Short and Sweet

Short post today but alright, I mentioned when I first made this blog that it wasn't going to be just about nutrition and fitness. And although I could talk for hours upon hours about those two subjects and everything, those two aspects alone do not create a healthy person. The mentality and emotional state plays a huge role along with sex even.

So here's an interesting yet quite comical picture to think about in regards to college life, hygiene and sex.

Enjoy!

Source: http://holykaw.alltop.com/sex-infographic?tu4=1

Progression...

Tonight is about my progression with a bit about my regression...

I weighed myself on either Friday or Saturday and realized that I've lost about 3 lbs. A couple things I'd like to say about that. First of all, I can't complain because I have neither gained weight nor completely plateaued. I have lost weight. There is some sort of progression on becoming thinner and fitter. But secondly, I am busting my ass off and that is all the results I have. It's ridiculous and so completely discouraging to see that that is all the progress I have made within a month. I can't imagine people, who have a similar stature, having a less rigorous diet and workout schedule than I do and attempting to lose weight. I have been at this for over a month now and half of the month on paleo. However, I will admit that my endurance for physical activity has increased a lot, to the point where I have never been so in shape in my life in that aspect. I used to be the girl at absolute toning (the easiest workout Rik offers) who was dying on the ground only ten minutes into the workout and felt like she was going to faint or puke then would be sore for the next five days. Now, it is a breeze and yes I may still feel it in my core the next day but really nothing more and I hardly break a sweat! So I am thankful that my endurance has increased quite a bit in the past month. It makes it that much easier to push myself further. Also, regardless of my weight I have seen quite a bit more definition in my muscles. My arms are leaner, my thighs are toned, and my calves smaller. I have quite a fantastic looking butt that I've never had in my life too (I really always had a flat behind to say the least)! So I am not complaining that I cannot see absolutely no change on my body or health but it is just frustrating how long it takes and how much patience it takes. If you know me very well I am far from a patient person, lol.

It takes so much energy to keep up the effort of a healthy diet and excellent workout ethic. And at times even I regress. I have amazing willpower when I want to but then there are times when I give in. I'll think about how I did so well that day and that I deserve a treat so even that cookie for the day is a setback. I know you're not supposed to reward yourself with food but that is what I have been used to since I was little, "if you finish your dinner, you will get dessert", and "I'm so proud of you, let's go get ice cream". So it's very hard to break an almost 20 year old habit. I just gotta keep thinking that cookie or treat I give myself just puts me further back from achieving my goal. I have got to stop regressing or I'll never be satisfied with my actual progress. It's a constant fight (progress vs regress) to the top.

Well, I am off to go shower, relax, and watch day two of the Paleo Summit. I had a really intense workout tonight, filled with my calves being on fire, my wrists feeling like they broke and my legs shaking so much I couldn't walk - so I totally deserve the relaxation. Good night all.

March Madness!

Did you know March is not only the annual March Madness basketball event but also National Nutrition moth as well!? So cool - an entire month dedicated to nutrition. I couldn't be happier.

Also, today happens to mark the beginning of a week long paleo summit, hosted by Underground Wellness . I am SO excited! Just when I'm starting to learn about the healthiest diet around, they happen to schedule an entire summit filled with knowledge and interviews and videos - all for free! Tonight I'll be watching the first two videos that kicked it off along with two interviews that came to me when I signed up. And you can be a part of it too! You can still sign up for it and its completely free if charge.

Here's the link:
http://www.paleosummit.com/
Just click on the register tab. All they require is your email address. 

I hope to someday be considered a paleo expert :) and I couldn't ask for a better way to become more educated on the subject.

On top of all that excitement, my spring break is in two weeks. Not really doing much except for apt shopping and working but hey its a break from school work and who wouldn't be happy about that.

My Workout Schedule

So the main focus in my repitoire is food. I've probably made that pretty clear even in the first few posts that I've written. But I know that I also talk about working out. Typically, they go hand in hand. The paleo diet and moderate exercise are like two peas in a pod. So I just wanted to let you guys know exactly what it is that I do every week to stay in shape.

Monday's - Crossfit / Weight Circuits
Tuesday's - Absolute Toning and Hiit Training
Wednesday's - My day off :)
Thursday's - Total Body Conditioning
Friday's - Hiit and Bootcamp
Saturday's - Hiit and Crossfit /Weight Circuits
Sunday's - My day off :)

Monday's are an actual one on one session, that I pay for, with Rik my personal trainer. I am only on a beginner Crossfit course because my endurance is nowhere near where actual Crossfit athletes are. But we switch it up between Crossfit and Weight Circuits (I prefer the weight circuits by far haha!). Absolute Toning and Total Body Conditioning are classes that my personal trainer hold and they are from 7am-8am every Tuesday and Thursday. Bootcamp is another class he holds and that is every Friday from 8pm-9pm. If you go to Naz I seriously suggest going to any and all that you can. However, I don't recommend going to Bootcamp as your first class with him because it is the most intense class he offers and one girl tried that and practically left during the middle of it to puke. Oops!

A side note about Rik - with a friend from Switzerland, they co-opperate a business called Be the Best. Please check it out. They're located in Rochester and Los Angeles offering personal training sessions (like the one I mentioned above) and also individualized soccer training. It doesn't matter how old you are, you can be 3 years old all the way thru college.

As for today, I get to relax and just enjoy dance practice.

Have a great lazy Sunday everyone! :)

Motivation

So I've noticed that there are a lot of times in my life, since starting this new lifestyle, that I feel really down. Whether it's about the rigidness of the lifestyle or the amount of stuff you just cannot eat anymore or what. There are so many times that I just want to grab a slice of pizza, or eat a huge bowl of white pasta with alfredo sauce, or eat a basket full of bread and doughnuts. Doesn't that all sound so yummy? But then I have to sit back and think to myself... "is it worth it?" or "have I been following the paleo guidelines?" If the answer is yes to either then by all means GO FOR IT! But if you hesitate for even a few seconds then it's just not worth it. Think about the hard work and effort you've put in; do you want that precious energy to go down the drain for no reason at all? Just so that you can waste it on that few seconds of binging or sugar high? There are so many different (and just as good!) alternatives to sweet treats that we all know all too well. For example, if you really have your sweet tooth on that day grab a piece of fruit. Yes, they're more packed with carbs than a lot of things but in the long run that is better for you than a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream (all downed in one sitting).

Below is a link to things you crave but yet what your body is really telling you you need:
http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php

That can be a huge lifesaver. Next time you think you're craving something look at this chart to see what you're really craving.

Now, I would like to take the time now to clear some things out of the air. For starters, I have said before, but I will say again that I am not perfect. I'm human just like everyone else and I do not stick by my diet to the best of my abilities. But I put forth the effort and work ethic that is needed for it and that is a key thing. I may have a nice treat once a week, but I "budget" for it during the week and after that treat I go hard on my workout and diet the following days. SO I am not telling you not to give in every once in a while, I am simply advising one to not get in the habit of giving in - because then you're simply not maintaining your healthy lifestlye anymore. Also, I am not here to force anyone to make better decisions and make them feel horrible about their diet or bash anyone. And you can sit here reading this blog saying to yourself, "F*** that. I love my junk food way too much." That's fine with me. As I have said to my boyfriend numerous times, "it is your body, not mine." I am simply here to let the world know how worth it is to get up and make a change. No one has a gun to your head saying run a mile or I'll shoot. The choice is yours. And once you do make the decision to truly work at it, you honestly don't want to go back to how it was. Yeah, it is easier. But no one said this would be easy, I only said it would be worth it :)

Dieting the Right Way.

Here's where the "eat like a nutritionist" aspect of life comes into play. I am going to let you all in on the guidelines I go by for my personal diet. This post will be a tad bit longer this time, but hey give me a break, I am a nutritionist and have a lot to say. I can thank my personal trainer, Rik, for letting me in on the "secrets" of this....

 

The best thing you can do for yourself is to go on the "Paleo Diet". I am also on the Paleo diet and I can't say that I absolutely love it but it's almost like a love-hate relationship between us. It really is not that bad it just takes a lot of effort and thought put into it and it is just a completely new lifestyle you have to adjust yourself to. It's totally worth it and makes fat-loss so much easier.

Paleo is short for Paleolithic and is also called "Neanderthin" (yes, as in your ancestor's era and neanderthals). You see over the decades and possibly even centuries we as a society have adapted to heavily processed foods and pounds upon pounds of sugar. However, our needs for sustenance have only changed very slightly from our ancestors. Genetically, our ancestors were primed for hunting and gathering (survival) and their diets consisted of vegetation and animal meats. Sugar was unknown for the most part, as was bread and pasta. Meaning processed foods and hydrogenated oils and prepackaged meals or snacks were not at all known either. The Paleo Diet helps one go back to this ancestral diet and live a much healthier lifestyle. This diet is proven to be one of the healthiest diet out there. It is low-carb and high-protein.

The goal is to have the main portion of the diet as animal meat. It is the best source of protein and all essential amino acids. There is no set number for amount of protein with this diet but my recommendation would be to consume meat/eggs/fish at every meal. Especially for breakfast. To get the potential weight loss benefit, experts advise aiming for around 120 grams of protein a day. Also, adding protein bars and/or powder/drinks after workouts help immensely to help recover the muscles. A personal favorite are the Powerbar Protein Plus bars, however I am still figuring out what I like best, but those ones in particular have about 20g of protein in them.

As far as carbs go, absolutely no carbs for breakfast. It slows down weight loss tenfold, sometimes even preventing weight loss depending on how much there is to lose. Every morning I eat eggs and some sort of breakfast meat (such as bacon or sausage). And if you are going to eat carbs at any point in the day, your best choice, in terms of when, is to consume them right before or right after a workout. This way you can burn them off during your workout or the carbs go straight to recovering your muscles after the workout.

A real advantage to this diet (for me at least) is that you only need one piece of fruit a day. You need fruit; it is healthy for you in a lot of ways. But a lot of fruit is packed full with carbs. Fruit is a lot of sugar, hence the carbs part of the food. Bananas are the worst culprit with apples and oranges not far behind. So it is recommended that one only consumes one piece of fruit a day. If you end up not getting that piece of fruit in for the day, it is not the end of the world. If you are faced with choosing between eating veggies and fruits - veggies all the way. They are a perfect companion for the amount of protein being consumed.

Some common misconceptions of the Paleo Diet:

• Being on a low-carb diet does not mean that you are on a no-carb diet. Everything that is not meat has some sort of carbohydrate. But getting your carbs from fruits, veggies, and nuts is much much healthier than getting them from cake, cookies, bread and pasta. 
• Exercise helps with fat loss but on the paleo diet is not needed because you are not eating the processed foods and high carb food you once were eating.
• You can "cheat" every once in a while. I understand that it is hard, believe me I know, but being on this low-carb diet does not mean you can't treat yourself every once in a while. Just be conscious of your choices and when you are eating carbs to balance out the treats. For example, you know you are going to eat pasta at a family dinner that night so eat strictly meat and veggies for the beginning potion of the day and the day after/before. The one thing you want to avoid though is going so hard throughout the week with your dedication that you completely binge on the weekends. treat yourself every once in a while during the week so that you are not as tempted to binge. 

Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/high-protein-diet-weight-loss
http://www.nerdheaven.dk/~jevk/paleo_intro.php
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/highproteinfood.htm

The Basics

So here's a little about me to start this off with. I am 20 years old and currently going to Nazareth College in Rochester. I am the oldest of 4 brothers and sisters and I've grown up in Rochester (Greece, NY) my whole life. I have a loving boyfriend of 2.5 years who I will be moving in with over the summer into our very first apartment.I have some big traveling plans ahead of me in the very near future which is just so incredibly exciting! Mid- May I am going to Europe. The countries I will be visiting will be Scotland, England, France, and Amsterdam. Next year I will be visiting Ireland with my Grandma, and the following year I hope to embark on an Australian adventure for an internship with Nutrition.

 

After this semester I am transferring out of Nazareth and transferring in to MCC to officially begin my journey of becoming a Registered Dietician. After a semester or two (and some summer classes) of MCC I will hopefully transfer into RIT for their Nutrition Management Program where I will obtain my Bachellor's. With being a Registered Dietician someday I think I really want to go into business with a personal trainer. Preferrably my own, but he's really the only one I know right now. But we'll see where my journey takes me and who I meet along the way. My goal as a Nutritionist is to help the world become "smaller" and live longer. I hate that America is seen as the world's fattest country and the fact that we have the highest obesity rates. If I want to accomplish anything its definitely to help decrease the statistics of obesity. I have already started making changes to my own life that I know will better me in the long run. Yes, it is hard and yes, it takes a LOT of dedication. Waking up at 6:30am every Tuesday and Thursday; spending my Friday nights working out; constantly watching out for high carb foods and avoiding them. It's tough but it is going to be so worth it in the end....