To buy organic or not buy organic.... that is the question

Everyone knows that organic is the healthiest way to go (unless you have been living under a rock), and everyone knows that organic is the most expensive way to go.

Some ways to keep your groceries under budget is to know what to and what not to buy organic. All meats should be bought organic to make sure your body does not accumulate harmful steroids, pesticides or antibiotics. Your fruits and veggies, however, are more flexible.

If you can buy organic everything, do so. However, in this economy, everyone's budget is a little strained at this point. Lists called the "Dirty Dozen" and the "Clean 15" have been created to show you which produce are most important to buy "clean" and which are least affected buy conventional farming. I have loaded the lists for your convenience. Enjoy!

 

My eating schedule

Some people have been asking me about how I eat. Before I tell you, I want you to know that it is extremly important to remember that everyone has a different metabolism and therefore need to eat at different time intervals. I have found that most people need 2-3 hours between meals. If you need longer, try to make yourself eat more often, but not to the point of making yourself sick, to speed up your metabolism. Going 4+ hours between meals can actually slow your metabolism down.

For me, I need to eat every 2 hours, any longer and I will turn into a she devil (this made Jury Duty extra fun this month). I do try to keep carbs to the earlier part of the day but I never exclude a food group. I love healthy fats, so you will never see me eating "Fat-Free" anything.

Here are example meal plans for my rest days and work out days

If you have any meal, product, or recipes to share, submit them here.

Hey Everyone!

So for the past couple of weeks, I have neglected you again, sorry. I have had family birthdays, beginning the semester, and best of all JURY DUTY :( I do, however, have some updates for you!


30 day squat challenge: Today is day 22 of the challenge, and so far I am pretty pleased with the results. My butt is definitely rounder and sits higher, which have made all of my clothes look 10x better on me than before. The only regrets I have about the challenge is that I did not start it earlier in the summer and this stinky Baltimore whether has not allowed for a lot of bathing suit time.

***If you fell off the program, start it back up from where you left off, I know you can do it!!

Fat Flush: I loved this drink and wish I could drink it forever!! I did notice that it made me pee, a lot, but that was to be expected. There were some side effects tat I was not expected though. Apparently, as the toxins are be released, your cells go through withdraw from them. My withdraw symptoms included a weird taste in my mouth, itching, and migraines; they all lasted for about 1.5-2 days. After I finished my flush, my weight stabilized around 136.6 lbs and I feel like I have more energy and sleep  better. Overall, I am happy with the results of the flush. 

***Warning, easy on the mint, it can make the taste overpowering. 2 leaves should be enough.

Here is what my jug looked like. It wasn't a full gallon so I filled it up twice a day

2 Week Fat Flush

I hope everyone has made through their hump day well. I have had a few people ask about fat flushes/ detox drinks they could use. While I am not an advocate for flushes like the Lemonade Diet because they do not allow for adequate nutrition, I do believe that every so often it is important for us to jump start our metabolism and clean out of liver so that it will continue to function properly.

The liver plays a primary in removing toxins from the blood as well as fat digestion. A properly functioning liver remove chemicals from the blood, helps to improve medication function, and controls the amount of bile necessary for fat digestion.

A great flush that I have seen recently uses grapefruit as its primary detox agent. Grapefruit helps to make our blood less acidic, increases the liver's functionality, and its fiber helps to remove cholesterol. In order to effectively use this flush, you must drink 1/2 gallon of it daily for 2 weeks. Also, removing things like caffeine, alcohol, and processed sugar for the 2 weeks will make sure that you are not dirtying what your are cleaning.  If you are taking prescriptions please make sure the warning labels say nothing about avoiding grapefruit as it may interact negatively with certain medications 

I will be starting this 2 week fat flush on Sunday (in case you want to start with me) just because it will be easier for me. If you start before, let me know how it is going.

Squats- The miracle worker

Everyone one wants the perfect butt, high, round, and firm, but few know the miracle of the squat. Squats come in many different forms, but the most simple is with your own body weight.

Form is everything when it comes to squats. Do them wrong and not only will you not get any benefit, but your liable to hurt yourself (especially when you begin to add and weights, kicks, or jumps).

To get started, I have put together a 30 day challenge. I plan to put these out regularly, making them harder as we advance together. Once you get to larger sets, try to break them up. Don't forget to take a picture of yourself before you start the challenge and after. GOOD LUCK!!!

Being Sore is NOT an Excuse

After meeting with my trainer for the first time, my body is more sore than I can remember in a loooong time! But it feels amazing!!! 

We have made the decision to focus on muscle building instead of fat loss and my boyfriend is more than fine with that. But with that said, all of the weight training we did, dug deep into my muscles. The next time I go, I will try to make a copy of my routine so that I can post it here. Meanwhile, here is my in between routine now : )

Monthly Update 2

Sorry to have been away for so long guys. The past couple of weeks have been a bit crazy, though that really is not a good excuse. Luckily, I have not forgotten about my weight loss as well.

• Weight: 139.3 lbs
• Total Loss: 2.3 lbs (I gained)
• Number of workout days: 2
• Average workout duration: 1 hour
• BMI: 21.2
• Body Fat Percentage: 23.9% (down 7.1%)
• Skeletal Muscle Mass Percentage: 42% (up 4.6 lbs)
• Favorite activity: Using the extra nice Company gym and all of their perks
• Goal: 23% Body fat (only .9% to go)
• Biggest Triumph: Making it through my first session with a Personal Trainer
• What I need to improve on: Judging my changing body before the transformation is complete. 

If you notice, I haven't lost much weight in the past 2 months, I've actually gained weight! I almost panicked when I stepped on the scale (something I try to do very rarely), but then my InBody results (body composition tool) showed that I actually lost 7 lbs of fat and gained 3 pounds of muscles since my last update. 

I am so excited to be so close to my goal!!! Next month, I will probably make a new goal just to keep challenging myself. 

How has your journey been so far? Send me an email so I can compile some stories for a post :)

Enjoying Yourself: Health versus Happiness

In my line of work, I am constantly listening to others talk about their eating habits. I hear people talk about how they have cut everything enjoyable out of their diet completely and others who binge eat with little self control. The only thing I can think of when I am hearing these stories, is why????

The way I see food is that it is fuel; and just like you wouldn't put sludge in your gas tank, you shouldn't put crap in your body. Now with that said, there are those foods out there that make me happy in a way that nothing else can, trigger foods (mostly ice cream). Because I know these foods will basically bring me to my knees, I try to avoid them as much as possible or at least substitute them (ie. frozen yogurt or frozen protein shakes).  

When I do allow myself the real thing, the last thing I'm going to do is worry about how bad it is for me. Some people say that forgoing that cup of full fat, creamy, cake batter ice cream from Handel's , is showing that I have full control of my actions and would commend me for such a feat. However, do I really want to be laying on my death bed wishing I had gone with my favorite ice cream instead of celery sticks?

Always skipping what you want to eat does not put you in control of your eating habits, it puts FEAR in control. When fear is controlling your life, it makes your foundation weaker, allowing for cracks (impulse eating) to take over. Being able to identify your triggers is major. Being able to allow yourself a small portion of your trigger once in a blue moon mean you have mastered the art of balancing health with happiness.


***If you have any specific questions, email me and if I don't have the answer (rare lol) I will find someone to give it to me :)

Food Challange: Taste the Rainbow

Here is my first food challenge, and it's pretty simple. Try to get as many colors of food on your plate throughout the day. I have a saying at work- the richer it is in color, the better it is for you. Each color group provides a different nutritional benefit. 

Red: lycopene and antioxidants  

Orange: beta-carotene, immune health

Yellowish Orange: vitamin C, detox

Dark Green: folate, healthy cell building

Green: Indoles, luten, detox

Whitish Green: allyl sulfates, cancer fighting

Blue: Anthocyanins, antioxidants

Purple: reservator

Brown: fiber, bowel regulation 

For more information about benefits, see the glossary

**Before making any change to your nutrition or fitness routine, please consult with a physician, nutritionist, or personal trainer**

Monthly Update 1

I know it seems like I'm skipping ahead but I actually started my journey 3 weeks ago today. So here are the stats:

• Weight: 138.6 lbs
• Total Loss: 3 lbs
• Number of workout days: 4
• Average workout duration: 45 mins
• BMI: 21.39
• Body Fat Percentage: 27.4%
• Favorite activity: Using Sworkit at the end of my workout, nice way to cool down 
• Goal: 23% Body fat
• Biggest Triumph: making it to the gym while I was sick
• What I need to improve on: Impulse eating- I probably would've weigh less had I not broke down and eaten that Cinnamon Crunch bagel with cream cheese yesterday

Three pounds does not sound like a lot but I can really feel the difference. My pants are fitting looser and I am having more energy. Also, hopefully the slow progress is because of muscle gain. Plus this picture helps put it in to perspective 

This is only one pound of fat so I have loss 3 of these!!! Kind of gross right? haha

Hopefully I will be able to perform a Body Composition Analysis on myself next week to see if I have made any progress with my Body Fat Percentage---Fingers Crossed :)

My first post

My first post- Yaaay! 

So I'm Derica and I'm from Baltimore. I LOVE food, but I don't always like what food can do to my body.
Recently I have come to the realization that I need to start taking care of my body now if I want it to perform properly in the future. However, I know I can't do this by myself, so I have decided to keep an account of my journey.

Through this board, I will post my results (successful or not), encouragement, and answers to any questions. I will not judge food choices or condemn any specific food, only offer suggestions and provide facts. I will regularly have question/answer posts and you can feel free to email me with specific/ private questions.

Before I go, here is some background on me:

• I am a Biology major (with a health/nutrition focus) entering my last semester 
• I currently work at a weight loss center as a Certified Weight Loss Counselor
• I love to eat, dance, cook, be with friends, and shop

Good Luck! And remember that not trying has a 100% failure rate!