Hey y'all! Sorry it's been so long. Truth time...I've had a few hiccups the past couple of weeks and I'm embarrassed to say I haven't adhered to my "eat clean" diet the way I should. I was sick a couple of weeks ago. Then we had a big snow last week so we were stuck in for a few days. I mean what else are you going to do but eat when you're stuck inside, especially with 2 little ones? I like food way too much! Anyway, I could definitely tell a difference when I wasn't eating as clean. I didn't feel good at all. My energy was low and I just felt ick!
I am back on the wagon, so to speak, this week. I am not being as strict as I was the first week or so, but am still getting my 2 fruits, 3 veggies, 4 servings of protein (1 whey protein shake included). I am still avoiding sugar during the week for the most part. I did indulge in a little bit of ice cream last night though. The hardest thing for me is the carbs. According to the book I read, you should only eat 2 servings of whole grains, but I've found I need more to help me get through my day. I've been eating 3-4 servings a day. Probably not the best but it helps keep me from starving to death.
I have started taking the Amino Acid L-Glutamine this week. It's supposed to help with protein synthesis which in turn helps with performance and building muscle among other things. I've never taken it before so I'm curious to see if it makes a difference.
Hey guys! Quick update after week 2. It was kinda a bust. Not totally but like I said earlier in the week, I got a cold that really threw me off for some reason. I ate clean Monday but just ate a lot. I was starving but that was partly due to double gym time. My next post is going to be about calorie intake and figuring out how many you need to take in. Tuesday was fine but Wednesday was a disaster. I was feeling rough and was stuck in the house all day with the boys. I started feeling sorry for myself because I was sick and wanted some comfort food. What do I reach for? Yup sugar! Unfortunately I had somehow missed throwing away the Toaster Strudels in the freezer. FAIL!
I had a major uh oh moment and was pissed at myself after. It's so not worth it but why do I crave that sugar and comfort food? Because it's like a drug...really. I blame the cold this time. Anyway I was very disappointed in myself but you just pick up where you left off. Thursday was a little better but I had a carb binge in the afternoon since I didn't eat any with my lunch. Remember this is about discovering what works best for me because everyone is different. So I am discovering that I have to eat carbs at lunch especially after a hard workout. I have found if I don't I end up binging anyway. Even though I got off track a few days, I still got in my 4 proteins, 2 fruits, 3 veggies, and 2 whole grains.
By the way, I am loving my daily protein smoothies!
Some of my fave recipes:
1 scoop strawberry protein (yum by the way)
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
Handful of spinach
Handful of frozen berries (blueberries or strawberries or both!)
2 ice cubes
~
1 scoop chocolate protein
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 cup of almond milk
1/2 cup of oats (optional)
2 ice cubes
Honestly I haven't felt great this week but that's because I've been sick. Oh and I have been sleeping terribly! On the bright side, I did lose another pound. WHAT?! I know crazy, right? I hope it's fat and not muscle. I have been doing more weights lately so hopefully not. This weekend I plan to keep it cleaner than I normally would since I already had a cheat sugar meal this week and added in some extra carbs. I still may indulge in 1 cheat meal. I'm not sure yet.
Now it's time to hit the gym!
Hope y'all have a great weekend and stay healthy!!
Truth time...it is freaking hard to eat clean. Everywhere you go we are inundated with crap. It is shoved in our faces on a daily basis and that makes it extremely hard to make the right choices. Even when we're thinking we are making "healthy" choices, we may not be. This is partly why I am researching and experimenting to learn more about nutrition. What do we really need? What can we have in moderation and be OK? Just the other day I walked into a drugstore and I honestly felt a little like a crack addict. Everywhere I looked there were sugary treats calling my name. Normally I would cave and pick up that pack of gummy bears but I actually am proud of myself for having the willpower to resist.
After week 1 of clean eating, I have noticed I do have more energy. I feel better. I shed 5-6 pounds which I believe is mainly water and maybe a pound of fat? Like I said before it's not totally about the weight. I have to keep telling myself that because I have a tendency to be a slave to the scale. I am still pretty hungry around the clock, but I have been feeding my body nutritious things instead of crap which definitely makes a difference. I do workout a lot and it takes a lot of energy to keep up with my 2 year old twins and the household, so I'm pretty sure I'm burning a lot of calories. Still trying to figure out the right amount of calories I need to fuel me through my days. That's a post for another day though. I do think I am on the right track.
I'm not going to lie it's HARD! Eating healthy takes time and preparation and you have to be on your game at all times. Dinner is still the hardest meal. We are all exhausted by the end of the day and if we don't have a meal already prepared that we can heat up then it's not happening. This is where better pre-planning needs to come into play.
I had a little hiccup yesterday but I'm back on track today.
Today I want to share my new way of eating which really isn't much different from what I normally do. Just adding in a few more veggies, fruit, and protein and getting rid of sugar and unnecessary carbs.
I'm obsessed with this book by Jackie Warner. I know I've mentioned it before but I agree with everything she says and am learning so much. It really has helped me to have her lay it all out. I mean I've heard this stuff for years so it's nothing new but something about seeing it laid out is so helpful.
It's so simple really...
For 5 days you adhere to the diet below and then you get 2 days where you can have 2 cheat meals that are 1500 calories or less each. You can have that glass of wine or cocktail as a part of your cheat meal and you can even throw in some dessert. ;) In my experience I feel that it is completely necessary to have something to look forward to each week. I am a total foodie and giving up all my food loves completely just isn't an option. There is nothing wrong with indulging within reason. It helps keep you on track too if you know you're going to get that burger at the end of the week.
Daily:
*I'm not going to go into great detail but this gives you a general idea.
Check out Jackie's book if you want specifics.
1. Protein: 4 4oz servings
-Fish
-Lean Poultry
-Lean meat (lean cuts of beef or pork)
-Low Fat Dairy (no cow's milk)
-Eggs
-Beans
-Whey Protein
3. Fats: 1 Serving (Pick one)
-2 tbsp oil
-1/4 cup nuts or seeds
-1/4 avocado
4. Beverages
-3 liters of lemon water
-Decaf green tea or herbal tea
(Although I will say I do have to have my 1/2 cup of coffee every morning.
Not going to give that up.)
Pretty straightforward right?
I mean isn't this we've been taught since elementary school?
I have talked a lot about diet which really is where I'm trying to make changes right now, but y'all know that working out is another huge part of being fit. I have discovered that you can work out like crazy but if you're still eating like crap then you will never see the changes and results you want. If you want to be healthy and fit you have to combine them...diet and exercise.
Everyone enjoys different ways of working out. I am going to share what I enjoy and works best for me now. Just remember doing the same thing (which I am guilty of) all the time is fine but the only way to see results or to continue seeing results is to CHANGE IT UP! Throw in some heavy weights every now and then or try a Pilates or yoga class. Get out of your workout comfort zone. Like I said, I'm preaching to the choir but it's so true.
Now here's my current regimen.
*Pump (see below): anywhere from 1-3 times a week (varies due to my teaching schedule)
*Cardio: 4-6 times a week. I do a lot of classes (see below), spinning, or running
*Pilates: once a week (I haven recently added this one)
I tend to be a LesMills groupie. Actually just Group Fitness in general. I love love love it and it is what motivates me the most. Below are quick descriptions of some of my fave classes.
BODYPUMP
This is a 60 minute barbell class that will sculpt, tone and strengthen. It focuses on lifting low weight with high reps to some great music. This is my favorite Les Mills class. It's amazing!
BODYATTACK
This is a high energy aerobics based class which combines athletic aerobic movements with strength and stabilization exercises. If you want to burn some serious calories and feel like you're going to puke by the end, this is the class for you!
BODYCOMBAT
This class is inspired by mixed martial arts and draws from karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi, and muay thai. This class helps relieve a lot of stress for me. Something about feeling like you're beating someone up is very therapeutic. Oh and I absolutely love the music in this class!
CXWORX
Only 30 minutes, this class focuses on the torso and sling muscles that connect your upper body to your lower body. Perfect for tightening the tummy and butt while improving functional strength and assisting in injury prevention.
I also throw in spinning once weekly or every other week. Right now I'm spinning a lot since I can't run outside. I will be back to running when the weather warms up. :)
I will leave you with a few pics from Sportsclub's Super Launch last Saturday.
Thanks Ben Robi for taking these amazing pics.
Always a fun time!
~Day 3~
First of all here's my video post for the day.
Now, what do I eat?
I was going to go through a typical eating day for me lately, but I thought I would spare you all the details and get right down to it...
I start my day off eating pretty well. The problem occurs around 2-3 in the afternoon. Now this is where I get off track. Most days I am STARVING at this time!!! I mean I am ready for dinner. Obviously I am not doing something right to be so hungry and depleted by mid afternoon. I think it comes down to not eating enough early in the day. I dunno. If I haven't stuffed my face by mid afternoon it ends up happening on the couch watching TV before bed. I have never been one to deprive my body and never will be, so going hungry isn't an option. I am a huge believer in listening to your body. When mine tells me it's hungry, I'm going to feed it. Now, instead of binging on carbs and sugary CRAP, what do I need eat instead?
Here is how I am going to make a change...
Like I said before this is trial and error, so I will let y'all know if this makes a difference. A lot of this I already do, but I'm going to see if making subtle changes helps.
*Eat 2 servings of fruit a day (Add an apple a day)
*Eat 2-3 veggie servings a day (throw in spinach with a protein shake, eat more at dinner)
*Eat more protein
Pre-workout: 1/2 kashi bar for a little energy Post-Workout: protein shake...I may add a little more protein to my shakes than usual as well as fruit, handful of spinach, oats, or peanut butter. I bought some chia seeds which are supposed to be a super food. I may throw a few of those in as well.
Days that I workout later in the day or not at all: eggs (2 whites and 1 yolk) scrambled or spinach, mushroom, ham, and sprinkle of cheese omelet, 1/2 grapefruit or prunes (yes, I love prunes!) They are great for you too by the way ;) and 1 piece of wheat toast or 1/2 English Muffin (a little carb) or a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, milk, and fruit.
Lunch: Still going to stick with my deli turkey or chicken sandwich but may add some hummus and veggies or an apple with it for more sustenance.
I love a good grilled chicken salad too, but I'm usually hungry in a hour after eating one, so I need to add some fruit or maybe some soup with it.
Snack: I'm going to try try try to do this right. Here are some snack combos that I'm going to experiment with to see if they satisfy me or not:
*hummus with whole wheat pita chips or carrot sticks/celery or both
*almonds with 1/2 slice reduced fat cheese
*banana and almond milk
*figs and reduced fat cheese stick
*peanut butter on whole wheat bread
*grapes, reduced fat cheese and a few crackers
*protein shake
*a Kashi bar is always my go to snack if all else fails
(Mocha Choclate Almond is my fave and it has less sugar than a lot of other bars)
Dinner: I know what to do but it's all about planning and timing. This is definitely an area I can improve upon.
*Grilled meat (chicken, fish, lean red meat) and veggies, sweet potato, brown rice, or quinoa
Late night snacking: IF and only IF I am still starving right before bed, I will allow myself one of the following (not an entire bag!)
*healthy popcorn (homemade)
*glass of almond milk or 1% milk
*Fruit (I really want to get away from sugar except in fruit)
*cup of hot tea with honey
Now I don't want any confusion. This is the way I plan to eat during the week. On the weekend, I get to indulge whether it be a burger, Mexican, pizza, etc. I have to have a couple of cheat meals every week to look forward to. I'm also going to allow myself to have alcohol 2-3 nights a week. Most of y'all know I love red wine, but I'm going to TRY to limit my wine intake.
So there it is.
I welcome any comments, ideas, or suggestions!
By the way, only on day 3 but I can already tell a difference in the way I feel...more energy and not so lethargic all the time. Really the only thing I've done differently is cut out the sugar and empty carbs and added more fruit. XOXO ~Sarah Marie~
So I'm kinda enjoying blogging about my diet/nutrition progress, so here's an update on day 2. We will see if I'm still as gung ho about it in a week.
Here's a quick video update. Keep in mind I'm only on day 2 of trying to eat clean.
On another note...
I just started a book by Jackie Warner who happens to be one of my fitness idols. I am only on chapter 1 and it's fabulous! Just in the first chapter I found out I am a sugar addict. I mean I kinda knew this, but to read about it freaked me out as in I never want to eat sugar again (yeah right). Everything she talks about makes perfect sense, so why has it taken me this long to figure it out?
Here are some eye opening facts that everyone should know:
*Sugar creates a response in the brain much like that of heroine.
*Your body can crave it like any other drug. You can even get the same withdrawal symptoms as those caused by heroin, nicotine, and booze.
*It is not only bad for you but probably one of the worst things you could put in your body.
*It is hidden in food everywhere! Beware!
Jackie relies on the 5g or less rule. Don't eat anything that has more than 5g of sugar unless it's natural like fruit.
I am on day 2 of no sugar. So my question is...if I cut it completely out, will I still crave it? I am testing it this week. So far, I haven't had a huge sugar craving but again only on day 2.
I can't wait to keep reading and hope to bring you all some more revelations.
