This is my fitness journey. I’d like to start by saying I am not an expert. I have done a lot of research and I follow the advice of my trainer. I only know what has worked for me and I hope that it can inspire just one person to live the life they want with the health and body composition they have always dreamed of having.
Being fit has a different meaning for most everyone. For me it is an outlet, something I find great joy in and have fun doing. It wasn’t until recently I had a desire to challenge myself to transform the way my body looks and feels. I have never had hamstrings in my life and I decided I wasn't going any further without getting some! Something in my mindset changed. I decided that if I wanted something, with some hard work and dedication I could get it , and I believe anyone else can as well. DISCLAIMER: Before you go thinking that I have a body image problem, please Y’all, withhold your negative thoughts. I simply wanted to change MY level of fitness. This is my journey, I don’t judge other people for how they want to live their lives and would ask that if you plan on judging me, just stop reading now.
With that being said, I am here to tell you what has worked for me. The lifestyle I follow has been the only thing that I can say has made a difference in how my body looks and feels. It isn’t magic, and it isn’t easy, but I can’t say it is difficult either. I have tried numerous things in the past to try to change my body. I have tried, low carb, no carb, low calorie, high protein, only fruit, juicing, swimming, cycling, triathlons, running (P.S. I HATE RUNNING), lifting weights and many other things. I wish I had known then what I know now! I started researching different ways to “get fit” after I had my second baby and came across something called IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) also known as Flexible Dieting. It’s a way of eating that is composed of a certain number of calories broken out into Fat, Carbs and Proteins. Y’all, let me scream it from the mountain tops…IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE! If you are interested in how to start eating within a macronutrient diet here are my must haves to help you get started.
1. Download the My Fitness Pal app on your phone/computer. It has a food diary where you can log your meals as well as a chart that tells you how your are doing on your daily breakdowns (Fat, Protein, Carbs and Calories). I use this everyday, it is a must.
2. Now, you need to calculate your macros. This can be a bit tricky and there is some estimating involved. Do your best to be honest with your calculations and you can always adjust as needed. Here is one of my favorite websites for calculating your macros, and many other things about the IIFYM lifestyle…
(Again, let me state, I am not the expert, I have done a lot of research on this for myself, but I don’t claim to have all the answers). Once you have your calculation, plug it into the app and start logging away. If you have a better app for this, great. This is just the one I prefer. Feel free to "friend' me in the My Fitness Pal app under alisonboob.
3. A food scale. Nothing fancy, Y’all, just a regular ole’ food scale. Mine was $10 at the grocery store.
4. Start an exercise routine. If I were to pick one thing, I would suggest weights. However, you need to follow the advice of a professional when starting any kind of fitness regime. I currently lift weights about 5 times per week and do 20 minute HIIT cardio 2-3 times a week (My go to is the elliptical).
5. Prep your food. This isn’t necessary, but it's a definite way to get you ahead of the game. I do this a couple times a week and often log my meals the night before so I can be sure I am getting my proper breakdowns (Fat, Protein, Carbs). This will take some getting used to, but after a couple of weeks, it will be second nature. The food you choose needs to fit your daily intake for Fat, Protein and Carbs within your allowed calories. I will be posting my food diary at a later date to give you an idea of what I eat. I will tell you I am never starving and I eat delicious foods.
6. If you can hire a trainer to help you with the process, I would suggest it. However, let me assure you this can be done without the help of a trainer. I repeat, YOU CAN DO THIS ON YOUR OWN! I started this process on my own and have just recently hired a trainer to help me get to the next level and he is teaching me a lot.
xo-Alison
Ali - I'm freakin stoked that you started this blog. I've been toying with the idea myself. If you are able to inspire just one person then it will be worth it. If anything, you may have inspired me to start one of my own. Good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteT- Thank you so much for the encouragement! I will be your first subscriber when you start your own blog! Maybe you can do a guest post for me!
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