Day 44: BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” – Michelangelo

Good evening beautiful friends,

I have a surprise announcement for you! I have decided to compete in my first ever fitness competition!!

Crazy I know!

I have been thinking about competing for months, but always assumed I could never do it, and that these girls possessed some ‘special’ secret weapon to get that lean for stage, until recently when I decided to get out of my own way and go for it. Because the special secret weapon these girls possess happens to be discipline and determination, and I have both of those!

Am I terrified? You bet!

Am I going to have second thoughts some days? It’s quite possible

Am I going to push through the doubt, trust the process, SUCCEED and walk across the stage proud?  DEFINITELY.

Why have I decided to compete you ask? Well, many reasons. The top 3 being

1. I come from a background of disordered eating, pretty intense body image issues, and I want to do this for me. Sticking with a diet, workout plan, and not giving up will prove to myself how far I’ve come and how much of a fighter I really am.

2. To show that vegan muscle IS possible. All too often i’m asked “but where do you get your protein” or i’m told I won’t put on muscle because i’m not supplementing with meat protein.To those people I say 

3. I love working out, I enjoy healthy foods, but I also enjoy a CHALLENGE! This competition prep will be one of the most mentally challenging things i’ve ever decided to do and I cannot wait to start. It’s easy to get comfortable and not grow or change, I have big dreams, and part of that includes pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

One of the first things I want to do is figure out exactly what percentage my body fat is at. I decided to step on the scale this morning for the first time in MANY months and the number on the scale staring back at me said 123! I’m 5’1 (let’s roll with that) and when I started my fitness journey several years back at my heaviest weight I was only 3 or 4 pounds heavier than that. 2 years ago, even 1 year ago I would have freaked out

Today however, I was totally cool.  My clothes all still fit –with the exception of my jeans because my quads and booty are getting big and my blazers are tight across my back and shoulders but everything still fits my waist perfectly. I may not have chiselled abs -YET, but I am far from fat. Do I have fat to lose? Of course, and that will come, but I am so happy with my progress. The fact that I saw the number and didn’t lose my mind shows me how far i’ve come. I am more than a number. I am a strong, healthy, fit, and beautiful woman. That number means nothing.

Check out my progress…

This is me every time I see booty gains.

Good night everyone! I have much more to share on the topic of competing, and will regularly update my blog to let you know how i’m progressing, how i’m liking it, my struggles, my successes, and everything in between.

As always, thank you for your support and love.

See the good in all things, live your life to the fullest, smile til your face hurts!

*Namaste*

Day 6: Let me pull up real quick…

Hello beautiful friends!

I just want to quickly mention that this little guy has better form than me, and he’s using rings. One day panda, one day.

Big news!! Today I tackled a huge PERSONAL challenge of mine. I did 1, then 2, then kind of almost–but not really 3 unassisted pull ups. I’ve been able to do chin ups for a while now. So to compensate for my lack of pull up ability, I did 3 sets of 4 chin ups. (Hey! That’s still a big deal for me!) I’d like to mention, when I created that 30 while 30 post, I actually MEANT chin ups. So in a way, I’ve reached my goal, but finally being able to do a chin up motivated me to then move towards the pull ups. It took me a long time to trust that I could pull myself up. I know a lot of people can do them no problem, but it’s been really difficult. I’ve practiced often. At first, I couldn’t even budge my weight, so I used the assisted pull up/dip machine until today! I’m REALLY proud of myself! I can cross that off now! Yay!

Onward!

Ladies, and i’m sure even most gentlemen, whether you care to admit it or not have been where I am right now–The dreaded “I have nothing to wear” scenario. Although I have not been robbed, so there are actual pieces of clothing in my closet, but quite frankly I feel like they belong to some alien girl with strange taste.

I am having dinner/a night out with a friend tonight and obviously that means I have to dress up. Nikes and a sports bra aren’t going to cut it, and since this beauty sees me most days at work, drab office attire isn’t going to work either.

Okay Regena, you got this. Wear a dress.

Ugh. All of my dresses are too flowy, or too tight, or to long, or too short, or too something that i’m not looking for right now.

The same is true for my shorts, my skirts, my tops. The only thing i’ve managed to decide on are the shoes I want to wear.

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Focus! This is getting dressed we’re talking about, not an actual crisis like the Ebola virus, so snap out of your hysteria and find something to wear.

I scanned the room waiting for a complete outfit to jump out at me, and to my amazement it does! Okay, not quite, but I noticed the flower print on a pair of high waist loose shorts that i’ve been dying to wear. These would look really cute with a flowy top, a boyfriend blazer, ANY shoes, and maybe a little bling. Perfect.

But wait. What’s this. ANOTHER outfit comes together as well. I remembered a cute blue dress with side cut outs that is really flattering, and goes great with the shoes I have to wear.

And just like that, I changed my focus and figured it out. Now I just have to get motivated to do my makeup, my nails, my hair, and get dressed.

Have a wonderful night everyone. Be safe, be kind, and be happy.

Namaste.

Eureka!!

Remember that 6 week personal challenge I started in April? No me neither…I kid, I kid.  Today’s post is all about the ups and downs of that challenge, and a few pretty big “AH HA” moments that I had.  Some of my experiences were negative, some positive, but all made me just a little stronger and a little more passionate to reach my goals.

I initially decided it was going to be an uber strict fully raw plan to see if I could do it. I enjoy raw foods, and eat a pretty high fruit diet already so I thought it would be easy. However, in order for me to maintain this type of eating, and not feel like a zombie with my workouts, I  need to eat at least 3,000 calories. At first things went great, but then I started to become so exhausted due to work, lack of sleep, and my strenuous fitness goals that felt sick all of the time and couldn’t eat. Let’s just say that backfired. This didn’t really begin to happen until around the 3.5-4 week point, but when it hit, it completely crushed me. I wasn’t sleeping, eating properly, but still forcing myself to workout and I couldn’t take it anymore. I was miserable, exhausted, shaky, and the list goes on. However, I realized that eating cooked food wasn’t BAD just because it wasn’t the initial plan I had created if that meant I’d feel better. I started incorporating chickpeas, sweet potato, and even some crackers and hummus and all of a sudden my tummy didn’t hate me quite so much.

AH HA Moment #1. When I realized that this challenge was just that, a challenge. Sure I had hoped to eat fully raw for 6 weeks, but my body needed other things. I didn’t fail by altering the plan, instead I found what worked for me…for once I started listening to what my body NEEDED.

The main reason I was completely MIA during the last 2 weeks of the challenge was related to 2 things, lack of sleep and stress from work. I wasn’t sleeping even tho I was exhausted, I was stressed because of deadlines, I couldn’t sleep because of deadlines, but I couldn’t focus on deadlines because I was exhausted, and then I stressed more because I was worried about not falling asleep. A fun, fun time. Then one night, I came across a post about stress by Girls Gone Strong  and essentially whether it’s stress from working out super hard, a tough job, too many commitments, etc our body can’t differentiate between the different TYPES of stress and eventually it just gets overwhelmed and starts shutting down. Turns out, when you’re super stressed even when you’re exhausted you can’t sleep, and then you’re not recovering–mentally or physically. So I wasn’t alert at work because my mind didn’t repair, and my body was aching constantly because it didn’t repair either.

AH HA moment #2. When I realized I honestly just had to let go of everything I was allowing to upset me, and focus on making myself HEAL–physically and emotionally. If I screw up my diet, miss a deadline, or skip a workout life will go on.

Instead of setting my alarm for 6:45 on the weekend, I didn’t set my alarm at all and I slept for 14 hours. I ate carbs all day (not cupcakes, but good things like quinoa pasta, sweet potato, etc), I listened to happy music, painted my nails a pretty colour and just let go of everything that was out of my control. Of course there is still stress in my life, but how I handle it now will be different. Also, I won’t stress myself about being PERFECT all the time. If I mess up my diet, I’ll do better tomorrow. Simple as that.

Now that i’ve gotten the “big things” out of the way, here are a few other things I learned.

-I love lifting heavy weights. I discovered body beast and although some days I curse at Sagi, I love feeling my muscles grow. My shoulders and arms are so pumped after a workout and I feel so strong and confident.

-When I’m less regimented with my diet, I actually eat better. Saying “I can’t have any alcohol ever, sugar ever, fries EVER”, only means i’ll think about them all the time. Instead, I have decided to eat clean and allow myself a treat meal each week where I have whatever I want. Lately other than a glass of red, it’s been a bowl of quinoa pasta with lots of roasted veggies, or sweet potato fries with spicy ketchup. Basically, giving myself freedom has allowed me to enjoy clean food and even crave clean food.

-The mind is such a powerful tool. I held a 6.5 minute plank. I was sweating buckets, but it felt so good.

-Yoga and meditation are so good for me. During that hour that I am focused on my breathing I become centered.

-I am stronger than I give myself credit for. I’ve gotten stronger with push ups, weights, planks, yoga poses such as headstands, and even attempted a hollow back pose.

-Having someone to talk to, and encourage you really helps. My husband is so supportive of my lifestyle and fitness goals and although he likes to tease me (because he’s bigger and stronger than I am), he likes that this makes me happy.

The most important thing I learned is that it’s great to set goals for yourself, train hard, and always strive to do better but when those goals are controlling your life negatively you need to reassess, take a deep breath, and figure out a better way. I am still working on my abs, my arms, heck my entire body–i’m still focusing on eating a clean diet (check out my instagram/twitter for pics), and i’ll always be creating little personal goals to strive for, the difference is now i’ll not be so focused on the “rules” that I don’t have any fun. Challenges are fun, and great ways to become a better stronger version of yourself, but you have to enjoy what you’re doing or else you’ll be miserable.

So ladies and gentleman. I had a great time doing my  6 week personal challenge, it was tough, there were tears, “Ah Ha” moments, and even a few shifted priorities, but I made some pretty big discoveries and i’m so glad that I did.

Tomorrow is a new day, be grateful for another day to smile, laugh, and feel love. Enjoy every minute, even if some of those minutes involve burpees or Bulgarian split squats. haha.

*Namaste*

June is for Lovers! Well technically, Virginia is for lovers…

I apologize for being away for the past 2 weeks and essentially missing the last 2 weeks of my 6 week personal challenge. I didn’t quit the challenge, but it’s a long story so I will write a post specifically focused on that later in the week but for today it’s all about JUNE and what I have planned. (Please note, I’ve literally tried to post this for the past 3 days, but if I include any photos in the post it will fail, so let’s pretend there are photos AND that today is May 31st and not June 2nd…)

June Challenge! My goals for the month:

1. Building Muscle. I’m not sure if I mentioned this in my last post before disappearing for 2 weeks, but I discovered a beach body weight training series called BODY BEAST that I LOVE. I have been doing it consistently for 2 weeks now. So as you can probably guess, I will be continuing this program during the month. The program is 90 days, and i’m 16 days in. There is a long time to go yet, but i’m already noticing a change in my body, and I can’t wait to see myself at the 30, 60, and finally 90 day mark.

2. Focusing on my abs. Planks, Planks, and more planks! I completed the 5 minute plank challenge last month, and i’m aiming for 8 minutes this month! Additionally, i’ll be incorporating good old fashioned clean, nutritious foods (upping protein intake), plenty of ab exercises, and some cardio. I’ll have them popping before you know it.

3. Stretching/Yin Yoga. With all of this added weight training I’ve been a ball of knots. Seriously there have been days that my hip flexors have been SCREAMING at me. I am not forsaking my headstand/inversion love, but for now my focus will be on stretching and rebuilding rather than if I can get into a crazy yoga pose. (Though i’m sure i’ll attempt a few).

4. Eating clean. During my 6 week personal challenge I attempted to eat completely raw and didn’t really consider any alternatives until I HAD to start eating cooked food. This month, I want to eat as clean as possible to fuel my body so it can be the best it can be, but my own rule is NO RESTRICTION. I will eat raw foods, cooked foods, fruit, veggies, beans, etc. and as long as they’re clean ingredients THAT is my main focus.

4. Learn to Relax. Exactly what it sounds like–just going to take time this month to breathe, take long walks, bubble baths, and honestly just enjoy life. With work, my exercise routine, and all the little things life throws our way it’s so easy to let stress take over. Unfortunately for me that is exactly what has been happening the past 2 weeks, it’s started to affect my sleep which is affecting everything else. So, this month, no matter what is thrown my way I am going to take a deep breath, relax, and let it roll off my back like rain droplets. (I have a post coming soon about how stress has been wreaking havoc on me).

5. FOCUS. I tend to be the type of person who wants a million different things at once. I want to walk in 6 inch heels, but not have sore feet, to be a yogi, lift weights like a beast, run a marathon, get another degree, move up at work, travel more, eat better, cook more, read more, learn to roller blade etc. As you can see it’s hard to fit EVERYTHING I want into 1 day, and my problem is I often try. The problem with trying to do everything at once is you’re not really completing anything because it’s taking twice as long since there’s less time to devote to a certain item. This month, i’m choosing a few things and hoping to see better results rather than spreading myself thin among 100 different things.

In case you didn’t notice there is a bit of a trend going on this month– I need to focus my attention on a few things at a time, and learn to relax when I can’t get to everything.

Here is a general idea of what a typical week will look like for the next 30 (technically 28) days.

1. Exercise: Will focus on  Body Beast workouts 5-6 days per week, 2-3 Insanity workouts each week, and 1 or 2 days of spinning (what can I say, I love spinning), as well as planks, ab work, and restorative yoga.
2. Food: I’ll be eating lots of veggies, salads, fruit, smoothies, and just doing whatever makes my body feel good. I am also going to add more protein to my diet, I really have noticed how much better i’ve been feeling with extra protein.
3. And finally the resting phase: This will include foam rolling, yin yoga, chats with my mom and sisters, bubble baths, walks with my husband, and maybe even a few massages. Basically anything that puts my mind at ease.

And before I go, prepare yourself for several blog posts that I am working on for this week.

1. Things I loved in May. (Products, foods, music, etc.) I plan to write one of these at the end of each month just to give a little review of things I fell in love with for the month some new, some oldies but goodies.

2. My 6 week personal challenge recap. What I learned, what I liked, what I didn’t, etc.

3. A recipe. It’s a surprise, so I’m not going to tell you what it is…but if you follow me on instagram you’ll probably be able to guess. Ps. My instagram is @regarae.

Have a wonderful rest of the day, and here’s to a wonderful week and month ahead!

*Namaste*

Personal Challenge Week#4

Good Evening friends!

It’s been 3 weeks since I first started this newest challenge, which focuses on helping me break my sugar addiction,  and build the body I want. I’ve had a few missteps, made some progress, changed rules along the way and now i’m moving into the 4th week and couldn’t be happier.

This is going to be a short post, but I’d like to quickly mention my “changes” to the 6 week challenge, as well as, add on new goals for this week!

1. Originally, I was supposed to be eating fully raw for 6 weeks, but in the past week i’ve added a few cooked foods. Not because I was craving bread or chips, rather my body was actually telling me that I needed something more to feel better. I added small amounts of quinoa and sweet potato and voila–much better. The thing I love about eating so clean–especially raw, is that you become so in tune with your body, so when it says “actually girl, eat more” or “this food doesn’t work for me” or “I need a little cooked food” you notice. I commend those who are fully raw, and maybe someday i’ll get there but for now, I feel better with the small amount of sweet potato/quinoa i’ve been having (only after 4pm). Also, I believe that you should do what’s best for your body and NEVER stick with a diet that is so restrictive that you are miserable…so, if that means a little tweak from time to time, then by all means do that. Oh and if you’re wondering why I didn’t just eat more fruit, well the issue is that to feel the same affect (needed energy) I was finding that I needed to eat 6 bananas (or mass amounts of fruit) which is fine –I love bananas– BUT I was not physically able to eat because I was full. I eat A LOT when fully raw, and sometimes my belly is full but I haven’t eaten enough calories for the day…   that’s where the cooked carbs come in.

2. Part of last week’s challenge was that I’d foam roll, and i’m ashamed to say that I did not pull out the foam roller at all…until today. :S  So that goal still stands. I will foam roll. I will, I will, I WILL!

Okay, on to the NEW goals.

1. 5 minute plank, v-sit, and 10 minute wall sit challenge. I’ve been working towards these goals every day. I’m getting stronger, and where I once thought “there is NO way i’ll actually do this for the total time in 30 days” I now see that it’s definitely an attainable goal. It’s going to be hard, and i’ll sweat (and probably curse) my way to the full time, but i’ll make it. Today the plank only had to be 2:30 minutes BUT I held it for 4. I was so incredibly proud of myself. 😀 I WILL make it to 5 minutes by the end of the month.

2. ABS! Okay so bla bla bla…I want abs, I’ve always wanted abs, I sort of work towards abs, I wish I had abs. The amount of times I reference ‘abs’ in a month is ridiculous really. I always say i’m going to get there, and was even supposed to do a challenge with my friend (didn’t work out) but honestly, I have not been REALLY EXTRA SUPER DE-DUPER focused on getting the 1 thing I talk about constantly. This is a big one, and obviously will be going on for a while (as in the personal challenge ends in 3 weeks, but i’ll be working on abs for a long time) but I am actively working on building FULL abs starting TODAY! ANDDD I’m going to take a before photo (haven’t done it yet) and in 4 weeks i’ll take another, and then 4 weeks after that, another, etc. until I am popping out a core to rival any wash board. Oh yeah, and to keep me accountable…*gulp* i’m actually going to post the photos.

Okay well this was a pretty boring post– no amazing photos, or clever anecdotes, but sometimes simple, concise, to the point is best…right? RIGHT? That’s what I thought.

I have been working on a few things for my upcoming blog posts starting with some protein powder reviews (some good, some pretty darn gag worthy), and some hair product reviews. I wanted to try everything for a few weeks to ensure it wasn’t a 1 time error or success.

I hope everyone had a wonderful day filled with smiles, sunshine, and SWEAT! If you didn’t work out today (unless it was your rest day) do something, anything RIGHT NOW. Seriously, do a 1 minute plank, followed by a 1 minute v-sit,  a 1 minute wall sit and then 2 minutes of burpees or jumping jacks. That’s 5 minutes of your time but I promise you there will now be sweat in your day. DO IT!

Peace, love, and Tricep dips!

Spring Clean Detox Day 1

As I sit here in my fuzzy robe, enjoying a sitcom, and sipping some chamomile peppermint tea reflecting on my day, I have come to the conclusion that I really CAN do anything I put my mind to (if I want it bad enough).

This morning started like many other Monday mornings–rushing around, reaching for a banana…uh oh, nope can’t have that–putting the banana back, and grabbing my many bottles of juice and heading to work. The more I thought about the fact that I was doing a juice cleanse, the hungrier I became and the more I wanted a banana, an apple, an orange…shoot, I probably would have even attempted to eat a raw potato around 11:30am. Instead, I gave myself a little pep talk, convinced myself that the cravings were in my head and that if I just drank a little more juice i’d be fine, and made myself a cup of detox tea.

The tea has a very strong ‘black licorice’ smell to it, but the taste is quite mild. I let it steep for 7-8 minutes and pretended it was soup. I know this sounds sort of ridiculous, but I also know myself and I had PLENTY of juice to drink that I shouldn’t actually be so ravenous. After my tea, I drank another bottle of juice and I felt much better.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel after my first day, and although I created a workout last night I was not going to be heart broken if I was too tired. However, I got home from work, and felt fine so I decided to give it a shot. Some people discourage you from working out during a detox like this, but I know my body and if I felt off in any way I would have stopped immediately, but truthfully I felt great.

My workout tonight was broken into 3 parts Arms/Shoulders, Abs, HIIT, and a bonus part SQUATS!!

The challenge, which I found on instagram, is called “Squategeddon” and let me just say, it destroyed my booty. Well, to be honest, my behind feels fine, it was my knees I was worried about for the last 45-50 squats but I made it.

Today’s workout looked like this: 10 reps 3 sets

Arms/Shoulder                                                ABS

1.Tricep push-up                               1. Crunches

2.Clean and Press                              2. Leg Lifts

3.Bicep curl                                         3. Bicycle Crunch

4.Lateral Raise                                   4. V-sit crunch

5.Bent Barbell row                            5. Scissor legs (not really sure what they’re called)

6. Rear Delt fly                                    6. Russian Twist

 

I  also did 1 round of burpees, mountain climbers, jump squats, skaters, and squat thrusts, but then I got a little distracted and started doing knee to feet jumps and sort of forgot all about finishing the last 2 sets. Oops. And finally, for today’s Squat challenge I did 215 squats. My bum will thank me in time, but i’m sure tomorrow my quads will hate me.

All in all, today was a success. I didn’t break the detox, I exercised, and I didn’t snap or throw anything at anyone–a successful day 1 indeed. Only 9 more days to go…I got this.

And if you threw a party, Invited everyone you knew, You would see, the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say, Thank you for being a friend

Wow, that is a LONG title. In case you’re unaware this is the theme song for Golden Girls. *sigh*  You’ll understand why soon… (Yes, i’m feeling sentimental today…)

There is something to be said for having supportive friends. I am blessed to have a close set of girlfriends who I can really confide in. We share the good, the bad, and well…the ugly. A big thing, especially the past year, is encouraging and challenging one another to improve fitness and diet wise. Several of my girlfriends ran a marathon last year, some of us did a spin-a-thon on the weekend, and we’re always swapping healthy recipes, new exercise moves and planning times to meet up to “die in a pool of sweat”. And here’s a big one–You know that day when you are supposed to go to the gym, but you’re tired and just want to go home, lie on the sofa and eat chips, and would do just that but you already promised your friend you’d meet her for spin class so you can’t bail or she’ll punch you. After work, you suck it up, meet her and go to class and the moment you do, realize how great you feel and how happy you are that she threatened you? THAT is what i’m talking about. Now if you’re sick your friend would be the first person to make you go home, but laziness won’t fly because she knows you’ll thank her later.I count myself lucky to be among girls of like mind when it comes to taking care of their bodies. True, we don’t all look the same –that would be weird–but ultimately we all want to be and feel our best.

Not everyone has what I have. Too often, we are pressured into eating foods we know aren’t good for us instead of encouraged to stay strong. My younger cousin has been faced with this in the past month as she’s made changes to her diet and fitness schedule. I love my uncle and aunt, but they feel that she should be happy the way she is–and she should be happy–but what’s wrong with improving on yourself? Especially if that improvement is to your health and the way you feel? It’s difficult for her to walk away from the starchy salty carbs, the sugary treats, and the fatty fried foods but she’s been doing quite well despite these temptations. We talk often, and i’m impressed with her will power. I just need her to stay strong. And as easy as it is to say “just don’t eat it” we’ve all been there, and i’m sure at one point or other we’ve all caved and ate the 2nd, 3rd, even 4th cookie (or whatever your vice may be).

So…this weekend one of my friends made a commitment to clean up her diet, exercise more, give up all alcohol, and focus on changing her body once and for all. She said to me that there are things fitness wise she’s wanted for several years now but never really wanted it enough, but woke up this weekend and realized she DID want it enough. It got me thinking about my own fitness aspirations. I want sculpted abs, buns of steel, and defined toned shoulders, yet I don’t challenge myself enough to get them. Sure I stay fit, and I eat well, but I don’t REALLY go that extra mile to get stronger, faster, better. Somewhere along the lines, I lost the spark. Whether she realizes it or not, she has motivated me take charge again and really improve on myself. As a matter of fact I did a grueling workout today, even had to use my inhaler–I’m not much of a toe in the water type of girl, I prefer to jump in completely that way before I have chance to realize its cold and back out i’m already in–then I adapt. The workout was intense, but worth it. I’ll post it tomorrow or Wednesday along with a healthy recipe. 🙂

Oh, and for those of you who don’t drink you may think that giving up alcohol is the easiest thing ever…but for those of us who like to enjoy a glass or 2 of wine with dinner you can understand that it’s hard to give up that comforting liquid, especially when it soothes our nerves after a long hard day at the office.

My close girlfriends support one another, challenge one another, and help keep a certain level of accountability and I am so lucky to have this support system-we all are. When I realized I could no longer eat gluten my friends looked out for me –always checking to make sure I’m not going to get sick and even going so far as to make gluten free foods for our ‘girls night in’ potlucks. Actually, there have been a few moments when i’ve had a friend YELL AT ME for something I was about to eat, and remind me that I would probably end up feeling like death for 3 weeks if I ate it. Fast forward a few years, and I decided to become a vegan. My coworkers like to offer me food made with “only a little dairy and eggs”, my parents (whom I love dearly) make sure to lecture me about the importance of meat protein–but my friends do not. Now, maybe they think i’m crazy–I have my moments I will admit, but they support me even tho they are not vegans because it’s something that is important to me. (Note: I am sure I can convert at least one of them to the land of no animal bi products eventually and then watch it spread like an awesomely healthy epidemic til they’ve all been converted muah ha ha but shhhh don’t tell them–crap they read my blog).

For the record, we don’t just sit around talking about Kale and squats–we also like to discuss important things like Idris Elba, how many vacation days we have left to travel, and whether or not mint green is a good choice for pants among other things but seeing as how none of those things are going to keep us healthy (Well Mr. Elba might) we do talk a lot about staying fit. 🙂

So moral of this sappy post– surround yourself with people who support and love you. Be goofy together, serious, sad, happy, angry, but most of all be a good supportive friend. Show them how much you appreciate them and be there for them when they need it. I love my girls–you know who you are.

 

Ain’t nobody got time for that…

“Well I was going to workout, but then I sat down for an hour and got tired”

“I am super busy with work, I just don’t have time to workout”

“Ugh…how much time do you spend preparing and making smoothies?”

“I can’t possibly eat that much fresh food it’s way too expensive”

“You have time to workout because you don’t have any kids, wait til you have some then you’ll understand”

So as you may have guessed, this post is going to examine excuses surrounding healthy eating and exercise. The purpose isn’t to make anyone feel guilty, because at first glance–especially to someone new to these concepts–I imagine it seems rather daunting. Something i’ve discovered over the years is that part of healthy living means finding a balance that works for you–whether you have a gym membership, workout at home, or simply take long walks and replace your dinner bread with a salad it is all about gradual change that you can maintain. Just because someone you know goes to the gym for 2 hours twice a day, eats 15 mangoes a day, and hasn’t touched a slice of bread in 5 years doesn’t mean that’s what’s right for you. I do believe, however, in educating yourself on the importance of various nutrients and aiming to get those daily.

I think part of the problem, especially for individuals just starting out living healthy, is that they associate healthy living (especially clean eating) with this time consuming, bland, utterly expensive ‘cult’ if you will where you need to live off of spinach and kill yourself with cardio. Healthy does not mean flavourless and exercise doesn’t require the most expensive gym equipment or hours of your time. Most people will make time in the evening to curl up with their favourite book or tv show, yet can’t spare 20-30 minutes each day. If you have time for EVERYTHING in your life except exercise (or eating healthy) perhaps it’s time to take a step back and examine what’s a priority to you. Sure today you can get away with not being active and downing that can of coke, but think about your body in 5 years.  And I am not simply referring to weight gain, I mean all of the damage you’ve caused to your insides by ingesting crap and sitting immobilized in front of the television.

Make changes today that work for you. As you slowly see improvements it will encourage you to take it a step further and to keep improving on yourself. Since moving in the direction of a raw vegan (high fruit) diet, I have never felt better. I’m stronger, my mental clarity is amazing, and my stomach ONLY hates me when I eat those fatty, ‘junk’ foods that I sometimes treat myself with.  As for exercise  I do whatever I’m feeling today. I happen to have a gym membership, but often workout at home. This evening, I did a 20 minute workout followed by 10 minutes of abs. I was drenched in sweat and ready to quit by the end–so I assure you that is ALL the time you need.

My workout consisted of Jump Squats, crunches, Jump lunges (split kicks), leg lift and reverse crunch, and tricep dips. 20 reps and 5 sets. Followed by 50 bicycle crunches and 60 second planks 5 times.

I often make up my own workouts depending on what i’m looking to work on or how i’m feeling. Some of my favourite routines are 20 minute HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts. Check  THESE workouts out. They are intense but worth it. When I followed her program more closely I was in the best shape of my life. Clearly need to get back to that.

All i’m saying is the next time you don’t have time for a workout, think about all of the things you DO have time for. Are all of them more important than taking care of your body? And for all of your ladies out there who want a certain body but don’t “have” time for it–stop dreaming about it MAKE time for it. I read somewhere once that “I don’t have time is the grown up equivalent of the dog ate my homework”. Think about that. Oh, and I can make a salad in less time than you can cook a frozen pizza so yeah…not time consuming at all.  😉

Take care everyone! And remember, we DO have time, if we want it bad enough.

 

Soft Kitty, warm kitty. Little ball of fur…

If you’re familiar with The Big Bang Theory, you may have guessed from the title of this blog post, that I’m still sick. Sheldon Cooper’s mother used to sing him soft kitty when he was sick…I could use a little soft kitty in my life right now–or at least some of my mom’s hot cocoa and oatmeal. *sigh* I went to work this morning, but after only a few hours at the office felt terrible and made a trip to the doctor. Turns out i’m not quite ready to go back to work. I was running a fever and was told to take a few more days to let my body recover. You know what doc? Seeing as how I feel like garbage, I suppose I can accept that. 

No intense workouts for me for a few days, but that’s not why your here is it? Didn’t think so. Enough about me, let’s move on to the 6 week plan i’m putting together for my friends.

The plan is to lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean while building healthy eating habits. The focus will be on eating clean, healthy meals with a few ‘treats’ in the mix to keep everyone motivated. Supplemented by at least 4 days per week of exercise; cardio, hiit, and strength training.

Before we get to the plan, let’s discuss a few rules I think are important for anyone just starting out to remember.
Rule#1. We are not DIETING. We are eating healthy, clean food to fuel our bodies to be our best. There will be ‘treats’ but that’s exactly what they are treats. Earn them, and never feel guilty for them. (And you won’t if you make good decisions).
Rule#2. I don’t do calorie counting. Eat until you’re full. If you choose wholesome filling foods that are high in fiber you won’t be hungry, but if you are hungry–EAT. But as I’ve mentioned already, and will probably say 100 more times this month make wise choices as to what you’re eating. Simple as that. Being hungry so you can save an extra 150 calories is not worth it. You might do it today, you might do it tomorrow, but in the long run you’ll make up those calories x 100 and fall off the wagon. Not to mention a restrictive diet messes with your metabolism. 😦
Rule#3. Be honest. I won’t know if you ate half a chocolate cake for dinner or if you had a large salad, but you will–and your body will know. So who’s losing? Well you are, but not in the way you’re hoping for.
Rule#4. No one is perfect. If you mess up and have that large poutine, get over it. Wipe your mouth off, learn from your mistake, and become stronger for it. Instead of beating yourself up for days, acknowledge that it happened, determine WHY it happened, then move on. Who knows, maybe next time the craving arises you’ll have found a better way to quench the craving. Life is too short to be living with guilt. Build healthy habits now so you don’t HAVE to cheat with fatty, cheesy, greasiness later.
Rule#5. Exercise is important DON’T STOP BECAUSE YOU’RE BAD AT IT!! I get it, you’re out of breath, and your legs hurt for 3 days but you won’t see progress unless you stick with it. Give yourself time to improve and you’ll be surprised at what your body can do. Oh, bonus: Choose an activity you like. My ideas are merely suggestions. If you find that you hate running but love the elliptical as long as you challenge yourself, then by all means do the one you’ll actually stick to.

Each week there will be a different focus. This week is about building a strong foundation.
Week 1. 
Diet Do’s:
-Eat lots of veggies. Preferably salad or steamed veggies.                         
-Drink plenty of water. Aim for 2-3 litres daily.
-Choose clean whole grains.
-Fresh fruit and homemade green smoothies.
-Keep a food journal
-Get Lots of sleep. Aim for 8 full hours each night.

Diet Don’ts:
-No starving
-No processed foods. Or fatty, sugary foods. (Say no to crackers, cookies, waffles, ice cream, etc).
-No dairy
-Ease up on the stress

Exercise:
My only rule for exercise is that at least 4 workouts need to happen in the next 7 days. More workouts can be completed,  but remember to leave your body time to recover, refuel with protein following a workout, and always leave yourself at least 1 rest day per week.

-Routine 1: Run 3 minutes, 25 squats, 25 crunches, 10 pushups. Do for a total of 4 sets.
-Routine 2: Skipping rope for 2 minutes. 10 Burpees, 15 lunges (each leg), 25 bicycle crunches, plank for 30 seconds,  Do for a total of 5 sets.

-Routine 3: (Treadmill or Elliptical workout)

     

-Routine 4:

Alright girls. You know what we’ve discussed–start slow, and see this through. 6 weeks from now you’ll be well on your way to a fitter healthier you. This sick girl is off to bed. Sweet Dreams.

 

15 oranges a day, keeps the doctor away…right?

Why hello world, it’s been a minute.

(The picture above is of my balcony in Jamaica. I spent a lot of time on the beach, but I also spent some quality time with an E-reader *sigh*)

My trip to Jamaica was much needed –I have been stressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed at work but following my trip I felt relaxed and centered. That is, until I woke up with a pounding headache, a fever so high I could barely see straight, and body aches so bad I couldn’t be sure I wasn’t hit by a car. It really took a toll on my body, I’ve been in bed for a week.

Jamaica involved my fair share of rum and fries. Followed by last week where I just wanted my mom, and since she lives in a different province and I couldn’t have her, I settled for the next best thing–Comfort food ie. Carbohydrate overload. Tho I must say, I’ve been having my fair share of vitamin C. My husband ordered several crates of oranges and I have been eating them like crazy. So yummy…

Wah.Wah. The pity party ends here–I got a little off track, but who doesn’t get a little distracted with carby goodness from time to time?. I’m still a little shaky from the illness, but i’m feeling stronger and ready to get back on the ABS bandwagon. Speaking of abs, if you remember, I posted a few weeks ago about joining a friend of mine in a competition to get abs. It would appear that much can happen in a few short weeks. Since then, my girlfriend has made a fascinating discovery– she’s expecting. She’s now moved on to more important things, like attempting to keep her breakfast down –which i’ve heard has not been easy the past 2 weeks. Congrats on your pregnancy!!

February is headstand month…actually it’s black history month, but I don’t see why I can’t practice my inversions while reading about the struggles and triumphs of Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr.

Unfortunately, being sick really set me back, and so I may not get into a full headstand until March but I will be working diligently until something happens. I am able to get into a headstand now (technically) but it involves throwing myself at a wall so i’d like to work on control. Ultimately this will require core strength, and core strength means 1 step closer to an ab or 2.

And finally (for tonight at least), one of my younger cousins, and several of my girlfriends from Nova Scotia need a little help getting to their goal weight and have asked for my help. I am going to be working with them to create a 6 week program to get them comfortable with working out, eating more greens and less processed crap, getting more sleep etc. You know, the fundamentals of weight loss and maintenance. I don’t believe in starving or creating workout plans that are so ridiculous you quit after the first day so it will start off easy and slowly build over the course of the 6 weeks. I have faith in the girls…but they can use the encouragement, so if there are any sites, blogs, tips or tricks you find particularly helpful feel free to let me know. Tomorrow is Day 1…I will post the plan for week #1 as soon as possible. I am hoping to help a few friends discover their love for exercise and clean eating, but I am also hoping to get back on my path to better health and better muscle definition–so let’s get started!

Have a wonderful night!