Hello November!!
Saturday morning and I'm laying here awake waiting for time to head to the gym.  I normally don't post over the weekend but I had my goals on my mind so I figured there was no reason to wait until Monday!
The holiday season is officially upon us!  Especially since on Halloween night, I saw a Christmas commercial AND movie!  It's crazy!!
This year I'm setting myself some serious goals for November and December because I want to stay on track! I don't want to let the 'well it's the holidays, I'll get back on track after the first of the year, mentality' undo everything I've done this year.  I've worked hard, I've kept myself motivated and I'm proud of myself.  I figured it up and since February 12th of this year, I have only missed 14 days at the gym (not including weekends) and 5 of those were vacation days!  Not to mention there have been many Saturdays that I have gone and made those days up so I feel like I can really say I haven't missed any as far as M-F goes and there were many many lunchtime and Saturday morning runs!  That is something I am so proud very of.  So, I don't want to undo any of that during these holidays months by letting my diet and sweet tooth get the best of me.  I'm going to be diligent in sticking to my meal plans and my water intake.  Unfortunately  for the Hubs I will not be doing any baking this year with the exception of a couple of things for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve/Day to take to family gatherings.     The Hubs all time favorite is old fashioned chocolate fudge pie and after 24 years, I still can't make it like his MaMaw so I just buy him one for each holiday. And besides they are too rich for me!  I'm hoping this will help with some of the mindless snacking through the holidays.  With this and by keeping my meals prepped and in the fridge and sticking to my workout schedule, hopefully, November and December will yield different results than in the Yeats past!  I'm more committed and motivated than ever before.  This is #myjourney and it's a lifestyle without a doubt but I have to set myself up for #success‼️ 💯✔️
I have made great changes, developed new habits, new motivation and new goals in 2014 and I'm going to finish out strong!  I am really looking forward to 2015 because I have every intention of continuing this journey and having more successful results!

November Goals:
🍁 1.5 gallons of water daily

🍁 Stick to meal plans 💯% with 1 cheat meal per week (hopefully this will help with holiday dinners)

🍁 Weekly progress pics & measurements on Saturday's ( I am horrible at this for fear of not seeing positive changes)

🍁 🚫NO ALCOHOL🚫 This will also help with mindless snacking on the weekends.

🍁 No SCALE!  I will not weigh.  I will use my measurements and pics to document progress.  Not to mention my clothes.  Normally this time of year leads to the yucky feeling of FLUFF 24/7!

So, the
Is my Oman to finish this year out strong!  I would love to hear how all of you get thru the holidays while staying on track?  Share your tips and tricks here, on my IG or Facebook page!  If I can help any of you please feel free to reach out to me.  Accountability is crucial and I know I can use all if that 'ish I can get!

Happy Saturday & Happy November!
Stephanie 😊

Happy Happy Hump Day! 

Mid-Week it is and the sun is shining!  J 

I wanted to share something with you all that I read this morning on facebook.  It's basically an explanation of the breakdown of caloric burn for cardio vs. heavy lifting. I’m not 100% sure how accurate it all is, but it falls in line with other things I’ve read and heard about heavy lifting.  At times I wonder when I’m finished with my weight training if I’ve had a good enough calorie burn.  I always feel like I give my all but also worry is it enough to keep progressing? 

Reading this helped my motivation A LOT this morning!! 

I will try to push even harder and will continue to try and increase my weights every week! 

I hope this helps shed some light on weight training for anyone who may still be a bit apprehensive. 

I absolutely LOVE IT!  Give it a try!!

An increased metabolic rate after exercise is crucial for fat loss because it allows for Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) to occur. EPOC takes place because your body needs energy to repair your muscles after you’ve challenged them. Studies show that a well-designed strength training program can elevate your EPOC or metabolism for up to 38 hours after the workout. Cardio does little to nothing to elevate your EPOC. Lifting heavy vs lifting moderate weight is much better for fat loss because it increases EPOC much more because it is a lot more stress on your body.
A study from the University of Alabama in Birmingham showed that individuals who dieted and lifted heavy weights lost the same amount of WEIGHT as individuals who dieted and just did cardio. But the weight lost from the weight lifters was primarily fat, while the weight lost by cardio queens was fat AND muscle. Basically cardio only burns calories while you’re doing it. Sure, you can go ahead and do 3 hours of cardio and burn a ton of calories, but that puts so much stress on your body that your body releases cortisol which results in fat retention, and why muscle is very easily lost amongst people who do hours and hours of cardio.
You may burn more calories during your 1-hour cardio session than you would lifting weights for an hour, but the second you hop off the treadmill your body stops burning calories. Weight lifting is the opposite. Though you may not burn a ton of calories while doing it, once you complete your workout, your body is a fat burning machine. The effect is magnified when you increase the weight, as explained in a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Women who lifted more weight for fewer reps (85 percent of their max load for 8 reps) burned nearly twice as many calories during the two hours after their workout than when they did more reps with a lighter weight (45 percent of their max load for 15 reps).

TAKE AWAY MESSAGE: Cardio burns more calories while you’re doing it. You’re not going to burn a calorie after you finish. Weight lifting burns less calories than cardio, but your body will burn so many damn calories afterwards. And guess what? Since you’re tearing muscle fibers while lifting, your body is going to use energy to repair them. That energy will come from glucose and glycogen, but it was also come from fat.
TAKE AWAY MESSAGE #2: YOU WILL LOSE MORE FAT BY LIFTING WEIGHTS THAN YOU WILL DOING CARDIO. PERIOD. END OF STORY."

Have a fantastic day!! 

Stephanie

 

 *****Original post: http://fitnika.tumblr.com/post/101201310581/to-your-anon-heavy-lifting-does-not-burn-fat-lifting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey Time!

The holiday season is fast approaching and I don't know about you but it is without a doubt my favorite time of year with the exception of the temps....and the FOOD!   :(  But I love cooking, baking, decorating and spending time with family and friends.  I do not love the temptation of all the foods I cook and bake.  It's such a hard time of year for me to stay "on track" 100% of the time.  So, I try and set myself up for success.  I keep as many healthy options as I can in my fridge and cabinets at all times.  If I do any baking, I immediately package it for wherever it may be going.  I intentionally put things in containers and wrap them in cellophane and decorate with ribbons so that in the fridge it looks all pretty and I know it's intended to go to a party/dinner/gathering and I can't get into it.  Rarely do I make extra and if I do I'll give them to the hubs for the fridge in the ManGarage.  Out of site, out of mind, right??  It is the ONLY way I can make it through the holidays and I still struggle because well, other people don't hide their food when I come over!  :)  I just do my best to practice....MODERATION!  This will be the first holiday season since I started lifting weights and going the gym everyday so I hope that by maintain my training schedule and eating through the days as I always do, that it may be a tad bit easier on me this year.  Positive thinking, right?  Do you have any tips or tricks that help you stay on track?  Please share if so!  :)

 

This year to hopefully help others to stay on track......I'm excited to launch my next 24 Day Group challenge!

 

DROP A TURKEY BY THANKSGIVING!! 

 

I'm looking for 8 individuals to personally coach through the challenge. You will receive: free coaching and accountability, meal plans & recipes, and the most elite nutritional products on the market! The holidays DO NOT have to mean weight gain!!!! Let me help you reach your goals now and be ready to go through this holiday season feeling better than ever and with loads of energy! Please, please if you are interested email me today for details at southerngirlontherun@gmail.com 

 

PLEASE NOTE*** Products must be ordered by October 29th with a start date of November 3rd for this group. 

 

 

Are you ready to drop a turkey?  :)  Email me today!

www.advocare.com/13015436

 

Stephanie

 

 

 

Good Morning y’all! 

 

I woke up this morning feeling a bit like the Pillsbury dough boy. 

 

 

This was not a good weekend for me food wise. 

I did not over eat at all but what I did eat was not the healthiest. 

I feel as if I  consumed 2 blocks of cream cheese by myself! 

We had a family birthday party on Friday night which resulted in complete grazing of all things good! 

I love the idea of a potluck because it makes it so much easier on the host/hostess

of the get together.  But even when I attempt to be “good” and only put a spoonful

of my favorites on my plate I still end up feeling miserable! 

 

 Then Saturday and yesterday I simply just did not eat.  I was not hungry. 

So this morning I just felt yuck! 

 

 

But, I was up at regular time, hit the gym for leg day and left there feeling much better! 

My goals this week are to make sure my water is on point (especially today so I can flush this mess out)

and my meals are where they need to be all day long. 

Working on the 16/8 eating window and eating on the same meal plan that I shared last week. 

 

Hoping by tomorrow I’ll start feeling a little better! 

Have a great day!

 Stephanie

Good Morning!  It's nasty, rainy and messy here in Tennessee this morning but I'm feeling pretty okay about this Monday.  Up at 4am, at the gym at 4:45 and it was #LegDay!  Some of you may be off of work/school with the holiday buuuuuutttt, this girl is working!  Days like this are great for getting caught up because most people don't expect us to be here! J  

Today I thought I would share more about what my meals are right now.  I’ve cleaned my diet up tremendously over the last few weeks.  November 1st will kick off a new workout routine for me that my brother will put together.  I'm his big sister but he definitely is my daily motivation!    

Meals!  I eat 5 daily and since I'm also incorporating the Intermittent Fasting, I eat Meal 1 at 12pm and I eat meal 5 no later than 7pm.  If you are curious about the Intermittent Fasting, Google it.  There are many, many sources out there both for it and against it.  I personally love it and have seen great results with it.    

This is today’s:

Meal 1:  ½ cup oatmeal with stevia/cinnamon (made with water)
                4 egg whites and 1 yolk (scrambled)
                ½ cup strawberries

Meal 2:  1 cup broccoli

                8 oz. sautéed chicken breast strips with Ms. Dash Herb & Garlic seasoning

 Meal 3: Tuna sandwich made with 6oz tuna (in spring water, drained) 1 tbsp fat free mayo,

                1 tbsp greek yogurt, Ms. Dash easoning, 2 leaves romaine lettuce

Meal 4: Protein Shake that contains 30 grams whey protein made with water

Meal 5: Salad: Sautéed chicken (same as above) 2 large leaves of romaine lettuce shredded up,

               ½ of a medium tomato chopped

               1 cup broccoli  (You could also use the romaine leaves and make lettuce wraps if you
               used smaller pieces or even shredded chicken). 

The rest of the week is very similar with the exception of small changes.  Tomorrow, I’ll have a bagel with almond butter instead of oatmeal for breakfast and supper will be 8 oz of SWAI fish, small side salad and broccoli and I substitute the protein shake for a protein bar just to change it up a bit. 

This is what works for ME!!  Personally I do better being a creature of habit.  It takes the guess work and the slip ups out of the equation for me.   Am I 100% on point every day?  Ummmm, no.  I LOVE to cook and bake.  Yesterday I made “the hubs” (yeah sure, for the hubs ;) ) 3 dz of chocolate chip & peanut butter cookies.  I like for my cookie jar to have stuff in it.  It makes it look more homey, country, southern to me.  Will I sneak them…most likely yes from time to time. And you know what….oh well!  It helps to keep me feeling so deprived and honestly it keeps me on point better because I know IF I want one, I’ll allow myself one.  Most days….I don’t because I’m satisfied with my meals.  The other thing that helps, which I have talked about before, is meal planning.  I spent 2 hours yesterday morning first thing prepping for the week.  Then, each morning all I have to do is pull out that days food and fill up my iiSOBag and I’m ready for the day.  Speaking of my bag…..

 

 

I LOVE this thing!!  It has the center compartment which is insulated and has spots on both sides for an ice pack.  Then it has 2 side and one top compartment that are also insulated and then 2 mesh pockets on the outside.  It literally holds everything I need for the day plus some!  This has definitely made brining all my things to work easier and I hardly ever use our office fridge anymore.  It’s all right here at my fingertips and in my office!   If you are interested in the bag you can check them out at Isolaterfitness  I have the full Fushcia color but they have many options.  I definitely recommend buying extra containers because it makes meal prep so much easier and they stack perfectly in the fridge! 

 I drink at minimum a gallon and a half of water on most days.  If I don’t, by the end of the day I can tell because I’m super thirsty.  To get into the habit of drinking water (which I use to hate because I’d drink a 2 liter of Diet Pepsi everyday along with a couple of glasses of sweet tea) I actually used the calendar on my phone and set myself a reminder once an hour to chug!  J  It works, try it! 

 

And I'll throw in some more cuteness overload and make this sweet boy my #MCM I was able to get in several hours of love and snuggle time with him yesterday.  I love watching him be curious about new things and learning.  He is like a little sponge right now! 

 

Love me some Boog! 

 

 If you have any questions as far as meal planning/prepping goes or even on the intermittent fasting, shoot me an email anytime!  southergirlontherun@gmail.com

Have a great day!

Stephanie 

Good crispy cool Morning!  It got down right chilly last night here in Tennessee.  When I left at 4:30 this morning for the gym, my truck showed it to be 53 degrees!  Fall is here and while I prefer summer time temps there is only one thing that makes the cooler temps tolerable.......

 

 

Football Time in Tennessee is here!  And around our house, win or lose, good or bad, we bleed ORANGE!!  #GBO #VFL #ItsGreatToBeATennesseeVol :)

 

 I asked yesterday on my SouthernGirlontheRun Facebook page what everyone would be interested in seeing more of on this blog.  I was told meals and accountability.  You asked, you receive! 

 

Let's talk Food & Accountability. 

 

Is there something that helps you stay on track with your food?  For me personally, tracking/logging my food has probably been the one thing that has helped me the most.  I use the My Fitness Pal app on my phone.  It is preset with my daily calorie & gram information and every.single.thing. I eat is logged.  Even down to the Brach's Starburst Peppermints I sometimes grab here and there at work.   The way that this works best for me is to #1 Meal Prep on the weekend.  That way I know everyday my meals are ready and waiting and it takes the guess work out of it but most importantly it takes the EXCUSES out of it.  Then first thing in the morning I will decide which foods I'm taking that day, and go on and log them into MFP and it honestly prevents slip ups.  Obviously, there are always things that come up and may change your day but as long as you make that correction and stick to being on point for the remainder of the day then it's all good.  Now, what happens if I go over my numbers?  For a few seconds I'm a little hard on myself but normally I shrug it off and remember the next day is a new day!  

 

Remember....this is not a contest and it's not a diet.  It truly is a lifestyle change and we must continue working towards finding the ways that work best for each of us.  It's the small, consistent changes that will yield the lasting results! 

 

 

And just to add some "how freakin cute is that?" to the blog today....Can my nephew be any cuter???  This past Sunday was his 1st Birthday Party.  So much fun, such great memories made!  This boy has totally wrapped me around all ten of his fingers and toes!! 

 

 

I hope you all have a great day.  Try and get your water in, eat as healthy as you possibly can and shoot for 30 mins of exercise.  I promise you that once you're finished, you'll be glad you did it!

 

Stephanie

 



Here's to a new start

As I shared on my facebook yesterday morning,

September is the start to a new set of things for me.

 

 

I began a new workout routine that I found on the BodyBuilding.com website.  After two workouts I really think I am going to like it.  It's going to be a challenge because I'm fixing to crank it up a notch and lift ALL THINGS HEAVIER!!  Rawrrrr!  :) 

 #StrongerByTheDay has always been a favorite saying of

 mine.  I may not see results or changes daily but

I know if I'm consistent it will come! 

 

This is a sample of one day

Machine Shoulder Press	1 WM Up 3 WS of 12 reps
Standing DB Lateral Raise	3 sets of 12 reps
Reverse DB Fly	3 sets of 12 reps
Standing DB Front Raise	3 sets of 12 reps
Rope Face Pull	3 sets of 12 reps
Barbell Upright Row	3 sets of 12 reps
20 min HIIT Cardio	1 min fast 2 min slower

I have always done some type of cardio at the end of my weight sessions but really more as a semi cool down and way to get a few extra calories in.  Well, this week was the first time I've done HIIT cardio.  And lawd have mercy….I was a hot mess of sweat!  That cardio sesh's were Aaaamazing!!!  I loved it!!  

This is my most favorite machine of all machines.

 A full hour on this machine averages between 650-800 calories for me depending on the intensity I set it to.   

 I’ll take that over a dreadmill any day!

  I am going to commit to this new routine for 12 weeks because

I believe this to be true….

 

 

Onto my new meal plan.

IIFYM

If It Fits Your Macros

I don’t guess you can really call it “meal plan” per se'.  The whole process is based on “flexible eating” and you can choose to have pretty much anything you want as long as it fits within your macros or “macronutrients”.  You can read more about it here and honestly I have been playing around with the IIFYM concept for a while and still get confused from time to time!  ;)  I was worried that by "knowing" I could be flexible with my food I would gravitate towards the unhealthy or not so healthy foods just because I knew I could have it.  But in all honesty, I have actually done very well! 

Insert pat on the back! 

I’ve taken a couple of months to follow a private group on Facebook

to see just how people did it.  The numbers, oh the numbers!  That was definitely the confusing part at first.  I get the whole “flexible” part of it but I discovered very quickly that it takes A LOT of effort in the beginning. 

 

These are MY numbers, they will NOT work for everyone!

 

Daily I strive to hit my grams within 5+/-

 

Carbohydrates: 121 grams

Protein: 180 grams

Fat: 66 grams

1736 Calories

 

This is considered  "cutting" for me.  A calorie deficient based on my workouts and food intake should result in weight loss.  I'm hoping

by doing so, all these muscles I've been working so hard to build will kind of "pop" out and let themselves be seen! 

 

You’ll need a scale that can be converted to weigh your food in grams, you will need a pinch of patience & and a heaping cup of TIME.  Only in the beginning.  :)  It will take time to plan your food to an extent.  Weigh your food to get your grams and be sure you are where you need to be daily on your food intake.  Because as we all know, overeating is bad…but so is under eating.  Especially if you have a heavy or strenuous workout schedule.  I lift weights 5 days a week and throw in about 3-5 days of additional cardio which is typically running/walking.  When you are working your body hard you need to fuel your body.  But if you are like me and feel like a couple times a month you'd like to "treat" yourself whether it be a cupcake or a beer (or both :P) the IIFYM has proven to be a guilt free way of incorporating treats like that into my diet.  So, this weekend I will do measurements & photos.  I don't weigh because I think the scale is a lying ho' bag.  I know without a doubt I have built a crap ton of muscle since I started lifting weights in Feb of this year and I refuse to allow the scale to #1 define me but #2 I will no longer allow that number to ruin my day every time I step on it! 

 

I am also incorporating IF or Intermittent Fasting with my IIFYM. I have been doing the IF for the past 3 weeks and have fallen in love with this way of eating.  I seem to have more energy at the end of my days and when you get up at 4am, hit the gym at 4:45 and then work an 8 hour day and home to work more....the ends of my day are where I need it most.  You can read up on IF  here .  I am currently fasting on a 16/8 day.  That means I don't eat my first meal of the day until noon.  Then I have an 8 hour window to consume my daily calories/grams.  I workout in a fasted state every morning with the exception on my Spark, Catalyst and my BCAA's.  I thought this might be hard but it hasn't been.  I have definitely noticed a change in my body since I began the IF and half way watching macros.  I'm so excited to become a little more strict with everything so that I can see exactly what this will do for my body.  Some people see a change in body composition *which is my goal* within a couple of week and some people, it takes months. 

 

 If you are interested in this way of eating, do a little research

on the links above and if you have questions, shoot me an email

and I will be glad to TRY and answer them.  I am still new

to this and getting started so by no means whatsoever do I think I know what I’m doing!!  Because of that,  I’ve had someone help me with my numbers and I’m going to give it a shot and see.  

 

I have to remember that for me, this is not a timed event....

this is a lifestyle!!!  

 

Lift those weights ladies!

 

Have a wonderful week! 

 

Stephanie