SETBACKS PART 2: MY NIGHT EATING RELAPSE

Hey guys,

Remember when I told you, in one of my previous posts, that I cut out eating at nights? Well guess what? I have started back. Yes, I have relapsed and it's worst than before. But I suspect it's a mind thing. Mental sabotage, yes it's real!

It happens to the best of us, that plan 'to be committed to health and fitness'  goes down the drain in seconds after the first bite of whatever is available in the fridge after 10pm.

With about two months left before I parade the streets of Port of Spain, I need to do whatever it takes so I've made a pic of me for this year's carnival, in costume, my home screen image on my phones, my laptop, my kid's tablet and I have also printed it out. My plan is to look at it for a minute before going to the fridge and convince myself that I should look at least five times better next year.

Now, if the said plan doesn't work, I am not going to panic. I will drown my hunger in two glasses of water then go right to bed.

You see, all it takes is a little plan and me airing out my dirty diet laundry to you guys via this blog. Things should be fine now.


Here is the pic I looked at a few minutes ago to test my plan.

Regards,
Renee.

SETBACKS PART I: "I DRANK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL THAT NIGHT"

Hey my people,

While I am writing this post I can't help but be disappointed with myself for my night of alcoholic indulgence. It was a great night out with my 'homie' and a group of foreigners, who she had hosted. They drank like sailors and I was in my glee. Although I fully well know how to 'throw down' a few, that night I had overdone it.

You see, I know the side effects of alcohol, short and long term. Outside of the bad hang over, the weight gain and the disappointment  is as serious or even worse when you are on a fitness journey. Something or someone, a voice, a signal, my conscience should have told me " STOP! Your belly fat and double chin will reign supreme so don't  have more than five". But there was no one and nothing, not even a soca song reminding me of my carnival goal. Sigh!

Anyway, I am trying not to beat up myself and recover from all those empty calories I consumed that night. As the saying goes 'small thing man'. Now that that's in the past, moving forward, I plan to cut back on my carbohydrates and boost my protein intake so I can get back on track.

Below is a nice reminder of that sweet but sour night.

Regards,

Renee

Breakfast Anyone?

Okay Folks,

Normally I won't do a breakfast fit for a king, but knowing how crucial that first meal of the day is to my body transformation, I am making the extra effort.

So here is a look at one of my favorite breakfast combinations since on this journey.


Water
The first thing I drink to flush the system.  A few glasses of water is also good to help lower high blood pressure. Three glasses per serving.

Fruit
Any type of fruit is best eaten on an empty stomach to aid in peristalsis (look up this word for complete definition)

Eggs
Eggs pack protein. Once they are not over cooked you can get obtain enough protein for your day! Two eggs per serving.

Sausages (Optional)
Sausages provides the meal with more flavor. Sometimes they can be used to give the meal a little balance through it's fat content. Three breakfast size links per serving.

Biscuits
CARBOHYDRATES=ENERGY! Six Crix per serving! Enough said!

Green Tea (Minus the milk)
I am one of those people who believes that green tea speeds up your metabolism and tackles unwanted fat. It also gives you the boost of energy you need before workouts. One cup per serving.

So there you go! That's a look at what's in my belly today. I will definitely like some healthy recipes to add to my list of favorites so feel free to send them..thanks in advance!

Regards,
Renee

To take dietary supplements or not?

Dietary supplements for muscle growth/ development is a topic that a lot of fitness fanatics enjoy debating. Some say the best way to enhance/grow  muscle, outside of weight lifting and exercise, is by eating natural unprocessed foods, which contain protein, such as peas, nuts, eggs, meat and diary. While others argue that the necessary protein can be found in pharmaceutical supplements or products like pills,  protein powders, drinks and even snacks (candy, chocolate bars etc). In my opinion, a combination of the two gives a person the ultimate results, especially if he/ she has a clean diet (no junk food).

here are some of my favorite dietary supplements:

TAKING IT UP A NOTCH!

One Friday morning, while working out at the gym, I mentally slaughtered myself for my high caloric consumption during the past two days. Cake, ice cream, pizza and roti were all devoured within short intervals, one dish after the other. Every remnant, from solid to plasmic form, consumed within 48hours. Did I mention I ate a lot of cake? Well, the excuse is, I celebrated my kiddo's birthday. I over indulged and now I am paying not only the mental price but of course I gained some unwanted pounds. To date, I am pushing a little harder than usual, more cardio, heavier weights and plenty of garlic for those vampiric cravings (more vegetables).

Longer Cardio

So as you know, I don't do too much cardio since I am trying to achieve the renown Brazilian Miss Bum Bum competitor or the IFBB Wellness athlete type of look. If someone, with a healthy diet of course, does a lot of cardio exercises he/ she tends to look very lean and slender without much muscular curve. Whereas, if one does less cardio workouts with sufficient weight lifting and rest, he/ she tends to bulk up beautifully. However, I needed to move my cardio from 5 - 10 to 15 -25minutes to shreds the unnecessary fat I had gained from my two day splurge.

Heavier Weights

It's very simple, the more weight, the less repetitions the quicker you shred. There is no need for a mathematic equation here.

Increased Fibre Intake

According to scientific research, the more fruit and vegetables you eat the less you crave junk (all the good stuff). It is believed that the roughage contained in fruits and veggies keeps the body satisfied for longer periods as a result of the digestion process. I am not the biggest fan of vegetables, especially since I don't cook them as tasty as the restaurants do, but I  can attest to feeling satisfied after large servings of broccoli, carrots and spinach. Fibre, is also great to relieve bloating and constipation, so I on the fibre train!

So there you go, more insight into my roller coaster fitness journey! To sum it up, I am now running my a$$ off, pumping mad iron and making love to the royal throne more often.

Below are a few pics for you to scrutinize..enjoy!

Regards,
Renee