Posts Tagged ‘food

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24
Oct
12

Let’s Do Some Sprints

By garagegym107 2 Comments
Categories: Nutritional Cleanse Experiment
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Want to see a group of people visibly get better before your eyes?  Have them run sprints together.  Not just a couple of rounds of sprints but instead 6-10 rounds of 100 meter sprints.  It’s suckage to say the least.  It forces each person to work hard through the pain.  It creates personal growth.  Ages range from 28-54 and yes, they all ran together.

After you’ve finished the timing for them, have them  do the timing for you.  Little makes people feel better than to see the trainer suffer the same fate they have just endured. 

Nothing makes them feel better than to realize what they’ve accomplished when they finish.

Struggling together creates an unspoken bond.  You know as a trainer, deep down inside they are pushing each other to run just a tad faster than if they were running alone.

Lucky for me today, two additional people came up and ran with me.  Humbling and motivating that I didn’t have to run by myself, instead I GOT TO run with them.

Healthy competition is great as long as you are grounded in improving yourself more than anything.   I don’t believe that every workout has to be a competition. Some would say  that makes me soft, I disagree.  I believe that its me vs. me.  Not me vs. you. 

If I focus all of my efforts on beating someone else, the person I’m not watching is going to pass me. 

You vs. you, always.

19
Sep
12

Ignorance is Bliss

By garagegym107 1 Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
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Most people really truly don’t want to acknowledge the truth about fitness and weight loss.  If they hide behind the veil of ignorance then they don’t have to hold themselves accountable.  I did that, for a couple of years, in fact.  I managed to pack on an additional 168# in two years.  Yes, that’s correct, in only two years I went from a relatively healthy size 10 woman to a grossly unhealthy size 22.  That’s an average weight gain of 1.61 pounds PER WEEK.

Talk about a sad sack.  But ignorance was bliss.  No one really ever said anything about the weight as it progressively increased.

I could have stopped it, I could have changed the course of my life.  But instead I used every excuse I could dig up, meds were making me fat, job related stress was making me fat, my obnoxiously nasty divorce was making me fat.  But you know what? 

I was making me fat.  I was the one stopping by the fast food joints picking up a bag full of whatever daily special was going on at whichever place was super-sizing everything.

The beautiful thing in my story is that I truly believe that people can change and those changes can stick, like glue. 

I know personally many people who have successfully changed.   Taking themselves from being slightly overweight, or emotional eaters, to those like me, who were obese. 

They’ve taken responsibility for educating themselves.  They’ve put their own ego’s and pride aside to make these changes.  They’ve humbled themselves to the point of learning and humbled themselves to the point of DOING. 

The most important thing that we’ve all learned is that in this life is:  it’s not always about me. 

Reach out and do something nice for another person.  No need to tell anyone what you did, just do it.

Each one, reach one.

18
Sep
12

Nutritional Knowledge

By garagegym107 2 Comments
Categories: Precision Nutrition Certification
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

For over a decade I’ve spent a lot of time trying to learn how to eat properly.  I’ve gotten lost in the noise of this program or that.  I’ve tried them all with the exception of those you must get from your doctor.  None of them have really explained the how and why of food and how it impacts my body.

I am a trainer.  I hunger to know more so that I can help my clients on a deeper level.  More than  making a recommendation of a diet they can follow.  I want to teach them.  I want to help them.  I want them to learn about why some foods are better than others.

First I must help myself.  I’ve registered for the Precision Nutrition Certification course.  It could take me months, but I’m willing to invest the time.

As with everything, it starts with me.

I will begin practicing what I preach, documenting my journey along the way.

To my friends who have gone ahead of me, thanks for dragging me along.  I ♥ you.

11
Sep
12

You Can’t Out Train a Poor Diet

By garagegym107 22 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
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I know this to be such a true statement.  I don’t consider what I do a diet.  I eat clean, I’ve educated myself on proper macro-nutrients and understand how to consume balanced meals.

Does that mean I always do what I know is the right thing?  Negative ghost-rider!

Why would I not do what I know is best?  Well, for me it is usually about poor planning. 

If I don’t make a conscious effort to prepare and store my protein sources I find myself scrounging around for what I should eat.

I spend a couple of hours once a week preparing protein sources, usually grilling or baking in the form of chicken.  Chicken gets boring.  Yes, I know.  I have umpteen(yes that’s a word my mom used to use) spices that I rotate so the my chicken gets a different flavor.  I have friends that simply boil their chicken to death and then eat it.  Not me I want some flavor. 

I digress terribly today.

I freeze what chicken I won’t use over the following two days and I even go so far as to cut it up in to bite sized pieces so I don’t have to fight it later.  I use the quart sized Ziploc freezer backs.  They make my life easier.

I don’t always have access to fresh veggies, but our local Kroger puts small bags of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots on sale 10/$10.00 so I always have a back up plan on my veggies and yes, I eat the whole bag at one sitting.

I hard boil an 18 pack of eggs on Sunday, then I peel them all.  Grab and go protein.

Food planning is only as hard as you make it.  Do you work 12 hour days?  Then it’s even MORE important to plan your meals.  Write down a list of what you need and go buy ONLY what is on the list.  Stay out of the inner aisles at the grocery store unless you are looking for olive or coconut oils or some other healthy oil.   Shop the produce section, the meat counter and cooler for eggs. 

Yes, it is that simple.

Veggies…don’t judge your taste of a veggie from any childhood experience.  I hated brussels sprouts until someone roasted them after tossing in olive oil and salt and pepper.  Now I love them. I enjoy and appreciate most all roasted veggies.  We are grown-ups now.  We should be open to trying every single vegetable just for sake of variety.  It’s amazing how many things I’ll eat now that I wouldn’t touch years ago. 

Eating clean is only as hard as you choose to make it.  I choose to make it as easy as possible. 

It’s not a chore, it’s a choice.

The best carb sources around!

24
Aug
12

Emotional Eating

By garagegym107 Leave a Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Quite a few people know what emotional eating is.  Some folks think it is conjured up and an excuse.

I found this definition on the interwebz but it’s a bit harsh for my liking. 

“Compulsive overeating, also sometimes called food addiction, is characterized by an obsessive/compulsive relationship to food.”

You see in the South we celebrate every occasion with food and therefore tend to connect every type of emotion under the sun with food.  EVERYTHING.

Ironically I married a man who is NOT emotionally attached to food.  I’ve learned a lot from him. 

Food either tastes good to him, or it’s meh…  He never eats because he’s stressed or anything like that.  In fact I at times I put food in front of him as a reminder to eat.

It’s actually quite cool as an emotional eater to witness in reality that non-emotional eating really exists.  It has helped me come to the following conclusion on handling food.

-When you look at food you shouldn’t be trying to decide if it will make you feel better or worse.  You should only be thinking “it’s time for me to fuel my body with the best possible option, is that what this particular food will do?”

Once I accepted the responsibility that I managed food and it didn’t manage me, things really begin to change.

When you are caught up in the cycle of eat bad, feel bad so eat more bad and feel worse, it is totally up to you to break that mental cycle.  It has nothing to do with the food. 

You see when I first started losing weight, I had weight loss momentum on my side.  I ate clean 6 days a week, had a free day and I worked out 6 days a week and rested one.  The weight literally started falling off.  125# in the first year.

But the real changes for me didn’t start happening until I started unpacking my baggage chest.  For 8 years I went up 20 pounds and down 20 pounds.  Constantly yo-yo dieting and never really putting my finger on what the issue was.

One day I stood in my kitchen with my hand literally in the cookie jar, with my cup of milk about to commence in the Oreo dunking party when I realized that I was defeating my very own purpose. 

At that moment came the first epiphany.  That ah-ha moment when I cracked open the proverbial baggage trunk for the first time.  I was flooded with guilt and shame and all sorts of emotion from the shoe boxes within that chest. 

At that moment however, true healing began.

One shoe box of baggage at a time was revealed, acknowledged, ultimately forgiven and then released into that unknown space of healing.

I wrote letters to people who had wronged me, vented all of my frustrations, then burned them.  Somehow this process allowed for me to let go of bitterness and hurt I was holding on to.

I wrote letters of apology and requested forgiveness and actually mailed those. 

Once I had dealt with the process of letting go, surprisingly the emotional eating episodes slowed down and now are almost completely non-existent.

Never give up on yourself.  Learn to love and appreciate the wonderful things you are capable of and forgive yourself for the seemingly stupid mistakes you’ve made and move on. 

Life is so much better with a trunk filled with peace.

06
Aug
12

Paleo Blondies Recipe

By garagegym107 7 Comments
Categories: Recipe
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Rarely do I post a recipe.   Scrumptious comes to mind.  As in all things moderation is key only a bite will do, you don’t need to eat the whole pan.  Yes, I know you will be tempted to.  

Almond Butter Blondies:

1 16oz jar Justin’s almond butter (or if you are a purist, make your own, just roast raw almonds then process them.  I’m lazy)

2 large eggs

¼ honey (I would have climbed the tree for honey as a cavewoman, no doubt about it)

1 cup Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chips

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon KerryGold Butter, (this is grass-fed) melted 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, butter or spray an 8×8 pan.

Mix almond butter, butter, eggs and honey until mixed.

Add baking soda and salt, mix well. 

Fold in chips.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Ovens vary.  I prefer them under-baked to too brown.  Who likes burned nuts anyway?

 I under-baked mine intentionally so they’d be a little gooey in the middle.

If you still eat a lot of sugar, these are not the treat for you as they won’t be overly sweet to you.  

These are lightly sweet and satisfying especially if you don’t eat a lot of sugar.

You see if I was meant to be a food blogger, I’d have taken a picture to go along with my recipe.  I’ll gladly leave the recipe blogging to those whom are good at it!

01
Aug
12

It Is Not About Them

By garagegym107 1 Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the world of weight-loss it’s easy to play the victim.  Blame all of our shortcomings and lack of results on our upbringing, our past relationships, our lack of relationships, our jobs, our family time, our lack of money, and the list could go on for a full paragragh.  In all honesty, it is not about them, it is about you.

You can make valiant attempts to make lasting change, but until you realize that you are ulitmately responsible for your food intake and moving your butt, you are playing victim.  Sure life will give us lemons on occasion and we’ve got two choices, sit and sour along with the juice or make some lemonade.

Today I was heading outside to work-out with a coworker.  As I turned the corner to go down to the locker room I glanced to the left and saw two gentlemen coming into the facility to enjoy lunch in our cafeteria. 

One was suffering from health related issues, I have no idea what, but he struggled to walk slowly with his friend supporting his arm on one side and walking with a cane in the other hand. 

I smiled and nodded as I usually do and as I continued on to the locker room I was overcome with gratitude.  Gratitude that the man had a friend to lean on and walk with and emmense gratitude that I am now healthy.

When I weighed 328# I used to see the obstacle of weight-loss as  chore.  I used to pout when I would have to eat a salad and someone around me would be eating crap, that whole “why me” thing. 

Over time (not overnight) I realized that I was starting to feel better, my clothes fit better and then it got easier.  My mind shifted from this is a chore to this is a choice.  That one little switch changed everything.  The sooner you acknowledge that you are willing to do whatever is takes willingly to succeed the easier this path will become.

Hat Tip: Elements of Your Life

 

19
Jul
12

Discipline

By garagegym107 1 Comment
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It sounds like we are in school today but we’re not, bummer. 

Occasionally I have people seek me out for advice on how I successfully transitioned from obesity to being fit.  I’ll help anyone out there.  That’s probably one of my biggest blessings and at the same time one of my biggest flaws. 

The old adage “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink” applies here.   I’ve found that people want me to tell them exactly what to eat and when (key word is exactly), what to drink, and when to breathe, etc. 

I’ll help up to a point, I’ll give you menu’s, workouts, etc.  I’ll point you to every resource I’ve ever used. 

One thing I won’t do is feed you and do your workouts day in and day out.   You’ve got to have some self-motivation, self-discipline and learn to do that stuff yourself.

I know all about the insecurity of being left to your own devices and eating healthy.  I used to get paralyzed with over thinking about food.  Some days I’d freak out and not eat much at all for fear of eating too much of the wrong thing.  Wrong to who?  I still laugh over my naiveté.

If you keep it simple and LEARN the difference between a complex carb, a lean protein, heathly fat and healthy veggies you can then make great choices. 

In today’s world things get so confusing so that’s the first thing I try to teach any client or friend.  You’d be amazed at how many people use almonds and bacon as their sources of protein, when in actuality they are fats. 

There are a ton of resources and some of my favorites are Body-for-Life Library.  You’ll have to register and then visit the library tab.  Secondly The Zone Diet both of these programs are relatively easy to follow with cut and dried food lists.  If you are starting out, they are great resources.  Lastly, I’m a fan of Primal eating Mark’s Daily Apple for folks who are more advanced in their nutritional journey.  Meaning you don’t eat fast food EVER.  If you are still eating fast food, stick with the first two choices.

You can mix and match!  YES. YOU. CAN.  I promise at least up to this point, there are no food police that will come to your house and tell you that you are eating improperly.  Learn how to fuel your body to feel better.  Listen to your body NOT YOUR EMOTIONS when deciding what to eat.

In a perfect household everyone is on board and all the junk goes in the trash.   In my house that’s not the case. 

So I keep my food in a seperate veggie bin in the fridge and the other stuff in a separate pantry with all the small appliances I don’t want sitting out. 

No one goes in that pantry except for me, they don’t like appliances. 🙂 

I don’t have to look at bread, crackers and chips when I’m selecting my food. 

I’m optimistic as time goes on that things will get better in my house. But until they do, I don’t use that as an excuse.

Everyone has their own favorite complex carbs.  These are two of my favorite carbs. 

17
Jul
12

Getting Fit! Tami Rose

By garagegym107 42 Comments
Categories: Living Fit Daily
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I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to a woman I know.  I met Tami a year ago when she joined the CrossFit Box I attend. 

With her permission, this blog is for her.  To celebrate the victory of consistency with both her nutrition and her workouts.  Tami has made changes that have now become visible results.  No super secret code or plan. 

Clean conscious eating and working out.  I do not train Tami.  She works out at CrossFit Impulse.  She does this on her own with the support of other CrossFit community members, friends and trainers at the box.

For all of you out there struggling, use this as motivation. 

Instead of me saying a thousand words, I’ll let the photo’s do the talking.  Congratulations Tami!

March vs July 2012 Congratulations Tami!!

09
Jul
12

Be Weird. Be Random. Be Who YOU Are.

By garagegym107 23 Comments
Categories: Morphing of a Fit Woman
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Love this saying.  I wish I had made this one up myself.  I see people, especially women hiding behind what they think everyone else wants to see.  The lucky few may get a glimpse in to who that person really is. 

This morning I was the woman laying in the gym floor rolling on a foam roller shortly after doing five sets of heavy dead-lifts.  I got stared at while doing the lifts.  I don’t care.  That is who I am.  By today’s standards seeing a woman dead-lift isn’t common place.  It’s weird.  AND. I. LOVE. IT.

Want big biceps?  Secretly behind closed doors flexing your guns to see if they’ve grown?  Show ’em.  Be proud of ’em.  You bet I want nice bulky biceps and shapely shoulders.  Side effect?  I can paddle a mean kayak when I want to.  I can also whip up a good omelet with those same guns.

I have a paddle board and a kayak to haul up a steep lot when I’m finished playing on the water.  Every single weekend when I’m doing that hauling I thank my lucky stars that I made the decision to shed 168# and get fit.

Some say I’m getting too old for all that.  Pfffhhhttt, I’ll never be too old.  The day I get too old will be the day I stop having fun.  Living this life today is the only choice we have, I’m taking full advantage of it by keeping myself in great shape. 

If you’ve got pounds to lose, don’t waste another day trying.  Get busy DOING.  Hold yourself accountable.  You are the ultimate keeper of your success!  DO. IT.

 

 

 

 

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