Lessons I learned From CrossFit

There was an amazing deal for a CrossFit gym right by my house, so I said WTH, maybe it will be nice to try something new. After already purchasing a month membership I decided to take a look at the website to see what the workouts would be like, I was terrified! After several attempts and pleading emails I was denied a refund. I remember being so nervous and intimidated my first day of class I nearly peed myself! But now I see why God put me there To this day I attend CrossFit 4-5x a week and am never let down by the workout, my strength or the sense of community!
1. Stay Humble
The biggest saying at any CrossFit gym is “leave your ego at the door”. Everyone will have a workout where they get mad at their body for not being able to do certain things or have their moment of jealousy when you see the person next to you kicking ass, use these as reminders of what you want to work on and why you are doing this in the first place.
2. Friendly competition is a good thing
When I see someone run past me or lift more than me it starts a fire in my body and makes me push myself harder than ever. This has been the reason for a lot of my progress from moving up to the next weight or to getting in the last reps. Keep in mind this is FRIENDLY competition so you are not out to hurt anyone’s feeling or to rub anything in anyone’s face- most of the time the other person doesn’t even realize that you are competing with them.
3. The company you keep is key
Before I joined CrossFit I was working out alone. Although this isn’t bad I realized that I wasn’t pushing myself. Without the influence of others I would half ass do somethings, take unnecessary breaks and stop quit before I really needed to. Now I have a good group of people who encourage me and inspire me with every workout.
4. You’re stronger than you think
Not only will CrossFit challenge you physically but mentally as well. I remember trying to do my first box jump or hand stand pushup, I was so scared I was psyching myself out. After a lot of encouragement from others and some confidence I realized that self-doubt is one of the biggest hurdles you will have to cross but once you cross it you can do anything!
Be Active, Be Healthy, Be Happy

Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein (Low Carb)

I’ve never been a great photographer!

Going low carb can be so hard, it seems like yummy and carbs go hand and hand! Here is a recipe that is not only yummy but healthy too!

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti squash
• 1 diced onion
• 2 celery stalks sliced
• 2 cups coleslaw mix (or shredded carrots and cabbage)
• 4 eggs
• oil (I used coconut oil)

For the Sauce

• 1/6-1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• pepper to taste
• ginger to taste
• garlic to taste

Optional add ons- mushrooms, broccoli, water chesnuts, baby carrots (the options are endless)

Directions:

first step is to cook up that spaghetti squash, and although there are many different ways to do this, I find the easiest way to be the oven.

If you would like directions to cooking spaghetti squash click  HERE

For the Sauce mix all ingredients together adding pepper, ginger and garlic until desired taste. If you would like something spicy or sweet feel free to add sriracha or a sweetener to the mix.

• Heat oil in a pan and then add celery and onion, cook until tender (2-3 minutes) stirring occasionally
• add coleslaw mix to pan and let heat for an additional 2-3 minutes (or until texture that you desire)
• in a separate pan cook the 4 eggs to a scramble
• turn the pan off and add the spaghetti squash,sauce and eggs to the pan mixing until everything is combined

WHALA! P.S- this was a boyfriend approved recipe 🙂

Nutritional Information:

• Servings = 4
• Calories: 259
• Fat: 12g
• carbs: 30g
• Protein: 11g

Thanksgiving for dieters = Valentine’s day for singles

Trying to lose weight is hard enough, now add a national holiday where all you do is eat and losing weight goes from hard to almost impossible. Here are some general tips about how to stay healthy during Thanksgiving:

1. Don’t skip breakfast

I know many people skip breakfast because they know that they are going to have a big lunch and dinner but this isn’t a good idea for 2 reasons. 1) You are starving by the time dinner is ready and tend to over eat 2) because you didn’t eat breakfast you tell yourself that it is okay to indulge and pig out

2. Start with veggies

Snacking before the meal and eating calorie loaded appetizers is one way to kill your diet very quickly. My advice is if you are going to snack bring some veggies with yogurt veggie dip and stick to that. This way you are keeping your mouth busy and you may even feel fuller due to the high fiber in veggies and not eat as much during dinner.

3. Drink water

Because you will already be having so many calories from your meal there is no reason to add to this by drinking pop and juice. Instead opt for water and drink plenty of it this will help you feel fuller.

4. Leave time between plates

Going up for seconds at thanksgiving is not a rare thing but going up for seconds right after your first is not a good idea. Give yourself time in between plates for your body to realize just how much you ate this will help you decide whether that second plate is really necessary.

5. Don’t bring home more food

Having one cheat day is okay and easy to recover from but having a week of cheat meals can easily ruin a diet. This thanksgiving choose not to take leftovers home but if you feel compelled to bring something go for the turkey!

I don’t support being unhealthy, Sorry

So I was looking at my calendar and realized that it has been sometime since I have taken the liberty of posting a rant on my blog! So here all you rant lovers go, I am going to talk about my view on this Fat activism/ Fat acceptance stuff. *Warning I am not going to censor my feeling on this situation*

A picture of Amber Sarah discussed below

So I have recently seen the Adam Richman vs. Amber Sarah controversy (if you don’t know about this make sure to look it up) and am just so passed annoyed it’s unbelievable. I at first didn’t know who Amber Sarah was and after searching the internet found out that she is a ‘Fat Activist’ who stands for ‘Fat Acceptance’. I looked up Fat Acceptance and found this definition:

The Fat Acceptance Movement is a social movement which aims to alter cultural biases and stigmas against obese people by combating fat-phobic attitudes in the news media, blogosphere and social media.

Now let me state that I am all for loving yourself BUT I refuse to support something that encourages people to accept an unhealthy lifestyle.

The bottom line is being overweight effects your health. So why is America so fixed on having society accept being unhealthy?

I want to compare being overweight to smoking cigarettes.  Why, you may ask, do I choose cigarette smoking? Easy, smoking is a choice, addicting and unhealthy.  So continuing with this comparison we all are aware that smoking is bad for us but there are still many people who choose to do so.

• Should we stop talking about smoking being bad to save the feelings of the smokers?
• Should we have a movement that encourages cigarette acceptance?
• Should we shame people who find smokers unattractive or who encourage people to stop smoking?

The simple answer to all these questions is NO! So why do it for something just as unhealthy? I am not promoting bulling or teasing of anyone who is overweight but I believe that promoting fat acceptance is essentially promoting diabetes, food addiction, heart disease ect.

Instead of putting all this energy in a Fat Acceptance movement I think it’s about time we invest in helping people change their lives for the better by becoming healthy and influencing our youth to do the same. Sorry Not Sorry

I be up in the gym just working on my fitness

I recently posted a status on Facebook that has been insanely popular and pleasantly funny.  I decided that I would translate this status into a blog post.  I am going to focus on something that I really hate to see at the gym, BAD FORM!

This subject is important because bad form doesn’t just make your exercises less effective but can also lead to injury.  I know there are many people who don’t know what good form looks like but I believe that if you are going to try a new exercise you should do some research and figure out exactly what you are supposed to do before trying it.

Here are some easy fixes that I see all the time

CHEATING

When you are on exercise equipment for your legs do not use your arms! I see a lot of people on the stair stepper who are completely hunched over, putting all of their body on the rails. or people who have an incline on the treadmill holding on for dear life. When you do this you are taking a lot of the work from your legs and making the exercise a lot less effective. It is natural when your body starts getting tired to try and find an easier way, but you need to challenge yourself to keep good form. Next time try having your arms to your sides and you will see that things like inclined treadmills and stair steppers become a lot more difficult.

REP SPEED

When you are lifting weights do it slowly. I see a lot of people who try and lift so fast that they end up swinging their arms back and forth; this could lead to serious injury in your elbows and makes the workout a lot less effective. When using weights your biggest guidance should be to listen to your body. If your joints are starting to hurt or something doesn’t feel right it’s probably time to check your form.

TOO MUCH WEIGHT

There are so many ways that you can go wrong with adding too much weight too soon. When adding too much weight you WILL find a way to cheat because you aren’t actually capable of lifting that amount. You can also put a lot of added pressure on your joints which could lead to injury. Remember there is no reward in going up a weight unless you are doing it right.

Here are a couple of random things that I hate about the gym:

1. People who come to the gym just to look cute or socialize
2. GYM CREEPS
3. The crazy noises that people make
4. When people don’t wipe off their equipment
5. When someone works out right next to you when there is plenty of room

Got any Gym pet peeves? comment!

Be Active, Be Healthy, Be Happy

2 birds with one stone: Cauliflower Pizza Crust and Fitness Challenge

Hello my dedicated and beautiful followers. I would like to apologize about my complete and utter neglect of Stay Fit Stay Healthy. I could bore the crap out of you with excuses but instead I will leave it as sorry and move along, I know you guys will understand.

On a happy note I have good news, actually great news! I am still on a low carb diet and although I haven’t seen much difference in the scale I can definitely tell with my body. Not only do I feel better, I was having stomach problems before, but I also see a difference in the bloating of my stomach which is great. Another good piece of news is that FitnessBlender is holding their first ever 5 day workout challenge for FREE!! I will be on day three today and it has been amazing and challenging. I would encourage everyone to try this, they have modifications for all the workouts so no matter what level of fitness you are you will be able to do this challenge. Also the only equipment you need is optional weights so you can do this at home. There really are no excuses of why you wouldn’t take this challenge.

To learn more go here: http://ow.ly/AwB2z

Another happy update is that I have finally made the notorious cauliflower pizza crust and I must say it is a great low carb alternative. I was skeptical at first because I thought that the pizza crust would come out flimsy and mushy but actually I was able to pick up my pizza and it didn’t fall apart.  Do not be intimidated by this recipe it is actually fairly easy.

So here it is Cauliflower Pizza Crust for one

a little step by step picture tutorial

Ingredients:

• 1 egg (I used egg substitute or you could use an equivalent amount of egg whites)
• About head of cauliflower
• Seasoning ( I used Italian, garlic powder and onion powder)
• cup of cheese (I used 1% mozzarella)

You will also need parchment paper NO exceptions. Do not use foil, wax paper ect it will not work

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees
2. Cut the cauliflower into small pieces and put into a blender, food processor or any other machine that will cut this up. You don’t want there to be any clumps. (I used a magic bullet)
3. Put the processed cauliflower into the microwave for about 2 minutes and then let cool down for 5 min or until cool enough to touch
4. Now it is time to squeeze all the juice from the cauliflower you will want it to be as DRY as possible. I used a multitude of paper towels to squeeze the juice out but you can use cheese cloth.
5. Once the cauliflower is completely squeezed mix the egg, seasoning and cheese into the cauliflower
6. Spread the cauliflower mixture into a piece like shape onto the parchment paper. Make sure to make the crust pretty thin and even throughout ( I made 3 small pizzas)
7. Put the crust into the oven for about 10-15min or until the crust begins to brown around the edges
8. Take the pizza crust out and add toppings, put back into oven until cheese is melted

And there you have it, a cauliflower pizza

Nutritional info: Calories– 140  Carbs– 13  Fat– 5  Protein– 15

If you try the cauliflower pizza crust or Fitnessblenders 5 day challenge please comment and tell me how you like it!

Be Active, Be Healthy, Be Happy

Guest Post: Michelle’s Weight Loss Story

Before and After

My whole life I have had self-esteem issues. I never showed it, and I never acted like it bothered me, but ever since I can remember I’ve never liked the way I look. I grew up always having friends and always seemed happy, but on the inside that wasn’t the case. People would tell me how beautiful I was but I never saw it. All I ever saw was an average looking girl with man shoulders and a flat ass, which was never good enough for boys or anything else.

I have always been active by playing sports all year around, but because of my love for food I ate my problems away and became almost 200 pounds. Though I didn’t look that huge, I was still the biggest I’ve ever been. I never even realized it until the day my dad had to point it out to me. My dad had to tell me that I needed to lose weight, not because he’s an asshole(my first thought) but because he cared and knew I was so unhappy. At first I was so hurt that my dad would say such a hurtful thing to me, his daughter, but then I realized he wouldn’t have said it to hurt me, that it must be true. Because of that I decided I needed a change. I started going to the school gym more, tried to work harder in school, and started eating healthier. By the time I started my senior year of high school I was down to 187 and was super happy. I started to feel hopeful and actually felt good enough to start dating. That year I fell in love and was so happy, kept working hard, and dropped to 175. I started seeing results and started actually going to the gym. I felt so good about myself and my life. All summer I worked hard and by the start of my freshmen year in college I was down to 167, and I was the happiest I’ve ever been. Little did I know that that would soon all change.

A lot of things happened that year, but long story short by the end of my first year of college I was single and depressed all over again. However, instead of staying that way this time, that summer something changed inside of me. I was tired of always feeling crumby about myself and I was done blaming other people for my own issues. I was frustrated with myself and so many aspects of my life that I decided I needed a change, but not just any change, but a new lifestyle. I started to go to the gym everyday, and instead of doing my normal easy workouts or shooting around, I started to do the one thing I hated most about sports: Cardio. Everyday I made it a point to do at least 3 miles, whether it was on a bike, step machine, or run, as long as it was cardio it didn’t matter. And then after I’d include a normal workout. Every few weeks I ran more and more, and stayed longer and longer without paying much attention to it. Before I knew it I could run a mile and a half workout without stopping, bike 4 miles without getting tired, step for 15 minutes.. I was making improvements and seeing results, not only physically but mentally as well. I started going to the workout classes, stayed longer, and worked harder. Instead of working out to make others think more of me, I was doing it for myself to improve who I was as, and to be the best I could be.

The spring semester of my second year of college I started a workout class. I was self-motivated to be the best me, and to work hard to reach my goal of being in the best shape of my life. I had real confidence, self-esteem, and happiness that I’ve never had before. I found the one thing I hated most, running, was the one thing that could keep me sane and always makes me feel better. I went in that class being 175, and came out being 167 with more muscle and results. I could run 7.20 miles, lift more than I have ever been able to and have more endurance.

Ever since then I have just been working to improve. I now am down to 155 pounds and I am the healthiest and happiest I’ve been in my entire life. I run 6.50 miles, can run almost 4 miles in 35 minutes, I have muscle definition and have way better endurance. I thought I needed love and approval to make me happy, but all I needed was to be happy with and love myself, and I can truly say I do now. I work out every day; I do cardio daily, switch arms, legs, and butt day around depending on what I feel. I do yoga almost 3 times a weeks, I eat healthy, and I drink lots of water. You see the trick to weight loss isn’t some magic pill or simple diet, it’s all about the work out put in, self-motivation, discipline, and effort. It’s about what you give, and how bad you want it.

I never in my life have liked the way I look, feel, or felt until now, and it’s not because of the weight loss or results (definitely a bonus) but because I know I’m doing something that takes hard work, perseverance, and determination and not a lot of people can say that. I believe working out has saved me and made me the successful women I am today, and I believe everyone should strive to be the best they can be as well, because I know how good it feels first hand to work hard and see results. I can truly say that working out has changed my life, and for that I am blessed. I thank God I have the ability to do any of it, and thank God for my friends and family that have been my motivation and support throughout the whole journey. Anyone can do it and everyone should; it’s just the matter of how bad you want it and how determined you are to make and see the difference. It takes time but it’s well worth it. Adapt the lifestyle. Work hard. Just do it and I promise it will change your life forever, just has it has mine.

Sorry to bust your bubble

I know many people who only eat frozen yogurt because it is ‘better for you’. Well heres a bubble buster for all you out there who load up, scarf down and over indulge.

Snack Attack! – for all your munchie needs

Unhealthy eating cost less? Your doctor bills beg to differ.

It has been a long standing excuse for many that eating healthy is more expensive than eating unhealthy and there are even studies to back this up. There is a study that says eating healthy will cost you $550 per year and to this I say bologna! So here is my crazy woman rant.

I would like to caution that I am not saying eating healthy is cheap but I do say that the $550 figure is not correct. With smart shopping and weighing the benefits I believe that eating healthy is just the same or dare I say cheaper than eating unhealthy in the long run.

Let me start with the benefits side. Not only are you saving HUGE money on things such as health insurance but you are also saving money when you go out. For example my boyfriend and I use to go out to eat at least once a weekend and spend about $25 per person! Now we cook all our meals at home and go out to eat maybe once a month. That is about a $50 saving a month!  I know that there are many other people who are like this. Every occasion or celebration includes going out to eat and when you go out to eat you consider it as ‘treating yourself’ so when the check comes you don’t faint! It seems that food is involved in everything these days.  Just think about it, when you go to the movies what is the thing that cost the most? The food! The essential staple for a movie is a big bag of overly buttered popcorn that can cost upwards of $6 and if you get soda and candy also your food cost can be $10-15! When I go to the movies I usually bring my own snack. I know what you’re thinking,  Deanna that is ILLEGAL. I know I know but I like to live on the wild side sometimes, it makes me feel alive. I will usually pack something like granola or vegetables. Let me get to the bottom line before this small rant becomes a novel, when you choose a healthy lifestyle you cut out a lot of different expenses that help you save money in the long run.

Now when it comes to shopping smart and eating healthy it is the same basic rules

• Use coupons
• Buy in bulk – The bigger you buy the less per unit/oz cost
• Buy when on sale – you can easily freeze what you don’t need. Did you know you can freeze milk and bread (the bread that they put on sale is a good buy)
• Don’t buy things that are precut, preseasoned or fancy like that. Do the work yourself and save cash.
• Skip the pop, fruit juices ect and switch to water.

Everyone deserves a rant every once and a while right?

If you want to read somebody else rant about this exact same thing go here—  http://ow.ly/zxLcV

UPDATE:

I am now more than a week into my low carb diet and my body is just starting to adjust. I went into pinterest and went crazy on pinning a bunch of low carb recipes and will be trying them out and posting them soon. I also have not weighed myself because I am going to give it about another week. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself or get discouraged. I will keep you guys updated on my next post.

Be Active, Be Healthy, Be Happy