My Other Passion:

              Eating Well & Being Fit!

 

I have become really empowered by eating healthy & being fit. I've done a ton of research and I practice what I preach. My friends and followers have been asking me for information & advice, so I thought I would share that here with you!

 

Where did it all start for me?

I was a competitive cheerleader until I was 14 and I was in pretty good shape. After I had to quit, my body changed because I wasn't exercising and I was getting older! I wanted to be in better shape but I didn't have the right mindset to make the changes. For a couple years, I never really felt confident with my body, and I tried to eat healthy and workout but I wasn't dedicated enough to get to a point of seeing results. 

 

One day, I just became sick of it. I really wanted to feel confident and comfortable with my body and I knew that I had the ability to change if I worked hard enough! It didn't all come at once; I started out by just forcing myself to go on a run once a day. I ate healthier, but not nearly as healthy as I do now (gaining knowledge about healthy eating is a research process that continues over a long period of time!) Slowly, I found that I started to actually enjoy running instead of dreading it and, day by day, I became more hooked on the feeling I got during and after a workout.  

 

What was the hardest part?

The first two months are the hardest because you feel like you are working really hard and sacrificing a lot without seeing any changes - this is when most people quit. If you can push through these first two months, you will slowly start noticing small differences. One day, I took a picture of myself in the mirror and compared it to an old picture and I actually saw changes. Once I noticed results, I became addicted. It's fun to challenge yourself and its comforting to know that YOU have control over how your body looks and feels based on the choices you make.

 

How have I changed my diet?

Generally, I do not count calories. I try to focus more on eating whole, natural foods. Typically, things that you have to "unwrap" from a package have higher carbs, higher sugar and are much more processed. Do not by any means try to completely avoid carbs; they are necessary for energy and endurance. I maintry just try to make sure they are whole grain or vegetable based. Most foods that are white (white bread, most pastas, potatoes, white rice) tend to have much less nutritional value so I steer away from them.  I get a ton of great ideas on Instagram, I check meal ideas out, and I share my favorites. I even come up with original meal ideas and share those. Follow me here. 

 

How do I resist temptations?

Junk food is always tempting and a hard battle for everyone but I promise, it gets easier! Once you eat start eating healthy and exercising to a point of noticing results, junk food becomes a lot less appealing. I am working so hard to make my body strong and healthy and its ACTUALLY WORKING...why would I want to take a step backwards? Eating healthy for me used to be a burden and now it truly is a choice. If someone offered me a burger and fries versus a veggie wrap, I would pick the veggie wrap every time because food is more enjoyable for me when I know it is fueling my body and getting me one step closer to reaching my goals. Of course, you have to have balance in your life, so yes, sometimes you have to treat yourself. 

 

 

How do I work out?

I always like to change it up! If you do the same workout routine every day, it becomes boring and it actually doesn’t help you build muscle as well because your body becomes acclimated the exercises and is no longer being pushed. I usually rotate throughout the week between legs, abs, arms/chest, back and cardio. When I was actively working on losing weight, I did cardio a lot more frequently. Now, I am working on maintaining my weight or even adding muscle weight so I only do cardio once or twice a week. I usually have two or three days that are “leg days” when I only lift. I also really enjoy HIIT and Way Of Gray workouts. Both are an extremely beneficial way to burn fat while also building strength.

 

 

How do I stick to my routine even when I'm super busy?

Working out is a routine. It used to be something I would sometimes do if I had time and now its something I MAKE time for. I enjoy morning workouts because then I feel good the rest of the day. It helps me to set my alarm about 15 minutes before I have to wake up. When most college students are sleeping, I am up and working out. In fact, I can work out, have breakfast, go to the grocery store and do a little studying - all before most people I know are out of bed. I just found 3 hours a day, 7 days a week! Some days, it is more of a struggle than others but once you get up and get going, it feels great. Just try to think about how good you will feel after! Most Way of Gray and HIIT workouts are between 20-30 minutes and don't involve any equiptment. Everyone can find that time in their day if they want it badly enough!

 

What are some of my favorite products?

I could go on for days! Like I said above, I really do enjoy/use the Way Of Gray workout ebooks. They are fun and they can be done anywhere so you don’t always HAVE to go to the gym. I’m also in love with Quest Bars (who isn’t?), Plant Fusion Vanilla Protein Powder, all brands of natural peanut butter (no added sugar or salt), Quest bars, everything Nike, and Enlightened Chocolate ice cream bars!

 

Where do I get some of the best information about nutrition & fitness?

Much of my information has been through Instagram. I get tons of recipe/workout ideas off various accounts including @Shonda1020, @cleaneats_kenzie, @censkiii and @effortlyss but there are tons more! Also, generally if you have basic questions about macros, HIIT, recipes or other workouts, you can find it online. Just be cautious of trying to find things like “fat burning secrets.” There are no secrets. Just workout and eat healthy - I promise it works.