How to recover from the Summer...

Summer is offically over.  It is the time where we say goodbye to hot summer nights, shorts,  flip flops, weekend BBQ's, swimming, tan skin, and summer vacations to the lake house.  We also get to say goodbye to the excuese Summer brought...excuses like, "I worked hard for this summer body, so now I can indulge a bit more" "Having more than one cheat day won't kill me" "I will just run extra tomorrow" "It's too hot to run today" "Oh, I will be on vacation this week, so I won't be able to get to the gym"  "I'm just too busy this week to prep my meals"

This Summer was a good one for me personally.  I still made it to the gym 6 days a week.  I was given the oppurtunity to Coach Farrell's 4:30 Summer Session. ( I am so proud of my team by the way, they all did amazing with their session).  I made wonderful memories with my husband, and my friends.  As for my weightloss goals, I started to see myself plateau.  I probably ate 70% clean this time around.  There were lot's of friends and family get togethers this Summer, that it was incredibly hard to pass up the yummies and stick to chicken and rice.  Then I started obsessing about it, and I could feel myself fall back into that dark place in my brain.  That place that was telling me I was just failing all over again, and that I needed a quick fix.  I started weighing myself every day, then getting angry that I wasn't hitting my goals.  Instead of giving up because I wasn't going anywhere with my goals, and it seemed like I was still so far away from them, I stopped myself.  I had something this time that I have never had before.  I have a support system.  I took a long hard look at my FXB family and looked at how far I have come, instead of looking at how far I have to go.  I looked at all the hard work we have all put in, the struggles we are all facing, and how life just happens sometimes and there is no changing that.  It's O.K.  This is a marathon, not a sprint.  

How am I going to recover from my Summer?  I am going to breathe, and let the crisp Autumn air surround me.  I am going to use my support team to help keep me accountable this Fall Session.  I am setting goals and making them part of my daily routine. I am not going to give up my fight. I will motivate others, and help them on their journey. I will know that at the end of the day, I gave my all and I won't be stopped. Goodbye excuesses, goodbye doubt, goodbye scale...  I will not fall into the darkness, for I know that God has a plan for me, and I'm not done telling my story.  

Keep Inspiring, 

Shauna

Weekly Motivation: Kick discouragement in the face

As Jenni and I start our new chapter in our fitness journey as Coaches for FXB, I thought it would be a good idea to share some thoughts about how to stick to your workout plan, how to stay committed, and how to not get discouraged.

Let's face it, when you are the new kid on the block it can be intimidating and scary.  Whether you are starting a new job, new school, moving to a new city, joining a club, or starting a fitness routine for the first (or 10th time like me), it can be very overwhelming.  I have a pretty bad case of social anxiety, and if it wasn't for FXB getting me out of my comfort zone, I would still be a hermit inside my home, overweight, and sad. 

Starting a new fitness program is hard.  Our bodies aren't used to the physical activity we are about to put it though, and we aren't used to using food as fuel not for pleasure.  We shock our systems by cutting out caffeine, sugar, and processed foods.  Then tell our bodies to endure a physically demanding workout, and expect to feel good afterward.  No it sucks.  Our bodies are trying to expell and flush out the toxins we have been feeding ourselves for a long period of time.  Muscles we didn't even know existed hurt, fat starts crying, our heads are pounding due to "caffeine withdrawals", we are cranky, and get irriated more easily. I have been there.  I have gone though all of this many times.  Our natural reaction when things get hard is to?  You guessed it, QUIT. We quit and go back to our old familiar lifestyle.  Why do we do this?  You guessed right again...because it's EASY.  It is so easy to stop prepping up healthy meal choices and grab all of your meals at convient fast food places.  It's easy to choose to lay on the couch and binge watch all of Sons of Anarchy, while digging into the pint(s) of Ben and Jerry's.  It's easy to get out of a long day of work on a Friday and decide to skip the gym and hit the pool party instead.  It's easy to go and have a drink or two or five with your friends.  It's easy to make excueses.  Where did easy get you though.  Easy got you to that unhappy, unhealthy place where you stare into that mirror and don't like who you see. Easy got you to the place where you put yourself down daily and say horrible things to yourself.

#1: Find your support team.  It is so much easier to stick to it when you have support from like minded people.

I think by now if you have read some of my other entries, you will know that the number one reason why I have stuck to it is because I have found an amazing support system.  My Farrell's Family. If it weren't each one of them making me accountable, keeping me motivated, and sharing my journey, I wouldn't have stuck to it.

 #2: Do something you really enjoy doing

Again I have said this before. Do something you love and are passionate about.  Do you like running, hiking, biking, weight lifting, zumba, swimming, tennis, soccer, kickboxing? Find some kind of physical activity you like to do.  When you are having fun, you won't want to quit.

#3: Kick Discouragement in the face

We all transform at our own pace.  We all catch on to new things differntly.  Sometimes it's harder for us to get into a routine than others.  Do not get discouraged, remember why you started this.  Use your support team to revive your spirtits.


 #4: Remove  I CAN'T from your vocabulary

Try...You will never know what you can do unless you try.  Will it be scary? Will it be hard? Will it be uncomfortable?  Yes it proabably will, but try.  You can do more than you think you can.







#5: Set Goal that you will be able to achieve in the time given.

Make smaller goals that you can accomplish.  Example: I will drink 80 ounces of water each day, I will log all of my food for the week, I will lose 5 lbs. in 2 months. Once you reach that goal reward yourself.  NOT WITH FOOD, you are not a dog (unless they are Quest Bars.  Alwasys reward yourself with Quest bars they are amazing).  Reward yourself with a different kind of treat: get your nails done, hair done, shop for a new outfit, get your car professionally cleaned, get tickets to a concert....what ever it is make memories with it!  That way you can remember 'Hey I hit my goal and because of it I was able to...' Goals and rewards always help push me to keep going.

Let me be that little voice that tells you to push yourself out of that confort zone.  Keep going, and don't give up when it starts to get hard.  You can do anything you put your mind to.  When you start to get discouraged and start to feel the excuses start to fester into your brain, STOP!  Think about why you are saying you "Can't do something". Are you really, truly, physically unable to keep your commitment to yourself to be healthier? Or is it the easy way out again? YOU CAN... Believe you can do it and you will surprise yourself.  Wake up determined and go to bed saying "It might not have been a perfect day, but I tried my hardest." In the end you will be thankful you never gave up.

Keep Inspiring,
 ~Shauna~

Shauna's Thoughts: Back To Basics

May has turned out to be a very crazy month for myself. First my Grandmother went into the hospital and I am really the only one here to help visit and bring her clothes and necessities she may need.  Then my husband and I made the decision to move into my Grandma's house in order to prepare her home for her return.  She will also need assistance once she is finally release. Trying to plan and execute my sons 4th birthday party, and try to settle him into the new house. Plus trying to balance my work and Farrell's schedules around all of this has really put my nutrition into a bit a jumble. My weigh-ins at Max Muscle have still been really good even in the chaos, but I know that my nutrition is starting to slip. I have been down this road too many times before, and I don't plan to continue going toward this dark path. So, as life is starting to settle back into normalcy, I am grabbing my ticket to getting back to basics. NUTRITION will be the key!  You can spend hours exercising and working out, but if you don't have your nutrition locked down you will never make progress.

Everyone has bad days, that turn into bad weekends, that turn into bad weeks, or even possibly turn into bad months.  That's life and it happens. We can't beat ourselves up for being human. What we can do is think about how far we have come and get back on track. I'll say it again,  let's get back to basics.  Write down your goals for the next month, break it down into weeks if that helps. Post it somewhere you will see it everyday. Plan your meals for the day or better yet the week! Water water water...this is something I have not been doing enough of. Grab a friend to workout with, friends that sweat together stay together.  Now that it is getting nicer outside get off the couch and do something fun outside with the family!  Do not let one bad meal, one bad weekend, or even one bad week keep you down. You have come to far to let something so tiny smolder your flame. 

Last weeks goals!

So, who is with me? I challenge everyone to write down their goals for the next month. They don't need to be crazy goals, make the goals something you can achieve in a month. Then you won't feel pressured or discouraged and give up.  Some examples could be: Drinking at least 80oz of water a day. Cut back alcohol to one drink a week (better yet no alcohol for 30 days).  Same for soda. Do you have a sweet tooth? Use fruits to satisfy your cravings.  Be dedicated to using your food log... You get the point.  These small little changes  will make a big impact over time!  Make posters, collages, or keep a journal for inspiration. I finally had a few minutes last night to catch up on my Fitness Smash Book.  It helped me gain some much needed motivation by looking at all the progress I have already made.  So remember, if you slipped up or fell off the wagon and you're looking for a sign to get back on track....THIS IS IT! This is your sign.  I will not let you fail, you can do anything you put your mind to. How bad do you want it?

Keep Inspiring  ~Shauna~
 

Weekly Motivation: Don't give up!

Well, Jenni and I continue to have a crazy month of May.  Motivation Monday has just turned into "Weekly Motivation".  Like I mentioned before, on this segment, we want to feature and interview someone who inspires us.  I was finally able to sit down with a wonderful woman named Carol Wisecarver.  She is a role model, an inspiration, and a true legend at our Farrell's location.  After my first kickboxing class with Carol, I knew this lady meant business.  That class is defiantly in my top five of hardest workouts I have done so far!

Carol Wisecarver

In January 2009 Carol saw a commercial on T.V. for a new workout facility in Omaha that was based on cardio kickboxing.  She had taken a few kickboxing classes in the past and decided to check it out.  Little did she know that by taking her first step into the building, she would become an FXB lifer.  Within the first five weeks of her first ten week session, Carol was asked if she would be interested in becoming an instructor.  From there on she was hooked.  Within the next few years she became part owner of the facility, to eventually owning the entire location! She fell in love with Farrell's for what the program does.  It creates a sense of community, instills confidence,  delivers great results, and challenges you to step out of your comfort zone.  While she loved what she was doing for people, by changing their lives and getting them healthy, she realized as an Owner she was starting to only see people as dollar signs.  She didn't like that feeling, so she sold her location to someone who would take just as much pride in the program as she did, and help Farrell's flourish in Omaha. Since then, Carol went back to instructing, and getting to do what she does best, inspiring others!  She is truly someone who cares about the success, and story of everyone she meets. 




Question and Answer Time:

Q: You look amazing.  Have you always been in good shape?
A: No, my family has a history of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.  This doesn't come naturally. 

Finishing the Lincoln 1/2 Marathon

Carol is always on the go, doing lots of different things to stay active.  Hiking, biking, running, and even sky diving.  When she started Farrell's she hated running just like many of us do, but she was focused and determined and she didn't give up.  Running became her therapy to help prepare her for the day ahead or to unwind and reflect on what the day brought.  Carol has done four 1/2 Marathons and it seems like she is always participating in some sort of fun run for the month.



Q: What motivates and inspires you to live such an active lifestyle?
A: My 23 year old Daughter.  I want to there for her and watch her grow in life.  I want to be a good role model for her and show her that we all make mistakes sometimes and that's OK.

Carol, who just turned 50 this year, said her father passed away in his 50's, this is another reason why she stays so active.  I'm going to do whatever she is doing cause I can only hope when I turn 50 I look as amazing as she does!


Q: Food. Tell me about your nutrition.
A: Meal prep is key. I drive to Lincoln every day for work and I have to prep my meals. Everyone knows if I don't get my lunch in, I'm no fun.  I use Fruit to satisfy my sweet cravings.

Working in Lincoln, and living in Omaha makes for a busy day for Carol.  She gets up really early every day and takes/teaches 5 a.m. (and most likely gets a run in I'm sure).  She gets all of her meals ready for her day,  and drives to Lincoln and back.  If she didn't have her lunches and snacks prepped and ready to go, she would fall into bad habits and probably choose more unhealthy options.  She says she likes to prep up grilled chicken, that way she can add it to her salads easily.




Q: Favorite go to snack?
A: Cliff Bars.

Q: What three words best describe you.
A:Focused, Determined, and Content

Q: What would you tell someone who is on the fence about starting a workout program.
A: JUST GET STARTED! Stay commited and DON'T GIVE UP!

I couldn't agree more Carol.  We all have to start somewhere.  If we give up and stop trying, we will never know what could have been.  It will be hard, it will suck sometimes, it will be frustrating, you will have good weeks and bad weeks, but if you don't keep pushing yourself you will just be in the same spot you are in now.  I have so many good motivational quotes for this one... take your pick :)

 

A big thanks to Carol for letting me steal some of her time to talk to her and ask her all of these questions.  Seriously though, Carol is a woman of strength, determination and a true inspiration to anyone who meets her. I don't know how this woman does all she does, but I am so thankful I get to be a part of her energy when she is in class.  Thanks for being awesome Carol!

Keep Inspiring
~Shauna~

Shauna's Thoughts: How to stay Motivated

Sorry we weren't able to get a Motivation Monday post done this week.  May has turned out to be quite hectic to both Jenni and I. We will have a great story for everyone next Monday.  I get to do a Q&A with the lovely Carol Wisecarver! She has been in the FXB world for a very long time, and I cannot wait to get her story. Until then, I thought I could share some ideas and tips on how I stay motivated.

#ONE 

Find your reason WHY.  Why did you start this journey in the first place?  

Did you just want to lose a few winter pounds? Did you have to lose the weight because of a medical reason? Were you just tired of the way you look and feel?  Were you tired of making promises to yourself and never followed through? Did you want to be healthier for your family?  There had to have been a reason WHY you started.  Write that reason down and put it somewhere where you will see it every day!

#TWO

 Don't do it alone! Get the entire family involved, do it with friends, or make friends with people who have the same goals.  Surround yourself with like minded people.  You will gain accountability, support, and you will have fun. This will give you a shoulder to cry on, someone to talk you off the ledge as you are about to eat that delicious doughnut, and give you some good competition!  All of which will keep you motivated and determined to keep going. 

#THREE

 Realize that Rome wasn't built in a day.  I didn't gain all my weight and get into all of my unhealthy habits in one day.  It took a year for me to gain back the 30+ pounds I had lost the previous year.  I was realistic and I knew I wasn't going to lose all the weight in one day either.  Remember there isn't a miracle pill or diet that will instantly make you skinny (well I mean I guess there is photo shop... JUST KIDDING). It will take hard work, perseverance, determination, accountability, and getting into the right mind set to see results. There will be good days and bad days, but don't give up just cause you had a bad day or week.  Get back up, call a friend and get back to it! 

#FOUR

 Do something you like to do, I have said this before.  I have never been successful in my weight loss because I never stuck to it.  Why?  Because there wasn't any passion in what I was doing.  Sure, I was dropping weight and looking better, but I hated going to the gym.  My husband will tell how I would dread going to the gym.  I would make any excuse possible to not go, and complain about the workouts he was giving me.  It wasn't until I found something that I enjoyed doing and became completely passionate (OK let's be honest...obsessed) about, that I have finally stuck with it.  Enjoying my fitness routine motivates me to go every day, and push myself harder and harder during every workout. It motivates me so much that I was refereed to as the "teachers pet" the other day.  Guess what?  I wear that with pride because I love what I do. Haters gonna hate ;)

#FIVE

Here's a sample of my Smash book

Keep a fitness journal or post inspirational quotes.  This is something that I also get made fun of for doing, but I don't care.  It keeps me motivated.  I started my fitness "Smash Book" when I started FXB at the beginning of this year.  I needed something that I could document my journey in.  I wanted something that I could look back to when I was feeling unmotivated, in a slump, or having one of those "bad days".  I absolutely love it and it doubles as a therapy session for me.  I love having a creative outlet.


                                                                         
#SIX
Don't let the number on the scale define you.  This one is hard for me to remember too.  I think as a society we have been trained to fit into a certain size jean, and stay with-in a certain number on the scale. We are all made differently, and we all come in different shapes and sizes.  Don't be discouraged by the numbers.  Look for improvements in your daily life.  Are you able to walk farther without losing your breath? Do you have more energy?  Are your clothes fitting better? Try taking measurements of your body every three months.  Maybe you didn't lose numbers on the scale, but you will be shocked when you realize you have lost inches on your body! Stay positive and keep going  refer back to #THREE!

Well those are some things that help me stay motivated.  Leave a comment below and tell us what keeps you motivated!  Just remember don't give up, it will take time and patience, but in the end it will be worth all of hard work.

Keep Inspiring
~Shauna~

Food & Fitness: Abdominals

This week we are shaping up our abs just in time for summer!  It's true abs are made in the kitchen!  Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. We are going to give you some delicious recipes to try, and a killer abdominal workout to go with it.   

The challenge we are going to share is one that we have been doing at our Farrell's locations for a few weeks. Between our 10 week sessions our team needed a little something extra  Thanks to one of our awesome coaches (thanks Jenn) she shared the 300 Abs challenge with us. It's supposed to be the same workout that the cast from the movie 300 did to chisel out their amazing abs...so let's get to it.

  

Some of these are new exercises, so I have pictures on how to execute them...

*I have provided two versions of the Hip lift or Hip dip.  Either way is killer :)

Toe Touch Reverse

Hip lift orHip dips

Russian twistside V-ups

Pictures provided by: workoutlabs.com, hellawella.com, leanitup.com, & womenshealth.com

I challenge everyone to try this abs series every other day for a week and see how you feel! Even better, try to keep it going the entire month! You will be sore, but keep going you CAN DO IT!

You can do all the ab work you want to but unless you have that NUTRITION on point you are basically doing all that work for nothing.  

 

I am often asked "what do you eat in a day"?

As Shauna and I have both mentioned what works for the both of us is eating 6 small meals a day.  I really do my very best to make sure that I eat every three hours.  (I have even set myself a timer on days I know I will be super busy). After a while your body will get used to your schedule and will NEED to eat on that schedule.  So below is an example of what my "food log" might look like for one day.  I do prepare my food/meals and log the night before and try to really stick to what I have planned.  Now Farrell's has given me a good guideline of nutrition numbers to follow.  These numbers have been calculated specifically for me so depending on your size, and body fat percentage yours might be slightly different. Farrell's has some crazy scientific formula that's pretty perfect. :) The guideline I use is 35 carbs per meal and 20 protein per meal.

 

Meal 1: Whey Protein Shake

              Banana

(200 calories, 29g carbohydrates, 21g protein, 1.5g fat)

 

Meal 2: Special K Protein

              Skim Milk

(160 calories, 30g carbohydrates, 18g protein, 2g fat)

 

Meal 3: Chicken Breast (sliced in strips)

              Whole Grain Tortillia

               Lettuce

               Light Mayo

               (With these first four I make a yummy and filling wrap)

               Fresh Green Beans (which I honestly don't put in my count)

               Natural Applesauce (unsweetened)

(311 Calories, 36g of carbohydrates, 24g of protein, 8g of fat)

Meal 4: Quest Bar (My fave is the chocolate peanutbutter)

              V-8 Fustion Drink

(240 Calories, 38g carbohydrates, 20g of protein, 8g of fat)

 

Meal 5: Coconut Chicken Tenders (click on for link to recipe)

              Lettuce Salad with light Italian Dressing (Wishbone)

              1/2 piece of pita bread

(327 calories,  30.7g of Carbohydrates, 30g protein, 9.4g Fat)

 

Meal 6: 2- skim milk cheese sticks

             Triscuits

              12- Raw Almonds

(280 Calories, 26 Carbohydrates, 18g Protein, 15g Fat)

 

This is pretty much what my day looks like, especially a day at work.  Its a very simple and quick combination of food.  To be honest I eat just about the same thing everyday.  Just makes life easier. Of course this isn't perfect.  As you can see some of my meals are missing a few carbs or have too many.  I am still trying to learn the balance myself.  But with these meals and my 80oz of water I am seriously NEVER hungry or really ever crave anything else. 

 

Also, Here is a great Post workout snack (you know, after you get done doing the killer 300 ab workout)

 

These No Bake energy bites are perfect to give you a nice re-boost and satisfy that chocolate craving!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs (optional)
• 1/3 cup honey or agave nectar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extrct

Directions:

1. Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.
2. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1" in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
3. Makes about 20-25 balls.

(231 Calories, 14.1g fat, 24.6g Carbohydrates, 4.5g protein)

 

 

 

 Enjoy!!! We'd love to hear what you think! Leave a comment or subscribe to our blog down at the bottom of this page.

Our page views have been pretty overwhelming.  Shauna and I are so unbelievably thankful that you take a few minutes to read our post. Thanks for all your support!!

              

 

 

Shauna's Thoughts: My Favorite Things

Hello everybody!   For My Thoughts Wednesday I want to talk about some of my favorite things. These things are a must in my every day routine, and some of them I have just started to use and love!  I hope this will bring you some inspiration to try new things :)


1) A good dependable water bottle.  My daily go to bottle is the Blender bottle.  Most fitness junkies know what this is, but if you don't it is a life saver.  They are good for water, juice, and tea but I use mine to blend up my pre-work out and protein powders. They come in many styles and colors, they are BPA and Phthalate free, re-usable, and dishwasher safe.  Whatever water bottle you choose, make it a good dependable one, because this should basically be glued to you at all times. Water, water, water....all day every day.

2) Quest Bars.  This is THE. BEST. PART. OF. MY. DAY.  It's like I get to eat a delicious treat every single day... and it's nutritious. They come in an variety of flavors perfected to satisfy that 2 O'clock snack attack.  My favorite bar is the Cookies & Cream flavor.  I also like, Double Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter Supreme, and Coconut Cashew.  They are usually 20grams of Protein,  22 - 25 grams of Carbs, high in Fiber, and are Gluten Free.  They make other products as well so check out their website questnutrtion.com and you will be able to see all of the nutrtion facts.

3) Here's a new favorite, P28 breads.  These are High Protein (28grams per serving) breads and my favorite are the Bagles.  Now that I am able to eat bagles again :), no cream cheese of course, they are awesome to make sandwiches with.  Today I made a delicious turkey and provolone sammie. Check out P28Foods.com for other products, and recipes.

4) My food log is a daily must. I use My Fitness Pal for all of my food logging and nutrient tracking.  I cannot stress enough how important keeping a food log has been for my weightloss journey.  The good and the bad, it all goes in there.  I try to plan a day ahead, that way I can see how my carbs/proteins/fats are stacking up for each meal. It helps me make sure I am getting all my nutrition in for the day to keep me accountable.  If I have to many "not so good days" I can look back and see what I need to do to re-balance my nutrtion and get back on track. You can also add friends and check out what kind of delicious meals they are coming up with! You can find me on My Fitness Pal by searching user name: sunnypacz19.

5) My Polar fitness watch is my heart rate monitor and my calorie counter.  There are a million types of these watches out there like the Fitbit, Jawbone...etc. My husband got me the Polar watch about two years for my birthday and I love it.  It keeps track of my workouts, heart rate, and you can also download the phone app to track your running/walking sessions.  I think investing in some type of fitness watch is good, because again, it will keep you accountable and monitor your progress.

6) Lastly, my workout is my favorite part of my day.  As you probably know by now I live life at level 10.  I am a Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping nut and proud of it.  This is my 45 minutes part of the day that is mine.  I get to relieve the stress of the day, challenge myself, see my friends, get away from being an adult, and to not worry about anything except what I need to reach my level 10 for the day.  I'm not saything this is the only thing that works, this is just what works for me. The key here is I LOVE FARRELLS.  Find something you love and become passionate about it.  Kickboxing, running, biking, lifting weights, Zumba, dancing, doing Beach Body DVD's at home, Yoga, or playing a sport, whatever it is just move your body! Get up and get active.  If you enjoy your workout you will have a better chance of sticking to it.

So there are a few of my favorite must haves.  Let me know in the comments below if you have some go to foods, snacks, or fitness things you love and cannot live without! You can also find me on instagram ( it is another favorite thing of mine) @sunnypacz.  I post alot of my meals and my life on there.  Thanks for making Inspiring Journey part of your day.

~Shauna~

Excuses are like ...

Yep, its true! Excuses are like a@&holes, everyone has one. I know, I know, its sounds harsh, but its so true. I, however, am proclaiming myself the queen of excuses! Really! I can come up with some pretty good ones.  I was talking with a coworker the other day about all the excuses I have come up with and I have heard to not eat healthy, to not go to the gym, to not find a fitness program.  Honestly, most the "excuses" are pretty good and valid.  When I invite someone to the try out my program and they tell me the list of things they have going on that day I don't judge them one bit, infact I get exhausted for them.  I completely get it! I think I mentioned in my first post I finally got fed up with myself, I got mad! I finally decided I wasn't going to let myself make one more excuse as to why I chose the large value meal at the fast food joint vs. the chicken breast (without the bread) and a salad. I wanted to feel better more than I wanted the French fries. I wasn't going to let working a 12 hour day stop me from finding time to go to the gym because I was tired.  I wanted to feel better more than I wanted to sleep an extra hour.  I got mad.  I got determined. 
My typical day starts at 3:30am. I get up and get ready for my day (yes, hair and makeup before the gym. Crazy, I know, but makes my morning a bit easier.  Still trying to figure out the best way with all that). My husband and I are at the gym by 4:45am for the 5am class. (Our older son is home with the younger ones while we are gone, in that way we are very lucky that we can do this together)  Our class lasts 45min.  Afterwards, I stay at the gym and try to clean myself up enough to go to work while my husband goes home and gets all our kids up and ready for school.  (God Bless Him, He's pretty great!) I then head to work at 7am for a 12 hour day at the hospital.  I get home about 7:30ish pm.  (I'll talk about my meals at work here in a second) I spend some time catching up with my kids about their day, get them ready for bed and tuck them in.  Then my husband and I do our meal planning for the next day together, pack our lunches up. I shower and go to bed.  I do this routine three times a week (I work 3 - 12's). On the days I don't work obviously my schedule is way easier. No, its not ideal, but it is necessary.  There are so many times I would love to sleep just a bit longer, but I know, for me, if I get out of a routine of going to the gym every day then I will eventually miss two days, then three, then won't go at all.  For now, since this is all still new to me, I guess I just go everyday until I can trust myself to maybe go 5 days a week or even 4.  I don't know.  For now, I make this work.  So, I guess when someone says to me.  I have no time to go to the gym.  I have to take the kids here and there, I have work, I have this commitment and that commitment.  I completely understand (remember I have 4 kids running different directions as well).  There are several 24 hour gyms.  (some I'm not so sure I'd recommend, but they are better than nothing) So when someone says I just don't have time, I always ask, well what are you doing at 4:00am? There really is time. If you want it enough. There is time.  I promise :)
Ok so food... I often get asked what do you eat? I always say "a lot" ,cause seriously I do.  The program that I do suggests that you eat 6 small meals a day.  And so far this has really worked for me.  I seriously am never hungry. I have more energy than I ever have, and I feel great all day long (and some days its a really long day). I know I have a lot of improving to do on my food.  I hate that I am such a picky eater.  I wish that I liked more foods than I do, but I am really trying to change that.  My goal through out my day is to eat as healthy and clean as I can.  The less ingredients on a package the better... The other thing I do is plan my meals.  A lot of my "fit" friends will plan out their week, I sadly, haven't gotten that good yet.  I do mine daily.  Every night, my husband and I figure out our meals for the next day.  What we plan, is what we eat. No more. No less. Farrell's has some crazy scientific formula that individually calculates how much protein and carbs a meal you should have.  I don't know what that formula is, or how they came up with it, or really how even scientific it is, but it works for me and gives me a good guideline.  So, for me, each of my meals contain 35g of carbs and 20g of protein.  I try really hard to eat every 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours (with work it can be tricky sometimes). I do use whey protein shakes and a protein bar almost daily, but my husband doesn't use either.  So, that is pretty much it.  I can get detailed about every meal if you'd like and I have to honest I eat pretty much the same things every day.  Its pretty boring.  But as I said in my first post I now look at food as fuel, not as pleasure.  With this thinking I have found that things taste so much better, because when I do have "cheat" meal (which of course I do) I savor and love each and every bite of that meal.  It tastes so much better and I appreciate it way more than I ever did before because I know it will be awhile before I taste it again. ;)
So, its not easy.  Especially with how crazy life is daily.  But, it is possible to be healthy.  You have to start somewhere.  Shauna sent out a quote one time that said  "Its not easy, Its going to hurt, You are going to want to give up, but you wont! NOT THIS TIME, you are a FIGHTER" I love that.  It is so true.  :)

Shauna's Thoughts: Nutrition

To explain a bit about the blog, Jenni and I have decided that we will be starting off with four posts per week.  

Monday- Motivation Monday

Wednesday - Thoughts by Shauna

Saturday - Food & Fitness

Sunday - Thoughts by Jenni

I wanted to start my first Thoughts segment with a topic I get asked about daily.  "What are you doing to lose weight?"  It's really a two part answer.  I work out 6 days a week, and most importantly I follow my nutrition plan.  In this segment were are going to focus on the Nutrition part.

The reason why I kept going through the vicious weight gain / weight loss cycle is because I had an unhealthy relationship with food.  In my experience I would probably call it a Food Addiction.  It got to the point that I was hiding food and binging.  It would be my day off of work and I would be ready for lunch, so I would just start driving around.  What did I taste for today? I would pull into a fast food place drive around the parking lot with guilt because I knew I shouldn't be doing this.  It didn't matter though, I needed my "drug".  So, I would pull up to  the drive thru and I would order what seemed to be everything.  Just the small size? NOPE I needed the largest of the largest size.  Was one fry enough? NOPE I needed two. Would I like desssert with that? Of course I did, I'll take the order of three cookies (because it really was a deal).  Then I would park the car and I would consume all of the food. I felt like I needed to hide what I was doing.  I would dispose of all the wrappers, cups, and packaging like it was evidence. After my taste buds were satisfied, and my belly was extremely full (sometimes to the point of puking) I would fall into an euphoric state.  This high wouldn't last forever though.  After I snapped back to reality, the guilt would set in all over again.  Why did I just do that?  Why couldn't I just say NO? Why am I hiding what I'm eating? It was seriously like a drug addiction.  

I would compare an addiction to food to any other type of drug/alcohol addicition.  Except, when you have a drug/alcohol addiction they will put you into re-hab, and completely seperate you from your addiction.  You have people there to monitor and watch you, give you medicine to help with withdrawls, give you steps to live by, and offer support.  When you leave re-hab, they will even put you into a sober house to help you further transition into "normal" life.  Once you are done, you have the power to cut off ties yo your past life and make a new life for yourself.  A food addiction however is just plain torture.  Food is something we will use 4 - 6 times a day.  It is on every street corner, in every home, and every store.  We raise it, grow it, sell it, and consume it. Don't you see? We cannot survive without it. 

So how can we even begin this journey with all this temptation around us?  You have to want it.  You have to have the power to say no.  You have to open your eyes to the world of healthy, nutritious food.  You have to find a balance.  Farrell's helped me with this.  They provided me with information based off of my body weight and body fat percentage, then gave me carb and protein numbers to plan my meals.  They didn't provide me with the meal plan it's self, they just gave me the tools to build one.  I had to put the work into it. If I bit it, nibbled it, or drank it, I wrote it down.  I portioned, weighed, and prepped my meals for each week. I knew what I was going to be putting into my body, and I prepared myself for the day.  Even though I work in a restaurant, I took my snacks and lunch to work.  I still had my cheat day...and sometimes it ran into two days, but I was able to get back to the daily grind after the weekend was over.  WHY? Because, it was working.  I was starting to feel better.  I had more energy.  I saw changes in my body, my clothes started fitting again.  Then people started noticing a difference in my apperance.  It wasn't a vicious cycle anymore...I was finally on the right path to a lifestyle change.   

I am not a nutritionist, and I can't give you the carb and protien numbers you should eat for the day, again it's all based off your body.  I would recomend you see a nutritionist or registered dietitian if you are looking for help.  They can provide you with so much information about the why's and how to's of eating healthy and properly for your body. Here are a few changes that worked for me so maybe they can work for you:

1) Make small changes to your diet such as cutting out soda.  Try to limit how many cans or bottles you consume in a week.  Cut back on the fancy coffee drinks (O.K. this one was the hardest for me.  I love Scooter's Coffee so much that I should probably own a building by now because I've spent so much on their delicious coffee concoctions).  Cut out fast food, or make healthier options when you go out for example a side salad instead of fries or no bun on the burger.  Most restaurants carry a nutrition guide for their menus that way you can plan ahead.

2) Start trying new "healthier" foods such as quinoa, sweet potatoes, or ground turkey meat.  I mean seriously you can replace ground turkey for ground beef in any dish. 

3) Drink at least 80 ounces of water each day!  Stay hydrated and full at the same time :)

4) Plan for your day, and keep a food log!  A food log will help you see exactly what you are eating.  Write everything down no matter what it is.  My fitness pal is a great app. to use and keep track of your food.  

5) Try to eat smaller meals thoughout the day to keep your blood sugars from spiking.  I usually eat 5 - 6 meals a day.  This was the hardest thing for me to start, but now I don't even have to think about it.  

6) Read food lables, watch portion sizes, and measure everything you are eating.  You will be amazing at what you think a 1/2 cup of something is vs. what it actually is.  If something is given in a weight then measure the weight first, 1 measured cup of rice can weight very different depending on how much rice you pack into the cup. I have a food scale, measure cups, and table spoons ready at all times.

7) Alcohol = the devil.  Don't do it. Not. Even. Once.

8) Switch out white starches with whole grains and wheat. This is a preference of mine but it fits my new lifestyle plus I like the way it tastes.

9) Eat a good healthy breakfast. ( Dough-nuts do not count as healthy) Take the time in the morning to cook some eggs or some oatmeal. You will appreciate having the fuel to start off the morning and so will your body.

10) Get some sleep.  You body needs proper time to digest, re-charge, and repair itself. Most of us stay up late and watch our shows, I am guilty myself. Just turn off the TV and go to bed. You have plenty of time to catch up on Greys or Nashville some other time.

So thoes are some of my tips that have helped me along my journey, maybe they can help you to.  Like I said before I am not a nutritionist and I haven't researched or read every article, I experiemented and found the right mix to help me fit my new lifestyle.  This isn't a fad diet, this is my new diet. I eat, sleep, and live this new healthy life. I made the changes and so can you.

Best in Health,
Shauna