Wednesday, November 9, 2011

FAQ for my BFF's!

Since I started writing this blog, I've been getting a lot of really great questions from readers...which is wonderful, so I am going to share a few FAQ's today to clarify things and hopefully spark a few more inquiries!! Also, let me take this opportunity to encourage you to ask questions if you are confused, if you need motivation, or if you need recipe ideas or anything like that :) Here is my Facebook and my email address so that you can easily get your questions answered! Also, here is a photo of the best part about being skinny...a wider costume variety. Pretty sure this is a 3T. Rocket shiiiiiiiiiiip, fuck yea!!




Q: Why do you follow such a strict diet? 
A: First of all, never look at a nutrition plan as a diet. It should be a long term, lifestyle change. Secondly, the Paleo diet is what has worked the best for me, overall, since I decided to improve my nutrition 6 months ago. Throughout my struggles with my health, I've tried every diet from Weight Watchers to South Beach; Paleo is just the one that I agree with most and it makes the most sense to me. Lastly, and most importantly, this way of eating makes me feel the best I've ever felt; physically and mentally. 

Q: What foods do you miss the most?
A: Any type of sweet bread: muffins, cakes, cookies, banana bread, etc. Everything else isn't too big of an issue for me; I've never been a big dairy fan and most junk food isn't too big of a temptation.

Q: What if I don't want to give up dairy or bread or _____?
A: It's okay to make small modifications to the program to accommodate with your lifestyle; I have made exceptions for protein powder and canned tuna, for example. So if you absolutely do not want to give up yogurt or pasta or something, I would follow the program as closely as possible until you feel comfortable getting stricter. Another good alternative, if you don't want to commit to such a disciplined lifestyle, is the Zone Diet. It is very similar to the Paleo Diet, in principle, but it is more flexible and practical...especially if you are just starting with lifestyle changes.

Q: What kind of workout regimen to do you follow?
A: I am a die-hard CrossFitter and am damn proud to say that. I follow my gym, Progressive Fitness', programming very strictly (especially since the beginning of the Paleo Challenge). I've never been a good athlete and I've never considered myself strong or fast or coordinated, but CrossFit is changing all of these things for me. It's made me think of myself as a highly capable athlete, it's given me confidence in my physique and my mental strength, and it's fun to challenge myself on a daily basis. 

Q: What does your typical day of eating look like?
A: This is basically what I eat everyday:

Breakfast: 
  • Protein shake w/ only 1 scoop of powder.
  • 3 egg white omelet with vegetables, a little bit of chicken, and salsa.
  • 1/2 grapefruit (no sugar, jerk).
  • 1,000 mg. fish oil, multivitamin, and thermogenic.
Morning snack:
  • Cucumbers & carrots.
  • 1 oz. raw almonds.
Lunch:
  • 4 oz. grilled chicken breast w/ salsa.
  • 1/2 avocado.
  • 1 cup raw broccoli (or similar vegetable).
Afternoon snack:
  • Medium apple :)
  • 2 Tbsp. almond or peanut butter.
Dinner:
  • 4 oz. grilled turkey burger.
  • More vegetables of some nature.
  • 1 cup green grapes.
  • 1,000 mg. fish oil, multivitamin.
This is just an example of a daily menu; the important part is the quality of your food...not so much the quantity as long as you're being reasonable. Also, you'll want to make sure that you're getting appropriate amounts of protein, good carbohydrates, and healthy fats with each meal and snack.

Q: What kind of supplementation do you recommend?
A: Prepare to be overwhelmed. As previously mentioned, I take fish oil (a great anti-inflammatory), multivitamins, and a thermogenic (for extra fat burning and metabolism boosting). I take Amino Energy by Optimum Nutrition (grape is delicious!) with one scoop of BCAA's & glutamine powder (helps with fatigue and recovery) as a pre-workout beverage. Post workout nutrition is incredibly important because your muscles will be the most receptive to protein (muscle building) and carbohydrates (essential for restoring glycogen). Honestly, I've been drinking whatever protein powder is on sale at 24 Hour Fitness because I get a pretty sweet deal. I think that choosing a protein supplement can be a little bit overwhelming, so I would recommend talking to someone at your local nutrition store and reading reviews online to help with your choice. My post-workout meal usually consists of a protein shake with 2 scoops of powder, 1 scoop of BCAA's & glutamine, and a handful of raisins (a high glycemic load & index food, which will help with protein synthesis). Hate raisins? Alternatives: bananas, sweet potatoes, other dried fruit :)

Alrighty...I think that is quite a bit of information for now; definitely enough to suffice your appetite for a few days, eh? Please remember when heeding my advice that all of this is just advice; this is what works best for my lifestyle, my body, and my workout regimen. 

Who wants a Paleo Challenge update? You do!! This is about the time that I caved in and ate an entire pizza the last time that I attempted a 30 Day Paleo Challenge, so considering that I am not crying over an empty Domino's box, I'd say that all is well!  Today I even watched one person eat a delicious brownie and another person eat a chocolate chip cookie...smelling is not cheating. 

We all scream for WOD updates! I did my very first rope climb. It was scary, it hurt, I was wearing my cape, and it is one more goal to check off of my list :) Today's WOD was a pretty tough one, overall...my time was nothing to brag about, but finishing was an accomplishment in itself. I did my first overhead squat yesterday, too!! They were pretty light, but like I always say "form before load". I'll finish my WOD update with this comment: fuck dumbbell burpees. Okay thanks. 

"The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do."

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