fitspo – Page 4 – Nixie Dee

Make Sustainable Resolutions

When making your resolutions this year, don’t focus on 30 day weight loss programs, limited-time only classes, or restricting yourself 100% from one thing or another. Don’t just focus on January; focus on the entire year.

Make short term goals of 30 days, medium goals of 90 days, and long term goals for year’s end. (I’m personally making a 12-slide slideshow and making a goal for each month. Each slide contains photos, details, quotes, and other inspirations. I don’t have them all filled in yet, and that’s important. Goals change depending on what you accomplish as you go.)

If you want your health resolution to last, make it something you can follow for the rest of your life. Don’t do some stupid challenge that only lasts 30 days; what will you do after? Find what entertains you, exercises you, and stimulates your mind. Stick to that, and watch it work its magic.

Don’t completely cut out a food group like carbs or fat, because those are essential for life! Just focus on the healthy versions, like whole or sprouted grains, and plant-based fats from nuts and avocados. Here is a great pdf by Brendan Brazier on clean eating: Thrive Forward 101

You see all over the net… “These 3 Moves Will Sculpt Your Arms” … “30 days to a Ripped Body” … “Get a Rockin’ Booty in 10 Easy moves.”

These things are falsely-marketed fitness plans. You won’t do them every day for the rest of your life. You may attempt the first two weeks, and then you’ll be too sore, crawling on the ground, crying from pain, and not try again until next year. This is why you need to find what works for you.

Being healthy and fit is a lifestyle, not some 30 day program to lose 10lbs. When people finish diets and lose their weight, they go back to their old habits and ways. They think that since they lost all that weight, they can go back to their favorite fatty, fried foods.

If you keep eating that way, your body is going to stay that way.

Chances are, if you keep telling yourself, “I’m so unhappy, fat, and stressed.” Then you will stay that way. What you think; You become. Mind over Matter. You must make up your mind before trying to change your body.

You have to CHANGE what you are doing forever to get sustainable, lasting results.

All of these pins, articles, and tweets you see are just blowing smoke up your ass! You’re not going to get a six pack in a month if you are 200 pounds. You’re not going to be shredded after a 30 day diet and workout program if you’re more than 20lbs over weight. Those “7 supplements” are not going to burn fat if you’re sitting all day, munching on pretzels and vending machine crap. That commercial about the new “Lose Weight Fast” pill isn’t going to help you just because they show a skinny actress. Research weight loss pills scientific articles. The fine print always says, “Results show with proper diet and exercise.” Guess what? A healthy diet and exercise is helping you, not some caffeine pill (that gives you jitters and makes you pee every 30 minutes!).

It takes hard work, dedication, a plant-based, low-calorie diet to seriously change your body. Scarfing down pounds of chicken and white rice is not going to get you where you want to be. Take it from someone who personally reads and tests these bizarre diets, workouts, and claims! It’s all false.

How did I get to the best shape of my life? Five – six days of weight lifting and cardio, burning 500+ calories a day, eating salads as meals, organic proteins, and forgetting about sugar and desserts. It’s not so hard to lose weight, but to be truly fit, you need to stay consistent. If I go one week, only 7 days, without a hard-hitting routine that makes me sweat and burn, I’ll become weaker, slower, and fatigued.

Health and wellness is a commitment. A Lifestyle. A dedication. A daily task. Like brushing your teeth, you must think and “do health” everyday. Sure, I have dessert, lattes, and pizza. But I always fit them into my health plan. I don’t get extra cheese. I always opt for the “sugar-free skinny soy” latte, and make sure my dessert fits into my overall calorie goals. Even my cocktails are “skinny.”

You can enjoy life. No doubt about it. I love food and drinks. But if you truly want to be healthy, happy, and fit this year, you need to change your attitude, toughen up, and grow some courage. Stop believing myths like “Carbs are bad” and “Weights make you bulky” and that it only takes 30 days to be a skinny mini. Everything depends on where you start, your level of dedication, your daily diet, and your ending goal.

Contact me if you need some help. It’s always free.

New Year, New You

It is officially that time of year we all make promises to ourselves, express our goals, and then slowly but surely, forget about them. Then come next year, and we make the same ones all over again. Why don’t we keep our goals? Why don’t we reach them? Or why do we reach them, fall back on them, and have to start all over again? Here are some simple answers:

Keeping Goals, Reaching Goals

You don’t reach your goal because you are truly not committed to it. You are not ready for change, although you wish you were. You’re in the “pre-contemplation” stage where you are thinking about being/doing (Enter Goal Here) ie: healthier, but you’re not planning for it. Every one else is doing it, you know you need to, but you’re just not quite ready yet.

Want to reach your goals? Get ready.

Falling Back on Goals, Set Backs

So you made the goal to lose weight. You joined a gym in January, you started going every day, and even ate salads for dinner. You were losing weight fast and you felt great. Then, you ran out of time. You got lazy. You made excuses. And you gained it all back. Darn, just in time for bikini season! Looks like it’s t-shirt time and sarong.

Don’t fall back on your goals. Make a real commitment and stick to it. Reward yourself with a movie or fancy new tech toy for each milestone. Reward yourself with a new bikini that you always wished you could wear with confidence. Keep setting goals after you reach one. Lost the first 10lbs? Now try and lose 5 more. Next, sculpt your muscles. Then, attempt 5 pull-ups. Keep going on your journey (whatever it may be) and don’t make health or weight loss, or happiness, a destination. Make it a lifestyle.

If you’d like FREE virtual help losing weight, getting healthier, eating cleaner, or sculpting your body, contact me today.

That Hole You’re In? It Ain’t All That Mighty!

Dear Reader,

Don’t let your current struggle define who you are. Don’t let it define your entire life. Are you overweight? Depressed? Jobless? Or just can’t find your place yet in this world? Don’t worry, it’s not so hard to climb out of that hole.

You are a wonderful person. You work hard. You mean well. And you speak your mind. You’re not afraid to be you. So whatever has got you down, know that it’s only for a limited time.

It’s not permanent.

We can always change our circumstances.

All it takes is a little dedication and work to get out of this hole. Learn what it takes, whether it be a lifestyle change, a new way of eating, a new way of connecting to others, a novel approach to your dream career, or even starting a new hobby. Create something with your hands. Go for a walk. Gaze at the stars. Write a poem.

Don’t simply sit around and let this hole be a sinking sand. You are better than this hole. You are the shovel. You are the ladder that drops down into it. You are the rungs that support your weight. You are the ground in which the hole is dug. I am the hand reaching down to help you out. Grab hold. Now show that hole who’s boss and get out of it, fill it with cement, and never go back.

Love,

Nicole

Day Dreams Made Into Reality

What makes you happy? What is your life goal? When you’re sitting there working super hard and daydreaming, what is that dream?

My dream is to be able to spend as much time with my family and friends, without worrying about bills to pay, laundry to do, and shelves to dust. I want to live a worry-free life, where I can help others who truly need it, rescue all the animals I see fit, and eat locally-sourced organic food.

What is yours?

To reach this goal, I will have to make a commitment, be in control, and have courage to go beyond the limits of normal.

I want to find my bliss and you should too. It’s not unrealistic. You can’t fail if you keep trying. So start today.

Start by being mindful of every moment you have. Are you wasting it? We all waste time, but why aren’t we using that time? Why aren’t we spending that time; after all, time is money. A lot of us know what we dream of, but don’t quite know how to get there. I fall privy to this very evil almost daily. I want so much, attempt to do the very thing I think will bring me to my bliss and don’t quite reach it. But I try, try again. Because at least if I’m trying, I’m not failing.

We must connect our mind, our will power, our inner strength to push our bodies to the place we want them to be. What will it take? Find that out, write it down, and start working on it.

Trial Fast 101

It is easy to forget what true hunger feels like. You feel hungry every day, but is it physiological or psychological? Is the hunger coming from your body or is it coming from your head, hormones, or emotions?

Our bodies run on internal clocks. We psychologically get hungry at the time that we usually eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even if we have a larger than normal breakfast, we will still think we are hungry when lunch time rolls around; although, our bodies probably don’t need more calories yet. If fed more calories, it will just store them as FAT.

My solution to figure out the difference between these cravings and real, empty stomach hunger, is to do a Trial Fast.

Now let me tell you some facts right now:

You will not starve.
Your body will not eat your muscles.
And you won’t die.

You Will Figure out:

How to tell when you are truly in need of food.
Your triggers that make you crave food.
How much food should be in your meals.

It is essential to know what hunger feels like so you know not to freak out (and pig out) when ever you feel it. You know how to manage it, like any other issues in life. Hunger is a daily issue, you just have to decide if you want to handle it as an educated person or otherwise.

How To

This is very simple. All you have to do is not eat for 24 hours. I would choose a relaxing day where you have no work or errands, like Sunday. Eat a regular dinner on Saturday night. Brush your teeth after and do not eat anything during the day on Sunday. Just have a small snack (200 calories or less) and go to sleep. I suggest a piece of fruit or raw vegetable plate.

So lets say you finish dinner at 830pm on Saturday. Simply don’t eat again until 830pm on Sunday. Have a snack and go to bed. Simple as that.

During your day Sunday, relax, meditate, and learn about yourself. Try some yoga. Read up on clean eating, nutrition, and fitness. Stay busy, but relaxed. Do some crafts. Drink some green tea, yerba mate, or herbal tea, all plain. Focus on yourself and realize what you want out of your life and your body.

Do not overeat on Monday to “make up for” the calories you didn’t eat on Sunday. This is a lesson. Go back to your normal eating style. Or better yet, introduce the lessons you learned about yourself and implement them into your eating style. Maybe this means eating less, eating less often, or eating healthier choices.

Contact me if you have any questions! And comment below or on Facebook telling me how it went. I would love to know!

Fast Fact

Your body only “starves” after 72+ hours without food. This is when it will start to turn to proteins to keep a nitrogen balance in your blood.

Note: I am not a doctor, medical professional, or licensed dietician. I am an experienced and certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Always contact your physician before starting a new diet regimen. Do not attempt if you are a Type 1 Diabetic.

A Simple Answer to Protein Needs

Many people are clueless when it come to macronutrients needs. I’ll give you one simple sentence that will help you always remember how much protein you need:

Divide your weight in half and that’s how many grams of protein you need per day.

So if you are 100 pounds, you need 50 grams. If you are 150, you need 75 grams. Check nutrition labels to see how many grams are in each serving of your chosen food.

Tip: A 4-oz serving (little bigger than a deck of cards) of chicken provides 31 grams of protein, so 3 servings the size of your palm should suffice most people’s protein needs.

Gaining Muscle

If you’re an avid exerciser looking to build lean muscle, or body building, you will require about twice that. So just use your weight as your guideline for how much protein you need.

Facts for ALREADY LEAN PEOPLE looking to gain muscle:

Skeletal muscle is approximately 72% water, 22% protein, and 6% fat, glycogen, and minerals, and 1 pound of muscle tissue contains approximately 100 g of protein.
Theoretically, an athlete would have to ingest an extra 14 g of protein per day. Although, most experts believe the single most important factor in gaining lean mass (along with resistance training, of course) is consuming adequate calories.
Therefore, to ensure the body has sufﬁcient energy for lean mass accretion, consume an additional 200 to 400 calories daily above maintenance requirements in addition to consuming a little extra protein (approximately 2 ounces of lean meat).

Vegetarians/Vegans

As you can see from the image above (which I love), vegetarians can get plenty of protein from plant sources. Personally, I don’t eat meat and get my protein from various sources. (Although…I do eat sushi and partake in that once a month or so.) My favorites are quinoa, grilled tofu, lentils, almonds, tempeh, spirulina (shake), hemp seeds, black beans, hummus, kale, spinach, brown rice and seitan (wheat meat). Oh! And you can’t forget peanut butter. Mmm!

The Fat Burning Zone

The “Fat Burning Zone” theory encourages you to work at 55-65% of your max heart rate. The assumption is that your body is drawing its energy predominantly from fat calories. But this is WRONG! It is time to put this myth to rest.

When you want to lose fat, total calorie burn is what matters. Your body is either drawing on carbs, fat, or protein. When you are running and using a lot of oxygen, your body is using carbohydrates (sugar/glucose/glycogen) and fat to make you run. When you’re resting, like watching T.V, your body is using fat stores to help you survive. This is where the myth comes from. Yes it is true, at low-intensity you are using more fat to carbs in the ratio, but overall are burning LESS calories, which means burning LESS fat!

When you pump up to a High Intensity Workout you are using more carbs and more fat. This means you are burning MORE CALORIES overall, and burning MORE FAT overall, in turn means losing more weight. So throw that myth out of the window, burn more calories overall in your workouts, and lose weight faster. Please spread the word by using the share buttons below.

Easy Overnight Homemade Greek Yogurt

Greek Yogurt is all the craze right now. It’s less calories, more protein, and thicker. It’s easy to sub into recipes to make them have less fat and sugar. And best of all, you can make it at home with my cheap and easy solution.

All You Need

1 Container Regular Yogurt (I use soy since I’m lactose intolerant)
1 Big Pot
1 Strainer (that fits inside)
1 Coffee Filter
Plastic Wrap

What To Do

1. Place strainer inside pot. Place coffee filter flat on the bottom and push down.

2. Plop all the yogurt in.

3. Cover with plastic wrap.

4. Refrigerate over night. That’s it!

When you come back in the morning, use a big spoon to scoop the yogurt back into it’s original container. You’ll see you’ve got about half the amount that is 3x thicker! The water underneath the strainer is called the whey. It’s very nutritious so use it wisely. I like to use it make my morning oatmeal or smoothie. Since I use vanilla yogurt it’s sweet and has a vanilla taste. Enjoy!

Fitspiration Versus Thinspiration

After my post about intermittent fasting, I started searching for people who lived this way. After typing in the hash tag “Fasting” into twitter, I got a bunch of twitter accounts of girls with eating disorders. They post pictures of anorexic girls, tweet about how little they are eating, and post their low weights and BMI’s. It was pretty disturbing to see those images, but it’s the truth.

Because of the many forms of media that promote “thinness,” girls all over are constantly trying to be skinnier. I have to admit, when I was younger I wanted this too, but now I know better. There are websites devoted to thinspiration photos. And sometimes these two new words get confused. You’ll see fit girls on these sites, and then super skinny girls too.

Why isn’t there a media craze about being fit and strong?

Looking good is about being fit, strong, and sexy- not skinny, boney, and thin.

I can see why people relate fasting to anorexia; that is all they know and see. If you don’t eat, you’re starving yourself. You’re punishing yourself. You’re cleansing your sins. But really, you can fast for fitness. And that is what I’m now attempting to do.

You must be lean to see your sculpted muscles. You can lift all the weights you want and chug all the protein drinks down, but you’ll only be able to see the results if that fat layer is gone. And when it comes down to it, less calories equals weight loss, and weight loss equals less fat, and less fat equals visible muscles. So get out of the kitchen and focus on other things in life that bring you joy.

Fitspiration should be the only inspiration to young ladies. Girls on magazine covers should be healthy and fit, not skinny and boney. This is sending a negative and evil message to young girls. I was one of them! I know the feeling. When a woman is on tv or a magazine cover, we automatically think they are put there to be an idol, an example for what a lady should look like. They are praised for their looks and body, so we must make ours look similar.

I’m here to say, instead of actually starving- educate yourself. (This website is a great source to start.) Instead of wanting to be thin, want fitness. Exercise extends your life. Eating healthy extends your life. Enjoy your life, extend it, and live happier. Don’t torture yourself. Don’t fall for gimmicks. And don’t take diet pills. Just do what works for you and remember the science before trying the latest trend.

Sweet Tooth – Bitter Tooth

Confession#1: I have a huge sweet tooth.

Confession#2: I have a huge bitter tooth.

I crave sweets, candy, chocolate, sugar, pies, cake, whipped cream, ice cream, and well, you get the point. We all get cravings but they are just psychological. We can control them.

I crave spicy arugula, kale, brocoli, grape leaves, spinach, black coffee, and pretty much everything that goes in a salad.

Funny thing is, when you start to eat cleanly, you start to crave those healthy foods you are loading up on. I’ve recently discovered my “bitter tooth” to be quite helpful in my healthy eating. It’s not always “bitter” but just plain vegetables. Some are sweet like carrots and some are spicy like jalapenos. Altogether though, my body wants healthy food and yours will too, once you start to be consistent with your clean diet. If you’re interested in starting a clean lifestyle, contact me today. Why not right now?

When you consistently eat healthy, indulging in junk food or alcohol makes you sick. I can handle some organic baked goods or some tofu mousse, but having real, processed white bread or sugar makes me slow, nauseas, and full of headaches. On the other hand, fruit, which is technically sweet and sugary, does not make me sick. The sugar is natural, organic, and straight from nature. It’s full of nutrients and fiber. I love it. ^_^

Do you have a sweet or bitter tooth?