My very first entry on my own fitness & nutrition blog, FINALLY! Yes! I'll tell you one thing - it's going to be a RIDE, people!!
Welcome. For those of you who do not know me well, my name is Jen. I'm a young woman with very strong passions for so many great fields in this life... it's been difficult to choose only one. I have spent two years working as a veterinary assistant, two years working in a bistro (where I learned how to REALLY cook!), I'm a writer, and progressing fitness trainer. The field of nutrition and fitness is certainly my biggest passion. I love to release my untamed enthusasim for such opportunities, which you will see evident here.
ANYWAYS... beginning now...
What should I ramble about today? I've never really done a blog like this. I'd have to say I am thrilled to see where I am now than I was even a year ago - that is certain. Even this morning, I noticed I have so much more lean muscle than I've ever had! I'm not going extreme to where I am purely burned out - I always take my 1-2 rest days a week. I started to notice real changes after doing HIIT 2-3 times a week and 2-3 kickboxing sessions. I have to say that HIIT is that extra motivation your body needs to get the last amount of fat off your body. It's quick - I only do 15-25 minutes of it - but it's what my body needed. I am recommending it!
Another change? I've noticed I don't bake as often as I did growing up. Even in my late teens when I was about 95lbs and 5'2'', I would bake and bake all the time. I was thin, but I had SO much sugar and I was so tired all the time. Now I find myself craving a strawberry/banana protein shake for breakfast and I don't have the desire for any kind of white bread or bakery goods. Strange? No... I wouldn't say so. It feels great not to be tempted by such demons anymore, haha. Saves so much money too. I embrace it all. Whenever I do crave something sweet, I've discovered my own ways to take an original recipe and make it healthier by making smart switches in ingredients. It has become automatic now and I love it. I'll share recipes on here, I promise!
For all of you who feel stuck now on a plateau or don't know how to get started, it DOES get easier with time. Everyone has a different metabolism, battle, goal, etc. and I have recently - ONLY recently! - discovered mine. Oh well! You build and learn from everything else around you; learn from your body too.
Here is a quick list of my overall discoveries so far. I hope in this, you can be inspired too.
- My body loves protein and doesn't do very well with a lot of carbs. I eat a lot of chicken, turkey, eggs, protein shakes, vegetables, and fruits, but when it comes to breads, I stick to options like whole grain English muffins and oatmeal and only one to two servings a day (to keep energy high).
- I watch my sugar intake to under 30g a day. I haven't had soda pop in almost 5 years! I don't miss it at all. I enjoy my sweet stuff on something I really want. Example: Dark chocolate-covered espresso beans!!
- Confession: I LOVE dark chocolate-covered espresso beans (and basically any fruit covered in chocolate too) - see bullet note above. This is something I will spend extra money on and enjoy at least once every few days. I cannot give this up.
- My weekly workout schedule looks like this: 2-3 days a week HIIT (usually 20-25 minutes long of HIIT, then 30-40 minutes dance or Pilates/yoga) and 2-3 days a week of kickboxing. Total: 1 hour, 5-6x a week.
- Best way to beat a plateau: Two workouts in one day! Sparks your metabolism to become a fire-burning machine. However, don't do this more than twice in one week. Don't burn yourself out!
- To stay motivated, I add new music tracks to my iPod often. Actually, I listen to music all the time - while in the car, cleaning the house, before a workout, during a workout. Music makes me thrive, become creative, feel alive!
- Kitchen is CLOSED after 8pm and alcohol intake is also limited to one glass of wine a week.
- I drink a lot of green tea, yerba mate, and iced water w/ fresh lemons.
- Subscribe to fitness/nutrition magazines! It keeps you on track and gives you some great reading. (My favorites include Shape, Women's Health, and Fitness.)
That's all I have to share today. Leave your comments and/or suggestions!
Keep up the great work, my friends. :)
Peace out.
Jen
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