You vs. Cravings...The Great Battle

I recently wrote this blog for FOR TWO FITNESS, a company that sells maternity fitness clothing and helps moms-to-be have a healthy and fit pregnancy.  You can check out their company here  http://fortwofitness.com/blog/

Many of you may know by now that I am expecting my first baby next spring!  Danny and I are excited about this new adventure of parenthood and we cannot wait to meet our little guy (That is right, we are having a boy!!).  I am 22 weeks along now and I have to admit pregnancy is not what I had expected.

There are a lot of myths out there when it comes to pregnancy and nutrition.  I have heard from dozens that I can "eat for two" or to "listen to the baby; baby will tell you what you need".  For many women these myths can lead to massive, out of control cravings that can take control of their food intake (and life) while pregnant.  As we all know, most women already struggle with cravings before pregnancy.  Add in an increase need for nutrients and astronomically high levels of estrogen and good old fashioned will power becomes totally ineffective.  Averting cravings while pregnant can be difficult but it is possible with a little nutrition and psychology 101.

First, let's talk about nutrition...the physical part of cravings.

Beauty From the Inside Out Part III (video included)

          After reading Part I and Part II of my Beauty From the Inside Out series you are hopefully familiar with foods and supplements that you can eat that will improve the overall appearance of your skin.  In Part III I am going to share with some great inexpensive and eco-friendly skin care routines and products that I use and hopefully you will too.

Beauty From the Inside Out Part II : Supplementation

    Part II: Supplementation

          Nutrition is not just necessary for composition change and optimal performance.  It is also necessary for healthy skin.  If you did not read my first part of “Beauty from the Inside Out”, click here to catch up.  When your body is healthy then your skin should also look and feel health.

Beauty From the Inside Out

 Beauty From the Inside Out

Part I- Whole Foods

By Abby Clark, PN-1, SFG, RYT, RKC, CPT

  I have decided to make a 3 part series covering a topic that is very important to me: Beauty.  Honestly, it’s one of the main reasons I got into health and fitness.  Part 1 is a breakdown of the essential “beauty foods” that contain key micronutrients that we can take in daily.  These whole foods not only aid in healthy digestion, a flat stomach, and a lean physique but will also clear up your skin.  The next section will be about effective “beauty supplements” and in the final section I will discuss inexpensive and easy skin care routines for hair, body, and face.

My BIGGEST Nutrition Pet Peeve...EVER!

"Don’t eat sugar, only eat fruit. 

Honey is bad for you only use Agave Nectar. 

Whole grains are evil and make you bloat and you should only eat fruit and vegetables and lots of nuts. 

 Fruit is too high in sugar, stay away from fruit after breakfast.

   

Don’t eat meat….just kidding eat tons of meat!  

Beans are bad, we aren't meant to digest beans.  

Milk is really a carbohydrate and it’s not good for you so stay away from that and only drink soy milk.

Soy is bad; it increases our estrogen levels and gives men “man boobs." 

Caffeine is bad for you.  

Green tea and coffee have proven health benefits; you should drink coffee and green tea. 

You should never workout on an empty stomach.  

Did you know fasted cardio is the best way to shed off fat?  If you eat a lot of food one day just fast for 24 hours the next day because you have a surplus of calories to use up as energy.

Fasting is horrible!  It will burn muscle and slow down your metabolism, you have to eat every 3-4 hours to keep your insulin levels stable and your metabolism running."    

 IT GOES ON AND ON AND ON!  Is your head pounding yet?  Are you ready to just throw in the towel because of all this gibberish?    You are probably saying to yourself, “F**k you Nutrition!”  Am I right?

(Quote from one of my favorite movies, 21 Jump Street)

"One particle of unobtanium has a nuclear reaction with the flux capacitor, carry the two changing its atomic isotope into a radioactive spider. Fuck you science!"

– Brad, aka Jenko (Channing Tatum)

What I Learned From Intermittent Fasting (IF)

          I briefly want to share my conclusion with the LeanGains IF protocol I had been following and catch you up on what I am currently doing.  So what is my conclusion?

Update #1 on IF Progress

          I have been following the IF LeanGains protocol now for nearly 3 weeks.  As I mentioned in my first post about my new diet venture I have had really good results from IF.  However, this week has been very frustrating.  I have gained weight (I weigh more now than I have weighed in YEARS) and am very bloated.  I attribute this to my menstrual cycle, water retention, and being out of town the past two weekends.  After getting good results the first week I started letting extra calories slide a little too much and started over doing it on some days and under eating on others.

Have You Ever Asked Yourself "What IF?" - Experiments with Intermittent Fasting

IF-  Intermittent Fasting
Good or Bad?

  There has been a lot of talk in the fitness community about a surfacing method to eat known as Intermittent Fasting.  I immediately took interest in this method of eating because Dr. Berardi experimented with a few different ways of intermittent fasting and I thought that I should give it a go so that I could draw my own conclusions. 

How Competing in Bikini Improved My Life

           I have learned a lot about myself, nutrition, fitness, and health since the beginning of my Bikini journey.  When I set a goal in 2010 to do a competition, nothing could stop me from stepping on stage.  I trained with 110% effort, ate exactly what I needed to eat to get lean, and  practiced strutting around in my heels until I knew without a doubt, that even if I stepped on stage only once that I would there would be no regrets.  I knew that if I promised myself nothing less than my very best then I would be happy with the outcome no matter what.

          After four shows and two top five placings I accomplished something that I had only dreamed of achieving; becoming a bikini champion!

The Skinny on Fat

          I was once found guilty of first degree scale obsession!  Every morning I would strip down, take a deep breath in (I actually thought that it would make a difference) and close my eyes as the scale read my weight.  When I opened my eyes those 3 numbers would either put me in a great mood or bum me out for the rest of the day.  Either way, the scale owned my emotions and how I perceived myself as a person and woman.

Food Made Simple

          I have had so many people ask me what I eat and how much I eat since my body transformation.  I thought that I would help out by breaking down some very basic guidelines for eating properly as well as a list of healthy protein, fats, and carbohydrate sources.

Basic Guidelines for healthy eating:

Do Your Weaknesses Define You?

WARNING: DELICIOUS YOGURT WITH YOUR CHOICE OF TOPPINGS MAY RESULT IN ADDICTION, LOVE HANDLES, AND THUNDER THIGHS! CONSIDERED YOURSELF WARNED!

          I am not going to pretend that I don't have my battles.  It is easy to share your strengths, success, and goals. It is not so easy to acknowledge and share your WEAKNESSES to others.

          I have had a rough day today as far as nutrition.  My workouts rocked and my motivation level was high. However my will power was tested today and it lost. Yes, I went to a place known as Sweet Frog tonight, a delicious frozen yogurt parlor.  I love the cake batter yogurt with cereal and fruit on top...SO GOOD! Was tonight my cheat meal?  NOPE!   I simply broke down and allowed my cravings and weakness to prevail . As expected, I know sit on my couch typing, feeling what? GUILTY and DEFEATED!

          We are after all human and are not perfect to say the least. We all have our battles, we all have our strengths and our weaknesses. The only way we ever become stronger is to acknowledge our weaknesses and work on improving them.

Best Calorie Free Drink Ever!

          I have discovered the best guilt-free drink ever. If you are tired of drinking water all the time then try this amazingly refreshing drink:

Use Teas' Tea Mint Green Tea (it's unsweetened and calorie free) pour into a glass of ice and add fresh mint leaves and a hint of stevia.

Green Tea helps burn calories and is a natural diuretic. Mint is refreshing and the stevia is a calorie free sweetener derived from the stevia plant.  It does not effect insulin levels the same way other sugars do.  Be careful though because it is 100 times sweeter than regular sugar so a little goes a long ways.

Cheers ladies!

XOXO,

Abby

To read more check out

"Food Made Simple"

"The Skinny on Fat"

"My Biggest Nutrition Pet Peeve...Ever!"

Interested in more info about competing in Bikini? My Bikini Competitor newsletter is designed to help you develop that lean, sexy bikini body. Plus, as an extra bonus, you 'll also get a FREE Bikini Competition Starter Kit E-Book...download it now!     First Name * Email *

Supplements to Help Build a Bikini Body (Video)

          This video is a quick video covering supplements I take during my mass building phase as well as pre and post workout meals. I mentioned in the video that I take fruit after my workout.

Please feel free to leave comments below.  What supplements do you take while training for a competition?

XOXO,

Abby

Learn more:

"Are You Taking the Correct Supplements?"

"Beauty From the Inside Out"

"Beauty From the Inside Out Part II: Supplementation"

Interested in more info about competing in Bikini? My Bikini Competitor newsletter is designed to help you develop that lean, sexy bikini body. Plus, as an extra bonus, you 'll also get a FREE Bikini Competition Starter Kit E-Book...download it now!     First Name * Email *

10 Tips That Will Help You Stay on Track During The Summer

          Summer time; a time for friends and family to come together and celebrate around campfires, pizza, and refreshing mojito's.

          This time of the year can be challenging for many to stay on track with their nutrition and training. I know personally this summer has been challenging because it has been a great one full of celebrations like my wedding, Danny's birthday, and my brother visiting us for 2 weeks. Staying on track with a healthy meal plan can become tiring and inconvenient.  However, with a little strategy and awareness you can enjoy your summer without neglecting your goals.

Are You Taking The Correct Supplements?

          I have gathered a list of supplements that I use frequently to help me prepare for my Bikini competitions, get the most out of my workouts, and help recover from all the hard work in the gym. I do not use all of them year round and will often cycle some of the supplements to help avoid plateaus in my training.