NASM Certified and now Insured!

As many of you have probably noticed, I haven't been posting much lately, mostly because I was cramming for the NASM-CPT certification test that was scheduled for October 28th! My passion for fitness and helping others has officially been put into motion because even with my tremendous anxiety regarding standardized tests.....I PASSED! As of the 28th of October, 2017, I can officially say that I am a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. I just received notice that I also now have liability insurance and I could not be more excited for my future.

So, let's get started! Let me help you reach your fitness goals, whether you are newcomer to the fitness world or whether you are a serious athlete. Everyone can benefit from personal training. Having a trainer not only makes you have a stronger support system, someone you can rely on to give you the best exercise advice, and a good motivation,  but it also allows you access to someone who can help hold you accountable. Don't wait until the New Year to (once again) make the same New Years Resolution you've made for the past 5 years. Let's do this together! All it takes is a phone call!

Nutrition is Important!

I've suffered from SEVERELY disordered eating since middle school. I'm 25 now, almost 26, just to put that into perspective. I've lived a good portion of my life having an unhealthy relationship with food. I remember being 15, sitting in my room googling the best ways to lose weight. Don't eat more than 1,200 calories, do excessive amounts of cardio, drink a gallon of water every day, drink a lot of caffeine, eat healthy. That last one does have some sound science to it....well, if you actually understand what "healthy" means. To my 15 year old self, this meant eating the same thing every day. Being too scared to deviate from the meal plan that I had created for myself. An apple and a cup of green tea every morning for breakfast. A salad with only vegetables, no meat or dressing. Diet coke. And very small portion of whatever my family made for dinner, but only when I couldn't come up with an excuse not to eat. I became a vegetarian so that I didn't have to eat meat, thinking that it was another way to help cut calories. Now lets add running 6-10 miles a day at track practice. When I wasn't losing weight fast enough, I'd do a day or two of juice fasting or regular fasting. I was miserable, let me tell you. Tired. Irritable. Weak.
As I got older, I got a little better. And by better, I mean, I went back to including meat in my diet. And I definitely had a much higher calorie intake, but I was forcing myself to only eat one meal a day; dinner. This meant going through the rest of the day being so hungry that I would get nauseous, dizzy, and lethargic. At dinner, if I felt like I ate too much, I'd either purge or I'd punish myself the next day, whether it be more excessive exercising or even further starving myself. I limited myself to less than 1000 calories a day.  There was never any health value to anything I ate. I chose my food based on what had the lowest calories rather than providing my body with the nutrients that it so badly needed. At parties or holiday get togethers, I'd binge because let's be honest, I was starving. People would comment on "how much I could eat" without realizing that I had purposefully starved myself and put myself through rigorous workouts the few days prior in order to be able to enjoy the food and drinks that I knew I would be having. No one ever knew that those comments actually hurt me, because it pointed out my lack of self-control and made me even more down on myself than I already was.

Let's fast forward to this past May. I went on vacation that was full of delicious, absurdly unhealthy food, and copious amounts of alcohol. Obviously, I came back from vacation heavier that I had been before I left, and for me, that was the last straw. I had previously been considering getting a body coach because I had these dreams that they would miraculously change my body and that I'd have a reason to even further restrict my diet. I payed for the body coach (see my 8-Week Transformation blog posts) and off I went. Did I lose weight and become instantly skinny and toned? No. Did I actually gain even more weight? ...Yes. BUT! This was by far one of the best decisions I have ever made. The meal plan really made me aware of what I was eating (or lack thereof) and what my body actually needed in order to achieve my goals. This plan forced me to eat healthier, while getting the proper nutrients and macros. The meal plan was limiting and there were times that I deviated from it, but overall I stuck with it. I may have gained a little weight from it, but I honestly gained so much more! By actually taking care of my body, and eating healthy, and eating enough, I was able to make my metabolism so much better. Because of the restrictive diet that I had myself on for so long, my metabolism was shot. Absolute garbage. It's still not 100% better but it is a night-and-day difference. I actually look forward to eating, and it helps knowing that what I'm feeding my body is what my body needs to be fully nourished. To some, it may seem like I am obsessively tracking my food intake, it's actually helped me recover from a state of mind that I have suffered from for a long time. This time, I'm focusing on actually meeting my macros and my nutrient requirements, not focusing on staying under a certain number of calories.

My workouts are better. I have more energy overall. I don't make myself sick from lack of food. I feel comfortable eating multiple times a day. Have I gained weight? Yes! I'm a solid 15 pounds heavier than my lowest weight. But I can honestly say that I'm not anymore miserable that I was before. I gained so much strength, physically and mentally. It's truly amazing what your body can do when you take care of it. For many, their diets are too restrictive, and it's hurting them in more ways than one. I would honestly suggest to talk to a professional health-care worker or even a body coach, because it has completely changed how I see food. I'm both happier and healthier now. I didn't know it then, but I went about it all wrong when I first looked into losing weight. I caused myself years of misery, I crushed my self-esteem, and put myself into such a bad place mentally. If you want to lose weight, there is no quick fix. You need to do it the right way or else it's not going to be maintainable, even if you do reach your goal. And if you're like me, your goal is probably unrealistic, even before you take killing your metabolism into consideration.


**This is clearly only a snapshot of what I went through, and this post, unlike my others, was written as I thought it. There was a lot less editing but it's heartfelt and very real**

Back to basics

Today started my 4-week full body weight training program. Why would I choose a full body training split? There are so many benefits of full body training!

For starters, increased calorie burn! Rather than having your typical "arm day" which doesn't expend a whole lot of energy, you training all the large muscles for that increased calorie burn.

Secondly, sometimes people don't see those gains they're looking for because they actually give themselves too much time to recover. When you're working a 5 or 6 day split, that's usually about a week before you train the same muscle group again. By doing a full body 3- day split, you don't give your muscles too much time to recover from the last session. This is helpful because it puts your muscles under stress causing fatigue, which is what fuels testosterone and GH concentrations, which I turn maximizes those gains we're all looking for. 

With a full body workout, you're working every major muscle group, every session, using the best muscle building exercises...which would be your multi-joint, compound exercises; squats, deadlifts, rows, military press, pull ups, dips, bench press. I also usually like to add a set of power cleans at the end for that final push. 

Back to the basics: these exercises are the best muscle building exercises and when you focus on the building blocks of where body building started, you can really focus on your form. Sometimes when you do a lot of exercises or sets targeting one body part, your form may get sacrificed because of muscle fatigue. Full body workouts are a great way to check your form and really get in tune with how your muscles contract during each movement. 

These type of workouts are efficient ways of making sure you target your whole body. You'll get the added muscle, and the calorie burn that so many of us are looking for. 

What does my workout look like for the next 4 weeks? 

4x10 of each of the exercises listed above on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. On Tuesdays and Fridays I'll do cardio (usually HIIT on the treadmill or sometimes I'll use the stair stepper to work that boooooty). Wednesday's I do yoga and I may add a nice 1-3 mile run if I'm feeling adventurous. Sunday's are my rest day. However, my rest days are usually active rest days and hiking is beautiful this time of year! 

8 Week Transformation: Complete!

My 8 Week Transformation program through Ryan Spiteri has come to an end! I'm sure you are all waiting for me to say it changed my life in miraculously changed my life, I'm totally shredded and I've lost 15 pounds. Well, keep waiting. The program did change my life, but not in the ways you might think and definitely not in the way I thought it would. 

What did this experience do for me?

This experience did change my life in many ways and the lessons I learned are something I hope to build off of. 

1. My idea of nutrition is 110% better! As I've said, I used to have one protein shake in the morning, some BCAAs after my workout and then a large dinner that was easily three times as big as it should have been. Add some candy and other unhealthy snacks and you've got it. Now I understand that nutrition is a key element of bodybuilding, fitness and overall health. I've learned how beneficial protein is and the amazing things it can do for your body. I've had more energy and am not starving all the time anymore. And I now understand portion control.
2. I learned how important cardio is, even though most of us hate it. I much prefer HIIT style workouts to steady state cardio, but they both have their place. 
3. Since I was on this huge learning curve, I decided to take a shot at learning how to improve all parts of my life. I read self help books, which made me appreciate the life I have more, and that I am control of what happens in my life. If I am I am not happy with something, I have the power to change it. I decided to try meditation and yoga. Both of which are relaxing, healing and a must for those who are in need of some soul searching. This had made me become more content with myself, my relationships, and where I am at in life; not to say that I'm content to the point of stagnancy. I have goals and will continue to work towards them, because nothing is impossible or too far out of reach. The following book worked wonders for my mind and soul. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. I can honestly say that I am in a 100% better place mentally than I have ever been because of how this book changed my outlook on life. 
4. I gained strength, both mentally and physically. I pushed myself harder than I though I could, and made sacrifices I didn't realize I was capable of making. Who decides to start a diet and give up drinking during summer BBQ season? 

What didn't I like about this program? 

1. This program was not customized nearly enough for my liking. The meal plan catered to the foods l liked, and to my macros but he workout routine could not have been any more "cookie cutter". 
2. There was no communication between body coach and client other than the mass emails that got sent out to everyone who subscribed to the email list or those who had bought a online coaching package. And to be honest, I didn't find any of the emails all that useful. 
3. Lack of communication between body coach and client makes a lack of motivation thrive. There was really no one to make you feel like you were being held accountable. 
4. Once you sign up for a program, you get added to the private Ryan Spiteri Facebook group. Not one of my posts ever got approved by the admins. I asked questions, tried to be part of the community, and genuinely wanted to talk to other about their experience, but was denied every time I tried. 
5. Unless they are also fitness junkies, friends and family absolutely do not understand. Why can't you come grab a drink with me? Why do you want to lose weight? Female bodybuilders are not attractive. This is heathy, why can't you eat this? These questions and phrases were all too common. It sometimes felt like they were deliberately trying to sabotage me, and while you're on this journey, there's already so much trying to sabotage you. 
6. My macros were off. Simple as that. Macros and calories just did not match up. 

Would I recommend this program? No. I think those who are advanced and want a body coach to further enhance the skills and knowledge, this program would do nothing for them. Those who are beginners need much more support and guidance than what is given. I do however recommend finding a body coach who would have more one-on-one time and had better communication for anyone who is interested in bettering themselves, or those who are looking to compete. I gained a lot from the experience but it didn't hit the mark in more than a few areas. The takeaway? Do your research, and find a coach that will cater to your needs and not make it feel like you're just one of hundreds of others, whose time was not best meeting your expectations. 

What are my staple foods?

I've had some friends, as well as numerous followers on various social media platforms, ask what my daily food intake looks like on my 8 Week Transformation program from Ryan Spiteri. Well, here it goes. I'm aiming for around 130g of protein per day so you'll notice that most of my foods are quite high in protein. There's really not much room for junk food and alcohol anymore; which is a good thing! 

My normal routine looks a little like this (with some variation from day to day): 

Wake up around 4:30am: One scoop of ON gold standard whey protein powder. (Cappachino is my favorite right now!) 

Gym from 5-6:30 ish. 

7am: A glass of milk + a hard boiled egg on a plain, no salt rice cake with some black pepper

10am: 1 string cheese + a banana with peanut butter

Lunch: 100g of chicken or tuna or 80g lean beef with 40g of avocado over a bed of lettuce or spinach w/ cucumbers, bell peppers an onions.  I usually add Dijon mustard to my tuna or cumin, chili powder and green hot sauce to chicken or beef

2pm snack: plain Greek yogurt with 100g of berries or cottage cheese. Sometimes I'll add ground cinnamon or a little spoonful of protein powder instead of berries. 

Dinner: About 200 calories worth of chicken, turkey or lean beef (do the calculation depending on the nutrition facts to find out how many grams you should intake) + 100g of broccoli, spinach or Brussel sprouts + 100g potato, sweet potato, butternut squash, turnip, or veggie mix of any sort. 

There are time when I need to improvise due to unexpected circumstances. For lunch I'll have a protein bar if I'm short on time. Some days I'll add more meat to lunch or dinner to help me reach my protein goal. If I'm very short on protein I can always add another glass of milk or another protein shake. 

For drinks, I love seltzer since I'm trying to cut out diet sodas and energy drinks. Water with lemon or lime slices is also great!

This program has taught me a lot about eating healthy and having a balanced diet. I have more energy, I can eat more and I never feel like I'm starving. Of course, there are times when I'll treat myself to a glass of wine or a beer or even a little ice cream if I'm out with friends. Life happens! I don't have to feel guilty about it. 

***note: this is my diet plan given to me by a body coach who has tailored this to my specific needs and my goals. Not everyone is the same, so what works for me, may not work for you!***

Week 1 down✔️

Yesterday I completed my first full week of my 8 Week Transformation by Ryan Spiteri. I had 5 lifting sessions to do this week plus three 30 minute low intensity steady state cardio (LISS) sessions to do. The lifting was great! Cardio? Normally I hate it but this week it was fantastic. The best thing is to make it fun! On my first day of the program, I used the treadmill for LISS. I got quite bored of walking, so I did run most of it, which only made it more of a workout. My other two cardio sessions were in the form of hiking, which I love! Saturday I hiked up to the local fire tower which was great, although it was pretty hot out. Yesterday though! Yikes! A group of friends and I decided to the trip to New Hampshire to hike Mount Monadnock. Little did I know it was going to end up being 5 hours of hiking 7 miles (7 treacherous miles at that) in 90+ degree weather. We decided to make it harder by taking the Spellman Trail which was pretty much scaling the side of a mountain at times.

Now, Let's talk about food. The eating plan is actually really good. I feel better. My stomach doesn't hurt after I eat, probably because I'm not eating greasy restaurant food. I love how my body feels when I treat it right, and give it nutritions food rather than all the crap i've been used to eating. Don't get me wrong, although I'm loving the food that I do get to eat on this plan, I do 100% miss alcohol and pizza. That's what cheat days are for! Which now brings me to what "cheat days" are in this plan. It's not really a cheat day, rather than allowing myself to have something, one time per week, that the meal plan doesn't otherwise let me have. This weeks cheat? A margarita. And boy was it delicious.
The meal plan has been consisting of high protein and a decent amount of carbs. I love chicken and broccoli anyway so having that for a huge portion of my meals hasn't been all that bad.
The whole meal prep thing, I could definitely be better about. As i've said previously, I used to really only eat dinner, so having to plan for my food for the day ahead of time has taken some practice.


I'm putting my heart into this. This experience has taught me a lot. It's taught me a lot about portion control, how carbs are actually a good thing, how much of a difference getting enough protein can make and to not be scared of food. Exercise should not be used as a punishment for what you ate, but rather, it should be seen as fuel to help your body do amazing things. Fuel to help you see just how hard you can push yourself. The body is truly amazing when you treat it right.

Below i've added some pictures of our Monadnock hike. I highly recommend it for anyone who may be in the New Hampshire area. It was a blast and definitely quite the workout!

The Spellmen Trail of Mt Monadnock

Getting closer to the summit

The fantastic group of friends I hiked with. Love you all so much!
<3

**Picture credit to the fantastic Beth Adams**

Day 1: How well did it really go?

How was my first day doing my customized meal and workout plan from Ryan Spiteri? Overall, I thought today went great! Let me just start by saying that waking up at 4:30am to make sure that I could get my full workout in was rough. I am not a morning person. But I managed to get myself out of bed, drank my protein shake and ate my hard boiled egg (according to the meal plan) before I headed out the door, making my way to my local YMCA.
Once I got to the Y,  figured I would start by doing my shoulder routine as well as some cardio. My cardio, according to my plan, is a 30 minute walk (3-4mph) 3X per week, for the first week. I hopped on a treadmill and started my walk at 3.8mph and quickly found myself getting bored, even while watching Law & Order:SVU (which my my favorite show ever!). To put my boredom to rest, I decided to kick up the speed to 6mph and run my remaining 20 minutes.
Following my cardio session, I headed to weight room to kill my shoulder routine. I have never ever ever had a day designated to shoulders, mainly because I felt like it was such a small muscle group, that I had to work out another body part to make my lifting session worthwhile. Today, I learned that my mentality was totally wrong about that. It started with smith machine shoulder presses, then throw in some cable upright rows, lat raises and some plate front raises, and I could definitely feel the burn.

After the gym, I came home and ate my banana along with my rice cake and 15g of peanut butter. I have never been a breakfast person. I rarely eat before 2pm (unless it's a protein shake) so I was not the least bit hungry after the gym. I forced myself to eat it, because that's what the plan said to do. By 10am, I was starving so I had my cheese stick however that didn't hold me over for very long. I could not wait to come home and eat lunch. My lunch was filling enough to hold me over until my 3:30 snack which consisted of a 5.3oz container of plain greek yogurt with blueberries mixed it.

Around 5, I could hear my stomach rumblin' again. For me, this is such a strange feeling. Normally, if I do eat breakfast or lunch, I'm not hungry for the rest of the day. Dinner was 100g of chicken, 100g of broccoli and 100g of white potato. Now I'm sitting here, filling you in, and I could not be more stuffed. Every time I ate today, I was incredibly full, but it seemed like hunger was held off for only an hour, and my next meal time could not come soon enough.

Even though I dreaded waking up as early as I did, it felt amazing once I got there. Hopefully tomorrow I can remember how good it felt, and I won't have to coax myself into going.

That's today's update. I won't be blogging and updating every day, as I'm sure most days are going to be pretty much the same, just different workouts. I am extremely excited to see where this next 8 weeks takes me, and to see what my body is capable of. I am also eager to see how much of a difference this eating plan will make not only for my workouts, but also how it will make my body feel, as compared to my usual habit of eating out.