Salaam my lovelies! It’s been too long since I blogged last, but I have some exciting news. I have written in the past about my fitness journey, but I wanted to share my progress. I had a baby almost TWO years ago and for some reason, the second time it has been a challenge to shed that extra baby weight. That being said, it can be done.
I think the hardest part for me was that it is so easy to get overwhelmed with how to even start. What gym do I join? What classes do I take? What meal plan should I follow? In a world full of options, it is easy to get overwhelmed.
I was lucky enough to have a fellow mom be my workout buddy last summer and do a boot camp called Training For Warriors. Once I got in, it was small consistent steps that have really made all the difference. I still have a ways to go, but I wanted to share my fitness journey so that I can inspire you if you are a novice.
Start With Clean Eating
I know I said fitness journey, but you can’t be fit if you are eating junk. But what is clean eating? It can mean a lot of different things for different people. For me, I am an apple shape. Which means that I carry a LOT of my weight as visceral fat in my stomach. This shape is more prone to diabetes, hypertension and other bad diseases. If you are an apple shape, it is easy to despair, but you CAN get into shape.
Once you pinpoint your body shape, you can figure out how your body metabolizes food. For me, it was all about that rice and other carbs. I replaced my rice with riced broccoli (Trader Joe’s has a readymade one) or with riced cauliflower. I eat a lot of lean protein and salads.
Meal Plan
Invest in Tupperware containers. Start with 10 lunchbox size ones, 10 half-sized ones and 20 minis. Spend Sunday thinking about what you want to eat for the week and shop for those meals and snacks. Keep in mind that I meal plan for the week, but I cook food to last till Wed. Then I cook again for Wed-Sat. For me, I like baking omelette cups and banana nut cups for breakfast, shrimp scampi with zoodles and grilled chicken breast with salad for lunch. For dinner, we mix it up. I sometimes do meatballs, sprouted bread grilled cheese with avocado and more.
REALLY Start A Food Diary
This was key for me. I was not understanding why I gained so much weight, but when I saw just how many calories some of my “healthy” snacks were, I knew I had to change it up a bit. For example, one of my yogurt faves was more like a dessert clocking in at almost 300 calories! Add the granola and other additions and it was almost 1/3 of my recommended caloric intake. Yikes!
You can also see patterns. When did I reach for my snacks? Was I sleep deprived? Was I feeling stressed? Once you see your triggers, you can really work to change those default habits.
Start Exercising with High Intensity Interval Training
HIIT means a combinations of max cardio with resistance (weights) training. This can be anything from jumping jacks, burpees and battle ropes mixed with push ups, tricep dips and more. This will WORK. If you are like me when I started, you may not do a lot. I started off doing about 5 pushups on my knees. You will eventually get to 15 pushups or more on your toes. It is a slow process. It took time to gain the weight and it will take time to take that weight off.
Start Using Protein Powder
Using protein powder to make shakes was a game changer for me. I HATED shakes and smoothies. It turns out that I really just hated the bananas in the shakes. I actually make really delicious shakes using protein powder, almond butter and almond milk. I mix up the fruit combinations and add green powder to the mix too. It is so GOOD. It is like a milk shake, but it helps you rebuild your muscles from all of that resistance training.
Stick with Friends Who Encourage You
Let your friends and family know that you are starting this new fitness journey. I am the luckiest lady to have a husband who supports me every step of the way. He never complains about our meals and that we don’t have junk in the house. The kids LOVE my healthy snacks too. I have more energy and I am happier too.
These are tips to get you started, but what are your fitness tips? Do you like these tips? Would like to hear more? Let me know in the comments below!
