Planning for a Healthy Lifestyle

Why are so many people unfit,overweight,unhealthy,ect.ect.ect. Because they don't PLAN that's why!!!! Life is so much easier when you plan things! When you plan things out, you are less likely to go off the unpaved road..In this sense I am talking about food prep. When you have your food with you at all times, you are less likely to: Go to the vending machines, go through the drive-thru, order a pizza because it's "easier" and "quicker" b/c you had no plan for supper that night. "Oh but I don't have time to cook, blah blah blah" Seriously? You don't have an hour on a Sunday to prep meals for an entire week?? Come on people! Not buying it! Yes, I'm the one that carries a cooler around with me, and I have all my meals in it for the day so I am not tempted to eat anything else but what I brought with me. Here's a tip..Cook in bulk, and by that I mean cook a bunch of chicken, fish, whatever your protein source may be, all at one time, cut up different types of veggies, cook up a bunch of brown rice, and voila! You have yourself a healthy stir-fry to take for lunch with you the entire week! Seperate some chicken/veggies/brown rice into tupperware containers, add seasoning if you want...it's that simple!  these things keep for days in the fridge, trust me, I do it every week! You can portion out meals and freeze as well. Same goes for supper, take the protein source you have cooked in bulk and throw on a large salad at night, use hot sauces, salsa, and vinegar based dressings to save a ton of calories and to spice things up a bit. The key is planning...Once a week, plan out your meals and what your going to have each day, go to the grocery store and only buy the things you need and planned for. This way you are less likely to give in to impulse buying. This lifestyle is so simple and easy once you get the hang of it. So, do you know what you're eating tomorrow?? Because I do!!! When you plan for health, you live healthy:) Good night everyone!

Transition

It has now been three weeks since my competition, and the transition into the "real world" has been harder than I thought. I am now focusing on muscle building and putting about ten pounds of lean muscle back on. My husband and I took a much needed trip to Jamaica for a little relaxation and finally getting to spend some time together since the past few months we haven't got to do much of! I did not worry about my diet or eating on the trip, I knew that if I obsessed about it that I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself and probably do more harm to body than good. So I took full advantage to say the least! Lol....now I'm ready to get back to clean eating and getting on a routine again. Like I mentioned it has been hard to transition from training and hardcore dieting to the muscle building phase and being a little more relaxed with diet. Your mind plays tricks on you, you want to continue to look like the day you did on stage but know that you will slowly put weight back on and the six pack will fade. That comes with the package...one cannot diet like that forever, it's just not healthy. Many people don't understand that the way I looked that day is only temporary bc of the "peak week" that all competitors go through...we have strategies to look that way for only a minimal amount of time.... I have come to terms that putting healthy weight back on will involve putting some fat on as well, and I'm ok with that. Don't get me wrong I fully intend to look as fit as possible in this off season before and if I compete again and try to keep my lean mass in the process. It's hard not to be self conscience during this time, I'm always looking in the mirror thinking "do I look fat? Am I gaining too much weight?" In reality I know it's not the case, but our minds sometimes get the best of us. It has been nice not having to be so strict with diet and being able to enjoy more time with my husband,family, and friends, but I still have a drive in me that wants to continue competing, crazy as it sounds. I felt like the whole experience changed my life and had such a positive impact for me. Unless you experience being a competitor, you will not understand. 95% of you think the lifestyle is crazy,dumb,stupid,ect..and I know I had people criticize me..you know what I learned? You must surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and support you regardless. People that criticize others are often jealous and deep down are miserable in their own lives that they need to put others down to make themselves feel better. Knowing this experience made me a better person with a more positive outlook on everything in life made it all worth it. For those interested in following my blog, I will do my best to blog a few times per week with diet,nutrition,workout, healthy lifestyle tips, as well as my own personal experiences. So come back! Luv2lift.blogspot.com with website coming soon!!! Remember, you are the only one in control of your dreams!