FITNESS JOURNEY / 01.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Over winter break, my boyfriend (who has conformed into a health nut) tried to get me to pick up on some of his exercise/eating habits. I tagged along with him to the gym, the grocery store, and even ate his home-cooked meals (aka he cooked many meals for me. Double win.) After seeing a glimpse of what eating healthy looked like, it sort of grew on me.

I want to make healthy eating + working out my lifestyle. 
I want to start documenting what I'm eating, how I'm moving, and how my body is responding, so I can have a record to see the progress. My fitness journey, if you will.

Here are some of my steps toward a healthy lifestyle...

abs are made in the kitchen [my breakfast]
I swapped out sugary pastries and donuts for egg whites and turkey bacon. Each morning, I throw 3 slices of turkey bacon and 2 egg whites on the pan and fry them. It's delicious and savory and fatty... AND IT'S HEALTHY. It's a breakfast packed with proteins and good fat—no carbs. I also like to whip up a quick smoothie (kale, frozen berries, bananas, almond milk) and drink that on the side. It's a quick fix to my sweet tooth. (:
*People say it's hard to eat healthy in the morning because they don't have enough time to prepare their food, resorting to sugary cereals and bars. I know it sounds like a long process, but it actually doesn't take too long! I can prepare, eat, clean all under 20 minutes.

moar meals [lunch+dinner]
Most of my meals used to be overloaded with carbs: rice, pasta, and bread. (I also ate a lot of microwave food). I went to the store and bought chicken tenderloins, bell peppers, and onions, so I have been cooking those over the stove and eating it like a fajita! Next week I want to swap out the chicken for some tilapia and also buy different veggies. YUM.

They say that protein keeps you full and leans you out—and it's actually proving to be true for my body. Packing protein into my meals does keep me full and flattens my stomach, unlike carbs which make me bloat allll around like crazy. What I really like about this switch is that I don't need to skimp any meals or cut portions. I can eat til I'm full! (Oh, and cooking is extremely more economical than dining out.)

I told my boyfriend about the changes I had made and he asked me: how have you been feeling though? What is your energy and emotional level like? Actually, good. Really good. Usually, I tend to do a lot of emotional eating, so I wondered if I would have any major cravings, but so far I've been okay. I still let myself drink sugary coffee, or the occasional dessert, so I'm not too strict on myself, but my cravings are becoming farther and fewer in between. Eating healthy feels really good, emotionally and physically, and there's something about the preparing my own food that is becoming really enjoyable.

up in the gym working on my fitness
When I went to the gym with the boyfriend, I followed his work out routine including weights + circuits. He helped correct my form and push my limits to do things my body didn't even know it was capable of doing! It has definitely been a boost of confidence. (: Now that I'm on campus and without my workout buddy,  I've tried to maintain the habit of going to the gym. 

So far, I've gone every other day and tried to keep it fun by doing different things. Sometimes I brought a friend, sometimes I watched a show on the treadmill, other times I tried Insanity... It's nice to mix it up. For the most part, this is my routine: I go on the treadmill for 30 to 60 minutes—intervals for 15 minutes and incline walking for the rest of the duration. I like to have the television time which really distracts me from the fact that I'm exercising. Then, I do ab exercises for 15 minutes, and follow it up with squats or arms with dumbbells. It's nothing too strenuous or extravagant, but it's keeping my heart rate up, blood flowing, and my body used to moving... And all of it feels so good. :)

How do you stay fit and healthy? Do you enjoy reading others' fitness journeys? Where do you get your fit inspo?

2 comments :

  1. Oh yes, eating healthy {healthier} is so good! I've gone vegetarian and reduced my carbs riiiiiiiiiiiight down to just breakfast and then zilch for the rest of the day. I feel soooo good. Sugar with my coffee and a couple of dates get me through my sugar cravings or an apple that has been in the fridge. Oh my yum.

    Going to the gym is so good too! I miss that more than I thought I would. I'm planning on signing up with my gym the minute I move into my new house. Too excited for that moment. I just trained myself on the machines last year but this time I'm going to be waaaay more active in all the classes like zumba/pilates/HIIT/rev.

    I LOVE hearing about others' fitness journeys! It makes me feel like I'm not so "alone" in the whole endeavor! Haha. Good luck to you petal! I hope you keep it up :)

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  2. Love this, Jenny! Let's be fitness/food buddies and hold each other accountable :)

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