Problems with Posting :(

I have been having some problems with my posting lately... The project is complete and I wrote a great research paper that received a 100% grade! As soon as I get the posting problems sorted out, I will get the posts up.

In the mean time, here are some pictures of me at 37.5 weeks pregnant, still working hard and going strong! Good Health! -Natalie














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Pescetarian Pregnancy

So, I have not been blogging about any fun new experiments in fitness, detox, etc. because I have taken on a few new endeavors including school and, most importantly, becoming pregnant! However, I am sort of back in the loop now because I had a wonderful idea about combining my three loves: fitness, nutrition, and medical awareness!

In the past, I have taken classes post-graduate in order to further my own personal knowledge in dietician and nutritional fields. I am taking classes now to further my medical understanding of the human body in anatomy and physiology as well as in the nursing field. In my anatomy and physiology class, I was assigned a semester-long assignment where we must collect data throughout the fall and present a final project encompassing and explaining our results. I have chosen to study myself and my pregnancy and the effect of my pescetarian diet.

I was a vegetarian at age 10 and a vegan at age 17. I stayed vegan until age 20 and eventually shifted back to vegetarianism in my early 20s, with a shift to eating poultry and fish until recently. I just have never really liked meat or the reprocussions of a diet rich in meat on the body. Saturated fats, cholesterol, constipation, and many other problems that are associated with meat are not an ideal part of my life or what I want to achieve with MY body. I warned my husband that a shift back to my old lifestyle was always a moment away at any given time and I was right.

So, here I was, 12 weeks pregnant, and couldn't eat meat or dairy. I am now 19 weeks pregnant and have managed to wrap my mind around my once again changing tastes and ideals. Over the course of my life and making the decisions I have made have come with lots of research and comparisons. I turned to research again with even more knowledge now than ever before of the body, nutrition, fitness and physiology, etc. and can honestly say that I can find nothing wrong with including seafood in an otherwise vegetarian diet. The studies of mercury poisoning prove that it is just not there and I do not know if it is a political or financial reason that this has even become and issue.

I guess I never thought it about it in much detail before, but have you ever heard of someone with mercury poisoning? (Don't even say Jeremy Piven because that was proven to be a hoax - he just wanted out of doing the broadway performances! Remember, I am a singer, too!) I certainly can't think of one! Also, we are the only country in the world who makes this an issue. All other cultures, both industrial and non-industrial, live off of diets rich in fish and vegetables. They have longer life-spans and healthy babies, but for some reason we put women in fear of ingesting too much fish while pregnant because of this "mercury." Instead, we tell her to take a DHA tablet (which she could have just ingested from the fish herself instead of taking a processed pill) and continue eating pork, beef, and chicken instead as "safe" protein. This is not just something focused on pregnant women, I just happen to be using them as examples right now.

In the meantime, the farming industries keep crucial parts of the consumer population ingesting their products, all the while injecting the livestock with hormones, antibiotics, and God knows what else and tell you it's safe. All the changes in our society, including girls starting their periods at an average of age eight, has shown me enough not to trust these things. I have one body, and I will make informed and careful decisions about what to do with it. I am not a conspiracy-theorist or anti-industry in ANY way; QUITE the opposite. When it comes to my health and my family's health, however, I am a warrior for what is right and true. I will not tell others what to do or that the way they live is wrong and the way I live is right. I honestly don't care what you do with your body. It is yours! :) Do what you like! Just don't expect me to join you. ;)

Now that I have settled into pescetarianism, I have decided to study the effects of this diet and potential benefits or drawbacks of following such a regimen. Remember, I have not made this switch overnight, I have not eaten cow or pig products since age 10 and rarely have eaten poultry during the past four years. So there are no worries about shocking my system or going through some sort of meat detox while pregnant. I love research and learning and what better way to study the effects of this diet than in a responsible and documented case study including myself and the guidance and supervision of other medical researchers and professionals!?

I am so excited to document this journey! And feel free to come along with me! You will, no doubt, feel the healthy response your body will have (especially those of you who want to lose weight). And please, don't think that processed foods without meat in them is an acceptable way to switch from eating meat products. Vegan/Vegetarian/Pescetarian diets do not often include processed foods. Yes, Cheetos are vegetarian, but don't be an asshole and eat them as a snack everyday - they are BAD for you. Use your common sense! See you soon!



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Oxygen Magazine Challenge - 10 lbs in 21 Days?

So we all know that the greatest magazine in the world! Well, they have an interesting article in it this month that is similar to the plan I created and followed during the detox I was just on. At first glance it bothers me because this is not a healthy rate of weight to lose in this amount of time, unless it were a detox; & 21 days is a lengthy time to detox. There are a lot of juicing programs that last 21 days, but those are for people with health problems other than the last pounds & should certainly be under the supervision of their doctor. Also, those are more for a chemical detox, like detox from caffeine, smoking, etc. & the people on those programs will mostly be tired & achy - NOT  likely to be exercising! I am thinking of giving their ideas a try and documenting it as well, since I still have a few more pounds of fat to lose.

I know that I said 130, but I know now that I want to get into the 120s because my body composition is not where it should be.

Having a healthy body composition, or fat mass to lean mass ratio, is one of the five essential components of physical fitness. Remember gym class when you were a kid & the scale that they referred to as the President's Challenge (oh my GOSH, I hated this!)? Here it is explained in an article on Livestrong.com that used, you guessed it, the ACE Personal Trainer Manual: The Ultimate Resource for Fitness Professionals as it's major resource for information:

5 BASIC ELEMENTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS by Luann Voza

"Physical fitness is not just defined by a lean or thin appearance. It is defined as the ability of your body to meet increased intensity demands, fitness focuses on the muscular, circulatory and respiratory systems to meet the demands. There are five basic elements, or components, that together lead to overall fitness. With optimal fitness levels, health benefits are realized improving quality of life and the ability to perform everyday tasks without undue fatigue, along with a reduced risk of illness and injury."

Ok, it's me again. Here is the list of components:

1. Cardiovascular Endurance 
2. Muscular Strength
3. Muscular Endurance
4. Flexibility
5. Body Composition: In this article, it states that recommended body fat percentages, depending on age, range from 14% to 25% for women and 9% to 19% for men according to Sports Fitness Advisor. I'm not aware of this resource, but ACE teaches that 25%-32% is still a healthy body fat percentage for women. ACE uses a little more detail than just quoting a broad range for every woman, since we are all built a little differently. 

Here is the American Council on Exercise's Body Fat Percentage Chart. I like how it shows that there are different categories of body fat.

I personally like to stay somewhere around 25% because my own personal preference is to have some curves! Having breasts & hips is what makes us look like women! While many people can see that it's unattractive to have a body fat percentage that is too high, it is the same for one that is too low. I always lecture my clients who say thy want to lose 20 pounds in order to fit into that dress for whatever occasion (or whatever the case may be). Who cares if the scale says that number you have been dying to reach. If you're trading fat (which weighs less) for muscle (which weighs more), you're going to look healthy, toned, & attractive. Quit thinking of numbers on the scale because they mean nothing. It's how you feel & look like that counts. You can look great on the outside, but it's what's going on inside that really matters. That's body composition in a nutshell!

In order to get to 25% body fat, my calculations say that I should weigh 128. I want to double check these numbers tomorrow morning before I eat anything, when composition readings are most accurate.

After this detox, I am feeling so great and my confidence is up. There is always more to improve (remember the body is always a work in progress!!!!) and I am excited to see things on my body change. I think that that is your best motivation! Well, we will see what new crazy adventures we can get into tomorrow... Goodnight!




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The Secret to Weight Loss

Since the start of this whole detox, everyone wants to know what to do: what pill to take, what diet to eat, what fad could possibly have such results? They are always disappointed to learn that there are no pills and that exercise is a huge part of it. There is just no way around it. Eating right is easy for me because "good-for-you" food tastes good to me. The exercise is not easy, but the way you start to feel and look is like a drug. You just have to do it, people.

And you can not do one without the other. If you think you can eat like crap and exercise double, you are dead wrong. The same goes for proper diet without exercise. The bottom line is that people who are fit are the minority, and they are this way because it is not easy to achieve fitness. When you work so hard for something it feels so good to achieve it.

Remember that your body is always a work in progress. It constantly changes as we age, bear children, etc. and you can have active control over your body and what happens to it! Just because you are overweight right now does not mean that in a few months you can't be fit! You CAN! You can make your body into whatever your brain decides!

I just wanted to throw that out there and remind everyone to have fun and be positive! It is so easy to make an excuse, it is way harder to get off your ass and get outside of your comfort zone; but guess which of these gets you in your skinny jeans and boosts your self-esteem?



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Detox Meal Plan - Day 6

4/4/09 134.5 pounds

8:00 AM Breakfast
Banana and Peanut Butter-topped Rice Cake
Quaker Unsalted Rice Cake - 35 calories, 1 g protein
1 tbsp Maranatha No-Stir Organic peanut butter - 95 calories, 3.5 g protein
1 small banana - 80 calories
Black coffee with Splenda - 5 calories

10:00 AM Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein

12:10 PM Lunch
Tuna-topped Salad with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 package Starkist Creations Hickory Smoked Tuna (flavor fresh pouch) - 100 calories, 17.5 g protein
1.5 cups lettuce - 9 calories
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette - 25 calories

Workout
20-calorie energy drink powder

50 minutes/550 calories on the stepper

Total: 50 minutes, 550 calories

2:00 PM Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein

5:00 PM Dinner
Grilled Chicken Breast with Broccoli and Green Beans5-oz grilled chicken breast, salt and pepper to taste – 276 calories, 42 g protein
1 cup cooked frozen broccoli – 30 calories, 4 g protein
1 cup cooked frozen green beans – 60 calories, 3 g protein
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette – 25 calories

7:30 PM Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein

Daily Totals: 1085 calories










*REMEMBER, THIS WAS MY MEAL PLAN. I CAN NOT WRITE PLANS FOR THOSE I DON'T TRAIN OR HAVE NEVER EVEN MET. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEE Disclaimer & Resource Information.

Detox Meal Plan - Day 5

4/3/09 135 pounds

8:00 AM Breakfast
Peanut Butter and Strawberry Preserves-topped Rice Cake
Quaker No-salt Rice Cake - 35 calories, 1 g protein
1 tbsp Maranatha Organic No-stir peanut butter - 95 calories, 3.5 g protein
1-2 tbsp Polaner sugar-free strawberry preserves - 10 calories, 5 g carb, 0 g sugar
Black coffee with Splenda - 5 calories

10:00 AM Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein
3 Medium Strawberries – 18 calories, 2.4 g sugar


12:10 PM Lunch

Grilled Chicken Salad with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette
3 oz grilled chicken breast 80 calories, 20 g protein
1.5 cups lettuce - 9 calories
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette - 25 calories

2:00 Snack
1 tbsp Maranatha No-stir organic creamy peanut butter – 95 calories, 3.5 g protein

4:00 WORKOUT20 calorie energy drink powder mixed with water



45 minutes/475 calories on the stepper (level 10)


Total: 475 calories, 45 minutes



6:50 Dinner
Grilled Salmon with Brocolli and Green Beans

4-oz salmon fillet, salt and pepper to taste, steamed in foil on the grill - 185 calories, 21 g protein
1/2 cup cooked broccoli - 15 calories, 2 g protein
1/2 cup cooked green beans - 30 calories
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette - 25 calories



9:00 PM Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein
Daily Totals: 902 calories






*REMEMBER, THIS WAS MY MEAL PLAN. I CAN NOT WRITE PLANS FOR THOSE I DON'T TRAIN OR HAVE NEVER EVEN MET. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEE Disclaimer & Resource Information.

Detox Meal Plan - Day 4

4-2-09 137 pounds

8:00 AM Breakfast
Peanut Butter and Strawberry Preserves-topped Rice Cake
Quaker No-salt Rice Cake - 35 calories, 1 g protein
1 tbsp Maranatha Organic No-stir peanut butter - 95 calories, 3.5 g protein
1-2 tbsp Polaner sugar-free strawberry preserves - 10 calories, 5 g carb, 0 g sugar
Black coffee with Splenda - 5 calories

10:00 AM Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein
3 Medium Strawberries – 18 calories, 2.4 g sugar

12:10 PM Lunch
Grilled Chicken Salad with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette
3 oz grilled chicken breast 80 calories, 20 g protein
1.5 cups lettuce - 9 calories
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette - 25 calories

2:00 Snack
1 tbsp Maranatha No-stir organic creamy peanut butter – 95 calories, 3.5 g protein

4:00 WORKOUT
20 and 30 calorie energy drink powder mixed with water – I needed more than one for this sucker!
47 minutes/500 calories on the stepper

Chest, Back and Tri’s weight training with Dave. (Sets x Reps x Weight)
1. Incline Press - 3 x 10 x 15
2. Pec Fly – 3 x 10 x 35
3. Crunches on the Incline Bench - 2 x 25 x Body weight
4. Lat Pull Down – 3 x 10 x 55
5. Triceps Pushdown (Cables) – 3 x 10 x 25

Cool Down: 17 minutes/100 calories/1 mile treadmill @ 3.5 mph

Total: 64 minutes, 600 calories

6:50 Dinner
Grilled Chicken Breast with Broccoli and Green Beans5-oz grilled chicken breast, salt and pepper to taste – 276 calories, 42 g protein
1 cup cooked frozen broccoli – 30 calories, 4 g protein
1 cup cooked frozen green beans – 90 calories, 3 g protein
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette – 25 calories

8:50 Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein

Daily Totals: 960 Calories, 95.5 g Protein

Notes: Wow! What a day! I had a great workout and tons of water today. Tomorrow is my day off so I have to be sure to get to the gym even though I don’t have to be there! It shouldn’t be too hard since I have the video shoot on Sunday and have to practice the 40 exercises I have to do. Plus, I am getting my hair highlighted next door at 1:00, so I should make it over there. It will just be nice to not have to get there at 7:30 AM for a change!
Sleep is very important to weight loss according to a lot of experts as well as ACE. I don’t know if I get 7 hours of sleep every night, but I know that it is a good idea that everyone try to. I was going to write more, but I forgot what I was thinking!!!! My brain must be revolting against the lack of sugar and carbs, haha…




*REMEMBER, THIS WAS MY MEAL PLAN. I CAN NOT WRITE PLANS FOR THOSE I DON'T TRAIN OR HAVE NEVER EVEN MET. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEE Disclaimer & Resource Information.

Detox Meal Plan - Day 3

4-1-09 137 pounds – Down a total of 5 pounds

8:00 AM Breakfast
Banana and Peanut Butter-topped Rice Cake
Quaker Unsalted Rice Cake - 35 calories, 1 g protein
1 tbsp Maranatha No-Stir Organic peanut butter - 95 calories, 3.5 g protein
1 medium banana - 100 calories
Black coffee with Splenda - 5 calories

10:00 AM Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein

12:10 PM Lunch
Grilled Chicken Salad with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette
3 oz grilled chicken breast 80 calories, 20 g protein
1.5 cups lettuce - 9 calories
5 Florets of raw broccoli - 10 calories, 2 g protein
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette - 25 calories

4:30 WORKOUT
20 calorie energy drink powder mixed with water
15 minutes/150 calories on the stepper
12 minutes/115 calories/1 mile on the Life Fitness elliptical crosstrainer
13 minutes/1 mile/120 calories treadmill interval training as .15 mile at 5.4 mph, .05 mile at 3.4 mph
I have forgot to mention that the treadmill should always be at an incline of at least 4.0 in order to burn more than the standard 100 calories. I forgot to add these calories the previous days, but I don’t care, haha. I will from now on. Also, steppers and elliptical should always be at level 10 at least.
5 minute walking cool down/.25 mile/25 calories
Total: 45 minutes, 410 calories

5:15 PM After-Cardio Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein

6:50 PM Dinner
Grilled Salmon with Salad and Strawberries
4-oz salmon fillet, salt and pepper to taste, steamed in foil on the grill - 185 calories, 21 g protein 2 cups lettuce - 12 calories
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette - 25 calories
5 medium strawberries – 30 calories, 4 g sugar, 1 g protein

9:00 PM Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein
1 50-calorie serving of tuna – 50 calories, 8.75 g protein

Daily Totals: 986 calories, 78.25 g protein

Notes: I am short on calories again! I realized this earlier today than the previous days so I added strawberries to my dinner for a sugar boost. People noticed that I am slimmer already, especially through my midsection and around my face (the first place I gain/lose weight). It was refreshing that other people noticed, too! I feel a lot more energetic today after my workout. I need to make a post about water and how it fits into a detox. See you tomorrow!




*REMEMBER, THIS WAS MY MEAL PLAN. I CAN NOT WRITE PLANS FOR THOSE I DON'T TRAIN OR HAVE NEVER EVEN MET. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEE Disclaimer & Resource Information.

Detox Meal Plan - Day 2

3-31-09 138 pounds - Down 4 pounds

Goals:
Deficit 300 at least calories through cardio exercise
Ingest 1080 to 1250 calories

8:00 AM Breakfast
Banana and Peanut Butter-topped Rice Cake
Quaker Unsalted Rice Cake - 35 calories, 1 g protein
1 tbsp Maranatha No-Stir Organic peanut butter - 95 calories, 3.5 g protein
1 medium banana - 100 calories
Black coffee with Splenda - 5 calories

10:00 AM Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein
1/2 cup raw broccoli - 15 calories

12:10 PM Lunch
Tuna-topped Salad with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 package Starkist Creations Hickory Smoked Tuna (flavor fresh pouch) - 100 calories, 17.5 g protein
1.5 cups lettuce - 9 calories
5 Florets of raw broccoli - 10 calories, 2 g protein
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette - 25 calories

4:15 WORKOUT
Drank 20 calorie energy drink powder mixed with water

27 minutes/250 calories on the stepper
13 minutes/1 mile/100 calories treadmill interval training as .15 mile at 5.4 mph, .05 mile at 3.2 mph
5 minute walking cool down
Total: 45 minutes, 375 calories

5:00 PM After-Cardio Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein

6:50 PM Dinner
Grilled Salmon with Brocolli and Salad
4-oz salmon fillet, salt and pepper to taste, steamed in foil on the grill - 185 calories, 21 g protein
1/2 cup cooked broccoli - 15 calories, 2 g protein
1.5 cup lettuce - 9 calories
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette - 25 calories

9:00 PM Snack Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 4-oz - 90 calories, 11 g protein
10 raw green beans - 15 calories, 1 g protein

Daily Totals: 973 calories, 81 g protein

Notes: still not enough calories, but once again too late in the evening to do anything about it. May eat another 100 calories of tuna at some point throughout the day tomorrow as I am feeling very tired (but not exhausted) after my workout today. I am seeing physical effects of the detox around my waist and hips but cannot find my darn measuring tape!!!! Tired for now, have to go drink some water!




*REMEMBER, THIS WAS MY MEAL PLAN. I CAN NOT WRITE PLANS FOR THOSE I DON'T TRAIN OR HAVE NEVER EVEN MET. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEE Disclaimer & Resource Information.

Detox Meal Plan - Day 1

Before I go into detail about my detox and what I have consumed and burned off through exercise, there are a few things you should know about a detox.

1. Detox should last about 3-7 days and NO LONGER. You will be almost completely removing food groups which is only okay for detox and not for daily diet. Detox can be performed every 2-3 months for a jumpstart in weight loss.
2. You can eat ANYTHING as long as it fits into these three categories:
- Lean protein found in fish, chicken and turkey. This ONLY includes boneless, skinless breast varieties of turkey and chicken and absolutely does NOT include lunchmeat.
- Green vegetables: green beans, broccoli, spinach, zucchini, lettuces, celery, asparagus, green cabbage, cucumbers. This does NOT include peas. Peas, corn and potatoes are not considered vegetables. They are starch and count as carbohydrates the same way that bread, rice and pasta do.
-Low-fat cottage cheese. Listen, I am not a fan of cottage cheese. However, here is the bottom line: you are detoxing from sugar and carbohydrates in order to make your body drop a few pounds as well as absorb nutrients better once you are done. I would rather have yogurt, but yogurt has sugar. Cottage cheese is the only acceptable dairy product other than skim milk. The problem with skim milk is that it will add to your daily calories and you should be chewing your calories during detox, not drinking them.

You may eat these three categories until they come out your ears. Be careful to watch protein intake because protein will increase your calories quicker than the other categories. If you have a piece of fruit, you may have one and it has to be in the morning. That also goes for an unsalted rice cake. Think of food as fuel during your detox. Detox does not last long, so you are not without the food you love for long. Suck it up! You can do it!

Recipe for homemade dressings:
Buy the Kraft Good Seasons dressing that you make at home. I buy the plain italian seasoning. DO NOT FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE BOX. Instead, place spices in cruet. (I also put ground Cayenne Pepper in ine because I love evrything spicy... Cayenne is supposed to also raise your metabolism, but if that were really a factor in weight loss I would have the metabolism of a 13 year old boy because I carry that crap in my PURSE with me everywhere!)
Fill with vinegar (I prefer Apple Cider as well as Balsamic, you can choose what you like - ALL vinegars are cleansing) to above the water line on the cruet. Add water to the middle of the neck. top with a very quick dash of olive oil - it should not even amount to a half teaspoon. Shake liberally. Enjoy!

HERE WE GO!!!!

3-30-09 142 lbs

Goals: Deficit 300 calories at least through cardio exercise
Ingest 1080 to 1250 calories

8:00 AM Breakfast
Banana and Peanut Butter-topped Rice Cake
Quaker Unsalted Rice Cake - 35 calories, 1 g protein
1 tbsp Maranatha Organic No-stir peanut butter - 95 calories, 3.5 g protein
1 medium banana - 100 calories
Black coffee with Splenda - 5 calories

10:00 AM Snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 1 4-oz container 90 calories, 11 g protein
10 raw green beans 15 calories, 1 g protein

12:30 PM Lunch
Tuna-topped Salad with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 Starkist Creations Hickory Smoked Tuna (flavor fresh pouch) 100 calories, 17.5 g protein
1.5 cup lettuce greens 9 calories
10 raw green beans 15 calories, 1 g protein
2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette 25 calories

NORMALLY, I WOULD HAVE HAD A SNACK AT 2:00. SINCE I WAS ABOUT TO WORK OOUT, I HELD OFF BECAUSE YOU SHOULD NOT EAT AT LEAST FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF BEFORE YOU EXERCISE.

4:00 pm WORKOUT
Drank 20 calorie energy powder added to water
34 minutes/300 calories on stepper
15 minutes/1 mile/100 calories on treadmill, interval training: Ran .05 mile @ 5.4 mph/walk .05 mile at 3.0 mph
Total Cardio: 49 minutes, 400 calories

4:50 PM After-cardio snack
Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 1 4-oz container 90 calories, 11 g protein
10 raw green beans 15 calories, 1 g protein

6:50 PM Dinner
Balsamic Chicken with Broccoli and Salad
4-5 oz cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast in balsamic vinegar 276 calories, 42 g protein
1.5 cup lettuce greens 9 calories
1/2 cup broccolli 15 calories, 2 g protein
2 tbsp homemade balsamic vinaigrette 25 calories

8:00 PM Snack Breakstone low-fat cottage cheese, 1 4-oz container 90 calories, 11 g protein
10 raw green beans 15 calories, 1 g protein

Daily totals: 1079 calories, 103 grams protein

NOTES: I need to eat a few more calories tomorrow! I ended the day coming up a little short. I am sure I will feel it in my energy level tomorrow.



*REMEMBER, THIS WAS MY MEAL PLAN. I CAN NOT WRITE PLANS FOR THOSE I DON'T TRAIN OR HAVE NEVER EVEN MET. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE SEE Disclaimer & Resource Information.

DETOX 101 - Getting Started

I recently started hormone therapy after a miscarriage and went from 134 pounds and losing to 142 pounds and feeling bloated. How do you get rid of bloat and a few pounds of excess fat? DETOX! You will lose actual fat and the waste that is bloating you from within your gut. This is not water weight because you will still drink at least half your body weight in ounces every day. In order to understand a detox, you must understand what your needs are. I will use myself as a case study here in something I like to call Detox 101.

I AM CERTIFIED BY THE AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EXERCISE AND THAT IS 

ALWAYS THE RESOURCE THAT I USE FOR ALL OF MY INFORMATION, 

BOTH PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY. 

IT IS WIDELY KNOWN THAT AN ACE CERTIFICATION IS THE TOP 

CERTIFICATION FOR TRAINERS AND CONSULTANTS. 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE, EITHER FOR PROFESSIONAL

 OR PERSONAL ADVANCEMENT, PLEASE VISIT 

THE AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EXERCISE WEBSITE &/OR 

MY DISCLAIMER & RESOURCE INFORMATION PAGE.

Natalie
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Height: 5’2.25” (62.25”)
Starting weight: 142 lbs
Goal weight: 130 pounds
Fitness plan: 6 45-minutes cardio sessions per week

All of the following formulas use height in centimeters and meters, and weight in kilograms; so I have to convert my height and weight.

Height: 62.25” x 2.54 (cm/in)= 158.115 cm, rounded to 158 cm (1.58 meters) to make it easier

Weight: 142 lbs / 2.2 (lbs/kg)= 64.54 kg, rounded to 64.5 kg

1. Determining your Body Mass Index

Even though I don’t personally believe in BMI as a proper measure of obesity, it is still good to know where you stand on the scale. BMI=weight in kg divided by height squared in meters.

So for me: 64.5 kg / (1.58 m)(1.58 m) = 25.8

USDA guidelines say that anything under 25 is healthy, 25-29 is overweight and anything above 29 is obese. You can now see why this is not always accurate because I happen to know that my body fat is 31%, which is in the normal healthy adult range; but because I train and workout I have a higher lean mass which typically puts me on the cusp of the BMI scale. Think of all the athletes who would be rated as obese because of this scale! Again, it is nice to know, though.

2. Setting your Weight Loss Goal

To reach 130 I will have to lose 12 pounds. Healthy and lasting weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week. Because I am starting off with a detox, I will put my goals at 2 pounds a week because you will lose weight a little faster at first when you detox. If you put your plan at one pound, you take a little longer, but it is still lasting and you get to eat more! So, if I lose 2 pounds per week and have to lose 12 pounds total, it should take me 6 weeks to reach my goal.

3. The Fitness Plan

I plan to exercise 6 days a week at least 45 minutes per day. I plan to deficit 300-500 calories in each session. Weekly caloric deficit from exercise for me will be 1800-3000 calories. (I know that for someone my weight it takes a little over 10 minutes on a stepper at level 9 to burn 100 calories. I know this because I am a gym rat. I also use a treadmill, and for every mile ran/walked is 100 calories. That goes for anyone, all shapes and sizes.)

***Remember that a pound of fat is 3500 calories. You burn 100 calories in a mile, whether you walk or run it is the same; you just burn it quicker if you run. That means that you have to walk 35 miles to burn off a pound of fat. Keep that in mind. It makes a large margarita seem different when you know it will take 6 miles to work it off.***

4. Meeting Basal Metabolic Needs

Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body needs to perform basic functions like blood circulation, food digestion, etc. ACE uses the Harris Benedict formula to calculate BMR, which differs for men and women.

Women: 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg.) + (1.8 x height in cm.) – (4.7 x age in years)
Men: 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm.) - (6.8 x age in years)

So for me: 655 + (9.6 x 64.5 kg) + (1.8 x 158 cm) – (4.7 x 27 years old)
= 655 + 619.2 + 284.4 – 126.9 = 1431.7 calories

In other words, I need at least 1432 calories a day just for my body to function properly.

5. Assumption of a Sedentary Lifestyle

A sedentary lifestyle assumption just means that we can assume that everyone has a little bit of light activity throughout the day; whether it be desk work or running errands, housekeeping or walking on the job. All of these activities require more calories. All you do to figure this out is multiply your BMR by 1.2. This gives you the calories you need for basic function as well as this light activity.

So for me: 1432 x 1.2 = 1718 calories

6. Total Daily Needs

Your total above is not the end! Since you are exercising (as outlined in Step 3), your body needs even more calories. To account for these calories, first divide your weekly calories burned goal by 7, which gives the average number of calories you burn through exercise each day. These fitness calories must be added to get your total daily calorie needs. So, add Sedentary Lifestyle Calories + Fitness Calories. I will go with the lower end of the scale I chose since time constraints do change in my schedule. I would rather assume the least and do more than the opposite.

So for me: 1800/7 = 257 fitness calories 257 + 1718 = 1975 total calories

I can eat this much daily and maintain my weight, but in order to lose weight, I need to eat less than this. On to the next step!

7. The Rate of Weight Loss

Remember that a pound of fat is 3500 calories. In order to lose one pound a week, you have to deficit 500 calories a day. In order to lose two pounds a week, you have to deficit 1000 calories a day. This deficit comes from both burning more calories by exercising as well as eating less.

THE AMAZING SECRET TO WEIGHT LOSS!!!!

~CONSUME LESS, EXERCISE MORE~

CRAZY, I KNOW!

All you have to do to figure out your caloric intake for weight loss is subtract your daily deficit from the total maintenance calories we just figured out in the last step. Also, add 100 calories to the total so you have a range that you can follow for the day. Finally, round up the numbers to the nearest ten.

So for me: 1975 – 1000 = 975-1075, rounded up to 980-1080 calories per day.

Give or take a few calories, this is where I need to stay during my detox. HOWEVER, no female should dip beneath 1200 calories a day, 1500 calories a day for males. Your brain thinks that you are starving and flips a metabolic switch. In order to conserve energy, the body lowers your metabolism and you will not burn calories as quickly. This may be hard to do during the detox because of dietary restrictions. It can be difficult to eat 1200 calories of green vegetables!

As long as you make the time to stop and eat every two hours, you will never be hungry. You WILL crave, but you will NOT be hungry. You will learn the difference quickly when you are more aware. Also, remember that this section of the blog refers to WEIGHT LOSS. Once you are finished with your weight loss, you enter into what is referred to as maintenance. The rules will then change somewhat.

Always know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. That light is not only when you can exercise and eat to maintain, but also a happy and healthy YOU; your best self! You have one life - one body - life is short, so live it! Now that you know the basics, let’s take a look at six days worth of food!