I eat SIX meals a day and I am in the best shape of my life

So your body has this really INCREDIBLE thing called a metabolism. Yes, everyone has heard of it, however I am floored at how many people I meet that are absolutely killing it. Murdering it. DESTROYING IT. 

Wait a second, I opened this thinking you were going to tell me how I get to eat all day and be skinny. Well, yes. Hold on. I will get to that part.

Back to your metabolism.

What is It???

Metabolism is the sum of the physical and chemical processing in an organism by which its material substance is produced, maintained, destroyed, and by which energy is made available.

In general, athletes have a resting metabolic rate that is five percent higher than the average non-athletic person due to more muscle mass as opposed to fat mass.

But Why is that Important???

1. Consuming too few calories leads to the break down of protein (not fat) therefore reducing muscle mass in exchange for energy. As you just learned, people with more muscle mass have higher metabolisms. Do you see where I'm heading with this?

2. The more you restrict your calories, the better your body gets at burning as few calories as possible. It instinctively clings to as much fat as it can to keep you from starving. (That would be really cool if we were still cave men and didn't have magical things like grocery stores)

Saaaaweeeeetttttt. I get to eat whatever I want?!?!

Okay. Calm down. Breathe. You're going off the deep end here. 

Yes you can eat whatever you want to... This is America. 

However, if you do exercise that freedom, I cannot promise that you will see your metabolism get jumpstarted.

...... Then how do I jump start my metabolism?

Yay! The question we have all been waiting for!!

The key to jump starting your metabolism is to eat 5 to 6 small, healthy meals a day. 

Why am I doing this?

About three hours after your last meal, your blood sugar begins to fall.

After four hours, your body has already digested your previous meal. 

Once you hit the five hour point, your blood sugar starts to crash and you grab whatever you can to refuel. 

Eating five to six times a day empowers you. You are more likely to say no to bad foods and to stick to your diet plan.

Well what if I don't have a diet plan?

Well, my favorite supplement company Strong Girl has provided the world with the optimal meal plan. 

Meal One:

• 1 scoop of StrongGirl^™ Isolate
• 1 whole egg or soy-free egg replacer
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds
• 1/8 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
• 3 tbsp. Oatmeal

Optional:

• 1/4 cup fresh berries or sliced banana
• 1 tbsp. coconut oil or pure maple syrup or agave

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender.
2. Spray pan or waffle pan with coconut oil, cook on medium heat.
3. Pour batter on pan and cook until one side is lightly golden brown, flip.
4. Top with fruit and syrup. Enjoy!

Meal Two:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vegetables (ex. kale)
• 3.5 oz. lean protein (ex. chicken)
• 2 tbsp. healthy fats (ex. avocado)
• 1/3 cup carbohydrates (ex. quinoa)

Lunch Alternative:

• Turkey Breast
• Sweet Potato
• Green Beans

Meal Three:

• small apple
• 1 small handful raw almonds

Meal Four:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vegetables (ex. large green salad)
• 3.5 oz lean protein (chicken)
• 2 tbsp healthy fats (ex. olive oil)

Workout Time:

Take StrongGirl^™ Pre-Workout

• Days 1 & Day 2 – 1 Scoop, 1x daily
• Days 3 & Beyond – 2 Scoops, 1x daily

Meal Five:

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop StrongGirl^™ Isolate
• ½ cup fresh berries or ½ banana
• 6 oz. unsweetened almond or coconut milk
• 1 cup ice

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients and enjoy!

Yes, I said optimal. But if you occasionally fall off the band wagon and have some ice-cream or too many carbs, it's not going to be the end of the world. You will have a happy, humming metabolism from all of your other healthy choices and the lean muscle you have been building in the gym. 

Happy Living Everyone!

Get It Girl

Unfortunately I am starting my blog right as I am recovering from surgery. So why not kick things off with some awesome ways to maintain your fitness when you are injured or just can't make it to the gym.

1. It's only bad if you make it bad.

So you have a sprained ankle, stitches, or the paper that you are writing is consuming your life. It's okay! You're human, and a busy one at that. Don't beat yourself up. Spend a little extra time making yourself look nice and focus on maintaining all of your other healthy habits while you are out of the game.

2. Stay in the gym.

Just because you can't actually pick the weights up, doesn't mean you shouldn't go to the gym. Go take a nice stroll on the treadmill or watch the other members of your gym do the WOD. It will keep you motivated to get better and get back in the game faster.

3. Do what you can.

If the doctor tells you you can only go for walks, then make sure you do it. Having some form of physical exercise will help release those awesome endorphins that keep you from getting all bummed out. 

4. Drink ALL of the water.

Okay, don't actually drink all of the water, you will drown. Staying hydrated will help keep the excess water weight off and keep you from eating so much extra food when you are bored! I have started a month long gallon challenge in which I will be drinking a gallon of water a day and taking pictures to watch how my skin quality improves. 

5. Keep an honest food journal. 

That little piece of gum, that diet coke, and eating half of your boyfriends DQ blizzard can all add up without your even realizing it! Keeping an honest food journal consisting of everything you eat and DRINK can help you determine why you aren't achieving your fitness goals. There's also some pretty cool apps out there to help with logging your information. You can either download one like myfitnesspal or you can keep your log in the notes portion of your phone. Find something that works for you and stick with it.

Here's the link to some pretty cool print outs that I found online. 

http://definition-chaos.blogspot.com/2014/04/washday-wednesday-free-printable-food.html

6. Eat your food on a small plate

In the 1960's, the average dinner plate was about 8.5-9 inches.

In the 1980's, the average dinner plate was about 10 inches. (20% kcal increase)

In the 2000's, the average dinner plate was about 11 inches. (35% kcal increase)

As of 2009, the average dinner plate was about 12 inches (45% kcal increase)

Now, I won't go off the deep end on how the history of dinner plate sizes could totally correspond to obesity. I will say that the less room you have for food, the less food you are going to eat.

This is by far one of the simplest changes that can be made on your own!

7. The most important thing I can tell you.
 You are not going to undergo a 24 hour transformation. That is not how life works. The key to success is patience and the ability to accept the fact that you are going to stumble. You are going to stumble multiple times. You don't have to be a hard-core-fitness-nut straight from the beginning. I have found that slowly implementing healthy choices is better than trying to drastically change your lifestyle. You are less likely to give up and revert to bad habits if you make these changes slowly!