Plan of Attack

Hey everyone, so last post covered all the food that will be allowed during this 30 day challenge, and now I will cover the weekly workout schedule. I think it's safe to say that people know if you want to be healthy you have to workout 3 to 5 times a week. This is true but we are not just going for healthy, we are going for the lean and cut look which will require 90 minutes everyday for 6 days a week devoted to working out. These workouts will require weights and there will be a good amount of cardio throughout the week as well. This fitness website (Simply Shredded), that I read daily, has vast amount information regarding diets and different training methods. The best thing about this website is the fact that it is for both men and women, and they post articles about the science behind the diet, figure and fitness model routines, workouts for specific body areas, and bodybuilding techniques. (I always recommend this site to anyone that asks me for training tips.) Now, I don't focus on the bulking and bodybuilding part of the website because that will never be a physical goal of mine but if that is what you are aiming for then go for it!

The articles from Simple Shredded that I reread today to get myself organized for my upcoming daily routine for the next 30 days were about carb cycling and the female training guide. These articles are definitely worth the read, because not only are they packed with information but they will motivate you like no other. After reading these articles I am stoked to start this challenge Monday, it will be very difficult but I know it will pay off in the end.

Here is general outline of my schedule for the next month:

Monday: Extremely low carb intake
9 am - black coffee and 45 minute cardio
10 am - breakfast
12 pm - pre workout drink and snack
1 pm - 1 hour weights (legs)
2 pm - lunch
4 pm - snack
7 pm - dinner
9 pm - cup of green tea 

Tuesday: Extremely low carb intake
9 am - black coffee and 45 minute cardio
10 am - breakfast
12 pm - snack
2 pm - lunch
4 pm - snack
7 pm - dinner
8 pm - 1 hour weights (arms)
11 pm - cup of green tea 

Wednesday: Low carb intake
9 am - black coffee and 45 minute cardio
10 am - breakfast
12 pm - pre workout drink and snack
1 pm - 1 hour weights (legs)
2 pm - lunch
4 pm - snack
7 pm - dinner
9 pm - cup of green tea 

Thursday: Low carb intake
9 am - black coffee and 45 minute cardio
10 am - breakfast
12 pm - snack
2 pm - lunch
4 pm - snack
7 pm - dinner
8 pm - 1 hour weights (back) 

Friday: Low carb intake
10 am - breakfast
12 pm - pre workout drink and snack
1 pm - 1 hour of HIIT (cardio)
2/3 pm - lunch
5 pm - snack
7 pm - dinner
9 pm - cup of green tea 

Saturday: Extremely low carb intake
9 am - black coffee and 1 hour of HIIT (fasted cardio)
10 am - pre packed breakfast at the gym
12 pm - lunch
3 pm - snack
7 pm - dinner
9 pm - cup of green tea 

Sunday: Refueling day, moderate carb intake
11 am - breakfast
1 pm - lunch
3 pm - snack
7 pm - dinner

Now this is just a very basic schedule of events for this coming month, I understand things may come up or times may change etc...., but this is the set schedule that I am sticking to in order to reach my ultimate goal by the 30th. Just incase anyone was wondering, my goal is to get down to 135 pounds and I am currently between 145 to 150. I think with this diet and exercise plan, dropping 10 to 15 pounds should not be a problem but remember weight is just a number and we are aiming for a figure  transformation. Each day I will do a post covering what my meal plan for that day was, what workouts were done and when I completed them, and whatever new readings/findings I came across throughout my day. By the end of this month I hope to have reached my goal and I will post a before and after picture on the 30th of October.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend and I will talk to you soon!

 

30 Day Challenge: Food Items

Hey everyone! I have compiled a list of superfoods that will be essential during this challenge. I am going to list these foods out so if you wanted to just print the list off to use as grocery list for this next month.

Fruit- Now do not go overboard with the fruit because fruit are filled with sugars and carbs, but they are allowed in moderation.

Berries
Melons
Apples
Bananas
Avocado
And whatever other fruits you desire

Vegetables- Now veggies are your best friend during this challenge so stock up!

Spring Mix
Spinach
Kale
Purple Cabbage
Green Beans
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Squash
Celery
Cucumber
Zucchini
Mushrooms
Garlic

Meats and Protein- Keep these in moderation, they are beneficial in small amounts.

Salmon
Tofu
Veggie Burgers
Lean Chicken Breasts
Turkey

Nuts/Oils- These are packed full with nutrients so stock up on these too.

Flax Seeds (milled)
Organic Peanut Butter
Raw Almonds (unsalted)
Sunflower Seeds (unsalted)
Cashews (unsalted)
And any other nuts you may want just make sure they are raw and unsalted.

Canned Items- Canned is never the best choice because it is never the freshest choice, but when it comes to these items you'll be fine.

100% Natural Pumpkin
Tuna
Red Kidney Beans
Black Beans
Chicken or Vegetable Stock (no added sodium)

Dairy- These items are fine in moderation and are very beneficial.

Unsweetened Almond Milk
Egg Whites
Fat-Free Cottage Cheese
Non-Fat Greek Yogurt

These are the foods that I will be sticking to during the next 30 days. There will be no exceptions for cheat meals or cheat days. Also this 30 day challenge will also exclude drinking since alcohol is just liquid sugar. Coffee is allowed but no sugars or creamers, try to drink it black. Throughout this challenge I will be posting daily about my meal plans and daily workouts so be on the lookout.

The 30 Day Challenge

So October is only a week away, which means Halloween is right around the corner. Halloween happens to be my favorite holiday because you get to dress up and do scary/fun things throughout the night. So in order for me to be in tiptop shape for Halloween I am going to do the 30 day challenge, this challenge will be very strict challenge consisting of 100% healthy nutritious meals and daily workouts. I want to share my experience daily on my blog and the final post on October 30th will be a picture of my results.

The main goal, for this upcoming series on my blog, is to motivate and show people that anyone can get in shape if they just apply themselves. All of the posts will be about what I ate throughout the day and what workout(s) I did during the day.
If anyone is interested in doing this challenge with me, I am more than happy to have you join in!

The tools you will need:
Nike Training Club (iPhone users)
Access to gym equipment
Blender
Oven/Grill

I will post another blog in a few days about what food items you will need for this challenge and I will also compose a weekly grocery list as well. I hope some of you join in with me for this challenge!

Squash the Carbs

Who doesn't enjoy a nice plate of spaghetti, I know I sure do! Although I can tell you the one thing I don't like about spaghetti is the fact that it is packed full of unwanted carbs. Back in high school I ran in track and field and the night before every meet the team would have a spaghetti cookout night, basically carb loading for the meet. So not only would my mother cook spaghetti or some type of pasta every other night but I also had my coaches trying to get me to carb up, which is never the best approach to loosing weight. Carbs are mistaken for being the one food that will boost your energy levels almost instantly, but there are many other healthier food options that will give you instant energy and also help maintain your energy levels.

My take on carbs is you just have to play it smart. I strive to eat clean carbs like sweet potatoes, brown rice, or steel cut oats. Those types of carbs are the good carbs that your body will process for energy, just remember to keep all carbs in moderation because abusing carb intake will just result in stubborn weight staying around.

Now onto the recipe! You will need a spaghetti squash, olive oil, and whatever else you desire for your spaghetti squash noodles. Now take your spaghetti squash and cut it in half vertically. Now that you have it halved you want to take a spoon (I used an ice-cream scooper) to scoop out the insides and the seeds. Don't scoop too hard, treat it like you're cleaning out the inside of a pumpkin.

Now that you have your squash all cleaned and ready to go, take some baking paper and line your cooking sheet with it. Take your olive oil and drizzle about 1 to 2 tsp on the inside of the spaghetti squash, then place the two halves open side down and bake for 45 to 60 mins at 375 F degrees.

Once the time is up take your squash out and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then you want to take your scooper again and start scraping at the inner sides of the squash. You will begin to notice noodle like pieces pulling up as your continue to scrape. Hollow out both halves of the squash and place in a serving bowl where you can add whichever other ingredients you wish! I made one serving just plain with sautéed mushrooms mixed in and another one with organic marinara sauce on top.

Spaghetti squash is super delicious and good for you! Plus it has minimal carbs since it is a vegetable. This is just another healthy food alternative that I make sure is a part of my everyday clean eating routine.

Pumpkin Spread - Fall Foods

As fall begins to creep up on us I begin making all of my old fall recipes, and today was pumpkin cream cheese spread. This spread is a great fall food because it can be added to almost anything to make it a festive meal. I usually use this spread on toast, pancakes, in yogurt, and as dip. This spread is not only delicious but it is nutritious! The ingredients are: 1 can of organic purée pumpkin, 1 packet of fat free cream cheese, grade A maple syrup, truvia to taste, and cinnamon.

All of these ingredients are natural and healthy for your body! And it's super easy to make.

You just add all the ingredients to the bowl and you decide how much maple syrup, cinnamon, and truvia as you like. I try to keep it simple and light for my mid-day snacks so I will still have enough energy until my next meal. Well this will be my afternoon snack, a nutritious fall flavored afternoon pick me up is just what I need.

Juicing, Smoothies, and Detox OH MY!

Ever heard of a magic weight-loss potion, or a magical pill that will melt your fat away? We all know that the hyped up weight-loss "programs" and "quick fixes" do not work, but what does work is juicing in order to get the proper amount of nutrients daily. Now I know what you're thinking, "How can one drink cleanse my entire body?" well you are slightly right and slightly wrong at the same time. Detoxing is not just a one-step procedure, it involves many different drink recipes in order to make the detox work 100% and worth your time. What people mainly get wrong about detox programs and drinks is the fact that it takes a lot of your time and you must stay committed if you want to complete the detox. A blog that I love to follow ( Organic Beauty Talk ) just recently did a post about juicing, including some detox juice recipes. At the same time that I believe detox programs can help rejuvenate one's body, I also believe that fasting (during or for a detox program) is not the best for your body.

Now I do believe in super smoothies and super drinks that will help your body rejuvenate its self. I do not do detox programs anymore, but I do try to drink a power smoothie every day. In my smoothies I try to pack a bunch of superfoods in there so my body is getting the best nourishment.

Above is what I use daily when it comes to my juices and smoothies. All of these products are 100% natural, so there are no additives or preservatives in your super smoothie. You can use water, coconut water, or unsweetened almond milk as your base. I usually just stick with coconut water (ZICO) as my base, but if I want a creamier texture I use the unsweetened almond milk.

Regardless of what you prefer, detox or daily superfood smoothies, both are great for your body but remember to be cautious when it comes to detox fasting. I encourage everyone to try and make a super smoothie this week.


Welcome

Hello everyone, welcome to my blog! My name is Stephanie Bolen and I am a 21 year old student at USF majoring in Production and a minor in Nutrition. I am obsessed with trying to eat as clean as I possibly can for various reasons; but mainly it is just the best way to take care of your body. Ever since my freshman year in high school I became interested with anything concerning health food or exercise. I was always an active kid but when I started my sophomore year in college I ran into some health problems. Those problems ended up being a blessing in disguise because I was 30 pounds overweight, so I knuckled down and got serious about changing my "healthy" habits. I switched from "healthy" foods to clean foods; I also switched from normal body products to any organic certified body product. It has taken me a total of two years to get to where I am at now and I am still learning new things. This blog will be about the smart organic choices I try to make when it comes to meals, drinks, eating out, beauty products, and more! My main focus for this blog is to share my views and knowledge about specific chemicals and preservatives in products that we come into contact with daily. The best part about this blog will be the little secrets that not many people know about, when it comes to healthy and clean living. Just remember I am human so I slip up from time to time and I enjoy some small unhealthy treats every now and then but the key is to keep everything in moderation. I will also provide healthy tips for when you are traveling and for when you are too busy with work or school to even think about eating healthy. Remember you are only making excuses because it is "easier" to grab that cheeseburger when you are in a hurry rather than pack a lunch the night before; instead of setting yourself up for long term health problems try to motivate yourself by seeing how long you can go without a soda or junk food. Also keep in mind that it took me two years to learn and somewhat master this nutritious plan, Rome wasn't built in a day!! Before I made this change I was at my highest weight of 179 lbs; I am 6' tall so that is not a ridiculous weight for that height but I knew something was wrong and needed to change. Once my health problems were under control, I really became fascinated with eating raw foods. I then made the switch and stuck with the plan and the weight started melting off! I am currently at 148 – 153 lbs, and my ideal weight is 130 – 135 lbs. This blog will feature my healthy journey to my ultimate goal weight, I encourage anyone who wants to start living a healthier life to join in as well!

“We have more ability than will power, and it is often an excuse to ourselves that we imagine that things are impossible.” -François de la Rochefoucauld