Tag Archive for fitfluential

Weekend Recap + Progress Pics

lean shoulders

It’s March!! My favorite month of the year! Not only because my birthday is this month, but also because it means that spring is coming! We’ve had quite the rough winter here in Santa Monica. 😉

Weekend Recap

I had a great long weekend with my family last week. I was sad to go, but I’ll be back soon! Being able to work remotely definitely has it’s perks. I’m elavilnews to have a job that allows me to travel and still work.

I didn’t take many photos during my trip, but here are a few highlights:

kombucha

Kombucha on tap at LGO

arizona sunset

A perfect AZ sunset.

nephew

Progress

I’m sure some of you are wondering how my 12 week plan is going, so here’s a little update:

I’m still loving this and it will likely just be what I do from here on out. The flexibility of counting macros is great, and allows me to stay on plan pretty much anywhere. I traveled last week, which is usually a dieting nightmare, but since my plan doesn’t call for specific foods, and rather a macronutrient count, I was still able to stay on track for the most part. I did have some extras here and there, but I planned on that and it isn’t something that is going to stall my progress (at least I hope not).

It isn’t easy every day, and some days it’s tough, but compared to anything I’ve ever done in the past, it’s extremely easy. I’m getting more and more used to it each day and finding it to be easier when I’m able to plan my days ahead of time. Just need to get better about actually doing that. 😉

Here are some photos that I took over the weekend. I’m really happy with the changes I’m seeing in my body!

lean shoulders

My shoulders are definitely leaner than when I started this!

leaning outStill have a ways to go, but I’m seeing more lines. 🙂

Workouts this Week

Monday: 20 min. Conditioning (KB Cleans, KB Snatches, Barbell Complexes, Burpee Box Jumps) + Chest/Abs

Tuesday: Crossfit

Wednesday: Legs

Thursday: 20 min. HIIT + Shoulders

Friday: Back

Saturday: Rest Day

Sunday: Full Body

As always, my workouts are subject to change, but this is my tentative plan for the week.

Q’s:

1. What is your dream job?

2. Which workout are you most looking forward to this week?

It’s Never Too Late

WoohoO! We made it to Friday!

I had a late-ish night last night, but only because I was hanging out with this stud muffin:

Love this little guy! :)I drank a lot of coffee today when I got up and spent this morning on back to back to back to back phone calls and am now working on emails on emails on emails. 0_o

(Oh, by the way, just a heads up! I’m doing something cool with my subscribers to help them reach their goals. If you’re curious about it, subscribe to my e-mail list and I’ll send you the info. I promise I’m not an annoying e-mailer and if you hate me, you can always unsubscribe. ;-))

[yks-mailchimp-list id=”dabf2aeddd” submit_text=”Subscribe!”]

Anyways, as I was saying….I’m pretty buried today with work, but I’m hoping to crack it out in record time. When I’m in the zone, I can work pretty quickly, so I’m hoping I can get IN THE ZONE today. I took a break to blog because after being on so many phone calls, my mind just needs a minute.

It’s Never Too Late

I was recently talking to a friend of mine who is in her early 40’s and we were discussing workouts and fitness (shocker, right?). She asked me what I do for workouts and how I got my bubble butt, and so we started talking about my training. I was explaining some of the exercises I do, that I lift heavy, that I do some conditioning, and that I just stay consistent with my training. She stopped me and said to me “geez, i wish I could do that. If I was your age, I’d start training with you!”.

This woman is in decent shape, does a lot of cardio, and doesn’t have any physical disabilities, so I looked at her and said, why can’t you start now? She gave me the usual response/excuse of being too old, not having time, blah blah blah. I told her that ANYONE can start somewhere and that it’s never too late to start something new. She didn’t seem convinced, so we continued chatting.

I told her I didn’t get to deadlifting 225 overnight. It took me a lonngggggg time to build up to that. YEARS. Lifting heavy means something different for everyone, so I clarified to her that my  heavy weights are not going to be her heavy weights and that all she has to do is pick up weights that feel heavy to HER.

We discussed this for a bit and she finally started to get motivated. I could see it in her eyes that she finally believed that she probably could do that. She started getting excited and I gave her a few exercises, resources, and training tips to work on, and that she should email me in a few weeks to let me know how it’s going. She left the gym with a twinkle in her eye and I’m excited to see how it goes for her.

This completely made my day and was something I knew I wanted to share with my readers. I get into conversations just like this quite often. For some reason, someone along the way told us that our age and/or timing were the end-all-be-all for starting something new. That if you didn’t do it at a certain time or did it “too late in life” that you couldn’t do that.

….And some of us actually believe that.

That is SOOOO far from the truth. You can start ANYTHING you want at any age barring any true barriers. Look at all of the people that go back to school for their master’s degrees at 40, 50, even 60 years old. Why should training be any different? You don’t have to do what you’ve always done. It’s 2015, and almost everything is acceptable now, people. If something looks interesting, exciting, fun, or just intriguing to you….TRY IT. Know who you are and where you are in your fitness level, and just start from there. You have nobody to compete against except for yourself and when you start to notice that you’re improving, it’s a really amazing feeling.

I encourage anyone that has ever thought it was “too late” to try something new, to take the first step. Take a free fitness class, do an intro session with a personal trainer, or walk into the weight room for the first time (I promise, everyone in there is too focused on themselves to be watching you).

IT ISN’T TOO LATE. Take advantage of where you are now, and start doing something you’ve always wanted to try.

The Real Workout Starts When You Want To Stop + FitLizzio.com

Q’s:

1. What’s something new that you’ve tried recently?

2. Have you ever tried something you thought you’d love and ended up hating it after you tried it?

HIIT On! and a Thought for Today…

Hey from AZ!

I flew in super early yesterday morning and it all just feels like a whirlwind. My first stop was here:

Obvious first stop upon arriving to AZ. COFFEE TIME!!!They make their almond milk fresh here and it is SO SO good. I get my usual stop-acne-meds (americano with steamed almond milk), and it never disappoints. Just wish they had this in Cali!!

I spent most of the day yesterday working, got to see some family and friends, did a leg workout, and then slept like a baby last night. You know when your entire day feels like two days combined? Yeah, it was like that.

IMG_6825

This morning I headed back to the gym to get a quick HIIT session in before I started working for the day.

In case you want to try it, here it is:

HIIT ON Workout

It was pretty brutal for me today, but I could also tell I was extra tired. This brings me to my thought for the day.

Something to Think About:

There are some days that I get in the gym and I’m just ON. The workout is fun, I feel strong, good, and everything just seems to fall into place. Then there are days where I just flat out feel like dog shit. I don’t want to move, everything feels heavier, and it just sucks. I used to beat myself up about it and feel like I was weak or just not trained enough, but luckily these days I’ve found a way past that.

Instead of feeling bad about myself for it, I now just accept what the day will be. Just like this morning, when I feel weak, tired, or just off, I do the best that I can for that day and know that everyday won’t always be like that. I don’t feel bummed out for not being able to do what I did the week before or even a few days before, I just remember that there are days like this and I have to push myself to TODAY’S limits. Reminding myself of that has helped me immensely with the brain game factor of training (which is a biggggggg part of training).

Question for the day:

1. When you have off days, what do you do about it?

Stop Saying You CAN’T…

There’s so much I have to say about this topic, so I’m just going to ramble through it and hopefully you get something out of it.

Saying I can’t…

We all do it. All of us. I’m the type of person that tries not to set limits for myself, and I do truly believe that I can do anything I put my mind to, but I STILL find myself, at times, saying…I CAN’T.

Oddly enough, the most often setting that I use those words happens to be when I’m working out.

“I can’t lift that much weight”

“I can’t run that fast”

“I can’t jump that high”

I try not to do it, but i totally do. It’s a hard habit to break and sometimes it can be really hard to believe that you CAN do something.

Now, before you go step in front of a 10 foot plyo box and try to jump on it from a dead stance….let me make it clear that I’m talking about realistic things here haha….so don’t go around saying that “Lizzy said I could do anything i put my mind to so I’m going to somehow get magical powers and jump on top of this monstrosity”. I’m talking about the things you truly CAN do, but may think you cannot. Now that we’re clear, let’s keep moving…

Why We Can’t

SO, why “can’t” we do things?

The #1 reason we can’t do things is because we get stuck in our own damn heads. If you can’t get past your head, you’re screwed. That thing you want to do, can’t happen. You will be unable to do that thing because your head won’t even allow you to try. You’ve told yourself you can’t, and your body and brain will follow that.  It’s just like Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or cannot, you are right.”

We tell ourselves that we can’t all the time. We stay in our comfort zones and do what we KNOW we can do.  Why? Because this way, it’s harder to fail. Failing sucks. It really, really, really SUCKS!! Sometimes it hurts physically (hello dent in my shin from “missing” a step on the bleachers), sometimes it’s just flat out embarassing, and no matter what, it makes you feel shitty. Isn’t it so much better when you do things you know you can do and accomplish them??

Well, yes and no.

Of course, it does feel good to accomplish things you know you can do….. but when you do something you originally thought you couldn’t do…and then you actually DO IT….

Holy fuck balls….THAT feels good. It feels like you’re high on drugs…it feels like you are floating on a cloud…like you can walk on water (although I don’t recommend trying that). It’s absolutely one of the best feelings in the world.

So I’m here to explain to you why you CAN. And how to get OUT of your head.

The Gray Area

When I lived in Arizona, I trained with an old power lifter guru genius type guy named Karl. We used to call him God because he was the healer and knower of everything when it came to the body. Your back hurts? He could fix it. Your legs are sore? He’ll roll them out with a PVC pipe until you cry…and until they feel better. You can’t add weight to your back squat or deadlift?….Karl fixed this too.

My experience with Karl was extremely impactful. I remember very clearly when I first started training with him.  I was always telling him what I could and couldn’t do. I think he got really sick of it, and one day he decided to do something about it.

He took me to a decline leg press and loaded it up with more plates than I could count. I looked at him for a few seconds and finally asked “are you serious?” He wasn’t smiling..he wasn’t joking…he looked at me and said “yes…now let’s do this.”

At first, I thought for sure he was just messing with me. I explained to him, once again, that there was no way on earth that I’d be able to complete even 1 rep with that weight. His response to me was “so what? try it.”

I was freaking out thinking what if I get stuck??? What will I do then??

I still felt like he was off his rocker, but when God tells you to do something, I guess you do it.

I put my feet up, lifted off, got to the bottom and sure enough, I couldn’t move. The panic set in and I looked at Karl with a look of complete and utter terror. He just sat there smiling at me and said “just let the weight go all the way down.”

WHAT? I’m going to get stuck!! (meanwhile, I’m holding up 2349083 pounds and sweating, unable to move.) Again, he said: Just let the weight go.

And so slowly, i let my knees press into my chest, as the weight went down. And suddenly, the only pressure was my knees against my chest. And the weight was quietly resting at the bottom of the leg press.

And I was fine.

I didn’t die.

I didn’t get hurt.

I didn’t get stuck.

This was my first lesson in breaking through the gray matter in my head. The gray matter… the stuff in your head that holds you back from trying, in fear of failure.

Lesson 2 came a few days later in the squat rack. He did the same thing. He set up the safety bars, loaded the bar up with more weight than I’d ever done, and told me to squat. Now, Karl knows me and knew I had good enough form and instinct that I could handle this test, and that if i couldn’t do the weight, I’d be able to get out of it unharmed. KARL KNEW THIS…but I didn’t.

Once again, I put the weight on my back, squatted down as low as I could go, tried to get back up, and NOPE. Not moving. My legs started shaking, my heart was pounding and I was looking at Karl in hopes that he would save me.

Again, he looked at me and just told me to get all the way to the floor and let the safety bars hold the weight. I did…and sat on the ground, the weight off my back and on the safety bars.

Once again,

I didn’t die

I didn’t get hurt

i didn’t get stuck.

These two lessons were soooo important in my growth as a weight lifter. I was stuck in a bubble of telling myself what I could and could not do. And while Karl was purposefully giving me weights that I could NOT do, he was teaching me that it didn’t hurt me to try. His lessons showed me that if I could just get past the gray matter in my head, and TRY to do the things that scared me, I could do them. My squat weight went up in a huge way from that point on. I went from thinking 95lbs was my max, to squatting 135 just the next week. I could only do 1 rep at that point, but I could still do it. This was about 5 years ago now, and these lessons are still something that hold true to me to this day.

A few weeks ago, I squatted 185 and deadlifted 225. Those were weights that I NEVER thought i could get to. But every week, i try to do a little bit more. Sometimes I fail and it SUCKS BALLS…but it also lights a fire in me. I remember failing at 165 several weeks ago and immediately wanting to do everything I could to break through that and squat more weight. 5 years ago, I would have just stopped and stuck to lighter weight, thinking that was all I could do….but now? Now I know that isn’t true. Now I know that if I just put in the effort day in and day out, the results will come.

I would estimate that about 75% of not being able to do something, is likely because of you. It’s most likely because you’ve told yourself that you can’t do it. This could mean that you don’t try, or it could mean that you give a little bit of effort, but give up after a while because you just don’t think you can do something.

If you can just get past that gray matter…if you can just start to try a little more, a little harder….you might be surprised at what you actually CAN do.

Now, I’m definitely not saying to go get yourself stuck in a squat rack, but I’m telling you to do a little more than you thought you could do, each time you try. This doesn’t just go for weight lifting. This goes for LIFE in general.

Whether you’re trying to start a business, get a promotion, or just lift heavier weights, do something every day to try to get a little bit better. The big goals that you don’t think you can achieve are successfully reached by the small goals that you work on day in and day out.

Start thinking with an I CAN attitude…remind yourself of the gray matter in your head, and BREAK THROUGH IT.

Your life will be infinitely better when you do.

Workout Plan for the Week

Good morning peeps!

It’s Monday and I’m definitely excited about this week. I’ve been a little down lately and Mondays help my mind reset a bit. I know that the best way to get out of a funk is to get organized, make a plan, and GSD (get shit done), so that’s exactly what I’m doing!

Monday HIIT

I got up this morning and hit the stairmill for 20 minutes of intervals to kick-start my Monday. Getting super sweaty to start my week is probably one of my favorite things to do. I hate it while I’m doing it, but as soon as I’m done I feel AWESOME and ready to tackle the week.

Workouts for the Week

Monday: 20 min. intervals + Boxing Class (haven’t done one in a while..it’s gonna hurt!!)

Tuesday: Back + Crossfit (more on this below)

Wednesday: Legs!! (I’ll be in AZ and doing leg day at my home gym is the best thing ever!)

Thursday: Chest & Shoulders + 20 min. intervals

Friday: Conditioning Day (ropes, medicine balls, plyos)

Saturday: Rest Day

Sunday: Hike

Going to be quite the fitness week, but that’s what happens when you make workout dates with a lot of people haha. I mentioned I’d be going to Crossfit on Tuesday. If you know me, you know I’ll never be a die hard, every day Crossfitter (not for me), but I do like to go to Crossfit every now and then. I love the competitive edge and intensity. I made a date with some friends to go try a class (they’ve never done it before), and I think we are going to make it a weekly thing. Woohoo!

This week I’ll also be heading out to AZ for a few days for a work-cation. I’ll be working during the day, and spending time with my family and friends in the evenings. I do love having a job where I can work virtually at times. I’m excited to see my fambam!

Who's working out today I'm working on my back today. Pull ups and rows for days!! (Although the weight pictured was used as a prop...I'm going heavy today people!!!!)

Q’s

1. What’s your favorite activity for a “workout date” with a friend?

2. Crossfit. Yay or nay?

 

2 Week Update: Day of Eats

Hey guys!

It’s a Mondenesday over here. If you’re not familiar, that’s a Wednesday that feels like a Monday = stressful. Either way, I’m working away and doing the best I can today. That’s all I can do, right? I’m thinking extra coffee would help, too. 🙂

It’s been almost two weeks since I started my 12 week program with Sohee, so I wanted to give an update and also show you a fairly typical day of eats for me while I’m on this program.

First, things first, here’s an update!

This is the first time in almost 5 years that I’ve been serious about leaning out again. It’s also the first time I’ve tried “dieting” again that has actually felt GOOD as opposed to feeling like a chore. It doesn’t feel like I’m restricted or even really like I’m dieting, for that matter. (If you’re just now hearing about this, I’m following an IIFYM diet).

Hunger

I’m a little bit hungry at times, but that’s normal when dieting (note: starving is NOT normal, but a little hunger is expected). I’m eating enough and it definitely isn’t intense hunger, it’s more of that lingering feeling of wanting something else. I’m actually not even sure if it’s TRUE hunger, to be honest. It can be annoying at times, but it’s definitely not a big deal.

Compliance

I’ve been really good about being compliant with this plan. Like I said, I’m not cutting out anything that I love, so i don’t feel like there’s anything I “can’t” have. If I want something, I just work it into my day. I’m eating enough food and like I said before, I don’t even really feel like I’m on a “diet”.

Results

Friday is my first biweekly in which I’ll submit photos, measurements, and my weight. It will be interesting to compare this to my initial submission and see what has changed. I can already tell a difference, but it will be much easier to tell when I compare photos.

 

So that’s how things are going so far! I’ll start updating with my progress photos once I start submitting my biweeklies…so stay tuned.

Day of Eats

There’s a misconception that by doing an IIFYM based diet that you can just eat junk food and crap all day and still lose weight. That really isn’t the case. You need to eat healthy, nutritious foods about 80-90% of the time (with room for some treats here and there) in order to make the most out of this type of diet. With that said, here are some of my eats for today.

Breakfast:

  • 1 large apple
  • Almond Milk Continental
  • 1 over-easy egg
  • 1 piece of Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage

Lunch:

  • Kombucha (trilogy is my favorite!)IMG_6664
  • Brown Rice, Ground turkey burger, jalapeno cilantro hummus concoctionIMG_6663
  • This little Honey Pattie. This thing was SOOO rich, but made for the perfect little chocolatey dessert. I’d never had one before, but will definitely be buying this again. IMG_6666

Snack:

  • Slap Chocolate Flavored Protein Powder
  • ice
  • almond milk.IMG_6667Blended and enjoyed. (tastes like a milkshake to me…Charlie says it tastes like chalk….guess when you haven’t had a real chocolate milkshake in a while, your taste buds forget. )

 

Snack

Yogurt mess of

  • Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
  • Small handful of Walnuts & Almonds
  • 1 TBSP Peanut Butter

IMG_6668I still have Dinner left for today, but I haven’t decided what that will be just yet!

Hope you’re all having a great day!

Q’s

1. What was the best thing you ate today?

2. What is the one food that you would never want to give up?

 

 

 

 

10 Secrets to Fat Loss

Good morning! Or afternoon if you’re on the east coast!

I woke up today thinking it was Friday, so boo to that. I know some people are weird about the number 13, but I love it! I think I love it because most people hate it and are scared of it. I’m excited for tomorrow to see all of the people on Facebook that blame their spilled coffee, torn jeans, or broken phones on it being Friday the 13th. 😀DSC03929

10 Secrets to Fat Loss

One of the biggest questions I am asked (almost daily) is regarding fat loss. I thought I’d put together my best tips for fat loss.

1. Food. I know, I know. This isn’t what you wanted to hear, but I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve heard it. We have all heard the phrase “you can’t out-train a bad diet”, and truer words were never spoken. If you want to lose fat, you have to have a good handle on what you’re eating. Tracking your food is the easiest way to do this (albeit not the only way). We often times don’t realize how many calories and macro-nutrients (proteins, carbs, fats) we are taking in until we actually take the time to track. If you like pen and paper, you can keep a food journal, but if you’re lazy like me, grab the MyFitnessPal app. It’s great for tracking and allows you to see how much of each macro-nutrient you’re taking in each day.

2. Strength Training. While nutrition is king, and the biggest part of the fat loss equation, strength training is a close 2nd. The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you’ll burn at rest. Lifting weights will NOT make you huge. Eating huge portions of cookies, cakes, crackers, and just overindulging in general will make you huge. Hypothetically, let’s say you were to put on 5 pounds of muscle and with a healthy nutrition plan, you were able to lose 5 pounds of fat. (These do NOT go hand in hand by the way, they are completely separate systems and just because you gain muscle, it doesn’t mean you’ll lose fat). The scale would tell you that you weigh the same amount, but you would actually look smaller. Muscle is more dense than fat, so 5 pounds of fat will always look bigger than 5 pounds of muscle.

3. Moderation. I’m not going to tell you that you need to eat clean. I’m not going to tell you that you can’t eat cookies and cake and dessert. You CAN. I eat candy almost every day. I just don’t eat an entire BAG of candy every day. If you keep the things you like in your diet, and eat them in moderation, it is completely possible to lose fat while still enjoying your treats.

4. Consistency. This goes hand in hand with #3. Staying consistent with your food intake is by far the best advice I can give to anyone. If you overindulge one day, don’t sweat it. Don’t try to counteract it by not eating all day or doing hours of cardio the next day. It’s not going to be the game changer. You didn’t gain the weight in one day and you won’t lose it in one day either. With that said, practice consistency. If your goal is to eat 2000 calories per day, aim for that consistently and if you overindulge, go right back to it the next day. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.

5. Identify your trigger foods. This might sound odd, but we all have trigger foods. If there are certain foods that you have a hard time just having 1 or 2 of, you have to address this. For me, I have a hard time with cookies. I can eat candy, cake, cupcakes, and ice cream in moderation with no problem. There is something about cookies that just makes me want more and more. (Probably because they are so damn delicious!) For this reason, if I’m going to have a cookie, I just buy a single pre-packaged cookie. I know if I bake 12 cookies, I’m going to either eat more than I want to or spend a lot of brain energy trying to stay away. It’s not worth it to me, so I figured out a way that works for me. I don’t buy packages of Oreos or Chips Ahoy. Instead, I will buy a single cookie (like at Starbucks or something), and enjoy that. Find what works for you.

6. Stop beating yourself up. This was probably the key to my recovery from my eating disorder. I used to try to be SO perfect with my eating that when I screwed up, I would just feel so guilty. I felt like a failure and that I should just get it out of my system so that i could be “perfect” tomorrow. Newsflash: That doesn’t work. When I started being comfortable with where I was and not beating myself up so badly for “screwing up”, I actually started eating better overall. Feeling guilt over eating something that isn’t considered “healthy” will not help you on your fat loss journey, and will more than likely hinder your fat loss.

7.  Eat fat. Yeah, you heard me. Fat is good. I think it’s becoming more known that fats are good for you, but the “low fat” craze is still stuck in some people’s minds. Not only does fat help your skin and hair look bombtastic, but it aids in fat loss. You can’t lose fat without fat. It also helps to keep you satisfied. It’s more calorie dense than protein or carbs (9 calories per gram), so you don’t want to go crazy with it, but adding in things like nuts, nut butters, avocados, and oils into your diet will likely keep you more satiated throughout the day. (And give you locks of a pony!!! ;-))

8. Stop doing so much cardio. Unless you love it, that is. I am not going to say that cardio is bad. It’s not bad. What’s bad is the idea that cardio is NECESSARY for fat loss and that if you don’t do x minutes/hours of cardio per day, you won’t lose fat. Cardio basically trains your body to be more efficient. This means that over time, you’ll use LESS calories to get through that 3 mile run. So what does that mean? It means in order to burn the same amount of calories that you burned when you first started running, is now going to require more effort: more time running, running on an incline, running faster, etc. If you like to run, by all means RUN. Personally,  I like to run every now and then. I like to hike. I do all of those things when I feel like it. But gone are the days of me doing 30-45 minutes of cardio EVERY DAY. I used to do that, and you know what happened when I stopped? I lost weight. Cliff notes of what I’m getting at here: Don’t think that doing hours of cardio is the key to your fat loss. The key is nutrition. Cardio’s affect on that is minimal and will likely cause you to be hungrier and eat more anyways.

9. Accountability. This is definitely huge. I know how to lose fat. Most people actually know at least something about how to lose fat. But it’s hard to do it on your own. I didn’t sign up to work with Sohee because I don’t know what I’m doing. I know what I’m doing and I have my OWN clients that I coach. But I wanted someone to hold me accountable and to take the guess work out for me. I didn’t want to be the person that I was negotiating with when it came to how I was feeling and the progress I’m making. Now, this doesn’t mean you need to sign up with a coach. Friends work pretty well too. Find a friend that will either a) jump on the bandwagon with you and go on a fat loss journey together or b) be supportive and help you when you need it. It makes all the difference in the world when you don’t feel like you’re going at it alone.

10. Plan. This is something that I still struggle with, but I luckily live and work very close to Whole Foods and the Co-Op where I can get fresh, healthy meals on the go. If you plan and prepare some food for the week (cook up some chicken or beef or whatever recipe you like) and keep it on hand, it helps you to not come home and devour whatever is in the cabinets just because you’re hungry. It minimizes the impulse eating and the eating because it was “all that was there”. Plan your day or even your week out so that you’re ready. With that said, don’t be afraid to stray from it either. I pack my food most days, but if I want a cookie or something, I work it into my plan and don’t feel bad about it.

Questions:

1. What has helped you the most when it comes to fat loss?2. What is your biggest struggle with fat loss?

Leave your responses in the comments.

 

Coffee Date #1

Happy Tuesday!

I keep thinking it’s Monday, so cheers to the fact that I’m wrong and it is, in fact, Tuesday!

Let’s have a coffee date!

inmycupIn my cup: Almond Milk Continental (or an Americano with Steamed Almond Milk)

  • 2 shots of Espresso
  • Water
  • Steamed Almond Milk
  • 1 packet of Stevia

almondmilkIf we were having coffee, I’d ask you what’s new in your life?

Lately, I’ve had the travel bug. I’m seeing a lot of my Facebook friends traveling all over the world and it’s something I’ve never done. I’m 26 (almost 27), have no kids (aside from my furry one), and really want to see things in other parts of the world. I know that I’ll regret it if I don’t do it, but I also have a lot of responsibilities here. I know there’s never a *perfect* time to go travel, so I think I just need to book a ticket somewhere and just GO.

If we were having coffee, I’d also ask you what you’re doing for Valentine’s Day.

I’m not sure what we are doing. We usually keep it pretty low key. It’s just another day of the year, but a good reminder to just spend time together doing something fun.

If we were having coffee, I’d ask you how your workouts have been lately? (lol, I’m THAT annoying friend…)

Mine have been pretty great lately. I’ve also been better about taking care of my body. Charlie and I get our bodies worked on by Michael at AcuMassage (for the locals). He uses ancient Chinese techniques to re-align the spine and always makes my body feel better. Now I just need to get more consistent with foam rolling and soft tissue work….

At this point, I’d probably tell you I have to go because I need to get back to work….see you next time!

Questions:

1. What would you ask me if we were having coffee together?

2. Where is the best place you’ve ever traveled to?

 

Baby Shower Fun + Nutrition & Workout Update

Hey Friends!

How’s your Monday going so far? Mine is going well…just working away!

I got up this morning and did sprints on the treadmill. I was seriously dragging this morning and was texting my girl Maggie to send me motivational quotes to help me through. She had some real words of wisdom haha!

magtext

In the end, the thought of coffee got me through. It’s funny how 20 minutes can seem so daunting at the same time. Whatever, I did it!!

coffeep

Weekend:

This weekend, Charlie and I attended a baby shower for my old boss. It was quite the extravagant party, and it was really good to see my old co-workers. I miss them and the family!!

Baby shower fun!

We posted this picture up on Facebook and immediately realized that everyone thought WE were pregnant. Just to be clear, this is our only child…

Asked him to come lay down WITH me. He decided to lay ON me instead.The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful. We did a chest/plyo workout on Sunday, but other than that it was naps for me and work for Charlie.

Nutrition Update:

So far, I’m loving working with Sohee as far as my nutrition goes. It’s nice to be eating on a fat loss plan without being constrained to chicken, vegetables, and brown rice. I love those things and eat them almost daily, but I also eat candy and chicken sausage and Kombucha on the daily. It all fits in the plan, and that is awesome. 😀 I’m feeling good!

Workout Plan for the Week:

Monday: 20 min. HIIT (done) +  Shoulders

Tuesday: Legs

Wednesday: Back & Abs

Thursday: HIIT + Chest

Friday: Legs

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Full Body

That’s the plan, but as always, I’ll change things up if I need to. It all depends on my soreness and energy levels. I always try to make the best decision for that day, so it’s hard to say for sure.

Hope everyone is having a great start to the week! I’ll be back tomorrow!

Friday Rambling

First of all, thank you guys SO MUCH for your support on my post the other day. I got so many messages and Facebook comments about it. It helps to know I have a team behind me that’s cheering for me! Now I just gotta do the work and not embarrass myself…. 😀

Wednesday, I got a really great Leg & Back workout in. I started with heavy hip thrusts and did 3 sets at 275 lbs. I got 5 reps, 3 reps, and 3 reps respectively, which is a new PR for me. Previously, I could only get 3 reps at 275, so my first set broke a record! I’m getting really strong and absolutely loving it.

Today:

I started my morning with a continental (an american with steamed milk added. I opt for almond milk), an apple, and this messy deliciousness:
Spicy Italian chicken sausage, mexican cheese, 1egg over-easy, and Oscar. Doesn't look pretty, but it sure does taste good!It doesn’t look pretty, but it tastes good! Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage, mexican cheese, and an over-easy egg on top. I cracked the egg yolk and devoured this in about 15 seconds.

I’ve got some work to do and a few meetings today, and then I’ll be hitting the gym for another leg workout. I’ll be doing:

  • Squats (heavy)
  • Hip Thrusts(moderate)
  • Deadlifts (light)
  • Back Extensions (light)
  • Banded Hip Abduction (light)
  • Leg Extensions (moderate)
  • Hamstring Curls (moderate)

Oddly enough, I’m trying to build out my quads a bit. My butt is THERE, but my quads aren’t quite where I want them, so I’m trying to hit them a little harder than usual.

 

Tonight’s plan?

-Make a yummy dinner

-Watch Friends

-Do puzzles on my favorite app: Jigsaw Puzzle (if you’re a nerd, have an iPad, and love puzzles THIS APP IS FOR YOU. I’m obsessed)

-Hang out with this guy

How you doin

Tongue’s out, guns out!

I’ll be heading to a baby shower tomorrow and then the LA Fit Expo on Sunday! I’ll be sure to snap some photos. 🙂

Have a great weekend people!

 

 

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