Promote what you love about yourself.

I found this on Pinterest, and it is such a good thing to keep in mind. Although knowing what to work on is good to reach your fitness goals, you also have to keep your mental health high up in your list of priorities. You can't hate yourself, and you shouldn't let yourself. You're stronger than that. Even if there are so many things that you are unhappy with concerning your body image, it can ALWAYS be worse. Every day, find at least 3 things that you like about yourself. Try as hard as you absolutely can. No excuses.

Work on making yourself a happier person everyday by getting your heart-rate up and boosting those endorphins, and the body will come along with it.

My best friends are the ones who encouraged me to "think of three things I like about myself". I love them for caring about me when I didn't think I could!

Want all these things?

Level of success = level of commitment

As with all things in life, your level of success depends solely on your level of commitment. If you give 10% commitment, then you will get 10% results. If you are disciplined, then you will be extremely successful. You can have the tools and the knowledge, but do you have the willpower and mental strength to achieve your goals? Consider this a test, a personal challenge. YOU vs you.

There is no such thing as an overnight transformation, but consider how look it took you to get you to where you're at now. The gratification you will feel after accomplishing your goals will far surpass any momentary pleasure received from a late night ice cream binge. When you reach the end of this journey, you will be a stronger and happier person for it.

Progress photos

So... Apparently taking photos over time is really important to see your progress. Here goes nothing! This is me currently, after almost 2 months of working out and eating as clean as I can!

I seem to look better here than in real life... Haha.

Thats more accurate. I think?

This is my goal:

Loooong way to go!!!

Hasfit.com's Meal Plan Directions!

There are six meals outlined per day. You are required to eat all 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and any 2 of the 3 snacks. Each meal outlines your best food choices, but you can eat outside of the choices as long as you eat the correct amount of protein and carbohydrate. It does not require calorie or fat counting, but does require you monitor your protein and carbs. Total grams of protein and carbs are counted for each meal. Choose as many food options as necessary to equal the allotted grams. Green vegetables count as 0 carbs. Your proteins and carbs choices all count towards the total number.

Meal Example: 6 oz turkey (30g protein / 0 carbs) +1 slice wheat bread (5g protein / 20g carbs) + 1 apple (0g protein / 17g carbs) = 37g carbs / 35g protein

Meal 1: Breakfast

Meal 2: Snack

Meal 3: Lunch

Meal 4: Snack

Meal 5: Dinner

Meal 6: Snack

Protein 10-15 grams: Best Choices: Eggs, meat, protein powder or bar, bacon, sausage, milk, cheese, or soy

Carbohydrates 30-40 grams:

Best Choices: Oats, wheat bread, or fruit

Protein 10-20 grams: Best Choices: Protein powder or bar, tuna, chicken, yogurt, nuts, cheese, cottage cheese, pork, turkey, deli meats, beans, or legumes.

Carbohydrates < 10 grams: Only the carbs that come with your protein choice, no additional carb choice. Try to keep them under 10 g.

Protein 20-30 grams: Best Choices: Tuna, chicken, cottage cheese, pork, turkey, fish, deli meats, lean red meats, beans, legumes, or cheese

Carbohydrates 20-30 grams: Best Choices: Fibrous and green vegetables, wheat bread, brown rice, mixed vegetables

Protein 10-20 grams: Best Choices: Protein powder or bar, tuna, chicken, yogurt, nuts, cheese, cottage cheese, pork, turkey, deli meats, beans, or

legumes

Carbohydrates < 10 grams: Only the carbs that come with your protein choice, no additional carb choice. Try to keep them under 10 g.

Protein 20-40 grams: Best Choices: Tuna, chicken, cottage cheese, pork, turkey, deli meats, fish, lean red meats, soy, veggie burgers, beans, legumes, or

cheese

Carbohydrates: Best Choices: Fibrous and green vegetables, yams, squash, mixed vegetables 15 grams on non workout days 25-35 grams on workout days

Protein 10-20 grams: Best Choices: Protein powder or bar, tuna, chicken, yogurt, nuts, cheese, cottage cheese, pork, turkey, beans, or legumes

Carbohydrates < 10 grams: Only the carbs that come with your protein choice, no additional carb choice. Try to keep them under 10 g.1. Print the Meal Plan page and put it on your refrigerator. 2. Read the entire plan and refer back to it often! 3. Stay away from all things white; white bread, white rice, pasta, potatoes, beer, and sugar. 4. Plan your meals ahead of time.

If you are on-the-go, then make your meals ahead of time and bring them with you. Buy easy snacks like nuts and protein bars that you can take with you wherever you go. Not having time cannot be an excuse if you are to be successful. How dedicated are you?

5. Protein at every meal!

Information taken directly from hasfit.com's "Guide To Losing Weight For Women"

Hasfit.com's "No List"!

NO!

1. White starches including: white bread, white rice, white pasta, white potatoes, corn and sugar.

• Starches act just like pure sugar when entering the blood steam. You might as well have a 2 liter of soda. 
• Starches spike insulin levels causing the production of fat gain. After the spike, insulin levels plummet, lowering one's metabolic rate as the body is put into a state of starvation. 

2. More than one serving of fruit per day.

• Fruit is to be consumed at breakfast or lunch only. 
• The best fruit choices include apples, honeydew, and berries. 
• The worst fruit choices include bananas, oranges and tropical fruit.

3. Beverages with calories

• No soda.
• No juices.
• Only unsweetened tea

4. Carb + Fat meals

• Meals should be based around Protein + Carbs, or Protein + Fat.
• The worst meals combine Carbs + Fat, e.g. ice cream, pizza, alfredo pasta.
• Protein must be present in each meal.

5. Sugary snacks or chocolate.

Cutting up some veggies for dinner!

Information taken directly from hasfit.com's "Guide To Losing Weight For Women"

Switch up your push ups to work your obliques!

Boosting motivation: goals.

So I'm in need of a little motivation to keep going. And then I tried to think hard of what my goals are... At first my goals were to tone up a little. Then to tone up a lot. Now my goal is to keep on going until I've lost that jiggle in my legs, so I can finally walk without chafing. It's going to take a long time, but I know that I'll be happy knowing that I'm being proactive about it. Great way to enjoy your workout and feel better knowing that you're one step closer every day!

Strong is the new skinny.

Top right: holy shit.

Mmmm avocados!

A fifth of a medium-sized avocado contains an average of 50 calories, which is about the equivalent of about 1 tsp. of olive oil or butter. A whole medium avocado provides about 50 calories.

About 2/3 of the fat found in avocado are monounsaturated, the same healthy fat found in olive oil that can help lower your blood cholesterol levels. Avocado is also a good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that can prevent chronic diseases and help you get healthier while losing weight on your diet.

My sister cut up lots of avocados for our guacamole!

http://www.livestrong.com/article/493619-when-do-you-eat-avocados-on-a-diet/ 

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/avocadoarticle.html

http://www.besthealthmag.ca/eat-well/healthy-eating/5-reasons-to-eat-more-avocados

Promises to myself.

The reason that I decided to change my lifestyle was because of a drastic change in my life. A heartbreak. Really horrible, painful things. I got hurt by the one person I trusted with my life and loved more than anything. So, a big adjustment is needed. I couldn't go "back" to how I used to be, because I wasn't happy then either. I have kind of been a confused mess for a long time, so I want to take small steps to get to know me, and learn to rely and love myself. Yeah, it's pretty embarrassing talking about my heartaches, but you know what, they need to be said. I can't live in denial anymore, or throw any more pity parties. I am going to be stronger because of all my hurts and sorrows, and strive for success, because that is always the best revenge. 

I will not be defined by another person. I can let other people help me, but I will strive to rely mainly on myself. I will strive to make my life an inspiration, and I will help as many people as I possibly can. I will learn to love myself, because no matter how much I wish it, I will never stop being me. 

I choose to better my mind, body and soul. How I am going to get back up on my feet will define me.

What people don't realize is that working out isn't a punishment... It's therapeutic. I got hurt only 2 months ago in a very big way, and because I've been eating clean and exercising, I feel stronger. I don't think I would be doing so well if I didn't push myself. It was so hard at first, but so rewarding. Definitely worth it.

Florence and the Machine - Shake It Out

Good song for heartaches. Thank God for music.

Learn to love the burn

Pull-up

This wasn't actually as straightforward to me because I wanted to make sure I was doing them right. These are an absolute killer for me. Try your best to do 3 sets of 12 reps!

Sweat it out!

When life gives you lemons...

Squeeze it, mix it with six ounces of water and drink twice daily.

Digest before working out!!

Okay... Something that I just realized, which may or may not be that straightforward to some people. Make sure you leave yourself two hours or so to digest your food before working out. Otherwise you'll feel quite sick... And speaking of eating, make sure you eat protein a half an hour after working out.

Digestion involves a complicated series of events that eventually provide the necessary fuel and nutrients for proper body function. While eating before exercising might seem like a good idea, it can actually end up hampering your workout due to the stomach upset you may experience. I honestly think working out before lunch or dinner is a good idea because you'll have energy for the workout, because working out on an empty stomach might leave you feeling light-headed, but do whichever feels best for you. However, according to the "Journal of Physiology" published in 2010, exercising in a fasted state helps the muscles adapt better to exercise. Your choice!


Process of digestion (in case you wanted to know!)
Before you exercise, your body undergoes a 5-step process to digest any foods you have eaten. Digestion begins in the mouth, where enzymes begin breaking down foods. The food will then move through your system to the stomach. The stomach prepares food for absorption by the intestines; it will not absorb most of the food you've eaten, according to the textbook "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology." Nutrient and water absorption occur primarily in the small and large intestines. Indigestible materials are then eliminated from the body. Food will leave your stomach about 2 to 6 hours after you eat it.

Now... There is also a matter of what types of food digest easier than others. These types of food can influence how long digestion takes and what impact it has on your exercise. Generally, your body can most easily digest simple carbohydrates like fruits. I'm going to go all nerd on you and tell you it's because of their chemical structure - digestion is a process of chemical reactions, therefore the simpler the chemical structure, the easier it is to break down. Proteins, on the other hand, are chemically more complex. They will stay longer in your stomach, and you may experience nausea from exercising too soon after eating high-protein foods. During vigorous exercise, the body relies more on carbohydrates for energy... Just a little food for thought. Literally.

Remember: wait at least 2 hours after eating before exercising.
Think of it like this... Your body goes into fight-or-flight mode. It will decide to "fight" and do its job in one area, like digest, or "flight", and decide that another activity is more important to deal with.  When you begin to work out, digestion will slow as your body directs blood flow and energy to your muscles instead of your intestines and stomach. Although digestion is a passive process and works without you thinking about it, it isn't the body's primary function during activity.

So, if you wait to exercise, you can take advantage of the rise in blood sugar and the availability of energy for a more effective workout.

Thanks for reading,
Kat

istockphoto.com 
Info: http://www.livestrong.com/article/430416-how-long-does-it-take-food-to-digest-before-exercising/#ixzz21evmxkgS

Find motivation through pictures

Whenever I'm on Pinterest and see something, I save it, which is generally where I get most of my images. I often save pictures of hotttt bods to motivate myself, and that's something that works for me. I think most of the time I see the picture then look down at myself and I decide to push harder...  So here are a few I've collected recently!

Love this girls butt and legs!! Want!

Toned legs, please.

A little less ribcage, but abs, please.

These abs.

Damn.

This is what I want to look like!

I remember I put this as my phone background once and my friends kept asking why I had that and my only answer was, "motivation". Sorry I'm not sorry.

Don't drink soft drinks!

Here is a little reality check on how much sugar is in these soft drinks.

Do you really want to eat that much sugar and only have to try to burn it off later? You lose weight when you burn more than you eat, but you must eat and you must eat healthy! Rethink your drink choices, and always opt for water!

Push Up Position Row

I did this today with 20 pound weights and it was so hard. I only did two sets of 10... But next time I'll get better, and just keep on going.

Benefits of Sweating

Okay... Let's talk about sweating. Gross, right? I hate sweating... Everyone does. But while I'm working out and I don't sweat, I know I'm not working hard enough! You should sweat even when you lift, so make sure you challenge yourself a little.

Sweating is very cleansing for your body. When you sweat, your body undergoes a series of processes that allow for the release of toxins and an increase in metabolism. So, if you still look cute after going to the gym, you might want to change things up a little!

Sweat is made up mostly of water, but it also contains minerals, urea, lactic acid, ammonia and sugar. That's a lot of stuff going out of your body! Sweating is your body's way of regulating its temperature, so when you run long distances or exercise in hot weather, your muscles exert themselves and your body overheats. Sweating is your body's way of bringing your core temperature back to normal. And this my friends, burns calories, YES!

When you sweat, you breathe faster, your heart works more, your circulation improves and your metabolism accelerates, all in an effort to resume your normal body temperature. One of the benefits of sweating is that many of the toxins and impurities are able to exit your body by way of your open skin pores, due to an increase in cardiovascular activity. Just make sure that you cleanse properly soon after, so that your pores don't close and collect more impurities. Therefore, always shower your body after the gym. You'll see that if you sweat regularly and cleanse properly, your skin will be softer and smoother.

The weight that you lose through sweating is water weight, which is quickly replaced when you replenish your fluids (which you SHOULD and MUST do!). However, the activities that lead to sweating often burn up calories. Just sitting in a sauna will use up your energy, but exercising burns calories.

So make sure you challenge yourself in order to burn those calories by breaking a sweat, but make sure you incorporate a balanced nutrition so that you can make up for the lost fluids healthily. And sorry for all the science talk, I get a little excited when I talk about biology.

Here is me breaking a sweat! And apparently I sweat like a fat man in 100 degree weather... Or at least it feels that way...

www.fitday.com for more information!

A little bit about me and my start!

So, I never actually took any progress pictures at first, so bear with me while I try to show some sort of before and after of the past few months!

So this is me at the beginning of May! I never seemed to take any pictures of my whole body from before, so I guess this will have to do...

As you can see, I'm short... 5"3'. I've always been curvy, and was even more so in high school. I'd say that now I'm curvy and in high school I was "chunky" and often referred to as "thunder-thighs". I grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, where the majority of girls are very skinny, so I felt a little out of place already having a very womanly body.

This is me at the gym recently. Not much of a difference, but now I'm definitely more toned (except for those problematic inner thighs!). I have been eating right and going to the gym every day, no crash diets or "cleansing", so it's a slow process. But this is good, the changes will be long-term. You can't expect to get the body you want without hard work and patience. It's not a body change, it's a lifestyle change. The body will come eventually, that I have no doubt about!

However... I think I may have been doing one too many push ups...

But let me tell you. I go to the gym every day, but it definitely was not like that at first. I started by running 10 minutes on the treadmill 3 times a week, and I honestly thought I was dying the whole time. When your problem areas involve your legs... Treadmills are rough. But eventually I got to 15 minutes, 4 times a week, then 20 minutes 5 times a week, and I started running outside on trails, doing 3-6 miles on alternating days. Days of rest are important, but to me my day of rest involves something minor, but still something to keep my blood pumping. Now I do an hour of cardio 6 days a week, and I switch it up so my muscles don't get too used to whatever action I'm doing. Change is good, and it will challenge your body and your mind even more.

Now, if you want to be toned and sculpted, you have to lift. Don't worry, my arms were bulky to begin with, you won't look manly. I'll post more about that later! 

Thanks for reading :)

Kat

Got a little bored and took a picture. Happens a little more often than I'd like... Hahaha.

Make your life inspiring.

And of this I will do my upmost.

My Mantra

I found this on Pinterest and I think it's a perfect way to think about things. I need to remember these things more often, and I'll have this as my first post to always remember what is right and what I am looking for.