Trying Something New

Yesterday, I decided I want to try yoga. I've done yoga a couple of times before, but hardly anything I would consider serious. I took one class at the YMCA with about 30 other people who all seemed to know what they were doing and I've tried to mimic Jillian Michaels on a 30 minute youtube video she released. Yes, these are both technically yoga, but again, I didn't consider either one of them seriously-instructed yoga. The one time I tried yoga at the YMCA I wasn't sold at all and actually told myself it wasn't for me. I'm so used to doing things that are fast-paced and calorie-TORCHING that I didn't really see the benefits of yoga and didn't think it aligned with my goals at the time. This was also a few years back when I was still competing in college I believe.

It's been three years since I played in college but I still train just as often as I did back then. I gained more weight than I'd like to admit during the holidays this past year and have been kicking my own ass to get back in shape during the last couple of months. I lost a few inches during the past few weeks but felt that I was beginning to plateau so I started researching ways I could mix up my routine. I happened to see some interviews done by my favorite fitness models and a number of them mentioned the inclusion of yoga and pilates in their routine. Hmm, maybe I should give this another shot. My company just so happens to offer a number of classes in our gym and there are a few different yoga classes among them. So last night, I went to a class for an hour! I have to say, I loved it! The stretching felt amazing and I already felt so much better after just one class. I've had back issues, tight hips, and all around muscle tension since training and playing competitively in college and these have never really gone away -- these are other reasons why I now want to start including less intense workouts like yoga and pilates into my routine.

So what's the point of this post? Just to tell you I tried yoga? No.

About half way through the class, our instructor said we would be working on handstands again. Again?? Umm, this is my first time here! And I really don't want to crack my head open on day 1. She showed us how to gradually get into a handstand and ways that we could work up to it until we mastered our balance. Some people could start on the floor where they were and others started near a wall to help them get upright first. I started in the middle of the floor (most of the wall space was taken) and I actually got pretty close to vertical at which point, I remember saying, "I'm nervous I'm actually going to get it." Why did I say this? Why was I nervous? Maybe I was nervous of falling. Maybe I was nervous of thrusting too much and actually flipping over backwards. ...all valid reasons...but I began to wonder if I was scared of being successful. It's always a little nerve-racking when you do something outside of your comfort zone. You don't know what to expect and so maybe you won't know how to react. It's been a long time since I did things outside of my comfort zone. My coach used to always tell me to be comfortable being uncomfortable and, if I'm being honest with myself, I don't think I've felt this way for a long time because I haven't put myself in new situations for a long time.

This was a reminder to myself that I shouldn't fear success. In the attempts of being successful, failure is sure to arise but this is all part of the process. Who knows what great things could come from this experience if I'm too nervous or scared to...try? succeed? And when we reach success, it's nothing to be ashamed of. So often, I try to remain modest by never showing what I've accomplished, but allowing other people to see your successes doesn't make you arrogant or vain, like I sometimes fear it does. Feel confident about the work you put in for the results you get out.

This says it all

Body Positive

Lately, I've been particularly aware of the way my friends and coworkers (the female ones) have been commenting on their diets and bodies... Jesus, we're all fun, smart, successful, and beautiful! Why are we so negative?! I recently read an article on medium.com about how the way other people perceive themselves ultimately influences the way we perceive ourselves and perhaps reading this article heightened my sense to do so because lately, I've been second guessing myself. For the most part, I feel pretty positive and confident about my body, imperfections and all, but with everyone else harping on their body, I begin to do the same. I'm writing this blog post (my first in nine months) because I need to vent these feelings out.

When my mother, my friends, and my coworkers all say, "I'm so fat" or "I'm so ugly", "I'm a fatty, I know" ... "I hate this about myself...", etc..., it ultimately makes me believe the things that they're saying. Not only that, but it makes me begin to believe these negative things about myself when I mimic their actions. I don't know if women try to protect themselves by calling out their own behaviors and labeling them as negative before anyone else does, but I don't feel like any of this is healthy. So you had a burrito for lunch. You had a slice of cake after your burrito. You skipped a day at the gym. That's okay! Why do we speak of these actions as negative and sinful?

One of my coworkers came back from lunch today and I asked her what she got. She said, "I went with [Mary] who got a salad but I got tacos. I'm being fat. I failed, I know." I couldn't even respond to her. So does this mean I'm fat when I decide to eat a taco? Does this mean I'm fat anytime I don't eat a salad? No. This certainly does not make you (or me!) fat and it certainly does not make you a failure. Why do we feel the need to even make comments like this? Would it not have been enough for her to simply say, "I got tacos"? I don't think anyone would ever have the intention of judging her for what she ate and it's sad to me that she seems to have that expectation. This particular coworker also happens to be taller and skinnier than myself which confuses me even more and, again, leads me to believe that she thinks I'm overweight and that I should feel badly about myself for not limiting myself to a salad. This may all be based off of her insecurities but I've seen a number of women speak with the same tone and level of self esteem. It's contagious, unhealthy, and frankly, really annoying. You're a beautiful intelligent woman and you live in a beautiful body. Please stop putting yourself down.

I can only imagine that a lot of this springs from our natural instinct to compare ourselves to others. Maybe this coworker doesn't think she's "fit" in comparison to some celebrity she envies? There is body envy for others but we need to start having body envy for ourselves. We only have one body and it's the one we're stuck with for the rest of our lives so why not love it?! I'm always a supporter of trying to improve yourself and be your best self, but this best self should be defined by you and no one else. Everyone's body is different but it functions in every way we need it to so embrace what you have.

Another example of negative self-perception that I see on a regular basis comes from my mother. As my mother has gotten older, she's begun to make more and more comments about her physical appearances. I can't ever remember her doing this as I was growing up but now, all I hear is her nitpicking at her flaws. I always tell her, "You're the oldest you've ever been, but the youngest you'll ever be. In another twenty years, you're going to wish you had appreciated the beauty that are right now. Focus on what you have because it is beautiful." No matter what it is about ourselves, we should embrace what we have now as opposed to deconstructing and criticizing it. 

I truly believe that one of the most attractive features of a female is confidence. I know it realistically takes a lot to achieve this but if we can slowly learn to love and accept ourselves for who and what we are, and truly find the beauty in what makes each of us unique, a new, positive contagion will spread. So spread love! Spread positivity! Spread support! We're here to lift each other up so that we all succeed but let's start by lifting ourselves up. We are all beautiful. <3

Foam Rolling

Have you guys ever seen those things at the gym that look like big rollers? Made of foam? With people strangely and provocatively rolling on them? You may have wondered, what the heck is that? And why are people rolling on top of them?

Well, they're foam rollers! And they are great and necessary accessories to any athlete's (and non-athlete's) training.

I was introduced to foam rollers my junior year of high school when I started weight training more seriously and doing some physical therapy. They are such a great tool pre- and post-workout to prevent injury and keep your muscles loose and pliable for training. Think of it as a tool for doing a deep tissue massage without needing a masseuse. :) Foam rollers can break up and prevent a lot of the tension that builds up when weight lifting, running, cycling, or doing anything that seriously engages your muscles. It's always important to stretch pre- and post-workout and using the foam roller can assist just about any muscle with that. Here are a few examples from bodybuilding.com but do some research on Google to find how you can really target specific muscle areas. 

I have a foam roller (a big red one I've suitably named Big Red) and it's my best friend. ...is that sad? Maybe. Oh well. I could spend 20 minutes rolling on that thing, easily. So next time you see one of these bad boys, give it a go and get yourself a nice little massage on the foam roller. :)

12-Week Workout for Women

I came across this article on bodybuilding.com today and absolutely love it! Not only does it emphasize and explain why women should lift heavy to get lean and toned, but it provides some great diet and exercise tips and examples. Check it out here!

Don't be afraid to lift those heavy weights, ladies! You won't get big and bulky. :) Drink water, eat clean, train dirty. <3

Protein!

Hey everyone!

I had a friend reach out to me recently asking about protein substitutes for whey and soy as she's allergic to both and I thought this would be great info to share on le blog. It's a great question and I'm sure a lot of people have the same problem so I wanted to share my response... I hope it helps!

First and foremost, protein consumption is extremely important when you're trying to lose weight, lean out, or build/maintain muscle. It's not something to be skipped! Post-workout, your muscles are extremely hungry and depleted of energy so it's important to try and "feed" them as soon as possible. This will help shorten your recovery time, minimize muscle soreness, and contribute to muscle gain. And muscle gain ultimately leads to greater calorie burn when you are and are NOT working out! Yay!

They say there's about a 30-minute window for your muscles to regain and recover so you should try to eat as soon as possible after you finish spin class (or any other activity for that matter.) Whey protein is typically the protein of choice for this because it's a fast-acting protein meaning it travels to your muscles and starts repairing them very quickly. However, I've read some articles saying that as long as you have some combination of protein and complex carbohydrates, this more than suffices to give your body what it needs. And I completely agree because there shouldn't be many things better than natural ingredients...aka. not protein powders.

SO! What can you use for protein??? If you like having shakes and want to stick to that, I would recommend using Greek yogurt or cottage cheese in your shake. I have both in my fridge right now and 1 cup of cottage cheese has 28g of protein (56% DV) and 1 cup of Greek yogurt has 22g (44% DV). They're also both fat free and the calories will vary depending on which brand you get. I would recommend staying away from any with artificial sweeteners and jams in them. If you want to add some sweetness, it's better to use natural honey, agave, or Stevia as a sweetener. :) I've also heard of smoothies that incorporate egg whites which I think is amazing but I've never done that myself. 

Another thing I used to do when I was working in the city was to boil some eggs ahead of time. I woke up early to get a workout in and then would be hustling to shower, get dressed, and catch the train so I didn't have time to make a protein-rich post-workout meal. Either the night before or as soon as I got up, I would boil a couple of eggs so I could just grab them and eat as soon as I finished my workout.

You could also have wheat toast with natural almond butter. Yum. Trader Joe's has some premade chicken breasts that you can just heat up within seconds and eat. Super quick and easy. You can also buy some ground turkey meat, beans, nuts to snack on... all great protein options. :)

Tips When Traveling

Hey guys!

It's been quite a while! I was on vacation for a few weeks and decided to take some time off from job hunting and technology to refresh and rejuvenate myself and my senses. I ended a year-long contract job in May and have since been trying to hone in on my mission of self discovery and purpose. Traveling is always something that makes me feel alive and puts me back in touch with my true self. A lot of people view travel as a means of escape or deviation, but I actually think it helps people circle back to discover what they love and value at the core of themselves. Oftentimes, those are defining characteristics of who one really is. I learn a lot about myself and what I really want in life when I'm immersed in another culture and I think it's good to revisit that perspective every now and then. :)

I've been really fortunate in my life and have been able to travel a lot. I've been to Europe seven times and Asia twice. Although vastly different, I consider both continents to have such a natural richness and beauty about them. On this most recent trip, I went to Greece and Italy. I'll share some travel pictures in another post but I wanted to use this post to talk about maintaining a healthy diet when traveling!

Let me start by saying that when I'm on vacation, I have very few rules or restrictions. I think vacation is a time to relax, indulge, and enjoy yourself. I find ways, but still find it difficult to workout when I'm on vacation. Not because I don't have the sufficient space or resources, but because my brain just doesn't seem to think it's right for me to be at the gym for two hours/day when I'm in a beautiful foreign country with so much to see. I also usually eat and drink just about anything I want. I was in Italy and probably had pasta (no, not wheat. *gasp!*) at least twice a day in addition to wine, gelato, pastries, and whatever other fabulous staples are a part of the Italian diet.

However, even with this lifestyle for three weeks, I really didn't see a huge difference in my body. I was expecting my waistline to explode but it honestly stayed more or less the same! Sure, I was walking a lot and that definitely plays a HUGE rule in me maintaining the body I did, but I picked up a few valuable eating tips that I think helped too...

Let's start with the airplane ride over. To make a ridiculously long story short, we had a number of delays on the way to Athens and ended up have a travel time of over 24 hours. Kill me. It was terrible. Although I didn't anticipate the trip being that long, I knew it would be lengthy and I wouldn't have any healthy options on the plane. And I wasn't going to be given a lot of food so I wouldn't be able to eat in 3-hour increments like I like to. So I brought my own food! And my huge Gatorade bottle so that I could refill water in the airport and stay hydrated. (Who really wants to pay $3 for a little water bottle anyways?)

I brought apples, unsalted almonds, carrots, questbars, and grilled chicken! I made it the night before and seasoned it with Mrs. Dash's Southwest Chipotle I believe... no sodium and very flavorful. :) I definitely didn't want to be caught starving with my stomach eventually beginning to gnaw at my ribs. Nor did I want to be caught scarfing down every single bit of the airplane dinner they served. Those things typically aren't the yummiest or healthiest meal options. It really doesn't take a lot of plan and prep to maintain clean eating when traveling. When traveling, especially on long trips, I would recommend prepping some healthy food and bringing it with you. If it's around you, you have no excuse to not eat clean. 

After eating this deliciousness on the trip over (I shared some with Mama too, don't worry), what's next was the eating during the actual vacation portion. As I mentioned before, I don't believe in having diet restrictions when traveling but the rule of eating in moderation should still apply. You can have your panna cotta and eat it too, but I would recommend really tasting and savoring each bite. Take your time eating (which is something they do in European cultures anyways that we busy Americans don't do) and really try to taste every ingredient and the true texture of your food. That will make your meal last longer and you most likely won't eat as much as if you had scarfed it down without a second thought.

I truly feel that it's good to give into food temptations from time to time. When you restrict yourself and say, "I can't have this..." "I shouldn't eat that...," it's almost as if you're making it taboo to eat certain foods. And then for whatever reason, our twisted minds continue thinking about that specific food item and crave it more and more! We want what we can't have! It sucks, I know. When you're traveling and allow yourself the freedom to try and taste whatever foods, you'll eat the foods your body really craves, but won't feel such a need to rebel against your brain and have everything your stomach can handle.

At the end of the day, you're on vacation! Enjoy yourself and relax. Enjoying the food and cuisine is a part of enjoying the culture. This means you should definitely taste and try what you want and are curious about, but there's still no need to go overboard and devour an entire Italian pizza by yourself -- you've tried slice one, and slice two, but no need to go for slice 6.