Author: Michelle Antoinette

Baby Got Back: 5 Proven Tips to Maintain Your Curves While Losing Weight

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There are several excuses that I hear from women when it comes to losing weight. More often than not I hear women say “I dont want to lose my curves”. Well you don’t have to. I’m living proof that you can lose weight and maintain your curvaceous stature.  I’ve always been a curvy girl, and the last thing I wanted was to lose my shape.

Follow the tips below and you’ll be on your way to a happier and healtnier life style with your curves unscathed.

1. Just Say No to Cardio
Well not exactly. Just say no to those long tumultuous hours of endless trips to nowhere on the treadmill. Don’t get me wrong, cardio is extremely important for fat loss. And the long runs actually work, but a workout regimen consisting mostly of consistent paced cardio is a sure way to tone down those curves you so desperately want to hold on to. Just Google “marathon runner vs sprinter” and you’ll see the difference in body type. Instead of running at a continuous speed for a long period of time try alternating intervals of 12 to 15 secconds at a high speed (as fast as you can of course) and then slow it down for 30 to 45 seconds, then repeat.

2. Lift
By all means lift. Lift anything, lift your own body weight, lift your baby, lift weights… just lift. Lol. So many women feed into the myth that lifting weights will make them look bulky and manly and that is the furthest thing from the truth. Strength training is crucial especially when it comes to maintianing that shape. Lifting weights will build muscle which will in turn help you burn more fat allowing your lean curvaceous shape to be the spotlight of the show.

3. Don’t Skip Leg Day
Whatever you do, don’t skip leg day. Training legs have many benefits like improved balance, stronger knees, and stronger hip and ankle joints as well. You’ll also reduce your chance of injury as well. But most importantly you’ll maintain a really nice bum.

4. Eat Clean
A key component to maintaining your curves while losing weight is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I dont care if you exercise everyday the fact remains that you CANNOT out exercise a poor diet. Why work so hard only to negate that hard work with poor eating habits? Clean eating will not only make you feel better but it will guarantee your results when you put in the hard work and dedication.

5. Total Body Workout
Now, just because I told you earlier to never ever ever skip leg day doesn’t give you an excuse to neglect the rest of your body. If you want to maintain your figure through this journey you must make total body workouts a regular and consistent thing. Its so easy to neglect different areas because they are more difficult to train or they may be harder for you to do. However, the satifaction you will get from conquering something you never thought possible is so rewarding. I absolutely despise train my arms, but everytime I get discouraged I replay all the compliments I get from others in my head. I use them as motivation to push through every single rep!

In all honesty, overall health is more important than maintaining your shapely figure. But the reality is we want to look in the mirror and be happy with what we see. No one want to work hard and be displeased with the results. These tips have definitely helped me in maintaining my curves and my hope is that they help you as well.

Sincerely,
Fit Chick Behavior

Like what you read? Share this post with your family & friends! And be sure to follow me on IG @fitchickbehavior.

Why I decided to GET FIT!

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“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results.”  ~Kenneth Blanchard

 

 

UPDATED: 6/22/14

As I took a step towards the Publix scale, I was already regretting what I was about to see. As I stepped onto the scale my eyes widened as the hand of the scale made a massive leap towards 250 lbs. “This can’t be,” I said to myself as I began to panic hysterically on the inside. When I began to gain weight I had always told myself that I can never ever reach 250 lbs. I gave a sigh of relief when the scale stopped at 243 lbs. Depressed; I stepped off the scale and walked out of the store without even buying any groceries.

How could this happen? I always had an interest in being fit. From as early as I can remember, I was always active. I was the little girl outside playing football with the boys while the other girls of the neighborhood sat on the trunks of their parents’ cars and watched. I joined a cheerleading team at age 9, and I quickly fell in love with it. So much so that I cheered all throughout grade school. I was in the best shape of my life. Everyone warned me about the “freshman 15” which I managed escape my freshman year of college without gaining. But no one had ever mentioned the “sophomore 20” which managed to turn into the “senior 40”.

That’s it! This was the last straw for me. By this point I was sick a lot, my skin was changing, and, not to mention, I was having asthma attacks. I hadn’t had an attack since middle school. I began to hate going shopping, something I absolutely loved to do, because I couldn’t stand the way clothes fit. I was angry, and little things would upset or depress me. This wasn’t me at all. I had become a stranger to myself.

So why did I decide to GET FIT? Because I love me! I wanted to get back to being me and doing the things I enjoyed. I made a commitment to lose weight and get in shape. Now I’m down 38 lbs 50lbs and counting!

I’m no fitness guru, but I hope my story inspires you! Make the commitment to GET FIT! Drop the excuses and watch the pounds drop as well!

Sincerely Yours,

ImNoFitnessGuru
Fit Chick Behavior

What is Eating Clean?: A Normal Persons Guide To Healthy Eating 

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My sister asked me maybe a few weeks ago to assist her with changing her eating habits. This is something I’m passionate about, so I was eager to share. After a few minutes of going on and on about eating clean, she stopped me and asked: “What is eating clean”?  I paused with a look of confusion; as I often do when I’m asked a question that I feel has an obvious answer. I get so caught up in the technical gibberish that I often forget that this is my lifestyle. After all the researching and studying that I do this lifestyle is embedded in me. This is not common knowledge to the average person. So I’m dedicating this blog to the normal person… This one is for you!

I’m sure that if you have even been remotely conscious of your eating habits in the past, you have heard of the term “eating clean”. Everywhere you turn trainers, nutritionist, health coaches, even social media fitness enthusiast alike speak of “eating clean”. Anytime someone asks questions regarding my lifestyle I’m quit to throw around the term. I never really thought about the fact that some people have no clue what I mean when I use the term “eating clean”.

What is “Eating Clean”?

Eating clean is sort of the new term for eating healthy. It’s about eating food either in its natural form/state or as close it its natural state/form as possible. There is also an emphasis on knowing where your food comes from, but I won’t get into that is this blog (stay tuned).

The basics of eating clean are simple (at least to me they are). Here are 5 tips that I hope will help you understand “eating clean”.

1.      Read the labels
Many consumers get duped by tricky wording on the front of the package such as “all natural flavors”. Take time to read the nutritional facts and the ingridents on the back label. Personally, I try to avoid eating any product that has artificial ingridients such as Red dye #5 or pirodoxine hydrochloride. Clearly those aren`t “all natural flavors”.

2.      Avoid processed foods
I like to call processed foods a convenient inconvenience. They are typically sold ready to eat and have everlasting expiration dates. They are high in sodium, fats, and added sugars and extremely low in nutrients. While making life easier now, they are linked to long term health issues.

3.      Cook at home
Not only is cooking at home a wallet friendly option, it’s healthier. It’s also the best way to keep track of what you are consuming. Though healthy options are seemingly becoming more popular at restaurants, the truth is the preparation process is still unknown. You can never really know what’s in your food unless you purchase and cook it yourself.

4.      Drink plenty of water
Your body can easily confuse thirst with hunger. Drinking ample water will not only keep you hydrated but aid in preventing those hasty trips to the vending machine.

5.      Preparation, preparation, preparation is key
I’m not one to meal prep; however, I am always prepared. Packing my food for the day helps me stay on track. Be mindful of what you have planned for that day and pack your food and snacks accordingly.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post just as much as I enjoyed writing it. Take some time to leave feedback in the comments below, and feel free to share this post with your family and friends.

Peace Love & Fitness,
Fit Chick Behavior

A Special Request: Diabetes

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I received a special request from one of my readers to blog about Diabetes. This isn’t a typical topic for me, but it’s a topic that’s close to my heart and I’m eager to share with you all what I’ve found.

My paternal grandmother had Diabetes (also known as “suga” for the old school folk… lol). I have great memories of her; Oh how I love that lady. She was so loving and caring. She taught me so much about carrying myself as a lady. Many of my memories, however, are clouded by her health complications. As far back as I can remember, all of her health complications, in one way or another, stemmed from diabetes.

This request was timely, because I was learning about diabetes in one of my classes. I know that reading the chapter in my textbook does not, by any means, make me an expert or specialist on diabetes. So I did a little research, and stumbled upon the American Diabetes Association website. Their website is awesome. There is so much helpful information available to answer any question you may have about diabetes.

I love all of the tools they have, but my favorite tool (which I think is quite helpful by the way) is the “Planning Meals” tool found under the “Food & Fitness” tab. It provides awesome ideas for a quick breakfast, holiday meals, and great snacks. Just to name a few.

I also came across the American Heart Association website which has some tasty diabetic-friendly recipes. You can view them by clicking here.

Hope this blog is helpful!

Love you guys

No Gym, No Equipment, No Excuse, Just You: 5 Basic Exercises You Can do at Home

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no-excuses

Excuses are tools of incompetence which build monuments of nothing. Those who specialize in them are seldom good at anything. – Unknown

I remember having to memorize and recite this quote as an assignment in Ms. Singletary’s American History class. Junior year… 9 years ago, and this quote stuck with me. I rarely gave it any thought then, but now it holds more weight; it’s a form of motivation.

When I first made the decision to get fit and lose weight, and the slight changes became noticeable, people began to ask me why I decided to make such a lifestyle change. Now that they see the dramatic difference, they’ve begun to ask me how. “Girl you look good! How did you do it?” (Someone even asked me if I had surgery o_O) Everyone wants to know “my secret”. So here goes the BIG reveal! The secret to my success is… wait for it *makes drum-roll noise with mouth*… there is no secret. I simply did away with all the excuses. I made it a top priority to work out and eat healthy. It’s actually pretty simple (not easy, just simple) once you make up your mind to let go of the excuses.

Now that the cats out of the bag, let’s move on to the good stuff.

Here are 5 exercises (along with pictures and brief descriptions) that you can do at home. NO GYM, NO EQUIPMENT, NO EXCUSES, JUST YOU. These exercises helped me when I couldn’t make it to the gym. All you need is water and a willing spirit.

Exercise 1: The basic crunch.

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Lay flat on your back and raise your legs (as shown in the image above) and place your hands near you ears. DO NOT PULL ON YOUR NECK. Engage your abs (tighten them) and raise your shoulders towards your knee and then release. Do 4 sets of 25 reps. If this is too easy increase the number of reps, or instead of bending your legs (as shown in the image above) try holding your them straight up.

Exercise 2: The basic push-up.

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Lay on the floor face down. Place your hands next to your shoulders palm down. Push yourself up fully extending your arms (as shown in the image above). Lower yourself towards the floor (as shown in the image above). Do 4 sets of 10-15 reps. If this is too difficult for you, you can do a modified push up by placing you knees on the floor. Be sure to have cushion for your knees.

Exercise 3: The basic squat.

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Stand with your legs hip distance apart, toes facing forward. Imagine there is a chair behind you. Bend your knees as if you are going to sit in that chair (it is imaginary, so do fall… LOL). Keep your back straight, and your knees behind your toes. Raise your body back to a standing position. Do 4 sets of 25 reps. If this is too difficult for you, get a chair and practice siting and standing up.

Exercise 4: Plank

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Hold the potion shown in the image above for 30 seconds. Do 4 sets. If this is too difficult for you try holding the position for 10-15 seconds. Over time, you will become better and should increase the amount of time you hold your plank by 10-15 seconds.

Exercise 5 Bonus: Burpees

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Burpees are just as difficult to explain as they can be to do. Wait… come back… where are you going? They are worth the challenge, I promise. But, I must warn you though. If you have any injuries such as back, knee, & wrist just to name a few, don’t try this. Now start standing, jump up, and on your way down crouch down and touch the floor. Kick your legs out behind you, and then bring them back into the crouching position. This is considered one burpee. See image above for a visual. Do 4 sets of 10-15 reps.

These exercises are sure to keep you on track in between gym visits. You can even throw in some jumping jacks in between sets to add cardio to the routine. Try them out and let me know what you think. Remember, NO EXCUSES!

Love you guys!

OMG! I Want Some Fried Chicken! The Reasons Behind Our Cravings.

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When I was younger, I remember my dad saying “Only pregnant women have cravings.” If I said I was craving something he would correct me by saying “You mean you have a taste for it?” and he’d give me that stern look that only a father could give. I assume that he associated me “his baby girl” saying craving with me being pregnant. I LOL every time I think about. Anyway, let’s move on to the real reason you’re here.

Those who know me personally know that I LOVE me some fried chicken. It’s one of the hardest things to resist for me. I never thought twice about why I craved it until I decided to make changes towards a healthier lifestyle. As much as I wanted to resist it was not easy. It plagued me so much that I decided to do a little research. What I found is that your body craves foods for one of two (or both) reasons; you have trained your body to eat what you crave, or your body is lacking something (deficiency).

I’ll get to the “lacking something” in just a moment. But, let’s be real. We all have choices to make. Where you are right now is based on all of your choices you have made at this point in life. When you make the choice to eat unhealthy foods, you are choosing to train your body to crave those unhealthy foods. You have to take control and eat what you know is best for you, instead of giving in to what your body is asking for. Honestly, once I trained myself to eat better my cravings for unhealthy foods subsided (though I do eat some fried chicken every once in a while). Check out the tips below for training yourself to eat healthier:

Tip 1: Find healthy foods that you like. Don’t force yourself to eat things that you don’t like. That’ll just give you ammo to continue your unhealthy ways. But, don’t be afraid to broaden your horizon and try new things.

Tip 2: Read the labels. Become a smart shopper. You should know that “Sugar Free” or “Fat Free” doesn’t mean that the product doesn’t have sugar or fat. These products have substitutes which are far worse than eating the real thing.

Tip 3: Pay attention to the serving size. It’s easy to over eat when you go base on your own judgment. Be mindful of the serving size, and eat just that.

Tip 4: Keep healthy snack on hand. Poor snack choices are always more accessible than those that are better for you. BYOS: bring your own snacks. So when you have the feeling to munch, you will have your healthy choices with you.

Tip 5: Eat more. I know this sounds counterproductive to your goals, but it’s not. Here me out. In an article on Webmd.com called The Truth About 6 Meals a Day for Weight Loss, it states that eating six small meals a day helps regulate blood sugar, control cravings, and keeps hunger at bay.

Now on to the “lacking something” portion. If you are eating poorly chances are you have a deficiency of some sort. A few months ago I was craving egg yolks. I decided to look into it, and here’s what I found.

If your are craving this…

What you need is this…

Here are healthy foods that have it.

Chocolate

Magnesium

Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruit

Bread or toast

Nitrogen

High protein foods 

Oily or fatty foods

Calcium

Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, cheese, legumes

Pre-menstrual Cravings

Zinc

Red meats, seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables

Read the full list @ http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php  

Love you guys!

Preparation is Key!

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Make up your mind.

On Sunday September 4, 2011 I made up my mind that I needed change. I was disgusted with who I had physically become. The excitement of losing 15lbs back in October, 2009 waned as each pound came back with a vengeance. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed life, (at least I made the best attempt to make it appear that way) but I hated the part where I had to look in the mirror. The type of lifestyle we lead is a direct result of the choices we make each day. I had said plenty of times before that I was going to make a lifestyle change, but never did. I had to realize that I had to take accountability. No one held a gun to my head and forced me to eat those Cheetos (Ohhhhh how I love their cheesy goodness). I made the choice to “go to town” on all ten of those fried chicken wings. I knew I had to stop just saying I was going to do it and actually make up my mind. Have you made up your mind yet?

Determine what changes you need to make

Once you’ve made up your mind, the next thing is to take a look at your lifestyle and determine what changes you need to make. BE HONEST NOW! For me, it was a matter of overeating, and under-exercising. I loved food, and dreaded exercising (only because I was way out of shape). Seriously, BE HONEST with yourself. Go get a pen and paper (yes, right now) and write down things that you know will need to change in order to achieve your goals.    

Plan and prepare

Now comes planning and preparation. Alexander Graham Bell said it best, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success”. I don’t care how sincere you are in making up your mind nor do I care how many things you have on your list of changes. If you do not prepare, it will all be in vein. Most people fail (by my own observation) because they don’t prepare. Especially with a busy lifestyle, it can be impossible to stick to your goals. Work, school, family and a host of other obligations can easily cause you to veer away from your goals. Below are a few tips that can help you stick to your guns.

  1. Plan ahead. On Sunday, take a look at your schedule and plan your meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for the week. This way you are not tempted to stray away.
  2. Can’t seem to find the time to work out for 45 minutes to an hour regularly? Try breaking up your routine. Wake up 30 minutes earlier and do some cardio, and throw in some crunches, squats and push-ups before bed. You’ll feel so good when you are done you won’t even notice the minor sacrifice.
  3. Never be caught without a snack. Don’t set yourself up to fail. Carry 2 or 3 healthy snacks with you to help curb your appetite between meals. Snacking will also aid in boosting your metabolism.        

Just say no to the excuses

It’s easy to make excuses when you have a busy schedule clouding your mind. My sister called me yesterday, and during our conversation she mentioned that she didn’t get to work out like she had planned because she had a lot going on that yesterday. Her niece had a game, and she had to get my nephew prepared for school the next day. My response to her was you will either make time, or you will make excuses. My intentions weren’t to be harsh, but to be straight forward and honest. Unforeseen things happen that may throw off our day, but we often make excuses for those things we can plan for. Instead of making excuses, find a solution. Planning and preparation will negate excuses.   

Action

Now get up and get moving! On that Sunday (September 4th remember) my friend made the suggestion that I come workout on Saturday with Star 4 Fitness. It was only $5, what did I have to lose? Well the weight of course. Despite hanging out late the night before (What? It was my 25th birthday) on September 10, 2011, I threw out every excuse I could fathom and I got up and got moving.

60 Day Challenge

I want to challenge you to do the same. Take control of your life. Take action. Over the next 60 days challenge yourself to change your lifestyle. I will be blogging each week to help you through it. I can’t tell you that it will be easy, but it will be worth it. Spend the first week preparing. If you have any questions email me @ imnofitnessguru@gmail.com, and I will answer your questions via my blog.

Love you guys!    

Staying Focus: Motivating Tips That Will Help You Reach your Fitness Goals.

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Some people lose focus when it comes to reaching their fitness goals, while others stay focus long enough to obtain their goals, and then fall off track. If you are reading this blog, you must have some desire to get fit. Below are 5 motivating tips that helped me keep my eyes on the prize.

Tip 1: Getting fit is not about what weight loss program works best. It’s not even about willpower. Getting fit is about your desire to do so. It’s about how serious you are about really wanting to reach your goals. If your desire to drink your Starbucks Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappe (320 cal. for 12 oz.) is greater than you desire to get fit then try this. Write down the pros and cons of losing weight and getting fit. I’m sure the pros will outweigh the cons. Go over it each day to remind you of all the good that comes from getting fit.

Tip 2: Imagine yourself reaching your goal. What you focus on is what you produce. If you set time aside each day to think about what it will be like once you reach your goals you will stay motivated. Focus on how you will feel, and how your clothes will look on you. Go back to your list of pros and cons and focus on the positive things on your list.

Tip 3:  Set a goal. No matter how much weight you want to lose, it can sometimes seem like a long road to travel. Don’t overwhelm yourself by constantly thinking about how long it will take you to. Instead, set short term goals, which in return will help you reach your long term goal. For example, set a goal to lose 10lbs by your birthday, or any other occasion. My goal was to be swimsuit ready by summer.

Tip 4: Treat yourself. There’s no fun in reaching a goal with no reward in the end. Think about things that are really worth it to you, and set them as treats along your journey. Maybe a mani or pedi for reaching smaller goals, and a spa day for your major milestones.

Tip 5: Many people get discourage when they don’t see the results. I know for me, even though my clothes fit better, I looked in the mirror and I couldn’t physically see the results. How did I get over this? I took pictures. Take a picture of yourself once a month so that you can physically see the changes/ Looking at what I use to look like next to what I looked like throughout my weight loss helped me visually, and kept me motivated to keep up the good work.

I hope these tips help you as much as they helped me! Just remember to stay focus! You can do it!

Margarita Flatbread Pizza

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Here is a deliciously simple and healthy recipe for margarita flatbread pizza. Enjoyed it so much the first time I made it that I had to share it with you all. Follow the instructions below, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp of olive oil

1 tbsp of garlic (I accidentally left it out of the picture)

5 or 6 leaves of Fresh basil

1 flatbread

1 tomato

1/2 cup of the cheese of your choice

(I used Pepper Jack & Parmesan cheese)

  Prep time: 5 mins

Total cooking time: 15 mins

Step 1:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Step 2:

Spread the 1/2 tbsp of  over the flatbread.

Place in the oven for 5 minutes.


Step 3:

While flatbread is in the oven, thinly slice the tomato,

chop the basil, and grate the cheese (if necessary).

Step 4:

Take flatbread out of the oven.

Step 5:

Spread 1 tbsp of garlic over the flatbread.

Sprinkle the majority of the cheese over the flatbread.

Sprinkle chopped basil over the cheese.

Place sliced tomatoes on top.

Sprinkle on the remainder of the cheese.

Step 6:

Place flatbread in the oven the oven for 10 mins.

Step 7:

Take flatbread out of the oven. Let cool, slice and enjoy!