I Knew This Wouldn't Be Easy...

Well since I have written my last post, I tried to practice what I was preaching. On Thursday, I had some Cascadian Farms Pomegranate flax seed oat clusters for breakfast with blueberry granola. Though the clusters were a little high in calories, (220 for a cup with my skim milk), their fiber content was great and the granola had over 20 grams of whole grain! Best of all, it was delicious and tided me over for a few hours.

Unfortunately I had to work during the day, but I tried my best to plan my meals. I packed a scoop of whey protein powder(syntha-6 chocolate peanut butter), chocolate hemp milk, unsweetened kefir, and plain tuna with red onion, spinach, and black pepper. The hemp milk and kefir I mix to make a really tasty protein shake, which subsequently is PACKED with the nutrients from the hemp, and loaded with protein and calcium from both the powder and the kefir. The only thing I am mindful of is the sugar content in the hemp, 21 g a serving. So I try to do one part kefir to a half part hemp.

Later that night, I went into Boston to visit good friends from high school. We went out to eat and I tried to stick with my diet by getting spring rolls not fried with shrimp and mint inside, and then a chicken dish full of veggies. Not organic, but very good and it didn't weigh me down. For dessert, a blueberry yogurt smoothie.

Today I have a double shift, and my meals I have planned so far is plain chicken with rice and broccoli for dinner and oatmeal with kefir mixed in for breakfast. I don't know what lunch will be, but I know there will be a protein shake in there somewhere. Unfortunately, I have not made it to the gym yet. I promise that will change by Sunday...though going to the gym on Sundays always sucks.

You guys have any low calorie snack ideas?

Procrastination.

Alright, here it goes.

Why am I writing this blog?

-By this time next year I want to compete in a figure/fitness show.
-I am going to attempt (again) to eat a clean, primarily organic and meat free diet.
- I will be training 5 days a week, 45 min of weights and 20-30 of cardio.

...So if I write it all down, meal plans, workout notes, observations, troubles, and triumphs, I'll be more likely to stick with it. Now, I've tried this before, and it's been great! Fantastic results, increases in strength, weight loss, and feeling better throughout the day. You think that would be enough to keep with it right? Not for me...I have one cheeseburger slip up and feel that any progress made is lost in that one instance. I am constantly on and off the band wagon.

Well hopefully that changes today, I want everyone reading this blog to be active with me. If a junk food loving, lazy carb craver like  me can make the choice, everyone can do it, trust me. I'll be testing supplements, writing reviews, trying various diet plans, and testing new and old exercise routines.

I need before and after pictures...but until I make these available, let me describe my body type which is summed up in one word, scrawny. I have a tall thin frame that gains weight, if any, in the middle. I am thankful that it is difficult for me to gain weight (which is why I probably have gotten away with eating like a gluttonous hog for so long), but that also means putting on muscle is damn near impossible. And as of late my strength has been pathetic.

Now, I love to eat, but for years I have had such a weird relationship with food. As a kid and early teen I had the appetite of a horse, and would eat anything. But once high school started it became acceptable, even "cool" to watch what you eat. I wasn't necessarily eating any healthier, but eating a lot less. There would be days that I'm sure I barely reached 700 calories. By the end of junior year I was 5'6'' and 104 lbs at my lowest. Nothing healthy about that.

These days, I eat alot more, and it's usually very healthy! That is until I get to work. See, I work at T.G.I. Friday's, waitressing for long hours. And let me tell you, there is ALWAYS something to snack on. Fries, mozzarella sticks, burgers, you name it. Oh and my ultimate weakness, bleu cheese, at my beckon call. This is where my will power needs to come through.

So this is what I have going for me;
 I love to eat healthy.
 Exercising is usually fun for me.
I think it's fantastic to see my body change.
I REALLY want to do this show.

And the stack against me...
I work in a restaurant...and not the healthiest one either.
I work long hours, and have trouble planning meals.
I rarely have enough energy to work out because of my schedule.
I LOVE burgers...with extra cheese ><  .

So it begins. Questions?? Comments?? Keep 'em coming, I'm going to need all the help I can get!