Sunday, March 11, 2012

Weight Loss Exercise: Top Exercises that will Help you Lose Weight

Weight Loss Exercise: Top Exercises that will Help you Lose Weight



In this modern world of fast food and junk foods, more and more people are suffering from obesity. Obesity may be caused by hereditary and genetic factors, but this may also be caused by the storage of too much fat. When a person eats something that will provide more than the sufficient amount of calories that the body needs, the excess calories will be stored in the body as fat.


When calories are stored as fat, weight gain occurs. Those who would like to prevent weight gain are provided with two useful methods to combat this and obesity. The first one is planning their meals with foods containing lower calories. The second method is through performing an effective weight loss exercise.


A weight loss exercise is a type of physical activity that will help burn more calories in a much faster manner. Those who are watching and controlling their weight should perform physical activities that will burn the most number of calories every session. This will help them get the most out of their workout regime.


Weight loss exercises not only help prevent weight gain that may result in more serious health problems such as obesity. Performing regular exercises will also provide numerous health benefits such as better sleep, better blood circulation, improved mood, as well as reduction of the stress levels.


Performing a certain weight loss exercise should be done at a minimum of at least 30 minutes per day in order to achieve weight loss. However, the weight loss method that a person will engage in will affect how much weight loss will be accomplished. There are several types of effective cardio exercises that a weight conscious individual can engage in.


One example of this is the rollerblading exercise. For individuals who have a total weight of 160 lb., they can shed at least 913 calories by just rollerblading. Tae kwon do is another effective exercise that can help burn at least 730 calories every hour. Sports such as singles tennis will also help burn 584 calories every hour.


Professional athletes have long been making use of interval training activities to burn more calories in a much faster way as well as to improve and increase their endurance for training. This type of weight loss exercise does not only help professional athletes improve their performance, it can also help individuals who would like to lose weight in a much more effective way.


Interval training exercises are performed by rotating lower intensity activities with shorter but higher intensity cardio activities. An example of this type of exercise is to walk for a few minutes at a slow pace then increase the pace for a short amount of time, then go back to a slower pace.


As an individual’s endurance increases, he or she can already choose an activity that has a higher potential for burning more calories.


However, it is important to start off with only minimal exercises first such as walking as this will help build stronger endurance. Starting off with higher intensity exercises may result in fatigue settling in faster. Once an individual’s endurance strengthens, he or she can then replace walking with other activities that have a higher potential for burning calories such as running or jogging. It is recommended that individuals aiming to lose weight should complete a minimum of 30 minutes of these types of exercises every day of the week.


Another type of effective weight loss exercise is circuit training. Circuit training is similar to interval training, where the use of rotation is essential. However, with circuit training, instead of performing cardio activities, this method makes use of a combination of a strength training activity and an intense cardio exercise.


One example of a circuit training activity is to alternate leg lunges with jumping rope exercises, after which, the person doing the activity should then alternate jumping rope with another type of strength training exercise. Individuals performing circuit training activities have a higher potential to burn more calories every session.


Weight training is also an effective weight loss exercise that most people and professional athletes use. Weight training exercises are designed to prevent fat from replacing the muscles. As a person ages, it is only natural that the muscles within the body will decrease.


When this happens and a person will not undergo strength training activities, his muscles will be replaced with fat, thus; will result in weight gain. Weight training will promote muscular fitness that will improve the body’s metabolism. Each session of this type of weight loss activity is recommended to be performed for at least 20 minutes. The areas that this activity will focus on include the abdomen, the legs, the hips and the back.


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The Diet Solution Program Review

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
A Balanced and Informative Discussion of the Diet Solution Program

The Diet Solution Program is founded on the premise that an individual can best maintain a healthy weight by eating according to their specific metabolism. The concept is that some foods encourage your body to transform fat and use it up as energy, while others promote the storage of fat. If you consume more of the former foods and fewer of the latter, then you lose unwanted pounds and keep them off.

So, it’s goodbye to the dreaded and unrelenting process of counting calories every time you put something into your mouth. Instead, you just eat the foods that are right for you, and you can eat many of them in large amounts. That way, you remove the stress and monotony associated with diets that focus on cutting out carbohydrates or reducing the intake of fats.

While those diets promote weight loss through altering eating patterns for a limited time, the Diet Solution is about changing the way that someone eats over a prolonged period. It is about fixing damaging habits and ways of thinking. Thus, it claims to achieve permanent results.

When you embark upon the program, you complete a survey that informs you of your metabolic type. You are provided with a manual, which lists, precisely, the foods that you should and should not eat, recipes, plans for daily meals and advice on appropriate serving sizes.

Generally speaking, the focus is on healthy, unprocessed, unrefined foods. Dieters are encouraged to eat whole foods, which have been more or less left in their natural state, such as nuts, fruits and vegetables, grains, oils, fish, meat, poultry and organic eggs. If your body receives nutritious fuel, it is easier to beat cravings and to resist eating the unhealthy foods that contribute to weight gain. Even though your taste buds or an imbalanced internal system might crave sugar and fat, your body really wants vitamins, minerals and complex carbohydrates.

Loss of fat occurs at a reasonably gradual pace, with the program advising an average reduction of between one and two pounds per week. This kind of take-it-slow approach is considered to achieve longer-lasting results than sudden, dramatic crash diets, which tend to starve the body, causing you to binge afterwards. The Diet Solution Program does not involve gimmicks or the consumption of unnatural pills or meal substitutes such as shakes or bars. The argument is that a diet that depends on such items is more about a quick fix than a long-term resolution of weight issues.

While it does, of course, advocate exercise as part of any sensible approach to living, weight and health, the program does not include it directly. The calculations provided in the manual are based only on consumption of food in relation to metabolic type.

However, the creator of the Diet Solution, Isabel De Los Rios, is an expert when it comes to exercise. She actually owns the New Body – Center for Fitness and Nutrition in New Jersey. So, she doesn’t only write about weight loss, she actively helps people to achieve their goals.

Moreover, De Los Rios has “been through it” herself. As an overweight and under-confident teenager, she decided, at a young age, that she did not want her life to be dominated by carrying around excess weight. She started reading all about nutrition and exercise, which led her to Rutgers University, where she studied exercise physiology. Later on, she gained a Certificate as a Specialist in Strength and Conditioning and a second Certificate as a Holistic Nutrition Lifestyle Coach.

De Los Rios has now been promoting her program for more than ten years. Individuals who take on the program can also become members of her site, where they can access her blog. Having worked as a counselor and personal trainer, De Los Rios knows how to provide advice. Her blog features a wide range of additional information, including tips, videos, extra recipes and personal messages.

She also dedicates quite a lot of time to writing about exercise. Given that this does not comprise a significant section of the manual, its presence on the blog is extremely helpful to many dieters. Any exercise certainly speeds up the weight loss process and promotes discipline when it comes to healthy eating.

Moreover, the blog is one of the aspects of the program that prospective dieters find attractive because it presents the opportunity to be part of a community. Being able to communicate with others in a similar position can often provide encouragement and inspiration and the interaction enabled by the blog can help to counter loss of confidence, one of the most common and serious afflictions suffered by people with weight problems.

Many positive Diet Solution reviews have been published by satisfied customers. Some of them claim that, after spending years and years crash dieting and taking supplements and pills, the program finally helped them to resolve their weight loss problems. They argue that the focus on eating natural, wholesome foods and the concern with developing a healthy mental attitude and taking a sustained approach enabled their success.

Some of the Diet Solution program reviews say that, before attempting it, they were extremely tired of going to the gym and struggling with difficult and taxing exercise schedules. They state that one of the attractive aspects of the program is that, while exercise is promoted, it is not absolutely necessary to starting. This made them feel as though they had a higher chance of sticking with it.

Some people that have written the Diet Solution reviews acknowledge a few of its negative aspects. One of these is that prospective purchasers of the eBook should remember that, at the end of the day, the program will only work if they are able to exercise a significant amount of discipline and willpower. The program has been marketed very widely and in a highly charged fashion, which might give some consumers the impression that it is offering a quick answer, but this is not actually the case. Reading Diet Solution reviews can be helpful if you want to access first-hand experiences and opinions regarding the program.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

If the shoe fits...

If the shoe fits, wear it. My shoes came. And now fear has TOTALLY set in. The last few days have not been amazing on eating. Stuff has been crazy at work and I am letting my emotions get the best of me. 13 weeks...can this really happen? Can I really get up on stage and not make a fool of myself? I know I am going to win the ironman and emerald cup next year, but is it possible to cut all the body fat I need to by November 19 and not get discouraged by my placement? Or do I focus on slowing cutting for next season and just dominate all year long in 2012. Definitely a conversation I need to be having with not only myself, but my trainer, and possibly a nutritionist. LOTS to think about. But for now, you probably want to know if the shoes fit...so do I. Here it goes....



Didn't try them on until after I wrote this blog...and NO, THEY DON'T! AHHHHH. I have the widest feet in the world. I was counting on these shoes to give me some motivation! I seriously can barely fit 4 toes in them...hello evil step sister trying to fit into Cinderella's shoes. On that note, I am going to bed. Hopefully I wake up on a better side of the bed tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Dreaming Big...



Last night I was working on my life vision and goal setting when I made some some big decisions and set some BHAGS (big hairy audacious goals). I figured since you are a part of my journey for my first figure competition that I should let you know what my BHAG is. So here it is...fitness is my passion. I am drawn to figure competitors and aspire to be a professional competitor. So instead of just aspiring to be one, I AM GOING TO BE ONE. I am going to take home first place in the Emerald Cup and Ironman in 2012. Remember my name...Kelsey Venable, because you will also be seeing me in Oxygen Magazine within the next year as one of their transformations. Bring it on...HIIT, temptations, grumpy moods, and low carb days you ain't got nothing on me.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

97 days...one step closer.



I am loving my workouts and diet. I have eaten 100% clean all week and feel amazing. The struggle is to believe in the process and focus on the now...if I focus on being my best in each moment I will see the results come show time. Jen's positivity is amazing and her workouts are killer. I did about 19 sets of stairs today with strength circuits in between. 19, no big deal....NOT. Huge deal. Especially when you are bunny hopping, speed skating, single stepping, and doing all sorts of crazy combinations up those stairs. After burning 600 and some calories I came home to make myself a delicious protein smoothie. Well deserved after that workout! I just finished prepping some food for the next few days, but hope to have time to cook more on Tuesday. It is amazing how much cooking I am doing lately...but boy do I love it! Have any good clean recipes for me to try? My challenge is to add more variety in my diet right now, so hook a sister up with all those secret family recipes of yours. Time to hit the showers and cozy up for the night.



Here is something to keep everyone motivated, including myself:

"Mental toughness can take you straight to the top and mental weakness straight to the bottom."
I am choosing to be tough....are you?



Thursday, August 11, 2011

100 days...closer than yesterday.

Nicole Wilkins posted this on her facebook earlier today and it truly resonated with me. In fact, it is the PERFECT message for me. Believe in the process and each day I will be a little bit closer.



Today is a rest day...hooray! :) I am sure I will need all the rest I can get to prepare for my 2nd one-on-one with Jen this week. Rest days can be tricky for me to keep a clean diet...but not today, I WILL eat clean all day. I am in this 100%.



Wednesday, August 10, 2011

101 days out.



In it 100% now. Woke up and did my HIIT training on the stairmaster...KILLER. 533 calories burned in 30 minutes! Go me! I am surprised I even had the energy for my cardio this morning after my one-on-one with Jen yesterday. The muscle soreness hasn't hit me yet, but I am sure by this afternoon I will be feeling it.



My cooler really is my new best friend. I invested in another set of tupperware...officially the tupperware queen now. My coworkers tease me for bringing in my giant cooler filled with enough food for a small country, but the teasing just makes me feel proud. I truly look the part of a figure competitor walking around wearing my workout gear, carrying my gallon of water, and my cooler full of clean foods. I cannot wait to start seeing results, but I am going to work on being patient and believe in the process (as a few of you suggested in your comments to my last post.)



101 days out...I asked Jen last night if she truly thought I could make the change in 101 days. She said that it is possible as long as my body doesn't fight us. She suggested I start taking CLAs (Conjugathed Linoleic Acid Supplements) to enhance fat burning and increase lean muscle mass. She told me that I will not notice an immediate difference, but that hopefully it would help me in the long run.



So here is my focus...

CLEAN DIET.

100% effort in my workouts.

Take my supplements.



Oh, and the major one! BUY HEELS AND START POSING! Yikes. I bought the Tanji Johnson video the Art of Posing...do you think I can learn it enough by myself or do you think I should consider a posing coach as well!? Also, are there specific requirements for heels? Where do I buy them?





Monday, August 8, 2011

103 days.



103 days?! Only 103 days. Where in the world does the time go? I started this journey a few months ago, but never truly committed. I thought of it as a goal that I wanted, but could never achieve. I can't even count the number of times I went back and forth on my decision to compete or how I felt about myself. One day I was telling myself "Hell ya I can do this...look out world I am going to win." The next day I was staring in the mirror thinking "Yeah right! Look at you...there is NO WAY you will be ready." The last two weeks have been a major transition period for me. I am working towards a promotion at work, just moved into a new house, and went on a weekend get away for a Bachelorette party. Don't get me wrong, all of these events are incredibly exciting, but they didn't fit in well with my training and or eating schedule...well scratch that, they did fit in...I just chose to be lazy and cheat. So now...I am exactly where I started a few months ago. Back to square one. Can I do this in 103 days? I am not sure of the answer to this question just yet, but I can promise you this...I am going to give it 100% from here on. I might have breakdowns, I might need to ask for more help, and I may even have moments where I want to just throw in the towel, but that is not going to stop me. I am giving this my all.



And this is the part where I ask for help from all you fellow fitness bloggers and reach out to my trainer.

To my fellow bloggers,
I need all the support I can get. Tips and tricks? Where were you at when you started this process? Any suggestions of how to stay positive and keep on pushing!?

To Jen, I have already told you this but I want to apologize for not giving you my all. You are giving me 200% and I have barely been giving you 50% these last two weeks. The way you inspire me and push me is incredible and I truly believe you have confidence in me. I am working on the having confidence in myself part, but I know I will get there soon. I am strong, I am beautiful, I am fit, and I am a competitor.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Cannot sleep


I woke up at 4am with a horrible stomach ache and burning in my throat. My throat has been scratchy the last few mornings, but usually gets better! I am hoping that after I write this post I can curl back up in bed and sleep for a few hours...if not, it might be the LONGEST Monday of my life.

Since I cannot sleep I figured I would come check out some fitness blogs and distract my mind from how I am feeling. After reading a few blogs I started thinking about the title of my own...Future Competitor: From Binging to Bikini...although it is an accurate title I decided to change it. Why look back at the girl I used to be when I can set goals for the girl I am striving to be? At work we have goal setting sessions and we are taught that the proper way to write goals is in the present tense as if they have already been accomplished. This explains the new title "I am a figure competitor by December 2011." I know I have been saying that I feel as if I am already a competitor, but I do have my moments where I think that I will not see the results in time....it is extremely hard to trust the process! However, if I keep repeating to myself "I am a figure competitor. I am a figure competitor. I am a figure competitor." it will be stuck in my brain and every decision will be based off that identity...or at least that is what I am hoping for.

I have a CRAZY week ahead of me. I have 4 more days left in my 8 day work stretch at my job! In addition to that I have 2 boot camp sessions I am scheduled to instruct, packing for a the bachelorette trip, errands to run before the trip, cooking and prepping more food, AND my workouts for this week. Thinking about my week I was looking forward to Napa thinking I would have some time to just relax with the girls, but we got our itinerary for the trip and it looks like it is nonstop wine tours! There is a little time for the pool, but I am not sure I even want to pack my swimsuit...I do not feel great about my body yet, and the girls I am going with are skinny lil' things. Do I really want to subject myself to those negative feelings about myself? In addition, I'm not sure how I am going to fit in my workouts and all my meals! :( And then it is straight back into work on Monday. Can't a girl just workout and sleep in the sun?

On that note, I better try and get a few more hours of sleep, otherwise I will NEVER make it through my workout today let alone my closing shift at work....wish me luck. :(

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Oatmeal is amazing...

Oatmeal is my go to breakfast food! I woke up this morning and immediately started looking at http://eyeitryit.com/ for breakfast recipes...but I couldn't find anything that could be prepared quick enough to satisfy my hungry belly or satisfy my cravings. So instead, I hit the kitchen on my own and prepared a delicious breakfast!

1/2 c oats
1/2 c almond milk + a little water
1 banana
2 tbsp almond butter
1 scoop jay robb chocolate protein powder

SO DELICIOUS! I should have posted a picture, but I ate it so quickly there was no chance in snapping a photo! :)

I am feeling so positive about life right now. Work is AMAZING! Training is wonderful! And I am getting a hang of this diet...in fact, my trainer told me to eat MORE starchy carbs!?!?!? Isn't that wonderful!? I knew I loved her! I am a little sore from yesterday's workout and I am sure it will get worse as the day goes on...but it is a good sore! I love it when you feel your muscles and know you had a good workout the day before! Today is a yoga day. I am going to head out for a quick walk in the sunshine, hit the grocery store for some more healthy carbs (bring on those yams, rice, bread etc!), do a bit of yoga, then head down to work! It is going to be a great day! Hope you all make the best of your days too!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Hello Eating Clean!

Having your food prepped is the best thing ever. Hit the gym in the morning, eat a quick breakfast, hop in the shower, get ready for work, and then instead of having to think about what you are going to prepare for your meals that day you just grab those perfectly prepackaged meals in your fancy tupperware and hit the road! However, it is amazing how much food a figure competitor really eats....egg whites, chicken, turkey, veggies! No wonder I have seen so many praises about Costco on other competitor's blogs. I did my first shopping trip at Costco since really buckling down and bought myself egg whites, celery, and chicken in bulk! I am sure I will be making SEVERAL more trips as I get further into prep!

Tomorrow I have a killer workout planned. Jen told me to bring my tunes because I am going to be LOTS of reps...most of the exercises are aiming for 3 sets of 25-30 reps with no more than 45 seconds in between. I recruited a friend to do the workout with me, so I am hoping we can just bust it out back and forth within the allotted 45 seconds. If I didn't love the girl so much, I might end up turning into a drill sergeant yelling at her to push it harder and move faster so we can keep our rest periods down! :) But, she was kind enough to do cardio with me today and I don't want to scare her away. I will let you know how I feel after the workout, hopefully I don't look like this....
Ok, I highly doubt I will look like this, but I will probably be just as exhausted as this poor guy!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

My new best friend....

I am starting to think and act like a figure competitor. I carry my gallon of water around with me and even refill it on some days to stay hydrated. I cooked up and prepackaged a bunch of food today...check it out! I have salmon, asparagus, sweet potatoes, chicken, mixed veggies, hummus (measured out!), and buffalo! I also whipped up some protein power pancakes for quick snacks! :) I think I need MORE tupperware! I told Jen about this today and she told me I should just start throwing tupperware parties...although she was joking, this might be a good idea!!!
I also picked up this snazzy lunch box to carry around with me! This royal blue beauty is going to be my new best friend! It's FAMILY size...does 1 person really need this big of a lunch box? Well, the answer is yes. My tupperware takes up a lot of room and I need to keep my metabolism movin' and groovin' by eating every 2-4 hours!
In the work out department I am getting my booty kicked...which is good! Keep bringing it Jen! ;) I had my second one-on-one session with her today... she was trying to get my legs burning, but due to the combo exercises my arms were burning too! Hello total body workout! Looking forward to that soreness tomorrow and knowing that I hit it hard! Off to meet my future roomies at a bar, where I will be drinking ice water...or possibly iced tea if they have it. I am going to a bachelorette party in Napa Valley in two weeks and Jen told me that each glass of wine I drink is an EXTRA 20 minutes of "not so nice" cardio. I think I will save the wine drinking for my brother's wedding and then AFTER the competition.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Blueberry Cheesecake.........

........oatmeal! I didn't actually eat blueberry cheesecake. My trainer, Jen, told me about the blog http://eyeitryit.com/ The author of the blog posts delicious and CLEAN recipes. For meal #2 today, I ate Blueberry Cinnamon Sugar Cheesecake Oatmeal. AMAZING! Go check out her blog.

I am starting to view myself as a competitor. I visualize myself up on stage and looking the way I want for the competition. Doing this helps me stay focused on what I need to do throughout the day to accomplish my goals. Do figure competitors eat chocolate and ice cream all day long? No, they eat clean. (Although, I bet some days they would like to) And that is exactly what Jen suggested I do for right now, eat clean. Simple as that...just eat clean.

As for working out. I struggled a bit with cardio this morning, but at least I got moving. I have been having some lower back tightness which I am working through. It is typically fine once I get started moving, but once I stop it tightens back up. I think it might be time for a massage!

Jen has a tough week of workouts lined up for me this week. I will keep you posted on how I do! Have a great Monday everyone.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Life is beautiful.

Morning everyone! Time to hit the gym for my endurance muscle circuits. I fueled myself up with 2 protein power pancakes topped with a little plain greek yogurt and strawberries, drank my metabolism drink (apple cider vinegar, water, unsweetened apple juice, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon), and put on my favorite workout gear. I am ready to get after it!

Yesterday I bought myself a food processor so I could make all sorts of yummy Eat Clean Recipes from Tosca Reno's book. So far I made bean dip for my veggies, but I put WAY to much onion in it! Woah! Today is a new day and I plan on trying more recipes and finding ways to plan and pack my meals for the week so I always have healthy options.

I am very excited for this journey and truly believe I will be successful. I am 100% happy with my life right now and because of that it is so much easier to stay on track. Even when I do slip up and eat chocolate covered caramels (yes Jen, I ate some yesterday) I take a deep breath and instead of falling into my old ways and giving up, I move forward and focus on the next healthy meal.

Time to head to the gym and keep climbing towards the top. Life is beautiful.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

First one-on-one with Jen!

Today was amazing... and boy, did I sweat! I sweat a lot anyways, but I can never complain when sweat is dripping off my body during a workout! I know all you fitness ladies out there feel the same! So how did the workout go and what did she have me do!?

I met her at her house for the workout where she has tons of workout equipment (that I am extremely jealous of). We started by taking measurements, pictures, and my weight. I stepped on the scale backwards so only she knows the number and I can't obsess over it...which is a great idea for me! She also did a few tests so she could see my weaknesses and so we can evaluate performance in areas besides the scale. She tested single leg squats for form (looking for hip weakness...which I have), abdominal planks (I held for 2:50...woop woop!), and pull-ups (ZERO, but its only my starting point)! Then came the FUN stuff!

Disclaimer: I don't remember the exact order or even ALL of the exercises off the top of my head, but I am going to try!

Warm-up: 5 minutes on the elliptical
Spiderman lunges (she loves these...and I think I might just be in love too!)
Grasshoppers
Abdominal Twists (similar to wood chops) while kneeling on a stability ball (TOUGH!)
Box jumps
Side planks with shoulder horizontal abduction (Left side is SO much weaker than right...woah!)
Russian Twists on stability ball
Downward dog with hip extension into spiderman lunge (fun one to do!)
Bench jumps (lateral hops over the bench with hands on bench)
I, Y, T exercises for shoulders and back
Lunge jumps on step
Butt squeezes (pretty sure she had a more creative name, but essentially you are laying on the stability ball and squeeze your legs up and in to activate the glutes!)
Leg lowers (keeping low back flat on the ground)
Scorpions (lay prone on the ground with arms out to the side, bring opposite leg to opposite arm up behind you...this showed that my right hip flexor is MUCH tighter than my left!)

All in all it was a good workout. She brought her A game for sure and I am even more confident that I picked the right trainer! :) I was literally cracked out after my work out because I was so hyped up. I haven't been this excited about something in a really long time...it is going to be an amazing journey and I plan on enjoying every minute of it.

Tomorrow is 30 minutes of HIIT for cardio...either the elliptical or treadmill. Running is not my favorite, but I plan on hitting up the tread tomorrow and challenging myself. I'm off to get some shut eye now, but I will let you know how the cardio goes!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

To the top!

I am LOVING my new trainer! After switching I have so much more confidence in myself and really believe I can do this! She lightened up the intensity of the plan a little so that I don't hit overtraining status and so my body won't fight as the competition approaches!

Here is what we have going on for diet... 6 meals a day.
Eat within 1 hour of waking up to refuel after the night.
Meals 2-6: eat every 2-4 hours
Every meal should consist of a complex carbohydrate and protein.
Veggies are unlimited! :)
Fruits: 2-4 servings per day.
Healthy fats: throughout the day
Fiber: 25-30 grams

Basically, I am just eating clean and avoiding processed foods and any beverages besides water and homemade protein shakes.

The workouts! I have my first one-on-one session with her on Tuesday! I better bring my A game! :) Jen emails me on a daily basis giving my workout and checking in to see how the previous day's workout and food intake went. Being in constant communication helps keep me accountable and so far I am doing GREAT!

Today is my rest day...wish I didn't have to be on my feet at work all day! Good thing I love my job and everyone I work with! Speaking of work, I better go prep my food for the day and get ready! If I don't post tomorrow I will definitely post Tuesday night after the workout! BRING IT ON JEN! ;)

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Where have I been!?

Hey bloggers :) I have been a major slacker on here...but I am back now and going to try and keep you updated as much as possible! I am headed to hot yoga now, so this is just going to be a quick post. I will write a longer post later and give you the details of my new training plan and diet...LOVE LOVE LOVE my new trainer Jen. I know I will be successful working with her. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Update!

Sorry for the delay in the update! It has been a crazy week/weekend. First of all, I am officially a college graduate from Western Washington University! So exciting! After taking time off school to battle depression and an eating disorder, graduating is a major accomplishment and I am extremely proud.

In addition to graduating, I got a new job. I LOVE IT. I am an educator at lululemon athletica! It is an amazing company and my coworkers are just about the greatest people in the world. I decided to work full time at lulu because I knew it would be a positive setting filled with supportive people who genuinely want me to succeed. My fellow educators and managers will be there with me every step of the way during my training to help me accomplish my goal of getting on stage! In fact, there are a few other girls training right now as well! :)

Ready for the other update...the one that majorly impacts my training!? I am switching trainers. I decided to go with a trainer that I feel will be more invested in me. I know she believes I can do it and will do everything she can to help me accomplish my goal. I have been struggling with training lately and couldn't get out of my funk. I was intimidated by my other trainer and simply didn't think that she truly thought I would succeed... so I had this "I might as well quit mentality." Not a very good feeling. Don't get me wrong, my previous trainer definitely has the knowledge and the experience to help other athletes reach their goals, but she is simply not the trainer for me. I am super excited to start training with Jen, my new trainer this week. She is putting together a plan for me and I plan on meeting with her in person one time per week for a butt kicking workout. She has faith in me and in turn, I have more faith in myself.

This is what my trainer posted on facebook right after I asked her if she would train me...

Jen is soooo super excited about the awesome fitness competitor that I just got today to train!!! We are going all the way for the win! I love training these peeps...pure athletes full of dedication, perseverance and hard work!


I haven't been eating well the past few days with all the graduation celebrations and crazy finals schedule...but its back on track tomorrow! Starting with morning cardio...I also have to have that dreaded conversation with my previous trainer telling her that I am no longer working with her. Wish me luck!

My affirmation for today "I am beautiful, strong, and will be successful at competing."

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Major update!

Major update on training, life, and school coming later this afternoon/tomorrow morning! Be excited! :) So many positive changes! Bring it on world, I am on my way to the top.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Get back up.

Get up boxing vince lomnardi "It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up." Vince Lombardi

Time to pick myself back up and get back to it again...geesh, if only this journey was easier!