No negative nancy over here.. finally.

So with all my depressing posts lately I figured I’d switch it up a bit.. Things are going well (besides all my bullshit drama I create for myself) for a change.

My progress at the gym is getting better and better. Probably because the more leaner I get the easier it is for me to stay motivated. I had a long talk with my IG friend Jenna about getting upset when were working out when we feel disgusted with ourselves. I cant tell you how many times I have walked out of the gym, how many times I’ve cried at the leg press or how often I looked in the mirror and instantly became depressed and ruined my my motivation to continue. I’m not exaggerating either.. I have stopped mid set and walked out because my legs looked huge or my pants were too tight and my “muffin top” was noticeable. Then when anxiety sets in it becomes a nightmare and  may or may not turn into a binge that day, but it sure affects my attitude and my self worth. It’s a sad cycle to live, trust me.

However I think I’m over that phase right now ( I say right now because I have been doing this for the last 4 years) because I’m starting to see my progress. My legs are thinning out and I can feel my abs stubbornly trying to show. I have been eating pretty clean but allow myself to steal a french fry from my boyfriends plate or eat a serving of sorbet every now and then just to enjoy this whole process. I’m a sugar fein so giving myself a treat here and there is always nice. ( Speaking of being a sugar fein I allow all types of fruit in my diet I will only cut it out when I’m training for a show. Fruits can have a high carb count and be loaded with sugar but when I get crazy with working out anything whole natural and organic are all allowed).

I posted this picture yesterday on my other accounts and have been asked what my routine is.. So lets take a gander.. Lately I have been doing full body workouts however, I usually split it up by each body part training legs twice (a separate day for quads and another for hamstrings) but the thing that does stay the same is how I lift. I don’t train with a spotter but I try to lift as heavy as I can all the time unless I am super setting to exhaust my muscles (ie doing DB Bicep curls then taking a BB half the weight and knocking out as many reps as I can till failure).

I do about 200 weighted lunges a week (again I train legs twice a week so each session I do 5×20 lunges). I squat a lot and as heavy as I can (front squat sumo squat errrythangg). I also use BW squats and lunges as my active testing. Meaning in between reps I’ll knock out 20 body weight squats. I don’t have a rep or set scheme I tend to get unmotivated if I have a goal of 10 and I can’t reach it so I usually always go to failure. If the reps become too easy I up the weight

For cardio I spin (bike) the stair master (don’t hold on!!!!!) and always an incline on the treadmill. Cardio times always change depending on my mood and how hungry and cranky I am however I don’t do less than 30 min (unless I’m super uncomfortable). During contest prep it’ll range from 30min to 2 hours (spilt up into 2 sessions of course).

My “diet”:

My eating is pretty basic. I eat anything whole, natural and unprocessed.

Carbs: Brown rice oatmeal sweet potatoes regular potatoes whole wheat pastas and Ezekiel bread.

Protein: Ground turkey ground beef pork chicken. Any kind of protein rather  regardless of its fat content (everything in moderation).

This is what our date night always consists of… MEAT!

Any and all veggies and fruit!

Every Morning I have a protein shake with fruit and flaxseed. On Occasion I add 1/2c oatmeal to the mix. It’s easy convenient and usually tastes amazing (I use Dymatize Iso in Chocolate but currently have Gourmet Whey in strawberry banana and its awful). When I get hungry or about 2 1/2 hours later I will snack on either Greek Yogurt (Brown Cow is great and has the least amount of calories compared to Fage. Calories are important but I don’t count them its just why eat something I can consume for 1/2 of the calories and it tastes the same?). I have 100 calorie packs of almonds (because I could eat nuts all damn day), or maybe a serving of applesauce to hold me over. Next is usually a bigger meal around lunch time. It ranges from WW or Brown Rice pasta and ground turkey to Chicken Brown rice and broccoli. I sometimes get creative and make meatballs or something else but these are super simple to make and it is something I fall back on because I actually enjoy both dishes). Post work out I will have another meal containing protein (I don’t focus too much on the carbs here unless its leg day. Otherwise if I’m in the mood or just a little more hungry Ill eat a piece of E. Bread with PB). However when it comes to Post Workout a carb is SUPER important (its what makes you grow!!), as is protein so I’m sure to take in both. If I am up for more than a few hours after that meal I will consume a casein shake (casein protein digests at a relevantly slower rate which is great while you sleep).

Post Workout Smoothie made with greek yogurt instead of protein powder.

Until contest prep I have 1-2 cheat MEALS (NOT DAYS!!!) a week, where I have basically whatever I want for 1 meal. I also eat a lot of nuts (almonds cashews) and peanut butter on occasion. The thing with food is the less processed the better for you. “Dieting” isn’t fun, but changing your lifestyle can be. Granted I don’t eat out at McDonald’s or consume high amounts of bad fat on the daily (lets face it carbs fat and sugar taste like the devil!) but I do enjoy the foods I eat to maintain the body I want. You just have to prepare yourself first mentality. Start with goals and work towards them and get up and move!

Like here.. shes my motivation.

The hardest part is starting but you have to at one point right? My motivation comes from feeling uncomfortable in clothing which really puts me to tears. Though I have no one to blame but myself it’s a hard pill to swallow. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed life isn’t as easy as people make it out to be but once you start seeing progress you’ll get more and more excited to be a healthier you. The rewards of being happy with yourself is a prize within itself