Meal-Prep Monday!

Today's topic is brought to you by STRESS, FOOD, and TIME. So, welcome back and prepare yourselves (uh oh - already starting out with a pun Lyndsey? you betcha)...

As I have been forced into the wonderful world of what we call "school", I've had virtually no time to just relax, let alone think about my food for the next day (eeeeeeeep!). Don't get me wrong - I've been eating semi-healthy and still pumping iron daily, but my meals certainly could be better. My schedule is school, gym, homework, sleep. Gross, right?

That's why I discovered #mealprepmonday (apparently, a very popular hashtag). Now technically I meal-prepped on Sunday, but, ya know, you do you. I stalked Pinterest boards and Instgram foodies for ideas, hauled my butt to the store (Trader Joe's is my cocaine), and forced myself to plan out every meal for this upcoming week. Overall, I spent about 2 hours doing all of this, which, in my eyes, is completely worth the outcome I will get.

So, why meal prep? How do you meal prep? What's the point?
Well, I'll tell ya the point. Because I prepared all of my foods for this week, I don't have to frantically rush around my school cafeteria when I realize my avacado panini's are all gone, or that my favorite greek yogurt has been discontinued. All of my foods are in containers or baggies, and I know exactly what I will be eating and when. I planned out each food group in order to hit my protein needs each day. Foods are taken from each food group.

This first week is a test for me - I am NO expert on how to do this, nor do I want you guys to follow my plan exactly, since I am only trying it out. Let me just show you some of my splendid ideas...

veggie bowls: peppers, carrots, green beans, mixed vegetables

fruits: grapes & apples & bananas

carbs: potatoes, trail mix, blue corn tortilla chips 

 

protein: greek yogurt, questies, kashi protein cereal

Now, I am assured that I will be hitting my macros and micros for each day since I have all of my food prepped. These are only lunches - my breakfast is usually a waffle with almond butter or eggs, and my dinners are always protein shakes and a lean cuisine or whatever my mother cooks. All together, this wasn't too expensive or time consuming! All of these products are from Trader Joe's or Hannaford, with the exception of my Quest bars from the Vitamin Shoppe. Speaking of which...

getting new proteins will always excite me

these are taken post-workout (5 days a week)

Annnnnnnyways...

I encourage you all to try this method. Get out all of your containers and pull out some baggies. What could go wrong? Test it out for a week with me. I plan to update you guys on how it goes sometime in the near future! 

Ta-daaaaaaa!
A few of my faves: TJ almond butter, Kashi Go Lean Crisp, Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Eat up! I'll be back soon, I promise...

Lyndsey

Snack Time Munchies

If any of you are like me, a simple 3 meals per day will certainly not satisfy your bellies. In fact, even certain researchers say that eating 5 meals a day (3 full meals + 2 snacks) is the most beneficial for our bodies.

But here's the problem - snack foods. When I was a kid, I used to think of "snacks" as being Lay's Potato Chips with a packet of Welch's Fruit Snacks and a snack size pack of Oreo's. Little did I realize how much these simple "snacks" were destroying my body; snacks are meant to be a mid-morning or mid-afternoon pick me up - they are not meant to make you feel as if you just ate a whole meal off of the buffet at Golden Corral. Snacks are really just meant to tie you over until that next meal.
Now, wait one second. I am certainly not trying to tell anyone how to eat or what to eat here. This is just a life-lesson that I have learned the hard way, as I didn't listen to what my mother would tell me and I thought my food choices were fine. They weren't. My posts are only for those who went/are going through the same situations, for I want to give my perspective on these types of things. Trust me - I know we all get those midnight cravings for Ben & Jerry's or a box of Cheez-It's; and even if you do indulge yourself in that, there's no shame. We all have slip-ups. We're all human (unless you're Scott from Teen Wolf...).

So, what is a snack in my eyes? When I first started transitioning into my new "healthy lifestyle", I figured snacks could only be things like an apple or a baggie of carrots.
Oh boooooooy, was I wrong. There are literally thousands of snack options; it's just about taking the time to plan them out, shop the right way, and control cravings.
I usually only have a snack between lunch and dinner during the summer, because I eat giant breakfasts (makes me feel better through the day). However, once I am back in school, snacks are a MUST.

If you're stuck or you're not sure where to start, always think of protein first. Certain protein bars (Quest bars, Nature Valley Greek Yogurt bars, etc) can be FANTASTIC snacks that are also delicious, so they suit your cravings (did I mention Quest has an apple pie bar? yeah, exactly). If you're not one for protein bars, there's always yogurt! I just recently got into greek yogurt, but if I am in a hurry, I stick to my favorite Danon Light & Fit yogurt cups! A few other of my latest & greatest snack ideas:

Any fruits (apples, bananas, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, etc.)

blueberries & pomegranate seeds 

Granola - try with almond butter or peanut butter and cinnamon!

Power bowls - for hungrier times. Includes a carb, a protein, and nutrients (fruit)

strawberries/blueberries/grapes & granola/greek yogurt

Crackers and dip (usually pita/multigrain crackers and hummus/red. fat cream cheese)

TJ pita crackers with baby bell peppers, salsa, and red.fat cream cheese

Also obsessed with tropical trail mix & light string cheese. A great mid-afternoon pick-me-up is also the fitness-famous BLENDICANO at Starbucks (click here if you haven't read my post on this extravagant drink that's less than 20 calories).

These are just a few ideas, but they should do the trick when your belly starts to rumble, yet you still have another hour and a half until dinner rolls around. 

So as tempting as it may be to reach for that Little Debbie brownie or pouch of barbecue chips, think of what good you'll do your body if you fuel it with the right types of food, so that when lunch time strikes, you have an appetite. 

-Lyndsey

If you missed my last post on girls who lift, click here - I promise you won't regret it. 

Non-Scale Victories (Warning: Girly)

It's that time of year ... BACK TO SCHOOL *weeps uncontrollably*
We all know what that means - shopping upon shopping. Exciting, yet, terrifying...especially if you, like me, absolutely dread  trying on clothes.
Dressing rooms = a horror-producing, mood-depressing, stuffy, sweaty paradise. Can't you tell I adore them?
In my past, trying on clothes has never been a treat, for things never got past my big belly or my thunder thighs, squeezing my arms in all the wrong places and giving me back rolls. Can anyone relate? As much as I love fashion and all things glamour, finding the perfect fit has always been tough.
Until...

although, you'd think I have enough...

On our way home from vacation this past week, I had the opportunity to stop by my FAVORITE store in the entire universe: Forever 21. I knew I was in desperate need of clothes for my upcoming school year and internship at a State Attorney's Office (fancy fancy), but I also knew how much it would seriously suck to try on all the glorious outfits I had picked out.
However... once I was in the horrid dressing room lined by darling dresses and frilly tops, trying them on wasn't like any of the past nightmares I've experienced. Some dresses fit just how they should have, tops laying in all the right places, and pants actually getting past my thighs. But, why? And how?

This, my dear friends, is what we call a NON-SCALE VICTORY.
No, my scale hasn't dropped recently (mostly due to muscle building > losing weight), and I haven't been seeing any major changes in my body. But it's little things like these - simply noticing new clothes fitting better - that make your weight loss or health journeys that much more meaningful. You get a little confidence boost each time a non-scale victory happens. Maybe your jeans from high school fit again when you clean out your closet, or maybe you see an old picture of yourself and realize how different you look now. Whatever it may be, non-scale victories have a deeper meaning behind them: they show the progress you're making in a way that can't be expressed by a number on a scale.
So the next time you feel like you're not getting anywhere with your routines, or you've hit a plateau, always remember the small things in life.
That is all I have.

Look out for a big (& hopefully inspirational) post coming soon on girls who lift ;)

-Lyndsey

 cutest dress i've ever laid eyes on

 4 dresses, 4 shirts, 1 blazer...oops

my sister & I after shopping til we dropped

Vacationing Without Guilt

So it's been a while since my last post, and that's for the single reason of VACATION. Between the packing, meal planning and last-minute intense workouts, fitting in time to blog has been tough. However, now that I am relaxing on the beach with my toes (and crispy back, oops) in the warm sand , I feel it's necessary to write about AVOIDING the guilt that comes from a week of unclean eating and lazy exercise.

Ohhhhhhh, vacation. Most of us look forward to it, and a few of us dread it as we fear gaining 20 pounds.
*NEWSFLASH*
You won't gain 20 pounds in one week. Even if you ate McDonald's Big Mac's at every meal for 7 days, you won't blow up like a balloon all of the sudden (don't take my word completely, I haven't actually tried it).

Personally, because I worked my butt off for 5 months, I was deathly afraid of going one week without my typical nutritious foods and daily exercise routines. But now, as we are on day 3 of vacation, guess what? I still look and feel exactly the same.

It's all about control.  If you treat your body nicely, it will treat you nicely.

So now down to the real scheme - HOW?
First off, plan out your food. Yes, I KNOW it's impossible to know every little meal you'll have. Vacation means relaxation and trying new things, like that hoppin' restaurant on the boardwalk a few blocks down. You don't know what food they'll have, so don't even bother planning out every piece of food going into your mouth over the course of 7 days. That's why it's important to bring food you know will keep you on track most of the time. For example, my 3 younger siblings survive off of Pop Tarts and Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins for breakfast. So what do I bring? My favorite box of Special K cereal. Pizza and candy for lunch? That means protein bars and rice cakes in my hands. Here a few of the foods that I managed to bring along to curb my cravings:

Garden Vegetable Hummus with Reduced Fat Wheat Thins
Nature Valley Greek Yogurt Protein Bars
Lemon Meringue Pie Quest Protein Bars
Caramel Rice Cakes
PEANUT BUTTA
Crystal Light Raspberry Green Tea

Yes - last night as we were downtown I had a Peppermint Stick ice cream with sprinkles. BIG WHOOP. It's not about depriving yourself; after all, you are on vacation. It's about controlling yourself. For dinner, I had a garden salad with grilled chicken. However, I did eat a few of the nachos my family ordered as an appetizer. Control will do wonders. 

Second off, it's good to take a break from exercise. But...if you're like me and think your muscles will melt after a week, plan out a few workouts for the week. For me, the beach is a prime place to go for a morning run. With the water by your side and the breeze in your hair, what could be better? For upper body strength, I brought along 10 pound weights and have done a few lifts here and there, remembering I'm on vacation and my body deserves a rest too. For lower body, I can always squat, lunge, or deadlift my sister (kidding, but good idea...). Staying active is the key here.

So overall, don't stress while away from home. I guarantee you will not have to be rolled back home from an overload of pizza and fries and ice cream and cotton candy. You will be fine. Relax and enjoy.

 Old Orchard Beach, ME

boogie-boardin with my sisters

 questies & crystal light

burnt-to-a-crisp legs

happiness.

-Lyndsey

Mentality Controls Everything

Back again? Marveeeeeelous - because today's topic is a big one.

RUNNING.
And of course, it's correlation with mentality.
Ohhhhhhh running...
Some people love it, others hate it. Then there's people like me who simply think they suck at it.
Newsflash - you can't suck at running. EVERYONE runs differently. Whether it's 9.0mph or 4.5mph, at least you're not lounging on the couch watching 4 seasons of a show on Netflix.

So, what about running? Well, here's my story; maybe it will inspire you.

I'm not a runner. Never have been, most likely never will be. Those days in gym class where we had to do suicides were torture. Or when we'd have to do a timed mile in personal fitness, and my stomach would twist into knots because I knew how slow I was. However, when I moved here to Vermont a couple of years ago, I decided to train in order to run a 5k (which never actually happened). I got up EVERY single morning and ran in my neighborhood. And yes - I still HATED it. I rather climb 50 flights of stairs than run.
Until I came to a realization...
Every little thing I do in my daily life is controlled by my mind. I stumbled upon this thought shortly after I completed an 8 mile run for the first time in my LIFE just the other day with a friend of mine. Lately, the max time I would run for would be 3 minutes, then I'd slow to a walk - all because I didn't think I could physically run for a long time.
KEY WORD THERE - *think*
Because I didn't think I could do it, I would trick my own body into being tired after 3 minutes of a light jog. I fooled myself to believe that 3 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking was all I could do.

Boy, was I wrong.

I pushed myself harder than I have ever pushed myself in the past as I was on that 8 mile run. As we started off with a light jog (my running buddy is a former cross country/track athlete), I was convinced that after a few minutes we could slow to a walk, and do intervals for about an hour, then we'd be done. L O L. We didn't slow until after our first mile or so, as we stopped to tie shoes. That first mile? Only a warm-up. The 3 hour time frame that evening consisted mainly of jogging, maybe 3/4 total miles of actual RUNNING, and about half a mile of walking.
The entire time, my body kept propelling forward. No, it wasn't failing me. I wasn't throwing up. I wasn't bleeding. My mental state controlled my entire run. When we would speed up or be forced to run uphill towards oncoming traffic, I would just focus on my steps rather than my tired feet or heavy lungs.

 my reaction after seeing how far we ran

I just kept going. 

Never, in my entire 16 years of life on this planet, ever thought I could run for that long, up hills, in public, at night, or with another person. And yet I did it: all because of my mental state. 
Yes, I felt like death afterwards, since my body isn't used to that. And yes, I plan to do it again soon.

Also - running on a treadmill is so much different than running outside, in the woods, or in public. On treadmills, you go NOWHERE; it's like you're running an endless path. But being outside, you have a goal- a place to be. Park your car and run from it...then you're forced to run back.

So here's the bottom line: you may think you can't do something, yet you so can. I didn't think I could run a mile; I ran 8. If you BELIEVE you can do it, and let your mind control your body, you can accomplish whatever you want.
Next time you're in the middle of a workout and you don't think you can do another rep or jog another minute, DO IT. I dare you. Because I guarentee you can.

Our minds control our lives. Live it how you choose.

-Lyndsey