Protein Sources Vegetarian Style

I get a ton of questions about what I eat specifically when it comes to protein.

First, fellow veggies, read. You have to read everything. Not just labels but also about the proteins you are ingesting. The more you understand your food the smarter you can be about your choices. You need a combination of proteins sources, which means thinking ahead.

When I decided to change the way I ate as a veggie I read constantly. I made it a priority to find where and how I could get my sources of protein. I have to always be thinking about what that source is and how much I need. I've written posts in the past about how being a healthy veggie is work. You chose to eliminate foods that could make your weight loss and muscle gain much easier. The thing is if you're smart and do some research, you can be healthy and it becomes routine and not a chore.

Being veggie really isn't different then being an omnivore. I tend to choose a main protein and then multiple veggies that I just steam and flavor differently with spices. I know that might sound boring, but it's extremely easy to eat that way and very quick. Steaming or sauteing veggies usually takes less then 5 to 10 mins at most and because of the nature of vegetable based proteins they take less time to cook then meat.

As you might imagine there can be some really overly processed stuff out there that isn't that great for you in the long run. The one thing is to really watch your salt intake. This is something I'm constantly checking labels for and a lot of "mock" meats contain very high levels of sodium. Obviously salt can't be totally avoided, but I try to choose the best and I can and also drink tons of water just to flush my system.

I recently wrote down a list of proteins and the companies I usually purchase them from for a friend who is training people with this diet choice. It's very tough to tell someone just to eat protein that doesn't even know what their choices are!

I want to preface this list by say a few things. 1: I'm not paid by anyone to say the following, I don't have stock in any of these companies nor would I continue to use their products if they drastically changed the way the were made or their ingredients. 2: I know what I like may not suit every one's tastes. 3: I'm not a dietitian, I just know what I eat and how it's helped in my success.

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WestSoy

This company makes milk as well as my most consumed protein Seitan. It comes in many forms (cubed, crumbled, strips) and you can do almost anything with it. I usually just add a bit of olive oil to a pan and cook it till it's golden brown. It's very hard to screw up cooking it because, it's already cooked when you get it. You could bake it or microwave it just as easily. Just know that Seitan is not made from soy beans, but Wheat Gluten. That's its only downfall if someone was sensitive to gluten. Good thing, this is the highest concentration of protein to carbs I've been able to find. It's low in sodium, low in fat and very filling. This is my number 1 source of protein besides eggs.

Fieldroast Grain Meat Co (http://www.fieldroast.com/)

This company makes amazing sausages, but other products as well. They are a little higher in calories, but on days I work out hard I make sure to eat 2.

 
Turtle Island Foods (tofurky.com)
These people are really better known as the "tofurky" people :P They make a really super selection of Tempeh products I like which is made from soybeans. They also make many other items as well.

Fresh Tofu Inc. (http://www.freshtofu.com/)
This company is my main go to for tofu. They are an organic company that has very high quality products.

LightLife (www.lightlife.com)
This company is ok for somethings. I'm not to keen on their taste, but their Smart Strips are good in stir-fry medleys. Also the plain cutlets are probably the best as you can flavor them anyway you like. They also make Tempeh that is either soy or grain based, it's in "brick" form which means you can cut it anyway you like!

Boca & Morningstar
I hesitate to put these companies down and I don't really consume them very often. They tend to be overly processed for me and usually contain a lot of salt and too many carbs for the protein you do get. That being said if you want a veggie burger the bare bones "plain" ones aren't horrible. I also get the "crumbles" if I want to make tacos or something that needs a ground beef substitute.

Optimum Nutrition (http://www.optimumnutrition.com/)
I put this company down as it's the one I use for my protein powder and bar supplements. They are the high quality you'll get for the price and the most tasty as supps go. I know this can be scary for women as supps seem like a very "male" thing, but I swear by the PRO COMPLEX formula as it is made from a combination of proteins and has a fantastic blend of vitamins, minerals and BCAAs. 1 scoop is 30 grams of protein and less then 135 calories. I never usually do 2 scoops as suggested unless I just killed myself working out. 60g of protein at once is a bit much.


MHP (Maximum Human Performance) Power Pak Pudding: 
This is something I just recently found because it's a very very new food and expensive. The thing is it's the perfect "cheat" food without really cheating. I have a chocolate tooth. I've given it up mostly, but there are times when I need something. This pudding is the most amazing find in my protein sources. It's also lactose free and sugar free. If you could manage to eat a whole can (which I can only usually do half because it's soooo filling) it's stats will surprise you. 190 Calories, 4.5 fat, 9 carbs, 30g of protein. This is literally almost a meals worth of protein in pudding form. If you're going to indulge be smart, I don't need another chocolate bar as long as I live while this stuff this on the market.


Organic Eggs & Raw Nuts
I eat plenty of free range organic eggs and fair amount of nuts - usually no more then a fourth of a cup of any 1 type of nut and ALWAYS raw unsalted. Almonds, Walnuts and Soynuts are my staples and I get them raw in bulk at Whole Foods.

I hope this helps little bit as even just a starting point. I know depending on where you live you may not have access to all of these companies, but find out where you can get proteins like these and send requests to your local grocery if you can. A lot of places are willing to order items for you, or try a line if a customer requests it. You can also order just about anything online these days, alternate protein sources can be an added expense, especially organic ones. It's your health though, which I personally feel your can't put a price on :)

LISTEN UP YOU VEGETARIANS!

I'm back to the blog and I just wanted to say that I'm still training and trying to rev up a little more this June with diet. I'll be writing specifics on this possibly this weekend, but today I wanted to get into my overall diet and lifestyle choice.

The reason I'm doing this is because in the past few days I've met some new people in my bootcamp class who claim vegetarianism as their diet and lifestyle choice {exciting :D }. I've been a vegetarian for 15 years, longer then I've eaten meat, and through this dietary choice I've learned, adapted and changed.

So a bit of body composition first! If you want your body to be what the world refers to as "lean or tone" what you're really saying is "I want more muscle then fat on my body". No matter how you want to look at that, you need to build muscle.

Building your muscles is a two step process.

First you need to tax those muscle fibers, which means you constantly have to work them harder then you worked them before. Your body gets use to the work you make it do, if you don't challenge your muscles you eventually will plateau in your progress!

Secondly you need to eat to fuel that muscle reconstruction and growth. Growth believe it or not is what makes you tighter and leaner (speaking from experience!) I'm not the hulk and I don't want to be, but I do want to be tone so I work and feed my muscles accordingly. If you want to get lean you have to replace some of that fat with something!

Protein is the fuel that makes a lean body possible. It's the main macronutrient that everyone should be focusing on :)

Vegetarianism is often viewed as unhealthy because most don't have a varied or nutritious diet. It's much more difficult to live this lifestyle and you have to be dedicated and creative to be healthy living it. As with any diet if it's not balanced it's not good for you.

So how do I get my protein?

Well first I had to do a lot of research on protein sources and the company's manufacturing them. I say this because if you're not careful, you can end up eating a lot of "meatless" alternatives that are so processed you might as well just be eating pure salt and sugar.

As with anything "boxed" you HAVE to read the label. Vegetarians often don't realize their sodium, fat and carb intake is off the charts!

I've finally found a few companies to whom I'm very loyal for my protein sources. These are products where the protein content is high and the processed content is low. I also try to find these sources in their most "pure" form because the more it's flavor or "shaped" the more it probably contains things that aren't super great for you.

I also don't recommend, but insist that vegetarians need to have a source of powder protein in some form. Whether it be whey, rice, egg, or an isolate blend. It is sometimes the only way I can make sure I reach adequate protein ingestion without having to eat a mountain of food. It also is one of the EASIEST ways to get a high dose of complete proteins into your system after a good workout. (Adding to that growth and lean muscle I talked about earlier!)

Also everyday I make sure to try and get a decent combination of proteins. I don't JUST eat tofu, in fact I've lowered my soy intake for the sole fact that as women, not getting any younger, it's not great to ingest copious amounts of soy.

I get protein from eggs, nuts, legumes, setain, soy, whey, casein, protein isolates and on extremely rare occasions yogurt and cheese. Being partially lactose intolerant I don't dapple much in the dairy department and you also have to be careful you don't eat too much dairy because it's very high in fat. The key is always moderation.

While that list doesn't seem as big as the animal kingdom, it's far more varied then people may realize. The legume and soy family alone is gigantic and make great additions to a lot of recipes in place of mountains of grains. I actually eat very little in the way of rice, bread, oats or pasta. Most if not all of my carbs come from vegetables, fruits, and usually are a part of my protein sources.

It is very easy to be a lo carb vegetarian and not tired all the time, you just have to be willing to want to eat that way :)

Oh and bottom line you need to cook. I don't even want to hear you don't have time because it takes less then 15 mins to make an awesome meal. Even when I was at my breaking point with no time, I would make all my food on Sundays so that I never had to think about cooking. Remember fresh veggies are best, but frozen is "cool" too <<<sorry bad pun. Sometimes I can't always get fresh, so I have loads of organic frozen veggies for emergencies. No salt added, just 8 mins to steam. YUM!

You cannot always rely on outside sources for your meals because as a society of omnivores places often don't offer protein options based on a vegetarian lifestyle. New York City is an exception as I imagine San Fran is too, STILL as a veggie you should always be carrying food. I pack my breakfast and lunch almost everyday I go to work and if the event I've forgotten or can't I'm sure to throw something protein based in my bag, (usually eggs, raw nuts & protein powder), so that I get something if my lunch is mostly veggies.

You also have to except that you will have to supplement your diet. I firmly believe that my losses would not have been so dramatic if I hadn't been consciously supplementing, not only with a protein powder, but also with daily vitamins. It's a must to make sure you're hitting your B12 and iron, you don't want to be sick or tired.

I also tracked my eating habits for a long time to understand how much protein was enough. The tighter I honed my diet to include more protein combinations the easier it's been to see progress physically.

It's very possible to be a healthily vegetarian. As one I've excepted responsibility of my choice not to eat meat and believe me it is a responsibility. I don't care what your reason is for being one, with that choice you ultimately made "eating" a conscience part of your life. If it's too much work or too much of a stress, it's worth reconsidering why you chose to be one. Doing yourself bodily harm because you love animals seems like priorities need readjusting and I can say this because I feel a moral connection to animals that I cannot overcome. I could not bring myself to kill one, so I feel obligated not to take part in consuming them.

I find my choice to be a veggie was right for me. I'm happy, healthy and can see progress in my fitness goals even with the diet I've chosen. I'm not afraid to adapt or change ratios in the foods I do eat and I'm always aware of my health first.

So to all veggies out there, do your research and eat your protein!

Hangups

I need to get over my hangups.

Man, it's been a very rough May. I'm trying really hard to adjust to all the changes that have been happening, but it's all happening so fast my only reaction is stress.

I'm use to routine, I like having one. So when life gets super insane for me I have trouble dealing with no routine. Terri has been really great in reminding our bootcamp class that fitness is what helps you deal with all the craziness in your life. Using your body and treating it with respect is what gets your brain through really trying times.

I love hearing her say things like this because it helps me focus again. I wish I had a little recording of the great things she says some times so I could just play them to help focus me again. I try to hear her voice when I feel really down about myself or my day, she's the best source of triumph in my life. She's helped me over come so many barriers.

Still with all the great encouragement and mentoring I get I still have mental hangups I need to work on.

It's hard to think about yourself in a different light when you were a certain way for a very long time. I didn't like the way I looked for almost 6 years, so now that my body it changing I can get a little obsessed.

Case in point, it's hard to think about me loving my body in a bikini still. It's hard for me to think I could wear a certain style of clothing or be an inspiration to others working hard to meet their fitness goals too. My brain has yet to catch up to my body. Which is really quite strange for me.

Yesterday Clint and I went shopping. Both of us need new treads for this summer since it's FINALLY warm now. Because I have dressed a certain way for so long, summer clothing always intimidates me. I know I wrote a post a month or so ago about how fun it is for me to be able to try on clothing and like how I look in it. It's true, but there are still things I get unsure about because I just don't really wear them.

Skirts and short dresses are probably the thing that terrify me the most. I have this mental block about my legs I just cannot get over. My whole life it's plagued me, more then my midsection or my arms or face or anything. My legs and I do not get along.

I tried a skirt on yesterday, it was really cute. Something I'd probably see on someone else and fall in love with. The problem was I felt awkward in it, not because it was uncomfortable, but because my legs were so exposed. I just kept turning around and freaking out about all my still existing cellulite. I kept thinking to myself "Do I look ridiculous in this?"

I should of bought it, it would have been a really great step toward excepting myself, but I couldn't. Even after I had gone to the gym that morning and muscled through an extremely tough glute/leg workout, it wasn't enough to boost my self-confidence.

I know a lot of women out there have body issues of some kind. Even with all my hard work and learning I still have mine too. I just hope I can get over them because I really truly hate being paralyzed by fear and doubt. I don't like the way it makes me feel and I know I'm better and stronger then my fears, it's just my brain needs to catch up.

Maybe I'll go back tomorrow and try the skirt on again. I'll bring my positive thoughts and a little bit of Terri's strong encouraging words.

Finally Progress Pics!!!!

Hi everyone!! (That look of shock is I can't believe I'm finally taking pics LoL)

So with this little picture experiment I've realized my camera really sucks. It's very old so I shouldn't be surprised, but that's why everything looks like it's out of an American Apparel ad.

It seems like the camera doesn't like to focus on things that aren't already fairly close to the lens, so I tried to get frontal full body shots as best I could.

Without help of another pair of hands getting more detailed back views were not happening right now. I will confirm in writing that my caboose is getting firmer and I'm actually noticing lift now. I still have a crease back there, but all those squats and lunges are paying off!

The suit is fitting better then it did when I bought it in March. I can def see how my my shoulders are coming in. My abs are tighter and getting some definition toward the top, but as the hardest part of a 6-pack I still have a layer of fat over my lower abs.

I'm not too far off though, I'm fairly confident that by sticking to eating clean and keeping up with my routine I will see them eventually. I've been trying to get in jumping rope when I can.

Like I said, May has been insane and I've been "working" at the day job so much more that my training hasn't been 6 days a week. I'm just trying to keep a balance and make sure I get enough sleep so I don't end up getting sick from the added stress of all my extra hours.

This last pic to show my shoulders I took with my computer, looks like it's about to rain!

Well that's it for now :) Least I'm making progress and that's all that matter, let's hope in another month or two I look even better!

Can I get a side of crazy with that?

May is turning out to be insane.

It's no excuse to not keep up with the blog, but I just realized I said the end of April was almost here in my last post and we're in the second week of May. I promised progress pics and I'm not holding out, I just haven't had time. I know more excuses, but working out comes before a photo shoot and if I can't even get to the gym then you know I'm not setting up for pics.

I knew this would happen sooner or later. I had too good of a run living a semi normal life. As you all might have guessed my job is fairly demanding. It's always been too demanding no matter where I've worked, but it's the career path I've stuck with and I have to try to make everything work as best I can.

Sometimes I forget what exhaustion feels like. I know what tired is and sore, but exhaustion is something I forget about. It gets me depressed. When I don't have enough energy to even eat I know things are out of control.

It's been this way for about 2 weeks, hence why no blog postings. It sounds like I'm complaining and maybe in a small way I am, but mostly it's just because I'm down on myself because I can't get my body to perform the way I want to.

I know I've written posts before about motivation. A lot of people have asked me how I haven't fallen into a rut and how I've kept a constant loss the entire time I've been training. The simple answer is I love working out. I really do love it. I can see how someone who has put up a mental block against exercise would have trouble, but I don't really see working out as something I HAVE to do. I WANT to do it to. The problem is your body will tell you when too much is just too much. Usually it will get sick, least mine seems to do that when I push myself way too hard. It's almost like it's way of forcing me to slow down.

The bad part about exhaustion is I fight a mental battle with a physical one. Tonight, for example, I was all ready. I wrote out my plan for the gym, weights, reps, exercises, time. Everything all set - I was dressed I was hydrated and my metabolism had previously been primed and you know what my body wouldn't move. I just had to lay down, my legs were a 1,000 lbs. I got really upset over it because no matter how much my brain wanted to work out my body just wouldn't do it tonight.

Clint tried to tell me it's ok. He sees how frustrated I get when I don't get in a good workout. I feel like I do myself such a disservice when I don't use my body. He reminds me how hard I've been working, it's ok that I'm tired. I have after all worked an insane amount of hours and used a lot of energy just being creative for long periods of time. I know all of this is true, but not having control of my body feels like the worst thing in the world to me.

I'm very lucky to have a really supportive partner. Clint has been there every step. Every time I said I was feeling fat or sad about my progress. He's always encouraged me and told me how proud he is that I've stuck to something I felt was really important. He sees progress I don't see, he shows me changes in my figure and my strength. He's always love me no matter how I looked, but I think it's my determination he admires the most.

So tonight he reminded me that being tired is ok, that I'll recharge and be able to go to the gym another time. It makes times when I feel like this not so bad, and right now I do need that.

*****

This is going to be another rough week. Work is out of control and I'm leaving this Friday to fly out to Knoxville to watch my brother graduate from college. Seeing my brother is awesome it's the flying part I always have trouble with. I'm going to be meeting a lot of new people, my eating, sleeping and exercise will all be off and frankly my odds of a lowered immune system seem pretty high.

With all this I am still trying very hard to stay positive and focused.

I know this post doesn't sound it, but I am really happy with the progress I made in April (posted my updated stats on the side). I had a 2% loss in body fat which to me is another mountain, I'm so close to 15% now I hope by July I can reach that. I also am now able to do a real pull-up unassisted. A goal I had and didn't think I had reached yet, until Keith made me face the bar head on in our last April bootcamp class. I also bought a pair of jeans in a size 0! A goal I never had in the first place but proved to be the eye-opening discovery of the month. I also had to throw away all my underwear because none of it would stay on. It's the true testament to how much I've lost over the whole time I've been training.

I'm looking forward to bootcamp this week since it might be the only movement I get in for my trip. I am sad I'll be missing our Saturday circuit, but hopefully I can convince my brother to let me into the university gym - sort of stoked to show him what I can do I think it's been 2 years since I've seen him!

Supplementation Without Representation

sup·ple·ment

1. Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole.

I've been thinking about writing this post for awhile now and what's pushed me to go through with it is the recent abuse of supplements I've seen.

I would never ever name names, but I know a few people ignorantly supplementing. For whatever reason they are putting things into their body they believe will transform them, yet they don't exercise on a regular basis and don't have the best eating habits. They are also abusing stimulates and thermogens (aka fat burners) believing this alone will help them lose weight.

I'd like to believe that about 90% of people shouldn't be supplementing with anything more then maybe a protein powder and a decent multi-vitamin. This is because people don't research what they are putting into their body and how they are using it. They are literally pissing away expensive supplements without using them properly believing that if they shop at their local GNC it makes them serious about fitness.

I really believe you should not supplement unless you are:
1. Training with extreme dedication pretty much 5-6 days a week with hard set goals.
2. Know your body & mind intimately and have a firm grasp on good diet on how outside forces effect you.
3. Are educated so thoroughly on what you are taking that you could write a research paper on it blindfolded.

So why do people take supplements?

Well for one if you take them properly they can really help you get great results and help with recovery from your training. This is only with an already good diet and exercise plan though. Supplements aren't magic, you can't just start taking things and expect your body to change before your eyes. It's why I personally think that supplement companies shouldn't be allowed to advertise like they do.

Look in any fitness magazine and you will see every ad under the sun full of crazy ripped, glowing gorgeous bodies tell you if you take whatever it is they are taking you will look like them. WRONG!!

It's so wrong there should be a huge disclaimer.

You should already know how your body works and what your goals are before you put anything into it besides food and water. I must of read for months about certain supplements before even THINKING about taking them. I've been extremely careful and kept detail notes on how I feel and how I'm making progress.

One reason I also supplement is being a vegetarian and pumping a lot of heavy iron along with very intense cardio each week has its challenges. Because I don't eat meat there are components lacking from my diet that I want and need to get. I have to consume a lot of protein - a lot - especially if I want to see builds in lean muscle mass and be able to keep it. I found supplementation has been a tremendous help in this lifestyle choice, I know for a fact it's been one of the reasons I've seen such great progress.

That being said your body cannot live on sups alone. You need real food in conjunction with sups or they are useless. You also need to know what times to take them so that they benefit your body in the best possible way and know when to cycle off and stop taking them so your body doesn't get use to them (they won't be helpful if you over use). If this sounds like too much work you're right, it is. If you aren't willing to commit to learning it then you shouldn't be doing it... period.

I'm not sure I want to give a laundry list of what I supplement with (though my stack is very small in comparison to what a lot people take). I don't preach taking them and I don't want people to think it's the only way to get results. I didn't start supplementing with more then just a very basic protein & multi until about two and half months ago, so it does go to show you that my losses in fat and inches go to good old fashion diet and exercise.

I will throw props to Optimum Nutrition as I'm a very proud user of their supplements. They are forth coming with detailed information on their products and produce them with a level of quality that surpasses a lot of supplement companies out there. They are one of the few companies that produce many different forms and combinations of protein powders, including an all natural variety which I love. They also make a great woman's multi and I live and die by since it's the only one I've ever taken that doesn't make me feel sick to my stomach. I've recommended them as a source of protein to many people, but you still should READ THE LABELS. Know what's in it and what it's doing for you

Bottom line supplements are there to help fill a gap/deficiency in your diet and help assist your body in intense training. They should never ever be used without proper education of what they are and how they work with the right conditions and lifestyle. They can be very expensive and some, depending, can be dangerous if not taken properly (especially stims and thermogenics!).

If you don't know what is it, what it does or why it works you shouldn't be putting it in your mouth and don't let any amount of advertising change that. Be smart and safe with your body you only get one.

Mirror Mirror On the Wall

I know April is suppose to be rainy, but MAN it is out of control this year. The second we get a twinge above 50 degrees here in NYC the clouds roll in and the gray takes over.

I know I wrote about being excited for warmer weather because of all the nice things I get to do outside, but I'm also soooo ready to change my wardrobe. I feel like a character in an animated series, forced to be drawn walking NYC in my black boots, jeans and long hoodie under my leather coat. Don't get me wrong I like having a look sometimes, but I'm ready for light tanks, flats and cute skirts.

Which means soon I get to do more shopping!

Believe it or not I've never really liked shopping. My mother loves it and so does her sister, but I never was a big fan. I think the whole reason I didn't like it was because when I was a teen it was "popular" to hang at the mall and my friends and I were "anti" anything remotely popular. When I got into college I had no money. The years after graduation I worked up the career ladder and I got ever increasingly heavier. Shopping meant having to try things on in front of 3 reflections of myself.

I hated all mirrors and actually threw away the only full length one I ever owned as to not be forced to see what only made me upset. I was never in a mood to force myself into a small changing room with a giant 3-way.

I remember being in desperate need of new things and lamenting going into the dressing rooms, FULL of nothing but 3-way mirrors and bizarre overhead lighting. I can't tell you how many times I was almost brought to tears in the Macy's dressing room. I had stopped buying clothes all together 2 years ago until I was forced to go on a business trip where I needed more presentable attire.

Two weeks ago I decided to "go shopping". I'm not talking about needing one outfit for a certain event. I mean looking for a whole new wardrobe because nothing and I mean nothing I own fits me. I was so out of practice and completely clueless about sizes I must have spent a good 6 hours trying on clothes from every shop around Herald Square.

I was shuffling up to the dressing room in Forever 21 & HM with both arms full to the brim with different items, heading into my 4 x 4 room and letting out the sigh I always had when face with a 3-way mirror. This time though, even as the ever familiar dread and sickness in my stomach started to rise, I tried things on one at a time. To my surprise everything I choose was too big! I started to see that all my hard work over the past 8 months has been leading up to me absolutely loving trying on clothes.

*insert silly 80's movie girl shopping montage HERE*

No matter what is was I loved how I looked in it. I felt a depth of excitement I can barely explain in words. For the first time I was looking at a person in the mirror I was proud of. The 3-way mirror was not playing tricks, was not making me think I'd put on another 10lbs. For once it was showing me what I always wanted to see and I made that happen. Talk about an empowering experience.

Knowing there is no instant satisfaction for changing your body can be discouraging when you first start on the path, but seeing the results of long term work is a reward you will never get over. Instead of walking out of the dressing room in ultimate disappointment and feeling terrible for the rest of the day, I came home brimming with happiness and bags of cute clothes that flattered me.

I'm feeling braver, so much braver then I've ever felt. Getting psyched about 3-way mirrors might seem really trivial, but being able to let go of that fear and disappointment is a giant weight off my shoulders. I'm not afraid about trying new things. I can now shift my attention from my obsession with my legs to twirling around and admiring what all that sweating has done for me.

Call me insane, or vain, but I stood just looking at myself in that little 4 x 4 space smiling. Loving myself has been very hard for a very very long time. Now I understand that the love of yourself is completely connected with how you use your time, your body and mind all as one. Your self worth can't be high if you never use what you've been given. Treat your body like a waste and your mind will follow suit.

I can't love my body anymore then when I'm forcing what it can do to it's limit. It's a zen and state of being far beyond what I would call "spiritual".

After my epiphany in the dressing room I know I will never stop striving to keep a hold of that love, which means never giving up the desire to USE my body every day :)

Stress Eating & The Beauty of Routine

My motto for dealing with stress usually is "focus on the things you can change."

There are weeks (months even) where my life is sort of thrown into chaos because of my day job. I'm really happy that my personal relationships are, for the most part, very stable or at least at a constant. My career has taken the dominate force of stress.

There was a time when I felt I had control over nothing. I wasn't happy about anything and my coping mechanisms were not healthy. But even now I really have to work not to fall back into horrible habits.

I am a stress eater.

I never thought I was and if you would of asked me a year ago I'd of told you I never had an eating disorder. When I think of an eating disorder I think of the extremes: people who never eat and people who never STOP eating.

There is this grey area though and I think a lot of, Americans especially, fall into the middle category. Eating when we are not hungry, bored, stressed, happy, to be social... believe it or not I consider that an unsafe relationship with food.

You should never be eating when you aren't hungry, when you stop and think about that for 2 seconds it sound completely rational. Yet I cannot tell you how many times I've wanted relief of stress through chocolate. It's my weakness.

At some point I trained my brain to want chocolate when I come under stress. I have spent almost a year trying to unlearn it and it's been a hell of a struggle for me. The past few months have been pretty good. I've had a system with myself and was able to overcoming cravings and not feel like I was going crazy.

Yesterday, however, was a different story. I know I'm almost completely done for when there is no constant in my daily routine. Some people think a daily routine means your awful boring human, but your body craves some sort of regularity. When you give this to yourself it means other stresses in your life are easier to overcome, Terri taught me this and it's been a huge part to my success.

I have to work very long hours sometimes and deal with time sensitive material. People (under stress) will bark orders at me or use condescending language. This is all overwhelming. But I can overcome my stress without resorting to bad food choices if I've done things like: worked out in the morning, ate my meals at the regular time, drank enough water, gone to bed at a normal time, spent time focusing on my goals at home. I don't have to do all of those things, just as long as I've done most of them I have enough will power to not go to the candy jar.

This week though everything was off for me. I wasn't sleeping enough or going to bed when I normally do. There were not enough groceries to last us through the week so Clint and I ate at odd times. I was resorting to working out in the evenings which threw me off and because everything seemed to be off I wasn't letting go of work crap once I got home.

So Friday I let myself cave. I was completely aware of what I was doing and WHY I was doing it and I kept it down to a non obscene level of chocolate consumption. Sometime letting yourself indulge in the little brain pleasures keeps you from going crazy when nothing seems right. It's the routine of caving every single time you can't cope that's the dangerous route.

With the week finally over I'm really looking forward to my Bootcamp circuit today with all my fitness mates. Saturdays are always the toughest workouts, with non-stop intense training. I always feel my pressures are squashed after doing that, which just goes to show the more stressed you are the harder you should exercise. It makes your brain and body so happy and you get endorphins from that accomplishment and not a bag of Hersey's kisses!

Warm Weather Wishes

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while, the days have just been flying by. It's not that nothing has been happening, it's just my brain forgot about doing anything other then working, eating and trying to get to bed on time.

This doesn't mean I haven't been hitting the gym!! I find I get very out of sorts if I just stop going in the mist of crazy life stuff. In fact I find I need to workout more the more hectic life gets. It calms me down and wears my brain out.

I love going to the gym, but in "nicer" weather it gets very crowded. Everyone who was hibernating all winter decides maybe they should start doing something since it's very likely they soon will be wearing less clothing. They fail to understand that you can't get bathing suit ready in a few weeks unless you are already in amazing shape.


I've been try to get bathing suit ready since July 2010 and while I'm not so shy any more about donning a 2-piece I know with the goals I've set I have much farther to go. The treadmill is not a magic device and neither is your body. Your body will look the way you treat it year round, meaning if you've sat at a desk, on a couch, in a car most of your life that's how you'll look. It's also how you'll feel!

The weather finally got nice yesterday and I actually walked around without a jacket for the first time this year. It started to get me thinking about all the extra fun activities I want to do once the sun decides to shine everyday.

In the summer I love walking everywhere even more. I love the park and the botanical gardens. I'm much more likely to walk the 50-100 blocks somewhere then take the train. Clint and I have been known to end up at opposite ends of Manhattan in the same day on many weekends. It's just so nice to be out in the city, even when it's crazy hot and smells like trash :-S

I'm also looking forward to heading over to the small court down the street from my work. I do wish it was more of a park, but it's the perfect place to shoot some hoops or jump rope. It will really give me an afternoon boost to get in a quick half hour of cardio. I've been looking forward to using it ever since I started working in Soho!

I usually get very stiff by the end of day because I workout first thing in the morning and then sit at a desk for the entire rest of my day. I'm really hoping being able to get out and move around once it's nice will really help with all that, even if I just choose to do some outdoor yoga. I never understood why kids get recess, but adults never get in a half hour of running around. It would be sooooo awesome :)

I'm just so excited that spring has started to peek out from behind the curtain and I can't wait to start wearing all my cute tops to show off the guns! WOOHOO!

No Excuses! Don't Get in Your Own Way...

Every morning my alarm goes off at 4:30 am and I'm tired. I have a buffer if I accidentally close my eyes for too long another alarm goes off at 4:45. It doesn't matter I'm always still tired.

The point is I get up anyway, no excuses.

I don't know anyone who springs forth from the bed all smiles and jazz hands. It's fairly impossible. Your body is trying to wake up, you're slightly disoriented probably colder then you want to be, your heart is warming up to a faster pulse.

Excuses no matter what they are, are self sabotage. You are only hurting yourself with every excuse you choose to give in to.

Before I got into a steady routine I made excuses all the time and it's soooo easy to do when you first start working out. You're sore all the time, probably really badly. You're not use to using the muscles and they pay you back. It's so easy to say "I'm too sore today" because you're sore everyday. I wasn't use to getting up early either, another easy out for my brain. I'd see the alarm and say "I'm too tired today," but I realized getting up that early I'd be tired everyday.

When I first started eating healthy there was loads of temptation. I never cared before about what I ate and now I felt I was being so good and deserve to have a "treat". Then I realized my food choices were not temporary. I choose to eat better for the rest of my life, I don't need reward for that.

Whatever it is that gets you excited about working out and eating right use it. Even if it seems stupid in retrospect.

Today I was crazy tired when I woke up, rain does that too me. For half a second I thought about going back to sleep, then I remembered I had a Bootcamp class with Terri and I wanted to see everyone in class.

I started taking classes because it forced me to get up and go somewhere. What's really great about starting with classes is your with a group of people about to go through the same thing you are. Once you get to know them you watch out of each other and get loads of encouragement. It's also a great change to anything I do by myself which keeps my routine fresh and exciting.

Other things I do to stay motivated:

• Get a new cute workout outfit (something that you feel great wearing even if you are sweating in it) I'm personally addicted to lululemon so it's sort of a treat to buy a whole outfit there. Totally worth the price because I love how it makes me look! 
• Keep a workout journal. I use this to see the progress I'm making even if my eyes don't allow me to see it in the mirror. At the end of the month I also get measured, weighed and calipered.
• Doing my hardest exercise 1st! This not only helps me wake-up but I really feel accomplished even if I start feeling tired toward the end of my workout.
• Tuning in to how I feel while I exercise. I always feel amazing and I like to remind myself of it as much as I can so I don't forget why I'm getting up at 4:30!
• Tell myself I'm doing more then what most people do in a whole week. Sounds self-righteous but it's true. Terri and Keith use to tell me this all the time and it always gave me boost in performance. 
• Trying on my bikini and lounging around the house (even when it's 16 degrees outside). There is nothing like the reminder of why you are doing what your doing - this works really great when I think I want to eating something really terrible!
• Talking to others about fitness. Believe it or not the more I talk about routines, goals and healthy recipes the more excited I get to do all the things I talked about. I've gone a whole day at work feeling tired and depressed and someone has asked me about my lifting, the second we started talking I was crazy pumped and hit the stack the second I got home.
• Putting my healthy food in fun containers - you just can't say no to raw broccoli and spinach in a happy dancing bunny container.
• Reading success stories of regular people. This might depress some people, but it really helps me. I see all these people who did what I'm doing now and it makes it feel obtainable. People that did something even harder then what I'm doing always inspires me to give my all!
• Being honest with myself. Excuses aren't cool but if I'm really that crazy beat I give myself a break. I think about why I want or don't want something and evaluate the situation. I'm human and I have other things happening in my life you can't be perfect 100% of the time.

Of course the blog is also really great motivation. It's why I started it at the hardest part of my fitness goals. I wanted to make sure no matter how tough things got I could vent into the void.

Excuses never get anyone anywhere. They just make you ultimately feel guilty because you've let yourself down. I HATE feeling that way, it's worse then to stomachache I get from indulging in foods my body pretty much rejects now.

So if you think you could never ever get up early and hit the gym just know it took me many months of forcing myself, lying to myself, and feeling guilty before I just accepted going to bed at 10 pm and knowing I'd always be up before the sun.

The thing is it's totally worth it, everyday I wake up tired I work the limits of my body and mind and I end up in a shower that feels like the only reason I'm alive. Sleeping in isn't worth more then that feeling to me now.

So if you ever feel down and you just can't bring yourself to lace up those sneakers, just think about me at 4:30 am getting ready and feel good knowing someone is up sweating with you :)

Great so now what...

So I explained calories and macro-nutrients in the last post, but how does this relate in a real way to diet?

Lean muscle & low body fat, make a tight and energized body. With the right balance of nutrients anyone one the planet can achieve this goal, but learning to eat correctly is a process.

I don't know anyone, including myself who went all the way from day one. It's not sustainable thinking for anyone drastically changing the way they eat. Just like you have to learn and be taught new skill you have to teach your body about foods. Lowering your calorie intake gradually is much less stressful and easy to maintain. It's why no one should be looking up calorie calculators and putting in that they want to be 115 pounds when they are starting from 175.

Initially you will really have to tune into your body's signals. I had to learn the difference between hunger and thirst, between being stressed or hormonal and what my cravings actually meant. Tuning out is not the way to build healthy eating habits. A lot of women think feeling hunger pains means they are doing great, WRONG. There should never be a point where you feel so hungry you have to use all your will to ignore it. If that's the case your body is trying to tell you something. Starving yourself will never ever get you anywhere. There is no way your body can build muscle and lose fat if it has no nutrients.

So let's get detailed on the macros!

Protein.
You will hear me say this word so much you're going to hate me. Protein is what sustains fullness in your belly and helps build muscle. There are so many kinds of great protein there is no excuse for not getting enough in your diet. As a vegetarian I have to get creative, but omnivores have no pass. Most if not all your protein should be lean meaning containing good fats and not in excess. I eat a combination of proteins everyday so my body can get the most from them. Wheat Gluten, Soy, Whey, Egg, and Legume protein are my staples and is the main part of every meal I have. This should be the main group in which your calories come from.

Protein is for sustained energy and is digested at a slower rate then other nutrients. This is why if it is the main part of your diet, you won't feel tired or hungry all the time. It's also important because if you consume the proper amount your body isn't forced to cannibalize your own muscles to get it. Hence why if you starve yourself you can never be fit. Your body is going to get what it needs from some where.

When you start exercising on a regular basis your body needs protein more then ever. You are using and training your muscles. Putting strain on your body to perform physical tasks for a prolonged time. Protein is the essential fuel for this. It's food for your muscles!

Carbs.
Carbs have a really bad rap because when eaten in great excess they are not your friend, but here is something that is sure to blow your mind, fruits and vegetables are carbs. WHAT?! It's true, vegetables contain great vitamins and minerals, are low in calories high in fiber but their main macro-nutrient is carbohydrates. When talking about eating carbs this is where most in your diet should come from. The more color and closer to their pure state the better.

The problem with carbs like grains, breads and pastas are they are quick energy, in basics sugar. Most people sit in an office chair all day, what boost are you needing? If you don't use the carbs you consume, and are consuming in excess that energy is being stored. Your body says "I'm cool right now, but maybe I'll need this later." The problem is if you aren't active your body just stores and stores until you look like a bear in winter. This is why it's important to get in a solid 30 - 60 min workout in.

While carbs from grains are quick energy you have to make sure you use them! This is why if you do eat them (and it should be in very low amounts) you should do so for breakfast or lunch. I always eat less of them on the days I don't workout because I'm not expending as much effort.

Remember your body uses energy to digest food so make it work for you. This is why whole grains are better. They are more difficult to digest (fiber!) meaning your body has to work harder for the nutrients. It's a win/win!

Fats.
I'm telling you, you need them. Good fats are essential to weight loss which is easy to understand why they are a macro-nutrient. The word "fat" gives horrid visions of the thing we never want to be, but fats as a part of your diet is a stigma people need to get over. The 2 groups of fats that are your buddies are Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated.

Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nuts including peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocado, canola and olive oil are high in Monounsaturated fats. They have also been found to help in weight loss, particularly body fat.

Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.

As you might have guessed you only need small amounts of these groups, but eating them everyday is great. I get my Omega 3 from my eggs and if I use oil for cooking it's always extra virgin olive oil. I eat a small serving of nuts almost every day and also sometimes supplement with flax seed or sesamin oils.

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I wanted to explain Macros in more depth before answering the dreaded "how much?" question. There are varying levels of detail you can throw into your lifestyle. I only wanted to start knowing the answer to this question when I knew reaching 15% body fat was going to be real challenge.

For most knowing that almost all of your calories should come from protein and vegetables. Fruits for me are my "treat" food now, or light boost if I'm still a little hungry between meals. Whole grains should be sampled in small doses as so to no freak out your blood sugar and good fats should be consumed every day a little at a time. That's the simple answer.

For those of you who a merely curious to an even more detailed way of looking at nutrition I'll be sure to add some more posts soon :)

Calories & Macro-nutrients WTF?!

What exactly is a calorie? A calorie is a unit of heat equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1,000 grams of water by one degree Celsius.

A more basic answer: A calorie is a unit to measure the energy which is the fuel for our bodies.

So why is it so scary and confusing?
I'd say because most people don't know how much energy they expend so they don't know how much fuel they need. There is no physical meter like with our cars. When the tank is empty the car won't run, fill the tank too much and you have bad smelling shoes and a possible explosive situation.

Some people believe if they stay within a certain calorie limit they can eat whatever they want. So I ask this question: what's better, eating 1500 calories a day of donuts or 1500 calories of veggies and lean meats? The problem with the way most people look at nutrition is they don't look at what's called "macro-nutrients".

I know I'm throwing some fancy words right now, but their premise is very simple. Macro-nutrients are substances needed for growth, metabolism, and for other body functions that are required in large amounts. There are three broad classes of macro-nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

This means, for example, if you're consuming on average 1500 calories a day the breakdown from where that energy is coming from is protein, cabs and fats (these are measured in grams). Not having a proper balance of these nutrients is why people have trouble with diet. Intakes of sugars, sodium and cholesterol are also a factor.

You want to be able to hit the proper levels of your macro-nutrients without exceeding the number of calories you need to fuel your daily activities. This is easily shown in foods that aren't good for you. They are usually very high in calories without benefiting your body in proper nutrients. High in either sugar, sodium and/or cholesterol and usually contain chemicals and preservatives, it's what's called "empty calories."

The calories you want are from what's commonly referred to as "clean foods, or clean eating". This is the premise that all of your nutrients should be coming from foods in their most pure form. Trust me when I say this alone will make your trips to the grocery store a breeze. You can pretty much skip the middle sections everything is on the outskirts! Fresh produce, when things aren't in season I buy canned or frozen and always check to make sure there is no added salt or sugars. The butcher/fish man for fresh lean meats. The dairy section for eggs, light milks and yogurts. Grains should always be whole and nuts should be raw and these should be sampled in moderation. Sounds too simple, it really is that easy.

Once you get use to eating more clean food you will notice how your body rejects processed food. My lowered tolerance for lactose aside I can barely eat anything that isn't pure now. There is so much sodium in most packaged foods I get too bloated and feel too ill to enjoy it.

Also with eating a proper balance of good clean foods you will notice a new form of energy. Exercise won't seem as terribly labored, you'll sleep much better and will wake up feeling more "empty" because your body is using everything. Your mood will be elevated and you'll feel better in tune with how your body feels.

This is essentially the lead into learning how to form a balanced diet. You might have to rewire your thoughts on food, but once you start to understand what your food is doing for you it's not as obscure.

Hope this helped explain the basic components of where are energy comes from in a fairly easy light. I'll be doing more detailed and longer nutrition posts in the following weeks so stay tuned :)

Open Minded Goals - The Scale is NOT the End All be All

I want you all to know I am writing some posts about food. I haven't posted anything truly diet related yet because talking about food is complicated (not in general, just sometimes explaining it can be). I'm trying to be very thoughtful of the content of the posts so for right now they are still unfinished.

I mention this because I've gotten some inquires on my diet and I think it's just as important to talk about eating in general before going into what is working for me. So I just want to say, I'm in the process of writing some diet entries, just sit tight :)

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Today's post is about goal setting.

Goals are something we use to measure success and failure in our lives. In fitness, however, as long as you are still participating, you really can't fail. It's the great thing about it. The only way you can fail at fitness goals is to stop being active.

That might sound strange, because most people's fitness goals are related to body image, which has stronger roots in nutrition. They think if they can't lose 10lbs in a month they've failed a fitness goal. Because of the instantaneous nature of everything in our lives, people will take time out the equation to reaching their accomplishments.

Our bodies are not instant. It took your mother 9 months alone just to create you, changing yourself takes time too!

The other thing about body related fitness goals, specifically weight related ones, are they are temporary. No matter how long it takes you, once you've lost your X amount of weight you've reached that goal. What else is there? This is why once you start an exercise regiment it's important to be more open minded about your goals then just reaching a certain weight.

I had tunnel vision when I started my new lifestyle. The scale was all that mattered to me. I wasn't even thinking about all the other things I was accomplishing. Then once I started losing weight I realized the scale wasn't always parallel to how I felt. Most women would tell you 140lbs is huge, but here I was fitting into a size 4 pair of jeans that was loose in the waist!

I really started changing my fitness goals after I lost 20lbs. I realized body fat % was more important then what the scale said. I started wanting to be stronger and wanting to accomplish harder exercises.

The great thing about fitness is while you get healthier and stronger, you might be accomplishing feats you're not even aware of. Mostly because you don't know you can do them until you try!

Perfect example: I am not a runner, in fact I dislike it. I find it boring in comparison to forms of exercise and I've never been very good at it. When I first started to exercise I could maybe, on a good day, run non-stop at a decent pace for 10 mins. About a month ago I was really tired, it was a week where I had hit the gym once. That night when I got home I felt terrible, but was going to force my body to do some cardio. I stepped on the treadmill for the 1st time probably 5 months and was shocked. Not only could I run at almost 6 mph, I did it for 40 mins without stopping.

That is a goal I never had, but because of my training in general it's something I know I can do now.

This is probably the most exciting thing about fitness. You become less afraid. I've gained so much confidence just from training I'm less afraid to try new things. I started to want to try things I could never do.

When I meet people's who only fitness goal is to lose weight for a certain time of year or a special event I worry they won't keep  it up. It's not like once you lose weight it's gone forever, keeping up with nutrition & exercise means you don't have to go through that grueling first month ever again. Your life will have ups & downs, but if you work to at least try to keep your body stable when nothing else in your life is, getting through those times will be so much less stressful.

So if you're thinking the only thing that matters to you right now is what the scale is it's ok. It's natural (especially for us ladies) to try to fit our bodies it to this perception of perfect. All I can tell you is that the scale does not tell you how far you can run, or how much weight you can curl. It doesn't tell you what size jeans you are fitting into or how healthy you are. So don't place all your hopes and dreams into it.

Every day you decided to take care of yourself, you are coming closer to being a person you may never imagined you could be. I know, I still amaze myself every day :)

Bulky Schmulky - Ladies have no fear!

bulk·y

adj. bulk·i·er, bulk·i·est

1. Having considerable bulk; massive.

2. Of large size for its weight: a bulky knit.

3. Clumsy to manage; unwieldy.

 

I can't even begin to tell you know much this word drives me crazy. How much I hear women express concern and fear with this word in relation to lifting weights.

Today I'm going to set some misconceptions straight solely based on personal experience.

I'll admit I'm pretty unconventional for a woman. I don't like shoe shopping, getting my nails done and dumbbells do not scare me. This doesn't mean I'm a total butch either. I love feeling feminine and sexy, and having someone tell me how beautiful I am. I mean what women doesn't. To me curves as that defining point of womanliness.

This is why I never understood the draw to runway models, ever. They are sticks. Tall straight lines, which really doesn't define a sexy woman at all, at least not to me. When most women think about losing weight, they look at some of the most sickly definitions of women out there.

So what is the bizarre conception that picking up a dumbbell is going to make you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger?

 

First off men are larger then women hence they have to eat a much larger quantity of food. Men who are serious bodybuilders have to eat an insane amounts of food to keep those muscles not to mention are in the gym most of their waking life. When they aren't working out they are eating or sleeping, are you that way?

I know many women who don't think about working out in this way. I'm not sure what they signify as "tone". A tone lean body is one that has an ideal body fat percentage for that person's height. The reason you see muscle definition is because of lack of body fat. The way you lose fat is to build muscle. Eating right and exercising are all a part of that. It's why eating protein is important, it makes you feel fuller longer and fuels your muscles.

I've done nothing but shrink my body size by lifting weights. I've gotten smaller not larger, in every single part of my body and I'm stronger then I've ever been! We all want to be smaller, leaner and more compact. That' muscle. Fat makes you big, it takes up more space, hence making you, in essence, more bulky.

So when women ask me about lifting weights I always ask them if I look bulky. I weight train at my max least 3 days a week by myself, not counting what I do in Terri's A.R.T Bootcamp sessions which are an amazing combination of intense cardio and weight training.

 

Sure your muscles get what's called "a pump" after you finish lifting with them, but all it is is blood rushing to your muscles. You just worked them hard after all! Once you rest it goes away and you're left with your normal muscles again.

The combination of great cardio along with challenging weightlifting sessions keeps my body working hard in all areas. Cardio for training my endurance, heart and burning excess calories and weightlifting for developing muscles so I look tone and become stronger. It also keeps me from getting insanely bored. If all I did was run on a treadmill I'd give up my workout regimen too.

So to all the ladies out there, the next time you go to the gym don't be afraid of the weight racks. Look at that as another key to reaching your body's potential. It feels immensely empowering to know your inner strength.

If you're new to weights and afraid that you could hurt yourself, start small. You don't have to kill yourself. Don't be afraid to ask the staff at your gym about form and technique, they should be educated enough to help you. Also a great website that I use to understand certain types of lifting is Exercise & Muscle Directory it not only breaks the body down by parts, exercises and machine usage, it's a great website all around to educated yourself about the body and different types of training and exercise.

I hopes this puts some of your minds at ease about weights. I'm not a pro, I don't do competition and I don't look like a man! If anything I've gained a much more pleasing feminine shape from lifting. I'm sure my boyfriend would be willing to testify :)

Life & Taxes

Had my taxes done this weekend and it's time for a little venting.

I don't want to really bring in politics into this blog because that's not what it's about. That being said this is a blog about exercise, taking care of yourself, etc. and I think it's really strange that there are no incentives for Americans to be healthy.

I'd argue myself in saying, healthy means you live longer and you feel better physically and mentally. That should be enough of an incentive, but it also means you are less of burden on the rest of the nation. You won't have to see the doctor as much, or have as many tests done. The odds of you having to take tons of medicine are lowered because your body functions the way it's suppose to.

Americans being the most out of shape, overweight and sickly of the great nations you'd think the government would offer tax breaks to people who actually take care of themselves. You can write off anything medical, you can use pre-taxed money to pay for it using flex spending. Yet when it comes to gym memberships, training, classes, buying workout equipment (all which are an added expenses) there is no relief for being able to keep it up.

"But Diane you can't PROVE that because someone has a gym membership they are using it."

It's true. You can't prove that because a person buys the treadmill that they use it. Tons of people feel motivated at first and then the feeling dies out. Though if there was a way to measure physical fitness by a test, against yourself - say an end of the year physical to prove you're making improvements. I think a lot of people would be willing to do this for a nice write of on their taxes.

My job actually started something just like this for lowering the rate I have to pay on my insurance. I take a blood test once a year and if all my levels stay within a certain range OR improve I don't have to pay as much into my insurance for staying healthy. Also it's a good way to possibly catch something if I need to really be concerned. It's a simple blood test and it's totally optional. You don't have to do it and even if you do you aren't penalized if your don't improve.

I'm not into government controlling everything, but I think if you get write-offs for having children, or buying a house, or even being on tons of medication, you should also be rewarded for taking care of yourself. Taking care of yourself does effect others, you're setting a really great example to the people around you. I know many people that started changing their lifestyles once they saw the progress I was making (my mom included).

We talk about nutrition and our workout routines. We keep each other motivated. Exercise and good nutrition is contagious. Not for everyone, but the more people are against the community candy bowl the less it's likely to get filled. People don't want to be the only ones, it's a lot easier if they know others around them are also on their side.

If America was really seriously about getting people to be healthy, they'd stop trying to ban bad food and start rewarding for good behavior. We all have to make that choice and no one can force you not to eat Twinkies. The thing is I bet that sprig of asparagus would look a lot more appetizing with the notion that you'd be able to get something back from Uncle Sam.

People would know that actually using their gym membership wouldn't just benefit their bodies but their pocketbooks. This also helps out the private sector a lot. More people would be buying workout gear, paying trainers and participating local events. Also it would lower the count in the emergency rooms which hurts everyone in wallet.

All I'm saying is it's something the American government should think about. Michelle Obama is all for children's health, it's her cause so to speak. It shouldn't just be for children's health, but the health of all Americans. If it takes money to get people excited about being healthy it will only be the catalyst, once they realize how they feel and how great they look, they'll want to keep it up. Least in my perfect world :)

Misfits & Gymscapades

I'm totally convinced I could write a book solely based on experiences and characters from my gym. It's a very small gym that's located in my building, for use only by the tenants and their guests. Even though I know almost nothing personal about most of the people I see there, I've named them according to personal traits & quirks. Sometimes I feel like I live in an episode of Seinfeld.

Let me start of by saying - no matter how quirky these people are, they are a least getting in a workout, well most of them....

Bear Man: I see this guy often, he's a regular and in fairly decent shape. He's of smaller stature which I think for some guys means they feel they need to over compensate on everything. This guy's form is terrible. He goes insanely heavy with crap form and tries to do every set as fast as humanly possible (probably because his limbs are going to rip off.) I'm actually waiting for this guy to hurt himself really badly, he's just asking for a serious muscle tear somewhere. If that wasn't amusing enough he makes these horrendously loud and guttural bear like scream/moan sounds. So loud I've actually seen the girl at the front desk jump out of her chair. I know that getting through the last few reps is hard, bodies are being taxed to their limit and if you're doing max weight of course your pushing yourself, making sounds is totally normal. However, Bear Man is crazy and wants attention. He has to show everyone how heavy he's lifting and how hard he's working, and has no problem making the sounds of someone being tortured & pleasured beyond their wildest dreams as loud as his lungs will let him. I try really hard to workout before Bear Man, it's very hard to concentrate and sort of uncomfortable with him around.

The Dudes: These guys only workout in the evening, which I'm really really thankful for. I do go to the gym at night on occasion but it's very rare. I'm usually to burnt to go at night and if I do it's mostly for cardio because a million people are there and I couldn't get any lifting done if I wanted to. The Dudes are 2 friends who go to the gym for guy bonding time. These guys don't really workout. They carry weights from one side of the gym to the other or half ass some other moves for a while, but really all they do is talk nonstop. If they used their inside voices it would be fine, but the gym is much louder at night because of all the machines running and sound system going. All these guys talk about is how much they gotten laid and how much they still are going after. Their sex conquests stories are as lame as you might imagine, one just trying to top the other over and over until they both feel it's time to leave the gym. They have no problem blatantly ogling fit female members of the gym and are just all around guys I'd like to sock in the face. While they're both probably mid 30's or older they sound like Beavis and Butthead mixed with the cast of the Jersey Shore and act just as lame.

Mr. Laptop:  I love seeing old folks at the gym. It really makes me feel good to know there are still people that age caring about their bodies, but Mr. Laptop is a conundrum to me. He's 60+, thick glasses and wispy white hair and always comes to the gym looking like he's ready for an extended airline flight. Coffee tumbler, laptop case, the New York times, and sometimes multiple books. He sets up everything in back corner of the gym and then gets on a stationary bike. Now I've seen multiple who read while "working out", but working on a laptop?! While I totally give this guy credit for adding movement to his day however little effort he puts into cycling I can't help but crack up. It takes a lot of effort to lug all that stuff in every morning to make it his own little office.

The Annoying Girlfriend: I've only seen this couple a few times, so I'm assuming by now this guy must have broken it off. He use to come to the gym to, you know, workout. Completely average, nothing crazy about him. The twist was his psychotic girlfriend use to show up with him only interested in hanging all over him and making a scene. She would complain he's was taking too long, text and call all her friends and repeat the same information to all of them and the best part..... she would sit in his lap while he was trying to lift. I kid you not, this girl was like a little monkey. Hanging on his back, tugging at his clothes, and sitting on top of him whenever possible. She would whine and whimper, until finally he'd give up and leave, dragging her behind him.

The Dedicated (yet ill-informed) Mom: I actually really like this woman, but she's dense as hell. I'm hoping after another month or two she'll really warm up and listen to me about a few things. I'm not an expert and I don't like telling people how they should work out, but when I see someone super dedicated and doing things wrong I want to help them. She's the only person who is there and opening up the gym with me every morning I'm there. She's really dead set on loosing the weight she gained from having two kids and I really admire her dedication to showing up that early each morning. She suffers however from misinformation. Draped over the treadmill hugging it for dear life, at a 90 degree incline, going much faster then anyone should at that steepness. I so want to tell her she's not really helping herself. While I'm sure her heart rate is up from nothing short of just getting pulled by your arms from the back of a pick-up truck, she's not getting a great workout. She's also terrified of lifting anything over a 3lb weight and can't understand that your shouldn't be eating McDonald's, ever. She's a super sweet woman, but so lost.

The Family of 5: I'm sort of a stickler for rules, especially when it comes to safety. I know this is a gym in a building that's all residence, but seriously who brings their 5 year old to the gym? There isn't a babysitting facility in our building, the gym has equipment and a small lap pool. While it might seem like a good idea to let your kids run around a gym while you workout, it's dangerous and annoying for the others there trying to exercise. To be honest I can't believe management has never said anything to these people, they must be friends or the building is just plain stupid and wants a lawsuit. They have a 5 yr old, a 7/8 yr old and a older child who could possible be 14 or 15 yrs old. Why the older child couldn't watch the younger ones or why both parents have to be there at the same time is unknown, but anyone comfortable with a 5 yr old running around a weight room shouldn't be allowed to procreate. They do go to the pool a lot, but it isn't a community pool, it's for training. I'd say with proper supervision (no lifeguard) if the pool was vacant, sure let your kids swim for awhile. But bringing them and letting them think they can crawl around on everything and run wild, no way.  I haven't said anything to management yet about them because I'm holding my tongue but next time there will be words.

The Stretcher: This guy believes in stretching, so much I want to tell him he should just do yoga. He's the guy that only jogs on the treadmill for 15 mins, but stretches a half hour or more before hand. I'm not by any means making fun of this guy I just always find it strange and his whole workout is stretching his hamstrings. Also instead of using the area of the gym dedicated to stretching, he uses the opposing treadmills so that no one on either side of him can use them, which I just find a little selfish.

The Habitually Injured Runner: I feel for this girl. She's in great shape, but she's always talking about parts of her that are broken. I have a feeling at one time she actually did marathons or trained to, but this girl's body just doesn't like her. I always hope she'll take up a less joint impacting activity. Her knees, ankles and hips just don't like her running, but she does it anyway. I admire her gusto, she really must love running and not care what her body is trying to tell her. I just hope she doesn't do any permanent damage.

Depressed Desk Girl: There a quite of few girls who run the front desk at our little gym and they are in constant rotation, but Depressed Desk Girl seems to be there the most. You can tell this girl hates her job, or maybe just the location of it. She's pretty overweight for her height and is in a place where the whole point is to take care of yourself. I always wondered why she would choose to work there, even understanding it might be the only thing she could get, and not take advantage of the facility herself. I guess I feel a little sorry for her. The only thing that bothers be about DDG is the fact that sometimes she brings in fast food into the gym and makes the whole place smell like grease. You know that smell of just "fried stuff". I'm really sensitive to smells and a number of times I've felt very ill. Nothing like taking a deep breathe for your last rep and getting the odor of fry grease.

The Hog: Every gym has one, every single one. A person that was probably an only child and never learned to share. Out of all the crazy people at my gym, this dude pisses me off. If he was just an ill mannered, entitled, equipment hog it would be one thing. But the fact that he's a chauvinistic pig makes it worse. This is the only person who has ever said anything negative to me at the gym. I'm glad this guy doesn't workout too much, or has a different schedule then I do, because if I had to see him everyday I'd be a mess. I believe in being flexible with your routine. When you're in a communal space you can't have everything to yourself or use a piece of equipment any time. This guy doesn't understand this. Not only will he bark at people that even come close to him, he's pulls out everything and leaves his stuff everywhere (I can only imagine what his apt. looks like). He also never has plan, often choosing to do 1 set of very random exercises or deciding in the middle of a set to just abruptly drop the weights on the floor. The one time I confronted him on when he'd be finished using the decline bench he gruffly told me "that women shouldn't bench press anyway because they'll loose their tits." To which I merely asked again when he'd be finished with it. I haven't seen this guy since that little incident, which is probably a good thing for both of us.

Haters gonna hate, walk proud

You can't always rely on others to motivate you or give you confidence. If you've made the decision to change your ways and start building a healthy lifestyle it has to be a personal choice. It's always great to know you have family and friends supporting you, even trying to help you reach the goals you set for yourself, but in the end you are the only person who can reach them.

Not all people are truly confident in themselves, it's hard because sometimes we feel it's being vain or boastful. Were taught not to be prideful, but there is a clear distinction between being proud of who you are and thinking you're some sort of god.

I've really had to learn to be proud of myself and not compare myself to others accomplishments. There is only one of me, therefore I can only compare achievements against what I've already done. If people stopped comparing themselves to others I think we'd all have a little more self confidence, especially when it comes to fitness!

Even I'm guilty of wanting to look like certain fitness models and I aspire to reach a point where I can bare all with a smile being completely happy in my skin. It's work and every day I get closer to NOT hating my body.

The reason I bring up self confidence today is because I've gotten my share or two of haters hating. Guys at the gym hassling me about weightlifting, people I work with telling me I'm crazy for getting up as early as I do to workout. Even friends who are generally interested in what I'm doing and how I'm changing my body are very quick to tell me that trying to get a six-pack is a pipe dream and I should just be happy that I'm not obese.

I want those washboard abs, that's something I want and if I actually listened to everyone who told me it was impossible or how miserable I was going to be not eating chocolate I'd never be as far as I am.

People are naturally resentful. Sounds a bit pessimistic, I agree, but I've found this to be fairly accurate. While others will be happy for you (or say so), they always compare to what they have or don't have. This is why some of my friends find it hard to stick with a workout routine or nutrition plan. Peer pressure drives them to think wanting to be healthy and look amazing and fit is vain. That you're not fun if you don't want to go binge drinking or lame for going to bed at 10pm.

I've turned down many things I knew might either lead me to unnecessary temptation OR put me in a position to be ridiculed. Reaching your goals is inspiring to most people, but the path is filled with rough spots.

You have to believe in yourself to be truly happy and healthy. It takes more time with some people and I've learned that it's okay to want to look good and feel great. Everyone on this planet should want that for themselves. It's pure choice, for most of us, that makes things otherwise.

So don't get discouraged if you can't bench as much as another member of your gym or if someone tells you you're crazy for giving up lattes. It's also really important to keep track of the mini milestones as well! Knowing you've gone 2 weeks without caffeine, or that you can do 3 more push-ups is just as important as finally losing that first 10lbs.

Never ever ever let anyone tell you, you CAN'T do something. Whatever it is. This doesn't just go for fitness, but everything in your life. If you listen to everyone (even yourself) say "you can't" you never will. That's why even though I can't do a pull-up on my own, I can do many assisted ones. The more I practice the closer I get. I know if I keep trying eventually I will, that's why I never give up.

Always try, the most important things are worth working for. And while I might have to remind myself every now and again, that I'm doing a good job I'll never lie and say it's easy.

Something to practice is for every flaw you think you have, counter your thought with a positive attribute about yourself. If I'm hating on my legs I try to think about how much I love my shoulders and then I try to have the best lower body workout and feel 1000 times better about everything.

You can't change everything about yourself in a split second, but with perseverance and confidence in yourself you will see change. This is coming from someone that had no self-esteem about a year ago. The more you work the better you feel and the stronger you become the more you want to achieve.

Take each day one at a time and try to do something that makes you feel good about yourself. Trust me, it gets easier :)

My 1st A.R.T Bootcamp Class with Terri Walsh

While I've already showered, dressed and my heart rate is back to it's normal hum, my bum & legs are still on fire!

Today was my first A.R.T Bootcamp class with Terri Walsh and it did not disappoint. Now I know bootcamp might first draw visions of a hard as nails grizzled drill sergeant and lacklustre faced participants but this was quite the opposite.

The small group is filled with super friendly people of all ages and skill levels, which just goes to show anyone can participate in this class and work at their level for a kick butt session. I really felt that in itself was a great motivator. You get really pumped when you see someone performing not giving up and it helps push you to keep going.

The instructor Terri Walsh is funny and upbeat without being cheerleader annoying. She's very encouraging and helps you push yourself rather then being commanding. This is such a wonderful atmosphere for quite a challenging class! Resistance training, aerobics, weightlifting & stretching all in one. The hour flew by, my super sweaty clothing the proof of a hard worked hour.

For all you crazy counters out there, just as a test I wore my heart rate monitor to class, an easy 600 cals burned in no time!

Terri runs the class on a month schedule, 3 classes a week (Tues, Thurs & Sat) - every time something different. This is perfect for people who find themselves easily bored with attending a class with the same moves in the same rotation. There is also a great network through facebook, with everyone posting results, questions and pics. The community Terri has built really has a supportive group of people who all really care about helping one another and driving each other.

I really encourage anyone in the NYC area to participate and give the A.R.T Bootcamp class a try. Spaces are limited to keep the groups smaller so everyone gets equal attention, but there are always announcements being posted toward the beginning of each month as the new classes start.

I'm really looking forward to the next class and it's already making my week day mornings more fun. Switching up your training routine keeps it interesting and keeps your body guessing :)

I'm ready to tackle the day and probably pamper myself with a nice hot bath tonight, my glutes and quads are cooked!

A New Love for Leg Day

I've haven't always loved days that I train lower body. It's by far the most difficult and has the largest muscle groups which in my case means tons of soreness.

In general I like feeling sore the day after a workout, it's a nice reminder that my body is repairing and I know I've gotten a decent workout. However, I also like walking. Being a resident of NYC means it's something I do a lot every day. So when I can't walk or go up and down steps with ease, it's a pain just to get around.

I also use to dislike leg day because I sit at a desk for most of my week. It's terrible and makes me very stiff; which in turn just makes me feel old and cranky. However my research and discovery of powder amino acids & L-glutamine tabs has turned me into a lower body workout lover. It's helped me leaps and bounds with on set muscle soreness and made so I'm regular sore and not walking like someone who has ridden a horse for 3 days.

I'm appreciating the connection I feel with the ground, sounds strange, but doing squats is so satisfying now I wish I didn't have to wait for muscle repair to do them. I enjoy cardio on the stair machine and as hard as walking lunges and step-ups are I'm actual get excited about them.

Here is what my workout was today, what are your favs on leg day?

• Super set (3 sets of):
  Squats 75lbs/12reps  *  Barbell Deadlift 70lbs/12reps  * Step-ups (each leg) 30lbs/12reps

• Super set (3 sets of):
  Cable leg raise 31lbs/12reps  *  Cable Abduct 18.75lbs/12reps  *  Cable Adduct 18.75lbs/12reps

• Leg Extension Machine (3 Sets) 50lbs/12reps

• Leg Curl Machine (3sets) 35lbs/12reps

• Super set (3 sets of):
  Bridge 25lb/25reps  *  Plié Squat 20lbs/20reps  *  Lunge (each leg) 30lbs/12reps

• End workout with 20mins of cardio on stair machine.

I live on facebook...again

Remember when facebook was a website where you had to have a college email to belong to it? That's when I was on facebook.

I remember belonging to a protest group that wanted to make it public like myspace (you know before people shuttered at that word). Anyway, I deactivated my account in 2007 because of a horrible fight that an ex boyfriend and I had gotten into over a private message. He hacked into my account read things out of context and boom we were fighting about something else.

Anyway to avoid fights altogether I got rid of every social network site I was on at the time. I even started to enjoy that no one could find me, like I didn't exist on the internet (except for my resumé and portfolio).

Until this year I hadn't really thought about facebook again. I've had a ton of people ask me a million times if I'm on there and I always just use to smile and say "nope". Unfortunately to truly be held to my LMBM goals I thought it might be a good idea to set up an account again.

Here comes the scary part.

When I typed in my email address into facebook it told me there was already an account that existed under that email. I immediately panicked. How was that possible?! I had deleted the account over 4 years ago.

I was able to reset the password to the account and once I enabled it again it remember everything just how I left it in 2007. All my comments, post, pictures, tags, friends. EVERYTHING!
I spent the first 2 hour going through trying to deleted the old me, the college & first year in NYC me - I'm not that person anymore.

There were some things I could never ever hope to fully get rid of, like wall posts. I still haven't gone through my whole friends list to see if I even want these people knowing anything personal about me.

While it's nice to see some old faces and learn that everyone I know is married and/or has kids it's sort of scary to me. I feel like I never had a connection to these people, we just when to the same school or were in the same clubs. It seems so trivial now.

I moved out of Florida the second I could. I hated living there and knew I was meant for better things. It's really true though, the more things change the more things stay the same.

Bikini ZERO: better pics to come this is just a taste

You'll have to give me time to ease into facebook again. I'm just that way sometimes with new things, if you really want to be friends or send me a message please do. I'd like people to follow me and see progress. I actually have so new pics up of the bathing suit I'm using for this little experiment, well at least what I like to call bikini ZERO.