Happy Monday!! I want to be 100% honest with you...I have been a little off with my work outs lately. Nutrition has been just about 100% but I just haven't "felt like working out". For someone who loves the feeling of crushing a good work out and not mention the endorphins. To me that was my body telling me I was burnt out. 

Generally every 12 weeks (sometimes even shorter than that) because honestly I just need a break! I need to wake up feeling like ahhh I get to work out not I have to work out. 

So this week starts some new work outs and honestly I am excited!!! I am really happy with the progress I had with Body Beast and it was super fun lifting that heavy especially doing it with Mike! 

I am kind of making my own stuff up to be honest...as I dive deeper into training I find I want to really test myself so I am going to be increasing my work out time per day and really what I focus on.

Goals of the new programming?
~Target my weak areas and make them better: specifically I want to improve my shoulders and my legs/booty. So I will be working those muscle groups more. 
With the weights I will also be lifting heavy with less reps and sets (so 3 sets of 6-12 for upper/lower body and 3 sets of 20 for abs). 

~I will also be increasing my amount of cardio from...oh around 0 days to 3 days a week. (2 days of HIIT + one day of Steady state cardio) 

~ another keep thing is going to be nutrition. I have selected what supplements I'll be using but not so much what macro percentage. I am thinking 40 carbs 40 protein 20 fat but we'll see. I did find out I am a fat burner vs a carb burner which is crucial and main reason I have a hard time gaining real muscle mass. 

I will be taking:
shakeology + protein powder
glutamine
BCAA's
fish oils 
P90x recovery shake (post work out)


Also, I  think to reach where I really want to get to, it will take me about a year to achieve. So I will really need to have the big picture in mind and FOCUS!
So I want to compete...I originally thought I was ready now and for Bikini division I think I could fare okay...but I then realized, I don't want to do "okay" I want to add a little more muscle, and do a fitness or a figure show and I want to place! No more wallowing and not being out right with my goals, there they are!  


So then in all of these since nutrition is soooo key how can I or anyone else for that matter avoid feeling deprived? 

Well really, in my opinion, it comes down to lifestyle. We are a culture of people who do all things over food. Example: meeting with friends= lunch, celebrating hitting a goal at work= happy hour, birthday celebrating= going out + cake.
Rarely will you find that your friends and family will ask you to go celebrate your sister getting straight A's with a session of rock climbing or hiking. Not to say there is anything wrong with that BUT it all comes down to decisions at that point. If you are in the realm of "I need/want to lose weight" then eating all that crap just because it is there is NOT what is going to help keep that weight off. There are so many other ways you can enjoy life and friends without over indulging and over eating. The first is obviously changing your mind set and what senses you choose to enjoy the most.

Second, if your boyfriend/girlfriend has the metabolism or maybe just doesn't have those same goals as you, that's okay just be sure to hide his/her treats from line of vision. If you don't see it chances are you may forget you have them! 

Third, have "substitutes" that leave you feeling satisfied. Instead of eating ice cream try low sugar froyo or banana protein icecream (you can flavor this however you like!) or for me instead of eating all of his crap I may just have a fiber one brownie...no they aren't the best but I'd rather have something like that instead of a huge heaping plate of something I will really regret! 

Fourth, FOCUS. Is that chocolate bar really something you want or is it just a drop in blood sugar or increase in your stress level? I know this is a big one for me! At around 5 pm my levels usually drop which almost always means if I see it I will eat it. I have reworked my calories to prevent this from happening. It wasn't easy or always fun but it got my body where it needed to be.

Fifth, we all slip up sometimes. Move on and let it go! 

Have a fantastic Monday everyone! 

Well you guessed it we are moving!! We found our dream home and have decided it was time to "get domestic" (ahhaha just kidding) thus the moving begins again!!

So last time my plan was to eat healthy and workout no matter what...well like most I did fall off my plan some. However, thankfully this was a much shorter duration and a bit easier of a transition. This time I was committed to not making those mistakes so here is what I did and plan to do while traveling this weekend!

1) Pack options for healthy snacks so you aren't tempted!
    For me this includes Egg puffs (See breakfast recipes), almonds, protein bars (JUST IN CASE), fruit, shakeology, Greek yogurt with pumpkin, fat free cottage cheese with cinnamon, endamamme, carrot/peppers and hummus. These are pretty easy to transport and will take up the in between meals.
        I eat 5-6 times a day depending on the day!

2) TRACK EVERYTHING! I know this can be challenging and sometimes a bit of a pain but trust me if you want to know what not to do this is a good way to go about it!
    I like www.myfitnesspal.com
    Add me and see what my days are like!! emsimpler is my ID!

3) Pack workout gear and dvds! Easily transportable and convenient with my lap top!!
    sneakers, workout clothes, resistance tubing, dvds. NO EXCUSES!

4) Make a plan! As unpredictable as trips and moving are have an action plan! I get up wayyyy before everyone else to ensure I still get my workouts in! Even if it's a quick one, something is better than no workout at all!!

5) Make smart take out choices! It won't be perfect of course but if you smile and ask nicely modifications can be made at almost any restaurant! Look up the menu/calorie choices ahead of time so you know (these are not always accurate but are a better way than just ordering at random).
    steer clear of: bread baskets, alcohol, sugary drinks, pasta, white rice, oils, battered

    opt for: plain, grilled, baked, broiled, no butter, brown rice, egg whites, fruit for dessert

And remember no one is perfect but preparation allows for more control and more knowledge of what you are eating!!

The other day I was babysitting a friends young kids (ages 3 and 6), we watched them jump, run, tumble, and everything else a young kid could possibly do, things that many of us only wish we could still bend and move that way! And I thought why are we not nearly as durable as we age and then it hit me: flexibility gone!

I know personally this is an area I struggle with, heck I never did yoga or pilates until 2 years ago...and I HATED IT! Why? It was hard. Point blank. And it was different (no one likes change myself included). BUT afterwards I felt like a million stretchy bucks! Going from someone who could barely touch her toes to someone who could comfortably place both elbows on the ground in a runner's lunge was a HUGE deal for me. And at about that point I started enjoying it because I knew it was working! I was more bendable, more durable, and what I newly learned is I had increased my muscles strength potential!

WHAT? Yep, it's true! People who do yoga have more muscle strength potential than those who don't! So you get more durable, life get's a little easier in the day to day, and able to lift more? UM okay I get it! So not only am I practicing every week, I tend not to dread it as much...still not my favorite but I have grown to love it! Not to mention it's one workout you can never be perfect with! You can ALWAYS get better!

Why yoga recap:
flexibile
life is easier!
durable
less prone to injury
MORE STRENGTH POTENTIAL!

Beginner plan:
Yoga 1/week
Stretch 10 minutes after your workout when you are the most warm and pliable!

Protein intake is crucial to supply the amino acids, the building blocks for the formation of new muscle. But not all dietary proteins are equal! The two major types are from milk protein whey and casein. Whey is fast digesting and casein is slow digesting.

·        Whey protein- stimulates muscle growth through protein synthesis

·        Casein protein-is insoluble and slow digesting and helps with protein balance. It is also the most abundant.

These are the most common types of protein; there are of course other types! First and foremost, your nutrients should come from your foods (lean meats, eggs, your foods (lean meats, eggs, yogurt, whole grains, and plant proteins). But many people, especially those looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or lean out, supplement with protein powders as well, to get more protein in their diets.

Supplementation can change your training and your body composition but why? Well for starters it keeps you full for longer periods of time. The amino acids within protein take longer for the body to digest, and thus leave you feeling full longer!

How much? The number various from person to person but an easy trick to figure it out is this

There are a few formulas but this is the one I have found most useful!

= 1.0 or 1.5 g protein (others may use .5 or .8) X every lb of your body weight = protein intake

From there you divide that by your amount of meals for the day and voila!

For supplementation: it is crucial for your body that you just don’t by “any old protein” just because it’s cheap!! So what do I use and recommend? Shakeology!
Check out this video for more info!
http://youtu.be/4zgPEEVxyz0

In case you were curious why I wanted to do this blog post, it's because I too will be traveling and moving in fact for the next month! I of course refuse to stop me from getting more fit and healthy!! So I'll share what my plan is an what step YOU can take away and use when you go away!

My plan: I will be unable to bring my weights (sad face) and do not want to lug much equipment around with me SO I will be doing a combination of turbofire and Insanity/the Asylum (minimal equipment and YOUR body are the tools!). Also I will be taking my mini blender and of course my shakeology, with some go to foods (PB2, protein bars, apples, nuts) to stay on track! Let's face it you are going to go out to eat or not be on an "ideal" schedule so you just need to make the best of it!

Plan of attack:

1) pack go to foods! I cannot emphasize this enough!! You are going to be faced with tons and tons of unhealthy choices and one way to prevent giving in to oh so tempting unhealthy choices!

2) Take easy to pack gear! For me this will be resistance tubing, a jump rope, sneakers, lower body band, agility ladder, and maybe my pull up bar (you don't have to do this one...I will be driving so a little more space). All you need to get in a good workout is your body and some intensity!!

3) Make healthy choices when you are out! Its inevitable, you are going to be subject to either other people's cooking or going out to eat! Choose the healthiest thing you can find on the menu and order veggies or plain salad (dressing on the side) Key words to avoid: fried, battered, breaded, etc!

4) Stay active! Even if you are on a business trip or whatever is you can still try and remain as active as you can! Go for a walk, take the stairs etc!

5) Drink water!! Always have a bottle with you! This is a fat flush so trust me you want it!! Even add flavor to it if all else fails!

Plan a head and good luck :-)