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