Compliments and Supplements

First off, I just really want to thank everyone for all the wonderful feedback! It really makes my day when I get a message or a comment about other people's successes and motivations. Let's keep inspiring one another! Shout outs to my old friends from the kimberlin/Austin/gtown days: Matt and Brandon! They both sent me really inspiring messages about their own significant losses. And of course all my wonderful sisters!! Keep it up guys!! =D

Ok so today I've had requests to talk about my diet and what I generally eat. I also want to talk about a few supplements I take to help me out. First and foremost I want to stress protein. "um, are you a big man?" "mmmm chalky" "uhhh like beef?" these are all attitudes I used to have about taking protein as a supplement. Will would make his protein shake and I would wrinkle my nose. But finally I came around, when everyone who was supposed to know what they were talking about kept recommending it. Really what sold me on it was remembering what I learned in structure and functions, and talking to the ex-biochemist at the sports nutrition store. If you're gonna be using your muscles, they're gonna need protein to at least stay the same size, and they're gonna need MORE if you want them to get bigger. And the more muscle you have the more fat your body burns to fuel them. Do you know that when your muscles repair themselves you're actually BURNING CALORIES IN YOUR SLEEP?! Now that's an idea I can get behind. Lol

Seriously though: Iso proteins. They're just pure protein, no fillers and other stuff. Right now I'm using the iso-100 mixed berry. I was using the "gourmet chocolate" but I needed a change. They're both pretty tasty, especially now that I discovered lactose-free milk. Lol. Did you know too much soy can make you retain water? It can also make you overly-emotional but that's neither here nor there. Lol. Anyway, yes. Protein. Carlos said 2 shakes a day, the guy at the store recommended 3, I usually drink 1 after I work out and that's it unless I'm sore and then I know my muscles need it so I drink more of it. Haha.

Another thing I wrinkled my nose at was Will's pre-workout drink. I read the label and it said "not for women who are nursing, pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant". Ok I'm sorry, I'm none of those things, but as a woman: that is always a red flag. So I blew off pre-workout drinks as another "muscley guy thing" and ignored it. Well, now it turns out I'm recommending one to you. Lol. I actually am taking a fat burner. The bottle says twice a day, I only take it once about 30 mins before I work out, but usually not on days that I don't. One of the reasons is, it's usually mostly caffeine and legal crack, so if you don't work it out of your system, you're never gonna get to sleep. If you are a girl, be careful if you want to try these! A lot of them have something in them that isnt good for us or has lots of testosterone in it. I recommend triple checking the labels and talking to someone who knows what they're talking about before you try it. Now that I've scared you, i'll mention that it also tastes awful, lol. Mine is just a pill but it's still kinda yucky. But I like how much energy it gives me and I feel like its working so I'm still taking it. The one I take is "ripped juice" I don't use it all the time because again, the label is still kinda scary, even though I was assured by the biochemist turned health nut that it was safe for women and, more specifically, me. Lol

Ok...man-like supplements, check. I also take a multivitamin when I remember too. Lol. This is another thing "if it doesn't suck you're not doing it right". Vitamins taste SO gross. Haha. But now let's focus on the natural source of protein, energy and vitamins: food. On a normal day, my lunch is usually far healthier than my dinner. Mostly because I usually share dinner with someone else and I don't want to subject them to something boring, but also because I get tired of the same stuff if I eat it too much. This week for lunch I've had: progresso Italian style meatball soup, a burger, and a turkey sandwich. The last 2 were on 100% whole wheat bagel thins. These are awesome because not only are they thinner, they're also slightly smaller than a normal piece of bread. So my 2 pieces of turkey looks a lot more satisfying on those than on bread. Today I also had an apple and a yoplait light yogurt. So today my lunch was about 450 calories. Another strategy of tricking your inner fat-kid: smaller plates and multiple trips. I put my sandwich on a small plate instead of a normal sized one. And then I went BACK for the apple, and then I went BACK for the yogurt. I knew all along that's what I was gonna eat, but if you put it all on one big plate, it looks pathetic. Going back for "seconds" or even "thirds" keeps your fat kid happy. And who wants room-temp yogurt anyway? Also slicing up your apple may be another way to trick yourself into thinking you're eating more, but I'm lazy and I like eating it off the core.

For dinner, my mentality is I'll do what I can with what I'm given. If my family is having speghetti, small portions and no bread for me. If we're having something calorie-friendly like grilled chicken and steamed veggies? Load up. I also recently discovered no sugar added blue bell. So if I have enough calories left, I'm going for it. Lol Another ice cream trick: serve it in a coffee mug instead of a bowl, and eat with a tea spoon instead of a regular spoon. Again, it's all about playing mind games with yourself. Lol smaller portion in the same size bowl is going to leave you feeling unsatisfied. Smaller portion in a smaller container with a smaller utensil? Satisfaction. Monday I went to Sara's for dinner and we had talapia, asparagus and couscous. Her family is so good at eating healthy, I'm learning calorie-cutting tricks from her all the time. Yesterday? Chili with my friend Patrick. I was 200 under my calorie goal even afterwards, so I didn't let myself feel bad about it. Tonight I have no idea what I'm eating. But I had spin class today, then I worked out for 30 more minutes and burned 1263 calories altogether, so theoretically I could eat whatever I wanted pretty much. I think I'll stick to trying to eat healthy and have a mug of [sugar free] bluebell for desert. Gotta keep that fat kid happy, or she'll make life a lot harder than it has to be.

[note: yes, I'm lactose intolerant, and yes I'm talking about my obsession with blue bell. I take lactaid pills with it so it's ok. Lol]