Here are some questions Iāve received - Iāve done my best to provide (lengthy) answers!
Iām not! I personally donāt believe in any certainĀ āprogramā. Works for many, just not for me. I went with an entire lifestyle change. I guess you could categorize some of the stuff I do as aĀ āprogramā, but thereās no time limit or TONS of specifics. I just do what I do day after day, week after week, month after month, and what will be year after year :).
Um - TONS of stuff. I still love carbs like anyone else... and yes, I still eat carbs! Sundayās (cheat day) aside, I just keep it to complex carbs and before dinner (as with any human, there are occasions when Iāll do a complex carb other than just veggies at dinner... *gasp*!). Dinnerās are lean proteins and vegetables... fish, chicken, sometimes pork tenderloin, turkey, salads, asparagus, zucchini, squash, bell peppers and onions, broccoli... my go-toās. Carbs I eat are whole grains, black beans, and quinoa. Sometimes brown rice. I personally am not a fan of sweet potatoes, but that would be another good one to throw in at lunch! One thing Iām currently trying to do is weed out processed deli. My go-to lunch includes a deli sandwich, bleh, while good, not totally great :). I eat eggs, spinach, and dairy. Some people donāt do dairy and gluten, but Iām fine with it. 0% Greek Yogurt and I love my cheese in small quantities! While I get enough protein in my actual food, I do love my Quest protein bars: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Cookies and Cream, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip are life changing. Those are a go-to snack of mine, as are bananas, hummus, and cottage cheese. So really, the only things IĀ ālimitā myself on are anything sugar added/processed and simple carbs. And now, I donāt even purposely limit myself of those things anymore, itās just become second nature to not choose those items. AND - I feel MUCH better because Iām properly fueling my body! Oh, and I eat constantly throughout the day, and anywhere from 1850-2200 calories per day!
You eat HOW MUCH? And you still lost weight! HOW?
YEP! Think about it, for your body to give you the results you want, you need to properly fuel it. So part of your problem might be - youāre not eating ENOUGH. If youāre not eating enough, your body is holding on to every little thing you consume, top that off with what youāre consuming. You NEED the proper fuel. Small snacks and smaller meals throughout the entire day will help boost your metabolism and give you the fuel you need. As stated previously, calculate your calorie intake and deficit:Ā https://www.fitwatch.com/calculator/calorie-deficitĀ it will help give you a much better idea of how much you should be eating! Starving yourself will likely make you gain weight before lose weight.
So I can eat chips, or dessert? I donāt get enough calories and Iām supposed to eat more!
Nope - wouldnāt that be great? :) unfortunately thatās not how our bodies see it. The fuel you need has to come from the right calories. When you start to work your way up to clean eating and properly fueling yourself, your body eventually just craves healthier food and eating the junk will actually make you feel a little off. Nutrition changes are the hardest part to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, so as I stress, challenge yourself and work your way up!
No candy / soda / things with added sugar / refined sugar
No alcohol (or limit drastically, I say this because I canāt provide a tip for no alcohol when I still drink alcohol myself... ha!)
No pre-packaged / processed foods
Drink tons of water!!! Iām part of the gallon challenge and it works wonders!
One of those bottles is still about half full. The rest are empty. Thereās an idea of a gallon. Work your way up to that! In any case, regardless you should drink at least 8-10 cups a day.
Life is short, why do you restrict yourself to only have what you want on Sundayās!?
I CRAVE healthier foods now. Itās not even really a choice for me anymore, itās what I want. I feel SO much better because of it, too. And, as you get used to it, during the time period it is a choice youāre working up to, it helps develop a good habit, and excellent discipline.Ā
I run and will be running more as my first attempt at a marathon nears, and I attend boot camp classes (HIIT high intensity interval training style and weight lifting) and CrossBarre classes! I change it up from day to day - itās great to cross train! You look forward to the variety! I have goals like, unassisted pull-upās, so I love strength training, but I also love the HIIT style - great for calorie burn and your heart rate! And barre classes incorporates some strength training with weights, as well as isometric moves - super hard, but in a much different, lower intense fashion. I thoroughly enjoy everything I do... thatās key. Find what you love best. Cardio? Strength and cardio? Dance? Barre? Yoga? Try it all!
How often do you work out?
Basically every day, but thatās just me. I enjoy it a lot and have goals I want to reach quickly, and itās just a habit for me Iāve really gotten into. If I wake up one morning and Iām not working out, I feel like I missed something in my day.
River City Personal Fitness - http://www.rcityfitness.com and CrossBarre - http://www.crossbarre.com have changed my life. If youāre local to this area, they can change yours, too.
Got any workout must-haves?
Iām very organized and routine... I do the SAME THING every morning before class. And I have MUST-HAVE gear. Gotta have the right shoes and GOOD shoes... take care of your feet. I need awesome, comfy socks, and headbands galore - because I sweat buckets and itās not cute, especially if it wonāt stop running down my entire face.... um, ew.
A no brainer for those who know me :) lululemon, basically everything. Itās a real problem, actually. But for me, they really do make THE BEST of everything. Athleta is a close second. And like Iāve said before, if you look good and feel good, you perform better. I canāt ever WAIT to put on my new gear and outfits! lululemon make the best crops and shorts - Wunder Under Crops, and Speed Track Shorts are my favorite. They literally do not move and feel like a second skin. Wild Tanks, and any draped back tanks - love. Energy Bra, Splendour Bra, and Free to Be Wild bras - personal faves. Speed Shorts - to run in or to just wear to the store. Swift Tech Racerback tanks, 5mm reversible yoga mat, small towels... So... basically everything they make. =)
Athleta is no joke either. Any Fastest Track gear and Chaturanga crops! They have some awesome draped tanks as well, with the shelf bra included - great support! Full Force tank from Athleta is one of my favorite tanks I own. And Athleta, being owned by Gap, has way better sales and variety of everything than lulu.
Oh, and finally for fun - give me any funny workout tank. I LOVE those.Ā Endless options are on Etsy.com. The latest one I just ordered?Ā āI do it for Chipotleā. So funny, because itās so true. :)
Thatās all folks - enjoy your SundayĀ ācheat dayā! :)