So - as mentioned in my "I'm Alive" post - I was pretty busy this last semester. A lot of things got put on hold, but especially my fitness goals. I just felt like I didn't have the energy to put in my all at the gym once I finally got home and got through my homework. In all honesty, the thought of using any of that time to get in a workout actually made me MORE anxious. BUT as soon as summer started, I made a promise to myself that it would become a priority, so towards the end of the year I started to do a little research on different exercises and healthy food options that I could start incorporating into my gym time or my diet. Let me tell you - there is a TON of information out there and a lot of it is contradictory. So naturally, I ended up on Instagram. Not surprisingly, there are many fitness people on Instagram, trying to sell their workout book or their meal plans, but if you put in the time you can actually find some people who are worth their salt. I found a few that have been crucial in both giving me the info I need to get into the gym and the motivation to keep me pushing through when I crave a day in bed with pizza and ice cream. For my exercise regimen, I found Lauren Gleisberg. She is incredibly down to earth and has the best pricing for the best value on her products. She pushes her followers towards an overall healthier lifestyle and also to always empower the other people around you who are trying to make similar changes. You can check out her blog and her products here. To keep me motivated through all my workouts and healthy meals, I've loved keeping up with Nikki Blackketter. She is an occasional bikini competitor, but most of all just a regular girl. She struggles with the same things and she documents it all on her youtube channel here. She was actually my inspiration for looking into my "Macros" to feel like I have a little control over my diet.
I was lucky enough to have a friend who actually works for a fitness and nutrition company so initially I reached out to her to meet up. We got together and she took all my measurements and got a body scan in order to help me figure out what kind of macronutrients I would need based on my activity level, weight, metabolism, etc. Now as a disclaimer - I don't share any of this to flaunt or make anyone feel a certain way. These are simply my numbers and I understand that it is always different for other people. So in that first meeting, I discovered that I was starting at 135 lbs., metabolic age of 12 and 20% body fat. Based on this information, my friend Kitty advised me to adjust my diet for a 1600 kcal intake. She suggested that I try and get about 120-150 grams of protein, 120-130 grams of carbs and about 50 grams of fat per day. I have LOVED keeping track of my nutrition this way. For those of you who are beginners into healthy eating, it is a lot less intimidating to feel like I can eat healthy meals, but also get in a cookie or some ice cream every once in a while, as long as it fits my numbers. Before trying macros, I always felt like I could NEVER eat a "cheat" meal because it would completely ruin my progress, but to be able to see how things affect you in your numbers really makes you realize that that feeling is unreasonable. You can still be healthy and enjoy your life at the same time. I would recommend giving macros a try for anyone who is looking for something new to try! I will also say that you should never be too hard on yourself. Change is a very gradual process and you will make mistakes, but that doesn't mean you should give up. Leading a healthy lifestyle is difficult, but not impossible and everyone can be healthy in their own way. This is kind of a long read, but I wanted to put it out there to let you guys know what I've changed and maybe give you a little push to mix things up for yourself. As always, let me know what you think or any questions you have in the comments below. I hope you enjoyed this update!
I was lucky enough to have a friend who actually works for a fitness and nutrition company so initially I reached out to her to meet up. We got together and she took all my measurements and got a body scan in order to help me figure out what kind of macronutrients I would need based on my activity level, weight, metabolism, etc. Now as a disclaimer - I don't share any of this to flaunt or make anyone feel a certain way. These are simply my numbers and I understand that it is always different for other people. So in that first meeting, I discovered that I was starting at 135 lbs., metabolic age of 12 and 20% body fat. Based on this information, my friend Kitty advised me to adjust my diet for a 1600 kcal intake. She suggested that I try and get about 120-150 grams of protein, 120-130 grams of carbs and about 50 grams of fat per day. I have LOVED keeping track of my nutrition this way. For those of you who are beginners into healthy eating, it is a lot less intimidating to feel like I can eat healthy meals, but also get in a cookie or some ice cream every once in a while, as long as it fits my numbers. Before trying macros, I always felt like I could NEVER eat a "cheat" meal because it would completely ruin my progress, but to be able to see how things affect you in your numbers really makes you realize that that feeling is unreasonable. You can still be healthy and enjoy your life at the same time. I would recommend giving macros a try for anyone who is looking for something new to try! I will also say that you should never be too hard on yourself. Change is a very gradual process and you will make mistakes, but that doesn't mean you should give up. Leading a healthy lifestyle is difficult, but not impossible and everyone can be healthy in their own way. This is kind of a long read, but I wanted to put it out there to let you guys know what I've changed and maybe give you a little push to mix things up for yourself. As always, let me know what you think or any questions you have in the comments below. I hope you enjoyed this update!