Want to meal prep? Here are a few tips…

So you have decided to start doing meal prepping, but don’t now where to start. What do you do?

First, ask yourself why? Why do you want to start prepping your own meals for the week? Why do you want to spend a couple of hours cooking all these food that you might not even eat? Are you trying to save time, money, eat better, or all? And last, can you actually or will you actually eat what you cook?

Second, identify what you need in terms of nutritional value. Are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying to gain weight? Are you trying to gain muscle?, etc, etc….you get my point.

Third, are you willing to commit to your meal prepping, eat your food, and not be temped to eat some junk, your kids mac & cheese, or donuts brought to work?

Meal prepping is easy; the hard part is to get started and stay committed. I do meal prep for a couple of reasons: obviously, it saves you time and money, and it gives you more freedom to do other things during the week. Meal prepping can also keep you on track with your fitness goals. If your long term goal is to lose weight and have a balanced diet, then I would suggest looking into having a test that will measure the calorie amount needed to maintain your weight, then reduce that amount by 500 calories a day to start losing the fat.

Don’t forget to have fun in the process. I love to meal prep because it allows me to pick different recipes, play with food and spices, and just make my own meals based on what I feel like eating that week. Sometimes, I meal prep while listening to music and having a glass of wine…it’s fun!

Regardless of your reason, meal prepping should be fun and should be done for the right reason. Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight, maintain your current weight, or gain muscle, meal prep according to your needs. My usual day includes pre-made overnight oats for breakfast, carb/protein/greens for lunch, and same for dinner in addition to my two snacks and my mass gainer protein shake. You can do it too!

Enjoy meal prepping, share some recipes and good luck on your journal to healthy living!

@thefitgirltalk

Skinny Vs. Fit

When it comes to body image, oh boy….. I can tell you that we all struggle with it, and somehow we hate every part of our body, even our nails! Admit it. I think that way too. Most commonly used phrases: “I hate my hair… I hate my legs… I wanna get rid of this fat… I want to be skinny”… blah blah. 

If we were able to magically change something we don’t like about our bodies, we won’t even think twice to do it, regardless of the consequences… are you with me!? I know I would at least add more muscle and maybe some upper body enhancement 🙂

Unfortunately, we can’t just go for it… or you could if you want to spend tons of money without guaranteed satisfaction for life. 

What can you do? Depends. If you want to lose weight then get your butt to the gym and just do it. Be a grown woman and own it. Break a sweat, eat better, and get a routine going. If you want to gain weight (like me) then eat like a dinasour and still workout but aim to lift weights… you don’t want to be “skinny fat”. I love to eat, and trust me, I can eat! But I can also spend hours running or at the gym. You pick.

Ladies, please don’t count calories… just stop obsessing with that. It fails all the time. Instead, watch what you eat, and get your ass to the gym.. simple and probably less stressful. Don’t torture yourself; instead, use that energy at the gym, move your body, get out and work on loving yourself, not hating your body.

People call me skinny all the time, but there’s a difference of being skinny and being fit. I can show you that at the gym anytime!

Hope you are still working on your new year’s resolutions! Stay fit. 

Love

The fit girl… enjoy life just a little. It’s fun!

Are you ready to call it “quits”??

So in my world, there is no such thing as “a break day, day off, rest day, whatever” from the gym. I go, get my workout done, get out, and fuel up. Next day, I do the same thing….it’s just a never ending cycle for me. I  wake up – eat – work – eat again – workout – eat some more – sleep – and repeat. I don’t call it a routine; I call it a cycle because I don’t do the same exact same thing over and over, but I do repeat my cycle on a daily basis with different results each day.

As I ended 2016 with a full glass of champagne, I thought to my self: “tomorrow is a new day and a new me”….BS! I woke up the next day and I felt the same…plus the hungover. I realized I have a lifestyle that I don’t want to change because I love it…and people have a hard time giving up on what they love; I just happen to love working out just as much as other people love to be unhealthy.  It’s too late for me to give up, and why give up when I love going to the gym!?

So there I am, early Monday morning (January 2nd) running five miles like it was the last time I was going to run. Looked around and saw the same usual people I see at the gym every day and no “new year resolution people”…..loved it! It was perfect. Then all of the sudden it hit me; we create the lifestyle we want and we stick to it…there is no “new year’s resolutions”, it’s all in our heads or a piece of paper that ends up in the trash.

However, I did make one new year’s resolution: to keep the same lifestyle I have because that makes me happy and healthy.

So, are you ready to quit your NY resolution and keep the same lifestyle you had before? or, Are you ready to make a change for good and stick to it? Make a change, not a resolution. Set a goal, not a wish. Do what you love, not hate what you do.

Your Solution to Your NY Resolution..

As we get closer to the end of 2016, we start creating our new year’s resolution list and end up writing more than we can actually accomplish! You might also notice that, as you write down your NY resolutions,  some of the things you wrote in last year’s list didn’t get done, and will be added to this new list. Here’s your solution to your New Year’s resolution(s):

1. Write down the 25 things you want to do or would like to get done in 2017.
2. Out of those 25, pick the first five and get rid of the rest (let’s be realistic here!)
3. Write all five in present tense and carry them with you in your wallet/purse or post them somewhere you can see them and be reminded about them all day every day.

If you pick the top five and write them in present tense, you are more likely to achieve them.

Good luck!

Have a wonderful xmas and happy new year!

Love,

The Fit Girl

Managing your sleep patterns.

Is there is someone out there that knows about sleep issues, that would be me. I have been struggling with sleeping problems for so many years. I have tried every single thing and still, I am right awake at 4 am forcing myself to fall as sleep. Sleep is something so precious, and I realized that when I started having difficulty concentrating, finding energy to workout, or just to function daily in general.

I have my good days where I can get 7-8 hours of sleep, but I also have my bad days with only 3-5 hours of sleep. I can definitely tell the difference in energy levels with I am sleep deprived.  I am tired all day, I am sleepy, I want to take naps, I get in a bad mood, and honestly, it gets me depressed as well. Has this happened to you? I envy those who can fall asleep within minutes of going to bed…I really do! I wish I can fall asleep as quick as they do, but that’s not the care for me.

Stress is a huge factor too when it comes to messing up with your sleep. I have noticed that stress levels go up when I am doing school work, my regular work, and house chores. It is not the fact that I can handle it, I sure can and I can complete all my assignments from school and work on time. However, sometimes I feel like I have no life or balance. Perhaps I don’t know how to balance those three main things that affect my stress level.

I have heard great benefits of yoga, and yes I need to start doing it. But for me, running or just getting a good workout does as good as yoga….in my opinion. When I go for a long run, OMG! My mind shuts down and I can actually feel at peace.

What can you do to help with sleep issues? Well, that’s really up to you, but exercise is definitely a high stress reliever, and as a result, you can probably benefit from it by getting a good night sleep. Diet and other stressors can be part of your sleep issues too, so watch out for the carbs and sugar and do some research on food that can help you calm down and sleep better at night.

Happy Sleep!

Positive Energy = Positive Results

Have you ever been in a place where all you hear is negative comments, gossip, negative vibes and energy? If so, how did you feel at that moment? What were your thoughts? Were you engaged at all?

For the past couple of years I have been battling with “bullying”. Yes, believe it or not, I have been called all sorts of nicknames such as “skinny, lizard, bones, smalls, tiny”, and even categorized as “weak”. Do I feel the negativity there? Oh yes! But how do I deal with it? It is not easy, but I stay positive and remind myself that negative vibes, comments, or whatever equal negative results. If I was to pay attention to that, I think I will be miserable. Instead, I hear this comments and I smile. I smile because I am strong not weak; I smile because I am fit not skinny; I smile because I am small not obese; I smile because I am healthy not sick.

Positive energy equals positive results. What do I mean by this? If you have a positive attitude in general, your body will feel it and as a result, you end up with more energy, a clear mind, and find yourself more determined than anyone else. Believe me, positive energy not only has a significant impact physically but also mentally. Surround yourself with people that empower you, not bring you down. Surround yourself with those who want the best for you, not with compete against you. Positive energy does exist in people and you can find it everywhere, plus it gives you that boost to perform better and achieve your goals!

Stay positive….whatever your goal in life is, positive energy will help you achieve the results you want.