Affirmation

I notice that a lot of my female friends go to either woman - heavy gyms or females only fitness centers.  Having been a member at several different gyms in the past several years, I can certainly understand the appeal.  I used to train at a fairly large gym, using mostly the circuit, though occasionally incorporating some free-weights.  It was, and is in many places, a daunting task to approach the free weight area of the gym; complete with sweaty, bulky dudes in muscle tees and their gallon jug of water, glaring at any girl who came too near to their pile of weights.

At one point, I was a member in a gym where the circuit was in a room I not-so-lovingly termed "the cave".  We were set apart from the rest of the gym, the "serious" trainers, and the men. 

Let's face it.  The gym can be a very intimidating place for a female trying to get her buff on.  Men don't always make it easy.  (Of course, this isn't ever situation or every gym.  I'm very lucky to be in a place where it's totally acceptable to power through some barbell squats in front of the dudes) 
Women, don't be intimidated.

We are truly capable of anything we set our minds to.  A little fear in the gym can't let us stop pushing forward and making progress; a lot of good can be done in the free weights.  Don't fear.

Being an easily intimidated female, I speak mostly to myself.  If I let something stand in my way of my own success then I am the only one to blame when I fail to meet my goals.  Look your fears in the eye, don't back down, don't take anyone's crap.  Be you, be strong, be confident.

Protein

Protein.  It's a buzz word.  Is it really that important?  As a female, should I really have a high protein intake?  Will it make me gain weight?  There are so many uncertainties surrounding the consumption of protein, it's extremely important to be educated as you embark on a weight loss program or a muscle building regiment.

In the past, it's been recommended that women consume .36 g of protein per pound of body weight, however, a new study in the Journal of Nutrition theorizes that this is a gross inaccuracy.

Women need protein just as much as men do.  We should be consuming 1g of protein per pound of body weight per day in order to build and maintain muscle, as well as lose or maintain weight.   It's recommended that we have 5-6 servings of protein per day in 20g-30g increments in order to  absorb it properly into the body and get the most effective use out of it.

Will it make you gain weight?  As with any food, eaten in excess or out of the recommended portion size, yes.  Protein alone will not make you gain weight quickly, just be sure your portions are accurate and you're expelling more calories in the gym than you're taking into your body on a regular basis.

What are some good, viable sources of protein? Beans, fish (cod, tilapia, tuna), lean poultry, cottage cheese, almond/peanut butter, eggs, and protein shakes. 

To read the full article, check out cutandjacked.com

Inspiration // Motivation

Some days, even when I've killed myself in the gym and eaten really well, I just feel like my goals are so unattainable.  It comes with the territory; we're working our bodies, we're eating things we don't necessarily love, we're changing our lifestyles and we expect to see results.  Sometimes we just don't, and we have to keep plugging along before anything changes.  Those days are hard. 

For hard days, keep yourself positive, remind yourselves to keep working, and don't lose hope.

Eating Intentionally

Let's face it, most of us are counting calories.  Whether you count calories to lose weight or count to gain muscle, if you're attempting to change your lifestyle chances are you're watching what you eat.  Granted, this isn't everyone, but for those of us who find it difficult to meet our caloric goal each day, pairing a healthy diet with a healthy calorie count can seem a little daunting.

As I work out more, I find my body hungry more often.  It's not a bad thing, my body needs fuel and energy to keep going, so I increased my caloric intake.  But by increasing my intake, I find myself finishing dinner still feeling a bit hungry and still needing roughly 400 more calories.  Likewise, If you're cutting calories and find yourself eating too few it can be a detriment to your body.  Your metabolism will slow and you may actually gain weight as your body goes into starvation mode.  Your body needs food to run, it's the gas in your tank. 
So how can you get a few extra calories without breaking your healthy lifestyle or feeling heavy, bloated, and overly full?

 1. 1/4 cup Almonds - A very light, easy way to grab an extra 200 calories throughout the day.  Eat them as a snack or add to a yummy salad or a bowl of oatmeal.  It's important to get good fats in your diet and almonds are a great source of monounsaturated fat which can help lower your risk of heart disease, help fight belly fat, and actually help you lose weight.

2. 1/2 cup Oatmeal - Unsweatened oatmeal can sound like the world's worst breakfast food, but when it comes to adding sugar or "fake" sugar, I tend to stay away.  1/2 cup of oatmeal is 150 calories, but adding a tablespoon full of natural peanutbutter (100 calories), a handful of fruit, cinnamon, or a bit of almond milk can help increase the calories to anywhere from 200 to 300.  Oatmeal is a good source of whole grain and fiber, and like almonds, can help to fight belly fat.

3. 1 medium Apple - 1 apple is roughly 100 calories and so good for you.  Apples can help give you a little pick up in the morning and can help you maintain your weight (respectively).  They're a good source of fiber and can actually help to whiten your teeth!

4. 1 slice of Whole Wheat Bread + 1 tablespoon of Natural Peanut Butter - Choose whole wheat bread over white bread which contains added sugar and high fructose corn syrup, and most whole wheat breads are vegan friendly while white breads typically aren't.  Natural peanut butter contains no additives and should only be peanuts (or whatever type nut-butter you choose).  Be sure to check the label on your brand name peanut butter, there are a surprising number of additives and extra unnecessary sugars, a good tip to remember is natural peanut butter needs refrigeration, while the others do not.

5. 1 level tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter - A single serving size of peanut butter is one level tablespoon full.  It's extremely easy to overdo it on a serving size and actually add too many calories to your diet if you aren't careful.  1 tablespoon is 100 calories, and like almonds, peanut butter is a good source of healthy fats.

6. Smoothies/Juices - If you have a juicer, this can be a great way to get a few extra calories in your diet in a very light manor.  Juicing is a highly successful way of getting your daily servings of fruits and veggies without the added sugar that store bought juice contains.  Smoothies, as well, are a great dessert option.  Add unsweatened, plain yogurt, fruits, veggies, and ice to make your own sweet creations.  There's no wrong way to create a yummy smoothie, just mix and match until you find something you love.

7. Add a serving of Whole Grain to your dinner - It's easy to get into the mindset that in order to eat clean or be healthy you must only eat fruits and veggies in your main meals.  You miss out on so many nutrient rich meals when you restrict yourself to foods like vegetables and fruit all day long.  1/2 cup of any particular whole grain can add anywhere from 150 to 300 extra wonderful calories to your diet without weighing you down.


There are plenty of ways to get what you need in your diet, what it comes down to is eating intentionally.  Spend a little extra time planning out your meals, take time to snack once or twice during the day, and remember to enjoy what you're eating.  There's plenty out there for the clean-eating vegetarians (or non vegetarians), sometimes it just takes a little trial and error.

Eating Clean

Over the past few months I've adopted a clean eating lifestyle.  It seems like it's everywhere these days, you can't get away from the diets, fads, websites, and statistics bombarding us with information and how-to's constantly.  It can be overwhelming and more than a little daunting - eating only clean food?  What does that even mean? 

Eating clean means eating only unprocessed foods, saying no to things like sugar, white carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, etc), juices, alcohol, and high fructose corn syrup.  It's no surprise that our bodies don't quite know what to do with all the extra chemicals we put into it on a daily basis; we weren't meant to process and digest most of what we consume.  It's not food. 
While eating clean means saying no to a lot of things we love (let's be honest, I love french fries, milk shakes, and oreos), a lot of food that's easy to make, and the cheapest options, it also means saying yes to healthy and yummy alternatives.

Say "yes" to more veggies, fruit, and whole grains.  There are a number of healthy whole grain options to choose from; quinoah, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, bulgur, and many, may more.  For a complete list of whole grains, as well as great tips for cooking and choosing the healthiest options, check out the Whole Grains Council. 

Say "yes" to lean proteins such as chicken, fish, and lean cuts of turkey.  You can also substitute beans or cottage cheese for a meat free source of protein, though always consult a doctor to be sure you're getting enough of what you need when you choose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. 

That being said, one of the hardest things for me to give up was canned beans.  I love beans, I'd eat them 5 times a week if it were a bit more convenient.   Check out the label before you buy a can of beans, or anything in a can for that matter, you'd be surprised how many different additives there are.  Now, I choose uncooked beans and soak them overnight before I cook with them, ensuring as little chemical additives as possible.

For more great clean eating tips and recipes check out the Clean Eating Magazine, they even have their own Pinterest! 

My Story

Just one year ago, I (not so happily) weighed in at 125 lbs.  I was working at a local gym, attempting to work out every day, and eating very poorly.  Two years prior to that, I weighed (again, not so happily) 100 lbs, I was in the gym for roughly 2 hours every day while I consumed a meager 150-600 calories per day.  And even two years before that, I weighed 145-150 lbs, I went to the gym every other day ish, and I ate whenever and whatever I felt like.  This is my story:

As I grew up in elementary school, middle school, and even high school, I compared myself to the people around me.  In my early years, I saw my friends legs were smaller than mine and I hated my body.  As I began to mature, I developed hips while the rest of my friends stayed beautifully straight without the hideous curves I grew to hate.  In high school I'd watch the skinny girls talk about what size they were, wondering if their legs were as big as mine, trying to determine which girl was my size, which was smaller, all the while it never entered my mind to diet or exercise.  In freshman P.E. I saw for the first time, as I'd never worked out before, the result of pushing your body to the max.  I dropped from 140 to 120, it was glorious.  I remember being proud of my body in a swimsuit that summer, never caring to lose more weight or to keep pushing myself after the year was over.

In college, I began working out semi regularly, finally attempting to eat well.  I became a vegetarian, I made my own meals, I refused to gain the freshman fifteen.  I managed my weight around 130 for several months, until one week I went on vacation, ate whatever I wanted, and came home weighing 145.  I was devastated, I watched my weight soar to 148, 150, finally I'd had enough.  I began my first ever diet.  I researched what it meant to count calories, what it meant to expel more in the gym than I was taking in during meals, what I needed to do in order to become healthy.

I began by eating 1600 calories per day, and I saw a very drastic change very quickly.  Before long, in order to stay at 1600 calories or below, because that must certainly be better, I was only eating dinner.  I'd starve myself all day, telling my body that if I could make it to 3 pm then I'd beat the hardest part of the day.  I dropped weight very quickly that year, by the time spring came around, I weighed 123 and I was still not satisfied.  I began eating only fruits and veggies and because I had the time for it, whenever I felt bored I drove myself to the gym.  Before too much time passed, I was spending an hour in the gym twice a day, maxing myself out, and eating only 1000 calories.  By the time the year was over, I knew that to eat 1000 calories, my body would gain 1 lb, to eat 600 calories, my body would maintain it's weight, and to eat anything below, but preferably around 200 calories, I'd lose anywhere from 1 to 2 lbs in a day.  I would frequently take several days of not eating anything at all in order to go out to eat during the week.  In the course of a year, I dropped from 115 to 110 to 105 until one day I stood on the scale and weighed a measly 98 lbs.  I was scared, but also very proud.

Fast forward a year.  I moved to a new home, a place where there was plenty of unhealthy food present, a place where I didn't belong to a gym, and no one knew what I struggled with.  I began to binge uncontrollably.  I watched my weight rise in horror, going from 100 to 110 to 115.  I felt like I was out of control, incapable of managing my weight and my eating habits as I had just a few months before.  I became addicted to laxatives, using any means necessary to purge the food from my system, finding that I only gained more and more and more weight and it was suddenly becoming noticeable.  Before I knew it, I weighed 132 and I couldn't keep the weight from rising even more.  Finally, one day I came home from a trip having not eaten anything the day before, I stepped on the scale and realized I hadn't lost any weight.  I was 140 and miserable.  It was that day that I stopped stepping on the scale and I haven't looked back. 

Now for the first time in years I eat three balanced meals every single day.  I go to the gym 6 days a week for an hour, I only drink water, and I don't eat any processed foods.  I don't know what I weigh and I don't care to know again.  I don't wear clothes that make me feel uncomfortable, thus making me wish I weighed less or hate myself.  I choose to be healthy for my complete well-being.  Being an anoretic greatly affected my mental health.  I dropped into sever depression, I had no drive, determination, or will power.  I lost sight of what was important to me, I lost sight of my faith, I accepted defeat. 
Eating right and exercising makes your body strong and happy which in turn makes your mind strong and happy.

 I have taken my need for rules and regulations that makes it so easy to develop an eating disorder, and I've channeled it into a healthy lifestyle.  I'll be posting tips, tricks, recipes, excersises, and positive thoughts in order to both fuel myself and hopefully inspire you to do the same.