Monthly Archives: August 2016

Finding balance: Where I am at

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Balance

After competing in two bodybuilding shows last year I set a goal for myself to hang up the heels for a while (most likely indefinitely) and focus on finding a healthy balance in my life.  For those who aren’t a regular follower, I have been a bit more active with blog posting and Instagram lately, particularly with the “fitstagram” posts.  I have been a bit more active for two reasons. The first reason is to motivate.  More people have been asking me for workout advice or healthy meal ideas and while I am no PT I love to share whatever I can!  The gram or my blog are both great ways for me to keep track of my recipes and have reference points to share with others or to even revisit myself!  The second reason is to hold myself accountable.  If I have a certain “fitness” goal in mind it is often helpful for me to share my journey with the public (aka like my mom and 3 friends).  So aside from this larger goal of *balance*, I recently set a mini goal for myself to cut down for an upcoming fitness workshop and photo-shoot + my trip to Vegas where Mr. Olympia is hosted, but I have found myself slowly losing motivation.

I want to look dope AF at this workshop and in Vegas where I will be surrounded by some of the most well known athletes in the industry, but at what point will I just be happy with where my body is at?  I have come a very long way this year when it comes to self image/ self love/ balance/ whatever people want to call it these days but it’s weeks like these that I realize I am not quite there yet and that this isn’t just a situation where I am going to wake up one day and be like “Fuck yes I will never have a negative thought about my body ever again”.  Lately I’ve just felt tired.  Tired physically.  Tired mentally.  My 5am lifts have turned into 9am lifts, or no lifts.  My daily cardio has significantly dropped (side note I don’t need to be doing a ton of cardio I just used to really enjoy doing it).  And my “diet” is starting to feel like a diet and well, I am just tired of feeling like I am always on a diet.  For anyone who has ever tracked macros before, aka “flexible dieting”, you’ll realize that once you know the science it is always ingrained in your head even when you try not to track.  Can’t a girl just get a healthy acai bowl for breakfast which is filled with superfoods and micronutrients and not worry about the fact that half of her suggested carb intake for the day will be used up?  Maybe it is the heat, or maybe it is the fact that I haven’t started my new job yet and my usual routine is off, but right now my motivation is in hideout.  I know if I were to just throw in the towel, stop working out, and eat like shit I would feel 100x worse after about two days so that is not going to happen.  However, this lifestyle is tricky and the motivation isn’t always there for me.  Hoping once I get back to my regular routine this week I will feel refreshed but in the meantime I would love to hear if other people trying to live the healthy grind have went through this same type of funk, and how they decided to handle it 🙂

Tips and Tricks: Savory Edition

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I recently wrote a “tips and tricks” post for people with a sweet tooth so I thought I would do a part two for those who are more into savory.  A lot of my “mindless eating” used to be from savory snacks such as chips, crackers, etc.  I would find myself at work snacking on pretzels in the middle of the day just because they were convenient.  Unfortunately that mindless snacking will add up.  Here are a few tricks and alternatives to help satisfy your savory craving:

 

1. Condiments/Seasonings

Finding the right condiments or seasonings are total game changers.  There are a lot of great low sodium seasonings (ex: Flavorgod, Mrs. Dash) that can transform your meals. Trying to choke down plain veggies and chicken all week just sounds miserable.  I’ll typically add hot sauce or reduced sugar ketchup if I go with a “basic bro meal”.  Other condiments or toppings that I like that are super low-calorie include mustard, salsa and laughing cow cheese wedges!

savoryseasoning

2. Rices Cakes and Almonds

Rice cakes come in a variety of flavors both sweet and salty.  These are great lower carb options if you are looking for something crunchy that isn’t loaded with fat.  I typically enjoy rice cakes with peanut butter for sweet or laughing cow cheese wedge for salty.  My favorite flavors are white cheddar and apple cinnamon!  Almonds on the other hand are a great source of healthy fats.  Like rice cakes, almonds also come in a variety of flavors both sweet and salty.  My favorites are Blue Diamond Wasabi Soy and Toasted Coconut!

SavoryRicecakecreamcheesesavoryalmonds

 

3. Low Carb breads

If you haven’t tried Joseph’s pita bread or whole wheat lavashes you are missing out!  Joseph’s makes 60 calorie pita and 120 calorie wraps.  These are not only great for wraps or sandwiches but also make a perfect low carb base for homemade pizzas!

Other low carb bread brands that I like include Sara Lee and Pepperidge Farm (45 cals/slice!).

savorybread

 

4. Get creative with your veggies

This kind of overlaps with condiments/seasonings but you don’t have to load your veggies with olive oil to make them taste good!  I have recently been snacking on veggies dipped in low-fat garden vegetable cream cheese.  As long as you don’t eat the entire cream cheese container this is a great alternative to chips and dip.  Veggie chips are also an easy way to get those micronutrients in with the same crunch as chips!  And give me all the salsa with that because there are basically no cals in salsa.  Lastly, apparently cauliflower can do anything you want it to from pizza crust to rice.  I have never tried cauliflower crust but I have tried riced cauliflower, mashed cauliflower, and buffalo cauliflower and I was very impressed with everything!

savorycucsandcheese

 

5.  Just eat the damn chips

Finishing my list the same way I finished my Tips and Tricks on Satisfying that Sweet Tooth post.  If your cravings are that bad just allow yourself to have the chips and guac.  It’s about moderation, balance, and portion control.  As I mentioned before, totally restricting yourself from certain foods can potentially lead to further problems down the road so try not to completely deprive yourself.  Be mindful and ask yourself do I really need another handful of chips or am I just eating them because they are there?  This is something I still struggle with!

Savorychipsnguac
If you have additional tips and tricks I would love to hear them in the comments below 🙂