Wellness Wednesday (V.10): I’m Starting Whole30

I’ve always wanted to vlog and document bits and pieces of my life, yet I’ve never done it. This time around i’m going to be documenting my healthy eating lifestyle which of course I will share on here with a video to further explain. So, let’s be real. Out of my entire body, the part that I dislike the most is my stomach. It has gotten bigger and bigger over the years and a lot of that has to do with emotional eating. In high school I lost my grandfather and my mother in the span of two years and I turned to food for comfort. At one point I had got my stomach down, but as my mothers health declined I started to eat more. I’ve tried to join the gym, which I did, but then I quit. I tried changing my eating habit, which I did, but then I quit. I haven’t had any consistency.

So why now? Here I am about to be 24 years old and I don’t want to be out of breath walking up the stairs from doing laundry. I want to be able to run around outside with my nephews without getting tired. I want to be able to wear the short dresses and crop tops without feeling self conscious. I want to be able to turn to the side in an outfit I feel great in and not see a gut.

As for working out, that’s another thing I really need to incorporate. Here we are on Day 3 of the program and I’m feeling great. I don’t mind working out, it’s just keeping up with it. I’ve been to the park 3 day in a row and I’ve been running. I do need to add strength training and sit-ups, but three days of cardio is a roll for me. The real challenge will be next week when I go on vacation. I’ll be sure to update.

I’ve decided to do Whole30 as a guideline.  It’s simple enough to follow and there’s no specific items I need to buy. It doesn’t take away the food I love, it cuts out what I don’t need and forces me to watch what I intake. I didn’t get a chance to do meal prep on Sunday (7/12), but I did prepare my meals for the remainder of the week Monday (7/13). It consists of a lot of greens, chicken, fish, and fruit. Fruit is what’s keeping me balanced because being such a snacker I crave junk food.

WATER, WATER, WATER is KEY! I’ve been drinking a gallon throughout the day and although I run back and forth to the bathroom, I feel great! I’ve been working out, actually going to the park and running, and I see instant change. In changing my diet and drinking more water I am able to run a longer distance without getting tired. For those that put the water into a marked gallon, kudos to you, that’s just not my thing. I like to mark off the water that I drink by the bottle or how much I refill my water bottle.

I’m excited for what’s to come and how creative I can get with my meals which I will share. It’s great that I’m running, but I need to throw in a daily tummy workout as well. For more on the Whole30 program, click here.

Next week I’ll be posting a vlog video with a look at what I’m eating and my groceries.

Wellness Wednesday (V.9): Let’s Try This Again

It’s been FOREVER since I’ve made an installment to my ‘Wellness Wednesday’ series. In my last installment I shared a Nature Box review (click HERE for that) and the one before that I shared my “new” workout regimen and meal prep (click HERE for that post). That was over a YEAR ago so CLEARLY that was a FAIL.

I go through these phases where I’m ready to work out, but I can never stay committed. I tell myself, well psych myself out, to believe that I am comfortable in the skin I’m in when really I’m not. I try to play off that I love wearing black and grey along with my favorite thin striped shirt from H&M, but they all conceal the flaws.

I’m not expecting to be skinny. That’s not a goal. The real goal is to be able to walk u p and down steps without being winded. To be able to play with the kids at my job, even my nephews, without running out of breath within two minutes. To be able to fight the urge to eat past 9pm. To get out of the “see food” diet that’s been a part of my life, forever.

I look at my sister as inspiration, little does she know. She’s a mother of 2 and while it may look like we may where the same size we’re proportioned differently and she looks great to have had two boys. While she does not work out, minus walking, her eating habits are amazing. Of course she has what some call “cheat days,” but for the most part she eats a lot of veggies and drinks a lot of water which has helped her lose weight and maintain over the years. I want to adapt eating habits like those.

I’ve never been skinny and as long as I can remember I’ve always been chubbier than I’ve wanted to be. My weight has been an issue. My stomach is one area that I can’t wait to vanish and at one point I actually lost it. That was back in my sophomore year of high school. My gym class was INTENSE and my doctors note couldn’t even get me out of what the gym teacher had planned. I worked out every night for about an hour or so on my arms, legs, butt, and especially my stomach. We had a treadmill, a bike, weights. I used them all. Again, that was back in my sophomore year of high school.

During my Senior year my mom passed away from lung cancer and I became an emotional eater. Well, I was always am emotional eater. I ate when I was bored, sad, lonely. If I was reading a book I needed a snack. Doing home, I needed a snack. I always needed something yet, of course, it was never healthy. Now here I am at 23 and I keep saying I want to get fit, but it’s beyond that. I want to get out of this rut I’m in where I rely on food to solve my problems.

Now I am not obese by any means. I am not overweight to be 5’6″ either. When I look at pictures of myself I can spot every flaw. For one, my stomach. Plus I have back fat. Now my arms are expanding, my waist seems to keep expanding too. I just want to get out of this. So, I’m embarking on a new challenge. A challenge to stay committed to this 30 day challenge i’m putting myself on. Click HERE for that challenge plus HERE for the water tracker I use. I’ve printed it out and put it in my planner, which is such a great feeling to check things off. This series is surely making a comeback as I’ll be updating on how I’m keeping up with the challenge as well as if my eating habits are improving, etc.

Come along for the journey of what could be AWESOME or an EPIC FAIL! As the title stated, let’s try this again.

Wellness Wednesday (V.8): Nature Box Review

I haven’t done a Wellness Wednesday in quite some time, 6 months to be exact, but I did want to share my experience with Nature Box. The box is generally $19.95, but I found a coupon code online and got the box for $9.99 including free shipping. The site was pretty easy to navigate. You can choose the 5 snacks that you want and if you choose to order again you can lock in those snacks for your next purchase. As for the snack selection it was pretty decent. You can also cancel your membership at any time.

I ordered my box this past Wednesday (10/22) and I received it Saturday (10/25). I ordered:

• Baked Cheddar Potato Fries (3.75oz)
• Watermelon Fruit Chews (4oz)
• Country Ranch Sunflower Kernels (5oz)
• Dried Mango ( 3.6oz)
• Honey Dijon Pretzels (5oz)
• BONUS – Sunshine Chips (4oz)

Let’s get into an overall rating out of 5 for each snack.

• Baked Cheddar Potato Fries: I was not really impressed with this snack. I’m a sucker for anything with cheddar, but this snack just tasted a little weird. Maybe it’s because it’s baked, but I’ve had other baked cheddar snacks. It does have a kick to it. I had to recheck to see if it sad aged cheddar, but no. The packaging says it is to be ‘savory’. For me I wouldn’t really agree. It was just alright, 3/5.
• Watermelon Fruit Chews: One of my favorite YouTubers, AKayDoll raves about these in her blogs (Kayla Lashae), but I was disappointed when I tasted them. It’s just a regular fruit snack and reminds me a lot of the Simply fruit snacks sold in Target. I can taste the watermelon, but there’s nothing special about this snack. Extra point for me because I love watermelon, 2/5.
• Country Ranch Sunflower Kernels: I LOVE SUNFLOWER SEEDS, just not these. I knew that this would just be the kernel, but I taste no ranch whatsoever. Thankfully I don’t mind eating the kernel of the seed, but I really taste no ranch. Not even a hint. 1/5.
• Dried Mango: I loved the scent once I opened it. I have been on a mango kick this year and it has trumped strawberries in being my favorite fruit. When trying it I could definitely taste the mango flavor I just didn’t expect it to be as dry as it was. It’s a good snack though. 3.5/5
• Honey Dijon Pretzels: MY FAVORITE SNACK IN THE ENTIRE BOX! I love these so much and if I were to order another box I’d definitely get another box. The dijon mustard does not overpower. Great snack, 5/5.
• Sunshine Chips: The bonus snack was not a snack I would purchase, but it wasn’t that bad. I wouldn’t really consider it a chip as it has that chewy consistent like the dried mango. I was expecting way more  of a bite like a veggie chip or something. I ended up giving them to my grandmother. 2/5.

Mathematically from my ratings, without the bonus snack, the box would receive a 2.9/5. I think it’s a great concept what Nature Box is doing, but I wouldn’t pay $19.95 for this box so yes I’ll be unsubscribing for the time being. While there are snacks I want to try, but I’m not really interested. I am glad to have tried it to see what all the hype was about and even happier that I only paid $9.99.

Wellness Wednesday (V.7): Meal Planning + New Workout

It’s been nearly 2 months since I’ve done a Wellness Wednesday. To update you on this series it’s where I share my healthy lifestyle tips and try out what I see in the magazines. Click the links below for my other 5 installments:

• Wellness Wednesday (V.1)
• Wellness Wednesday (V.2): Workout Apps
• Wellness Wednesday (V.3): My Workout Playlist
• Wellness Wednesday (V.4): My Impromptu Workout 
• Wellness Wednesday (V.5): My ‘Semi-Healthy’ Snacks
• Wellness Wednesday (V.6): Dr. Oz, The Good Life [Premiere Issue]

This week I wanted to share my meal planning. I have finally found a system that works and as I progress of course I will share. This week I spent roughly $25 on my meals for the week that would last me 4 days. I decided on salmon, green veggies, and canned potatoes. Maybe it’s not the healthiest of choices, but I did cut down the portion sizes.

For breakfast I would have either Apples & Cinnamon oatmeal (Market Pantry) or Grits (Quaker); 1 package. After that I would have a cup of either my smoothie drink (8oz/serving). I usually eat breakfast between 9-9:30am and I have a snack around 11-11:30am (apple). My lunch is usually around 1:30pm and then I have a snack again between 3-3:30pm (crackers & cheese). If I want something sweet I could have my granola bar. That’s more of a filler snack.

Check the image below for details on the exact calories of my daily meals.

Markey Pantry Cheese (80 cal) & Matzo Cracker         (130 cal) = 210 cal
Medium apple – approx 80 cal
Quaker Chewy Granola Bar, Smores – 100 cal
Quaker Grits, Original – 100/serving (1 packet)
Market Pantry Oatmeal, Apples & Cinnamon – 120/serving (1 packet)
Bolthouse Farms, Green Goodness – 140cal/serving (8oz)
Bolthouse Farms, Mango Protein Plus- 200cal/serving (8oz)

Simply Balance salmon – approx 5oz/serving (1 fillet)
Birds Eye Steamfresh, Green Beans & Broccoli – approx 1/5 cups
Shoprite whole white potatoes – 70 cal/serving (4 potatoes); per meal – 35 cal / 2 potatoes

Here are some future meals I plan to try out int he weeks to come. Be sure to check back for updates on that. As for my exercise I have been keeping it simple. I do not use apps on my phone to workout. I could not stay consistent with it and it was just beginning to take up space in my phone. I do Just Dance/Zumba on the Kinect. I love the features on Just Dance that you can set to have the dances chosen for you for a certain period of time. I usually do that about 20 minutes, 3 times a week. Once I get into a routine I plan to do it every day at night. As for what I’m doing consistently twice a day it’s this video that I found on Facebook via a friend. Click the link below:

Chalene Johnson PiYo 1 min 30 Core Challenge

 

This exercise takes NO time at all and it’s a great platform for me to build on and add to.In addition to that I do about 1/4-1/2 a mile walk in the morning (weather permitted) and on Thursdays I walk with my friends in the park about 1.2 miles. hopefully we’ll be walking more as time goes on. For now I’m sticking to the basics. As for how I keep track of everything I write it down. I know there’s apps that can easily log everything for me, but I have yet to find one that I really enjoy. ALSO as far as my healthier eating I’ve stopped eating past 8pm and I substitute any cravings I have with water. All water I drink is in my Brita water bottle.

I’ve also updated/edited my workout playlist. Take a listen below:

More updates to come so stay tuned!

 

Wellness Wednesday (V.6): Dr. Oz, The Good Life [Premiere Issue]

I have been obsessed with Dr. Oz via radio interviews as of late promoting his new magazine, The Good Life. I wasn’t able to get my hands on the hard copy, but I bought the digital version on my iPad ($3.99) and I am in love. I decided I’d highlight some of my favorite excerpts from the premiere issue.

The magazine, like any other magazine, is broken down into categories: ‘Well Informed,’ ‘Health & Happiness,’ ‘The Good Life Report,’ ‘Mind & Mood,’ ‘Food & Recipes,’ Love/Family/Friends,’ ‘Home/Work/Money.’ ‘Your Best Body,’ and ‘Dr. Oz’s RX For…’

I personally have been on the hunt for recipes for my overflowing yet never used recipe book along with basic tips that I know I can apply now without thinking will they really work. For me it’s all about being consistent and that’s the hardest thing for me aside from actually starting some type of plan/routine.

My skin has been a little crazy and I’m currently using a generic blackhead facial scrub with a generic moisturizer which work fine I just feel that I know nothing about my skin. In the magazine it gave points on what to look for in a moisturizer as well as top picks for day and night depending on what type of skin you have.

A good one will include ingredients from three categories: humectants, emollients, and occlusives.

Karyn Grossman, M.D. (dermatologist)

I am one to walk in the store and if it says moisturizer I check the price, see if there’s a cheaper alternative, typically buy the cheaper alternative as a ‘trial and error,’ yet I never read the back to see exactly what I’m applying to food. This goes for a lot of things I (and others) purchase. It’s easy to get blindsided by the price instead of looking at the contents of the product.

To understand what to look for I first have to figure out what the hell humectants, emollients, and occlusives are. Thank goodness the article broke it down. In a nutshell humectants absorb (hyaluronic acid, glycerin, urea, panthenol, & honey), emollients fill in the dry spots (lauric acid, linoleic acid, glyceryl stereate, jojoba oil, coconut oil, collagen, & cetearyl & stearyl alcohol, and occlusives form a protective barrier for the skin (lanolin, paraffin, beeswax, shea butter, nut oils, squalene & silicones).

I personally stay away from shea butter products because they don’t react well with my skin as well as nut oils. The moisturizer I’m currently using is Target Up & Up, Moisturizing Cream (Sensitive Skin) which is to be compared to Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. It contains the 3 categories and I can kick myself for picking something that has nut oils’ but in the time that I’ve used it my face hasn’t reacted to it so I guess it’s ok.

I have a mixture of dry, oily (especially during summer), and sensitive year round putting me in a combination category.

Go with formulas designed for combination or all skin types like Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 and Elizabeth Arden Visible inference Skin Balancing Night Cream.

Both of those products are over $20 and of course I will be on the hunt for a cheaper alternative the next time I buy a moisturizer.

Aside from the skincare article I really can’t wait to try out recipes, Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage & Broccolini and Turkey & Vegetable Bolognese.

Dr. Oz, The Good Life, is available on newsstands & digitally and for $15 you can sign up for a year subscription here. Stay tuned for upcoming Wellness Wednesdays where I’ll share more of Dr. Oz’s tips.

Wellness Wednesday (V.5): My Impromptu Workout

This week has been great because I’ve been able to have time on my hands to create new content for the blog that I’m excited to share and have been sharing. Thanks for all the feedback. There’s just been one big icy, messy, problem: SNOW! I have been in and out of work due to the weather and although I’m happy to have some time to myself, I’m TIRED of shoveling snow.

The first storm hit Monday morning. Literally hours after the Super Bowl ended and the stadium was clear, hear came storm MAXIMUS! That left about 6 inches or so and I had to shovel that. The snow was light, but between cleaning off two cars, shoveling a drive way & sidewalk, cleaning my porch and laying out ice, I was TIRED.  Mind you there’s stills snow on the ground from a storm that happened nearly two weeks ago.

If that wasn’t enough not even two days later we’re hit with NIKA! This storm on top of the snow that’s already on the grown came with ICE making the snow heavy and harder to shovel. Plus the people that plow my street plowed alright and I went out this morning with about 6 inches of snow blocking my driveway. So it was the process just like Monday except this took way longer because of the weight of the snow.

I don’t mind shoveling and getting a snowblower is on my to-do list, but for now its the traditional shovel and brush for my car. Here are my tips for shoveling snow.

• Bundle up (the snow is wet if you’re wet and go in and out you get sick). I usually have on leggings, sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie, and THEN I put on my coat, scarf and gloves being sure my neck and back are covered for when the snow randomly falls from trees.
• Wear boots that do not go past your calf. Wearing other boots might be contracting when you have to bend to pick up the snow. I wear my Timbs with two pairs of socks and I’m just fine.
• Shovel the snow as soon as it hits the ground. Yes, I know it might be a waste if more snow is coming down, but it’s better to do it while its freshly fallen this way it’s softer and easier to pick up. Also it’d be easier to pick up 3 inches here and 3 inches there then to pick it up all at once.
• SHOVEL THE SNOW BENDING YOUR KNEES! You don’t want to hurt your back or cause a strain on your chest. Also all that shoveling can lead to heart attacks so BE CAREFUL!
• Stay hydrated. It can be tiring moving snow and I know that I am always thirsty. Don’t feel like you can’t take break. If that means you have to go in and out a couple times then so be it.

Those are my personal tips on shoveling snow. For more of an ‘expert’ opinion click here.

Surprisingly I’m not sore from shoveling snow, but I’m so over it. It was a good workout and I got plenty of arm and cardio work in over the last couple days. One upside to the snow is the beautiful sight outside. It’s gorgeous.

There’s supposed to be ANOTHER storm hitting this weekend between Saturday-Monday. The reports are saying anywhere from 3-30+ inches. Yeah, I’m looking forward to none at all, but I’d rather have 3 then any more than that.

ALSO if you are traveling in snow be sure to have some essentials in your trunk just in case: water, flashlight, blanket, brush/shovel (for snow), kitty litter [Heres a great list here]. Kitty litter is GREAT for traction if you get stuck. It’s better to use that and additionally shovel snow (if that’s what you’re stuck in) than to press the gas and burn the rubber on your tires. I know this from experience after getting caught in the mud n my backyard. Having a blanket and water and maybe a snack or something is good. You never know what could happen and with all the snow, ice, salt, etc. on the roads it messes up your car. You don’t expect it to happen, but it’s better to expect the unexpected and be prepared.

Wellness Wednesday (V.4): My ‘Semi-Healthy’ Snacks

It’s another week and it might seem weird that I do my fitness/healthy living posts in the middle of the week, but hey that’s what it is.

It’s been just another week for me. Not much has changed, but I am getting in the habit of getting on some type of sleeping schedule. I must be to sleep no later than 1am and I can get up with no problems at 6:30am. If I go to sleep past 2am I lay in the bed until nearly 8am and that throws me off.

This morning was one of those mornings. I didn’t fall asleep until nearly 2:30am and I didn’t get out he house until 8:15am. Staying up that late was a mistake and I feel so much better and less grumpy getting at least 6 hours of sleep.

I’ve gotten my sleeping pattern down and my eating habits are getting there.

 

Wellness Wednesday (V.3): My Workout Playlist

I’ve been getting a little bit better with my consistency in working out. Key words ‘a little bit.’ As for my eating habits I can’t say much. I’ve been stuffing my face with junk and a lot of that has to do with boredom and being stuck in the house. After working all week I like to do absolutely nothing on the weekends, but just because it’s cold doesn’t mean I can’t be active.

As I talked about in Fitness Wednesday (Week 2), Glamour magazine had an excerpt in the February edition titled. Here’s the ‘5 Ways to Fool Yourself Into Exercising’:

1. Tell yourself, ‘I only have to work out for 7 minutes.’
2. Listen to your exercise playlist before exercising.
3. Workout with someone who is 40% more fit than you are.
4. Schedule it into your calendar.
5. Stop debating the damn workout and just go.

As January winds down there’s only so much that I can say I accomplished so far this year. My plan as to working out in consistently in January is not on the list. Well I’m going to keep trying. It’s a process, not an overnight thing. I need to watch what I consume and stop making excuses as to why I can’t work out. These 5 tips are really helping especially #1. Seven minutes, just seven minutes.

Hopefully I’ll get better with time. No, I will get better with time. (Speak things into existence.)

Well, here’s my current workout playlist.

https://soundcloud.com/lakia-broadhurst/sets/workout-1

Wellness Wednesday (V.2): Workout Apps

I have completely fallen off my ‘objectives’ for the last week from my eating habits to working out. I continuously pushed off working out for the next day to the next day to the next day. Now I’m at a point where I don’t feel determined at all. I’m not committed to it and it was just something that I was doing as a start of the new year. You know, the stereotypical reason people work out. Aside from wanting to be fit for the summer I want to just be healthier in general. I should not be winded walking up and down steps or playing with my nephew. I am far from obese, but I have never been so out of shape in my life. My body is nowhere to where I want it to be and I need to take another approach.

Read more for my new apps and tricks I plan to use to get me motivated.

Wellness Wednesday (V.1)

So I used to have a membership when I first started college which was back in the winter of 2010. I signed up with a friend and the membership was about $10 + tax a month. It was never a plan to go every day. It was always a plan to go 2 to 3 times a week, max! We stuck to that plan, fell off, and miraculously got back on. As time went on we stopped going all together and the memberships were cancelled.

Here I am in that same situation again where I have friends going to the gym and me wanting to have some motivation and seeking that in friends. Your friends can’t make you go to the gym. Your friends can’t make you do anything you don’t want to, period.

The biggest problem of going to the gym was being incredibly hungry afterwards. I would go grocery shopping after the gym or stop at Wendy’s with the theory, ‘I’ll work it off tomorrow.’ Well that didn’t work either.

I have become a comfort eater with all of my weight going to my stomach and it’s not healthy for me and prevents me from wearing certain clothes. I like to say I ‘like’ and ‘want’ for my clothes to be baggy/oversized and in some instances I do. If it’s a loose bottom then a fitted top; loose top, fitted bottom. It’s gotten to a point where I kept telling and keep telling myself it’ll happen. Don’t worry it’ll go away when it goes away just wear something bigger to hide it.

Well I’m really, REALLY trying to turn a new leaf here physically and mentally. I want to keep happy thoughts and keep myself busy. stress and boredom leads to one main problem for me: comfort eating. No I’m not obese, but I seek comfort in junk food and soda (Coca-Cola preferably).

I’m going to do 30 minutes of cardio if nothing else for 5 days out of the week, so Monday to Thursday and then next week I will begin to input strength training. Boy I hate how weak I am.

This week I’ll be breaking out my dance games and doing my 30 minutes of cardio, at least. I have to start somewhere.

Next step is my eating habits. Set plans don’t work for me such as the gym so I don’t see myself joining another one or something like ‘Weight Watchers’ to help with my eating.

I’ve recently done a post on ‘Commitment’ and I’m not going to sign up for either of those knowing I’m not in the mood or feel like making the time to do that.

So the plan? I feel I can stay committed being that I’ll be blogging every week about progress, recipes, new routine, etc. I’m just trying to stay consistent. The results aren’t going to come over night so patience is key.

Until next time …