For those of you that have expressed interest in sample meal plans, I'm posting a link to an excellent article that details a shopping list and meal plan that will hold you over for a week.
Last week, I met a girl competing in her first fitness competition (good luck!). I had seen her around the gym and always admired her physique (not in a creepy way! Aside: It's a good idea to have a picture of how you want your physique to look. Some recommend taping a picture of your ideal look to your bathroom mirror so everyday when you see it, it inspires you.)
Anyway, the two of us got to talking and she gave me a couple of tips. One of these tips, that relates to todays post, is to use www.bodybuilder.com. I had checked it out before but thought that it was for, well, uh body builders. After spending more time at the site I've realized that it has a lot of great information for anyone interested in fitness.
The point is, this is where I found the article with sample meal plan. I haven't made the exact meals but the idea is the same. Rather than a batch of ground beef or turkey, as the author suggests, I cook up a batch of chicken breasts. Usually, I cook up about 6 servings of chicken breast seasoned with only salt and pepper. This way, I can add whatever I want to it to give it a different flavor. One day I'll add bbq sauce, another teriyaki sauce, sometimes I like it with mango salsa. If you cook it with just salt and pepper, you can vary the flavor or incorporate it into any dish.
Well, have fun with the article. Be creative with what you have on hand or use her shopping list. Let me know how it works for you!
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/your-most-efficient-1-week-fit-meal-planner-ever.html
Friday, September 23, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Weight Control
Month two and progress has slowed. I've come to a stand still. Talk about frustrating!?!! I was expecting this routine to have miraculous results. No one ever told me that I would hit a wall half way through.
The good news is, I think I figured out why.
First of all, when you are near you body's ideal weight it is really challenging to lose weight. Well, unless you're anorexic or something but that's not me. The last 5-10lbs are the hardest to lose.
Before starting this I was already really active and at a pretty stable weight. My goal is to break past the point where I was at and go from healthy to fit. In body fat percentages, that means going from roughly 30% to 24%.
Lifting builds muscle. Muscle burns calories over a longer sustained period of time. Essentially, building muscle burns calories and burns fat. However, for me to achieve the results I'm aiming for I've realized that there are three things that are necessary.
First of all, to develop the lean musle, weight lifting. Like I've said, I'm very consistent with this. 4 days a week, 45 mins, full body workout. I've already noticed muscle development and fat loss. This is good. But it's not enough by itself.
Secondly, a healthy diet with calorie control. With this I'm more lenient because it's just so hard to control. I do give in on occasion but for the most part I am sticking to lean protein and veggies. I've mostly eliminated bread from my diet because refined carbs aren't a necessity. My favorite part about this is that I just feel so much better. It's hard to explain but I plan to have a post in the near future to elaborate.
Lastly, and simply, cardio! Last month I regularly did at least one day of cardio. I also lost a few pounds last month. Already half way through this month I haven't noticed nearly the same results. And this month I haven't done much cardio. Just this one element is making a huge difference in my weight control.
With four days a week of weights it's been tough to fit in another day of exercise just for cardio. Especially, because I don't do cardio on the days I lift weights. This is because cardio increases cortisol levels which break down muscle, counteracting my primary goal of developing lean muscle.
One positive aspect of the change in weather is that I won't be as distracted by summer activities so I'll have more time for exercise.
Over the next two weeks I'm going to add another day of cardio. I'll keep you posted on the results!
The good news is, I think I figured out why.
First of all, when you are near you body's ideal weight it is really challenging to lose weight. Well, unless you're anorexic or something but that's not me. The last 5-10lbs are the hardest to lose.
Before starting this I was already really active and at a pretty stable weight. My goal is to break past the point where I was at and go from healthy to fit. In body fat percentages, that means going from roughly 30% to 24%.
Lifting builds muscle. Muscle burns calories over a longer sustained period of time. Essentially, building muscle burns calories and burns fat. However, for me to achieve the results I'm aiming for I've realized that there are three things that are necessary.
First of all, to develop the lean musle, weight lifting. Like I've said, I'm very consistent with this. 4 days a week, 45 mins, full body workout. I've already noticed muscle development and fat loss. This is good. But it's not enough by itself.
Secondly, a healthy diet with calorie control. With this I'm more lenient because it's just so hard to control. I do give in on occasion but for the most part I am sticking to lean protein and veggies. I've mostly eliminated bread from my diet because refined carbs aren't a necessity. My favorite part about this is that I just feel so much better. It's hard to explain but I plan to have a post in the near future to elaborate.
Lastly, and simply, cardio! Last month I regularly did at least one day of cardio. I also lost a few pounds last month. Already half way through this month I haven't noticed nearly the same results. And this month I haven't done much cardio. Just this one element is making a huge difference in my weight control.
With four days a week of weights it's been tough to fit in another day of exercise just for cardio. Especially, because I don't do cardio on the days I lift weights. This is because cardio increases cortisol levels which break down muscle, counteracting my primary goal of developing lean muscle.
One positive aspect of the change in weather is that I won't be as distracted by summer activities so I'll have more time for exercise.
Over the next two weeks I'm going to add another day of cardio. I'll keep you posted on the results!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
One Month!
Anyone else agree that this summer has gone by way too fast??!! September officially makes one whole month of me being on my new fitness fix. I guess this means I get to go shopping and buy myself a new workout outfit! Ooh, exciting! (That's right, it's important to set little milestones and reward yourself when you achieve them.)
What I've learned:
1. Food intake makes a huge difference- Every day for the last month I have been writing down the exercise I for the day, the calories I've consumed and my weight that I measure first thing in the morning. And, from what I see on my calendar, the amount of calories I eat is what affects my weight the most. I'm going to be honest here and say that there were days that I did not eat right. In fact, most weekends that would be an understatement! lol And every time, without fail, my weight went up a little bit. So lesson 1: If you want to lose weight, control your calories!
2. Lifting weights is fun, it's just getting to the gym- If it's Zumba or any other class, I look forward to being at the gym. But when I have to design my weight lifting schedule suddenly I'm too tired, or there isn't enough time, etc. Sound familiar? If I wasn't so motivated I probably would have flaked out a while ago because it's not a social event, like the classes are. But, once I get to the gym and I get going, I really enjoy it. Plus, I've been able to see my progress.
3. I have very little self control when it comes to dessert- Pretty sure I already knew that... :) But, I've figured out that if I don't have it in the house, I don't eat it...usually.
With those things in mind I've made a couple of goals for this new month.
1. Manage my food better on the weekends. It's been hard to control what I eat on the weekends, especially because it's summer and life is more spontaneous on the weekends. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this yet. Any suggestions?
2. Plan my weekly workout schedule in advance. And stick to it!
3. Make dessert in individual portions so that when I make something, I only eat it once and not daily until it's gone.
4. Target my legs and butt for more toning. I've noticed that this area is more stubborn for fat loss.
Even though I didn't follow my plan perfectly (I'm only human!) I'm still going to buy a cute new workout outfit. Know why? Because I made progress! There were times when I didn't want to go to the gym but I still did lift weights 4 days a week for the last month. Actually, pretty much every week I exercised more than 4 days sometimes even everyday.
I'm sure you're wondering if my little plan even worked? Answer: YES! The progress wasn't drastic (probably because of the above mentioned weekends) but it was significant enough for me to notice it. Here's a tally of the results:
I've lost 5lbs. My clothes fit a little more comfortably. My muscles are more defined, especially in my arms and stomach. I've been able to increase the amount of weight I lift by 5lbs. But the most exciting of all: I lost 1.5% of my body fat!! Truly, I am proud of that!
Overall, I feel like I've accomplished something. The trainer says that even 1% is a significant change in body fat for one month. So with that in mind, I am on my way to reward myself. TJ Maxx here I come!
What I've learned:
1. Food intake makes a huge difference- Every day for the last month I have been writing down the exercise I for the day, the calories I've consumed and my weight that I measure first thing in the morning. And, from what I see on my calendar, the amount of calories I eat is what affects my weight the most. I'm going to be honest here and say that there were days that I did not eat right. In fact, most weekends that would be an understatement! lol And every time, without fail, my weight went up a little bit. So lesson 1: If you want to lose weight, control your calories!
2. Lifting weights is fun, it's just getting to the gym- If it's Zumba or any other class, I look forward to being at the gym. But when I have to design my weight lifting schedule suddenly I'm too tired, or there isn't enough time, etc. Sound familiar? If I wasn't so motivated I probably would have flaked out a while ago because it's not a social event, like the classes are. But, once I get to the gym and I get going, I really enjoy it. Plus, I've been able to see my progress.
3. I have very little self control when it comes to dessert- Pretty sure I already knew that... :) But, I've figured out that if I don't have it in the house, I don't eat it...usually.
With those things in mind I've made a couple of goals for this new month.
1. Manage my food better on the weekends. It's been hard to control what I eat on the weekends, especially because it's summer and life is more spontaneous on the weekends. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this yet. Any suggestions?
2. Plan my weekly workout schedule in advance. And stick to it!
3. Make dessert in individual portions so that when I make something, I only eat it once and not daily until it's gone.
4. Target my legs and butt for more toning. I've noticed that this area is more stubborn for fat loss.
Even though I didn't follow my plan perfectly (I'm only human!) I'm still going to buy a cute new workout outfit. Know why? Because I made progress! There were times when I didn't want to go to the gym but I still did lift weights 4 days a week for the last month. Actually, pretty much every week I exercised more than 4 days sometimes even everyday.
I'm sure you're wondering if my little plan even worked? Answer: YES! The progress wasn't drastic (probably because of the above mentioned weekends) but it was significant enough for me to notice it. Here's a tally of the results:
I've lost 5lbs. My clothes fit a little more comfortably. My muscles are more defined, especially in my arms and stomach. I've been able to increase the amount of weight I lift by 5lbs. But the most exciting of all: I lost 1.5% of my body fat!! Truly, I am proud of that!
Overall, I feel like I've accomplished something. The trainer says that even 1% is a significant change in body fat for one month. So with that in mind, I am on my way to reward myself. TJ Maxx here I come!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)