What's On Your Plate...Easy Steps of How to Meal Prep

My Meal Prep Journey:    

      I've had a lot of people, mainly women that will stop me and say- oh wow I would love to have to those arms or I love the way your blouse fits on your shoulder. And I'm always quick to say- I'm focused on being committed to living to be sexy at sixty and sexier at seventy- then laugh about it.

    It may look like I put a lot of time in the gym with building this solid statue that I have, but the truth is- I don't work out more than 30 minutes to an hour on any given day. My daily routine consist of a 30 minutes of cardio or HIIT training session, followed by 30 minutes of weight training. Ive also learned to start breaking those fitness sessions up with one in the morning and the other in the evening to give my body a better opportunity at a steady stay of movement. Instead of being an active sedimentary person (meaning I workout once a day and that's all my muscles get as far as exercise). While it's important to exercise daily, it's just as important to keep your body in motion all through the day. But we'll discuss that subject more in-depth in another blog. 

    I know that a lot of you keep hearing that "abs are made in the kitchen," well I'm here to tell you that is SO true. Without controlling our food intake, doing all of that working out in the gym or pounding the ground running is not going to assist you with reaching those weight loss goals. My overall key to success and maintaining my physique is eating a balanced meal with the correct portions for my lifestyle/activities.  Meal Prepping is it!

How to effectively meal prep:

1. Select lean meats of chicken, fish, and beef- while shopping in bulk 

2. Fresh vs. Frozen: I cook with fresh vegetables/fruits and use frozen vegetables/fruits for my smoothies or shakes. But I NEVER EVER use canned vegetables. I will take frozen over canned any day. I don't even purchase them anymore. 

3. Add something green to every meal. Your body needs those green vegetables to assist with every element within your body.

4. Foods needed in your daily diet is- Protein, Starches, Fats, Fruits Legumes (beans), Vegetables and lots of Water. 

5. An active person needs more carbs than a low/moderate activity person. So ensure you balance out your intake to what you are doing physically. 

• When I'm not doing a lot of distance running I cut back on my carb intake and replace it with more protein to help keep me lean. 

• Example: I add 3 starches and 7 proteins to my current diet because I'm lifting heavy weights and not distant running as much.

6. Be VERY aware of you sugar intake. The storage of sugar is one of the biggest set backs for people achieving their overall fitness goals. 

• Remember fruits have a lot of sugar so make sure you are not taking in large quantities of fruits as well. 

• Replace candy, cakes and other unnaturally sweet items with a fruits instead to get nature's gift  to you in the form of deserts or sweets.

7. Cook and prepare adequate  portions for your weight goal and activities. For example- I want to get to 160- 165 lbs., so I set my caloric intake or portions at 1500 to 1600 calories a day.

•  I stick to the proper portions with every meal to include my snacks. As long as I'm working out at least 5 to 6 times a week a for 30 to 40 minutes and eating my prepared meals. I have no problem reaching my goals.

• Use the right container size to assist with keeping portions correct. Don't use those overly large containers to place your food in, it causes you to place more food than you truly need. 
  

6.  Eating out at a restaurant or take out food is no different. It's still all about controlling your portions and the types of food you select to eat. As long as you stick to lean vs greasy foods you will be fine. 

7. Whatever you do- don't starve yourself because that will back fire on you causing your fat cells to attack your lean muscle leading to unwanted weight gain and health issues. 

• Beside in order to have a healthy immune system, it is required for you to eat properly. Thus the old saying of "feeding a cold," is true. However, by following a meal preparation plan, you can avoid colds and the flu all together because  you will strengthen your system. 

8. Use Variety: You don't have to cook or eat the same foods all week. I mix up my foods by cooking chicken, fish, hamburgers, or meat balls.  A pasta dish or rice and also use different vegetables to my week's worth of food for ome excitement. 

• You will more than likely get bored with eating the same dish over and over 

• It's easier to cook everything at once to shorten the preparation time. 

9. Plan out your meals before you go to the grocery store to shop. It makes your trip a lot faster and more focused on keeping you from over spending on unnecessary items.

• Make or print a shopping list

• Only buy the items that is in your meal plan, buying extra will cause you to get side tracked from your overall goal- often introducing JUNK food that's not a part of the plan. 

10. Lastly, stay motivated and remember why you started this journey to begin with. Get an accountability partner or trainer to help assist you with staying on track. 

Let's Get It!

Gettting Up and Out

Get Up & Out  

 It's nothing like getting up early to explore a beautiful sunny day. Yes, key words- Getting Up. In a society where so much of our concentration is centered around sitting at a desk, sitting in front of the TV, sitting on our phones or laying in our beds- it's time to change the mold and getting that DNA moving.  
   Much has changed from the times when I was a kid where we were outside all day everyday. Playing in the sun with traditional games like kick ball, hide and seek, jump roping, riding our bikes and simply running through the neighborhood. I can remember our parents out in the yard working the gardens, cutting the grass and socializing with the neighbors. Not so much these days.
   This is why I like some of the current challenges on market today- Fitbit Workweek Hustle Challenge, Up & Out Challenge, Couch Potatoes Challenge and all other challenges out there that gets you up and moving. I like all of them except the Pokemon Go challenge- lol, those phone games just aren't my thing. However, the idea behind getting kids and adults up and moving is a great concept for keep it moving.
   Here's another reason why we truly need to be up and moving- especially outside is to get the proper vitamin D intake through natural resources. The sun is the most powerful source of vitamin one can get...

     Get Up and Go Ideas:

1.  Breakfast on the Porch- taking in some sun before work or school

2. Early Morning Walk or Run- gets the blood flowing and energy levels up

3. Morning Workout Session- HIIT, Cardio or Weight Training is excellent for DNA movement

4. Walking with Family, Stroll with the kids, Walking the Dog- spending quality time with the family is always a plus for mind, body and spiritual connection.

5.  Hiking Adventure- taking in nature while hiking the trails in your local area or just exploring something new in your city or country

Where ever you go, make sure you are GETTING UP and Moving that DNA to keep your bones and muscles healthy-in motion. Let's Get It!

ABS LAB

    It seems as though everyone is searching the fitness cosmo desperately trying to find the secret to creating those beautiful abs that we see in the magazines or displayed on the posters as we walk into our local gyms. But after reading the article by Cindy Kuzma, ABS LAB, she outlines that there is a science to scoring strong, sexy abs.
   After spending hours on proportional meals, long tedious workouts and altered social lifestyle- the truth is the secret to abs development lies in your genetics. This discovery influences everything from metabolism to hormone levels to the way we store fats according to Cindy Kuzma.  There are variables that assist you with controlling your core.

CORE VALUES

• GENETICS- Your DNA determines where you store fat-and plays a role in how quickly you can reduce it. "How much testosterone you have also makes a difference," says exercise physiologist John Porcari, Ph.D. "The higher your levels, the more easily you build muscle everywhere, including your core."

• DIET- When it comes to factors you can control, what you eat really matters says Michele Olson, Ph. D., Think high fiber, lots of proteins and healthy fats.

• STRENGTH- The more muscle you have, the more calories you zap all day. The best way to build lean tissue is with a full-body strength program at least two days a week, trainer Hannah Davis says. Add core moves (opposite) to that foundation.

• CARDIO- Steady-state activities keep weight in check- but high intensity intervals are crucial. When two of four weekly cardio workouts were HIIT routines, exercisers decreased both total and visceral fat- the kind deep inside the gut-faster, per a study in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 

• SLEEP- Adequate rest doesn't just give you the energy you need to crush workouts, it also reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to belly-fat accumulation. A study in the journal Nature Communications found that skimping on zzz's may also cause us to pick foods that trigger weight gain. 

7 EXERCISES FOR SCULPTING ABS:

1. The Seated Bicycle (Obliques)
2. Slider Pike 
3. Reverse Crunch
4. Flying High
5. Body Saw
6. Dip Plank
7. The Big Reach

As we continue on our quest to shape and sculpt the mixture those six pack abs, let us consider these Core Values and exercises that is sure to assist us with succeeding in the ABS LAB.