Myth Busters

With summer a few short months away, I think we can all use some extra encouragement and education when if  comes to our health journey. While being "skinny" or "losing weight" is often the focus of many, I want to take a little time to write about common misconceptions that often hinder our progress in this journey.

1.) Fat Free=Better for you.

What do I mean by this exactly? I used to always think eating jelly beans, or mike and ikes and other things to kill my sweet tooth that were "fat free" were much better to eat than a snickers bar or a few M&Ms. After some research and self evaluation I realized that was indeed wrong. More often times than not if something is labeled "FAT FREE" It means they cut out fat yes, but added a ton of sugar in place of it. The only exception I have found to this rule is when it comes to milk and dairy, I still go far free on those items. While we all know that sugar is not only terrible for your metabolism, and blood sugar, the way your body aids in fat and digestion you NEED a good amount of fat in your diet. you do not NEED a decent amount of sugar in your diet. Here is an exert from an article I read and wanted to share with you guys just so you can understand exactly what you are putting into your body. 

• Sugar takes a devastating toll on your health. In fact, excessive sugar consumption may be the largest factor underlying obesity and chronic disease in America
• Your body metabolizes fructose much differently than glucose; the entire burden of metabolizingfructose falls on your liver, where excess fructose is quickly converted into fat, which explains the weight gain and abdominal obesity experienced by so many Westerners
• Fructose is the primary cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver and elevates uric acid, which raises your blood pressure, stresses your kidneys, and leads to the chronic, low-level inflammation that is at the core of most chronic diseases; metabolically speaking, fructose is alcohol “without the buzz”

2.) You can target Fat loss in certain areas- I have touched on this a little before. Fat loss is not specific. You can not burn fat in a place simply by exercising that region. Your body burns overall fat. Now you can work specific muscles in an area that strengthens that muscle causing it to produce a higher level of work which can ultimately result in more fat burn from that muscle. That does NOT mean you will lose fat in that specific area though. 

3.) You can turn fat into muscle- Physiologically speaking that is impossible. Muscle and fat are two totally different components. You can build muscle and muscle will burn fat but it does not turn that fat into muscle. You get rid of that fat and build your muscle mass resulting in a more toned less flabby look. 

4.) Diet Soda is better than regular soda. The fact of the matter is whether it is sugar or it is a chemical derived to substitute as sugar it is terrible for your body. In a recent study it was proven that people who drank diet soda twice daily were proven to have two more inches of weight around there waist than those who did not. That right there is enough evidence to me that something is off with the chemical balance and blood sugar reaction of the "sugar substitute" 

5.) Weight training will make a woman bulky- most women do not have the testosterone levels to get bulky in the first place. The women who do gain bulk take numerous supplements and spend countless hours to get that way. Normally initially after a workout especially with weight bearing exercise, your muscles swell causing your muscles to look larger and more defined, that is the initial body adaption of the pump, which quickly regresses. Weights build stronger muscles-stronger muscles burn fat. 

6.) Fasting or starving myself will make me lose weight quickly- From someone who used to forget to eat, or would be too busy and not eat until dinner time I can promise you this is not the best way to utilize your metabolism to your benefit. When you don't eat your body does feed off of storage, HOWEVER once you take away its "go juice" it is going to go into starvation mode. Meaning that when you do put food into your body it is going to cling to it and hoard it so to say, because it is now unsure of when it will be fed again. Unlike when you eat every few hours your metabolism is consistently working to process food to get ready for the next intake. 

7.) Working out for 2 hours at minimal effort is better than working out for an hour at maximal effort- This is why. While you may be doing a longer period of work you are not exerting your full energy. The most amount of calories burned is when you are in a certain "zone" or when your body has reached a certain heart rate. If you are still able to carry on a conversation decently, chances are you are far from your maximal effort. You will ultimately burn more calories in a shorter period of time if you put max effort in as opposed to the other option. I can not stress enough the importance and results of burst training or interval training. It will maximize every aspect of your fitness level. 

8.) Cheat day is a free for all- I can not tell you how many times I have seen people work so hard and then because it is cheat day, all bets are off. While I do ABSOLUTELY think everyone needs a day to be a little more lenient, I do not think you should go all out. Here is why- an average cheat meal for most is a fast food meal with dessert or a soda, or a large alcoholic drink and a meal out at a mexican restaurant- all of which can total out to over 1800 calories in one sitting. If you keep that mindset all day long you have completely nixed all the hard work you have put in for the week not only eliminating weight loss, but possibly adding weight gain as opposed to if you just allowed yourself one special treat that day, or just an extra serving at dinner that night. 

9.)Skipping Breakfast will help me cut calories- I can NOT stress enough how important it is to eat within the first hour of waking. To get your metabolism started on a good note, to feed your body the nutrition and carbs it needs to fuel your day and possibly your work out you NEED breakfast. 

10.) Drinking Juice is healthy for me- If you want the benefits of orange juice eat an orange. Juices are filled with additives and extra sugars regardless of what they advertise on the label, you are far better off drinking water and eating a piece of fruit rather than wasting your calories in your fluids. 

11.) All Fat is bad for weight loss- Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats are essential to fat loss. By eating foods rich in these fats suck as egg yolk, avocado, almonds, natural peanut butter, salmon to name a few- you produce "brown fat" which is primarily used to burn "bad fat" or "yellow fat" 

I don't want this post to discourage anyone or make them feel they are doing things wrong, I want to inform people, knowledge is power. The more you know the wiser you will be to make better decisions to get to where you want to be. I know that it is hard and I have my falls and my cheat meals just like everyone else. The thing I want most is for people to understand the mechanics of how your body responds to the food you put into it and the work you get out of it. You truly are what you eat. Once you start eating to benefit your body and actions instead of satisfying your cravings i promise you will see a difference. Below I am going to list some of my new favorite recipes/ ideas for healthy good food :) 


Buffalo Chicken wraps- in a skillet cook grilled chicken with plain greek yogurt, reduced fat feta cheese, and buffalo sauce. Place it on a veggie or whole wheat wrap with your choice of toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, etc.) 

Grilled Chicken Garlic PoBoy- Take a whole wheat french bread loaf and make an olive oil and garlic spread to put on top and bake- grill up some chicken breasts with some plain greek yogurt, and savory garlic and onion soup packet-place it on the wheat loaf top with your choice of fat free cheese, lettuce, tomato, etc. 

Baked Doritos Pie- Take the baked Doritos and crumble them in a greased pan cook a pound of 98% lean ground turkey and add taco seasoning. layer the Doritos and meat and fat free cheddar and bake for 12 mins at 350. Top with fresh salsa, avocado, and greek yogurt in place of sour cream

Spinach/Strawberry Salad- Reduced fat blue cheese crumbles, sliced strawberries, and fresh spinach leaves topped with a raspberry vinaigrette- add chicken or shrimp for more protein

Breakfast Burger- One egg white, one slice of fat free cheddar, one slice of turkey bacon. all topped on a grilled turkey burger- wrapped in lettuce if you need a bun or eaten with a fork and no bun. 

BBQ Chicken- In a crockpot on low for four hours cook chicken breasts with the BBQ seasoning and rub by McCormick Grill Mates, and vinegar. after it is seasoned well pour the contents into a skillet over the oven and slice adding a slight bit more of seasoning and letting the juices be the sauce versus a high sugary BBQ sauce. 

Shrimp Boil- Take a frozen pound of shrimp, place aside and bring a pot of water to boil with Cajun seasoning ( or oldbay ) and a sliced up lemon. Throw the shrimp in for 4 minutes- and you have a delicious quick and healthy main course. 

Feel free to message me for more snack ideas or anything else you have questions about. I hope this helps you guys for the upcoming week, God bless and happy healthy thoughts until next time :) 

I really was studying, until my mind ran off again :)

It is far past my bed time...and while I was up studying and taking practice tests, I turned on some pandora into my headphones and off my little mind ran. Somewhere between reading about how all service based purchases (personal training in this case) are emotionally driven, and hearing the lyrics "even on my weakest days I get a little bit stronger"; it dawned on me that strength comes from emotion, and even better we control our emotions therefore we control our own strength?!?! I know it seems simple enough right? I mean you are your own destiny and I lecture and write constantly about how you make your journey your own decision every day, but it is something about the intensity in the way it hit me tonight....

My handy dandy Pandora played me quite a few long lost country and pop hits that were all so familiar to the streaming of mental photographs and memories that played through my adolescent and teen years. Memories that a lot of times I try not to rehash and some that I use to thrive on, to push myself. The point is I never in a million years would have thought the girl I was then would have turned into the woman I am today. Do NOT under any circumstances think that I am tooting my own horn here, I have many goals left to accomplish and plenty of room for growth, knowledge, and improvement. BUT my proof that I can do it is my past to my present. NOT just in weight loss, NOT just in physicality. While I am still very sensitive at heart and tend to be overly emotional I have learned to be tough without being hard; be caring without being a door mat, and most importantly be somebody I can look at in the mirror and accept. Stretch marks, scars from the past, good memories, bad decisions, all of it wrapped into a package of a grown woman who is choosing her own fate and destination (of course with Christ by my side as my guide)

One very amazing example is something that I was blessed enough to experience a few weeks ago, as I started this journey almost three years ago, I started by doing DVDs while my newborn napped. Billy Blanks and his daughter Shellie were by far my biggest influence. I kicked, punched and chanted along with countless videos and have spent many hours with those two playing in my living room as i would sweat and cry and curse and laugh all the while testing my strength and endurance. I was blessed enough to meet these two individuals who changed my life and got to train with them while I was in TN, here are a few pictures from my training sessions.

I can promise you before all of this began Amanda Ashley Guidry-Rivera did NOT swear unless it was in a tanning bed or outside sunbathing. Now I do not feel accomplished until I have had a good sweat. I never wore sneakers unless they looked cute with my hoodie or new VS sweats, high heels were how I walked best, now I own one pair of heels and can barely walk in them, yet own countless pairs of sneakers for different training. Once upon a time I never grocery shopped without make up on, now that stuff is reserved for special occasions. Have I lost my mind? Am I less of a lady or a girly girl? No, I am just comfortable with ME, Amanda. I took control of my emotions, who cares if I don't look perfect, who cares what I wear to grocery shop or who thinks what of me, I am strong because I wake up every day and I choose to be. So ladies "Fight the good Fight"- 1 Timothy 6:13 Fight for YOU whoever it is that you are, be that! Be comfortable in your own skin do what makes you happy and healthy! God bless until next time- Amanda

Sharing=Change

New year new you, or so they say right? What I find most people say is the first few weeks are easy in this lifestyle change, you are motivated you are feeling the burn you are hungry for that change, and then it happens...the inevitable mentality that summer is way to far from now, and that big mac is calling your name, and who cares anyway right? I mean your family and friends love you for who you are and you have put in enough work right? WRONG

So here it is ladies the cold hard truth...being over weight and unhealthy is not something you can avoid and push to the side because one day you will wake up and realize it has spiralled so far out of control you don't know where to start picking up the pieces. Maybe you have already reached that point but have no idea where to start...this is where I and million of others in this world come in to play. That is what this journey is about, leaning on one another! Learning from each others victories and mistakes, taking exercises from one person adding your own flare, passing along your recipe and letting people make their modifications to make it even better! "Sharing is caring" folks! Yes I know that was cheesy :) So this is going to be dedicated to sharing a few of my favorite things and asking you if I can share a little more....As most of you know I am in the process of studying for my ACE personal training certification. So I am looking to share my knowledge with a few individuals who are serious about a CHANGE. I would like to break down meal plans and work out plans for you each week. I would be willing to do some skype-ercise dates to work through some of the harder days with you help you work out meal plans specific to your time and budget and see what we could accomplish. I would be your "trainer" but also your friend and coach to help you and give you advice to figure out what is going to work best to keep you on the right path. So if you are interested feel free to find me on Facebook, or email me at amanda.rivera412@gmail.com with your basic information and see what we could work out. I am here to help YOU. No matter the goal if it is five lbs if it is 105 I want to SHARE my knowledge and passion with everyone.

That being said I am going to Share my daily eating for today and my daily workouts I did via youtube today. Also going to share some of my new favorite recipes I have thrown together :)

Here are a few of my new finds at the grocery store yesterday.

So I am obsessed with the wasabi and soy sauce almonds, the new pineapple greek yogurt put out by yoplait light and fit, my all time favorite protein bars Clif Builders bar in Mint Chocolate, a few new flavors in their crunch bars, AND a new fiber one cereal :)

This is my morning regiment STRONG coffee  with my indulgent pumpkin pie creamer some oatmeal, this morning it was Kashi Vanilla, other options for oatmeal is oats, skim milk, and some additives I use  are pumpkin and Cinnamon; peanut butter and vanilla greek yogurt, natural honey and strawberries or other fresh fruits.

Two hours later I took my vitamins which includes a prenatal and the three shown above and also I had a banana, a piece of whole wheat bread topped with my favorite sunbutter.

Thirty minutes later I began my work out for the day. I am going to post the videos I did today, each day is different some days I do my own work out, some days I use YouTube, some days I use the Insanity DVDs, some days I go for a run. The key for me is VARIETY. I get bored terribly easy so if I am constantly doing new things my body keeps guessing and so does my mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xm3GEDVmbM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbjMVBeBBdQ

And finally ended with this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJguohCA_Mk&playnext=1&list=PLZRTaDQZdOoEh6XmukwOqNIkcvZ6nQvlX&feature=results_video

This is my sweaty exhausted self afterwards!

 

So of course after all that mess I was HUNGRY and this was my post work out meal- two scrambled eggs, topped with weight watchers shredded cheese, and turkey; with a side of grapes. 

 

The afternoon was a bit hectic due to a sick child and errands to be ran so my two snacks were a Clif builders bar, and two hours later a handful of almonds and an apple, and that would bring us to dinner. Since I knew today would be touch and go I took a rack of ribs and threw them in the crock pot with a packet of seasoning and let them cook on low for the day. Now pork is not the leanest of meat that I eat but I do try to mix variety in so I found the leanest cut of ribs at the store it was 8g of fat and 2g of saturated fat and 21g of protein. I had a side sweet potato with Cinnamon and vanilla greek yogurt. 

I will end my day with either a bowl of cereal or a bowl of fruit before bed. The point is I do not count calories, I do not starve myself. I work hard,  I eat whole and well. It is all about balance and all about finding out what works for YOU. How much time do you have to prepare meals? How often do you grocery shop and what is your budget? What can you make work for you and everyone else in the house without hurting your waistline? All things we need to ask ourselves. I want you guys to set yourself up to succeed. Do not put ridiculous calorie restrictions on yourself. Do not completely cut out any group of food you eat, because we need nutrients from any and all sources. 

So, this is just a day of my regiment, what is yours? What can you do to change or modify it to make it better? Never stop searching for new ways to improve yourself on the inside and out. When you are confident and you are PROUD of what you are doing with your life, it shows. We make choices everyday, choices have consequences, and we live with those consequences regardless of what they are. So think ahead of your choices, make time where needed, prepare in advance if that works best, and take EVERY opportunity life presents to you because you never know which one might just change your life :) God Bless, Hold your head high, and Work Hard!

Crashing to a hault

Hence the title of this blog....two weeks ago I had my very frenzied-always busy-lifestyle come to a literal and very scary crashing halt. God puts everything into motion for a reason and while a cracked vertebrae, cracked sternum, no car, and attempting not to do any lifting or any physical activity was NOT the way I saw my next few weeks ahead, it is indeed what the Dr. ordered.

While I first found this to be a huge inconvenience ( I couldn't jump, run, or lift weights for a total of 2 weeks) I have to now say that I see the light and joy in this adventure...at least I am trying to that is. I have been able to catch up on some time with my daughters, rest and rejuvenate a bit, and get some much needed studying in for my ACE certification.

While having no car for a while and being still is not my "normal" way of life I have learned the meaning of "Be still and know that I am God", while much I take for granted I am trying to realize how blessed I am through this trial and Holiday season. I have two beautiful children that I did not think I would ever be able to conceive and carry due to some hereditary female issues. I was in a car accident which means I was driving, something many people and even eye doctors doubted I would ever be able to do, as I was born with an eye disease that leaves me legally blind. I am sitting in my house out in Missouri, a place far away from the small town I grew up in; which most (including myself) never thought I would leave to be able to move on with my life and grow into a settled down responsible adult.

Every time I have been told I could not do something I have kept the mindset of "Watch me" This has been true and is still true about my commitment to a lifestyle change.

Here is me the day of my accident and here is me ready for my husbands Christmas party a little over a week later... 

 

  

I could have sat around miserable, I could have given into the pain and frustration of not being 100% or I could have gotten off my tail and made the most of this situation.

So since exercise has not been a feasible option for the past few weeks what was I to do to not lose what I had worked so hard for?! Eat clean, drink my water, take my vitamins and REST! Well how on earth would that help? You see if your body doesn't have the proper rest and you don't let your muscles or in my case injuries heal, there would be no way I could return to my normal "go hard or go home" self. After my two weeks of recovery I went to my first real work out class today taught by my favorite personal trainer I have met and had a straight ROCKIN' work out. For the first time in weeks I felt like Amanda again. I was happy relaxed all my exertion was put out there and expressed the best way I know how to express myself. 

 

Even when I didn't know what the next step was I had friends and family who were there to talk to and help me keep a positive attitude. Support in this lifestyle change will make all the difference. Whether it is finding a person in a nearby group class or even reaching out to family and friends to see if they will help keep you accountable, do what you need to do as an individual to make it work. 

Also always, always remember even if you skip a work out, or you have an injury, or a setback; your eating and what you put into your body is what is going to make all the difference. I have had people ask for different recipes or ideas for food and I want to give you a quick run down of a few days of my meals while I was on my recovery. 

  

When I wake up in the morning the first thing I do is get coffee. I have a severe addiction haha. With my coffee I try to start my metabolism immediately with a banana or apple. once that digests and I have some caffeine in me I will either go for some boiled egg whites or some whole grain oatmeal with some raw pumpkin ( from the can) some honey and non fat vanilla Greek yogurt mixed in. one thing when you are not working out your metabolism is not working as hard and as fast as it would if you were physically active. So how do you combat that? Keep Eating! so two hours after breakfast I would go for a Clif Builders protein bar. two hours later would be lunch which would either be an all natural peanut butter sandwich with some grapes or some canned chicken breast (seasoned) with a glass of skim milk. Snack number two comes two hours later, normally another piece of fruit or a small bag of all natural chips with another cup of coffee ;) Dinner in our household varies each night. My husband doesn't care for veggies, and I don't care for some of the things he likes so we do a lot of compromising with each other. I will do grilled chicken but make his BBQ make myself some steamable edamame or green beans and make him some french fries. It is all about substitutions. When you go out to eat, don't panic or put yourself in a position to let all your hard work go down the drain. Look at the healthier entrees instead of baked potato get some steamed veggies, instead of the steak get the chicken. Little steps lead to habits, habits lead to a lifestyle. 

Never forget YOU are the deciding factor in everything you do. I know I like to snack I know I like to eat so if I know I am going to be gone for most of the day I throw some peanuts, a protein bar, a banana, or anything else healthy I have in my house into my purse and roll. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. You know you have Christmas parties ahead, plan to get in a good work out before hand. Look up some easy healthy snacks you can take so you know you will have healthy options to eat, and don't throw it all away because you had a cookie or a glass of wine. Moderation is key to everything in life. 

Nothing upsets me more than seeing small children or young teens being obese, because they haven't been taught better. Be an example to your kids, to your family, to others in general. We have too many options these days and too much knowledge not to take responsibility for our own health ladies. Stay strong and focus on health, love, life, and family during this Holiday weekend. God Bless each of you! 

Never wait to find the new you

Guess who is back?! Yes Ladies, i took a brief break from blogging to kind of regroup in my personal life and here I am back at it. After some soul searching and debate I have decided at the end of this month I am giving up my job and working on and focusing on the roles I love most in life: a mommy, a wife, and yes finally going to take a test to be a Personal Trainer. I have received my ACE study materials and have begun my journey so I am leaving it up to you my readers to keep me accountable to not get scared or insecure and to complete this journey I have dreamed of for so long. This is a picture of my afternoon, Studying and Energy Drink in hand :)

Let's dig right in! The holidays are upon us and if we don't watch it, soon enough so will those extra pounds also be upon our hips! Thanksgiving is a personal favorite of mine, pumpkin pie would be my one downfall each year among many other dishes SO, I want to talk about how planning and substituting can always help. Sweet Potato casserole has always been a favorite to this southern gal, so instead of skipping I did some swapping. Boiled my sweet potatoes, mashed them and instead of sugar and butter threw in my vanilla non fat Oikos Greek Yogurt, some cinnamon, and a pinch of splenda brow sugar. It was delish! But even more so knowing I didn't have to feel guilty. Another favorite has always been my step mom's broccoli casserole and since I wasn't at home this year I HAD to make it to feel like I was right? So I took some steamed chopped broccoli and added in the stuffing mix and some fat free cream of mushroom, a table spoon of non fat plain Greek yogurt, fat free cheddar and two egg whites. The original recipe calls for an egg, mayo, and regular cheddar. The few differences made no change in taste and a great change in nutrition! Where there is a will there is always a way :) I did not substitute my pumpkin pie, I instead ran a four mile race to benefit the homeless in Nashville that morning and much to my surprise took first place in my age division for time, so in terms of keeping balance I happily ate my pie afterwards :) Here are a few pictures of my Thanksgiving run in Nashville, TN.

My point to all of this is if I can do this YOU can. There are many days I wake up struggling just to get through a day trying to be a perfect wife, an FRG leader, a mommy to my two girls, maintain a house with piles of laundry and still keep in touch with all of my family i love and miss dearly ( four families of my own plus my husbands side!) It gets exhausting folks! So more times than not the last thing I want to do is eat healthy and work out, but I know that what motivates me is how I look and how I feel. I know what it feels like to run on junk food and have no energy because I have not been taking care of my body. I also know what it feels like to start the day off after a cardio session and a well balanced breakfast. The thing is decisions turn into habits, habits turn into your lifestyle, and before you know it your lifestyle becomes a part of you. It is the Christmas Season who doesn't want to enjoy friends family and food? (Not to mention a few glasses of wine, if you knew me) You have to give some to get some I wake up on the days I work and do something, sometimes it is only a thirty minute Pilate's routine but it gets my metabolism started and my blood flowing. On my lunch break I don't have enough time to really go do anything but I don't want to waste time sitting so I do a quick three mile run. It isn't especially challenging to me now, but it is something that helps me maintain. I started running and could not go longer than five minutes without having to break to walk, I built up my stamina. After I had my second child I ran a 13 minute mile, I started HIIT training and built up to a 12, and then a 10 minute pace, now I run at an 8 minute or less pace per mile. Did it happen over night? Absolutely not. Did I see weight loss results with in the first week? Nope. I struggled, I still struggle but that is part of this beautiful journey guys!!

Do NOT let one bad decision or even a few bad weeks of eating and not training ruin what you have accomplished or what you want to accomplish for your self. Not everyone will understand how you feel, lets be honest ladies there are days we don't understand how we feel ourselves :) You have to make a conscious decision to want to be the best version of you that you can. I know that I will never look as cut as the fitness models on the cover of my magazines, I know that my mother markings of stretch marks and loose skin will probably never fade. Guess what? It is OK. Because it is part of my story, it is part of my journey. If you take a twenty minute walk around the neighborhood that is lapping everyone that is still sitting on the couch. "Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can do what others can't" Your body was not built in a day and it surely will not change in a day, but your mood can change in a matter of minutes once you push yourself to do something you thought you couldn't.

Be realistic, don't think you will go from a size 12 to a size 4 in a matter of two months. Start with small actions you want to become habits, take 15 minutes extra in the morning to do some exercises, swap your regular pasta for whole wheat, and your whole milk for skim. Little changes will become more and more familiar and slowly you will start to see the change within yourself. What is something that you want that petrifies you? My personal goal that scares me to death is to run a marathon so I will start with my half marathon in April and get to where I want to go. I may never make it on a fitness magazine cover, I may never reach masses of women and make hundreds of dollars, but if I can make one person see the beauty of the journey, it is worth it. Here is a picture of me a year ago, nine months pregnant, a picture of me three months post partum, and a picture 9 months post partum to show you what dedication leads to..

I challenge you to make one sacrifice for healthy a day until the new year, it can be as simple as not getting seconds at dinner, trading one soda for a bottle of water, waking up twenty minutes early to do some pinterest or youtube work outs. Do what YOU can, not what every one else thinks you can, but what YOU know you need to do for you.  God Bless each of you and never forget to push yourself, or you will never know what you might be capable of!

Let your dreams become your realities, and your goals become your accomplishments.

                                                 

I wanted to start this blog off with this very true statement. It seems simple but there is a lot of truth to it when you actually think about it. No one was born knowing how to do everything and accomplish anything. We all have different qualities built in us that make us succeed but ultimately everyday is a new learning experience. I want to talk a little bit about "diets" and eating today. I feel there is a lot of misconstrued information out there and I wanted to touch on some of the latest fads of "healthy" eating.

First and foremost we do NEED fat and carbs. We just do not need an excessive amount of them. I try my best to get my fats from all natural sources like avocado, natural peanut butter, almonds, salmon and lean meats. Your carbs are going to be most beneficial to you when they also come from whole non processed sources. Fruits, vegetables, low fat or non fat milk products, whole wheat pastas or bread but that doesn't mean you should be eating pasta as your dinner every night and toast every morning because it is whole grain. Everything should be eaten in moderation. Also the more fiber it has the longer it will keep you full AND the less it will spike your blood sugar. That is where the ever popular Gluten diet came from. the less a food spikes your blood sugar the longer it takes to process the fuller you will stay. But the more processed a food is like candy, cookies, etc they tend to spike your blood sugar causing your body to react quickly therefore you do not process as long and you are feeling hungry soon after you just finished eating in the first place.

 

This brings me to my next fad right now the HCG liquid/pills. Most every diet with this "magic" ingredient requires you to cut calories down to 500 a day even at a 1000 a day that is very unhealthy. The thing is when you don't intake enough calories your body goes into survival mode. It is going to start storing carbs and fats so that it can function properly. When you decide to feed it whatever that may be it is going to cling to what you give it, because it thinks you are facing starvation, and really you are. Not to mention when you starve your body your metabolism is going to plummet down. I work with people who can't believe how much I eat because I eat every two hours from the time my feet hit the floor I try to get a cup of coffee with skim milk and a banana or some grapes, anything to start my motor up again. I have written many times before I eat before bed to make sure my metabolism  stays busy and burns calories while I sleep also. From someone who starved herself for years take it from me eating small frequent portions is the only way you are going to get the results you desire. 

As you know I am a huge advocate of weights and resistance training. BUT I noticed when I cut my cardio down I was getting thicker in muscle then i preferred so i started doing Zumba out of sheer boredom one morning, and boom started seeing the results with in a few days. My point in sharing this is that you HAVE to switch up your routine. Resistance and weights build amazing muscle which burns fat, but if you are not getting your heart rate up high enough with cardio exercises you are not going to see the resuls of the trimmed down look you want. Crossfit, HIIT training, weights, zumba, kickboxing, running all are part of my weekly routine and sometimes I combine them into one work out  you have to be creative, sometimes I put on my favorite old school songs from high school and dance my little heart out, it may be just me in my bedroom for fifteen minutes before I finish out a work out but its extra calories burned, memories to smile at, and it puts me in a good mood for the rest of my day.  

This sign couldn't have made me smile any bigger or spoke to me any clearer. The thing is I always dreamed of being the mom jogging in her neighborhood with her kids in a stroller or the wife who could keep up with her husband on a run, or the girl who proved everyone wrong, and I became that person. It took a long 25 soul searching years to understand, it was not how everyone else saw me that mattered, it was how I saw myself. So now I am active, busy, I probably appear to drink far too much caffeine and am still a little too over the top BUT the difference in who I am now to who I was before this journey began is that I am ok with all of those things because they are ME.

  

I will leave you with this image. The world, your friends, enemies, even your family and the ones you love most will tell you certain things are "impossible." To them I want you to say "I'm possible" What goal scares you the most in life? Running a 5k? Start jogging a half a mile a day no matter how long it takes you and within no time you will be entering your first race. Scared to enter the weight room because you can only lift the three lb dumb bells? Go get those three pounders and walk on the treadmill with them in hand until your biceps are burning and you get the courage to stand in the weight room and flex with the big dogs. I say these things because I, Amanda Rivera have been there. I was terrified to do a group class just three months ago I went to my first ever exercise class because I was scared people would be whispering about how I was doing things wrong, now I help instruct a mommy and me class for women. I want each and every one of you to know how much you are able to accomplish if you would just stop making excuses and believe in yourself. You can accomplish anything you want, so what is it?

Lastly, I want to challenge you. My two year old has recently adapted the word "can't" into her vocabulary and I as a mother treat it like a curse word. I tell her we are not allowed to say that word in our house because in life there is nothing you can not do. It is a lesson that I learned much too late in life and missed out on some great opportunities because of, I do not want that for my daughter, for you, or for anyone. We get one life, one chance, one body, take it to the limit every chance you get. God Bless- Amanda 

No more excuses, You WILL be strong and proud of it!

 I could not think of a better way to start this post than with this sign. It has been a while since I have had a chance to sit down and write to you guys. I have been on a somewhat new journey entering the working world and had to go out of town to train and re adjust my schedule a bit, so that being said I wanted to let you guys in on some of my insight over the past few weeks. First and foremost I want to address the people that try to steal your joy. I want to tell you guys I can not tell you how many negative comments I have received since I have lost weight since having my second child. I have heard everything from "are you sure you don't have a problem?" to "being that thin is not attractive." Ladies, for me it is not about being "skinny" it is not about seeing a certain number on that scale or in that jean size. It is about pushing myself to a limit that only I can understand. I urge you as you continue on your journey to make yourself happy. If you don't lose a pound but you feel healthier and know you are giving it your all then that is the ONLY thing that matters. People are going to discourage you, they are going to make you feel guilty for accomplishing your goals and to you I say "let your haters be your motivators" :)

 

Remember why you do what you do. We each have different motivators, we each have different lifestyles but the important thing to remember is you started this journey for a reason, and you never want to forget that. 

Next on my agenda, is never let your excuses talk you out of your progress. For example: hereditary obesity, not being able to afford it, I am too tired, I do not have enough time, or my all time favorite I had kids. On that note I will post a picture of what I looked like at 21 before I got married or had children and was supposedly at my "prime" 

Now I have given birth to two children, have much less time than I did back then, am now more pressed for cash than I was back then and here is a picture from about a week ago.  

25 lbs less, lord only knows how many inches down and a size 0 verses a size 6. That being said excuses are nothing but lies to yourself. They are just things we say to make ourselves feel better about being lazy or making unhealthy decisions. 

While I was traveling it would have been extremely easy to go out to eat for every meal and order delicious entrees and slack off at the gym. Instead I woke up earlier and did two a day gym sessions and bought a week worth of protein filled snacks instead of gorging myself with processed foods. Now that I have to be at work on certain days I have to drop my kids off around 7:45am, it would be very easy to say oh I will work out when I get home. The thing is i know myself, I know my tendencies. I hate working out at night and it is more than likely not happening when i have laundry to fold dinner to make and kids to bathe. So I wake up at 5am and get it over with. With only one cup of coffee in me at that time I normally don't have much patience for DVDs and I do not have the freedom to leave my kids and go for a run, so I have started compiling my own work outs. I put on my favorite play list warm up and start doing variations of cross fit, insanity, tae bo, and whatever strength exercises target my core and muscle groups I need to work for the day. The point of me telling you this is there are a million excuses I have for not working out but not one of them is valid enough for me to sham out on something I know benefits me so much. Here are a few examples of my favorite variations I like to go through in my early morning work outs. 

100 jumping jacks (If you can not jump do step jacks side to side for a total of 100)

90 squats

10 burpees 

jog in place for 30 seconds

8x8x8 lunges so on each leg do 8 slow deep lunges 8 pulsing lunges and hold down for 8 secs. 

20 push ups

30 second plank hold

30 secons of plank touches

wall squats for 45 second intervals 

50 knee reapeaters on each side

50 inverted crunches so start with knees up elbows at your temples abs contracting in and then release legs to a straight posotion and lower your abs down towards the floor hold and come back up. 

30 tricep dips 

30 round house kicks on each leg

These are just a few things I throw into different work outs along with weights and some good ole cardio running in place, running my stair case,  dancing or whatever strikes me as fun that day. 

The point is when something you desire is important to you, you will find a way to accomplish it. It burns like fire in me to be strong physically to be healthy and break through any stereo type of being a lazy stay at home mom or an out of shape army wife who watches her husband do PT and stands by. I have worked hard to accomplish what I know is right for me and my body and I KNOW that you can do the same. If you are pressed for time, do ten minute spurts. During your lunch break take a walk around to get your heart rate up. Do ten minutes of push ups and planks before you hop in the shower in the morning and before bed to ten minutes of squats and lunges. You CAN find a way to get to where you want to be. It may not be easy it will cause compromise and sacrifice but it WILL be worth it :) Prove yourself wrong and take the challenge to be a new you, you will never regret it! All my sweaty hugs and encouragement until next time-Amanda