Archive for June 30, 2015

2 Delicious Recipes for the Lazy (Lizzy) {wo}Man + 20% OFF Gnarly Products!!

Hey people!

Hope you’re having a lovely Tuesday! I’m easing my way back into “real life” after an amazing vacation. So far, so good, but still missing this:

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Since getting back, I’ve also been trying to get back into my healthy eats. While we were in Big Bear, I pretty much just ate whatever I wanted (and I loved every minute of it)! We grilled chicken and burgers at the cabin for dinner on a few nights, but also ate a bunch of candy, chips and salsa, french fries, and breakfast sandwiches. It was super tasty, but I was more than ready to get back to my normal way of eating (mostly healthy) by the time we got home.

One of my go-to breakfast foods lately has been either a protein pancake or protein shake. I’ve been getting up pretty early each day to train clients, and I usually don’t have time to do much in the kitchen, nor do I want to. I also don’t want to leave on an empty stomach (training clients while you’re hungry is no bueno), so this has been what’s worked well for me.

The awesome people at Gnarly Nutrition recently sent me their Chiseled Chocolate Whey Protein to try. I mentioned on Instagram how excited I was about their products, and they have not disapointed! It is RARE for me to find a protein powder that I can mix with nothing but water and still stomach. Most of the time, protein powders are pretty awful plain, but Gnarly is anything but that. It has a sweet, but not overly sweet, chocolately taste and is very smooth.

gnarly nutrition

While it tastes good with nothing mixed in, that’s just not as fun as making yummy recipes with it! Since we all know I’m just about the laziest chef in the world (I’ve nicknamed myself Chef Boy-ar-don’t), then you know these recipes will be super easy to make! While I don’t come up with new recipes too often, occasionally I mix the best of both worlds and create a delicious, yet super simple recipe that goes into my rotation for months or even years. Here are two of those creations below using my beloved Gnarly protein powder.

Blueberry-Banana-Chocolate Protein Smoothie

FullSizeRenderMakes 1 Serving

-1/2 Banana

-1/4 Cup Blueberries

-1 Scoop Gnarly Chiseled Chocolate Whey Protein Powder

-2 TBSP Plain 0% Greek Yogurt (I used Fage)

-Ice

Pour all ingredients into blender. Hit “blend”. Serve.

It’s so easy, a caveman (or Lizzy) could do it!

 

Chocolate Chia Seed Pancake

protein pancake

Maybe your pancake will actually be round. #fail 😀

Makes 1 Serving

-1 Egg

-1 TBSP Chia Seeds

-1/8 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

-1/2 Scoop Gnarly Chiseled Chocolate Whey Protein Powder

-1 Packet Stevia

So you can definitely do this much more easily by blending the ingredients, but I am lazy and hate cleaning, so I do it this way so I have less dishes to do. #truelaziness

Pour all ingredients into a greased pan. Mix it all up really well. Turn the heat on medium and let it sit for a few minutes. When it’s ready to turn over, flip it for only about 20-30 seconds. Then ENJOY!

While I used chocolate for these recipes, you could also use their vanilla which is just as tasty (I know because I’ve tried it!).

Wanna know what else is totally tubular about Gnarly Nutrition?

They’ve given all of YOU guys 20% off of any of their products!!

All you have to do is enter code: fitlizzio at checkout! BOOM!

Question of the Day

1. What Gnarly products would you like to try?

2. What is your favorite lazy recipe to make?

Big Bear Vacation Recap

Well, it’s official. I’m BACK. Big Bear was SO much fun and I so wish I was still there! I’m already trying to figure out when I can go back.

This past week was FULL of activities, so I’ll get right to it.

We arrived in Big Bear last Monday around 2pm. Luckily, we didn’t hit any traffic, so it only took us just over 2 hours to get there. The drive up the mountain was gorgeous, as always.

bigbeardriveSince we arrived a few hours before we could check in, we decided to start our vacation right away with a hike up Pine Knot Trail!

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Charlie and I did this hike last year and loved it, so we knew we wanted to do it ventolin-albuterol. It’s about a 7 mile hike round trip. We didn’t quite go to the top this time because Oscar was pretty hot and my brother was ready to go down as well. We did about 5.5 miles total of this hike, and it was still amazing!

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After the hike, we headed to the cabin to check in. We had such a great view from the cabin! You can see why I want to go back….

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We spent some time down by the lake for the rest of the evening, which Oscar LOVED. I have never seen him so happy. It totally warmed my heart to see him sprinting around on the sand and running through the water like that. He was in total doggy bliss!

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On Tuesday morning, Charlie and I got up super early to head out for some wakeboarding! The early morning is when the water is best, so we traded sleep (which we got hardly any of) for some fun on the water!

IMG_8762After wakeboarding, we headed to a local favorite, Grizzly Manor. They’re a hole in the wall breakfast joint with really good food! I had 2 over easy eggs on an english muffin, sausage, and hash browns.

We spent the rest of the day checking out the village, riding the Alpine Slide, relaxing at the cabin, and finally BBQ’ing. Instead of dining out most nights, we actually opted for BBQ’ing at the cabin, which turned out to be an excellent choice! We made grilled chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers and corn and enjoyed it while looking out over the water. It was absolutely perfect and delicious!

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IMG_8805The rest of the trip was spent doing a mixture of relaxing and activities.

We hiked 2 other trails, including part of the Pacific Crest Trail. (This trail goes from Mexico all the way to Canada!!!)

IMG_8849One of the other highlights of the trip was taking Oscar out on the paddleboard! He was super scared at first, but after we were out on the water for a while, he started to enjoy it. He even tried walking around the paddle board, which made balancing really difficult for Charlie (haha!).

IMG_8855IMG_8859I can’t get over how cute he looks out there!!!

Overall, this was the best vacation I’ve been on in a LONG time. Big Bear Lake has quickly become one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited. I am a lake girl through and through. Couple that with the gorgeous views, endless hiking, and a fairly un-plugged town, and its everything I could ever want or need.

This trip also did more for me than I expected. I’ve taken many short weekend trips or longer family trips over the last 4-5 years, but no real vacation. This vacation changed something in me. It was the first time I had truly unplugged and just enjoyed nature in a longgggg time. I came back with a renewed sense of “living” and what it really means. I’m feeling more inclined to say YES to many things I turned down in the past. I want to experience and explore more than I did before. I feel like a new person and I’m so, so glad we took this trip!

Now I just need to figure out how and when I can get back….

Until then, here are some more pictures from the trip:

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Question of the Day

1. When is the last time you took a real vacation? Do you have anything planned for this summer?

Big Bear + NOW Foods Review!

Hey guys!

Sorry for the disappearing act! Work got really busy + I was getting ready to head out for vacation, so the blog got pushed to the wayside. Tis’ life! But I’m here now, so let’s get right to it!

I’m currently on my first REAL vacation in about 4 years and I couldn’t be happier. Yes, I do lots of quick weekend trips, but this time we decided to really relax and get out of town for a whole week. We went to Big Bear Lake last year for a day and a half and I basically fell in love with it instantly, so we’re back!

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How could I not with a view like that? Wakeboarding, hiking, beautiful weather, gorgeous lake, and with the people (and pup) I love! I love the mountains and being outdoors, so this is the perfect place for me. It’s also only about 2 hours away from Los Angeles, so it’s a quick and easy trip.

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Whenever I head out for a trip, I like to bring a mixture of bars, protein powders, and of course, necessary items like sunscreen and lotions. Per this post, it helps me in a pinch and it’s nice to have some healthy stuff with me wherever I go.

I met the folks from NOW Foods at BLEND this year and they were nice enough to send me an AWESOME package with some really useful stuff! It’s great for every day life, but has made my vacation so much easier too!

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Check this out:

  • Plant Protein Complex
  • Probiotics
  • Garlic Infused Coconut Oil
  • B-12 Energy Packets
  • Vitamin D-3 lotion
  • Toffee Caramel Fudge Whey Protein Powder Packets
  • Bug Ban
  • Energy Nut Mix
  • Organic Toasted Hemp Seeds
  • Farro
  • Avocado Oil

So much good stuff, right?! Here’s what I’m loving so far on this trip:

The Probiotics and B12 Energy Packets

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These are so, so convenient! They are in powder form and easily mix with a glass of water. I’ve been mixing the B12 energy packets in my water first thing in the morning. B-12 has many benefits, but what I like most is that it helps keep a steady level of energy + keeps you alert and awake! I’ve been mixing the Probiotic packets in my water bottle that I carry around with me as well. It’s flavorless too, so it’s an easy drink and a great way to keep my gut in check while I’m eating my way through Big Bear!

Bug Ban

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ROOKIE MISTAKE. We are staying at a cabin right along the water and if you’ve ever been up in the mountains, you know that BUGS are EVERYWHERE. Our first night here, we left the patio door open all evening long (order cymbalta). We walked back in the house to bugs flying around everywhere! We tried turning the lights off in the house and keeping them on outside, but it didn’t really help much. Being the huge bug-phobe that I am, I sprayed this stuff generously all over myself so that at least if they were in the house, they’d stay away from me! I was surprised to see that it actually worked! Ha! SO glad I brought this with me! #lifesaver

 

Raw Energy Mix

IMG_8645When we got into town on Monday, we had a few hours to go before our check-in at the cabin. I suggested we go on a hike. We brought some of this with us and ate it at the top of the mountain. It was a hit! The bag may or may not be almost gone already.

Vitamin D-3 Cream IMG_8648This has been another lifesaver out here! I’ve been in the sun basically since we got into town, and have been lathering this on throughout the day. It smells AMAZING (it has a light citrusy scent) and really has been keeping my skin nice and moist, even though it’s pretty dry up here.

Toffee Caramel Fudge Whey Protein Isolate

IMG_8646This is hands-down one of my favorite protein powders now! As you may have noticed, I don’t discriminate and I like to try different brands and flavors. This one is definitely going into my rotation! I have now used it for a protein shake and protein pancake, and it was delicious in both cases!

Garlic Infused Coconut Oil

IMG_8743I’ll be honest, when I saw this, my first reaction was that I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I always associate coconut oil as a “sweet” flavor, so I was a little bit confused at first. I decided to try it with some chicken (pictured on the left above), and I’m so happy I did! The garlic flavor is light and you get a really good “sweet and savory” flavor combo with this coconut oil! This is definitely staying in my kitchen!

Overall, I’m so, so happy with these products! Everything seems to be well thought out, their ingredients are good, and the company is constantly coming up with new products for their customers.

If you want to check out more NOW products, visit their website or follow them on Twitter and Instagram (@NOWFoods)!

I’m going to get back to enjoying this amazing weather and view. I’ll have a full recap of the trip when I get back. Having so much fun! Catch you guys later!

Questions of the Day

1. Have you ever been to Big Bear?

2. What’s your favorite vacation spot?

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Switching Gears

Hey people!

I’m not sure why, but I had a realllllllly hard time saying goodbye to the weekend yesterday. I worked most of Saturday, so that may have added to it, but I definitely feel like I could have used a 3 day weekend!

I’m heading to Big Bear next week, so I won’t complain. A whole week in the mountains is going to be amazing!

Switching Gears

Thank you all for the emails and comments I received on this post. It was a fun experiment and I’m excited to do more in the future!

With that said, for the time being, I’m going to switch back to heavy lifting for a few months. Not only do I love it, but I’ve been really itching to do a powerlifting competition lately! I’d like to start training more for that and sign up for one later in the year. I thought about doing a local one next month (and still might, just to get my feet wet), but being that I just got my wisdom teeth out (and my workouts have been mellow since Wednesday), and that I’ll be in the mountains next week, I’d really only have about 18 days to prepare. At the same time, it’s not sanctioned, so I still may do it just to get some practice!

Workouts for the Week

This is tentative, but here’s what I have planned for this week

Monday: Kettle Bell Conditioning (workout below) + Upper Body Push

Tuesday: Legs (focus: squats & hip thrusts)

Wednesday: Upper Body Pull + Sprints

Thursday: Legs (focus: deadlifts)

Friday: Upper Body

Saturday: OFF

Sunday: Legs

If you’re looking for something quick to change up your workouts or to add some conditioning into your current program, try this:

Kettle Bell Conditioning: Perform Circuit Style for 5 Rounds

  • 10 KB Cleans
  • 10 KB Snatches
  • 15 KB Swings

Question of the Day

1. What’s your favorite way to train? For power? strength? aesthetics?

10 Random Things This Week

Hey guys!

Hope your day is treating you well. I had my wisdom teeth out yesterday, and am actually not in too much pain. I wasn’t sure if I’d be up and about today, but it turns out I’m feeling pretty good. I was feeling a little cabin fever yesterday, even though I was only at home for a few hours. I guess when it feels like I can’t go anywhere, it makes me want to leave!

I thought it’d be fun to share 10 random things this week, so here goes!

1. I had never been put under before until yesterday when I got my wisdom teeth out. I was definitely nervous, but it was super easy. The best part: the videos that were taken of me right after I woke up. Apparently I also Face Timed everyone in my family and they are now wishing they could have recorded those!

2. I made this delicious smoothie this morning since I can’t really eat much solid food. It was SO GOOD. I posted the recipe on my instagram.

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3. I’m going to Big Bear in 2 weeks and I’m SO excited. Here are a few photos from last year. This year we’re going for 5 days instead of 2. I can’t wait to wakeboard, hike, and enjoy the fresh mountain air!

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4. My brother and dad are coming out to visit me for Father’s Day weekend. I love visiting them, but it’s also really nice when they come to visit me! I can’t wait to hang out with them at the beach!

Hanging with my little big bro!!!

5. I decided to take Oscar to the dog park for 15 minutes yesterday before my surgery. It had rained a bit the day before, and Oscar found a puddle of mud to play in.

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Needless to say, I had to take him straight to the pet store to get him a bath after this because there was no WAY I was bringing him into the house. Puppies!

6. I already mapped out my next workout challenge (it’s 30 days this time). I’m going to start it right after I get back from Big Bear. I’ll share it with you guys in the next few weeks!

7. I’ve been using Gnarly Nutrition’s Chiseled Chocolate Grass-Fed Whey and am LOVING it. It tastes delicious and is really good quality. I first got to try it at BLEND Retreat, and the folks at Gnarly were kind enough to send me a full tub of it. I’m definitely going to continue buying this! I can’t wait to start cooking with it as well.

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8. I ate a glazed donut the other day and it was SOOOOO good. Haha. I haven’t had donuts in a while, but it looked good the other day. Since then, I decided that I think I need to eat them more often. #iifym #donutstopme

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9. I saw these two memes in my Facebook feed the other day and had to save them. I love these!

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10. Random picture of Oscar’s cute face…..because puppies.

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Full Review: 21 Day Clutch {progress pictures}

So, much to my surprise when I woke up today, it wasn’t Friday. For whatever reason, yesterday felt like a Thursday for me and my week now feels discombobulated.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY

On another note, I’m getting my wisdom teeth out today. TERRIFIED, although I’m sure it won’t be that bad. (right? RIGHT?!) I’ll be sure to fill you all in afterwards (aka, I’ll share my chipmunk cheek photos with you for your viewing pleasure).

21 Day Clutch Review

bodybuilding.com

Photo Credit: Bodybuilding.com

I finished up the 21 Day Clutch as part of the FitLizzio Experiment! I’m soooo excited to give you all the details about this, so let’s get right to it!

The Program: 21 Day Clutch by Ashley Conrad

Program Length: 21 Days

Intensity: Hard

Workouts per Week: 5

Average Workout Length: 45-60 minutes

Overall Score (1-10): 7

Starting Weight: 152.9

Ending Weight: 149.1

THE WORKOUTS

This program had a mixture of lifting days and cardio days, with 2 rest days each week. The lifting days were full body workouts to be done circuit style. The cardio days were HIIT sessions that lasted anywhere from 15-25 minutes with an ab routine at the end.

Success rate: 99%. I stuck to all of the workouts and didn’t miss a single one. I did my own stretching and foam rolling (instead of what was prescribed), and added a barbell to the body weight squats to make it harder.

Likes:

-The workouts kicked my butt. I always left the gym a sweaty mess!

-You can day anything for 21 days. I liked that this program wasn’t something I had to commit to for a REALLY long time.

-While there was a small amount of steady state cardio that was recommended (but as an option), the cardio days were based around doing sprints on the treadmill. I agree with this philosophy and feel that it is the most effective way to improve your cardiovascular health as well as lose fat.

-I plan peppering both the lifting and HIIT workouts into my regular workout schedule about once per week.

Dislikes:

-The lifting workouts stayed the same throughout the entire program. I would have welcomed a little bit of variety.

DIET

I followed the diet to a T for 7 days, but found that it just wasn’t enough food for me. Ashley recommends 1/2 gram of Carbs per pound of body weight (for me, that’s only 75 grams per day!), 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (150g=good), and 1/2 gram of fat per pound of body weight (75g=good). While I had intended to follow this plan exactly, it just wasn’t doable for me. I am up at 5:30am and work 12-13 hour days sometimes. I workout, work, train clients, and chase a dog around throughout the day, so I’m very active. 1300 calories per day and such a low amount of carbohydrates wasn’t sufficient. Instead, I stuck to my own macro-nutrient numbers: 150g Protein, 60g Fat, 190g Carbs per day, with slightly less on rest days.

Likes:

-While the first 7 days I followed the exact foods that the 21 Day Clutch called for, by Day 8 I realized that it was also a macro-nutrient based diet, so I could swap out foods for other foods with similar macro-nutrient values: SCORE! Considering that’s also my philosophy when it comes to dieting, I went with that and made the adjustments I mentioned above.

Dislikes:

-Not enough food. I’m 5’7 and it suggested I eat 1300 calories per day. As I mentioned above, this isn’t nearly enough on a day I’m working out.

-The diet seemed like a “quick fix” type of diet, which I do understand. It’s laid out to be a 21 day turnaround, so to see big results that quickly, requires drastic measures. However, I prefer a plan that leads to a sustainable lifestyle and this didn’t seem sustainable to me. It’s also possible to see results without being too crazy about it (see below).

PROGRESS:

At some points throughout the last 21 days, I felt that my body was changing. Other times, I couldn’t tell. I have had several people tell me my upper body is leaning out a lot, so I figured something must be happening and I just continued to trust the process. I took my 2nd set of progress pictures yesterday and was surprised to see the changes:

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It’s funny how seeing yourself every day can skew your view of changes that are happening. I’m definitely happy with the results!

I haven’t decided what my next installment of the FitLizzio Experiment will be, but I’m going to be scouting that out over the next few days. I’ll likely go back to lifting heavy weights for a few weeks (and incorporating the 21 Day Clutch HIIT workouts, too!) before starting my next experiment.

Question of the Day

1. What programs have you done that you like?

2. Checkout the programs on BodyBuilding.com. Anything in particular you’d like me to try next??

FitLizzio Experiment UPDATE + Weekend Fun

Hey, HEY!

How’s your Monday treating you?

Mine is quite divine if I may say so! I LOVE productive Mondays because they set the tone for the week.

I trained a client early this morning, got my own workout in, and then got started on work. It’s a busy time for us right now, so I’m being very diligent about keeping lists and calendars to make sure I get everything done on time.

FitLizzio Experiment – Day 20

Guys, I am almost done with the 21 Day Clutch! It’s been a really fun experience and I can’t wait to give you a FULL recap (progress photos and all) this week!

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Remember when I said I didn’t really like the workouts? Well, I’ve been getting more accustomed to them. They’re still not my favorite way to push myself, but I’ve come to enjoy them. I’ll likely continue to do them once per week when I’m finished with the program.

Which brings me to my next thought: Sticking with something. It’s interesting to me how my attitude towards the program has morphed over the last 20 days. I’ve gone from super stoked, to somewhat bored, to seeing results and getting excited, to wondering how to incorporate this way of training into my regular training schedule. Total 180, right?!

It proves that even though something might not SEEM like the right thing, if you stick with it, it might just become something you like. While sometimes that won’t be the case, it is something I will keep in mind going forward.

This is by far my favorite part about doing challenges. I love learning new things and seeing what I’m capable of doing. I love finding out more about myself. It’s amazing how much we don’t know! You always hear that you learn about yourself when you push yourself outside of your comfort zone, but it’s a really hard concept to grasp until you do it. I haven’t pushed myself outside of my comfort zone in far too long when it comes to working out, so this was really fun and motivating.

Look out for a post in the next few days for #allthethings related to the first installment of the FitLizzio Experiment: 21 Day Clutch.

Weekend Fun

This past weekend, my friend Torri and I launched Rockstar Fitnessâ„¢ Boot Camp! Quest Nutrition was our sponsor and it was SUCH a fun day! Our class went really well and everyone loved it! I can’t wait for next Saturday!

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Special RSF Gift Bags from Quest!

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Rockstar Fitnessâ„¢ Boot Camp in action!

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Wall balls!

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Our OFFICIAL Mascot: Oscar the Boxer

Our crazy group!

The rest of the weekend wasn’t quite as exciting, but was just what I needed: time with my pup, time with my man, and relaxation.

We went to breakfast at IHOP on Sunday morning (and of course, we brought Oscar).

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We followed that up with coffee, of course, and then decided to hang out by the pool for a bit.

It was a perfect day outside!

Afterwards, we went and saw Spy with Melissa McCarthy and Jason Statham. SO funny! I love MM and both Charlie and I really enjoyed it.

We came home and watched a few episodes of Better Call Saul (we just started it…so far so good!) while we ate dinner, and then I was so exhausted that I headed straight to bed.

THE END.

Question of the Day

1. What do you LOVE about boot camps?

2. What do you HATE about boot camps?

5 Ways to Love the Skin You’re In {My Story}

*If you are sensitive to or think a post about disordered eating/a poor relationship with food may be a trigger for you, please skip this post.

I’ve spoken about it on the blog before, but in case you’re new around here, let me give you a little background about me.

At the end of 2008, I got the wild idea to compete in an NPC Competition in the Bikini division. I actually really wanted to compete in the Figure division, but I had only been working out for 2 years and didn’t have much muscle mass. I spent from January – July training, doing a bunch of cardio, and dieting for the competition. The results were really good.

progress pictures

December 2008 – 147 pounds

progress pictures

July 2009 – 123 pounds (i’m 5’8)

I placed 2nd in my first show, got instantly hooked on the stage high and decided to compete again 5 weeks later. I placed 5th at that show, although there were definite politics med-blog (as there always will be in the fitness industry).

From there, everything basically went to shit.

I had been dieting for 7 months at this point, and my will-power was wavering. I had made so many foods “off limits” that eating even just a bite of something that I had labeled “bad” set me off in a spiral. I had failed and therefore, I might as well throw this day in the trash and eat my face off.

This happened every now and then. But it started to become more frequent. I was literally spinning out of control and felt that I couldn’t stop myself.

I’d feel guilty and terrible after spending my day eating junk food, and try to make up for it by doing endless cardio (I once ran 10 miles on a treadmill to try to counteract what I had eaten the day before), and restricting my food even more. I would literally try to not eat all day or to eat as few carbs as possible. It was awful.

The cycle continued on for over a year and I was becoming depressed, gaining weight (I was bigger than I’d ever been in my life) and feeling completely lost. I thought for sure that this was how my life would be forever.

This was my heaviest. I wasn't that big, but for my body, it was way bigger than I'd ever been. I don't even recognize myself in this photo.

This was my heaviest. I weighed 163. I wasn’t that big, but for my body, it was way bigger than I’d ever been. I don’t even recognize myself in this photo.

It wasn’t until about 2010 that I started to “figure it out”. I can’t remember or pinpoint what exactly changed, but I do remember that I decided that there was nothing I could do about the weight I had gained and that I might as well be happy with the way I looked and work on myself from there, rather than missing what I had before. It was kind of like a bad breakup. I had to make the concerted effort to move on, in order to actually do so. While my mind wasn’t healthy, my body was, I could still workout like a beast, and I tried to really force myself to believe I was still beautiful, even though I was 25 pounds heavier than I was when I stepped on stage.

I decided to let myself eat what I wanted to eat. I still kept track of what I ate (and still do to this day), but if I wanted to eat a previously labeled “bad” food, I would eat it. At first, you better believe that I didn’t have any control. It wasn’t like I woke up one day and all my troubles went away.

It took me almost 2 years to rid myself of the horrible relationship with food I had. You see, over time, it became easier to eat just 1 cookie, or have just 1 small bowl of ice cream. It became easier to put the bag of chips away before they were all gone.

In 2012, I did something even more drastic. I gave up cardio.

I had known that doing a bunch of cardio wasn’t necessary, but I couldn’t really let myself believe it. I somehow, even though I knew better, still led myself to believe that I NEEDED to do cardio almost every day.

The funny thing that happened through all of this, with allowing myself to eat whatever I wanted and giving up cardio, is that I started to lose weight.

I wasn’t even trying, and yet, my clothes were fitting better and I could see more lines in my body.

Oddly enough, when I allowed “bad” foods back into my life, I realized that I didn’t actually like to eat junk food all that much. I’m much happier eating healthy proteins, fruit, vegetables, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and many other healthy foods. Did I still like having frozen yogurt every now and then? Absolutely. But I didn’t feel the need to have it all the time. And more importantly, I could eat it without feeling like I needed more, more, more.

Giving up cardio was tough at first, but I started getting stronger. My weight training was improving, I was lifting heavier weights, and my body was leaning out.

What makes this most interesting to me is that I would advise my clients to do EXACTLY what I had finally started doing myself. I KNEW it was the best formula for years, yet, I couldn’t heed my own advice.

Because I was messed up. I had a full-blown eating disorder, hidden from the world (only not really), and felt that there was no way out.

Here I am in 2015, and I have a great relationship with food. I now train to get stronger. I do HIIT a few times a week for conditioning, because I want a strong heart. I now eat to feed my inner badass. To feed the superhero, workout warrior that I feel like I am. And sometimes? I eat because I have a craving. I no longer set myself up for failure, which I was inadvertently doing from January 2009 – August 2009.

On the blog at FitLizzio.com. Progress pics + workouts for the week.

March 2015 151 pounds

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May 2015 – 148 lbs

Shoulders are growing. WOOHOO!! Happy Friday!Large Blog ImageNew blog post is up on FitLizzio.com. I'm on my soap box today talking about how you can stop saying I CAN'T....and start doing more than you thought possible....link in profile.

I eat what I want, when I want for the most part. Of course, I still have goals and I still am working towards a leaner body. But I’m patient. And I know that restrict, restrict, restrict is NOT the answer for me. So I’m allowing myself to slowly get to where I want to be. And I’m enjoying foods that satisfy me along the way. There is nothing wrong with having weight loss goals, but how you go about them is extremely important. I learned the hard way.

This is part of the reason I feel that I can connect with so many others that are trying to lose weight. I’ve been where you are. I’ve been through A LOT. And on top of that, I’ve been educating myself for almost 10 years about nutrition, weight loss, strength training, sports specific training and cardiovascular health.

With that said, here are 5 Ways to Love the Skin You’re In..and let go of your poor relationship with food.

1. Stop labeling foods. This was by far the worst thing I’ve ever done. Processed food isn’t BAD. If you ONLY eat processed foods? It’s probably not a good thing, but having some Cheetos or a Twix bar every now and then is totally fine. In fact, I encourage people to eat at least SOME kind of treat each day. It helps keep wild cravings from coming on. (And yes, you can still do this even while you’re trying to lose fat.)

2. Be happy where you are. This was the biggest part of my recovery. I reminded myself EVERY time I looked in the mirror to be happy with where I was today and to know I could only improve from there on out. You only have one body, and treating it poorly both mentally and physically will not help you. By treating your body like a temple and keeping your thoughts about your body positive, you will have a better chance at starting to believe those thoughts. By repeating this to myself DAILY, sometimes HOURLY, I actually started to believe it. I started feeling comfortable with myself once again.

3. Make your goals fitness-based. The weight loss will follow. When I stopped working out to lose weight and started working out to be more fit, be the warrior I felt like inside, get stronger, run faster….I actually started losing weight. My fitness goals now are to get stronger. I want to squat 200lbs, I want to deadlift 300 lbs, and I want to Hip Thrust 400 lbs. Whether you want to accomplish a big goal like running a faster 5k, or just complete a small goal like getting in more reps today than you did yesterday, you will feel gratitude each time you hit those goals and start feeling more positive in the gym. It doesn’t mean you can’t strive to lose weight, but don’t let it be your main focus. Let it be the side effect of your goals.

4. Be mindful of what you eat. This doesn’t just mean to try to eat healthy foods when you can. This also means that sometimes, having a cookie IS the right answer. Sometimes an extra serving of ice cream is OK. Just not every day. Over time, as you start to develop a better relationship with food, you will find that you trust yourself with food and won’t feel the need to eat #allthecookies. You will start to know when you REALLY want a cookie and you’ll pass on them when it just doesn’t feel necessary. (If you would have told me this a few years ago, I would have told you that it isn’t possible. Your mind tricks you into thinking that you will never be able to think like a “normal” person when it comes to food. I assure you, it is possible.)

5. Let go of the guilt. Whether you are currently struggling or have struggled in the past, let go of the guilt. You are NOT a failure. You are NOT a loser. You just got caught up in an unfortunate situation. No matter how you got there, remind yourself that you don’t have to stay there. Even when it feels like there is no way out, THERE IS. If you don’t feel that you can do it on your own, reach out to someone. There are many people out there JUST LIKE YOU that can help you deal with and overcome your issues.

 I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments, but if you’d rather speak privately, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]

Day in the Life III

Happy Wednesday peeps!

I can’t believe it’s already Wednesday? When did that happen? Or the fact that it’s June??

Annnnyways, the days seem to be flying by and I realized I hadn’t done a Day in the Life post in a while.

I made notes in my phone all day Monday so I could share what a typical day looks like for me lately:

5:45am: Alarm goes off

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6:00am: Get out of bed, start the coffee, start getting ready.

6:34am: Gather my things and head to my personal training client’s house.

6:45am: I see this and can’t help but laugh. Someone really loves Jesus (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but the sticker overload cracked me up!)

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6:58am: Arrive at my client’s house and we go walk on the beach and do some exercises. The view is awesome!

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8:04am: Leave client’s house and head to the gym for a workout

8:16am: Arrive at the gym, set up my equipment and GO

9:01am: DONE, I grab a coffee and head home. (yup, that’s two coffees before 9am)

9:30am: Google Hangout meeting with my team

10:00am: Make some breakfast (I made a Chia Seed Protein Pancake and a banana) and start work, work, working away while I eat it.

protein pancake

11:45am: Quick Phone Meeting

12:06pm: I take Oscar to the park by my house for 15 minutes so he calms down.

12:24pm: I’m starving, so I run to Whole Foods on the way home to get in on some hot bar action. I get steamed kabocha squash, skirt steak, bell peppers, and a kombucha of course.

12:35pm: I head to the gym to work in the office. (sometimes I need to get OUT of the house to get work done and other times I need to be AT my house to get work done).

12:42pm: I get to the gym, open my laptop, and continue on with the work train. I brought Oscar with me today because I felt bad leaving him at home (dog mom guilt). He hangs out under the desk while I work.

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2:00pm: I take a break to train a client and take Oscar for a quick walk .

3:00pm: Back in the office and back to work. I send a bunch of emails, work on putting together a big project I’m working on, and update our social media page.

4:11pm: Oscar is tired of the gym, so back home we go to get more work done!

4:26pm: We arrive back at home, I open up my laptop again and….you guessed it…continue working! Someone is tired from the long work day and takes a nap behind me. 🙂IMG_8420

5:40pm: I’m hungry. I send a few more e-mails and whip up a quick dinner of chicken with BBQ sauce, broiled green beans and ketchup, and another kombucha. #no-breastcancer

It's kombucha o'clock!! My favorite time of day.

6:18pm: I start writing this blog post, send a few more work emails, and turn on FBI Files (it’s on Netflix. If you like Forensic Files, you will like this).

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7:33pm: I write another FitLizzio blog post, and finish up an article for another client.

8:15pm: I consider going to bed, but can’t seem to stop watching FBI Files, so I start browsing Facebook and mindlessly surf the interwebs.

9:45pm: I finally decide to get in bed. I grab my iPad and start working on a puzzle (if you didn’t know, I’m 95 years old deep down and I LOVE jigsaw puzzles. I have a Jigsaw puzzle app on my iPad and am obsessed).

10:17pm: Charlie gets home and I promptly fall asleep.

THE END

Question of the Day

What is one cool or unique thing that happened on Monday?

 

Traveling? 6 Tips to Stay on Track with your Health and Fitness Goals

If you know me at all, you know that I love to travel! Since I work A LOT, I have to be very creative in my travel plans, but I still make room for a quick escape at least once a month!

In the last 3 months, I’ve been to Scottsdale twice, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Salt Lake City, Boulder, and Las Vegas. (Woah, writing that out makes me wonder how I did all of that myself!)

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When I travel, I like to enjoy myself, but I don’t like to throw myself completely off track from my health and fitness goals. I work way too hard in the gym and the kitchen to throw it all away on a few days of vacation. I also don’t want to be the girl with chicken and broccoli in her suitcase (been there, done that), so I’ve had to find ways to be creative when I travel.

Here are 6 Tips to Staying on Track with your Health and Fitness Goals while you’re traveling!

1. Pack some healthy snacks. Whenever I’m leaving for a trip, I always pack Quest bars, some protein powder (and a shaker bottle), and some Justin’s peanut or almond butter packets. This way, I always have a snack if I get hungry and it’s not time for a meal. Depending on where I am, I don’t always have control of the snacks on hand, so I like to keep something in my purse in case my options are slim. Perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

2. Build your meal around protein. When you go out to eat with friends or family, you don’t have to order the plain chicken breast with steamed green beans (although if it’s not a restaurant I’m super excited about, I definitely do that. I’d rather splurge on something that I REALLY want instead of loading up on calories for a food I’m indifferent about.). I’ll typically choose a protein (steak, chicken, or fish), and build my meal around that. Sometimes I’ll try to stay really healthy and do a salad with meat, some type of healthy fat (avocado, cheese, oil), and lots of vegetables with dressing on the side so that I can control the amount used. Other times I’ll be more lenient and go for a meat, a side of vegetables, and a 2nd side that isn’t as healthy, like sweet potato fries or something similar. It all depends on the restaurant for me and I choose based on how healthy I want to be and how much I like the restaurant.

For your enjoyment.

Protein & Carbs. 😀

3. Splurge when it’s worth it. I’m a big fan of not missing out on the things you really love. For example, when I go to Arizona and visit my favorite restaurant, White Chocolate Grill, I have to get the White Chocolate Brownie. I’m fairly sure it’s at least 2,000 calories, but I just take a few bites (which is plenty) and satisfy my craving. Because I know I want this dessert, I make sure to choose a healthy entree. There are some instances where I’d rather skip dessert and eat french fries or macaroni and cheese, so I’ll allow myself to splurge on my side dish, and choose other healthy options for the rest of my meal.

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4. Workout. Regardless of where I go, I always find time to get a work out in at least every other day. This helps me get into a healthy mindset for the day and I always feel better after a great workout. If I can’t make it to a gym or a mountain to hike, I wrote a book with 25 workouts you can do anywhere in 20 minutes, so I’ll choose one of those and bust it out in someone’s living room or backyard. (like I did in Boulder a few weeks ago!)

rockstar fitness

5. Walk, walk, walk. (and take the stairs). When I’m traveling, I always try to “lifercise” as my dad calls it. This means walking instead of driving when possible. Taking the stairs. Carrying the heavy groceries or bags. Basically, if you can make it harder, do it. That sounds counter-intuitive to being efficient, but it’s a great way to sneak in some extra exercise throughout the day.

Practicing Yoga...err something..

Or do yoga outside of the airport…..

6. Research. If you’re going to a new city, research your options before you arrive so you have some idea of places you’d like to go. I used to be the person that would stay quiet when everyone started talking about where they wanted to eat. I’d end up at a restaurant that was a little-higher-end-than-KFC-but-not-much and find myself with very few options. While sometimes that WILL be the case (in which you just enjoy the fried chicken and move on with your life), if you have some ideas and vocalize said ideas, often times you’ll be able to try out some of the restaurants you’d be hoping to visit during your stay.

Question of the Day

What is something that you do to stay healthy while traveling?

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