Spirit Knows Best! It’s a BOY!

Really crazy and amazing to see how much your baby grows between 8 and 12 weeks of your pregnancy.  It’s pretty hard to NOT believe in some sort of higher power when you see this miracle happening in front of your very eyes and inside your own body. Pretty incredible!

We did the blood testing with all of the usual testing for trimester one, all of which came back perfectly normal thank goodness.  We also opted to find out the sex in this blood test.  I had been SURE of what gender I was having long before I was ever pregnant.  I am very spiritual and meditate on the regular basis and I have been seeing a little boy in my meditation and in my dreams for quite some time now.  This was justified for me when several Spiritual Mediums last year also told me, ‘You have a baby boy on the way, you are going to get pregnant very fast and this boy has already picked you out to be his Mom’.  This made perfect sense to me, because I had been seeing him any way, and I now knew who he was (thanks to these Mediums communicating with spirit).  They were right on, I DID get pregnant right away (faster than I even thought possible to be honest) and we found out with 99.9% reassurance that I AM in fact carrying a baby BOY.

This was big for me, because this really helped to assure me to trust my intuition and listen to my gut with all things because God, our spirit guides and passed loved ones give us signs and symbols all of the time, and if we have an open mind and are open to receiving these messages we WILL receive them.  For me this helps me feel better connected to God, passed loved ones, and my own spirituality.

Ironically, ever since I have been pregnant, I have seen my son less and less in dreams and in meditation.  The last time I saw him he was looking through window blinds at me, leaving me with the impression that he is now on his way and he will me watching me and my husband until his human arrival date, which my intuition tells me will be April 25, 2015.  This is the day after my Father’s Death anniversary date and I believe is a re-birth day for us.  My gut tells me this is the day my son will arrive.  We’ll see!

Until Next Time!

Nancy

Hello Second Trimester!

That was fast!  I am now officially am a little over 14 weeks pregnant and in my 2nd trimester.  I had a week where I was fighting off a cold and I was super tired all week.  I def made the time to take a few naps and get in extra nutrient rich foods to help my body fight it off.

Overall, my first trimester (thank goodness) was pretty much a breeze.  Every woman and pregnancy is absolutely different and I did experience a bit of sickness in the very beginning of my first trimester (week 6-9 probably) but I kept active and hydrated anyway and I really believe that helped me cope with any sickness I felt.

Through my Pre Natal certification I was taught how important maintaining an active healthy lifestyle is during pregnancy and now that I am going through it myself and I have implemented this, I can contest, it makes a HUGE difference.  These are some things I have made sure to do in my first trimester that I believe totally helped make my first trimester be easy breezy…

-8 hours of sleep EVERY night

-Drinking a TON of water

-Eating RIGHT, not eating or binging on processed & chemical filled junk food

-Working out even when I didn’t want to!

I am still getting in 5 workouts a week and maintaining my fitness level.  I did start to notice last week that it is a little bit harder for me to do the treadmill intervals that I do about 2-3 days a week.  This is a big part of my labor training and I will modify as needed, but will continue with this type of training for as long as possible. This is one of the best ways to prepare myself and my baby for labor, so although I might have to drop the intensity eventually, I will continue to do contraction specific bursts in my workout program! So far I have still be able to maintain my usual speeds and jog pace, I have just been walking more of my recoveries instead of jogging them.

So far I have gained 0 pounds for anyone wondering!! It is actually totally OK to not gain weight in the first trimester.  Due to feeling a little sick in the beginning I actually lost 2 pounds right off the bat.  I have now gained those 2 pounds back, but am still at my pre pregnancy weight.  I have a feeling that will change though, very soon 🙂

Until Next Time!

Nancy

Workout Wednesday! Anywhere, anytime!

NO excuses! Everyone has at least 15 Minutes!

Fat Funeral!

n

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

Pumpkin Oat Cake
In a small microwave safe bowl combine:
– 1 egg white
– 1/3 cup quick oats
– 1 heaping tbsp. of raw pumpkin (or canned)
– 1 tsp. of cinnamon
– a few dashes of ground nutmeg
– a few dashes of ground allspice
– dash of Pumpkin Spice
– sweetener of your choice (Stevia for me)
– Add 2 tablespoons of Water

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Microwave
on high for about 2 minutes. Flip the pumpkin oat cake and microwave 1 to 2
minutes more.

If you follow my “BIBLE DIET” this would sub as your CARB for a meal and makes just 1 serving. Add your portion size of protein along with it to make it a complete meal.

Indulge in Healthy Halloween Candy!

I just love Halloween candy! It’s the start of fall and the beginning of all my favorite Holidays. It also seems to be the start of everyone putting on some extra winter weight as well. We not only start indulging in eating high fat high calorie high sugar foods make you pack on the pounds, we are also consuming a lot of foods filled with unhealthy ‘ish that is putting straight junk in our bodies. The FDA has declared that these ingredients are “safe” to eat in limited amounts but either way, but to me, that isn’t saying much considering the source.

Check out these below ingredients that can be found in our favorite Halloween treats 😦

1. Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) (found in lighter fluid)
2. Gelatin (Abstracted from animal bones or skin)
3. Castoreum (Beaver Urine) Yup. For reals.
4. Shellac (Bug secretions)
5. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
6. Carnauba wax (Found in Car Polish, Nail Polish)

These ingredients can be found in Butterfingers, candy corn, gummy candys, m&m’s to name a few…

We ALL know are going to indulge a little bit during the holidays. It’s part of our culture and its ok to indulge (in moderation). But why not indulge in some cleaner alternatives that will still leave your sweet tooth satisfied without leaving you feeling guilty and bloated with a side of brain fog from these crap ingredients.

You can grab a bag of “UNREAL” chocolate candy bars (these in particular taste like snickers- nom nom) at your local Target. I LOVE these!!

These chocolate caramel peanut nougat bars have:
-No Chemicals
-No Hydrogenateds
-No Preservatives
-No Corn Syrup
-No Artificials
-No GMO’s

At 100 Calories a bar, these are a WIN in my book.

Newman’s does a great job of making a product that tastes great without all the bad ingredients. Their peanut butter cups are one of my faves. Check the all natural ingredient list:

•Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups: Organic Milk Chocolate (Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Cocoa Butter*, Organic Whole Milk Powder, Organic Chocolate Liquor*, Organic Soy Lecithin [an emulsifier], Organic Vanilla), Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Yogurt Coating (Organic Sugar, Organic Whole Milk Powder, Organic Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Soy Lecithin[an emulsifier], Salt and Organic Vanilla), Palm Kernel Oil, Peanut Flour, Salt.

I’m liking what I am seeing! They also have the USDA Organic Seal, which assures us that at least 95% of the ingredients are organically certified.

Newman’s offers a lot of different delicious all natch products: Peppermint cups, cookies, mints, licorice, coffee and pretzels just to name a few. Check out more at their website: http://www.newmansownorganics.com/index.php

XoXo

N

The Diet that WORKS!

Weight training is KEY to developing long, lean toned muscles.  There is nothing new there, but we often overlook (by choice) how important it is to pair proper nutrition with all of your hard work in the gym.

In order to get those lean muscles to show, proper nutrition and portions are a MUST.  I wanted to share with you all what a typical day looks like for me and how I am able to maintain my physique without gaining fat and while still maintaining my energy, my workout intensity and my lean mass. I use my “BIBLE DIET” 5-6 days a week.  For those 5-6 days I “bible” just about 100%.  This allows me to eat (within reason) what I want for a couple meals (or a couple drinks!) during my weekends. This eating plan is full proof. I have used it for years and it has helps me achieve the physique I wanted as well as helped me maintain it while still having energy and enjoying the foods I love in moderation.

HERE IS A SAMPLE MENU OF A TYPICAL DAY OF NUTRITION FOR ME:

5:00 AM Meal 1: 3 Egg Whites, 1 Piece of Ezekiel Bread Sprinkle Cinnamon on top!

I eat this within 30 minutes of waking up. This gets my metabolism up and running right away!

8:00 AM Meal 2: Vegan Protein Shake with Spinach and 1/2 Cup Fruit on the side.  The only thing that is in the shake is ice, water, 20 grams of protein powder, 1/2 cup of fresh spinach leaves and a pinch of cinnamon.  Fun Fact: Adding spinach to your shake is a great way to get in your veggies. You can not even taste it in your shake! And yes, only a 1/2 cup of fruit, total! Fruit will spike you insulin. Therefore, fruit should take place of your carb option in your meal.  Or you can do half and half. 1/4 of a carb 1/4 of a fruit. Make sense?

11:00 AM Meal 3: All Natural Steak Tips (3 Ounces) with 1/2 cup or onions and Mushrooms

2:00 PM Meal 4: Quest Protein Bar (This bar will take care of your protein portion of the meal as well as your carb portion) So this bar should replace an entire meal. The great thing about Quest bars is they are all NATURAL and taste DELISH! Super filling for a bar.

5:00 PM Meal 5: 3-4 Ounces of Grilled Chix and 1/2 Cup of Fresh Salsa!

As far as how many carbs I eat or recommend eating. I cycle my carbs!

Day 1: 4 Carbs (20 Grams each)
Day 2: 3 Carbs (20 Grams each)
Day 3: 2 Carbs (20 Grams each)
Day 4: 1 Carb (20 Grams each)

Then Repeat! I get the BEST results using this carb cycle. Still include a protein and if possible, a veggie with each of these meals. For a full menu, recipes, directions, and portion sizes for your size and gender you can email me directly. Xo

**Keep in mind that this is a SAMPLE MENU and these portions are based on my individual size/goals/activity.**

Get a Balanced CORE workout for Sleek & Slender ABS!

In order to tone and tighten your core to give you the sexy lean mid section you are looking for, there are 4 muscle groups you MUST hit.  Often I see ‘core’ workouts that only hit the rectus abdominis muscle AKA the front of your abs.

To get a tight, sculpted, balance core we need to make sure working each of these muscles during your AB workout:

1. Rectus Abdominis (front of your core)

2. Interior and Exterior Oblique’s (sides of your core)

3. Transverse Abdominis (innermost of the flat muscles of the abdomen)

4. Lower Back

It is important to have a well balanced core workout implemented in your training program. Out of all the core muscles the transverse abdominis muscle probably the most forgotten muscle during AB workouts, but really is the most important. This muscle is critical to exercise to strengthen the core and minimize back injury.

Here is a AB circuit that includes exercises that will hit all of these 4 key muscles in your CORE:

1. Toe Touches or Bicycle Crunch (Rectus Abdominis) 45 Seconds/15 Seconds off
2. Side Plank Dips (Internal and External Oblique’s) 45 Seconds/15 Seconds to switch sides
3. Low Plank Hold (Transverse Abdominis) 1 Minute Hold
4. Back Extensions (TA and Low Back) 45 Seconds/15 Seconds off

Repeat 3-4 Rounds.

During this workout, think about the muscles you are working for each exercise. Make the ‘mind/muscle’ connection. Visualize the muscles working, squeeze the muscle through the movement and through your set. Draw your belly button into your spine during each rep. Think of your Abs as a wet towel. With each rep you are trying to ‘wring out’ the towel.

Be The Influence!

Workout Of The Day! WOD

Happy Tuesday Everyone! Here is a quick and efficient workout of the day. This cardio workout includes a healthy dose of hills, sprints and jogging/walking recoveries. This workout will torch fat and calories in no time at all. To get more workouts like this, check out the Pear Sports APP for FREE!

Talking HIIT!

Talking HIIT: The basics

HIIT is all the rage right now. I mean,  like everyone is doing it 😉

But seriously, HIIT training is definitely the best bang for your buck if you are looking to promote lean mass while torching as much fat and calories as possible for long after your workout. 

WHAT IT IS EXACTLY: HIIT protocol is pretty basic. Plain and simple, you spike your HR up and drop it back down, then repeat. Over and over.  These intervals can be cardio or weight focused. 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR WORKOUT HIIT: My personal opinion and what I have seen get the best results with myself and my clients is spiking their heart rate into the bottom of Zone 5 and then doing an active recovery or complete rest until they drop into the bottom of Zone 3 and then repeat.

I always practice Zone 5 to Zone 3 method with active recovery in between.  By no means am I saying this is the only way, but this is what I have seen to work the best with my experience. I don’t recommend resting for time in between (30,60,90 seconds) because everyone will be different and have different recovery times.  To make it authentic, once your heart rate gets back to the bottom of Zone 3 (however long it takes) then you know it’s time to do your next interval!  Make sense?

I  do recommend using a HR monitor (preferably PEARsports where you can also get tons of HIIT workouts for free on their APP along with the heart rate strap (www.pearsports.com)).  If you are not using a HR monitor then yes, you will need to work and rest for timed intervals.  I would say rest or do an active recovery for 30 seconds – 2 Minutes in between intervals depending on your fitness level.

 HIIT INTERVAL EXAMPLE:

A) Dumbbell Burpee Row to Pushup        (Until you hit Zone 5)

B) Bicycle Crunch                                          (Until you hit Zone 3)

 

THE AFTERBURN EFFECT: By spiking and dropping your heart rate in this manner your body will be demanding energy and oxygen from your body.  It will be demanding oxygen so fast that your body will not be able to keep up, and this is what we want!  This will cause our bodies to go in to what we call “oxygen debt”.  You know you are in oxygen debt when you are feeling the lactic burn and fatigue and you are breathing heavy!  This is going to keep your body working hard long after you have completed your workout so it can ‘repay’ this oxygen debt.  Sometimes more than 24 hours after your workout.