Low fat angel food cake

It's the Fourth of July weekend. Time to eat, enjoy family and blow some stuff up.  But if you don't want to be blowing the button off your jeans, you're going to need to pace yourself or swap out some healthier choices for unhealthy comfort foods.  

Increasing lean meats, vegetables and fruits are a good start. Limit the quantity of the processed foods you eat. Generally speaking these holiday weekend meals are filled with carbs AND fat.  I usually try to pick one or the other.  So I baked this lovely flag themed LOW FAT cake to enjoy guilt free. 

It's not low carb, but it's really not a diet killer, even for a pretty generous portion (1/12 of a 13x9 cake) 2 ingredients doesn't get much easier either!

Let's get to the Ingredients:

For the cake:

Box of Angel Food Cake Mix

20 oz can of crushed pineapple in juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Mix the pineapple (un-drained) with the cake mix until fully incorporated.

        Mixture will be very foamy and fluffy.

Pour the mixture in a 13x9 ungreased pan 

Bake for 30-40 minutes (mine was done at 30 minutes)

Cool completely.. scroll down for topping

IF you wanted to enjoy the cake as is, the macros for 1/12 of the cake are as follows:

Calories: 167

Fat: 0g (yes ZERO) 

Carbs: 37.5g

Fiber: 0.7g 

Protein: 3g

This would be a pretty awesome post workout recovery meal... 

If you want to go all out topping and decorating you'll need the following:

Small box of dream whip

Milk of choice (I used 1% good old cows milk) 

Extract of choice *Optional*

Fruit of choice (I used blue berries and strawberries)  

Keep scrolling for directions 

Mix the Dream whip per the box directions.  I used both envelopes and 1 cup of 1% milk. I used a cherry flavor I had to give it just a hint of sweetness. 

The box recommends vanilla extract.

Whip until peaks form

Spread on top of the cake (I left mine in the pan)

Decorate with fruit if desired and ENJOY! 

Macros for cake and topping (I left the fruit off, but I only ended up with about 1 strawberry on my piece so it wouldn't drastically change the macros.

1/12 of cake w/ topping

Calories: 196

Fat: 1g

Carbs: 43g

Fiber: 1g

Protein: 4g

This comes in at about 1/2 the calories of a traditional cake with buttercream and with SO much less fat.

Hope you have a safe 4th of July and remember, you don't have to ruin your goals to enjoy your life.

Why my routine MIGHT not work for you

I want to get really real here for a minute. I like to share recipes and have no problem sharing my workouts. The truth is, I do this more for me than you.  I do it because it makes me plan, it makes me accountable and it motivates me to make good choices. In addition to motivating me, it gives ideas to others on the same journey.

I know what it's like to be struggling to lose weight. I worked hard for 2.5 years to lose over 100 pounds naturally. That's only the beginning of the struggle though.  When my life got a little messy, I immediately took the focus off my healthy habits and became very sedentary and ate a lot of convenient foods.  I gained weight pretty quickly. I cared, but not enough to really consider what I was putting in my body OR care enough to get active to counter a little of the junk I was eating. Now I'm starting over again, not from the place I started from before. But definitely from a place I thought I'd never be in again.

I know as much as anyone who has struggled with weight how much you want an easy fix. A quick weight loss solution to get you back in shape fast.  So you look to others. I can't tell you how many super skinny model type with thigh gaps I used to follow on social media. I followed them because I wanted to look like them.  I wondered what they were eating, how often they workout and what they were doing.  The truth is, I hoped that I could mirror their routine and look just like them.  But I won't look like them. And their routines MIGHT not even get me into the best shape I can be in.  Most of those girls are ectomorphs. They are naturally thin and have a hard time gaining weight.  That's not to say none of them have ever been over weight, but a lot of them haven't. And if they were slightly over weight, it's not to the degree that I can quickly and easily gain weight.  We are different. Doing what they do, will not yield the same results.

I don't sell "my workout" or "my diet" because I constantly mix up my workouts. And I am still experimenting with the best macros for me. Frankly it makes me sad when I see social media fitness "celebrities" selling a cookie cutter diet or workout plan.  Because I know that people who are desperate to lose weight will pay $5, $10 or more for a cookie cutter plan.  While I haven't seen these plans, I would bet that some of these little waifs eat as little as 1200 calories a day.  If you're an overweight person doing any activity at all, that's simply not enough calories. Your body will not be happy or you'll end up starving and binge. They might be low carb, high fat diets.  I found out the hard way that my body type is programmed to store fat eaten.  So when I tried Keto (atkins) my results were mediocre at best.  It just doesn't work for me. If you're 160, 200, 250+ pounds, you simply cannot just do what a 110 pound person does and look like them.  In theory, you can eat healthier foods and portion sizes, you can increase activity to burn calories and shape your body. But you need to cut calories gradually to avoid slowly the metabolism too quickly.  I feel there is simply too much comparison going on. If you don't have a thigh gap, you're not less valuable than someone that does. (and visa versa). The idea of a fitness journey should be finding your best self, not trying to turn into someone else.

I share my journey (for free) to motivate others to find what works for them and give them ideas along the way. I want everyone to know that you can work hard and get in the best shape of your life. You don't have to buy a cookie cutter diet plan. You don't have to cut out all carbs. (Carbs are a very important macronutrient) You CAN eat more than 1,000 or 1,200 calories a day and achieve your fat loss goals. I want to help others in their fitness journey and I want you to be successful. Not because it's good for my pocketbook, but because it makes me feel good to help someone else and see them happy and comfortable in their skin.  So I'll happily continue sharing my journey in hopes to inspire others to start a journey of their own to reach their own goals.

3 ingredient protein pancakes

1 week post figure competition. My trainer ordered a week of rest. I've been going a little crazy. But I've complied. I have however, also allowed myself to indulge in goodies over the past week. Most were ok, but others were no where near as satisfying as I hoped. And yesterday's Pizza Hut lunch is really making me regret it! 

So this morning I wanted to eat something clean. Nothing "bad" even sounds good. But pancakes.. Who doesn't love pancakes on Saturday morning? 

If I can get off track real quick, I hate to reference "bad" or "good" foods. Of course there are foods that should be limited while living a healthy lifestyle. But I am a firm believer in "everything in moderation." I think it's unrealistic to stop all sugars or carbs or fats or anything for the rest of your life. So unless you have a legitimate reason to remove a food group or allergen, I recommend limiting but not removing completely. 

So.. Back to breakfast. 

I always have egg whites, they're a quick easy, healthy protein.  I of course also have protein powder. I had some baked sweet potato too. And there you have it. Easy peasy gluten free protein pancakes. 

The worst part of making pancakes is the waiting!! So I'm not going to lie. A few got eaten during the cooking process. 

So what's the process? 

First in a blender, food processor or magic bullet (or mix by hand if you want) 

Mix 

2 servings egg whites (92g)

About 6oz sweet potato (150g) 

1 scoop of protein. I used core fit cinnamon bun. 

You can get it at www.livecorefit.com discount code: Jennibean 

Blend that all together until a smooth batter forms. If it's a little thick you can add a table spoon or 2 of almond milk (or your choice of milk) 

The batter is very moist and very delicate. So don't rush the cooking process. 

Pour a little batter on to a heated skillet or griddle.

Wait to flip until the bubbles form and stay hollow. 

Once you flip it, the pancake will puff up a bit. Leave it until it collapses flat. Then it should be cooked through. 

Repeat and stack them up! 

The macros for the entire recipe are

Calories: 284

Fat: 3g

Carbs: 30g

Fiber: 3.8g

Sugar: 10.6g

Protein: 34g

You can divide as you see fit or eat the whole stack yourself. 

I wanted to add some more fats to my breakfast so I drizzled a couple tablespoons of almond butter on mine. Don't forget to include your choice of topping in your food log. 

Peanut butter Marshmallow French toast

Hello fitfam!  I'm about to start 3 weeks of keto. Which means I'm saying goodbye to carbs for a few weeks until I carb load for my show. So I decided to make myself some french toast as a farewell to carbs.  I'm not going to lie.. it was AMAZING. 

I'm going to share the basic recipe as well as the toppings I chose to use so the macros will be for exactly what you see pictured: 

Ingredients:

1 whole egg (large)

1/4 cup egg whites

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

2 slices whole wheat bread (I used Sara Lee, you can substitute any bread you like but the macros will change)

Toppings:

2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons Waldon Farms marshmallow fruit dip

1 tablespoon Waldon Farms strawberry syrup

Directions:

Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a wide shallow bowl. Preheat a skillet to medium/medium high heat. Lay one piece of bread in the egg mixture letting it soak it up, flip it letting the other side soak up some mixture. Place the bread in the skillet, flip after about 1-2 minutes (once the egg mixture is cooked on that side)  While piece 1 is cooking, start soaking piece #2 in the egg mixture, it should soak up pretty much all the egg mixture. (So you're getting ALL the protein from the eggs) 

Once piece #1 is cooked transfer it to your plate and layer 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of marshmallow dip.  Cook the second piece like the first.  And lay it on top of the first piece.  Add your layers of peanut butter and marshmallow dip. Drizzle a tablespoon of Waldon farms strawberry syrup on top and ENJOY!

Macros for my recipe:

Calories:426

Fat: 22g

Carbs: 34

Fiber: 8

Sugar: 7

Protein: 27

Protein Fluff Recipe

Here is a yummy post workout treat that would be especially refreshing on a hot summer day and is super easy to make protein fluff.  It's a protein packed low carb ice creamy marshmallow-y fluffy treat.

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen fruit (I used raspberries for this one)
1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
1 scoop of whey protein.

So let's get to the directions and pictures shall we? :)


1. measure out 1 cup of frozen fruit (berries or banana will work for this. I have done pineapple but it's really hard to break it down when it's frozen)

2. Add 1/4 cup of milk of choice to the berries.

3.  Add your protein.  I used Core Fit protein. I love the handy prepackaged scoops and the flavors are delish!!  You can buy it here and you can save 20% with coupon code Jennibean

4. Smash it all up.  I used this attachment to my hand mixer. I usually smash it all a bit before I turn the mixer on and smash it some more. 

5. Smash it all until it looks like the pic below.  Basically until it's well blended and no large pieces of the fruit remain.

6. Then switch to a whisk attachment and fluff it. You want to try to add a bit of air and make it a frozen-y fluffy yummy treat.  It should look like the pic below.

7. Enjoy your delicious healthy treat.

Macros below are for 1 recipe. It pretty much makes 1 serving so you don't have to share :)

Calories: 201
Fat: 4 g
Carbs: 20 g
Fiber: 9 g
Sugar: 8 g
Protein: 24 g

4 weeks to go!

It's been several weeks since I did a show update.  I've been working away.  We made diet changes doing a Keto/traditional split cycle.. almost like extreme carb cycling, 2 weeks low following by 2 weeks moderate/high.  I just finished the first week of moderate/high carbs. I missed my carbs.  I'm avoiding breads/pastas, sticking with oats, sweet potato, corn, and green things (green beans, celery, cucumbers etc)

The hardest part by far is getting enough sleep.  I didn't realize how important sleep was and it's SO SO hard for me to get everything done and still get 8 hours. As I type this I have about 30 minutes to get to sleep to get 8 and I don't have my food planned out for tomorrow at all!  I pride myself on being pretty organized and getting everything done. This process will test you mentally, physically and emotionally.  It's stressful.  There are a LOT of things to do. I have a busy life already and this adds a lot to it.  I really enjoy pushing myself in the gym.  I think the most difficult part for me is really planning all the food. Planning it all and prepping all my meals, it's time consuming. It's absolutely worth it, but I think I need to have a little less variety.  Some is nice but too much is just more work.

Continued.. When I typed the above it was almost a week ago. Juggling contest prep and family is no easy task. I'm sure I will get the hang of it with each additional show but for now it's pretty tough. This takes a lot of commitment. I will say though, going through this process has proved to me that you CAN do anything you set your mind to.  A few years ago I "couldn't" find time to get in a workout or prep a meal. I lived off fast food and watched TV for hours a day. This has truly showed me that it's all about choices and priorities. I've come a long way.. I have a long way to go. But I'm getting closer everyday.  4 weeks to show 1.. 6 weeks to show 2.  It's going to get harder from here, but I'm ready to soak it all in.  

5 week out posing practice 

Weight loss and Nutrition

Probably one of the most common questions I get is, "What do you eat?" (or "What should I eat to lose weight?")  Well the answer is actually really simple, I eat everything, in moderation. Truth is I didn't have my nutrition totally figured out during the majority of my weight loss.  I was keeping myself at a deficit (if I was diligent about tracking my food). So I lost weight.  However when I found IIFYM (If it fits your macros aka flexible dieting) I had much better success and the results came a lot quicker.  Because I was eating a deficit but also a balanced diet.  I personally have a HUGE sweet tooth so I do treat myself to the occasional "bad" treat. But it's all good if it's done in moderation.  If you're eating on plan 90-95% of the time 1 candy isn't going to set you back.

Anyway, I thought I would do a few posts on nutrition and how to lose weight while still eating normal food.  That being said, I don't eat out often. Mainly because I follow my macros strictly (It's really necessary when trying to get stage ready lean) and I need to know EXACTLY what I am putting in my body.  I do have the occasional meal out but I keep it to a minimum right now.

So my husband did a big costco run this weekend and I took some pictures of the fridge, freezer, pantry and fruit/veggie bowls so I could kind of summarize the "staple" items I always have.
I do not eat the exact same thing day to day.  If you follow me on  www.myfitnesspal.com (user name JenniBeanxo ) you'll see that.  All my meals are pretty similar day to day, but rarely exactly the same.  But I do have basic foods you'll always see (chicken, egg whites, green beans/broccoli etc)

So.. let's go to the pictures shall we?

Ok so it's all pretty normal stuff. Fruits (I limit to 1 a day or less), veggies (sweet potato, white potato, celery, asparagus, bell peppers etc), egg white, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, almond milk, lean meats (chicken, turkey, lean ground beef), natural nut butters .. Not pictured, whole wheat bread, wheat pasta. Which are also added in very sparingly right now.

Of course there are 3 other people that live in my house (note the toddler photo bomb in the last pic). So there are things in there that I don't eat. Also I'm trying to get incredibly lean for a show so for an overall healthy and fit physique you could still be a little more flexible than I am right now. 

7 weeks out and Diet info

Hello everyone!

It's been a while.. where does the time go??  I've been super busy working and hitting the gym. We've been doing a lot of decision making.  So I posted about a month back that we decided to delay our original "debut" show date.  We hoped the extra time would help with my conditioning (leaning out for the stage)  It's still been REALLY slow coming on the fat loss and progress.  We have been carb cycling but I still haven't had much success.  This week we are starting a keto diet. Half way through Day 1.. I'm not as hungry as I thought I'd be. However, my meals have been pretty interesting. Switching from high protein to high fat has really been difficult.  I think I'm getting a better handle on it. I even found some flax meal muffin and pizza crust recipes I'm going to try out. (will post them if they are edible!) :)

So, I wanted to post a little bit more about my diet. Now keep in mind if you're not cutting for a show you probably don't have to be SO strict but I've had a lot of people comment on how lean I'm getting and ask me what I've been doing.  So carb cycling. The last several weeks we have been carb cycling. I started with 6 low and 1 high day, and we moved to 3 low days, 1 high, 2 low, 1 high rotation. I prepare 99% of my own food. Even on my high carb days I rarely went out to eat because you really can't be sure what you're getting. I think I had some decent progress doing carb cycling. I count all carbs (even veggies) I guess a lot of people don't.. I'm not sure if it would have been more effective to get more starchy carbs and feed my metabolism that way?? BUT...

We are getting into super crunch time here and my legs especially have a way to go. We are going Keto.  I also started tracking my macros and water more diligently with my weight fluctuations so we can track changes more effectively.  This whole process is a lot of trial and error. There is no right or wrong way to do this.. ok, there are probably a LOT of wrong ways, but different things work for different people. This is the first time we are doing this so it going to be a HUGE learning experience. I've already learned a lot and we still have so far to go.  I'm going to post below a few examples of what I ate on different low and high carb days.  You can follow me on myfitnesspal (Username: Jennibeanxo ) to see what I'm eating everyday.  (but please don't follow it blindly, it's based on my height, weight, goals and activity level)  I've also started to track ALL my cardio with my Polar watch too. Because those machines and even the myfitnesspal estimates are not accurate to each individual.

Low carb day 

High carb day:

Just a note.. I kept my fats relatively low and protein high. This isn't typically how carb cycling works. Protein stays consistent and fats and carbs cycle (one high, the other low). This might be why I didn't see the results I hoped for. I think when I try again in the future I'll have a better handle on the process. It's all a lot of trial and error. The key is to stick with it and continue to make adjustments. 

What I ate today. High carb day.

Hello there fitfam. So a little update. I've been hard at work (at my job and the gym) things are progressing slowly. I am carb cycling currently. Today is a refeed/high carb day so here's what I ate. 

Meal 1 

I made baked French toast with 1 egg, 2 egg whites and the wheat bread. 

Meal 2

Meal 3

Ok. I got a little hungry and forgot to take a picture. But this meal is pretty self explanatory. :) 

Meal 4 

 

I think I've posted the truffle recipe on my Instagram.. I intend to post more recipes here for easier access. If you want to

See this one (or any others) comment below and I'll add it to my list. 

Meal 5 

Meal 6 

And meal 7 (the Casein logged in with meal 6.. My fitness pal only has 6 meals) 

Casein pudding. 

To recap, I eat every 2-3 hours. The casein pudding I ate right before bed. I'm also putting my daily totals below so you can see how it all adds up at the end of the day.  I'm wrapping up my super busy time at work so I plan on posting a lot more often. If you have questions or things you'd like to see. Leave me a comment. 

11 weeks out again

Figure Competition Prep Update!!

OK first.. I need to get a better way to take my progress pictures.. I'll work on that this week :)

No, you are not experiencing Deja Vu.  We are 11 weeks out.. (Actually 10 weeks 5 days or something.. but yes.. we have more time). Originally my trainer and I discussed doing a show in April.  That was our goal. Well as time progressed and my body is slowly losing fat we have reevaluated our plan and decided that the April show is not ideal for my first show. For a couple reasons. 1. It's a HUGE show and upon discussion with another coach/competitor it was recommended that it's not an ideal first show. 

I definitely want to enjoy this experience and that means feeling prepared and not being overwhelmed during the show. We decided what had been our "back up" show would be a better first show for me. 

The other reason 2. Since I am progressing a bit slower than we would like the April show was more stress on us both.

Again we want to enjoy this and perhaps continue competing for a while to come so killing myself trying to drip 10-15 pounds in 7 weeks was just not the game plan either of us thought would be the best. 

So we are now focused on the Heartland Classic May 23rd. That's goal 1.  In addition to that show. We also will be competing at Muscle Mayhem June 6th.  These are 2 different organizations so we can get a feel for each one and determine where we want to go from there.  

One thing I want to stress is that it's hard to plan weight loss. Believe me.. I am a planner.. I have spreadsheets and charts outlined with how I thought this process should go.  Sometimes your body has other plans. When you ask your body to do something it's never done before.. well, it doesn't always comply. As much as I really hate to report to all my supporters that I just wasn't going to be ready to compete when I originally wanted to, I know this is a temporary setback.

I will keep going. I will still compete and I will look amazing on stage.  I'm far from perfect. (And still will be when I compete) But, I will look the best I have ever looked.  I will be leaner than I have ever been. I will enjoy the experience and hopefully inspire you to do something outside of your comfort zone. Go for something you've always wanted to do.  Nothing is off limits. It's never too late to chase your dreams. Things don't always go according to plan.. so change the plan. 

 Keep moving forward! 

BCAA gummy recipe

Happy Monday everyone. 

So I'll post this update with more details in another post but we've switched shows and I am just under 11 weeks out from the stage! That means 11 more weeks of prep and reduced calories.. actually 13.. but again that's another post.  So last week I messed with my meal times.. It was a horrible idea! I was saving carbs for post workout (I had been carb loading in the morning previously).  So I stretched out the time between my meals earlier in the day and there were a few days were I was STARVING between meals.  

One day I ate a handful of giant mints.. which turned out to be about 30g of carbs total! yikes! So I decided to look around for some alternatives for snacking between meals. (besides gum which also has sugars and piece after piece can add up during the day) 

So I had seen a few posts about BCAA gummies. So I looked into them a little more. I really had no idea they had no added sugar and it was just gelatin which is protein.  I used watermelon flavored BCAA powder and they are yummy! They were pretty easy to make too. I have plastic molds so I dusted them with cornstarch but still had to fight a bit to get the gummies out. I think I will use silicone next time as I think it's a little easier.  I don't have small silicone molds but I think I can just dice up the gummies into pieces once they have set.  So here's the recipe

Ingredients:
1 scoop BCAAs ( I used watermelon Rescue)

1/2 cup water

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (3 tablespoons)

Procedures:

Mix the above ingredients together and let sit a few minutes

Heat mixture until gelatin is dissolved.

Pour into molds 

Freeze for 20 minutes

This made a lot of gummies. I didn't do a macro breakdown per gummy cause they weren't the same size (because my molds were different) but for the entire recipe the macros are:

Fat: Zero

Carbs: Zero

Protein: 24g 

Casein protein truffles

Hi Everyone,

I am seriously the worst at keeping up with things! Really I am an accountant first (that's what pays the bills) and we are in the midst of busy season. Meaning I Work, Eat, Train, Sleep. I am having trouble finding time for much else. Of course EAT is one of the things I MUST do.. And I really enjoy that too. :)  So of course with eating comes cooking/preparing.  So I have a couple recipes I've tried that I want to share.  The one today is Casein protein truffles.  

If you are like me, you love chocolate.  Does anyone not love chocolate?! But clearly having a box of Russell Stovers or a bag of mini Reece's PB cups is not in the plan right now. Sooooooooooo.. I improvise.  Luckily there are some genious people in the world who create and share recipes for those of us that are a bit challenged in the kitchen. And this one is adapted from Proteinpow.com is already a favorite.  I've made them twice this week.  (and drooled over her website for days and days)  

So first these are a snap to make.. if you can mix, and roll "dough" you've got the necessary skills. Did I mention I am challenged in the kitchen? :) If I can make it, a 5 year old can.. but seriously, you could make the kids make these for you.. if you trust they won't eat them. 

Ingredients: 

1 scoop Casein Protein (I used chocolate of course but any flavor would work)

1/2 tablespoon of coconut flour (I might have used a touch more)

2-4 tablespoons of almond milk (or milk of choice)  

about a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder for coating the truffles

(at Proteinpow.com they dip these in dark chocolate.. so that's an option too)

I started with 2 tablespoons of milk, mixed and then added a bit more until you get a consistency which will form a ball but isn't TOO wet. (if you add too much milk, add a little more Casein or coconut flour) 

Procedure:

1. Add dry ingredients to a bowl

2. Add almond milk

3. Mix

4. Form into 4-5 balls. I did 4 as you can see below

5. Roll the balls in cocoa powder

6. Chill in the fridge 20 minutes or so.

7. Enjoy the deliciousness!

(if you wanted to dip these in chocolate, I would chill after step 4, melt the chocolate, then dip and chill again to set the chocolate)

I made these before work and brought them as my afternoon snack/pre-workout so my plating is phenomenal.   Ninja turtle containers, hell yeah!!  (Yay 80s kids!!) .. But for the record my husband bought these ok. :) 

Macros for the WHOLE recipe using cocoa powder

Calories: 160

Fat: 2.5g

Carbs: 10g (2.5g of fiber, 5g of sugar)

Protein: 25g

Do you want to get fit?

It occurs to me that although I'm not a dietitian or certified trainer, and some people don't want advice from me, I do have experience gaining and losing weight. I've tried countless diets, yo-yoing a bit with my weight and struggling to find something that works.  I know what it's like to be at rock bottom and really want (and really need) to change.  That's why I put myself out there. I share pictures of myself, my food, my workouts. The good the bad and the ugly. (ok we all try to limit the bad and the ugly) I get a lot of questions which I want to start to answer more in depth in this blog.  I try to answer all the questions I get on instagram but I also can't write a TON on there, which is one reason I started this blog.  A question I get often is, How did you start?  I know there are a lot of people out there who want to make a change but they don't really know how.  It's not hard really, but it is confusing. There is a lot of information out on the web. A lot of it is free. Who do you listen to? Who has the right answers?  That's the tricky part.  There is no right way to lose weight.  There is NO magic food(s).  Believe me when I say I tried almost everything to lose weight. Meal replacement shakes, cleanses, calorie counting, severe calorie cutting, working out but failing to control my diet... Sometimes I would have a little bit of success. But the weight almost always came back, often I gained more. I've learned a lot over the years and I am still learning. I failed a lot but I also succeeded.

I'm going to share with you what I would do if I had to do it all over (with the knowledge I have now). If tomorrow morning I found myself at a morbidly obese 249 pounds again.

1. Calculate my maintenance calories and cut 500 calories from that number/figure out macros.

I have no idea where the "magic" 1200 calorie diet came from. But that little number sure did get around everywhere. Matter of fact at 249 lbs I was eating closer to 1000 calories a day. And I lost NOTHING. It's really really important that you don't drop calories too severely. It's a common mistake to think that the less you eat the more you'll lose. Sadly it doesn't work like that.  You'll just suffer, put your body into panic/starvation mode and probably binge your way to a higher weight. So determine a reasonable caloric intake for your current height, weight, activity level and start eating a balanced diet. I use the calculator at iifym.com Good nutrition, in my opinion, the key to being successful.  I personally LOVE counting macros, and though it takes some getting used to. It really makes the difference in a "diet" and a lifestyle change.

2. Start resistance training 3 times a week.

Assuming you're not working out right now, you don't want to over do it.  I actually started doing a Jillian Michaels DVD 30 day shred
http://www.amazon.com/Jillian-Michaels-30-Day-Shred/dp/B00127RAJY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424464248&sr=8-1&keywords=30+day+shred
and I committed to doing it for 30 days. I did it. But I'm not sure I was really ready to do 30 days of exercise with no rest.  I never got off level 1 in that time frame either. Over doing your workouts is a sure fire way to exhaust yourself and get burnt out.  So start slow.  Make a commitment and stick with it. You don't have to join a gym. There are plenty of DVDs and online videos so that you can start at home. (Body weight is resistance, you don't have to add weights right off the bat) I personally wasn't all that comfortable in a gym. However, I do want to say I never ever heard one negative comment toward me or anyone else at the gym. I'm not going to guarantee you won't run into some asshole that says something stupid, they are out there, but for the most part I have found all fitness levels at the gym are pretty accepting of everyone else. Remember that most people at the gym are just there to workout and they could care less what you are doing. So just go and do your thing.

3. Do cardio twice a week.

I hate cardio. I have always hated running. I'm slow. It's just not my thing. But I feel like I could've had better fat loss had I not skimped on the cardio. It doesn't have to be running. You can walk, jog, do intervals of walking/jogging, elliptical, stair master.  Whatever you do.. just get that heart rate up for 30-45 minutes.  Don't start off doing too much or when you need to increase your cardio.. you'll be doing a LOT.

4. Join some fitness groups or find friends who are interested in making a change.

This is hard to do and going it alone, while totally possible, can be tough. I started my instagram as a way to stay accountable to my workouts. I posted every single time I worked out. And even the support of complete strangers was a form of motivation. I've also met some amazing people through instagram. Never underestimate the power of a social media as a way to keep motivated and accountable.  There are a ton of amazing transformations out there. I found it very motivating during my journey, and I still do!  I also joined some facebook challenges. When I did that I saw great results because I was more motivated to make a noticeable change. (And a prize isn't bad motivation either)

5. Be patient!

I maybe should have included this as point number 2. Because I think next to good nutrition, this is very important. You're not going to lose 10 pounds a week.  That would be awesome. But it's not realistic, healthy or safe. Weight loss that rapid often results in a rebound. Aim for 1-2 pounds a week for healthy, maintainable results. Not to mention, losing weight at a rapid pace will likely leave you with skin hanging off your bones. (Another really popular question I get is about loose skin) Although it was frustrating to take so long to lose my weight (2.5 years to lose 100 pounds). I am thankful that my slow, steady weight loss allowed my skin to bounce back pretty well.  I do have stretch marks and some excess skin but it's really minimal and easily covered by pretty much all my clothing. I can even wear a bikini and not be too self conscious. It's a difficult journey physically and mentally and you want to end up feeling good in your skin again, so don't rush it!

So this got long fast, so I'll wrap it up.  I will elaborate on some of these topics in additional individual posts. I you have comments or suggestions, please leave them below. I plan on blogging as close to daily as possible so I will be responding to comments timely and using suggestions/questions for post topics.  Thank you all for your support it really means a lot. And I love hearing from you about weight loss or weight lifting success!

Still at it..

Yikes. Where have I been? It's been weeks since I posted! I've been hard at work. (Literally) I am in public accounting and it's busy season. I've still been hitting the gym, counting macros, meal prepping. All that fun stuff! So let's see. Here's we are, closing in on 9 weeks out from my target. We just did progress measurements and well.. There wasn't much progress. *heavy sigh*. This isn't easy. For anyone. I consider myself a pretty hardworking and dedicated person. I'm not going to say I've never cheated or missed my macros but I follow that 90/10 rule. I lift heavy. And yet my body fat seems like it really wants to stick around. I'm frustrated. I'm even a little pissed off. (Can you be pissed off at your own body fat??) 

We are making some adjustments to my diet and training. If we don't see some major change in the next 4 weeks.. Well my first planned show will no longer be an option. It's painful to admit that. In part I feel like I am failing. But you never really fail until you give up. And that's just not happening. This is important to me and I will compete this year. I'll also be a little better at posting in here. I wanted to document this journey.. So I better do that! The good the bad and the ugly. If it happens, it shall be written. I'm going to post up some of my recent pictures. I've still been taking progress shots weekly. I've selected a bikini to use so it will make them more easily comparable now. I've dated the pictures instead of using weeks since my show date is a big uncertain. If you have things you want to know or see during this process leave a comment. I'll be doing some short videos and recipes on my Instagram (and maybe longer videos if I can post here). I may eventually get a youtube.. We will see

Will post again on Saturday after I take my next set of pictures and talk about my new diet and training. If not sooner. I'm going to try to get in here more often and jot down my thoughts as I go through this process.