Find what works for you!! Part two

Hello everyone! Welcome back! In part one of this entry, I gave you guys a little information about my journey with my weight, how I made the decision to change my body after my revelation that I wasn't so healthy after all and I basically gave you an introduction as to how my fitness "obsession" came about. In this entry, Part two, I'm going to pick up where I left off and show you guys what my diet typically looked like after my first run with the Atkins diet. I'm also going to get into how I train in the gym, I'll touch on supplements that I take and I'm also going to get into carbohydrates and break down the difference between "good carbs" and bad carbs".

Now, back in 2004 when I was eating a very low carb diet, I told you guys that I managed to drop about 40+ pounds without exercise. Towards the end I also explained the "surge of energy" I had due to the way I was eating and I was left with literally NO CHOICE but to join a gym-the energy was that overwhelming. I at that point, joined a local gym which was open 24 hours because I would have so much energy sometimes that I would need to go work out in the middle of the night just so I could sleep. Like most women starting out, I didn't know my way around a gym. I stuck to the treadmills, stair climbers and elliptical machines in the beginning. Weights intimidated me, all the men and few women who DID know their way around the weights intimidated me, and I really had no interest in them at that point. I was there just to burn off some energy and didn't know anything about weights, building muscle or any of that...I was happy to be losing WEIGHT and wearing a much smaller size in my clothes. After a few days of visiting the gym so much and eating the same way that I had been for the past 5 months or so, I stopped losing weight  and I didn't understand it. I had literally MASTERED the low carb thing AND I was burning off way more calories than I was consuming...so why wasn't I losing any more weight? Well, I mentioned it in part one that this whole diet was a science. I wasn't losing anymore weight because my body was in a state of ketosis already. (Ketosis is when you're body is basically burning off its stored fat cells). Because of this natural state of ketosis due to my way of dieting and adding exercise on top of that, my body was being "tricked" into thinking that I was in starvation mode so any calories I WAS taking in, my body was holding onto. I had hit a wall, or plateau as they call it in the book. I know, its hard to wrap your head around it because I haven't gone into fully explaining how the Atkins diet works but THAT isn't my mission. I don't want you guys to get the idea that I'm promoting any particular diet because I'm NOT,  however, I'm not against it either. It's about finding "What works for YOU." Now, I was spending at least 1 hour every day at the gym, on my cardio machine of choice and I would watch everyone work out. This was the first time I had ever joined a gym so I was interested. That's how I learned, by watching everyone else...well, not EVERYONE. I'd watch the people who had better body's than I did. It wasn't long before I found myself by the weights, and the weight stacked machines. Good thing about going to a gym at 2 am is the lack of bodies that were there to get mad that I was taking my time to read the machine and see how it works. :) I caught on really quick and before you know it,

I was absolutely HOOKED. The adrenaline rush you get from lifting weights is addictive. It's the equivalent to racing a car, sky diving or any other crazy thing you can think of that people do to get that rush. I'm a true adrenaline junky and the feeling is awesome... I loved it instantly. It was at this point that I realized, my diet needed an adjustment. I was already eating lean protein and plenty of vegetables but that was not enough. Working out and lifting as heavy as I was makes you realize the importance of carbohydrates...GOOD CARBOHYDRATES. Without the consumption of good carbs, I would have definitely hurt myself. I also would be wasting my time because muscle gain would be minimal and the biggest thing is that you NEED these good carbs to give your workouts 100%. Remember in part one how I told you guys that carbs are essential for the body to function properly? Going for long periods of time without consuming enough good carbohydrates WILL be noticeable. It's true and I'm going to explain it all to you. The fatigue comes on quick and strong without the carbs when it comes to lifting weights. Another thing everyone needs to understand is that the idea behind lifting weights is that you want to built that muscle...make it stronger...make it grow. Want to know what that entails? TEARING the muscle. Yup...that's right. I know all of the men that may be reading this already knew that. I can guarantee that most of the women did NOT. When you lift weights you are TEARING THEM. These are the basics to it....you lift weights, tear the muscle fibers by over exerting them with weight, then the muscles grow over time as they heal, forming scar tissue. It is during the healing process that the muscles grow, and what you put into your body after you work out will help promote growth and maximize that healing time. Your body is a SCIENCE! Losing weight is a SCIENCE. Building muscle is a SCIENCE. Did you know that muscle takes up less room in your body than fat does? Muscle also burns more calories than fat in the same amount of time. What does that mean? Basically, two women who both weigh 130 pounds: one who has 22% body fat and the other who has 11%. The woman with 11% body fat can consume more calories per day because of the extra muscle she has. THAT'S the difference. The woman with 11% body fat who weighs the same as the woman with 22% wears a size 5 while the other woman may wear a size 9. Also understand that there just because someone is "skinny" it does not mean that they are healthy. Have you ever heard the term "skinny fat"? This means that this person may be on the smaller side but has very minimal muscle tone and their skin may be loose (even noticeable) and more than likely has cellulite. This person may weigh within or in some cases, below the recommended weight for their gender and height, but their body fat percentage is on the higher side. That is also very important for you guys/ladies to remember. I'm sure you've all head at one point to not be so fixated on the scale. THIS is the reason. The scale doesn't tell you all the details. Lets say you've been working out religiously, eating clean, drinking lots of water but you haven't lost weight in weeks. Have you taken your measurements? The scale tells you if you've lost weight. It does NOT tell you if you've replaced fat with muscle. This is where measuring yourself plays a huge role in your success!! When people ask me for advice this is what I tell them...do NOT forget to measure yourself: Bust area, small waist, hips (largest part of your butt), thighs (around the largest area, usually halfway up), largest part of calf (left or right, one bicep, and have someone measure around your shoulders. You should be taking measurements weekly as well as daily weights. Weighing yourself will also show that for us women, during that time of the month we will more than likely notice an increase in our weight. Some women will gain up to 10 pounds during pre-menstruation! TEN POUNDS! Of course this is water and will go away as soon as your period starts but again, the scale helps you to know how your body works and what to expect. I know there's debate on whether or not we should be weighing daily when dieting because many people get discouraged by the number.....but I just gave you the solution! Yes, you SHOULD be weighing daily. Not just for the number but this will tell you a lot about your body. "Dieting" as I hate to call it needs to be banned from your vocab. You are not "dieting, instead, you are changing your life, your habits, your outlook and most of all you are getting to know your body in a whole different way! Daily weighing will help you to get to know how your body reacts to certain foods! Yes, this is where the title of this entry comes in to play and by the end, you'll know why. Lets talk about CARBOHYDRATES: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. Carbohydrates can be your best friend, and your worst enemy as I have come to realize. Rewind back to 2004 and even before that when I told you guys about how I loved to eat pizza, pasta, Italian pastries etc. For the most part, my diet consisted of BAD CARBS. regular pasta, pastries filled with conoli cream, pizza, fried everything, fast food...the list goes on. No wonder why I was out of shape, unhealthy, and tired all of the time. My metabolism was at a major disadvantage. When we eat that way, we don't even understand the damage we are doing to our bodies! Our bodies function like a machine-a furnace. We have to keep that fire burning (metabolism). When we eat unhealthy it throws everything off. Nothing is working as it should. That's scary, huh? Even more of a reason to be happy that you're here, wanting to make a change. It's the best thing you'll ever do for yourself, I promise.

 BAD CARBOHYDRATES: Carbohydrates that have little or NO real nutritional value. Foods that cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, causing the release of insulin in the blood stream. Sugar, white flour....these two things are the "devil" I was talking about in my previous entry. Regular white pasta, white bread, candy, cakes, pastries, cookies, etc. ALL BAD CARBOHYDRATES! All of these foods turn to sugar in your body, and FAST! That spike in blood sugar is NOT GOOD for not only your waistline, but your health as well. I don't even want to bring up the subject of diabetes. Actually, yes I will briefly in the hopes that my mother's doctors will someday read this. My mother, has diabetes. Lets just say that she doesn't have the best diet. She refused to accept the fact that she shouldn't be sitting down to a 7 course Italian, carb filled meal every day. Back a few years ago, I put my mother on a carbohydrate restricted diet, none so severe as Atkins in the earlier stages but close to the maintenance phase of it. I replaced all of her starchy, refined carbohydrate meals with wheat bread, wheat pasta, loads of vegetables, and lean meats, completely took sugar containing foods away from her reach and her sugars miraculously became lower. NOT because of her doctors, NOT because of her medication....BECAUSE OF SCIENCE AND COMMON SENSE. Her doctors didn't like that too much and convinced her not to eat that way anymore for obvious reasons that I won't clearly state...I'm sure you can figure that out. Bottom line is that sugar is bad-PERIOD, END OF STORY. There is nothing good for the body that comes from sugar-NOTHING. Sugary soda's included, people! You might as well drink gasoline. I won't even get into what that stuff does to your insides! Soda-number one thing you should be cutting out of your diet...actually, SUGAR. This doesn't mean you cannot have anything sweet in your life again. This is about life changes. Changing your attitude about food, changing what you KNOW about food, FINDING ALTERNATIVES! I can honestly say that throughout my 8 years or so, of reading up on and studying nutrition-I have been able to find healthy, acceptable alternatives for all of my favorite foods. You'll be surprised of all the foods available that you don't even know about. I will be giving you recipes so don't worry!! Remember when I told you to start looking at labels? Go look at the sugar content in the milk in your refrigerator. Did you do it? Surprise? I'm sure you are. Sugar is in most of the foods you don't even suspect to contain it. Bread has sugar, regular old white pasta has sugar too. My motto is this..."If you can't grow it, pick it or see it at a farm....DON'T EAT IT!" Now it sounds extreme, I know. But it's basically how I was eating once I became serious about working out and lifting weights. There are exceptions, everyone is allowed an indulgence now and then. Rule of thumb-everything in moderation. Rare occasions, its okay to have your favorite piece of candy, food, whatever. Just don't make it an everyday thing. Your health is more important than anything.

Once I began lifting weights I started adding the necessary foods to maximize my health AND muscle gains. Here are some examples:

Breakfast consisted of one of the following options:

•  3 egg whites, scrambled, 1 slice of fat free cheese, 1 tablespoon of low sodium salsa, 2 turkey sausage links, 1 slice whole wheat toast, small serving of fruit.
• 1 cup Steel cut oats, 1 cup of blueberries, 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup of Kashi go lean cereal, 1 cup strawberries,  1/2 cup of plain soy milk

Lunch consisted of one of the following options:

• 2 cups spinach, 3 ounces grilled chicken breast, lean steak or filet of fish (usually salmon or tilapia), 1 cup of quinoa with mixed steamed veggies (super grain!!! Look it up!!)  
• low sodium turkey on wheat bread loaded with veggies and yellow mustard (contains no sugar)

Mid-afternoon snack (150-250 calories) Usually a small piece of fruit like an apple and 2 tablespoons of all natural peanut butter.


Dinner consisted of the following with choice of lean protein:

• 2 cups of steamed vegetables with 3 ounces lean protein
• palm size serving of either quinoa or sweet potato

After dinner snack (150-250 cals):

• 1/2 of a peach or apple sprinkled with cinnamon and stevia powder or honey set in the oven for 5-10 minutes. The honey mixed with the juices of the fruit brought out by the heat make this the equivalent of a really good desert. Tastes like pie without all the guilt. This can also be done in the microwave.
• Celery sticks filled with fat free chive/vegetable cream cheese.
• Carrots and fat free ranch dip. I usually made my own with fat free cream cheese, fat free mayonaise and packet of ranch dressing seasoning. Keep in mind you must limit to between 150-250 cals.

My gym routine was dependant on my work schedule but 1/2 hour before my workout routines I would have a small serving of fruit in addition to my Whey protein. There are so many different kinds of whey protein out there on the market, its all about finding which one you like as far as taste and calorie content. Also just make sure that per scoop you're getting no more than 20 grams of protein. Thats how much your body can process at once anyway so the rest is going to waste. You don't need to supplement that much because your diet is controlled to contain plenty of protein as well so don't worry that you're not getting enough! I would have a serving of fruit because that would provide an instant burst of energy to power through my workouts. Remember, fruit has sugar however, it is NATURAL SUGAR! WHICH IS OKAY IN SMALLER AMOUNTS! (There is a huge difference between the two when it comes to insulin levels in the blood caused by the different sources.)

Along with my protein shake and fruit I wold take my powerhouse of secret supplements. Well, they're no secret...I JUST KNOW WHEN TO TAKE THEM TO MAXIMIZE RESULTS! And I'm going to share them with you now. For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you might recognize these pictures! I posted them for a reason!

150 mcg's of GREEN TEA EXTRACT, 200 MG'S OF CoQ10, 500 MG OF L-CARNITINE! This will give you superwoman strength in the gym! Also this is great stuff to add to the regimen- Sublingual (under the tongue) liquid B complex. This is the icing on the cake of energy supplements! How do you think I'm still going with this entry? :-) It's awesome stuff. Now, I have one other secret ingredient that I stack on top of this combo, BUT, I'm not going to disclose that yet because I want to do a seperate entry on the benefits of this very awesome supplement that I couldn't go a day without! Those nearest and dearest to me should already be able to guess what that is!


After my workouts, as I'm driving home, I have another protein shake and 1 slice of white bread with all natural peanut butter....wait, WHITE BREAD? YES! This is the only time I will have a "bad carb" the reason is because after you train your muscles, you want to get that protein into the muscles as fast as you can! You do this with a fast digesting carbohydrate like white bread and a healthy fat like in the peanut butter. Then its breakfast within 1-2 hours! Hard work isn't it? It becomes second nature once you understand the mechanics behind your body...THE SCIENCE!! ;-) 


If you guys havn't noticed, when I've spoken about my diet in this entry I really didn't speak as if this was my current regimen and thats because it isn't. Right now, I have reverted back to my ways of low carb living. I do this every couple of months and take a brief break from weight lifting to give my body a rest and to reset my metabolism because over the years I have realized that my body is very sensitive to carbohydrates and once in a while its benefited me greatly to reduce the amount that I take in every so often. I usually do this for a months time and then resume my normal training and eating patterns. I'm already about 3 weeks into it and I've shed another 8 pounds which is pretty awesome since summer is almost here. :-) This is what I meant when I said you need to find what works for you. Everyones body reacts differently to certain foods but once  you pay attention, you will know what foods you can eat and what foods you need to limit!


NEXT UP....

THAT MISSING PIECE TO MY PRE WORKOUT SUPPLEMENT LINE-UP!!!

And I'll be showing you around the gym so if  you're a beginner, you won't feel so lost.

Entry #2-Find what works for YOU! Part One

MOTIVATION+DETERMINATION+PERSISTENCE= RESULTS!

Lets get something straight right now...most people who are looking to change their physical appearance, their health, their poor eating habits and lack of an active lifestyle do NOT know the fundamentals of creating positive change in their physique's, their lives or overall HEALTH. I can pretty much guarantee that. I know I definitely didn't when I was 50 pounds heavier with a BMI of 27+. It took the 3 ingredients above for me to learn all that I know today. Motivation, to WANT to make a change, Determination, to do whatever necessary to get there, and Persistence to NEVER give up until I was proud of myself. As long as you remain persistent-YOU WILL SEE CHANGE, I promise you. Always remember that as long as you never give up-you will NOT FAIL! Say that again and listen to the words...it should take some weight off your shoulders. If you make the decision to never give up then you will NOT be disappointed, so take a breath and relax. The only thing holding you back, is the fear that something might be holding you back.

Creating change in your body and your health starts with diet. Before you start overwhelming yourself with an exercise routine and cardio etc., you first have to change your eating habits. My motto: Eat to LIVE, not live to EAT. Sounds funny right? But it's true. How many times have you had a rough day and said, "I deserve some ice-cream"? or "I studied my butt off and aced that test-time to celebrate! I'm gonna order pizza and eat the whole pie!" How silly does that sound? Don't reward yourself with food-YOU'RE NOT A DOG! We've all been there, I know I used to do the same thing before I made the decision to get healthy and break myself of bad habits. Many people "eat their emotions" which is a very bad thing to do!  Fitness isn't just about your body. It's MIND, BODY, AND SOUL. Everything has to change in some way to succeed. You must rid your mind of old habits and replace them with healthy ones. Once you do that, everything else is a little bit easier.

 The foods you put in your body are just as, if not MORE important than the calories you burn. So, someone who eats greasy fast food, fried everything and tons of junk food is probably not going to have an awesome shape and even if they are one of those freaks of nature who are blessed with an extremely high metabolism, I can guarantee they're not as healthy as they look.

Now, referring back to my first blog entry I want to say that there are many, many, MANY different "diets" out there on the market. there's The Atkins diet, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, South Beach, The Zone, various juicing diets, The Glycemic Index diet, The Mediterranean Diet, the Apple diet...the list goes on and on. In my opinion, all of these diets are effective, just not for EVERYONE.  I am a firm believer that not everyone is the same. More important, not everyone's GOALS are the same! Some want to lose fat, some want to build muscle and others want to lower their blood pressure, cholesterol etc. Also, not everyone's body is the same, and not everyone's body reacts to food the same. How can ONE diet be the "end all, be all" of the dieting world when we have such a broad spectrum of people, ages, lifestyles and body types? That, to me, is so unrealistic for anyone to think. Yes, the basic premise is the same when it comes to losing weight. Less calories in, more calories out or, burned = pounds lost. The bottom line is that not everyone has the same amount of time to dedicate to food preparation.

In my introductory blog entry I failed to tell you guys how I dropped 50 pounds in less than 5 months but I'm going to do-so right now. Keep in mind that this was 8 years ago when I lost all that weight. I want you to listen to my whole story and not just the beginning because much of what I did, is contradictory to everything I've said above and to what I believe and follow today. Have faith that there's a method to my madness and I promise it will all make sense in the end. :)

Back in 2004 when I had my encounter with the 3-way mirror, I tried counting calories, eating salads, cutting out cheeses, and eating everything that said "fat free" on the carton. I failed many times because lets face it, I didn't have any knowledge about nutrition, dieting or anything closely related. I also LOVE FOOD! Like I said, pizza, pasta, bread...all the good stuff. ALL CARBOHYDRATES. I'm not talking good carbohydrates like whole grains and veggies, I'm talking refined, processed garbage with no nutritional value to it..."filler foods" as I now call them. I tried low cal, low fat and failed over and over because I had no self control at that point in my life, no self discipline and most of all, NO PATIENCE. I wanted to see results overnight and nothing was working fast enough for me so I kept repeating the vicious "yo-yo dieting" cycle. I had basically given up until one night at 7-Eleven, which is a convenience store here in NJ for all my followers who aren't local, and I ran into a friend of mine who was always on the heavier side, her whole family was. She was the last person I thought I'd ever see smaller than I was always used to seeing her. I was in shock. She was less than half her size! Of course, just like anyone would, I asked her what she was doing. It was right in the midst of the Atkins Diet craze. At that time, in 2004 the research around the diet was scarce and very controversial but I didn't care. I bought the book the next day and me and one of my friends buddied up and managed to lose almost 90 pounds between the two of us. Not once did either of us go to a gym during those 4-5 months. The fat just fell off. In the book it actually urges you NOT to work out as it will be counter productive causing a weight loss "plateau". Music to most people's ears right? When do you ever hear someone say "don't work out or you won't lose weight"? After the weight loss, I felt amazing but it was hard at times. The diet is EXTREMELY limited on what you can eat. No sugar, no processed carbs. I couldn't eat fruit because though, natural, fruit still contains sugar. I also couldn't eat certain vegetables like carrots. I was eating nothing but meat, cheese, green vegetables, high fat dressings, eggs, butter and special low carb shakes and protein bars for 4 months. In the beginning it was torture giving up sugar. People don't realize that our body's become ADDICTED to certain foods, SUGAR being the main addiction. I joke about it now but me and my friend who I followed the diet with would say that "carbs are the Devil!". In a way, there's truth to it but its more complicated than that-carbohydrates are complicated to a beginner but once you understand the difference between "good carbs" and "bad carbs" you will understand more how the body works when it comes to food. There truly IS  a science behind nutrition and THAT'S what I LOVE about it! Kicking the "bad carb" addiction is something else! Headaches, dizziness, sleepiness-it's literally torture that lasts about 3 days. After the 3 days, though, you feel completely different. You feel so much better-the headaches are gone, dizziness gone and the energy you feel is like a complete surge. It's one thing for me to describe it to you and another to experience it. Bad carbs-no good! This will probably be the topic for my next blog: "Good Carbs Vs. Bad Carbs".

So, summer of 2004 was awesome. I had lost 50 pounds, was in great shape and had a blast. I had learned a lot from following that diet program. I learned the difference between good carbs and bad ones, the importance of fiber, the effects of sugar on your weight and lots of other vital info that I'll get more into as the blog progresses. That whole experience not only helped me to shed 50 pounds but it sparked my passion for fitness and made me want to know everything I possibly could about how food and the body interact. I started researching and researching and because of that time in my life and that experience I became fascinated with how the body works internally when it comes to energy and how the body uses different foods in different ways. It's really the most fascinating thing to me and I absolutely love it.

Once the summer of 2004 was over, chapter of my journey was over so what was next? Maintenance. Yes, the Atkins diet was effective-FOR ME but my lifestyle, because of my weight loss had changed drastically. When you "kick the carb addiction" you get this surge of energy that is indescribable. It got to a point where I had no choice but to join a gym (which I had never done before). I needed a release for all the energy I had so that was the start of my gym addiction. I guess you could say that's where  QueenOfTheGym was born! ;-D All corny jokes aside, that was definitely the beginning of something great for me. I've been in the gym ever since. It's where I met the love of my life and its where I feel most at home. The gym is MY "happy place". I was working out for 2 hours each day and if I missed a day I wouldn't feel as great-almost guilty. I fell in love with weight lifting. The heavier, the better. I love the rush, I love the attention from everyone, I love the competitive spirit around the sport, the respect you get, I love, love LOVE IT!  The gym had become a major addiction. I went to bed (and still do today) excited to wake up and go to the gym. Four, five in the morning I was up and ready for the gym. Something most of you might not know is that carbohydrates are vital for muscle growth and development. Your body NEEDS certain carbohydrates to function properly. When I was doing the very low carb diet it wasn't that much of an issue because I wasn't in the gym working my body as much as I am today and shortly after I had lost all that weight. I NEED certain carbs to function now that I work out and lift as much weight as I do nowadays. There's no way I'd be able to squat 320 pounds if I didn't eat certain carbohydrates. I can't wait to get into my next blog entry for you guys and tell you all about the differences in carbohydrates and their impact on our bodies! We'll also get into what my diet looks like today!!! A little hint? It's not like it used to be!

Tips and tricks that I use daily:

• It is KEY that you drink HALF of your weight in ounces of H2O per day! (for example: weight-150lbs you should be drinking around 75 ounces H2O daily) Every single day! This aids in digestion, helps to keep you hydrated. Will help to flush out toxins in the muscles that need to be flushed regularly! Toxins are NOT good for the body. When you lift weight you're releasing toxins from the tissues into the body. Flushing your body with H2O will make you feel better all around. workout tip: drink at least 12 ounces pre workout, sip frequently durring workout and then another 12 ounces post workout. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO HYDRATE WHEN EXERCISING!
• I highly reccomend one of my secrets! 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar daily! The cleansing and detoxifying benefits of ACV are amazing. It is VERY strong! so, if you cannot stomach it on its own I suggest the following recipe that I personally use: 2 tablespoons of ACV plus juice of 1 lemon into 24 oz of H2O and add your favorite sweetner to taste-No Sugar! :-) You can also do the same by making homemade iced tea instead of lemonade...hey, why not make it an Arnold Palmer!?

Up Next....

Good Carbs VS. Bad Carbs

Entry #1 Introduction~Welcome to "Everything Fitness"!

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!! I'm very excited because this is the start of something I've been meaning to do for a very long time and with a little "push" from a close friend, it's finally underway! I've decided to create this blog because I am very passionate about everything "fitness" and I want to share my love and knowledge for fitness with all of you. I am a huge believer in the idea that happiness starts with yourself. In order to succeed in ANYTHING you do in life-no matter your goals or career path, you must first take care of yourself: MIND, BODY, AND SOUL because let's face it~if you're not healthy, you're limiting yourself and definitely prohibiting yourself from giving 100% in all you do. I have so many things that I want to address with this blog and I'm so excited to finally be able to reach out and share information and my personal experiences with all of you. I have many friends who come to me for advice on nutrition and working out all the time, so this is my way of giving back and sharing what I know and researching FOR YOU what I don't. I will cover everything from supplements-including different protein powders, WHEN and HOW to incorporate them, weight lifting technique's, cardio/fat burning methods along with time managed workout routines, my personal review on products available in the fitness world...I will also include a list of my gym fav's and must-haves for working out including workout gear and MUCH MORE! I will also include tips on staying motivated, dedicated and determined to reach your goals, ONE DAY AT A TIME, ONE STEP AT A TIME! Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is the perfect body. It is a process. I'm here to help  INSPIRE, MOTIVATE,SUPPORT, EDUCATE AND PUSH each and every one of you!!!  Some people do not have the support to keep themselves focused so they give up-you NOW have ME! Others just don't know where to start, so let ME guide you! Many of you make the excuse that you have no time-EXCUSES DON'T LEAD TO RESULTS, they keep them from happening. If you want change in your life, change in your body, change in your health, you must first do some changing and everything else will follow, I promise you!

Let me regress and tell you all a little about myself. My name is Tina Marie Intravaia, I just turned 30 this past March and I'm the proud mother of a little boy. Growing up, I was a very active child. I played sports for most of my childhood and enjoyed nothing more than being active. I was never the type of child to sit in front of the TV for hours on end, stuffing my face with cookies and junk food. MY problem was real food. I come from a full blown italian family so pasta, bread, and cheese were an every day thing for me! Every italian knows that "food is love"!!! Sunday 7 course meals with the family happened every week and because of my busy schedule with sports during the week-pizza and fast food were constant. When I was between the ages of 16-22 I was always a little on the "thicker" side. My days of playing sports had ended and aside from daily life, I wasn't too active. I knew I was a little overweight but I thought I carried it well so I didn't watch what I put in my mouth and I didn't exercise...I needed a wake-up call bad! It wasn't until I was 22 years old when that "wake up call" came my way. I was at one of my favorite stores in the mall trying on clothes and walked in front of the oh-so-dreaded 3-way mirror. THAT was my wake up call. I hated what I saw and I was in shock-I had never seen myself that way before. I was embarassed and disgusted that I'd let myself get to that point and the worst part was that I didn't even know it. From that moment on, I changed my ways drastically and in less than 5 months I dropped 50 pounds. I changed my eating habits and started MOVING! I lowered by body fat percentage from 27 to 14%. I am 5'5 and at my heaviest, weighed 187 pounds. How did I lose the weight? Well, to be honest with you-I tried many things, many different diets and most failed. I'm going to hold off on revealing what DID work for me because one thing I've come to realize is there are an endless number of dieting methods out there, and for good reason. What works for one person, may not work for another. There's low carb, low fat, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig...etc. The choices are endless. The key to success in dieting and achieving your fitness goals are finding what works for YOU! That is the key. This is going to be the topic for my next blog so stay tuned everyone! It's going to be an exciting journey for me and all of you as well! Change begins TODAY!!

Did you know...

One pound of fat is the equivalent of 3,500 calories?



I encourage you to leave a comment below if there is something you would like me to cover in one of my upcoming blog entries!

 LIVE HEALTHY and be HAPPY<3

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