But that's part of being a regular person! The point is, don't be hard on yourself when you do - just start fresh tomorrow. :)
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Fitness Nerds Have Needs Too
So, I cracked.
But that's part of being a regular person! The point is, don't be hard on yourself when you do - just start fresh tomorrow. :)
But that's part of being a regular person! The point is, don't be hard on yourself when you do - just start fresh tomorrow. :)
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Where Have You Been?
Oh, you know, just working my three jobs and trying to stay organized.
I've had some family struggles this week that I've been trying to mediate (both within myself and within my family) and it's definitely been a struggle to get my ass to the gym and stay on track with that. As a twenty-something who grew up in Ontario (and having a unique life experience), I recognize that there are lots of ways that my upbringing (or lack thereof) affects my lifestyle now.
For example, in my nuclear family unit, I did not feel as though I was a priority who was deserving of unconditional love, so when I emancipated myself from that unit, I (unwittingly) lived my life according to my favourite bell hooks quote: "One of the best guides to how to be self-loving is to give ourselves the love we are often dreaming about receiving from others" (bell hooks, All About Love: New Visions). For me, that meant looking after myself because I didn't trust the relationships with others. Presently, that means focussing on my own fitness, my own nutrition, my own needs, and my own desires and, as an independent girl, that often means I do those things alone. (Now, don't feel sorry for me, I've also spent a good deal of my life seeking love from others - something that I'm almost utterly tired of now.)
As a child and a young adult, this was a survival skill that I perfected, but as a twenty-something who shares a home with an elderly grandmother this is a survival skill that requires balance. On one hand, I feel entitled to my self-care and solitude. On the other hand, I recognize that my family member is not one that I've had the luxury of growing up close to, that she is a recent widow, and that in her late 80s, she is beginning to see her ability to reason and soothe herself diminish. Part of my decision to move away from the province I spent 90% of my life in was to get to know my family that I'd primarily known through "access visits" and vacation time.
Balancing this with my self-care is difficult, but do-able. I made it to the gym twice this week. The self-loathing started to set in, "how could you be so lazy?" "you're never going to achieve your goals if you don't push yourself to go?" But instead of focusing on those negative messages, I reminded myself that while my self-care is important, so is my family. In my personal life, I tend to err on the side of control (I can admit that!) but I've learned that flexibility is what supplements a happy life. Priorities like people, pets, and health take precedence but there must always be room for changes.
Missing out on the gym this week has been challenging but instead of berating myself, I take joy in the comfort I was able to provide my family, the success I've still had with counting calories, and the fact that despite it - I only gained back 3 lbs. I take joy in the fact that I actually miss going to the gym - an activity I've previously loathed. I take joy in knowing that instead of asking where I've been, I'll have been present with the family and friends that I love. I take joy in the knowledge that building healthy habits outside of lifting weights and running will be with me for a lifetime.
I've had some family struggles this week that I've been trying to mediate (both within myself and within my family) and it's definitely been a struggle to get my ass to the gym and stay on track with that. As a twenty-something who grew up in Ontario (and having a unique life experience), I recognize that there are lots of ways that my upbringing (or lack thereof) affects my lifestyle now.
For example, in my nuclear family unit, I did not feel as though I was a priority who was deserving of unconditional love, so when I emancipated myself from that unit, I (unwittingly) lived my life according to my favourite bell hooks quote: "One of the best guides to how to be self-loving is to give ourselves the love we are often dreaming about receiving from others" (bell hooks, All About Love: New Visions). For me, that meant looking after myself because I didn't trust the relationships with others. Presently, that means focussing on my own fitness, my own nutrition, my own needs, and my own desires and, as an independent girl, that often means I do those things alone. (Now, don't feel sorry for me, I've also spent a good deal of my life seeking love from others - something that I'm almost utterly tired of now.)
As a child and a young adult, this was a survival skill that I perfected, but as a twenty-something who shares a home with an elderly grandmother this is a survival skill that requires balance. On one hand, I feel entitled to my self-care and solitude. On the other hand, I recognize that my family member is not one that I've had the luxury of growing up close to, that she is a recent widow, and that in her late 80s, she is beginning to see her ability to reason and soothe herself diminish. Part of my decision to move away from the province I spent 90% of my life in was to get to know my family that I'd primarily known through "access visits" and vacation time.
Balancing this with my self-care is difficult, but do-able. I made it to the gym twice this week. The self-loathing started to set in, "how could you be so lazy?" "you're never going to achieve your goals if you don't push yourself to go?" But instead of focusing on those negative messages, I reminded myself that while my self-care is important, so is my family. In my personal life, I tend to err on the side of control (I can admit that!) but I've learned that flexibility is what supplements a happy life. Priorities like people, pets, and health take precedence but there must always be room for changes.
Missing out on the gym this week has been challenging but instead of berating myself, I take joy in the comfort I was able to provide my family, the success I've still had with counting calories, and the fact that despite it - I only gained back 3 lbs. I take joy in the fact that I actually miss going to the gym - an activity I've previously loathed. I take joy in knowing that instead of asking where I've been, I'll have been present with the family and friends that I love. I take joy in the knowledge that building healthy habits outside of lifting weights and running will be with me for a lifetime.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
How to: Work Overnights and Eat Clean
My schedule is ridiculous. On average, I work about 44 hours per week, which is pretty normal... except my 44 hours are divided between three jobs and a volunteer position. During the week I work days and occasional evenings. On the weekends, I work overnights and afternoons. I don't know about you, but when I work overnights I want food that's fast and easy. You know, chips, and toast, and bagels. Carbs. Comfort Carbs. I think that a lot of people fall into that trap because, on the surface, eating clean is a lot of work. And it is. But it's manageable if you can plan ahead.
And that's where the most wonderful day of the week comes in. Food Prep Day! Fanfare! Cymbal crash! Applause! I love food prep day because it gives me a chance to try recipes I've been searching out online and keeps me healthy and prepared for busy weeks when I work more than the 44 hours (like when I forget I'm working one job and schedule myself at the other and end up doing a double with a two hour commute.)
When I'm working overnights, I start Food Prep Day on Sunday mornings, after I get home from my 0000-0800 shift and after I've walked the Prance-some Hince. I like to stay up so I can have a solid nap in the afternoon, have Sunday dinner with my family, and then choose between more food prep or back to bed. Yesterday, I put together seven days of smoothie packets: mango, pineapple, and kale, pineapple, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry, and spinach, and pineapple, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and spinach. Now all I have to do is add 8 oz of water (or 4oz unsweetened almond milk + 4 oz water), 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder, and 1 Tbsp of flax seeds and blend until it's smooth!
Today I tried a recipe for soup that I found on BuzzFeed called White Bean and Kale Stew. I altered it in a few ways, starting first by making my own turkey stock. I had a turkey carcass already boiled that had been leftover from Easter weekend in the fridge, so this morning I skimmed the fat off, picked the meat off the bones, and boiled the broth again just to make sure it was lovely and tasty and free of bacteria.
And that's where the most wonderful day of the week comes in. Food Prep Day! Fanfare! Cymbal crash! Applause! I love food prep day because it gives me a chance to try recipes I've been searching out online and keeps me healthy and prepared for busy weeks when I work more than the 44 hours (like when I forget I'm working one job and schedule myself at the other and end up doing a double with a two hour commute.)
When I'm working overnights, I start Food Prep Day on Sunday mornings, after I get home from my 0000-0800 shift and after I've walked the Prance-some Hince. I like to stay up so I can have a solid nap in the afternoon, have Sunday dinner with my family, and then choose between more food prep or back to bed. Yesterday, I put together seven days of smoothie packets: mango, pineapple, and kale, pineapple, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry, and spinach, and pineapple, raspberry, blueberry, strawberry and spinach. Now all I have to do is add 8 oz of water (or 4oz unsweetened almond milk + 4 oz water), 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder, and 1 Tbsp of flax seeds and blend until it's smooth!
Now that breakfast options are taken care of, I get to try out recipes, clean them up, and stock my freezer. I make almost all my meals ahead of time and freeze them - it's so much easier that day, and I thank myself at 0400 when I'm starving for "lunch" and actually have a clean option. Currently, my freezer contains chicken soup, 5 bean turkey chili, turkey burritos, chicken fajitas, peanut chicken wraps, poached fish dinners, baked chicken dinners - all ready for me to heat up and serve. It's a lifesaver!
I prepared all my ingredients before hand, too, because I tend to get distracted with my multi-tasking and then forget something (for example, once I forgot the egg whites in protein muffins. Duh.).
The recipe calls for canned white beans, but I had to run out and buy white beans because I realized I didn't have any and the local grocery store didn't have any in cans. Well, they did, but I wasn't paying $4 for a 14oz can of "organic" white beans in slimy bean water, so I bought dried beans. While the veggies were being sautéed, I brought the dry white beans to a high boil (about 20 minutes) until they were almost done, but not quite. It also calls for shallots, which I omitted, and fresh garlic - I just used about a tablespoon of the pre-minced garlic that was in a jar in the fridge. It didn't call for parsnips, but they lend a rich flavour to the tartness of the tomatoes and the kale.
I also used dried spices instead of fresh as I am not blessed enough to have an herb garden in my backyard (yet!). They worked. The rosemary could have been ground a bit better, but I was rushing. The "secret ingredient" is really the kicker, though. It made my house smell DELICIOUS and WARM and WELCOMING and transported me to my mother's kitchen when I was a little girl. It smelled almost Morroccan... And tastes INCREDIBLE. It's tangy (from the tomatoes), but not too tangy - and, in my opinion, doesn't need any salting. And when I added the barley (to make a complete protein with the beans), it thickened up the clear broth just enough to make it look hearty.
Oh my gosh, you guys, it's delicious! I don't normally rave about food but when I succeed at a soup I can't help but gloat. And now, to freeze it! I'm cheap and get most of my containers from the dollar store or from leftover Chinese food orders, but you can use whatever you want for freezing. Once I ladled out these four meals, a good deal of the broth had been absorbed, so I just added more broth from my giant stock pot of doom to both the containers and the remainder of the soup on the stove. A few more spices and you've stretched your soup into a family meal for four and four (or five) individual meals!
This soup can be made totally vegan, or vegetarian, or gluten free - it all just depends on how you want to make it. That's the great thing about soup: it's completely customizable to what you like!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Calorie Counting
Good morning, world! It's day 4 of calorie counting and I've officially been scolded by one of my closest (and most in shape!) friends. Not to mention my calorie counting app. Let me explain.
Jamie Eason's training program falls into three "phases". Phase 1 is all about re-learning how to eat clean and how to build lean muscle through diet, exercise and supplementation. She explains the benefits of a nutrition "stack", or in regular grrrl speak - a combination of additional nutrients: vitamins, multivitamins, and protein powder.
Phase 2 gets a little more technical because the participant has ideally figured out a gym schedule, figured out a meal prep schedule, and built the habit of taking their supplements. The exercises require a little bit more attention, and there's an addition of cardio to start boosting that heart rate and shedding those extra pounds. But, ideally, by now, I've gotten a pretty good handle on that schedule. For example, on a light week, my schedule looks a little like this:
I've figured out ways that work for me and Phase 1 helped me come to terms with the fact that I'm not always going to be perfect at following my own schedule; things change and often we must react with calm, flexibility, and most importantly, gentleness. Gentleness toward ourselves and toward others. We'll see what I have to say about that, though, when I get to Phase 3.
This concept of gentleness is often a hard one to master, especially in terms of fitness. We always hear about "going hard" or about two hour work outs, or about "go big or go home" - but these things are not necessarily sustainable (or healthy!) for all folks. Now, I'm not saying that you want to be too easy on yourself - you're working to overcome challenges and attain goals, not to plateau. And remember, my goal here is not to go to extremes by having a body like runway model or a bodybuilder, my goal is to be comfortable in my own skin, energetic, and healthy. If extremes work for you, then more power to you!
It's important (and difficult!) to be gentle on your nutrition, too. I've often been too gentle, indulging in entire bag of potato chip sessions, or two bowls of ice cream a day sessions, but my handy calorie counting app for iPhone, My Fitness Pal, has really made a difference in how I value what I eat. (This app is available on the web as well as for iPhone/iPad and Android, too! Handy!) You're able to set your current and target weight, age, and height and decide how many pounds you'd like to lose or gain per week. Now, one caveat for those following Jamie Eason's calorie counting method: My Fitness Pal does not factor in "heavy" days at the gym (leg/butt day!). Not to mention, if you decide you'd like to try to lose two pounds per week (which is the most the app will allow) you will be below your "safe" baseline. Here is my personal caloric intake according to Jamie Eason's method:
Jamie Eason's training program falls into three "phases". Phase 1 is all about re-learning how to eat clean and how to build lean muscle through diet, exercise and supplementation. She explains the benefits of a nutrition "stack", or in regular grrrl speak - a combination of additional nutrients: vitamins, multivitamins, and protein powder.
Phase 2 gets a little more technical because the participant has ideally figured out a gym schedule, figured out a meal prep schedule, and built the habit of taking their supplements. The exercises require a little bit more attention, and there's an addition of cardio to start boosting that heart rate and shedding those extra pounds. But, ideally, by now, I've gotten a pretty good handle on that schedule. For example, on a light week, my schedule looks a little like this:
This concept of gentleness is often a hard one to master, especially in terms of fitness. We always hear about "going hard" or about two hour work outs, or about "go big or go home" - but these things are not necessarily sustainable (or healthy!) for all folks. Now, I'm not saying that you want to be too easy on yourself - you're working to overcome challenges and attain goals, not to plateau. And remember, my goal here is not to go to extremes by having a body like runway model or a bodybuilder, my goal is to be comfortable in my own skin, energetic, and healthy. If extremes work for you, then more power to you!
It's important (and difficult!) to be gentle on your nutrition, too. I've often been too gentle, indulging in entire bag of potato chip sessions, or two bowls of ice cream a day sessions, but my handy calorie counting app for iPhone, My Fitness Pal, has really made a difference in how I value what I eat. (This app is available on the web as well as for iPhone/iPad and Android, too! Handy!) You're able to set your current and target weight, age, and height and decide how many pounds you'd like to lose or gain per week. Now, one caveat for those following Jamie Eason's calorie counting method: My Fitness Pal does not factor in "heavy" days at the gym (leg/butt day!). Not to mention, if you decide you'd like to try to lose two pounds per week (which is the most the app will allow) you will be below your "safe" baseline. Here is my personal caloric intake according to Jamie Eason's method:
That seems pretty reasonable, doesn't it?
Well, I decided I'd "go hard" and step it up a notch with the app. I entered my current and goal weight and how many pounds I'd like to lose a week: 2.
For the first two days, this worked. Granted, Tuesday was Day 1 and I still had the blush of a new bride, wedded to my 1200 calories. Tuesday I spent more time entering in what I was eating then I spent actually eating, I think. Wednesday was Leg Day (Butt Day!) and I allowed myself to go FAR over my caloric limit in order to celebrate a friend's birthday. Thursday I worked 14 hours (including commute) between two jobs and began my day at 0430AM. By the time I got home at 2130PM, I still had 200 calories left (roughly) and prepared myself one chicken slider with bun, leaving me 18 calories after that.
And then, it happened. I tracked my progress, completed my "diary" entry, and this warning popped up on my screen:
STARVATION MODE. This immediately triggered warning alarms in my head. I've recently been obsessing over two food documentaries, "Food Matters" and "Hungry for Change" and learned that body fat and cellulite can be partially caused by tricking our primitive bodies into thinking that a drought or famine is coming by fluctuating our caloric intake through fad dieting. This causes our primitive bodies to react instinctively by packing on fat stores that will be "saved for later" - when our bodies recognize that we're in thinner times and need to sustain ourselves in order to live.
In the present, it's not often that I (speaking as a working class but comfortable, white, North American woman with visible privilege) will find myself in the midst of a famine. I'm lucky enough to be supported by my three jobs, have family supports, and be aware of community resources available to me. So "starvation mode" does exactly what the above photo says: it lowers our metabolisms to protect and sustain our internal, life giving organs. I don't want to lower my metabolism, I want to boost it!
The moral of this story is, as always, balance. We want to build lean muscle and lose weight and in our fast paced society, when bathing suit season comes upon us quickly (as if that's something we need to be afraid of!) those of us who work toward certain fitness aspirations can often find ourselves trying to cut corners in order to "boost" our progress. But, as I learned last night in my downward spiral of potato chip crumbs and Easter chocolate, sometimes that extra boost we think we're giving ourselves results in "one step forward, two steps back". Balance and clean calories are the key here, not gigantic reductions.
And, it's possible. I've seen the changes that balance can make and I'll leave you with this little bit of inspiration from my Instagram account. The photo on the left features me, two weeks ago, after having built muscle from December to February in Phase 1, then lost motivation for approximately two weeks in February, and jumping back on the gym band wagon for March. Phase 2 began in the second week of March (two weeks ago) that I began to add cardio, and the photo on the left was taken at the very beginning of Phase 2. The photo on the left was taken on Wednesday afternoon after two weeks of medium intensity cardio for 45 minutes (not including daily dog walks), and two days of counting calories:
For me, this is the picture of balance through clean eating and exercise. And when I do it properly, my primitive body responds quickly, gently, and calmly - not in panic.
And yes, you can do this, too.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Welcome!
This is the first official post here at Regular Grrrl and there are just a few things I want to cover.
First: I am not a fitness guru, a medical doctor or a nutritionist. I have gathered all of my knowledge in the past 5 months with the help of friends, Netflix, and trial and error. Regular Grrrl isn't here to tell you how to work out, how to eat, or how to live - that's not what is behind the concept of regularity. I'm just sharing my personal insights on balancing fitness and nutrition, three jobs, pets, family, friends, and self-care. You don't have to do what I do (and you probably shouldn't - I eat far too many Cadbury Cream Eggs...), but you will (I hope!) find this a space of encouragement and motivation.
Second: Although I follow Jamie Eason's Live Fit training program, I am not in any way affiliated with BodyBuilding.com. I value their encyclopedia of video training, recipes, and supplements, but I don't work for or with them. I take the directions provided there and often tweak it to reflect my personal lifestyle. And that's half the battle when you're a regular grrrl with a life outside the gym.
Third: I am going to do my best to keep this space a positive, encouraging space where all bodies are accepted and celebrated. That being said, this is a "fitspo" blog - so if fitness and nutrition isn't your cup of tea - feel free to skip over Regular Grrrl. I won't be offended. I will, however, moderate all comments and will not tolerate body snarking, thinspo, or pro-ana advertisements. My personal fitness ethic is encouragement and balance, not extremes, and I hope to share that with you!
So, here we go, embarking on a journey together! My fitness journey is fraught with ups and downs, positives and negatives (like the calorie counting I'm currently doing!) but that is part of what makes it a regular grrrl's journey. Check back often, as I'll be constantly updating the site and adding new resources!
Be well,
- Amelia
First: I am not a fitness guru, a medical doctor or a nutritionist. I have gathered all of my knowledge in the past 5 months with the help of friends, Netflix, and trial and error. Regular Grrrl isn't here to tell you how to work out, how to eat, or how to live - that's not what is behind the concept of regularity. I'm just sharing my personal insights on balancing fitness and nutrition, three jobs, pets, family, friends, and self-care. You don't have to do what I do (and you probably shouldn't - I eat far too many Cadbury Cream Eggs...), but you will (I hope!) find this a space of encouragement and motivation.
Second: Although I follow Jamie Eason's Live Fit training program, I am not in any way affiliated with BodyBuilding.com. I value their encyclopedia of video training, recipes, and supplements, but I don't work for or with them. I take the directions provided there and often tweak it to reflect my personal lifestyle. And that's half the battle when you're a regular grrrl with a life outside the gym.
Third: I am going to do my best to keep this space a positive, encouraging space where all bodies are accepted and celebrated. That being said, this is a "fitspo" blog - so if fitness and nutrition isn't your cup of tea - feel free to skip over Regular Grrrl. I won't be offended. I will, however, moderate all comments and will not tolerate body snarking, thinspo, or pro-ana advertisements. My personal fitness ethic is encouragement and balance, not extremes, and I hope to share that with you!
So, here we go, embarking on a journey together! My fitness journey is fraught with ups and downs, positives and negatives (like the calorie counting I'm currently doing!) but that is part of what makes it a regular grrrl's journey. Check back often, as I'll be constantly updating the site and adding new resources!
Be well,
- Amelia
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