Eating Better for your Health

12 Ways to Better Eating-Mental Approach

Lots of people are trying to eat better,... trim off some extra pounds gained over the holidays, or get beach-ready for a moment in the sun. Eating better is hard, and many people get frustrated, fall short or give up. Here are some key ways to make your eat better stick.

1. Set Goals: It starts by having clear and realistic goals. Write a list of things you want to change about your diet. Also incorporate goals that you may have regarding your body and plan your diet around those goals. I recommend setting present goals, short term, and long term goals. If you try and do everything all at once you can be overwhelmed and want to quit. Take it one goal at a time if need be, and one day at a time, this isn’t a race. You may also want to write reasons why you want to make a change in your eating habits. You might share your goals with others who will help you meet them. You can put your goals where others can see them “on the fridge, at work” to motivate you to work harder. This will also get others behind you and involved in your new routine. As you achieve your goals, check them off. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and add excitement leading to your next goal.

2. Have Realistic expectations- Any diet plan needs to work with you and not against you. You need to be realistic when setting up the parameters of your new diet. Your plan needs to work for you and your situation. It needs to fit your schedule and your budget. If you don’t follow your budget, your cooking costs will get too high and you will have to withdraw from the diet you set up. If you don’t cook for your schedule and your eating times you will find yourself without food and scrambling to find a healthy choice. So be realistic with time, and give yourself extra time to prepare food, or have food pre-packed. Also know that obstacles can and will come into your path from time to time to derail you and your progress, so don’t think that everything will be easy and will just happen. This takes work.

3. Be Proactive - Make a list of healthy foods you enjoy, and what foods you can take with you to work, in the car, school, etc. You can create entire menus revolving around where you will be at what time of the day. Never give yourself an excuse to not have something available for you to eat, no matter where you are when you are supposed to have a meal. Always keep healthy foods on hand. If you don’t you will probably eat whatever is available at the time whether it be fast food, office treats, etc. This can throw off a diet plan and get you in the habit of making bad food choices and eat whatever is fast and convenient. Know where you will be at what time of the day, when you are open to cook, to eat, to shop for groceries, and plan accordingly. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

4. Consistency is key - Most people respond well to consistency. Make a plan and stick to it. Try to eat at around the same times daily and keep to the same portion size and caloric intake.. Your body will recognize this pattern and in turn keep your metabolism burning and your energy levels will stay high. You will feel better, and get in a healthy routine. It is easy to sabotage yourself by grabbing nasty snacks to meet uncontrolled cravings. The time you spend on planning and consistency is a true investment that will benefit you for the rest of your life.

5. Be flexible - Of course, even the best plans fall short at times. Life can sometimes get the best of all of us. Sometimes your eating routines need to change. Where you can, try to plan ahead for these events and have items on hand you can take with you when you’re in a rush or are eating out. Example: Bag of almonds, protein bars and shakes, fresh fruit. Also educate yourself on nutrition through the internet, books, and magazines. You can use this knowledge to help you improvise and find foods that are compatible with your diet, for example if you are out with friends or stuck with no time to cook. Find items that are less time consuming that you can take with you in a pinch.

6. Don’t be so hard on yourself -Nobody is perfect all the time. If you mess up, miss a few meals, or even have a bad couple of days, just pick yourself up and get back on track. You’re doing this for you, and the added stress of not living up to your own expectations can lead to a total diet derailment. Being healthy and eating healthy does not mean you can’t enjoy foods not on your meal plan. So don’t be so hard on yourself. YOU CAN DO IT!

7. Stick with your plan - It takes time to develop healthy behaviors. After about a month of eating better consistently, you will have developed a habit. You will find that everything you initially may have had a hard time doing becomes more effortless and be a normal part of your day to day life.

8. Have fun - Eating right takes dedication, commitment and sacrifice. Don’t stress yourself out over small bumps in the road. You have the power to change any negative into a positive, and you have the choice to have a positive outlook regarding any situation you find yourself in. Find fun ways to keep yourself motivated. Get friends and family involved. Set challenges at home, with friends, or at work to start eating healthier. Take the time to cook and try new and interesting recipes. You are making change for the better, so why not make it enjoyable.

9. Give yourself praise - You are not a dog so don’t reward yourself with treats. Realize that changing your eating habits can be a daunting task for anyone. Just think how long you have had your current habits and know that changing those habits will not happen overnight, but with time. Congratulate yourself on any healthy changes you make, you deserve the praise. Praise builds confidence and makes you feel good about the healthy choices you are making, and in turn help keep you on your path to betterment.

10. Don’t rush into this - People always start with the best of intentions and will try and do everything at once. They get overwhelmed and quit before they really even started. Small changes add up and can make a huge difference. Work on one thing at a time and keep adding to it. Before you know it you will have many healthy habits that incorporate together to make a healthy lifestyle and a healthier and happier you.

11. Focus on the journey and not the destination - To live a healthy lifestyle is never easy. In order to enjoy this lifestyle with all the ups and downs, we must enjoy the process and the journey on the way to our destination. Once we hit our destination we immediately look to the next mountain top and we either want more, or worst case scenario we think that we have accomplished all we need to and we relax on all of the things that got us there in the first place. Take pride in small victories along the way, they add up.

12. Measure Success and Set New Goals: Making successful changes means measuring your progress towards your goals and recognizing your accomplishments. As you meet short-term goals, you can plan the next steps with more confidence. Constantly re-strategizing your goals takes long-term visualization. That long-term vision needs to be broken down into doable steps.

courtesy of Melanie Mitro at MelanieMitro.com

21 Day Fix and Beyond

So what now, where do we go from here?  It is time to get rolling and get people on track where they need to be with their weight loss.  I am so proud and happy to be able to see that people want to make a change in their life and take the step that they need to take to make a difference not only in their health, but also in taking care of their body.  Yes you can say that you will look amazing and you will be able to wear the sizes that you have always wanted to, but not only that it will spark something within you.  That something will be, that someone that has been hidden underneath all of the habits that have kept you feeling sad, fatigued, and unmotivated.   It is time to start getting people where they want to be.  I am so happy that I am working with my first group of challengers who decided to take that courageous step in their life to get back on track with their health.  

When I became a Beach body coach, like any new coach, in the business I wasn't sure that anyone would even care about what I was up to.  But my dedication to the program and my real interest in helping people has brought me to this point.  I now have my first group of people that want to make changes and have trusted me to help them through this process of being better in their own lives.  

As a coach I am dedicated to their journey as well as my own.  I have even decided to go a second round of the 21 Day Fix, but this time with a hybrid of the Brazilian Butt Lift to give my legs the appearance that I have always wanted.  Now please keep in mind that my entire life I have always had a very soft body without real muscle tone and I never knew why.  Now I understand the importance of strength training as a part of any fitness program, and will make sure that it is a major part of any program that I decide to try.  

The 21day fix will give me another opportunity to get more of the toning that I am after and then give me the time to get the new program coming out by Chalean Johnson that has gotten very great reviews and that is Piyo which will be released very soon.  Piyo is a program that combines flexibility, strength, and stretch all combined in one program.  Keeping our body guessing is very important and Piyo will give you the opportunity to combine Pilates, Cardio, and Yoga all into one program that will make you leaner and more flexible.  

So for the next 21 Day Fix round here is my workout schedule although I have reached my goal weight I will monitor where I am in terms of my weight and when I see that I am going down too much in weight I will go to the maintenance calorie mode which will allow me to still make good progress but not lose anymore weight.  The best part about reaching your weight loss goal is that you get to decide how to manage your progress and your eating habits.  You have control over your progress and you are no longer playing guessing games about what you're doing right or wrong on your fitness journey.

So here is the calendar that I have made for the month of June which starts tomorrow.  I know that it is a little much, but that is how I roll.  I love to push myself to new limits.  I realize that there are people that do more and do less, I am not trying to be better than anyone else.  I am simply pushing myself to new limits in hopes of achieving my own personal goals.  My only expectation is that anyone reading this is doing the same.  I am only in a competition with myself.  Till tomorrow loves nighty night!

21 Day Fix Day 20

So close to the end I can almost taste my reward of chocolate Shakeology with actual lactose free milk, a touch of peanut butter, a half cup of coffee, and a teaspoon of maple syrup, the real stuff that you get in Vermont.  That's right I had these grand ideas of what my reward would be after the fix was over, a fancy photo shoot, an expensive haircut perhaps, or maybe even a new wardrobe.  But then I came back down to earth and realized all I want is my Shakeology.  I have come to love it and I cannot have it for one more day.  That's right I am on the final fix and I am not allowed any sugar.  I have been so good on this program, that I cannot stop now.  I have to see it all the way to the end.

Today started out very good.  I got up on time did my hair, got ready for work as usual.  I did not forget my morning meditation because that is so important to me on the days that I have to work.  It makes me feel more centered and at peace.  There are so many health benefits to meditation, I wish more people would do it.  But for spiritual as well as health reasons I make it a point to meditate whenever I have time in the morning.  Now being on the three day fix they require you to eat every two hours.  I found it difficult with work to follow that schedule very strictly, I have to say it was not easy for me to do.  I did the best that I could and ate whenever possible.  At most there was an extra hour between meals.

Drinking water was also difficult for me today.  Life was just in the way and I had to drink as much as I could within the time that I could to not have terrible sleep in the evening, and not drink so much that if I had to leave the house I would not have a terrible urge to use the ladies room.  Water does run right through some people and sometimes it is not always so convenient especially on the weekend.  So I did the best I could drank about 3/4 of a gallon.  I did not beat myself up as usual, because I don't have time for that either, life is about doing better in the present than the day before.  My food was very good today although I ended up eating well into the evening which was expected since I was running around in the afternoon.  I ended up not eating one of my containers of vegetables, which I plan to eat tomorrow.  The reason my schedule was off was really because I had forgotten about an appointment that I had scheduled at 5:00 p.m. and I had completely forgotten.

My workouts got done today I had the Dirty 30 and Pilates which I love more and more every time I do it.  On the Dirty I used my heavier twenty pound weights for the rows, it was a struggle and I moved a little slower than usual but I got through it.  I did better today on triceps as well, the sting at the end was fantastic.  After I finished with my Pilates, I did an additional two sets of squats with my twenty pound weights which ended up being about thirty five total.

 All in all the day was a success.  Food preparation was done later on in the evening.  I am hoping that at some point I will be able to get into the habit of doing it earlier, but up till now it has been difficult.  The worst thing would be not to be prepared at all.  Having your meals pre-packed is the key to success on the program.  So for tomorrow's menu chicken breast, Mahi Mahi, broccoli, red bell pepper, my harmlessly doctored up sweet potatoes, steel cut oats, egg whites, coffee and another attempt at an entire gallon of water.

I looking for you if you have an interest in changing your life for the better and need that support system that is what I am here for.  My Challenge group for the 21 Day Fix will be starting on the 2nd of June and there is still time to get into that size smaller.  If you are ready for that commitment please fill out my online form.  I want to hear from you.  

21 Day Fix Day 17

This morning as I was driving to work I was having a moment of prayer, and as I reached the corner of Westwind and Escondido, I was very blessed to see this.  It was so enchanting that I had to take a picture.  When I was sitting there waiting for the light to change I was thinking to myself. "what are the chances that I can sit here long enough to capture what I am seeing?" and I took the chance.  I am glad that I did.

My entire journey with this program was me taking a chance to reach my fitness goals, and I was worried that I may not make it to the end, in fact I am still not there.  I still have a few days left.  But I made a promise to myself that if I was to become a coach that I would give this challenge 100%.  So far I have been true to my word.  I have been able to pull out that inner strength that I thought I had lost.  I found the discipline that I needed so much for this challenge that for the entire year of 2013 I had struggled so much to find.  I believe becoming a Team Beachbody coach gave me that reason fight.  Knowing that I had to be accountable to myself as well as to the new members of my team, really forced me to find my strength.  I have to say for that I am grateful.

Today was good day.  My mood was off because I had a lot of stress at my job.  I got home feeling a bit drained and discouraged.  It wasn't really an option though for me to miss my workout so I got to it.  I really pushed myself on the lower fix.  It was quite strenuous and I got through all of the leg exercises with the fifteen pound weights.  Curtsy lunges, and sumo squats were tough but I got through the entire workout, even though it burned.

My food was on target, I have to say I wish I had packed another red container portion of meat instead of the eggs because towards the end of the day I was hungry and the meat satisfies me more than the eggs.  I did save one egg for the evening so I had a late breakfast.  I love eating breakfast anytime of the day.  I ate it with spinach mixed into it, along with a slice of toasted Ezekial flaxseed bread.

Food was prepped for tomorrow.  I also began prepping food for the three day quick fix which is a series of small meals that have to be eaten throughout the day the last three days of the program.  I bought a ton of vegetables, and meat, which I began washing and cutting up in pieces.  Blueberries were on sale at Sprouts so I bought two large containers.  When I saw them I was like a child in a candy store because blueberries are expensive.  My vanilla Shakeology I mixed with fruit to change it up a bit.  In all honesty, my favorite flavor is chocolate and I have some heading my way because I just ordered another thirty day supply.  But for the three day fix I am not going to have any.

All in all today was a good day.  I came to many realizations and I am happy to share them with you.  I want to announce that I am putting a small group together for a 21 Day Fix Challenge group starting the second of June.  If you are interested in participating please fill out my online form.  Spaces are limited.

21 Day Fix Day 16

I have to say that today was a very good day.  Let me begin by saying that I had scheduled a doctor's appointment because I wanted to voice some concerns.  Knowing that I was going to see the doctor early in the morning was exciting because I know that the best time to weigh yourself is in the morning.  I refused to get on a weight scale the entire time that I have been on the program simply because I was afraid and nervous that I may not see the any change in my weight, which had been a problem for me since the beginning of the year.  Since the beginning I say physical changes in my body but no change in weight.  This was a cause of concern.  To my surprise when I got on the scale I was already down five pounds.  I could not believe my eyes when I saw the number, and after the visit from the doctor I asked if I could get on the scale again so I could get a picture for proof!  They were more than happy to allow me back onto the scale. And as it turned out I grew a couple of inches as well, how that happened I have no idea.

Since starting the program I came to several realizations about what I was doing wrong for the last three months since I began my fitness journey.  One thing was realizing that I had been using way too much oil to cook my food.  Even though it is olive oil, it is still not good, to use too much of it.  Probably from using close to a tablespoon to cook food I have gone down to one teaspoon maybe one time a day everyday.  I have also realized that the amount of dairy such as cheese I was eating way too much of.  I was eating an entire avocado some days when you are limited to half for the entire day.  Finally, I was eating way too many sweets thinking that my workouts were significantly more important than the food.  So lesson learned, there is a lot of truth to the 70/30 fitness rule.  This program has taught me so much in a very short period of time.

Today was my sleep in day following with the doctor's appointment, so I got off to a later start with my food.  I ended up eating my meals later than I would have liked to but I ate everything that I had planned out for the day.  I got a significant amount of water, in fact the recommended amount for the day, as well as my Shakeology. All in all it was a great day.  

Workouts for today were the Upper Fix, and Cardio Fix.   Upper Fix was a killer, I used heavier weights on some of the first rounds to really push myself.  Bent over rows, for example, I used twenty pound weights, and then switched to fifteen pounds on the second round.  Push ups were super hard but I was able to beat my record and do thirteen on my toes instead of twelve.  It may not seem like a lot but it was quite challenging.  On the Cardio Fix I was already feeling tired but I had to push through because this is the final week of the program and I only have this time to really prove to myself that I can do it.  I got quite winded but all of the exercises got done.  Later on in the evening I invited my daughter to do the ten minute Ab Fix with me and she was more than happy to.  Tomorrow I will do a workout later on in the evening so that I can invite her again because the workouts really help her self-esteem.

Food preparation for tomorrow is done.  My menu consists of 96% lean pork, eggs, spinach, green onions, broccoli, mini heirloom tomatoes, red bell pepper, strawberries, blackberries, papaya, coffee, water, shakeology, Ezekial flaxseed bread, sweet potatoes, cheddar cheese, almonds, and allowed two teaspoons of oil and I may just use one.

As I am trying to figure out what plan I am going to do next, I do want to remind that I am putting together a small group of people for my next fitness challenge.  I am hoping that I can get a 21 Day Fix Challenge group together as well as a general challenge group.  If you are interested in participating in my group please contact me the spaces are limited and my groups are small.  Till tomorrow goodnight everyone. Please fill out the form below.

  

http://www.iwanttogetripped.com/featured/join-a-challenge-group/

21 Day Fix It's Go Time!

Here we go everybody it's go time this week.  On this scheduled week I had two workouts scheduled everyday till the very end so that is ten days left of hard work.  I have no intention of taking it easy.  The way I see it is I am fighting for my life here.  I am running that marathon and I plan to come in first, and the best part about it is that the only person in the race is me.  What Jane, Joe, or Hilda thinks really doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is that I challenged myself to the fullest extent and said YES on every single exercise.

Today I got through every exercise.  I made sure that I got the appropriate weight that would allow me to get to the end.  Last week on the Total Body Cardio fix I went a little heavier and I failed during some of the exercises.  Now in my mind failing is usually a good thing it means you just woke up your body and it is has been successfully shocked, but then I thought I really wanted to get through the entire minute.  Changing the weights out to lighter was still challenging but got me through to the end of the minute.  I found myself out of breath and heart pounding.  It was great.  

After total body I jumped right into the pilates workout and that was perfect because it is a recovery workout and felt very good on my muscles.  Don't get me wrong it wasn't super easy, it just wasn't as intense as the cardio.  I certainly did feel the stretching and the planks are deceptively intense.  Last but not least I just had to do the ten minute ab fix.  I figured I would go hard or go home. That is just me, my tendency is to go big, to really push myself in certain areas of my life.  Other areas of my life require baby steps, but I have to say that I am working on it.  

Today I realized that I only had five days of my Shakeology left of the packets.  This time around I got the bag because you get more days worth in the bag than in the packets.  I won't get the packets again.  So I made sure to stay ahead of the game by not being in a position where I will run out of it.  Shakeology is the most important part of my daily eating because I get all of the nutrition that I am not getting from my meals.  Now I like that the eating plan is balanced for us and allows us to pick healthier choices for ourselves but at the end of the day I want to make sure that I have complete nutrition.  As well as my shake I also take fish oil.  

Food today was on target and prepped in the evening.  I chose almonds today instead of olives.  I am going to leave out the olives for the rest of the fix so that I wont have any extra salt.  For tomorrow on the menu there will be lean turkey, cheddar cheese, Ezekial flaxseed bread, papaya, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, coffee, water, and shakeology.  I am looking forward to the day because it will be another day of very hard work.

I am looking for some individuals to create a challenge group if you are interested in the 21 Day Fix program pleas contact me I would love to get you through with all the support to help you succeed.  You will be able to track your progress, and receive the help you need to succeed.  If you are ready to change your life let me help you.  Please fill out the online form.  Looking to create a group for June.

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21 Day Fix Day 14

So here I am at day fourteen and I am ready for the day to be over.  I am looking forward to getting my rest because tomorrow I am going to hit it hard with the doubles workout week.  It's in this week that if you want to you can do two workouts a day.  Now I know that this coming week is going to really test my will but I have every intention of doing it as planned.  I have already gotten a little bit of a taste of working out twice a day because this last week I worked out with my daughter Gloria in the evening.  It has been great but at the end of the day I am ready for bed and glad I ate all of my food.

Today was a working recovery day and I had to do yoga.  As usual I was feeling a bit of a funk.  I find that the nature of the job that I have currently really drains my energy.  When I leave it's as though my body wants to fully relax, by that I mean lay down.  Instead though I got past it and got to work.  For me it isn't an option to skip a workout, but I know we have  those days where we are just not feeling it.  The difference for me is that I had that attitude too many times before in the past and I have not been successful because of it.  I did what I had to do for my body and I gave myself the proper stretching that I am going to need for the coming week.

What I loved about today is that I got to do a little bit of catching up.  The girls were at their aunt's house and I was able to focus on some things I needed to cross off of my to-do list.  One of those things was my food preparation.  I got it done pretty early closer to 5:00 p.m and  that was perfect.  Today I bought 95% lean pork to change things up a little bit.  Lean meats are allowed so I grabbed some of this at the store.  Normally I try to stay away from pork, beef or poultry because I typically like eating fish, but when I eat fish I don't always feel full.  With all of the exercise that I am doing this next week I want to make sure that I feel satisfied after my meals.  I also added papaya, blueberries, strawberries, almonds, hummus, tomatoes, broccoli, sweet potatoes and my Shakeology for one of my meals.  So I am set.

Some of the other foods that I enjoy that I am happy to see on the meal plan are:

Veggies:

Kale, collard greens, brussels sprouts, asparagus, beets, string beans, squash, peppers, carrots, and cauliflower

Fruit:

Raspberries, Blueberries, blackberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, tangerines, apples, apricots, and grapefruit

Protein:

Sardines, Fish cold water wild caught (cod, salmon, halibut or tuna), buffalo (bison, ostrich, venison), yogurt, clams, shellfish

Starches:

Sweet potato, yams, quinoa, beans, lentils, edamame, beans, brown rice, wild rice, potato, corn, amaranth, buckwheat, barley

Healthy Fats:

Avocado, almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, coconut milk

Seeds:

Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flaxseed

Oils:

Olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil

Freebies:

Lemon, vinegar, mustard, herbs, spices, garlic, ginger

Well to give you an idea of the healthier choices to pick from.  I have been very consistent in my choices.  To have balance I have chosen to eat cheddar cheese the last few days but I switched today to hummus.  I am looking forward to tomorrow, and I can't wait to get my butt kicked! 

There is still time to join the May 26th challenge group, if you think that you are ready to make that commitment to change your life, let it start as soon as possible.  There is no time like the present to get into shape!  Please fill out my online form I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Goodnight Everybody

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21 Day Fix Day 12

Hard work is all that I have to say.  I have made it this far in the program and I am past that halfway mark.  I am not going to lie the workouts have not been easy.  They have been tough and I have had to really push myself.  Even in the moments when I have to stop for a second I remind myself in less of a second that it's only one minute, so I push through to the end no matter what.  Even if I stopped for five to ten seconds I jump back in there and finish because that's what it takes to succeed on this or any program.  Pushing yourself beyond what you're used to is the name of the game.  I have been pushing hard since January and it has been challenging all the way.

After work today I was feeling a bit down for some reason.  I am not really sure why or where the feelings were coming from.  For a few moments I looked around my room and I said to myself that I didn't want to do anything.  As though my body had control over my mind I put on my exercise outfit.  I got past whatever funk I had going on and I started my workout.  I was so happy that I made that choice because after I was done I felt amazing.  I felt as though I conquered whatever bad feelings I had prior to working out and laid it to rest.

Today was Cardio Fix and it was just as tough as the first time I did it.  I love that these workouts are designed to keep your body guessing.  So I got through with a major sweat, and I was feeling great.  I had my serving of shakeology afterwords, and when my daughter Gloria got home from school I invited her to do a Brazilian Butt Lift workout with me.  The reason that I invited my daughter to workout with me is because she has the tendency to be very stressed and exercise helps her to relieve it.  She is very much like me in the sense that she needs an outlet for that stress and through exercise it's perfect.

Food today was on point.  I came into this personal challenge with every intention of committing to it, and up until now I have remained true to it.  Food choices for the day were papaya, blueberries, strawberries, cucumbers, spinach, 96% lean beef, eggs, cheddar cheese, broccoli, olives, water, coffee, Ezekial flaxseed bread, and Shakeology.  Water consumption today was also on point.

The best part of my day today was getting the changes in my body noticed.  I attended a birthday party for my daughter's friend this evening and everyone was noticing the changes in my body.  One lady that I saw on Thanksgiving was feeling my arms and telling me how much I have changed since then.  It was such a wonderful experience to be able to feel confident about myself and only at the halfway point.  I can't even imagine what it will be like at day 21.  Trust me I cannot wait.

Well I am very tired at this point, tomorrow starts the cycle over again but this time I will be pampering my sister for her birthday along with the help of the kids.

If you think you are ready to make a commitment to change and would like to start your 21 Day Fix journey I am ready to help you out.  Please fill out my online form and I will get back to you as soon as possible. There is still time for the May 26 challenge.  I am here to help.

Fill out my online form.

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21 Day Fix Day 11

Day eleven and I am still in this all the way.  I am feeling better than ever and so happy with my results up to this point.  Today was a sleep in day so another late start to my day.  Sleeping in was great because felt very rested when I got up and there is nothing better than that.  I had plenty of water with my coffee, and another day drinking a smaller amount than normal (of coffee).

Today my eating was very good, I have to say that I am getting very used to not adding salt to my food.  I find that I can live without it.  The flavor of the food I am enjoying more and I am now realizing I was eating way too much of it before this program!  Alas I am cured of that need for salt, in fact, I did not eat any of my olives today so I will have to replace my orange container with something else tomorrow.

Pilates always catches me off guard because there are some exercises in there that are a little intense like the planks, and the leg exercises.  Ultimately though it is one of the active recovery workouts so it should be seen like a rest day.  Now on the program you workout three weeks straight, which I absolutely love, but some people may not be into that.

I got a lot of joy from my fruit today.  I added very sweet pineapple into one purple container and strawberries and blueberries into another.  Mixing the two was absolutely delicious, simple and satisfying.  For tomorrow's menu I am having some of the same but adding some papaya to the mix.  Papaya has so many health benefits that we eat it quite regularly here at home.

Foods for tomorrow are, 96% lean beef, broccoli, cucumbers in lemon juice, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, cheddar cheese (very small amount) eggs, two slices of Ezekial flaxseed bread, water, coffee, and last but not least my shakeology.

I am loving this program so much it has brought me back to a positive place in my life. I am hoping I can help others get to this place it is amazing!

There is still time to get into my challenge group on the 26th of May if you are interested please fill out the online form I would love to have you!  

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21 Day Fix Day 9

Here I am at day nine! I am so happy to say that I am almost at the halfway mark of this program.  I can't believe that I have made it this far with the kind of discipline that I have been missing from my life for the last three years.  I knew it was in there somewhere and from the changes that I am beginning to see and feel I will get some great results.  I have posted a few pictures of myself, but my final pictures I will show at the end the way that they are supposed to.

So today was a little different because I did not get up at my usual time in the morning of 5:00 a.m. and start my day.  I got up this morning and got the kids breakfast and ready for school, but soon after I went right back to bed.  Today I had the day off from school and the day off from work so I finally had some time to really catch up on sleep that I felt I needed.  I can't emphasize enough how important it is to be rested.  The body needs to rest in order for the progress you are making to work.  So I got up at about 10:00 a.m. which really got me off to a late start.  I had my coffee and water, and then I grabbed a banana half and my Shakeology and took off to school to get my final grade and my project.

When I got home I got ready right away to do my workout, which today was the Upper Fix.  Now today I tried to lift a little heavier on some of the exercises, where last week I lifted fifteen pounds today I tried twenty pounds.  The reason I did was to push myself.  I got through one of the sets with the heavier weights but on the second set I went back to the lighter.  It's OK to switch out your weights if you are failing to complete the exercise the important thing for me was to get through.  Today's workout, and I don't think I mentioned it the last time, was a lot of floor work on abs, chest, and push ups.  It was just as tough as the last time and I didn't expect it to get any easier.  The most important thing is that I got through it.

Today I had scheduled the Extreme Abs workout from Chalean Extreme's videos but instead I decided to do the 10 Minute Ab Fix from the 21 day program that I was dying to try out.  It was pretty intense and I am glad I did it.  This workout was non-stop for the full ten minutes and we switched exercises every thirty seconds, so she really worked out all areas.

Eating today was on target again.  My meals consisted of 96% lean beef, yams, eggs, olives cheddar cheese, Shakeology, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers, coffee, water and a banana.  Eating these kinds of clean foods are making a huge difference in the way that I have been feeling, and I am getting quite used to the smaller portions as well.  Up to this point I have completely left out salt from my diet and granted my foods can taste pretty bland at times but sacrifice will be a huge part of my success.  If I ever get a hankering for salt I definitely look forward to eating some green olives which are allowed on the eating plan.  My last comment is that I have gone the entire program without alcohol.  I am so happy that I have made it this far without it.  I will continue to push myself through without it.

On top of smashing my finger today in between my two fifteen pound weights and forgetting that I put my shakeology in the freezer too long, today was another great day!  I hope you will stay with me because tomorrow I want to share my story with you and how my life has gotten me to this point and on this journey.

I know that there are people out there that are thinking of starting a fitness journey or are thinking about changing your life with a healthier lifestyle.  It is a process and it takes time, commitment , even having some ups and downs on the way.  It's OK were human, and we make mistakes.  We fall down but we get back up.  If you want support, or a cheerleader, advice about nutrition, and a new fitness routine that works with your time and schedule don't be shy.  Please contact me and I will help you.  I am having a 21 Day Fix challenge group on the 26th of May and I would love to have you join.  Please fill out the online form and I will get back with you as soon as I can.  Thank you.

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21 Day Fix Day 8

So I have made it to day number eight and I am pretty excited.  I am getting off to a good start.  My workout today was the Total Body Cardio which is what I was supposed to do on the Monday that I started but I didn't look at my DVD's closely enough.  No biggie I got the workout done.  In my workout though I did find that I had to switch from my ten pound weights to my eight pound weights.  I really pushed myself very hard so I had to stop for a second two times altogether.  I didn't beat myself up I just kept going with it.  The worst thing that you can do is throw in the towel if you are getting tired.  The best thing to do is catch your breath and keep going.  My belief is that if you stop you will tell yourself it's OK to quit and you are only giving up on yourself.  Change takes hard work it takes getting out of your comfort zone and going against the grain.  If you never stop to tell yourself that you may always be stuck.

When I finished my 21 Day Fix workout I decided to add in High and Tight from the Brazilian Butt Lift DVD's I know I created a certain calendar of workouts but I wanted a little extra work on my legs.  The High and Tight in my opinion is the gold nugget of the Brazilian Butt Lift because it really targets those areas in a woman's legs that need to get the work.  For me, that workout goes by fairly quickly and I really enjoy it very much.  I could even do it twice but I don't want to overdo it.

After that I had my Shakeology midday again, with ice cold water and coffee.  It gave me the boost I needed to get through the afternoon.  Although I didn't really have any homework or anything because school is out I still had a busy day.  I found that I had food left over at the end of the day which for me is good and not so good.  The reason I thought it was good was because I am reassured I have enough to eat, but there is the factor of eating late in the day.  I made sure I ate just about everything, but the only thing that I had left was some shredded cheese.

So for my meals tomorrow I have 96% lean beef with garlic and pepper, yams, shredded cheese, eggs, olives, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, spinach, coffee, water and Shakeology.  Now this may seem like a boring meal plan, as I am typing it looks that way, but the great thing about prepping and packing your meals this way is that you can get creative with what you have available to eat.  For example, I will crack an egg over bell peppers and spinach that I have cooked slightly in the pan with my one teaspoon allowance of oil.  Have that freshly cooked with pepper is very tasty to me in the morning and filling till my next meal.  If it tastes bland you can add cheese from your allowance to spruce it up, so it's all about being creative.  When it comes to the kitchen I am far from that so if I can do it anybody can.

So put a fork in me I am done for the day.  I am ready to get some sleep.  Till tomorrow.  

There is still time to join my challenge group on the 26th of May if you would like to do the 21 Day fix in a private group with all the help and support to get you through I am here to help you.  There are some spots available and I would love to offer the support you need to succeed.  Please fill out the form below and I would be more than happy to contact you.  I am in this for all the right reasons and ready to help you succeed.

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21 Day Fix Day Seven

So I am happy to say that I survived Mother's Day and what I mean is that I had the greatest time with my family and got royal treatment from my kids and my sister.  They bought me flowers and we had a fantastic alcohol free water bar to enjoy.  My sister sliced up oranges, lemons, and cucumbers very thin, and placed them in the glasses along with fresh mint leaves and it was fantastic.

Let me backtrack a little on my day.  I had already prepacked my meals for the day today so I had it in mind to stay on track with the eating plan.  I woke up early as usual to get to work, and I had the good fortune to get out early today.  After I left I came home and got ready for my work outs.  Today was an recovery day so we for the 21 Day Fix program, but I was feeling a little anxious to do more so I threw in the Brazilian Butt Lift Bum Bum workout before I did the yoga.  Every now and then I get impulsive with energy and I want to do more so I do.  Yoga was great, I felt the stretch in my entire body which I felt I needed from the intense work I have done this week.  Tomorrow we start the program again, so with the same intensity or better I will go for it.

After finishing the workout I was pretty hungry so I decided to boost up with my Shakeology.  Today I worked so hard I felt like I earned it and it was so good.  I don't currently have a blender so I mashed up a banana half and added it to my shake.  It hit the spot it was just what I needed midday.  It also satisfied that urge for sweets that I had the last few days.  Now I have to say that today I woke up with more energy and I felt rested.

At about 2 p.m. I headed over to my sister's house and we had a great time visiting.  My daughters painted my nails and I ended up taking my meals from home to heat up and over there.  I am fortunate that both of my sister's are on the same wavelength as me.  They are both on a weight loss and fitness journeys of their own so it is easy for me to be around them.  I feel fortunate because in some families if you have a dream, or a goal they may not always understand and not really support you or understand you.  I have also experienced jealousy from from friends and boyfriends that don't want you to succeed so they have sabotaged me.  Clearly I have moved on from those relationships because they did not serve me.  So I am happy that I am surrounded with like minded individuals at the moment.  These are people that are in my tight circle of trust.

Today was a success for me, and my food has been prepped for tomorrow.  On the menu I am having free range turkey again, yams, broccoli and cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, two large eggs, a banana, cheddar cheese, olives, coffee, water and my chocolate shakeology.

I hope you had a great Mother's Day I sure did! Till tomorrow!

If you would like to try the 21 Day Fix please contact me, I am having a challenge group on the 26th of May and I would love to guide you through this process with nutritional advice, and support.  It's never too late to get fit and healthy.

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21 Day Fix Day 5

I have made it to day five, and I am super happy that I have stuck to my eating plan, except for my beets.  I wasn't able to finish all of them even though they are super good for you.  What I normally would do is juice them with an apple, lemon, carrot, and it tasted amazing.  But since I started the program I am very limited on the amount of sugar I can have so juicing right now is not an option.  However, I will point out that when I was juicing I was getting way too much sugar so I am glad I stopped.  One thing that I am learning is that I was eating way too much of the same foods that I am allowed to eat now in smaller amounts.  For example, I was using way too much oil when cooking.  I was eating way more protein than I needed to.  I was also not balancing my diet in all areas.  This program has really been teaching me that the portions that you eat are determining factor in your weight loss program.

Today was tough but expected for me in the sense that I was having some major cravings for sweets.  For that reason I was glad that I saved my second banana half till the very end of the day.  It satisfied my urge to give in to temptation.  Plus I took a trip to the grocery store and stocked up on more vegetables, and fruits that I need to have on hand for food preparation.  Today they had my favorite purple cauliflower available, and free range turkey.  The program recommends lean meats so I bought the leanest meat that I could find.  Making this trip got me out of my house an provided a great mental distraction for me so I consider my day pretty successful.

The only place I went wrong was that I did not finish my entire serving of red beets in lemon juice.  I packed too much and was not able to eat them all today.  For tomorrow I plan to mix that second half with carrots and lemon juice so that I can finish the entire serving.

 Beets are so incredibly good for you they have such healing power for the body.  I was a little disappointed that I didn't eat them all but there is always tomorrow.  If I don't complete something due to my schedule I don't harp on it, because it's a waste of time and energy.  We only have the present moment and we may not see tomorrow, so I just let it be and move forward, that's my best advice for myself.

Total Body Cardio Fix was the workout today.  I have to say, yet again, I was pleasantly surprised at how tough the workout was.  In only thirty minutes every exercise was intense from start to finish.  I used ten pound weights, and on one exercise I had to switch to eight.  I got out of breath and even stopped for a second but still powered through it.  I have to say from what I have experienced so far this program is all you need.  I don't think it is necessary to supplement the workouts with anything else if you are just starting out, because what you get is intense, but I did follow my calendar and I added an extra ten minutes of Chalean Extreme's Ab Burner right after I was done.  Now, again, I am using heavier weights to start.  A beginner may start with no weights and still get the same intensity.  All in all today kicked my butt.

I tried my new strategy for drinking water.  I had a whole 32 oz. in the morning and when I got home I had another 32 oz.  I can see and feel changes in my abs and my legs and I am only five days in.  I am starting to feel strong and I am super excited about what the results are going to be.  

If I left anything out I will add it tomorrow, for I am exhausted.  I hope you have a great night.

Please know that you are more than welcome to comment, and send feedback.  If you have any particular questions about the Fix please let me know.  

I am also having a 21 Day Fix Challenge group on the 26th of May if you would like to participate or have thought of trying out the 21 day fix, please fill out the online form.

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21 Day Fix Tip

Today is day four of my 21 day fix and I slept in this morning for an extra three and a half hours.  I feel great, and I wish I could have slept in longer.  Here is a product that I discovered at our local and only health store Sprouts.  Sweet Leaf Sweetener is a liquid form of Stevia that I use now instead of sugar, honey, or any kind of sweetener.  This product comes in several different flavors and tastes great!  I have tried the chocolate, english toffee, hazelnut, and coconut.  The fruity flavored ones and the cinnamon are not so great they have more of a medicine like flavor, but overall the ones listed are the best.  I have used this product now in my coffee for the last three months and I find that is satisfies my sweet tooth.  

Yesterday was a perfect example, as I ran out the door to my final semester critique for my life drawing class I was craving sweets.  So I made myself a small iced coffee to go with a little coconut stevia to satisfy my need for sweets.  The toughest part about changing your diet for a period of time is that you are going to get a sudden rush of cravings after you're three to four days in guaranteed.  It's great to have a backup plan and know you have something that will satisfy that need.  

I love that on the 21 Day fix program you are allowed some sweets, but you have to replace some of your meal portions for those sweets.  Since you are clean eating for the majority of the week then those allowances are okay.  I am trying to stay away from that need to eat the sweets because I want to be disciplined and see where this program will take me without any of those allowances.  I am not perfect however I may feel differently tomorrow, but I certainly will not beat myself up for it if I decide to have something from the list.  

If you are starting a program I consider this a lifesaver because it tastes great, and if anyone has had plain stevia it has a strange taste you have to get used to.  Okay I hope this helps.

We are having a challenge group on the 19th of May and I am inviting you to join if you are interested or thinking of trying the 21 Day Fix you can do it along side a group of great people along with my support!  I would love to have you just email me at lulu_love13@yahoo.com, or facebook me Lucia Perez.  Till later on in the evening.  Have a great day

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