Are you better now than you were at age 20?

This morning I heard a recent quote from actress Cameron Diaz saying that she thought she was in better physical shape now than she was at 20-years-old. I realized that I think the same thing about myself.

At 20, I never ate breakfast. At lunch, I had whatever the college cafeteria served. Or, sometimes my roommate and I would simply grab an order of breadsticks from the Student Center restaurant. For dinner, we would split a box of Rice-A-Roni. I’m sure you can guess what my exercise routine consisted of: 12-ounce curls at Mel’s Midtowner Bar!

At 37 (and holding!), I eat breakfast every day within an hour of waking up. After that, it’s four or five small meals, which I try to keep clean most of the time. I exercise almost every day and I can lift a lot more than 12 ounces! Most importantly, I drink water constantly.

Sometimes, we focus on the things we don’t like about ourselves and the accomplishments are overshadowed by negativity. (OK, most of the time!) I do it all the time to myself. I focus on the fact that I want to lose 10 more pounds or that I ate pizza on Saturday night when I could've made a better choice. But, I forget how much I’ve improved my healthy habits over time. These accomplishments cannot be forgotten! This is your motivation to help you move forward and improve yourself even further. Unlike material items, the human body is the one thing that improves the more you use it.

We think of aging as a deterioration process. But, after reading this bio on Tosca Reno, I realized I’m actually younger now than she was when she started her journey. It’s never too late to start. It’s never too late to start again. It’s always too early to quit. Next week, I'll turn 38 - Bring it on! Hell, I think I’m ready for 40!

Good tool for goal setting and motivation

If you are setting goals and trying to stay motivated, you may want to try this.  I just sent myself one :)

Small Wins = Big Victories

Last week I told you about how I avoided "free" french fries.  This week I went out to dinner with friends again.  I've become very good at planning and prepping for day-to-day meals.  But, when I get off of my routine, this is when my mind gets weaker.  I begin reading a menu or give myself permission to eat off plan just this once because I deserve it!

Since I'm focusing on clean eating, it was really difficult for me to find anything on the menu that was completely clean.  So, I decided to ask the server if I could make my own meal instead - and it was a success!  I ordered a grilled chicken breast with a side of grilled asparagus.  It was inexpensive, delicious and healthy.

When everyone around you is eating off the menu, it can be difficult to do something different - either due to pressure or lack of wanting to think outside the box.  This is a mental game - just keep you goals in mind, focus on the fun with your friends and remember that food is fuel.  You will be successful!

Free French Fries

Last night I went out to happy hour with my girlfriends.  I have been doing SO GREAT with my clean eating, that I didn't want to mess it up.  I planned, which is key as you know!  I ate a healthy snack just before I met my friends and planned to eat dinner when I got home.

As luck would have it, the restaurant offered a Foursquare special if you checked in - free french fries. And, not just any french fries.  You could get:

AMERICAN FRIES: straight up with Heinz

PARMESAN FRIES: with a trio of sauces

TRUCKSTOP FRIES:  covered in chipotle cheese sauce

PICKLE FRIES: with horseradish and honey mustard sauces

And, let's not forget:

DISCO FRIES: Canadian 'poutine' style with melty mozzarella, slow cooked pot roast and gravy

Everyone ordered fries - they were free, right, so why not!?!  And, if I hadn't already eaten my cheat meal for the week, I probably would've, too.  But....I didn't!  I came home and ate a healthy dinner.  It was tough sitting there with everyone eating, but mainly because people kept offering me food.  I hate to make a big deal about my clean eating, especially when others are indulging.  I really don't want to come off as being too good for something, but it's not worth giving up my goals.

Just because something is free, doesn't mean it's a good deal.  When I got home, I was SO happy that I planned and stuck to my guns.  I ate a healthy, satisfying dinner and did not miss the fries.  I also missed out on a lot of calories!

Good gravy - literally!  In case you're curious, here's what I passed up! 

DISCO FRIES

Calories 524

Fat 24g (12g saturated)

Carbs 44g

Fiber 4g

Protein 17g

Sodium 852mg

Eat Clean, Train Mean, Live Lean

I'm about to share (again) the most valuable information I've learned during my 'journey'. If you truly want to transform your body, you must strength train! I'm so passionate about strength training and lifting free weights because it will help shape your body and burns calories around the clock.

Does muscle weigh more than fat?

This is a constant debate, but a pound is a pound is a pound. If you are only using the scale as your gauge for progress, I hope to change your mind - measurements are more important!

A pound is a pound. But, what you do with that pound makes a difference:

Take your measurements!

The scale does not tell your whole story. This is not me, but is a perfect example of why you should take your measurements, pay attention to how your clothes feel and look in the mirror to get your feedback. It's not all about the scale!

When I first reached my goal weight of 140 in 2006, I was thrilled to be a size 6. (Right??!!!)  But, I knew I could bite off even more. I started lifting weights and my weight didn't change at all, but I eventually moved into a size 4. Not only that, my body had more shape, curves and I felt STRONG!

Don’t be a cardio queen

Now, ladies, when I say lift weights, I mean LIFT. I was in the weight room a few weeks ago and saw a woman in her 20's doing bicep curls with three pound weights. It took all of my strength to bite my tongue! She was doing absolutely nothing for her body with those “curls”.  Three pounds - five pounds - eight pounds...these weights are not for you! You have to lift more to promote change and muscle development. Make it difficult and change things up.

I recommend lifting weights three times per week, not consecutively.  One to two cardio workouts in addition to this will be sufficient.  The cardio queens who workout on the elliptical every day have patience, but they are not STRONG!

This is a great article about what lifting can do for you. Start now and you won't be sorry!

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