heart desires, usually including an appetizer, main course and of course a dessert.
Now, your reward doesnt have to be food, you can give yourself a spa treatment, a pedicure, a new piece of workout attire, a massage or anything you can reward yourself with every week or two that you are keeping on track as you fulfill your goal.
Last, keep track of your progress and your ups and downs. Whether its writing down all of your works outs everyday on your calendar as you do them or writing down what you ate for the day in a daily food log notebook, just keep track of what you do and also what you don't do. It also helps to keep track of how you feel and what happened that day because those thoughts, feelings and actions can relate to you succeeding or also why you got off track that day(s) and you can try to either avoid or continue to do what works and doesn't work in your life.
Remember, you can always ask for help if you don't feel like your on the right track, or are falling off track, or just don't know how to complete meeting your goals. It's better to ask for help than to give up on something you want to achieve.
Good luck and if you need help or ideas on how to meet your goals, you can email me anytime.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Getting that extra push
Sometimes we need someone to push us beyond the ability we think we have on our own. As you may know I just had a baby 11 and 1/2 weeks ago and have decided to start a career in the fitness industry by doing my first figure show in July. I train or am active in some way almost every day, whether it be at the gym or walk/jogging outside with my baby girl. Now, I am not saying everyone needs to be as involved in fitness or train as hard or as much as I do, but let me start out by saying that we should all be physically active for at least 20-30 minutes almost everyday of our lives, I promise it will energize you and relieve some of that unwanted stress you may have, along with another thousand reasons that being active can be good for you.
So back to getting that extra push I wanted to talk about. As a trainer and consultant I push my clients to achieve things that they never thought they could, I expect them to put the pain, excuses, and can'ts out the door and use there mind and will power to get through it. Everyone I know has gone though something hard, painful or challenging in life so when I know there is something that I need to do and it's hard, I think about that most hard, painful, and challenging time and I tell myself that I got through it and I can get through this. So yesterday I had a friend of mine who is a trainer at the gym I attend train me. Now, I believe I do a great job of training myself both physically and nutritionally but, sometimes we need to mix it up, have someone think for us and quite frankly just give us that extra push we need. I had him train me on my leg day since that is the area on my body that needs the most work in order to reach my fitness competition goal. He trained and pushed me so hard my body wanted to quit but I kept telling myself that I gave birth naturally and this workout had nothing on that so I kept going.
Now, I know and you know that if I didn't have someone there coaching me along and pushing me, I would not have given it 100% and went above and beyond what I thought I could by challenging myself, but he challenged me and I got through it. Guess what... I'm walking today, a little sore but I feel stronger and better about myself knowing I got an awesome work out and had someone give me that extra push that I most likely wouldn't have gotten on my own. I also did 40 minute speed intervals on the stepmill today, legs sore and all.
So what can YOU do? Well I know not all of you out there have a gym or a trainer so I am going to give you a few tips I want you to try to go above and beyond what you think your capabilities are and get that awesome work out you need and deserve to get get that healthier, happier body you have always wanted.
If you belong to a gym:
Either seek out a trainer that you know or feel comfortable with and have a session with them, (you dont need to pay for multiple sessions, just see if you can get a single session periodically if money is an issue) tell them what you are looking for in your session and let them push you beyond your capabilities. Now if you have a good trainer they will work you out harder than you would yourself and you most likely will learn a few things from them for the next time when your working out on your own.
Or
Take a friend, relative or your spouse, but make sure it is someone you trust to help you not hurt or argue with you, to the gym with you and ask them to push you. Have them push you beyond what you think your capable of and crank out one more rep or add more weight and get more out of your session than you could have gotten on your own.
You can also take a class and push yourself harder than you normally do, let the teacher push you or use extra weight or more intensity, but with any class you have to push yourself harder because chances are your only making the class as hard as you want it to be.
If you don't have a gym:
Go with a friend, relative or your spouse who is interesting In working out with you and put together an outdoor or indoor workout plan or go for a run, walk or bike-ride and tell them to challenge you, ask them to push you above and beyond where you would normally quit or add speed or resistance above where you normally max out.
I promise you, if you do this every once and a while you will find yourself stronger than you thought you ever were, but in reality you can always look back at that time you went through the hardest, most painful and most challenging time in your life and know that since you got through that, you can get through this tougher than normal workout. Your body will thank you in the long run, jut remember to push yourself, NOT injure yourself.
So back to getting that extra push I wanted to talk about. As a trainer and consultant I push my clients to achieve things that they never thought they could, I expect them to put the pain, excuses, and can'ts out the door and use there mind and will power to get through it. Everyone I know has gone though something hard, painful or challenging in life so when I know there is something that I need to do and it's hard, I think about that most hard, painful, and challenging time and I tell myself that I got through it and I can get through this. So yesterday I had a friend of mine who is a trainer at the gym I attend train me. Now, I believe I do a great job of training myself both physically and nutritionally but, sometimes we need to mix it up, have someone think for us and quite frankly just give us that extra push we need. I had him train me on my leg day since that is the area on my body that needs the most work in order to reach my fitness competition goal. He trained and pushed me so hard my body wanted to quit but I kept telling myself that I gave birth naturally and this workout had nothing on that so I kept going.
Now, I know and you know that if I didn't have someone there coaching me along and pushing me, I would not have given it 100% and went above and beyond what I thought I could by challenging myself, but he challenged me and I got through it. Guess what... I'm walking today, a little sore but I feel stronger and better about myself knowing I got an awesome work out and had someone give me that extra push that I most likely wouldn't have gotten on my own. I also did 40 minute speed intervals on the stepmill today, legs sore and all.
So what can YOU do? Well I know not all of you out there have a gym or a trainer so I am going to give you a few tips I want you to try to go above and beyond what you think your capabilities are and get that awesome work out you need and deserve to get get that healthier, happier body you have always wanted.
If you belong to a gym:
Either seek out a trainer that you know or feel comfortable with and have a session with them, (you dont need to pay for multiple sessions, just see if you can get a single session periodically if money is an issue) tell them what you are looking for in your session and let them push you beyond your capabilities. Now if you have a good trainer they will work you out harder than you would yourself and you most likely will learn a few things from them for the next time when your working out on your own.
Or
Take a friend, relative or your spouse, but make sure it is someone you trust to help you not hurt or argue with you, to the gym with you and ask them to push you. Have them push you beyond what you think your capable of and crank out one more rep or add more weight and get more out of your session than you could have gotten on your own.
You can also take a class and push yourself harder than you normally do, let the teacher push you or use extra weight or more intensity, but with any class you have to push yourself harder because chances are your only making the class as hard as you want it to be.
If you don't have a gym:
Go with a friend, relative or your spouse who is interesting In working out with you and put together an outdoor or indoor workout plan or go for a run, walk or bike-ride and tell them to challenge you, ask them to push you above and beyond where you would normally quit or add speed or resistance above where you normally max out.
I promise you, if you do this every once and a while you will find yourself stronger than you thought you ever were, but in reality you can always look back at that time you went through the hardest, most painful and most challenging time in your life and know that since you got through that, you can get through this tougher than normal workout. Your body will thank you in the long run, jut remember to push yourself, NOT injure yourself.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Try out Dales Raw Foods, a great product I eat and promote
If you are looking for a clean healthy food option try out Dales Raw Foods by clicking on the Dales Raw Foods banner link to the left on my blog. There you will find great options for clean eating, raw, vegan products which include protein bars, protein powder and raw greens. The protein bars are absolutely awesome and far surpass the taste and quality of any protein bar you can buy at the store. They are made fresh daily and shipped directly to your home within 7-10 days of ordering. There are so many different kinds and options, you almost need to try them all. You can get discounts and sales frequently if you sign up for email notifications. I can't even begin to tell you how great these products are and I encourage you to try them for yourself, they are so great for you because they are raw and fresh.
If you place an order tomorrow thru Wednesday you can purchase a combo pack of 2 boxes of protein bars and 1 jar of protein powder at 20% off. If you are interested in more information about these products please feel free to ask me anytime.... Happy trying :)
If you place an order tomorrow thru Wednesday you can purchase a combo pack of 2 boxes of protein bars and 1 jar of protein powder at 20% off. If you are interested in more information about these products please feel free to ask me anytime.... Happy trying :)
Friday, February 3, 2012
Lets talk about Breakfast!!!
I want to talk a little about breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day and should actually be your biggest meal of the day. You wake up, you need energy to start and go on with your day and need to start that ever burning metabolism that you have (whether you believe its slow or not). Today for breakfast I had my morning staple, I have this almost every single day and it doesn't get old for me, though I am not like everyone else, others may need to switch it up a bit to keep them happy and from getting bored. Because I am in my bulking phase and trying to gain muscle for my competition I am eating a little more than most, but here is what I had- 1/2c plain oatmeal with 1tbsp wheat germ (for folic acid) and 1 tbsp ground flax seed (for healthy fats) and 7 cut medium strawberries along with 6 egg whites and 1/2 egg yolk.
Now I want you all to start with something new today, if you do not eat breakfast regularly, lets start with today. If you do eat breakfast regularly and its not a healthy and clean as it should be, lets start with that change then. Eat your breakfast within about 60 minutes upon waking. I like to start with a glass of hot water and lemon before I eat too, as I feel like it flushes me out, but if like your morning black coffee thats fine too (no sugar or try stevia extract), just make sure to follow it up with twice the amount of water, as coffee is a diuretic. Have at least one protein and one complex carbohydrate. Here are few examples:
Protein for Breakfast-
One Egg and 2-3 egg whites- you can fry them in a little olive oil, scramble them, poach them and cook them hard boiled(this is easier for on the fly and you can walk out the door)
1 scoop protein powder (now I will talk about protein powder a lot, so the best thing to do is to find one at your local vitamin store or I can give some recommendations if you would like and NOT all protein powders are the same, as you should be choosing one with little to no Carbs or Fat and you may have to try a few before you find one brand and flavor you like)
Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken Breast
3/4-1 cup- Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt with 1/3 cup of your favorite fruit (berries are best)
Complex Carbohydrates for Breakfast-
1/3-1/2 scoop Oatmeal- NOT THE INSTANT FLAVORED KIND (this is loaded with sugars)
Whole Grain Bread- (I like Ezekiel bread as it is gluten free and low in sodium and they also offer bagels and english muffins too)
3/4-1 cup Whole Grain Cereal- Whole Grain cereals are ok moderation- try Shredded wheat, Kashi Go Lean, Ezekiel Cereal or Granola (make sure it is low in sugar)
You can also make protein pancakes with some fruit on top. (**let me know if you want the recipe, I have a few)
Now, try this every morning, if you slip, just get back on track the next day, until you make healthy breakfast a habit. Soon enough you will be feeling energized and awake in the morning, ready to start your day and take on what ever life throws at you.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Getting Ready for My First Competitive Figure Show in July
I am getting ready for my first ever Competitive Figure Show in July. I am 9 weeks Post baby in the pictures below. I was 127lbs before my pregnancy, gained 24lbs during my pregnancy and now as of February 2, 2012 I am 123.6lbs post pregnancy. I feel the best I have ever felt and I just want to show not only women, but also men and children that you can be healthy, look and feel great if you treat your body well.
For the next two weeks I am in my bulking phase and trying to gain lean muscle, so I am eating more than normal.
Started a new training program also for the next 4 weeks I will be lifting semi-heavy with 8-12 reps for each set and hitting Legs and abs 2x per week and Obliques, Back, Shoulders, Bi's, Tri's, and chest 1x per week along with 60 min spin 1x and 20 min HIIT on the treadmill along with 15-25 min of light-moderate cardio following my weight training the other 3 days. I walk and jog the other two off gyms days with my baby outside for about 45-60 min if its not raining.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The start of my Fitness Training Blog
I am going to post about health, eating clean, training and how I maintain my body and live my life and I hope to help others with what I have found works and doesn't work and what I believe in.
On a side note.....Not everyone will have the same ideas, beliefs and may also find that things that work for me do not work for them and I understand that, but I am also willing to listen to others concerns and questions and help if I can.
On a side note.....Not everyone will have the same ideas, beliefs and may also find that things that work for me do not work for them and I understand that, but I am also willing to listen to others concerns and questions and help if I can.
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