sleep — Blog — Fit Foodie Le

no morning run today. i slept in and do NOT feel bad about it! i was up late last night prepping meals for the week and needed the extra sleep.

i worked out with my trainer saturday,

shoulders, legs, and stairmaster = sweaty mess.

i actually don't mind the cardio at all- even when i don't have my ipod. i'm up to 7 hours of it a week, which is just an hour a day. (weight training and ab work is not included in that though). after i get nice and warm (at least 10 min into it) i don't feel a thing. i do try to keep it exciting and use several machines. 20 min here, 20 there, 20 somewhere else, and i only start counting again when my heart rate reaches my fat burning zone. no cheating on my diet OR workouts!!

*update*

after 3 successful rounds of carb cycling and two more weeks out the window:

146lbs (lost 4.7)

2.7 % body fat lost, which brings me down to 13%.

i always kept a light sweater with me at all times cause i get cold easily. however, 68 degrees for our home temp is now unbearable. Sonny is convinced that the house must be this cold in order for him to sleep. *side-eye* i've been going to bed in thermals recently- long sleeve tops AND bottoms in the middle of a Houston Summer!!! however it makes sense- less body fat and weight, less insulation.

i missed Chiso's stank butt so much this weekend! i surprised Sonny with a short and sweet getaway for his birthday (post coming), and Chi spent some good times with his grandparents :)

what can i say.. this has been the toughest week yet and it's only gonna get tougher. after 3 rounds of carb cycling, i'm in the middle of my fourth. per my trainer, no changes to my meal plan this week since my body is responding so great to the carb cycling. i just keep thinking over and over again how little time i have left. i'm 100% dedicated to reaching my goal, i can do this, and it will all be over soon. in that order. lol. at this point i'm craving things i don't even normally eat- frito pie, doritos... churros... and my obsession with food network is about to ruin my life. if i'm not watching it on TV, i'm on food blogs all day long. food is SUCH a huge part of my life. i'm a FOODIE. makes me wonder if i'll do another show after this one to be completely honest. the urge to binge only comes around full force when i'm watching Paula Deen put 42 sticks of butter into her upside down apple cake. outta sight outta mind really works best for me at this point.

anyway, i have these guys (thick cut sirloin steaks) marinating in some Braggs liquid aminos, green onion, cilantro, and montreal steak seasoning, and will throw them on the grill tonight when i get home.

on a lighter note, i must express how much i LOOOOOVE the Instagram community, WOW!!! if you aren't following some of these crazy inspirational, motivational, health and fitness role models, then just looking through their pics is still worth every second of your time. they are REAL, hard-working moms and dads doing the healthy thing, sharing recipes, fitness tips, and reaching their goals one day at a time. after this show i cannot wait to get crackin' on some of these recipes!! look'em up:

fitfoodiele :lol:

fitfoods

livefiteatclean

powercakes

onefitfoodie

c_fitnessjourney

eatclean_behappy

fit4aprincess

MyFitnessLife24

kristfitj1210

fitandsexy_fe

healthygirll

instagramfitness

mattyb2126

myhealthydish_

there are waaaaaaaaaaaaay too many more, but take a peek at these guys and girls.

enjoy the rest of this blessed day!

Q: screw a 6 pack, i just want my abs to be flat!!! help...

A: this is definitely THE number one question i get asked about. before i show you what i do to get them, there are some things you MUST do and consider before you can ever achieve them yourself.

what you eat affects your tummy. and no, im not talking about just eating too much. i could eat 3 broccoli stalks and blow up like a hot air balloon. i mean really, of all things, broccoli. a number of other healthy foods can cause gas, tummy discomfort, and bloating...see what some of them are, here. even having to 'go' can create a significant bulge in your tummy. i can't do anything about that lol, but you must learn pay attention to how your body reacts to different types of foods. it can honestly take some time, but it's worth it to figure out what your trigger foods are. i now know what NOT to eat before slipping into a fitted dress or my skinny jeans.

maintain a healthy, balanced, portion controlled diet. seems like the older i get, the ratio of working out vs. eating gets a little more lopsided. i thought it was the combo of having a baby and turning 30, but who really knows! either way, i just can't eat like i used to. it used to be 50% exercise, 50% diet. now, it's more like 75% diet in order to maintain my current size and shape. portion size never meant so much to me as it does now. overdoing it can literally ruin a hard workout in seconds. too much sodium makes my tummy poofy, and too much sugar makes it mushy. not saying you can't have either- just remain active and have everything in moderation. overall, stick to fresh, natural foods and cut out the processed, sugary junk.

you won't ever (you hear me? everrrrr!!!!) get that defined, chiseled mid-section until you burn off that layer of fat on top of them. e.g. CARDIO exercise...and on a regular basis at that. now, having a 6 pack requires a very low body fat percentage. unless i'm gonna compete in a fitness competition or something, it's just not that big a deal to me. some type of cardio is definitely needed to keep them toned and flat though. what kind of cardio? sprinting/running, spinning, kickboxing, elliptical/treadmill, athletic training boot camps, etc. take your pick and do at least 45 min to 1hr. of cardio at a time, 3x's a week, minimum. as always, your intensity determines overall calorie burn and results.

do core/ab exercises CORRECTLY. sigh. as an instructor, i see faulty exercise posture every. single. day. if you aren't using your abs/core to begin with, don't expect to see significant changes in them since you are getting help from other body parts! are you pulling on/with your neck? are you abusing momentum (rocking back/forth)? are you just mimicking the instructor and not focusing on YOUR abs? don't just go through the motions. listen to the instructor's cues (if you are taking a class) and focus on feeling your own abs being worked for maximum results.

vary your exercises. look how many muscles make up your core! tons. aim to work your upper abs, lower abs, and right/left obliques. do a combo of different ab exercises to work your entire mid-section.

water water water. water reduces bloating, aides in digestion after your meal, and flushes out those bad toxins. plus, you stay hydrated which is good for your skin and hair anyway. stop it with that sugary soda and juice and replace it with water. you can even do tea and use a natural sweetener if you just have to have a drink other than water with your meal.

6-8 hrs. of rest (preferably 8) every night. ever eaten a meal, gone to sleep, woke up, and could still feel it sitting in your tummy? such a yucky , not so great feeling. after having my little boy and enduring the every 2-3 hour breastfeeding schedule, i immediately noticed the effects it had on my body, physically. (not even gonna expand on the mental damage, lol). anyway, because i wasn't able to sleep for a period of 8 or more hours at a time for a good while, my body never really got the chance to recover fully, which means my food wasn't digesting properly. i had already lost the initial preggo fluid/water weight easily, but my weight loss came to a halt and started to creep back up again as lack of sleep also stimulates hunger. it was a vicious cycle. people are always surprised at sleep being criteria for flat abs..it's that serious. not enough rest can lead to unhealthy eating habits, less exercise, and eventually obesity.