#i ate a protein bar round 10 am and that was all my food for the day

[kirishwima]

you ever have a shift so bad u dont have time to pee for like 10 hours and then ur kidneys hurt

[whatsjenniupto]

Into the Alentejo 

Most of my Portugal trip was focused along the coast, but I made a slight detour into the Alentejo of central Portugal while staying in Lisbon. Something about the city of Évora reminded me of Asilah, Morocco. Évora spoke to me, much like Asilah did, and I had to visit.

I had already done yoga, had coffee, and been on a bus for 90min before I met an Évora that was just starting its day. Cafes were filled in every square while streets were mostly empty.  

I wandered, getting distracted by the contrast of blooming bougainvillea against the white walls with yellow trim. I had a loose deadline of a return bus, but I knew the morning was free enough to not have to break a hip rushing from place to place (although my non-hip-breaking pace still schools....basically everyone.)

Squares. Aqueducts. Cathedrals. Universities. I looped through and around them all, justified in my purchase of a ticket to the Cathedral of Évora and grateful I got to peak into the courtyard of the University of Évora even though tours weren't being offered because of a conference.  

But the highlight came after a failed lunch attempt. I hate pork. Like hate it. Bacon is the most disgusting substance to me. Ham I can tolerate when famished in Europe and it's literally my only option. The Alentejo region of Portugal is famous for a specific kind of pork: porco preto or black pork. For some reason, I was convinced I had to eat this. Me and my delusional state of, if I haven't had it, I must like it, wanted to track this meat down and consume it. 

I found a restaurant that had a small amount of black pork available at a decent price. Delusion wanted to try it. Practicality figured I wouldn't enjoy it and to not waste a ton of money on trying new things. 

Of course, said restaurant didn't open at 12 when it was supposed to. Or 12:05. Or 12:10 after I bought a cork postcard at the shop across the street (oh, and completely failed at counting to one euro in coins.) I was near starvation (overexaggerated unless you ask my stomach that had only consumed a protein bar back in Lisbon hours ago) and now had to find a new plan. And I am a disaster at getting myself fed without a plan.  

I wandered down the street, hunting through my Évora notes looking for an alternative restaurant to aim for while also checking posted menus as I walked for 1) porco preto and 2) acceptable prices. On my second stop, I found both in Restaurante Mr. Pickwick. Since 1988.  

I settled on Alentejo pork with clams and a glass of the house white. (Why on earth my Portuguese self felt it should be drinking daily on an empty stomach was beyond me.) The waiter immediately responded, "May I suggest something else..." and pointed me towards three different pork dishes and a lamb dish. All of which were slightly more expensive and none of which highlighted the Alentejo-ness that I felt I was looking for. Hmmm.... Do you not have my dish because clams aren't in season right now? Are you missing something? Why are you steering me away from this dish?

When I didn't immediately jump at his suggestions, "But, of course, you can get what you want," clearly implying that my meal choice was going to be a disappointment while also confirming that it was available to be ordered.   

Yes. I want the Alentejo pork and clams. With the white wine that should really be a sparkling water, but if this is my poor life choice of the day, I can't really complain.  

This was the most epic dish. The pork was amazing. I didn't know pork could do that/taste like that -- I am a porco preto convert. I've googled the recipe, researched different versions, and have one very important question: can normal pork be this good? Because I almost told the waiter to bring me another round. Not the wine. Just the most perfect plate of food. I'm sure I can fit it in.  

And let me tell you, it has been a few weeks since I ate this dish, and I still wish I had ordered another plate. I also still need to know if the pork I can find here in the states has the capability of tasting anything remotely similar to porco preto. I might weep if my recreation attempt is a failure and I still hate regular pork.

You'd think this was the most amazing thing I ate in Portugal, but it was just the start of life-changing Portuguese dishes that I've hunted down recipes for and can't wait to try out. ...I just don't know how I'm going to find fresh sardines in Phoenix and a seaside grill.

[type-a-nomad]

First REAL weekend in South Africa--  Sat Feb 17- Mon Feb19

Weekend

Feb 17 Today I went on a surfing day to the beach at Big Bay.  The beach faces the main city of Cape Town and you can see Table Mountain looming over the entire place.  The view is spectacular.  Basically, the premise of the surfing day was a collaboration between two NGOs in Cape Town dedicated to helping the kids in the townships get out of the townships through extracurricular activities.  One of them is SAVE Volunteers (my people) and the other is Wings, an organization started by one of the SAVE employees from Norway who raises money to buy surfboards and wetsuits for the kids here.  Surfing has a reputation of being kind of airhead-y or unambitious, something people who just want life to be easy and relaxing seek out.  The organizations I am working with prove that wrong on so many fronts.   The most critical, to me, is the water.  The ocean is so powerful and so healthy.  I might be the only one, though this is unlikely, but when I go into the water, I am entirely filled with energy and life and consciousness.  Further, physical activity is so important for mental wellbeing and it helps these kids channel energy and frustrations from the hardships they experience daily into something that isn't self detrimental (like joining a gang or being swept up in the alcoholism and drug addiction that plagues a good amount of their parents and family members).  Another critical part is the challenge.  There is a very tangible outline of success: getting up and surfing the wave.  Thus, surfing is saving these kids’ mental wellbeing.  Or at least aiding it.  It’s incredible to see how appreciative they are for everything.  They are so excited to be there and are having fun from the second they show up till the second they leave.   I went into the water for about 45 minutes.  The waves were enormous.  I have never experienced anything like it.  There were swells of 10 feet.  A lot of the volunteers didn't go out because they were so uncomfortable with the swell.  Apparently, the waves being this big is rare.  But, this is the first time I have surfed in a year and I was anxious to just try.  So, I forced myself into a wetsuit and decided to make myself uncomfortable because that’s why I'm here— I’m not about to live timidly even though a lot of my brain wants me to.  Carpe this fucking diem.  All that.   When I got out of the water, after being crushed by many waves and ignoring the cramping in my shoulders from paddling, I was starving and grabbed my German friend, Nicole, to go to a smoothie place right near the big beach.  When we got there, I noticed they had wraps so I got a breakfast wrap.  I know this is super boring.  Who cares what I’m eating? Right? Except it’s actually a big deal, because I only eat carbs for breakfast and lunch and my body is not used to only having a small amount of protein at dinner on good days.  I’m trying to go shopping more to supplement the fact that I just eat peanut butter toast to survive here because I’m so emotionally and physically exhausted all of the time from giving every piece of myself to the kids that making something more than that is basically impossible. When I got back, I had potato salad and meatballs out of the fridge that was apart of the dinner the night before.  It was yummy but also a second lunch at 4pm and, thus, I was not very hungry when dinner rolled around at 6pm.  I got my portion of pasta and put cling wrap to save my rations for the next day.  I ate the salad and then most of a chocolate bar that I bought and designated as my “emegency chocolate bar”.  I guess craving sugar constitutes an emergency for me.  

Feb 18

I woke up at 6:20 am today because I had a zipline tour that I booked.  It was an hour and a half there and the tour was at 9 so we were going to leave at 7 so we would be sure we wouldn't be late.  I was a bit loud getting ready because I was so exhausted.  Linda, my roommate who is 60-ish, from Canada, and now retired and living in Oaxaca, Mexico.  She’s super cool and even says “eh”.  It’s very exciting.  We are starting to get kind of close.  We even gossip sometimes.   Anyways, back to ziplining.  The way I got into this in the first place was because Natasha, a British girl who lives in my house and has been very outgoing and nice to me so far, was talking about wanting to do it with somebody and asked (out of semi-desperation because others didn't want to do it) me.  I’m still not in great physical condition.  I’ve had a really bad cough since I’ve gotten here and it is showing no signs of leaving anytime soon.  Please, Mr. Cough, you are overstaying your welcome.   Natasha and I called an uber at 7.  The guy pulled up and seemed nice enough, but I was worried that he was going to kick us out when he realized how far we were going.  Directly inland 90 minutes is basically to the middle of nowhere.  When he noticed the destination he did something very, very weird. He says “Is this a cash or card trip”, uber doesn't let you pay in cash so I found this very sketchy.  We told him it was a card trip, to which he said “ don't have any cash or cards, can you pay me in cash so I can get us all the way there”.  Obviously, I am feeling a little more than weirded out at that moment because of all the horror stories we have heard about transportation, safety, and being a woman in Cape Town.  However, we were stuck.  It’s 7am, we are already out of town, we have to be at this place before 9, and this guy is offering us to take us there, just being sketchy about it.  We allow him to pull over and cancel the trip.  The quote that uber originally gave us was 750 Rand for the way there (rand to dollars is around 11:1).  He says he’ll take 500 Rand for the whole thing.  For him, it’s not actually a discount because uber takes 75% anyways and he doesn't need to pay taxes.  For us, we save 250 rand.  It’s a win-win.   We spend another hour in the car.  The man driving the uber was named Gabriel and he had lived in Cape Town for 28 years.  He didn’t even put in directions to where we were going even though it was way outside of Cape Town.  Of course he gets lost.  I don’t get why people feel the need to prove how “local” they are by doing things like that.  Just use your map.  Jeez man.  We end up having to put the map into Natasha’s phone because there is basically no service where we were so her wifi hotspot is the closest thing to internet that we had.  We roll up to the nature reserve where we are going zip lining, finally, and there is a gatehouse where you need to check in before driving one more kilometer up the road to the actual headquarters/cafe of the zip lining company.  Natasha and I realized how far in the middle of nowhere we were, but we figured we could call an uber when we were finished and it would take maybe 30 minutes to get there.  The zipline company offers no transportation to or from the middle of nowhere, there is no public transportation anywhere close, and taxis in cape town are basically unusable because they're so sketchy and they will charge you crazy amounts because they know they might get away with it.  When we get out of the car, we are told almost immediately that we need to tell our uber driver to WAIT for four hours while we zipline because we will be unable to call one when we are done because we are in the middle of the middle of nowhere.  Great!!!! What a reasonable request.  The woman at the front desk phones the gatehouse and tells Gabriel to turn around and wait for us until we are done.  He is so sweet he says that he will and we don’t even need to pay him.  Just 500 Rand there and 500 Rand back.  So $50 per person round trip for over 3 hours of driving.  Not bad.   Ziplining was hard to describe.  It was so insane every time I’ve trie dot describe it, it sounds hyperbolic.  We were driven in a big jeep-truck thing about 20 minutes through the bumpiest road I’ve ever driven on.  Several times I actually thought we were going to tip over and fall down the cliff.  The entire thing was so full of adrenaline even the car ride felt wild.  We zip lined for four hours.  Besides walking to the first platform and hiking out of the canyon, there was literally no walking, just zip lining from mountain to mountain.  It was insane.  We were hundreds of feet up.  Each zipline was 500 feet or longer.  Below us was hundreds of feet and then a rocky canyon with waterfalls and rovers throughout it.  The drought isn’t as serious the farther you get out of CT so a lot of the vegetation was green and full.  There were trees and bushes and flowers and lizards.  It was beautiful.  The dirt is red and full of clay.  Everything seemed so saturated.  In our group it was me, Natasha, and a Dutch couple who were in CT for vacation.  They were very nice.  Every time we got to the next zipine (approximately every 10 or 15 minutes), we had to jump off ourselves.  I cannot describe the amount of self control it takes to willingly jump off of a platform above a canyon hundreds of feet in the air suspended by nothing but a wire.  We were flying at up to 40 miles an hour suspended hundreds of feet above the ground.  Calling it exhilarating feels like an understatement. When I got back to my hostel, I decided to rally and go to the beach before dinner.  I covered myself in sunscreen and walked down to the ocean with some girls who live in the same building as me named Sydney, Emilie, and Natasha (same Natasha).  It was really nice.  I’m reading a book called When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron and every paragraph makes me stop and think about my worldview.  It’s totally fantastic and spiritual without being annoying about it.  As I am writing this, it is Monday.  This morning was rough because I have very little food here besides bread and cereal and whatever is made for dinner.  I usually go for peanut butter toast but this morning there was no peanut butter so I just had bread and butter.  I thought i could make coffee with a lot of milk for protein and I heated up my milk but then we were out of instant coffee.  Thankfully, Coll showed up and handled it and got us new food.   Coll is actually superwoman.  It is a great injustice that I have not payed tribute to her or her daughter, Shannon, since I have been blogging about my experiences in Africa.  Shannon basically runs SAVE volunteers as far as I can see. She is the go-to manager.  She runs our lives.  From having enough food, to transport, to daily activities, it’s all her (and another manager Robyn who is equally great).  Shannon is Coll’s daughter.  Coll is around 65 years old and makes dinner for us every night Monday-Saturday.  She’s vegetarian and is very evangelical about it.  At least 3 days a week I have very long conversations with her about politics, gender identity, sexism, vegetarianism, and general humanity among other things. She’s brilliant without being self important or condescending towards younger generations, even though she totally could be.  Did I mention she cooks for over a hundred people every day? Yeah, pretty wild.  Today there was no peanut butter or instant coffee and when I told her, all of a sudden peanut butter and instant coffee appeared. Here, where food is not diverse and sometimes scarce, that is nothing short of a miracle.  So, yeah, the ladies who run this program are badass and fun in all of the right ways. 

Currently, I am having a lot of trouble deciding if I’m leaving South Africa.  If you are reading this and have advice, I need it.  Fill my ears.  I want to be on the beach and the project I thought I was going to go to next is in Turkey and it’s cold and not on the beach.  I know this sounds small and kind of self-indulgent and a priority only a teenager would have, but it’s actually a big deal for me.  My quality of life by the water changes a lot.  Having access to go to the beach, and swim, walk, etc. gives me so much energy.  I love the energy of towns near the beach and it makes me want to stay in Table View, South Africa because everything here is set up and I’m near the beach, even though I don’t particularly feel a strong need to do exactly this kind of volunteering for a whole extra month.  I have been looking for places in Central and South America because I would love to improve my Spanish, but almost all of those would be working at a hostel which I think would be fun and I could meet lots of people and work on my language skills, but my parents would see it as pretty meaningless and I don’t blame them.  It doesn't help other people, it would just be fun, new, casual, and something I probably an experience I would never have again.  If anyone knows of a permaculture farm on the beach somewhere where it is warm (besides Australia, I know there are tons there but I don’t want to ask for the money for that plane flight), please let me know.  I don’t want to take away from my experience here by looking everywhere for a new project, but I am also itching to go new places after this and only have clothes and supplies to be in warm weather, and the emotional disposition to be at the beach.  I don’t want to just sit around.  Meaningful work is, well, meaningful, but the environment in which I am doing that work is super important to me as well because I only get one Gap Year and it is going to be a while before I go to do something this eccentric and carefree again.  Harvard isn’t a beach vacation.  

Peace, Q

[kartichoq]

10 Science-Backed Ways to Lose Belly Fat permanently, consistent with Weight Loss Experts

Start by walking only one minute more each day.

Losing weight generally is tough, but dropping belly fat especially can feel insurmountable. It’s not beat your head: “It’s essentially impossible to inform one specific region of your body to accelerate metabolism,” says Chris DiVecchio, a NASM-certified personal trainer and author of The 5 x 2 Method: Revealing the facility of Your Senses.

Still, it’s a worthy goal to lose belly fat because it’s “unfortunately the foremost dangerous location to store fat,” says Lawrence Cheskin, M.D., chair of the department of nutrition and food studies at Mason University and professor of health, behavior & society at Johns Hopkins University. Because belly fat — also referred to as visceral fat or the deep abdominal fat that surrounds your organs — is more temporary, it circulates throughout the bloodstream more regularly and is, therefore, likelier to boost the quantity of fat in your blood, increasing your blood glucose levels and putting you at a greater risk of a heart condition and sort 2 diabetes.

So, you understand belly fat means bad. But how does one lose it? you’ve got to think beyond crunches and planks and adopt a well-rounded approach. “It needs to be more losing fat as an entire,” agrees Chris Gagliardi, a licensed personal trainer at the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Without further ado, here are the simplest ways to lose belly fat once and for all.

1. Accept that your behaviors will adjust.

A big part of weight loss is just being conscious of the choices you’re making. for instance, when out at an hour with friends, you’ll lose track of what proportion you’re eating or drinking. But if you’re taking a blink of an eye to step back and become conscious of that fact, you’re ready to course correct. “The awareness then planning for what else I am often doing, which may give me an equivalent advantage of eating comfort foods,” says Gagliardi.

2. Track your calories.

The most basic approach to weight loss is burning more calories than you devour. as an example, since 3,500 calories equals one pound of fat, a weight loss app — or maybe just a pen and paper — can assist you to decide what percentage calories you would like to chop from your diet or burn at the gym to satisfy your goals. “If you were to burn 500 more calories per day seven days every week, that might cause 3,500 calories during a week and one pound of weight loss,” says Gagliardi.

If you are not up for crunching numbers a day, you’ll take a more generalized approach. “For some people, it’s knowing, ‘Typically I eat an entire sandwich,’” says Gagliardi. “Now, I’m getting to eat half a sandwich at lunch and save the opposite half for my dinner and cut my calories in half.“ to urge started, consider these 25 ways to chop 500 calories each day.

3. Eat more fiber.

Foods that are high in refined carbs and sugar don’t tame your hunger, so you finish up reaching for more. Instead, eat more fibrous foods like whole-grain bread, oats, vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, and chia seeds. “They fill you up more,” says Dr. Cheskin, as fiber helps slow your digestion.

A 2015 study from the Annals of general medicine showed that for those that have a tough time following a strict diet, simplifying the load loss approach by just increasing fiber intake can still cause weight loss. Women should aim for a minimum of 25 grams of fiber per day (based on a 2,000-calorie) diet, consistent with the foremost recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Start with our high-fiber diet plan.

4. Walk a day.

If you don’t have a longtime exercise routine, “walking may be a pretty good entry point for people,” says Gagliardi. One study published within a Journal found that fat women who did a walking program for 50 to 70 minutes three days per week for 12 weeks outstandingly slashed their visceral fat compared to a sedentary control group.

“Even if your start line maybe a one-minute walk, if that’s quite what you’ve been doing, there are health benefits thereto,” says Gagliardi. one of the most important mistakes people make when trying to reduce is that they struggle to try to an excessive amount of time and obtain burned-out.

“Starting slow and dealing your high is best than overdoing it and abandoning,” says Gagliardi. a simple thanks to approaching it: plan to go for a fast, 10-minute walk after dinner, and slowly increase the time as you become easier with daily movement.

5. Begin strength training.

It’s important to try to full-body strength training if you would like to lose belly fat especially if you’re trying to stay it off for the end of the day. “Strength training should be a neighborhood of almost everybody’s exercise plan,” says Dr. Cheskin. That’s because strength training helps you build muscle, which can replace body fat. and since muscle is metabolically active, you'll still burn calories after understanding, thereby, reducing overall body fat. Bonus: When your rate becomes faster thanks to muscle growth, you’ll have a touch more flexibility in your diet if that’s something you struggle with, says Dr. Cheskin.

To get started, lift weights a minimum of two days per week and workout from there, says Gagliardi. “One thanks to considering it's that you simply are build up to supporting your long-term goals,” he explains.

For example, maybe you would like to be ready to do certain movements, sort of a deadlift or bench press, and work your high to more reps of these exercises — or even it’s as simple as eager to improve your activities in daily living, like more easily lifting groceries.

6. Embrace healthy fats.

If you would like to lose fat, you've got to eat fat...the right kind, that is. Adding healthy fats, within the sort of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, can assist you to feel more satisfied together with your meals. Yasi Ansari, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., national medial spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says, "Fat sources that I like to recommend boosting within the diet come from unsaturated fatty acids found in foods like vegetable oil, nuts, avocados, fatty fish, and eggs, as they will help increase satiety while providing a spread of health benefits when consumed delicately.

7. load on protein.

There’s a reason everyone harps on about protein: Not only does it help keep you full, but it’s also liable for repairing the small tears caused by strength training in your muscles. This helps them grow bigger and stronger, nudging out body fat within the process. As a general rule of thumb, aim to urge a minimum of 70 grams of protein throughout the day, says Dr. Cheskin.

This is especially important before you exercise. We’re all guilty of going hard at the gym, then heading straight to Chipotle afterward because we’re super hungry. The result? You eat more calories than you burn and find yourself with excess belly fat.

To avoid feeling hungry after a workout, eat a snack with a minimum of 12 grams of protein before exercising, says Dr. Cheskin. And if you’re still hungry afterward? First, sign up with yourself and confirm it’s actual hunger and not dehydration, says Dr. Cheskin. Then, eat a protein-rich snack that also includes some carbs, sort of a protein bar with whole grains.

8. Okay, now you'll do some crunches.

Although you can’t spot reduce fat, you'll target building lean muscle tissue, which successively helps burn fat. “There are dozens of muscles between your shoulders and your hips that are involved in every movement you are doing,” says DiVecchio. “The fastest thanks to creating a lean midsection begins with choosing the proper moves.”

Aim to try to ab work three or fourfold every week on non-consecutive days with a minimum of 24 hours of rest in between sessions, says Gagliardi. During those sessions, you'll start with simpler moves like crunches, bicycle crunches, and planks. albeit you'll only be directly targeting your abs three or fourfold every week, you ought to still be activating your core (aka, tightening your ab muscles) in every workout you are doing, says Gagliardi.

There are plenty of different ab workouts you'll do right in your home. Once you’re comfortable in an ab routine, work your high to more complex ab exercises, like side-to-side med ball slams and weighted Russian twists, says DiVecchio.

9. attempt to limit your stress.

Stress can mess with every a part of your body — but how you affect it can make or break your weight loss goals. “I think most of the effect of stress is behavioral instead of neurochemical,” says Dr. Cheskin. “It makes us eat more because we use food as a substitute for handling stress.”

The truth is, eating food to form yourself feel better is typically an entire lot easier than actually facing the strain head-on. “People gravitate toward something that doesn’t require anybody else to try to to it, is instantly satisfying, and doesn’t take an entire lot of effort, mostly if you’re just opening up a package ” says Dr. Cheskin.

Stress-eating can only cause one thing: growing your belly instead of whittling it. If you discover yourself stress eating, take a step back and think: What’s causing my stress, and what am I able to do about it? Find how to remedy the answer or talk through it with a therapist instead of turning to a bag of Doritos.

10. Prioritize quality sleep.

Sleep is large when it involves your weight loss success — and that’s both if you sleep an excessive amount of or insufficient. “Sleeping an excessive amount of is perhaps not great for you healthwise,” says Dr. Cheskin. “But sleeping insufficient is worse.”

Case in point: One 2017 review and meta-analysis from the U.K. found that folks who slept 5.5 hours or less per night ate an additional 385 calories the day after compared to those that snoozed for a minimum of seven to 12 hours. On top of that, they preferred to munch on fatty foods filled with empty calories, like chips.

If you do not sleep well every night, that leaves longer for you to snack and make otherwise unhealthy decisions that might affect your weight loss. Although it'll vary from person to person on what proportion sleep you got to be best (and therefore make progress toward your weight loss goals), the perfect number is usually seven or eight hours, says Dr. Cheskin.

[jorgemadridtumbrl-blog]

Proof Of Benefits For Diabetics Still Too Scarce

Nutrisystem Food regimen is a weight reduction plan providing portion and calorie managed prepackaged foods as well as food options. I ate a load of junk all the time Mcdonalds or pizza or takeout so my weight-reduction plan wasnt ever good. I am guessing you weren't truly consuming on plan and following it properly since I am unable to see your food logs. The week earlier than I tried NutriSystem, I had followed the Flavor Level eating regimen which was very filling. The NuMi app is offered to Nutrisystem customers as well as the overall population of do-it-your self dieters without spending a dime. I just completed the First 5 on Nutrisystem however solely misplaced Near 4 pounds. Jenny Craig rated No. sixteen, with some destructive comments based on value of food and fee-primarily based incentive activities of program representatives. Value: Choose the $39.95 month-to-month cross, which includes unlimited meetings and on-line assist. The writer will research the Nutrisystem weight loss plan and resolve that they want to give it a attempt. Ice cream would've been a nice addition, however I believe it has a little an excessive amount of fat to be considered part of this eating regimen. I found ways to apply my vegetables to my meals in creative methods equivalent to adding spinach or olives to my Nutrisystem pizza or adding spaghetti squash to my Nutrisystem meatballs. We've been going with nutrisystem for 3 weeks and he lost 11 lbs to my 9 lbs to this point. In short, it's pretty unlikely that you'll able to hop in your automobile after which come house with luggage stuffed with Nutrisystem merchandise. Plenty of the food tastes like weight loss program food, but read the food opinions and choose what sounds good to you. The weight-reduction plan is lowered energy, and clinical trials undertaken by Nutrisystem have proven important weight loss (on the newer packages using the Turbo 10 begin). Nutrisystem has had some fairly famous men on this food regimen, (like Dan Marino, Don Shula, Joey Fatone, Chris Berman, and Jason Taylor), however most individuals don't put the identify and the product together in the way in which that they may for Jillian. However unless you really have a genuine grievance with Nutrisystem itself, I do not need to learn angry or hateful feedback or arguments particularly over what you see or don't see on TELEVISION. That is my site and whereas I let lots of stuff go, I do not want it to show right into a free-for-all mud-throwing match. Nutrisystem gives a weight loss program that's totally custom-made to the individual buyer's necessities, whilst nonetheless offering the structure that many individuals discover they should shed pounds effectively. Cost to lose 20 pounds: $120 to $200 with the month-to-month go, together with membership and 12 to 20 meetings. Can You Get Nutrisystem At Clinics Or Doctors' Workplaces?: I do have a number of folks inform me that they've requested their physician to prescribe this eating regimen and have gotten very puzzled seems to be. Lunch was NutriSystem Tex-Mex rice and beans, one other concoction in a styrofoam cup. Not surprisingly, the experts had loads of concerns, and the Quick Food plan landed towards the underside of the Best Diets Overall rankings. JC was an excellent plan, however I opted for NS as a result of I had a couple associates on the program they usually had nice success. The ladies's program accommodates about 1,200 energy and the lads's contains about 1,500 energy per day, but these numbers may change relying in your current weight, age, and activity level. Shares of NutriSystem rose 9 % to a new year-high of $28.32 in late morning commerce on Nasdaq. It is significantly better to stay on the weight loss plan for 8-12 weeks not just to lose all the load you need to lose but additionally to coach your body to get used to consuming smaller meals, more healthy meals and not snack between meals. The corporate states that its mission is to provide a weight loss program based on high quality foods and a nutritionally balanced meal plan. Nutrisystem only prices $7 per day and have large reductions like free meals for three weeks. Examples are: the flex program; the common fundamental package deal; the vegetarian package deal; the diabetic package deal; the select bundle; and the silver bundle. The group had previously researched the IAP enzyme by feeding it to mice already placed on a weight-reduction plan excessive in fat. I started at about 210 kilos and I was a dimension 16 and right now I'm about 162 kilos and a size 10. The plan works but the concern is that some people don't perceive it's not simply concerning the food. On average, Nutrisystem runs about $11 per day whereas Medifast runs about $10 per day. Uniquely Yours Plan - An extra a hundred and fifty foods accessible (choose your individual - including frozen meals). Don't belief any weight-reduction plan that guarantees outcomes with out exercise and/or adjustments in consuming habits. Nutrisystem is a meal-delivery system that takes the difficulty and work out of cooking health foods and monitoring macronutrients like carbohydrates, protein and fats. You can also save fifteen % on the prices if you go for the auto shipment/auto choice possibility for your plan meals. I talked my husband into doing the food plan with me and to let you know the truth, I feel it helps him to understand the struggle of sitting next to someone eating meals that you can't have when only one person is on a eating regimen. One survey of three,500 Nutrisystem dieters in 2010 found that ninety% have been completely satisfied in regards to the taste and high quality of the food they obtained. Good luck together with your eating regimen however I don't think you want luck cause you've gotten an important attitude and that's what makes individuals successful! This is where the NutriSystem food regimen is available in. For previous diets we had to force ourselves to right away change and get used to the advisable diet, whereas the NutriSystem eating regimen would actually work itself round our present meal plan. In spite of everything, they've finally made the decision to start the eating regimen and have every kind of resolve at this very second, so that they want to get began right away. You simply acquire a few drops of blood according to the instructions on the package and mail it in. You may receive results by mail when your kit is processed, which you may then show to your physician. I had a NutriSystem granola bar for breakfast, along with the usual fruit and milk. And Nutrisystem additionally affords counselors for you to discuss to, so that you could get some assist everytime you're tempted to get out of the food regimen prematurely. When researching the Nutrisystem Weight loss program it's essential to take a look at the client opinions, high quality of ingredients, and the science behind the load loss. I went again to my very own food regimen (healthy decisions, and many others.) for the previous few months and only gained 5 back. You possibly can weight-reduction plan and shed weight for less cash with this meal substitute weight loss program program than nearly some other in the marketplace proper now. Personally, I assumed the eating regimen lived as much as my expectations and for that it was worth every cent I paid for it. Okay, I hijacked your comments you may have them again now, however some issues simply have to be stated. Then I discovered this nice evaluate of Nutrisystem and simply needed to read it. You see, I attempted NS a 12 months in the past and I used to be pretty amazed that I misplaced almost 15lbs in a month on the food plan. With Nutrisystem, you make the order to your meals online and the meals might be shipped to you as shortly as attainable, but in some cases you could end up in a situation that you need to go a day or two with out your meals plan. By week ten, I was still having fun with all of the food and health advantages of Nutrisystem. The idea is that while children which can be tough over maintaining a healthy diet foods akin to greens as an illustration, they can be extra simply satisfied to eat a wholesome, calorie controlled meal from Nutrisystem based mostly on their recognition of its TV presence and the link to its well-liked superstar spokesperson, presently the extraordinarily standard Janet Jackson. In 2014, the company unveiled Nutrisystem My Way, its new, personalized plan for each particular person's metabolism. Since nutrisystem has quite a lot of soybean derivatives, soy sensitivity is likely to be one to check out first. The aspartame within the soda plays a major function in blocking IAP activity, leading to further weight acquire. But contemplating I used to be consuming out day-after-day, at a price of sometimes $12 or more a day for lunch, I am really saving cash, even shopping for the grocery items. I made sure to name into Nutrisystem to make clear how the program works, the cost, or any further fees I need to learn about before purchasing, mentioned a buyer. They've an internet site on-line which makes ordering foods and checking suggestions or guidelines for this system very simple. At the same time, reading different folks's testimonies and opinions of the Nutrisystem diet was encouraging and galvanizing, too. That happened to me the primary 2 days and I used to be really irritable..then the food regimen was totally superb! You could find dozens of on the web assets, evaluations and success stories provided that can assist you study possible plans. Let's have a look at what precise nutrisystem diet plan impartial researchnot funded by Nutrisystem or comparable weight-loss trade-associated packageshas to say about that declare and in addition, in regards to the science behind the Nutrisystem manner of consuming: frequent, small meals every day. What I did not perceive on the time is that the nutrisystem food and program is going to be the identical regardless of who's buying it and using it. They do not make completely different meals for celebrities or for the individuals who have essentially the most success. The cost of Nutrisystem's program is decrease than most, but you should still expect to pay some large cash for this program. The codes for nutrisystem change periodically, so that you do have to make sure that you're using a present promotion, but they're fairly generous with these and so there's actually no reason to neglect to use them. I purchased the 5 days homestyle equipment from walmart whereas awaiting my 7 day trial equipment from Nutrisystem. I enjoyed the sweetness of the bar, and suppose it might have been the proper meal on the go, if solely I had someplace to go. The breakfast buffet at Shoney's comes to thoughts.NutriSystem pasta The novelty of the plan has worn off, and I am now not looking ahead to the meals.

[goodrush]

day 31

Hi friends. People have been giving me shit about my posting decline, and ugh I am sorry but I get tired at night!! I will try harder to be better :(

But I can tell you about many days today! Friday was pretty good. Liam and I got to talk about those companies he asked about. talking to my mentor was really great (and she was on time)! We went to this uber cute Italian place and I got some cheeses, and did a Barry’s class beforehand because I got out of work relatively early! So two Barry’s days in a row and they were both super intense. Even though I ate cheeses and bread that night, I woke up the next morning looking tight af!!! My tummy like was super flat and you could almost see abs. I was truly in shock.

Couldn’t really waste my time checking my self out though, bc boy did I have a wild time on the TRAIN trying to meet this BB banker. I facetimed w E beforehand, which was nice. But trains only leave my town on the weekends every like 2 hours, so I could only get on a 2:08 for a 3pm meeting, which SHOULD have been reasonable. But even though my mom said I would be taken, when I needed to leave, no one was home ??? So my dad had to race back home and get me to the station. Even though he rolled up to the house at literally 2:05, I somehow made it. Then I ran through the transfer station and made an earlier train to NYC than the scheduled transfer. But as SOON as I texted E saying “I’ve had relatively good luck with trains so far, let’s hope it lasts”, my train STOPS on the tracks for 20 minutes. I knew I was gonna be late at this point, so I emailed my guy and he seemed understanding but tbh who really knows. But that’s not ALL. I got to New York and got on the AC subway, as Google maps told me to, but when I got to west 4th, they told me they fucking wouldn’t be servicing spring, canal, or chambers, and I needed to get off and get on an E!!!! So I got off and waited for an E, which finally arrived, but it SKIPPED CHAMBERS AND WENT STRAIGHT TO THE WTC. I was actually embroiled with pure rage and sweat, and had to run back up to the agreed upon coffee shop.

I, a frizzy haired, sweaty, red faced agitated mess, greeted my networker in a daze and sat down. He asked me if I needed water, which I got, and after that the conversation seemed okay. Lasted a healthy 50 minutes, and he said he genuinely wouldn’t hold it against me for being late. So that was good I thought. After we parted ways, I simmered in a juice press with a comfort smoothie and then went to target across the street. I picked out a couple seemingly cute things, and headed downstairs to a dressing room. There were two. Two dressing rooms. And one was closed. And the other one had a line and a woman was in there for over 20 minutes!!!! After we banged on the door and security kicked her out, out she wheels “over 500$ worth of merchandise, guess you don’t want me to buy it then! And I’m so sorry you guys, there’s only one open room, what are you gonna do?” What a late stage capitalism bitch. Disgusting.

Then they found a used pad on the floor of the room, which they picked up, and then the room was ready for use! One top was cute so I bought it. Go me.

Then I walked up to have dinner with T after many reschedulings. But it was fun; she’s so adorable and so fun to talk to. I really hope we remain friends. We talked about work, boys, some crazy friends, uchicago, family, and the future. All good vibes. Our dinner was yummy Korean food, and we hung out for like over four hours! Walked around the WTC too and then she caught a train. What a doll, I honestly love her!

So then I went home, and I felt bad that I was in the city and didnt work out. I should’ve gone in earlier and taken a class at like 1 or something, but I got lazy. I wish I had more discipline :/

So Sunday though was relatively speaking way more chill. I got up at 10:30ish and went practice driving with my dad to Mont, and it was mostly fine except i missed an exit and kinda got rattled and parked badly in front of my house as a result. But I didn’t die! When I headed to Mont to meet @autonoesis for real, it went much better, and I parked great. He brought his friend Erin, which was really fun; she’s super cool. We ate at this SUPER yummy middle eastern brunch place (Joe’s idea!); I got the shakshuka, which was heavenly. After, we went shopping in the cute area, and I got some posters (one of fruits and vegetables), a few books as gifts, and a handmade facial scrub. You can imagine just how bougie this place was but i thrive on it.

Then we parted ways and I drove home, and then M surprise texted me and came over for a bit to chill. We talked about his ex, my ex, our lives, and his race he had that day which he did really well in! I would’ve done it if he’d asked lol. I may have convinced him to see John Mulaney. That shit would be worth it. And he invited me to go to the beach on Sunday… in his Jeep, which I think of as like the beachiest vehicle. I hope he takes the top off the car, or maaaaybe the half doors (?) but that still kinda freaks me out. Then it would be the MOST summery. But if I’m going to the beach, gotta work my butt off (more like my tummy off and my butt on) this week to show off a cute bod. Another motivator is E coming to see me next tuesday (and flying home Sunday)! But the biggest motivator is ME. Gotta keep myself going.

Today I went to work again, which was fine. I made some progress on the two pager, and got a new ballz high score lmao. I think I’m talking on the phone with a trader tomorrow, but he hasn’t emailed back to confirm, so we’ll see. Phone convos always freak me out a bit, so hopefully this one will go well. My lunch salad today was overdressed AGAIN! Definitely getting dressing on the side next time. Then I left at around 6ish for my 6:50 Barry’s class. It was HARD! I think it might be because I didn’t work out on sat or sun, and also the first round was just brutal (20 minutes of floor, THEN 20 minutes of treadmill with incline). But I did order a fuel bar shake. Protein powder tastes weird. And today I got another special treat: my dad came into the city for an unrelated reason and drove me home! So I got back really early.

Tonight at midnight I’m fting my old camp friend from the U.K., so hopefully that goes well/normally. It’s super coincidental that he reached out to me first. We maintain like a 25% friendship, which is enough for me. I’ve also been talking to @gossipmelons a lot more and she’s having a weird time, but I’m tryna support her from across the globe. Sigh just tryna live and all. I’m gonna reach out to this sorority sister and my childhood camp friend’s (a diff one) brother, who we like have a weird friendship with as a family. So hopefully that stuff works out. I’m just trying to chill tonight. Hopefully I get my workout mojo back and my academic/career power.

[elevenhoursinfront-blog]

30th April 2017

I woke up at 0530 and see that Steve was still asleep. He was meant to be up getting ready for the Boxing match. I woke him and asked whether he was going and as I guessed, the answer was no. He fell back to sleep within seconds. I went back to bed and tried to get off to sleep. I managed too around 0630 and I woke up again at 0830. We went down for breakfast and sat with Sophie. We all had pancakes. 

After food, Steve, Soph and I played a few rounds of pool. There's usually the same group of people who play pool day in and day out for hours on end. Whenever they're not on it, you have to take the opportunity. We wanted to watch a film but there was a rubbish film on already. I played Steve first and I won. He walked away at one point so I pushed one of the balls down without him knowing. I'll tell him later on when he gets in from work. He had roughly 3 more than me any way. I still would've won. I then played Soph. We are as bad as each other as this. We're best at potting the white ball and then each other's balls. Only every now and then do we actually hit our own and they go in... We played double's after and Stuart (a guy from the hostel from England somewhere) joined us. He spent the morning watching and laughing at Soph and I. Steve and I lost against Stuart and Soph but it was close. It was the black ball left for both of us. 

After pool, it was roughly 1130. We decided with Mel yesterday that we would go to Fitzroy for a wonder around 1300. We all went off to get ready. I jumped into the shower, washed my hair and got ready. I managed to put my hair into 2 dutch braids which was good. I've never been able to do it before. The pain in my arms afterwards... 

We went down to the kitchen around 1300. Mel was running slightly late so I made Steve and I two boiled eggs each. We were slightly peckish and they needed eating. Soph joined us next who had a cup of tea and Mel eventually arrived and quickly ate some super noodles. 

Fitzroy is an inner-city suburb of Melbourne. Fitzroy is known for its street art, music scene and culture of bohemianism. There's loads of vintage and retro shops, pop-up bars and restaurants. Your typical person will be walking down in a denim jacket with fishnet tights and Doc Martin’s.

We walked down the famous Brunswick Street looking in several vintage shops. They're much like charity shops at home but the price tags are VERY different. Over $100 for every item inside. All of the items are hand-me-downs but it's considered as very 'in' fashion therefore it deserves a price tag like it's from Prada. 

We walked past the most amazing smelling Indian restaurant. The spices made us all hungry so we went inside to have some lunch. It was a tiny restaurant with brick walls all round. The brick had graffiti on - an Indian woman took up the majority of one wall. It looked amazing. Steve and I ordered a chicken Byriani, Mel ordered chick pea and spinach curry, Sophie just had picky bits - poppadoms and samosas. She had two breakfasts. I wanted to go for my usual Chicken Tikka Masala but it had an (S) next to it for spicy so I couldn't. I enjoyed the Byriani but the chicken was on the bone which I don't really like. There wasn't any sauce either but you could taste so many different flavours which made it enjoyable. 

We left the restaurant and walked around for awhile again. We found an ice cream shop called 'N2'. They make their ice cream with liquid nitrogen hence the name N2. This is why... (skip the next scientific paragraph if you're not that interested, I don't understand much either). 

Ice Cream is a crossbreed of art and science creating a microstructure of ice crystals, air bubbles, fat droplets and a viscous solution of sugars, polysaccharides and milk proteins. The use of liquid nitrogen at N2 plays on the strength of a phenomenon called nucleation-dominated ice crystallisation, it forms a large number of microscopic ice crystals in seconds, resulting in an exceptionally smooth texture in ice cream. Therefore they are able to make ice cream to order and serve it at a warmer temperature of -6C so your palate can perceive the flavours better. Nitrogen is non-toxic, non-flammable and it constitutes 78.09% of the earth’s atmosphere. Liquid nitrogen boils off when it comes in contact with anything warmer than itself (the boiling point of liquid nitrogen is -196°C), it will be completely evaporated by the time it hits your cup. 

We all ordered one - different flavours come with different things. I got one that came with a chocolate syringe on the side so I could inject more chocolate sauce. Steve's did the same. It was really flavourful ice cream and I watched the man make it. There's tanks of N2 at the back of the shop and there's glass frames up and around so you can watch but not come into contact with it. I watched him pour the N2 and cream into a mixer and so much clouded air poured out. I videoed it - it was so cool. There was a massive wooden platform with cushions that we got to sit on whilst we enjoyed our ice cream. I would definitely recommend to anyone in Melbourne! We left N2 and wondered around again. We found an actual charity shop with cheap prices. Most items being under $10. There was even a $2 rail. Steve managed to find a SuperDry coat for $20 so he bought it. We now both have coats to keep us warm. Mel bought a top for $4 too.  Afterwards, we went to have a look at some street art. We found a massive wall with amazing graffiti work all over it. We took our tourist photos but decided to leave not long after. It was roughly 1700 so it was getting very cold and most stores were closed. We jumped back onto the tram for the 15 minute journey home. We all said our goodbyes and Steve and I went upstairs to chill. I managed to FaceTime my mum for sometime as she wasn't at work. Steve was watching the Boxing match online as he was SO gutted he didn't wake up for it. I told him he would be... I tried to FaceTime my dad but he was at Lakeside shopping with the family. I was so jealous, I would dream of having money to buy new stuff. I miss my wardrobe and shoes and clothes and makeup and room... My brother rang me as I am his 'Fashion Adviser' for some advice (funnily enough). We went with Levi Jeans, SuperDry tracksuit bottoms and Nike trainers. I wanted to be there so badly!  Steve then decided he was hungry and wanted food. I wasn't particularly hungry but I went with him. He got McDonalds (obviously) and we sat there using their wifi for sometime before heading back in. We paid for our rent too as that was due in the morning. I didn't want to risk forgetting. We ended up falling asleep earlier than expected, around 2230.

[twocoursemeal-blog]

TCM Eats: Lulu’s

Lulu’s (Allston)

In our continuing series of “Places We Try Off The Cuff Because Our Previous Choice Didn’t Work Out But End Up Being Delicious Anyway” we bring you… Lulu’s! Lulu’s is an Allston staple that provides consistently solid brunch and a consistently fantastic beer list. Should you go? Yes, of course! But why? That’s what the review is for.

We ate:

Protein Packed Omelette

Pancakes with Bacon

Cajun Tots

We drank:

Mimosa

Stoutella - Knee Deep Brewing

Angela’s Thoughts

For all my years spent in Allston, I’d never been to Lulu’s. When I wanted brunch, I’d go to @Union; when I wanted a bar, I’d go to Harry’s. Recently when we were looking for brunch on a laid-back, rainy Memorial Day, we went to @Union first… but the line was ridiculously long. We trudged through Allston, soggy and disappointed, until one of our brunch companions recommended Lulu’s. As we rounded the corner, we noticed another line; there was a crowd of people waiting at the door 10 minutes before Lulu’s opened. Fortunately, Lulu’s has a large dining room, so we joined them. If waiting in the rain outside a brunch restaurant isn’t a clear endorsement, I don’t know what is.

After the place opened, we were quickly seated and given menus. Lulu’s has a fantastic beer list, as well as the normal brunch cocktails one would expect. Though the tap list was enticing, I couldn’t quite convince myself to have a beer at 11:30AM on a Monday -- I had a mimosa instead. It was a good sized serving, about half of a large wine glass, garnished with an orange wedge. The flavor of the orange juice they used wasn’t exciting, but it didn’t overwhelm the amount of champagne. It was nicely balanced, overall.

The four of us split an order of Cajun tots to start. The presentation was so cute; beautiful, golden brown tots dusted with seasoning in a silver bucket, with a side of garlic mayonnaise. As some of you more frequent readers may know, I am not a fan of mayo, so I cannot comment on how well it paired with the potatoes. The tots themselves were fantastic, however. They were nicely cooked, and not overwhelmingly greasy. The light coating of Cajun seasoning added a nice, lightly spicy flavor, without tasting oversalted. I had a few bites of the homefries that came with Matt’s meal as well, but the tots clearly won the Lulu’s potato showdown.

I came to brunch really craving pancakes, and Lulu’s offers a chef’s choice pancake that rotates. I asked our server what the “Chef’s Pancakes” were for the day -- initially, he told me that they were orange ricotta (which sounded AMAZING), but he corrected himself later, informing me that they were s’mores (which sounded… less amazing). As I resigned myself to order something else, he told me that they could just make me plain buttermilk pancakes, and I jumped at the opportunity, adding a side of bacon.

I’m a boring person who eats pancakes without syrup; I’d like to think that makes me a better judge of the flavor balance and true merits of a pancake recipe, but take that with a grain of salt. With that said, I thought the pancakes at Lulu’s were excellent. They were large, and a bit thin, but still managed to be fluffy. They had a light sweetness to them, and felt complete, even with just a swipe of butter. I’d absolutely go back in the hopes that I could try a Chef’s special flavor that I didn’t think would be too cloying or overwhelming. Hell, I’d even go back for the plain ones!

Lulu’s ended up being another one of those “Why haven’t I been here yet?!” experiences. It opened 3 years ago and has an amazing beer list, if nothing else; I have no excuse. I see quite a few return trips to Lulu’s in my future, and I’m already looking forward to them!

Matt’s Thoughts

I’ve been to Lulu’s a few times now, and every time it’s impressed me with not just its brunch offerings (though slightly limited) but also its phenomenal beer selection. When we visited, there was something very odd going on - the line to the door had bifurcated. We walked up and balked. What do we do? Choose the shorter line, which may have just spawned as a result of a misunderstanding, but then grew out of control, or the longer line, which would, of course, mean a longer wait? We chose the shorter one. In an uneventful twist, the lines just ended up merging and we got in early enough to grab a table right off.

After an important ceremonial discussion about whether or not to get a beer with brunch, we all (well, two of us) ordered beer. Sometimes, you’ll walk into a place that has an extensive beer list, and feel like you’re speaking two different languages (looking at you, Lord Hobo). Sometimes, you walk into a place and feel like you don’t even need to say anything at all. Lulu’s is one of those places for me. Their carefully curated and cared-for beer selection shines through in their enticing descriptions, and I always find myself wishing I had enough money, and no responsibilities so that I could have the four or five I’m always trying to decide between.

This time, I went with the “Stoutella” by Knee Deep Brewing. I’d had Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown before, but I wasn’t prepared for how much hazelnut flavor was in this one. I don’t think I’d ever had a beer quite like it before. The Stoutella’s roasted nuttiness understandingly pairs well and compliments the same profile you get from the high lovibond malt used, and it all came together in harmony. Though I’m not sad to have ordered it, I think this would have really shined as a dessert beer paired with something mild like a yellow cake or some ice cream.

As a table, we made the key strategic decision to split a basket of Cajun tater tots and with garlic mayo. I’ve had Lulu’s tots before. I will have them again. They are delicious. They are the platonic ideal of tater tots. Golden, crisp, and oily on the outside, delicious potato on the inside. With Cajun seasoning. Paired with a big dunk in Lulu’s garlic mayo and you don’t need much else. I’m glad we got them, even though the basket of tots was a bit on the small side. A little more of a portion, and I think they’d be a must-buy for you potato lovers out there (who doesn’t love potatoes in some form?)

I went with the Protein Packed Omelette, which I have had before. Call me a sucker for some linguiça and you wouldn’t be wrong (that is one delicious sausage). I guess it comes with smoked bacon and swiss as well. In an omelette, the linguiça shines, providing a welcome meaty chew against the slightly tougher egg curds in Lulu’s diner-style offering. The omelette itself was cooked well (though a bit oily) and very large. I chose to go light on the Swiss, since I find too much of the stuff tends to overwhelm all other textures in the dish.

For whatever reason, I’m never too huge on Lulu’s homefries, which is odd. I love homefries. Maybe these ones are just a little too bland? It’s tough to put my finger on. I enjoy them, certainly, but don’t rave about them. Maybe they’ve lost too much of the original potato flavor, somehow? I hope I figure this one out before I die.

Said it before, and I’ll say it again - Lulu’s is great. Their brunch is tasty, their beer selection is fantastic, and every time I go I get a new beer that I haven’t had before but end up liking a lot. It’s a great place to go with a group, or for a date. Just do your best to get at least one beer.

Overall:

Lulu’s was worth waiting in the rain on a holiday weekend; what else can we say? Go for the beer, stay for the brunch! Then drink more beer. It’s a nice, lively spot with good service and a great space. If you’re looking for a hot spot in Allston, we’d recommend that you give Lulu’s a try, be it for food or a tasty beverage.

We give Lulu’s 4 delectable Cajun tots out of 5.

[consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis]

19 Ways Life Changes When You Have Celiac Disease

New blog post! So you’ve just learned that you have celiac disease and need to start a gluten free diet. What else should you expect to change in your life, besides just your food?

Today, I'm rounding up all the changes I’ve noticed since my celiac disease diagnosis five years ago. I have two hopes for this post: first, I hope that this makes you feel less alone if you’re struggling to accept similar lifestyle changes due to celiac disease. Second? If your friends or family don’t seem to understand why adjusting to life with celiac disease can feel so freakin’ hard sometimes, I hope this post shows them that celiac disease changes way more than just the food you put on your plate. 

So whether you have celiac disease or know someone who does and want a chance to “walk in their (chronically ill) shoes,” keep reading to discover 19 ways your life changes after a celiac disease diagnosis! 

1. Your diet shifts...in some ways you may not expect. 

I might as well start with the most obvious life change: the required gluten free diet. Depending on how you ate before your celiac diagnosis, going gluten free can be a big change. If you’re like me, though, you might also discover other food intolerances along the way. For instance, like many celiacs, my intestinal villi were damaged so badly that I wasn't able to tolerate dairy (and still can't in large amounts). 

When my stomach continued to act up even after I started a gluten free diet, I also temporarily adopted a low fodmap diet and still have certain “triggers” (like onion and garlic) that I typically avoid. All of this goes to say that going gluten free for celiac disease is much more complicated than just ditching bread. People often underestimate how many foods wheat can hide in (from soy sauce to soup) and how many other dietary changes celiacs end up needing to make as well. 

2. Grocery shopping takes longer. 

Before I learned that I have celiac disease, grocery shopping was easy. I just grabbed whatever looked good and checked out! When you’re living with celiac disease, though, you have to spend extra time reading labels to ensure your food is gluten free and not cross contaminated. (Learn more about reading labels here).

Plus, if you don’t want to spend a loooot more money on your gluten free groceries (more on that on point number 13), you’ll probably spend extra time comparing brands to find the cheapest option. I’ve certainly gotten faster at grocery shopping the longer I’ve been diagnosed, as I now know which brands are safe and delicious and what label markings to look for. However, I doubt grocery shopping will ever feel as “easy” or “worry free” as it was pre-celiac. 

3. You can’t just eat out “wherever.”

One of the hardest changes to accept with a celiac disease diagnosis, at least for me, was the loss of spontaneity. No longer could I just walk around town and grab a bite at whatever restaurant looked good. 

Gluten free apps like the one I talk about here are definitely a big help in finding safe gluten free options when you’re out and about. Nowadays, though, I still call ahead or talk about the menu in more detail with restaurants that promote “gluten free” menus, as many of them are not cross contamination free or celiac safe. 

4. Dating can be even trickier. 

Considering that I was diagnosed with celiac at age 16, I found out first-hand that romance can feel a little more complicated without wheat. Choosing a date night restaurant requires extra research, and while various celiac experts I've talked to say that being glutened from a kiss is very improbable, I've felt sick after kissing a wheat-eater before. I try to make a joke out of requesting that guys brush their teeth (or wait an hour after eating) before they kiss me, but the disclosure can make some first dates a lil' awkward. 

Add caption

On the plus side, though...you never have to deal with kissing someone who has major garlic breath! And I've found that the people who really care about me (and therefore are real dating material anyway) don't mind the extra tooth brushing either!

5. Telling people about your dietary restrictions is a near-daily occurrence. 

When I’m working an office job or at school, I’m asked about my “special” food almost every time I meet someone new. After all, when you attend a pizza party and bring your own gluten free pizza, you’re probably going to raise some eyebrows. 

Within a few months after your diagnosis, you’ll likely have the “celiac spiel” memorized. Mine usually goes something like this: “Yep, I have celiac disease, an autoimmune disease where ingesting gluten damages my intestines. I can get sick from even a small amount of gluten, so I make my own food most of the time.” Short, sweet and beneficial to raising celiac awareness! 

6. You become “that gluten free girl (or guy).” 

As people learn more about your new dietary restrictions, you might find your whole identity being equated to your food...for better or for worse. By sophomore year, I was known as that “gluten free chic” on my small college campus. (And fun fact: whoever controls my college’s choir Instagram account still follows me and likes my smoothie bowl pictures!) 

Obviously, some people may feel more comfortable being known by this label than others. If you’re struggling to decipher how you feel about celiac disease being part of your identity, I’d recommend reading this popular post of mine. Also, remember that although some people might identify you by your diet, the people who know and love you best probably understand just how complex, multifaceted and layered your identity really is.  

7. Holidays become a little more complicated. 

Oh, holidays. Spending time with friends and family can be super fun and relaxing, but sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner can feel a lot more challenging when you have celiac disease or food restrictions. If you are lucky enough to have friends or family who want to (and can safely) accommodate your diet, great! If not, remember that the holidays are really about the people and not the food, and eat ahead of time or bring your own gluten free dinner to enjoy along with everyone else. 

8. You ask a lot of questions about your food anytime you go out to eat or receive a “gluten free” gift. 

Unless you’re ordering at an entirely gluten free restaurant (which are as awesome as they are rare), eating out gluten free involves a lot of talking, explaining and double checking. I typically talk to the waiter or waitress about what celiac is and the accommodations I need (fresh ingredients, clean pots and pans, etc), and I sometimes ask to speak to the manager if the waitstaff doesn’t seem educated about celiac disease. 

The same routine happens when I attend a potluck or a party or someone surprises me with a “gluten free” treat on my birthday. Unfortunately, because small amounts of gluten are still dangerous for people with celiac disease, even “gluten free” food isn’t safe if it’s been made with cross contaminated equipment or ingredients. Have a hard time saying “no” even when you’re pretty dang sure the food is unsafe? Read this for an empowering reminder. 

9. You may experience nutritional or vitamin deficiencies. 

Despite the common misperception that a gluten free diet is automatically “healthier” than a diet with wheat, gluten free foods can be lower in vitamins and minerals or not as enriched as whole grain alternatives. Combined with the intestinal damage gluten likely caused before your celiac diagnosis, you may end up having several nutritional deficiencies. 

Personally, my doctor put me on zinc and calcium supplements after my celiac diagnosis. I also recently found out that I am low in iron, and am taking a supplement for that. Obviously, everyone with celiac disease is different and you might be 100% healthy just eating a balanced gluten free diet. If you do discover nutritional deficiencies, though, know that you aren’t alone. 

10. You get way too excited over new, delicious gluten free products. 

When I’m grocery shopping and find a new gluten free product that I’ve previously tried and loved or have heard is ah-maz-ing, I’ve been known to: 1) jump up and down, 2) squeal, 3) buy 3-4 boxes, and 4) do all of the above. The truth is, it’s hard to ditch your old favorite foods. Even though there are tons more gluten free options nowadays, it can be equally hard to find gluten free products that you seriously love.

So when we do find something great, we celebrate, as goofy as it might make us look. 

11. You rarely leave the house without a snack (or entire meal) in your purse, backpack or glovebox. 

I never used to worry about having food on hand when I left the house. I knew I could grab a granola bar at school or visit whatever restaurant I happened to be nearby if needed. When celiac entered the picture, that all changed. Now, you might call me the walking pantry...and I’ve heard from many other celiacs that they are exactly the same way. 

12. You may learn to cook...or not. 

If you used to live off of takeout and pre-made meals from your local grocery store, you might still be able to do that after your celiac disease diagnosis. However, because of the price of many prepacked gluten free meals, you’ll probably end up learning how to cook at least simple things like stuffed baked potatoes, some kind of (vegan or otherwise) protein, roasted veggies and a side salad.

You might even turn into a foodie like me and learn that you enjoy spending time in the kitchen! You never know what delicious gluten free recipes might become your new favorite meals...

13. You need extra time for food prep and (likely) extra money for your groceries. 

If you do end up cooking most of your food, though, you will be giving up one thing: time. As anyone who practices food prep knows, cooking can be time-consuming, even if you set aside a single day of the week to do it all. Plus, like I’ve already mentioned, gluten free products are often more expensive than their gluten-filled counterparts. So while your old go-to lunch might’ve been two slices of pizza for $6 at your work cafeteria, your new lunch might call for more expensive gluten free pizza crust and toppings, as well as the time to cook your own pie. But all hope (or free time and money) is not lost! Check out my post about how to eat healthy as a busy college student for time-management cooking tips!

14. Other members of your family may be tested and diagnosed with celiac disease. 

Celiac disease is hereditary and after you’ve been diagnosed, your doctor might encourage the rest of your family to be tested for celiac disease as well. I’ve heard of families who refuse, and that’s certainly their right. Personally, my family was tested and we found that my dad carries the celiac gene, though it’s never been activated.

The good part about this is that your diagnosis might end up transforming - and even saving - a family member’s life if they have active but undiagnosed celiac disease. Plus, family members who carry the gene now know that they should watch out for symptoms in case their celiac disease does become active. 

15. You sometimes feel isolated, misunderstood or frustrated because of your “special” diet. 

I’d be lying if I didn’t include this bullet point in a post about how your life changes when you have celiac disease. The truth is, food is more of a social, connective component in life than I ever realized before my celiac diagnosis. As a result, you might feel unfairly isolated when you can’t join in on midnight burrito runs or pizza parties without having to bring your own food or go hungry. 

As I’ve shared before, you may even grieve the loss of old foods and spontaneity. I’ve cried over not being able to eat a flour tortilla...and even five years after my diagnosis, I still have days where I hate the limitations I have because of celiac disease. 

16. Accidentally ingesting gluten can cause you to feel “glutened” and be trapped in bed, on the toilet, etc. 

Perhaps the biggest - and hardest - change to accept after a celiac diagnosis is that you can really be hurt by a common food ingredient. I learned at the Gluten Free Teen Summit from Dr. Peter Green that many celiacs don't experience major symptoms if they accidentally ingest a small amount of gluten. However, other celiacs definitely do have a wide variety of "glutened" side effects. Personally, my biggest glutened symptoms used to be extreme fatigue and brain fog a few days post-exposure. Now I often get extreme stomach cramps and other not-so-fun stomach issues on top of those.

On the one hand, it can feel disempowering to know that you can be wiped out by accidentally consuming gluten. On the other hand, I try to remind myself that I’m lucky to be able to avoid negative symptoms of celiac disease by avoiding gluten in my diet. 

17. You learn which friends and family are willing to accommodate your dietary needs, and be extra grateful for them. 

Like the old saying goes: “Those who matter won’t care...and those who care don’t matter.” I’ve been constantly amazed at how much my close friends and family will do to ensure that I’m safe and comfortable when eating over at their houses, sharing a kitchen, etc. Even if I don’t accept peoples’ offers to cook me gluten free meals, it means the world to hear that they care enough to want to try. Depending on how your family and friends react to your celiac diagnosis, you might find that your gluten free diet actually brings you closer to certain people in your life. 

18. You experiment with new foods and gluten free recipes...and find some that you like, and some you really don’t. 

There’s no better motivation to learn how to cook than realizing you can feel 100% confident in the safety of your meals if you make them yourself! It can be frustrating to try and find new gluten free products and recipes that taste as good as old favorites, but it’s so rewarding to make something that has even the gluten-eaters in your family eating! I’ve personally found that going gluten free for celiac disease also motivated me to try more naturally gluten free foods I’d never tasted before, like dragon fruit, buckwheat and dates.

If you’re craving a pick-me-up blog post that proves your diet can seriously be super delicious even without gluten, read here about why my diet is more diverse now that I am gluten free! 

19. Your life feels harder at times...but you’ll learn to love having some direct control over your health. 

Especially in the first few months after your celiac disease diagnosis, you’ll probably feel frustrated over your new dietary restrictions. If you have celiac disease and your body doesn’t heal normally on a gluten free diet, like mine didn’t, the adjustment period can feel even harder. 

Even five years later, I give myself permission to feel jealous when friends can enjoy the free donuts at work or cry because I’ve been glutened and feel like rubbish. However, I also constantly try to focus on the positive ways my celiac disease diagnosis has changed my life.

It forced me to learn how to cook and discover that I’m actually a huge foodie. It taught me how to persevere and believe in myself, even when every day felt like a battle against my body. And, of course, it caused me to start this blog and connect with people all over the world...including you!

So You Have Celiac Disease...The Bottom Line

When you initially receive your celiac diagnosis, you might expect that starting a gluten free diet will be the only big change in your life. As this post (and many of my past posts) have shown, however, celiac disease complicates much more than just your diet. It often impacts everything from your monthly grocery bill to your socializing routine. 

Like this post? Tweet me some love by clicking here: "The truth is, a #celiac diagnosis changes WAY more than just your diet. Today, I'm rounding up 19 ways life changes when you have #celiacdisease, from shopping for #glutenfreefood to dating! Read them all here --> http://bit.ly/2uuQnPb"

The biggest thing to remember? While you should stay realistic about the challenges of living with a chronic illness, you should also keep in mind that you can control your diet, your attitude and your health with celiac disease! 

What’s the biggest lifestyle change you’ve noticed since your celiac disease diagnosis or since having to go gluten free for another reason? Tell me in the comments! 

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[lotsofdogs]

Just Another January Weekend

Hey friends! I hope you all had a great weekend and are checking in today after a few days of unplugging and relaxing! Our weekend was relatively quiet but that’s exactly what I wanted.

Saturday

Ryan and I were both up before 6 a.m. on Saturday. I was incredibly restless all night (and up with Chase once – I think he may be having nightmares?) and after I heard Chase making noise on the monitor around 5:30 a.m., I couldn’t get back to sleep. Though Chase snoozed for a bit longer, Ryan and I were up for the day and kicked things off with early morning bowls of high protein hemp oatmeal with all of the fixings.

I spent some time on my devotional before settling in on the couch to work on a mostly meatless meal plan for the week ahead. Here’s a look at what’s on the menu for the Fagan family this week:

Monday: Butternut Squash Grain Bowls

Tuesday: Glowing Spiced Lentil Soup

Wednesday: Zucchini Lasagna

Thursday: Vegan Enchiladas

Friday: Crock Pot Coconut Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Stew

Eventually Chase was up for the day but it was a sloooow wake up. He seemed a little out of it, so we spent a solid 30 minutes reading stories in his room before getting dressed and heading downstairs for breakfast. We initially planned to head out on a morning family hike on some nearby trails but rain thwarted our plans. We came up with a new game plan and decided to sneak in a workout at the gym while we gave the rain a chance to die down.

I took myself through a drop set upper body workout that looked like this:

I rounded things out by following a quick 10-minute bikini arm workout from the Tone It Up Girls that I previously found and loved on YouTube. When I follow YouTube videos at the gym, I just do my best to find a secluded corner and prop my phone up to follow along while listening with my headphones. I typically limit the videos I follow at the gym to fairly short stationary strength or barre-based workouts.

Once Ryan and I were done with our respective workouts, we reconvened and scooped Chase up from childcare before driving back home to leash Sadie up for a walk! We covered around two miles but made a few pit stops to look for fish at the marina and play at a local playground.

(It wasn’t even 50 degrees and Ryan wore shorts on our walk. You can take the boy out of Florida but you can’t take Florida out of the boy.)

Though Chase took a grand total of one nap last week, he clearly can’t hang on such little sleep because he was completely pooped by the time we got back home. We ate lunch and read a few Pete the Cat stories and I’m pretty sure Chase was completely out within two minutes of curling up in his crib. He ended up sleeping for THREE HOURS!

While Chase slept, we showered, put on our pajamas and then I worked on the couch beside Ryan while we streamed The Great British Baking Show. (Why does that show make me so happy!?) I also ended up falling asleep for a solid 30 minutes but that ended up making me feel even more tired and pretty much sucked any ambitions I had to leave the house that evening right out of me. (Slipping into my pajamas at 2 p.m. probably didn’t help those chances either.)

We ended up rolling with my tired feelings and ordered pizza for dinner before our friend Ben came over with two half-gallons of ice cream in hand!

Sunday

Sunday morning began the usual way with breakfast and church followed by random household chores. (Is anyone else still vacuuming up pine needles from Christmas!?) I loved Sunday’s service which spoke about the challenges we all face and how at any give time we’re either in the middle of a challenge, coming out of a challenge or about to find ourselves in a new challenge. Before we left, one of the leaders of the children’s programming at our church found us and gave us the sweetest framed family photo from Chase’s dedication last weekend which I thought was such a nice gesture!

Once we arrived back home, I had some blog work I wanted to get done but thankfully it centered around making and photographing a recipe, so Chase was able to help me in the kitchen which made him awfully happy.

Eventually Ryan wanted to sneak in a workout – he’s participating in a one-month online rowing competition with new challenges released every week – and while he rowed this week’s half marathon challenge (PHEW!), I read books with Chase and tried to settle him down for nap. After yesterday’s epic nap, Chase wanted nothing to do with a nap on Sunday, so after coercing him into 30 minutes or so of of “quiet time” by himself with some books in his room, he was up and ready for action.

It rained all day on Sunday which meant we were stuck inside for the rest of the afternoon but we made the most of it and read more books before Chase was ready for train playtime. I took advantage of his solo play and compiled a grocery list from my meal plan for the week. Ryan made it home not long after and proceeded to race Chase around the house with their two ride-on car toys with Sadie trailing close behind. I think they completed approximately 10,000 laps and Chase was in heaven!

Around 5 p.m., we decided to brave the rain and made a trip to the grocery store to pick up food for the week ahead before driving back home, unloading groceries and diving into our Whole Foods hot bar boxes for dinner. Ryan and I did the whole bath and bedtime routine with Chase before climbing into bed ourselves around 9 p.m.

The week ahead should be a good one! Chase is back in preschool today (he’s only had school three times this month because of various closures and holidays so I am PSYCHED for some solo work time) and I will be meeting up with some of my best girlfriends for my small group tonight. As for the rest of the week, the biggest thing on my mind is my 20 week prenatal appointment on Wednesday. I was positive I felt our baby move several times this weekend (positive because the movements finally weren’t accompanied by gas – haha!) and it was unbelievably amazing. I hope this one is a mover and a shaker because I cannot get enough of those reassuring flutters.

I hope to see you around here throughout the week and really hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!

[Read More ...] https://www.pbfingers.com/just-another-january-weekend/

[foursprouthealth-blog]

No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Energy Bars

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/health/no-bake-chocolate-coconut-energy-bars/

No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Energy Bars

These No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Energy Bars are the perfect sweet treat when your sweet tooth is calling to you! They are naturally sweetened and the perfect snack to get you to your next meal! 

  Happy Monday, people! As I’ve gotten older I have started to like Mondays a heck of a lot more than I did when I was in school. It could be because I have found a routine that I like, but the energy on Monday mornings is usually high at Fit Foodie HQ! This morning, I am doing my own thing at home, because Lee is still in Utah, but will be back tomorrow! But lucky me, I have a bag of these No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Energy Bars in the freezer and they happen to be absolutely delicious with a cup of coffee!

I have to start off by saying these No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Energy Bars are a bit nostalgic for me. I have always loved dates, but especially when I travel. Dates have always been my favorite travel snack. They are an easy, sweet, and nutritious snack that I would take with me when I needed an energy boost. I have a heart for travel and I associate most of my memories of travel with what I ate when I was traveling and dates tend to be that one food that I always seek out. DATES. Does anyone else feel this way about food?!

  MY OTHER VIDEOS

  Lee and I use dates as a base in most of our balls, no-bake bars, or if we need a natural sweetener in a cookie or frosting. They are little morsels of natural sugar and a great alternative to refined sugars. You don’t need many dates to make something sweet! Some my favorite date recipes on FFF are Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Dark Chocolate Date Protein Smoothie, Peanut Butter Energy Balls, and Healthy Salted Caramel Cups. You just can’t go wrong, you can use dates in savory AND sweet recipes!

These No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Energy Bars are just as tasty as all of our other FFF date recipes! I usually have everything I need to make these bars in my pantry at all times!

Pantry Items–>

You guys won’t believe how easy it is to whip up these No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Energy Bars. All you have to do is throw everything into a food processor, let them firm up, and they are ready to go! I love them in the morning for a quick snack or as the perfect sweet treat after dinner. You just can’t go wrong. Chocolate + Coconut = a DREAM combo!

VIDEO: No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Bars

These No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Energy Bars are the perfect sweet treat when your sweet tooth is calling to you! They are naturally sweetened and the perfect snack to get you to your next meal!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Author: Lee Hersh

Yield: 16

Ingredients

30 medjool dates (~2 cups packed)*

1.5 cups raw cashews

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut

Instructions

Begin by pitting 30 dates. Make sure your dates are soft and squishy. Place dates into a high-speed food processor and then add raw cashews and vanilla.

Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes, stopping a few times to scrape the sides.

Once the dates and cashews are combined, add cocoa powder and salt and blend until combined. If your dates aren’t soft enough, you may need to add a teaspoon or two of water in order to get a sticky dough.

Finally, add in shredded coconut and blend one more time. You can either leave your coconut more whole or fully pulverize into the rest of the bars.

Once combined, your dough should be soft and feel like cookie dough.

Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper and then place dough in pan. Use your hands or a spatula to spread dough evenly into pan. The goal is to get everything to be the same height. Top with a little more shredded coconut and use your hands or spatula to press into dough.

Before placing in the freezer, use a spatula to round the edges of the bars. Place in freezer for 30-minutes to an hour.

Remove from freezer and take bars out of the pan. Cut the bars in half and then slice each half into 8ths. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/16

Calories: 242

Sugar: 31

Fat: 10

Carbohydrates: 39

Fiber: 5

Protein: 4

[jboden0408]

Last week I had to travel for work to San Francisco, CA. To help hold myself accountable and show that healthy traveling can be done I decided to document my journey for you – both what I ate along the way and all the activities I got up to.

Just as a disclaimer: I was not 100% on Ideal Protein protocol phase 1 during this trip. I tried the best I could, considering I couldn’t cook my own food while in a hotel. The point of this post is to prove that you can make the healthiest choices for yourself (whether on protocol or not) and choosing not to completely fall off the wagon while doing so. Don’t fall down the rabbit hole of bad food choices! Just make the best choice you can at the time and hop right back on whatever food plan you have. 

Ok, now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff! First of all – San Francisco is an amazing city! This was the first time I had ever been! So while I had to spend the first part of my trip in meetings, I did extend it a couple of days to be a true tourist in the area. It was awesome and if you ever get the chance I highly recommend it!

MONDAY

My first food choice of my trip was at the airport on my way to San Francisco. My flight was early in the morning and I had to get some breakfast before boarding. I opted for Starbucks (even though I really wanted a Chitople breakfast burrito! Yes, they do have those in select airport locations). Anyway, I got a coffee with skim milk and Splenda and a turkey bacon breakfast sandwich – minus the English muffin.

During the flight, I had water, some Ideal Protein packs, celery, and hard-boiled eggs.  However, I should have thought this choice through because a 6ish hour flight is a long time to not have a real meal. I should have brought a salad or something more substantial…by the time the plane landed I was starving.

After getting my rental car I took a trip to my favorite place on the west coast – In N Out Burger 🙂 The protein style burger, wrapped in lettuce, was even better than I remember. Evidently, distance really does make the heart (or stomach) grow fonder!

After getting In N Out, I found my hotel, unpacked, and did some work. Then, it was time to find some dinner. I was really feeling salad so I was hoping to find a Whole Foods, but unfortunately, there wasn’t one close by. So I Googled “Salad Bars Near Me.” A lovely little place about 10 minutes away came up called Sprout’s Farmer’s Market.

I had never heard of this place before, but it’s basically an organic market with a salad bar and hot food options. Think of a smaller Whole Foods – or if you are near where I live the Common Market Co-op. It was definitely what I was looking for! I got a salad and grilled jerk chicken – all for under $10. Plus, I got a super cool bag that you can see over on my Instagram.

  TUESDAY

The next morning I had to be up and ready for a day full of meetings. Fortunately, because of the 3 hour time difference, I was up at 5:00am (ugh!) even though I didn’t need to be at the office until 8. So, I decided to get up and go to the hotel gym. I ended up doing this every morning I had to go to work.

I did about a half hour on the elliptical. Then, went and got ready for the day. As far as breakfast, I had grabbed some hard-boiled eggs at Sprout’s and I had an Ideal Protein pack. Then to top all this activity off I ended up walking to the office which was about an 8-minute walk from the hotel.

Then, there were meetings, meetings, meetings all day…with work provided lunch. Work provided lunches are the bain of my existence. For some reason, they always want to serve pizza or sandwiches. This time around it was sandwiches….and I just deconstructed them and ate all the insides 🙂

That evening we did a team building activity that included a hike and dinner. We hiked up the hill at Bernal Heights Park and got beautiful views of the city skyline. Then we went to a sushi dinner…

Again, sushi is not the best option for me, but I made it work. I decided to stick with 2 rolls with no tempura. I hadn’t had sushi in a really long time so it was quite the treat, but I made sure not to go overboard.

WEDNESDAY

The next morning was exactly the same as the one before it. Elliptical, eggs, walk, and another day full of meetings.

There was another dreaded work lunch. However, this one worked out better. We had 2 types of pasta…and SALAD!!  Yay! I found the cafeteria in the office and supplemented my salad with some other vegetables and protein.

That evening we did another team building activity. This time we went to Urban Putt. This place was awesome. Basically, the owners took an old funeral home and turned it into an indoor miniature golf course. They have a bar and offer food, with a restaurant upstairs. We played a round of golf and had a buffet style dinner. There was spinach salad, empanadas (I had 1/2 of one), sliders (I ate without the bun), tacos, and pizza (which I didn’t eat.)

I had so much fun with this activity. It was probably the best game of miniature golf I have ever played! Our team came in second out of five teams.

THURSDAY

Thursday morning looked the same as all the others. However, my meetings only ran until about 1:00. So no dreaded work provided lunch! And I got to actually start my “vacation” part of the trip.

I was headed down to San Jose so I needed to grab a quick lunch….so I visited In N Out again. I mean you really can’t beat a lettuce wrapped burger for like $4.

Then I made my way down to San Jose. I had two objectives – 1) Visit the Winchester Mystery House and 2) Go to Apple Headquarters (my techie mecca).

The Winchester Mystery House is a San Jose landmark. It is a mansion that was once owned by Sarah Winchester. She was the widow of William Winchester of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. After her daughter and husband died Sarah believed that she was haunted by those that had been killed by a Winchester firearm. To help with the supposed spirits she visited a medium who advised her to move West and continuously build a home for them – The Winchester Mystery House is the final result. It has 160 rooms, doors to the ceiling, doors to nowhere, etc.

It was a weird and eccentric little tour that I went on. Would I do it again? Probably not. But I think its something different that you can only visit while in San Jose. Also, if you are a history nerd or Travel Channel watcher you will already know about it and definitely want to experience it for yourself.

Next, I was off to Apple! I feel like you can’t drive through Silicon Valley and not stop by. I am a lover of pretty much all the Apple products and wanted to see the place where Steve Jobs used to work. The staff in the Apple Store there were awesome and willing to share lots of information and stories about Steve and the surrounding area.

Finally, that evening I made it back to Sprout’s for dinner and had the same thing I did on Monday night! It was so good…and a pretty healthy choice, so I knew I couldn’t go wrong there. Plus, I didn’t want to tempt myself with anything else.

FRIDAY

On Friday, I was up bright and early to fit in some hiking in the Muir Woods. I had never seen Redwood trees before and I wanted to experience it. I had researched the Muirwoods prior to going and decided to do the 2-mile hiking loop.

So, with some eggs, protein pack, and water on board I went for a beautiful, peaceful morning hike.

After my hike, which took about 2 hours (after walking, taking pictures, and visiting the gift shop) I also visited the nearby Muir Woods Beach.

After the beach, I made my way over to Tiburon, CA to catch a ferry to Angel Island.

Angel Island is the much larger island that sits behind Alcatraz. It served as an army base during WWI and WWII. Also, it was an immigration post for those coming from Asia – kind of like the Ellis Island of the West Coast. I learned a lot about its history and got to see some great views of the San Francisco Bay.

After my tour of Angel Island, I was super hungry! I hadn’t had lunch because I was having so much fun. I did snack along the way on celery, tomatoes, and cucumbers – but that was it! So I made way over to Sausalito, CA to have dinner.

I had researched where to eat in Sausalito and decided on the Napa Valley Burger Company. They had a bunch of different types of burgers with the option to wrap them in lettuce and they came with a side salad – it was perfect! (Also, I realize there seems to be a lettuce wrapped burger theme to this trip haha!)

I went for the Spicy Chicken Burger and it was so good!

SATURDAY

Saturday was another jammed packed day of fun activities – this time in the city! I  decided to do breakfast at the hotel. They offered an egg white frittata that was pretty good….and of course some coffee!

After fueling up for the day, I headed into the city. The hotel, luckily, had a shuttle right to Union Square. I did all the stereotypical San Francisco tourist things – Fisherman’s Wharf, Trans American Building, Golden Gate Bridge, Ghirardelli Square, the cable cars, etc.

The city is packed with things to do and fun things to see. Everyone I encountered was super nice. I especially liked this storefront that I had to take a picture of…because we are all a little weird 🙂

Now here is where things get a little dicey. I had been pretty good food-wise this whole week. I had skipped bread and pasta just for this moment. I was at Ghirardelli Square buying some chocolate for some friends at work. That place hands out chocolate like crazy. Every door I walked through they would hand me a piece of chocolate. However, I said no to those pieces and shared them with people when I got back. No….I went straight for the sundaes…..

Now…I am sure some of you think of this a failure, but I don’t! I consciously made the decision to eat this beautiful hunk of ice cream. I knew that I would probably never have the chance again – and this is why I had been so good the rest of the week.

To me this is the reason this isn’t a failure: Before I got on my healthy lifestyle journey I would have put anything in my stomach without thinking it about it. But this time I thought through the consequences and I accepted them.

And just to note: I wasn’t able to finish that sundae (at one point in my life I would have been able to murder that whole thing!) Also, I didn’t gain weight….or lose any weight. I was able to have fun and feel satisfied but still maintain everything.

And that is the end of my trip! Thank you for coming along with me! I hope that seeing how and why I made my decisions help you on a trip in the future!

Where are you traveling soon? How will you try to make it a healthy trip? Would love to hear from you in the comments!

Traveling Healthy in San Francisco! Come along on my overview of my trip and see the food choices I made and all the fun stuff I got up to! Last week I had to travel for work to San Francisco, CA. To help hold myself accountable and show that…

[hbpersonaltrainer]

STRONG & SEXY: LAUREN FINDLEY [MOTIVATIONAL GALLERY, FULL WORKOUT ROUTINE AND DAILY DIET]

Quick Stats:

Full Name: LAUREN FINDLEY

Weight: 116lbs (53kg)

Height: 5'2" (157cm)

Age: 25

How did you get started?

Before I fully committed to the fitness lifestyle, I lived a pretty ‘typical’ life as an active female. I was always athletic and I would go to the gym or for runs, just to go, but I never really pushed myself. I was always conscious of my diet and I would ‘try’. But I often ate for the sake of convenience and I ate what was available to me when on the ‘go’. 

“I pretty much just went through the motions and I had no real sense of direction or a routine to follow.”

Continues on page 2…

What was your low point or turning point?

I got a lot of inspiration from other female athletes and one day it just ‘clicked’ for me. I can’t say that there was one defining moment or a ‘low point’, but after learning and being inspired by strong, beautiful women like Nicole Wilkins and Swann De La Rosa, I aspired to be like them. I made the decision that I no longer wanted to be ‘average’.

“So, I finally made the necessary lifestyle changes suitable for my goals and the rest is history!”

How did you feel when you first started training?

I ran track from middle school through college, so that was the sort of training I was accustomed to. I would weight train, but I was mainly focused on the running. So, when my track career ended and I got into the gym, it was mostly a learning experience. I learned about things like workout splits, diet, correct form and adapting to a variety of types of training that I was not used to.

“It was a learning experience that opened up a whole new world of possibilities to me.”

What is your life like now that you’ve made a transformation?

I am so happy to have gotten into bodybuilding and the fitness industry and I love this lifestyle so much! It’s an amazing feeling to be so committed to something and to always keep pushing forward. It’s also really awesome to get the recognition from other’s who compliment me on my physique and all of the hard work that I put into it. On the other hand, the attention on social media is something that I am not used to yet. I get so much positivity from men and women every day and that motivates me so much. But, once in a while, there are the negative comments like, “are you even a woman?”

“Is that a boy or a girl?” Or “why are your arms so big if you’re a female?” I will admit sometimes it’s hurtful and I can’t pretend it doesn’t bug me here and there; I am only human!”

What motivates you to keep going and push harder?

I am always motivated by something new, one day it can be someone’s kind words, the next day it could be seeing a girl’s physique on Instagram who inspires me and sometimes I just motivate myself just by seeing how far I’ve really come. I think it’s very important to look back and remember why I started. Another motivator for me is when I get questions from people online or at my gym. 

“When people reach out to me it keeps me sharp and motivates me; I just love answering people’s questions to the best of my ability.”

What is your next goal? Where do you see yourself this time next year?

I have a log that I keep in my phone and it’s full of ‘short term’ goals. As far as a long term goals, I plan on competing in a national level show next summer. My ultimate goal is to earn an IFBB pro card.

“By this time next year, I see myself continuing to make improvements to my own physique and I plan to continue to help and inspire others!”

What is your current training philosophy?

My current training philosophy is based on a quote that I heard from professional MMA fighter, Conor McGregor. “There’s no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession. Talent does not exist; we are all equals as human beings. You could be anyone if you put in the time. You will reach the top and that’s that. I am not talented, I am obsessed.” In order to be successful, you simply have to put in the work, day in and day out. For my current routine below, I always do 2-4 warm up sets per body part.

Full Routine:

Monday: Chest/Triceps

Flat Bench Press 4 x 8-12

Incline Dumbbell Press 4 x 15/12/10/8

Cable Crossovers 4 x 15 (high/middle/low)

Pec Dec Fly’s 4 x 10-15

Rope Cable Pushdowns 4 x 15/12/10/8

Rope Overhead Extensions 7 x 10-15 (FST7 workout)

Dips 3 x Failure

Single Arm Pulldowns 3 x 10-15

Dumbbell Kickbacks 4 x 12-15

Tuesday: Shoulders/Abs/Cardio

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 x 15/12/10/8

Single Arm Lateral Raises 4 x 12-15

Plated Front Raises 3 x Failure

Rear Delt Pec Dec Fly’s 4 x 15/12/10/8

Dumbbell Lateral Raises 4 x 10-15 (Superset)

Dumbbell Front Raises

Hanging Leg Raises 4 x Failure

Cable Rope Crunches 4 x 15-20

Ab Wheel 4 x 15-20

30 minutes Stepmill (30 seconds work/30 seconds rest)

Wednesday: Glute/Hamstrings

Bridges 4 x 15

Cable Kickbacks 4 x 12-15

Seated Leg Curl 4 x 12-15 (Drop Set)

Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats 4 x 12-15 (per leg)

Machine Kickbacks 3 sets 12-15 (per leg)

Stiff Legged Deadlifts 4 x 8-12

Lying Leg Curls 4 x 12-15

Thursday: Back/Biceps/Cardio

Wide Grip Pulldowns 4 x 15/12/10/8 (Drop Set)

Bent- Over Barbell Rows 4 x 8-12

Pull Ups 4 x Failure

V- Bar Pulldowns 4 x 12-15

Seated Rows 4 x 12-15

Rack Pulls 4 x 8-12

One Arm Dumbbell Rows 3 x 8-12

30 minutes Sprint Intervals Treadmill (1 minute on/30 seconds off)

Friday: Shoulders/Abs

Seated Barbell Overhead Press 4 x 8-12

Cable Lateral Raises 4 x 12-15 (per arm)

High Cable Rope Pulls 4 x 12-15

Dumbbell Front Raises 4 x 10-15

Dumbbell Rear Delt Rows 4 x 12-15

Hanging Leg Raises 4 x Failure

Cable Rope Crunches 4 x 15-20

Ab Rollouts 4 x 15-20 reps

Saturday: Active Rest

30-35 minutes Light Cardio/Abs

Sunday: Legs (Quad Focused)

Narrow Stance Squats 4 x 8-12

Leg Extensions 4 x 15 (Superset)

Dumbbell Goblet Squats 4 x 15

Barbell Walking Lunges 4 x each leg

Front Squats 4 x 8-12

Narrow Stance Leg Press 4 x 8-12 

What is your secret to your incredible leg and glute development?

Being a runner I feel it has given me a little edge in the leg/glute department, but I do train my legs twice a week to ensure that I am maintaining my proportions between my quads and hamstrings/glutes. I tend to be quad dominant, so I have to work extra hard on my hamstrings. I split my leg days into a quad focused day and a glute/hamstring focused day. Sometimes if my split allows, later in the week, I will add in an extra hamstring day. 

“I feel it is super important to focus on the squeeze and I love challenging myself with each exercise.”

What is your approach to nutrition?

As far as nutrition is concerned, I think it’s really important to listen to your own body. So many people have this mindset that dieting is supposed to be awful, but that doesn’t have to be the case! Of course, I try to eat clean most of the time, but there are some foods that are considered ‘clean eating’ staples that just do not work for me. I feel it’s necessary to try different foods and find out what works best for each individual.

“I feel it’s crucial for me to consume high quality proteins, complex carbohydrates and a variety of healthy fats into my daily diet. I also like to be really creative and try new things.”

Do you bulk and cut or stay lean year round?

I naturally stay pretty lean, but right now I am doing what I guess you could call a ‘clean bulk’. Currently, I am putting on muscle and eating in a caloric surplus, which will allow me to bring up my weak points when I prep for my next competition. I’m still doing cardio 3-4 days a week for cardiovascular health; it also helps me to maintain a healthy body fat percentage.

Typical Daily Diet:

Meal 1: 1 Egg Yolk, 4 Egg Whites , 1 cup Oats, 2 Slices Ezekiel Bread or 1 Multi-Grain English Muffin

Meal 2: 4-6 ounces Chicken and 5 ounces Mixed Green Vegetables

Meal 3: 1 ½ scoops Protein and 1 tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter mixed in Water

Meal 4: 5 ounces White Fish and 5 ounces Mixed Green Vegetables

Meal 5: (Pre Workout) 4-6 ounces Chicken, 1 cup Brown Rice or 1 Sweet Potato

Meal 6: (Post Workout) 4-6 ounces Red Meat and 5 ounces Mixed Green Vegetables

What’s the one food you couldn’t live without? And as it gets closer to a competition how do you handle cravings?

One food I could not live without is my mother’s homemade macaroni and cheese; it’s unreal! I do not live near my parents, so usually when I go for a visit she makes it for me, unless I’m prepping for a show, of course! (Laughs) As a competition gets closer, I find dealing with cravings has to do with my mindset. Overtime with competing, I have developed a strong willpower and I am able to resist things like donuts, pizza, pasta, etc. I’ve come to realize that those foods serve no purpose in achieving my goals. My fiancé and I usually cut things out little by little before we start a prep, so that the transition is a little bit easier on the both of us.

“Luckily, I do not have much of a sweet tooth, so avoiding ice cream and cookies is fairly easy for me.”

What does your supplementation look like?

Pre Workout Stimulant

L-Carnatine

BCAA’s

Glutamine

Multivitamin

B6 and B12

Fish Oil

What are your best 3 tips for someone looking to reach their goal physique?

Patience

Consistency

Passion; because you have to love it!

What are your hobbies and interests outside of the gym?

I love to run; running clears my mind, de-stresses me and puts me in a great mood. I really love reading, spending time with my fiancé and our puppy named Riggins.

“I also enjoy visiting my family and binging on Netflix shows for way too long in the evening! ”

Favorite Quote:

“You don’t set out to build a wall. You don’t say, I’m going to build the biggest baddest, greatest wall that’s ever been built. You don’t start there. You say, ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid. You do that every single day. And soon you have a wall.” – Will Smith

Source: http://ift.tt/17Xv2wG

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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STRONG & SEXY: LAUREN FINDLEY [MOTIVATIONAL GALLERY, FULL WORKOUT ROUTINE AND DAILY DIET] Female Fitness Models Source http://ift.tt/2nPx2np

[gymgurusuniverse]

STRONG & SEXY: LAUREN FINDLEY [MOTIVATIONAL GALLERY, FULL WORKOUT ROUTINE AND DAILY DIET]

Quick Stats:

Full Name: LAUREN FINDLEY

Weight: 116lbs (53kg)

Height: 5'2" (157cm)

Age: 25

How did you get started?

Before I fully committed to the fitness lifestyle, I lived a pretty ‘typical’ life as an active female. I was always athletic and I would go to the gym or for runs, just to go, but I never really pushed myself. I was always conscious of my diet and I would ‘try’. But I often ate for the sake of convenience and I ate what was available to me when on the ‘go’. 

“I pretty much just went through the motions and I had no real sense of direction or a routine to follow.”

Continues on page 2…

What was your low point or turning point?

I got a lot of inspiration from other female athletes and one day it just ‘clicked’ for me. I can’t say that there was one defining moment or a ‘low point’, but after learning and being inspired by strong, beautiful women like Nicole Wilkins and Swann De La Rosa, I aspired to be like them. I made the decision that I no longer wanted to be ‘average’.

“So, I finally made the necessary lifestyle changes suitable for my goals and the rest is history!”

How did you feel when you first started training?

I ran track from middle school through college, so that was the sort of training I was accustomed to. I would weight train, but I was mainly focused on the running. So, when my track career ended and I got into the gym, it was mostly a learning experience. I learned about things like workout splits, diet, correct form and adapting to a variety of types of training that I was not used to.

“It was a learning experience that opened up a whole new world of possibilities to me.”

What is your life like now that you’ve made a transformation?

I am so happy to have gotten into bodybuilding and the fitness industry and I love this lifestyle so much! It’s an amazing feeling to be so committed to something and to always keep pushing forward. It’s also really awesome to get the recognition from other’s who compliment me on my physique and all of the hard work that I put into it. On the other hand, the attention on social media is something that I am not used to yet. I get so much positivity from men and women every day and that motivates me so much. But, once in a while, there are the negative comments like, “are you even a woman?”

“Is that a boy or a girl?” Or “why are your arms so big if you’re a female?” I will admit sometimes it’s hurtful and I can’t pretend it doesn’t bug me here and there; I am only human!”

What motivates you to keep going and push harder?

I am always motivated by something new, one day it can be someone’s kind words, the next day it could be seeing a girl’s physique on Instagram who inspires me and sometimes I just motivate myself just by seeing how far I’ve really come. I think it’s very important to look back and remember why I started. Another motivator for me is when I get questions from people online or at my gym. 

“When people reach out to me it keeps me sharp and motivates me; I just love answering people’s questions to the best of my ability.”

What is your next goal? Where do you see yourself this time next year?

I have a log that I keep in my phone and it’s full of ‘short term’ goals. As far as a long term goals, I plan on competing in a national level show next summer. My ultimate goal is to earn an IFBB pro card.

“By this time next year, I see myself continuing to make improvements to my own physique and I plan to continue to help and inspire others!”

What is your current training philosophy?

My current training philosophy is based on a quote that I heard from professional MMA fighter, Conor McGregor. “There’s no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession. Talent does not exist; we are all equals as human beings. You could be anyone if you put in the time. You will reach the top and that’s that. I am not talented, I am obsessed.” In order to be successful, you simply have to put in the work, day in and day out. For my current routine below, I always do 2-4 warm up sets per body part.

Full Routine:

Monday: Chest/Triceps

Flat Bench Press 4 x 8-12

Incline Dumbbell Press 4 x 15/12/10/8

Cable Crossovers 4 x 15 (high/middle/low)

Pec Dec Fly’s 4 x 10-15

Rope Cable Pushdowns 4 x 15/12/10/8

Rope Overhead Extensions 7 x 10-15 (FST7 workout)

Dips 3 x Failure

Single Arm Pulldowns 3 x 10-15

Dumbbell Kickbacks 4 x 12-15

Tuesday: Shoulders/Abs/Cardio

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 x 15/12/10/8

Single Arm Lateral Raises 4 x 12-15

Plated Front Raises 3 x Failure

Rear Delt Pec Dec Fly’s 4 x 15/12/10/8

Dumbbell Lateral Raises 4 x 10-15 (Superset)

Dumbbell Front Raises

Hanging Leg Raises 4 x Failure

Cable Rope Crunches 4 x 15-20

Ab Wheel 4 x 15-20

30 minutes Stepmill (30 seconds work/30 seconds rest)

Wednesday: Glute/Hamstrings

Bridges 4 x 15

Cable Kickbacks 4 x 12-15

Seated Leg Curl 4 x 12-15 (Drop Set)

Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats 4 x 12-15 (per leg)

Machine Kickbacks 3 sets 12-15 (per leg)

Stiff Legged Deadlifts 4 x 8-12

Lying Leg Curls 4 x 12-15

Thursday: Back/Biceps/Cardio

Wide Grip Pulldowns 4 x 15/12/10/8 (Drop Set)

Bent- Over Barbell Rows 4 x 8-12

Pull Ups 4 x Failure

V- Bar Pulldowns 4 x 12-15

Seated Rows 4 x 12-15

Rack Pulls 4 x 8-12

One Arm Dumbbell Rows 3 x 8-12

30 minutes Sprint Intervals Treadmill (1 minute on/30 seconds off)

Friday: Shoulders/Abs

Seated Barbell Overhead Press 4 x 8-12

Cable Lateral Raises 4 x 12-15 (per arm)

High Cable Rope Pulls 4 x 12-15

Dumbbell Front Raises 4 x 10-15

Dumbbell Rear Delt Rows 4 x 12-15

Hanging Leg Raises 4 x Failure

Cable Rope Crunches 4 x 15-20

Ab Rollouts 4 x 15-20 reps

Saturday: Active Rest

30-35 minutes Light Cardio/Abs

Sunday: Legs (Quad Focused)

Narrow Stance Squats 4 x 8-12

Leg Extensions 4 x 15 (Superset)

Dumbbell Goblet Squats 4 x 15

Barbell Walking Lunges 4 x each leg

Front Squats 4 x 8-12

Narrow Stance Leg Press 4 x 8-12 

What is your secret to your incredible leg and glute development?

Being a runner I feel it has given me a little edge in the leg/glute department, but I do train my legs twice a week to ensure that I am maintaining my proportions between my quads and hamstrings/glutes. I tend to be quad dominant, so I have to work extra hard on my hamstrings. I split my leg days into a quad focused day and a glute/hamstring focused day. Sometimes if my split allows, later in the week, I will add in an extra hamstring day. 

“I feel it is super important to focus on the squeeze and I love challenging myself with each exercise.”

What is your approach to nutrition?

As far as nutrition is concerned, I think it’s really important to listen to your own body. So many people have this mindset that dieting is supposed to be awful, but that doesn’t have to be the case! Of course, I try to eat clean most of the time, but there are some foods that are considered ‘clean eating’ staples that just do not work for me. I feel it’s necessary to try different foods and find out what works best for each individual.

“I feel it’s crucial for me to consume high quality proteins, complex carbohydrates and a variety of healthy fats into my daily diet. I also like to be really creative and try new things.”

Do you bulk and cut or stay lean year round?

I naturally stay pretty lean, but right now I am doing what I guess you could call a ‘clean bulk’. Currently, I am putting on muscle and eating in a caloric surplus, which will allow me to bring up my weak points when I prep for my next competition. I’m still doing cardio 3-4 days a week for cardiovascular health; it also helps me to maintain a healthy body fat percentage.

Typical Daily Diet:

Meal 1: 1 Egg Yolk, 4 Egg Whites , 1 cup Oats, 2 Slices Ezekiel Bread or 1 Multi-Grain English Muffin

Meal 2: 4-6 ounces Chicken and 5 ounces Mixed Green Vegetables

Meal 3: 1 ½ scoops Protein and 1 tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter mixed in Water

Meal 4: 5 ounces White Fish and 5 ounces Mixed Green Vegetables

Meal 5: (Pre Workout) 4-6 ounces Chicken, 1 cup Brown Rice or 1 Sweet Potato

Meal 6: (Post Workout) 4-6 ounces Red Meat and 5 ounces Mixed Green Vegetables

What’s the one food you couldn’t live without? And as it gets closer to a competition how do you handle cravings?

One food I could not live without is my mother’s homemade macaroni and cheese; it’s unreal! I do not live near my parents, so usually when I go for a visit she makes it for me, unless I’m prepping for a show, of course! (Laughs) As a competition gets closer, I find dealing with cravings has to do with my mindset. Overtime with competing, I have developed a strong willpower and I am able to resist things like donuts, pizza, pasta, etc. I’ve come to realize that those foods serve no purpose in achieving my goals. My fiancé and I usually cut things out little by little before we start a prep, so that the transition is a little bit easier on the both of us.

“Luckily, I do not have much of a sweet tooth, so avoiding ice cream and cookies is fairly easy for me.”

What does your supplementation look like?

Pre Workout Stimulant

L-Carnatine

BCAA’s

Glutamine

Multivitamin

B6 and B12

Fish Oil

What are your best 3 tips for someone looking to reach their goal physique?

Patience

Consistency

Passion; because you have to love it!

What are your hobbies and interests outside of the gym?

I love to run; running clears my mind, de-stresses me and puts me in a great mood. I really love reading, spending time with my fiancé and our puppy named Riggins.

“I also enjoy visiting my family and binging on Netflix shows for way too long in the evening! ”

Favorite Quote:

“You don’t set out to build a wall. You don’t say, I’m going to build the biggest baddest, greatest wall that’s ever been built. You don’t start there. You say, ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid. You do that every single day. And soon you have a wall.” – Will Smith

Source: http://ift.tt/17Xv2wG

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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