Tips

Whew...It has been a busy couple of weeks. I am the newest Associate Producer at KSL (actually the only Associate Producer) and it has definitely kept me on my toes. I majored in PR and haven't done any broadcast before so I'm having to learn absolutely EVERYTHING but it has been a lot of fun so far. A little overwhelming and intimidating at times but I'm learning and it is getting better as time goes on.

I am also down a total of 16 pounds! I can't believe it. This is the first time that I've set out to get into better shape and it has actually happened for me. I still have a little ways to go but I'm so much closer than I was a few months ago. I have been getting some questions as to what I am doing so I wanted to share a few things with everyone. Every body is different and I am in no way an expert, but these are just a few things that have worked for me. I will break them down by fitness and diet...

Fitness:

1. I try to work out 6 days a week. Sometimes it doesn't happen but I try to get as many days as possible.

2. I do strength training 3 days a week. I started out with 4 days a week but I read that your body needs 1 day after every weight lifting session to recover and build muscle--that's when it happens. So I cut it down to 3 days a week and I do about 40 minutes. I have a weight lifting video from Turbo Jam that I absolutely LOVE! With strength training, the hardest part for me is having to focus on what muscles I'm working out, what exercises I need to do, how many reps and sets of each, etc. The video lets me forget about all of that and I can just follow along.

3. I do cardio 6 days a week, Monday-Saturday and I take Sunday off. I usually do chores on Sunday so I figure that's a little workout in itself. I usually do the elliptical or the treadmill. I have found that I burn more calories on the elliptical so I tend to do that more. No matter what machine I'm on, I always pick the "Weight loss" program. I punch in my information and it switches all the intervals for me so I don't have to think about doing that. Interval training also helps me burn more calories instead of a moderate, constant pace.

4. When I plateau (it's happened a couple of times) I increase the amount of weights I am lifting. I started at 5 pounds, now I am at 6 and I'm going to have to increase it to 7 soon. I noticed that when I plateau, my weight lifting workout was getting a little easier than when I started. Increasing the weight instead of coming up with a whole new weight lifting routine worked for me to push past that plateau. I also increase the speed on the treadmill slightly to burn more calories.

5. I step on the scale everyday. I started only weighing myself once a week but I would get anxiety dreams the night before every weigh-in. So doing it once a day lets me see how I am progressing and I don't get those dreams anymore. I don't go crazy if I have gained a pound or two over night. That usually happens when I don't drink enough water the day before so I make sure that day to drink enough and the scale usually goes back down.

6. Wear the right clothing. If you aren't comfortable in what you're wearing, your going to be miserable when you are working out. The other day I wore one of my Utah State shirts on the treadmill and I was pulling at the neck the whole time because I felt like it was choking me. Never again will I workout wearing a crew neck shirt. I wear a tank or scoop neck t-shirt and shorts, capris or yoga pants. I also have a pair of cross trainers and some Reebok Runtones that I wear only when I'm on the treadmill. Doing anything else in them tends to be too strenuous and I'm afraid I will hurt myself.

7. I try to schedule my plans around my workouts. I know it sounds a little crazy and perhaps a little selfish but I like to take that time for myself and do something that is really good for me. It's something that no one else can do for me and I'm a better person for it. I'm happier and healthier and that's always a better person to be around, happy and healthy.

8. I try not to beat myself up if I miss a workout. My last post I talked about hiking up to Frary peak and getting blisters and a sunburn which caused me to not be able to do my routine for a few days. I also got sick a few weeks ago and decided to take a few days off and I sometimes have days where I just don't have the energy or motivation. If that happens, I try to drink plenty of water and eat as good as I can--which brings me to my diet...

Diet:

1. I'm not dieting! I don't deprive myself of anything. If I want a candy bar or brownie, I eat it. It's all about moderation. I may say no to something if I know I haven't eaten well that day or I'm going out for dinner but in most cases, I'll take the treat.

2. I write down EVERYTHING I eat. I started this a long time ago and I have tried different methods (online, on my phone, etc) but the best method that works for me is a regular little notebook and pen. I don't worry too much about counting calories or anything like that, I just write down the foods. It makes me aware of what I am eating and you just start to naturally eat healthier. When I started I didn't think, "I can't have that because I'm going to have to write it down." I just ate it and wrote it down. After about a week, I started noticing that my meals were healthier and it happened all on its own.

3. I drink plenty of water. And I mean PLENTY! The more water you drink, the less your body holds onto. I try to fill up my camelback water bottle at least 3-4 times a day but in all honesty I really don't keep track. I just always have it with me and I find myself drinking it all the time because it's there. Jillian Michaels said that when you go to the bathroom, it should look like lemonade, not apple juice. It's kind of gross but that is stuck in my head.

4. I pack my lunch. I try to do this the night before but sometimes it doesn't happen but I always pack my lunch. It's healthier and i feel better when I don't eat out all the time. It also saves me money.

5. I eat every 3-4 hours (or at least I try). Eating little meals throughout the day helps my metabolism to stay active and I don't feel sluggish. I also don't get so hungry all the time.

6. I always try to make the healthier option. When I'm cooking I will use whole wheat flour instead of white when I can and I choose the fat free salad dressing and sauces instead of the whole fat stuff. The little changes are what makes the difference for me. At first I could tell the difference and wasn't sure if I would stick to them but after I got used to it, I don't want the old stuff anymore. It tastes unhealthy to me and my body doesn't want it.

That's what I am doing and it has been working for me. I hope I gave you a few tips that will work for you. It's definitely a lot of hard work but it is totally paying off. The biggest thing for me is that I can see my muscle getting more toned and stronger. I'm not as tired anymore and I feel a whole lot better. Before I started I constantly felt like I was coming down with a cold. I don't feel that way anymore and I know it's because of the change I have made.

frary peak

Last Saturday a big group of us went on a hike to the top of Frary Peak on Antelope Island. The sign at the trail head said the hike was 6 miles round trip but my brother's GPS said it was about 8.5 miles. I've decided to believe that :) It was definitely challenging at times because it was pretty steep but it was so worth the view. You never get to see the Salt Lake Valley like that. This picture is of the view to the west from the top. It doesn't do it justice. It was pretty spectacular.

So after the hike I was down another pound which makes that 13 total but now I'm back up again...dang! I'm fairly sunburned and have a bad blister on my foot which stopped me from doing my regular workout tonight. I did a few crunches and push-ups and was up and down the stairs a lot today so I'm hoping that counts for something :)

3 days, 4 birthdays and 1 anniversary

First, the weekend was so much fun! I went to Park City and stayed at a pretty hotel, went to the Red Banjo and had some fantastic pizza, saw Thriller and went shopping the next morning. It was a fast little "vacation" but it was just what I needed.

This week is jam packed full of celebrations (as you can probably tell from my title). Yesterday, it was my dear friend Karinne's birthday! She is such a great, fun person and I hate that I never see her. Today is my cousin Casey's birthday. I see him even less because he lives in Minnesota. But tomorrow is my brother's birthday and my cousin Annie's birthday (who I never see as well. I think I need to make more of an effort). Tomorrow is also my Mom and Dad's anniversary. They have been married for 31 years and I hope to be as happy as they still are someday. They have set such a great example for me!

On a less sappy note, I didn't stick to my "eating well" plan this weekend in Park City. I definitely felt the effects afterwards. It's amazing how much your body won't want the junk food after you stop eating it for a while. I'm trying to do better today but my mom picked up some cinnamon pull apart bread from Kneaders and that it just impossible to resist! I did lose 2 pounds last week but I gained one back...I'm pretty sure its just water. I hardly drank any and I've heard the more water you drink the less your body retains. So lets hope that's it :) I have lost a size in jeans and tops which is happy! It's working!

new recipe

So last week I hit that plateau so I'm a little frustrated. Then I get really frustrated when I gained 2 pounds overnight. I know it was probably just water and I've lost it already but still it set me back. I kicked up my cardio a little and I've bought myself some heavier weights for my strength training so hopefully that helps me get past this fitness lull. I hit that plateau at the same time I noticed my workouts were getting pretty easy so we'll see what happens.

On a yummier note, I found this recipe for Roasted Parmesan Potatoes on Food Gawker. My mom wanted to make roasted potatoes for dinner so I convinced her we should try this recipe.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2-3)

3-4 medium red potatoes, cut into small wedges
3 TBS olive oil
1/3 C parmesan cheese (fresh is great, but expensive, so I use “shaker parm”)
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp paprika
sea salt to taste

Just mix the seasonings and cheese together in one bowl, cover the potatoes in oil in another bowl and then combine the potatoes and the cheese mixture. Put them on a really well sprayed baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes stirring once. They did come out pretty salty so I will use garlic powder instead of garlic salt next time. I feel that the cheese has enough salt so you really don't need to add anymore. I'm not a huge fan of roasted potatoes, or potatoes in general, but these are so delicious. How could they not be? They are covered in cheese!

jam-packed

Man I had a busy weekend! I'm very tired and have to do my laundry on today but it was so worth it.

On Friday I went on a hike up Adam's Canyon with my friend Brianna. We started out planning on going to the lower falls which is a very short hike but got a little lost and ended up going to the upper falls which is a couple miles up the canyon. We got lost a little again on our way up but ended up getting there and it was so worth it. Check it out!

I tried to get some "artistic" looking pictures but there is only so much I can do with the camera on my phone :) Last time I hiked up there earlier this year we couldn't get across the river to get to the falls so we had to just turn around and go back. It was so disappointing so I'm glad I got to see it this time.

Then on Saturday I went down to Orem with my family and Whitney. We went and saw The Drowsy Chaperone at Hale Center Theater. Whit and I have seen it a total of 4 times, my parents have now seen it twice and it was the first time for my brother and his wife. I just really love that musical. I see it whenever I get the chance! The theater down there was pretty interesting. Definitely not anything like the Hale theater in West Valley but the performers were awesome. After that we went to dinner and then came home and caught up on our dvr-ed shows.

Sunday started out with church and then we went boating on Pineview. One of my absolute favorite things to do. Its just so relaxing. We were out for a couple of hours but sadly had to get off the lake and come home to run errands we had put off all weekend. I'm so excited to go again this coming weekend though. We are hopefully planning on getting out both on Saturday and Sunday. We are trying to take advantage of the warm weather while it is still here :)

That's my weekend re-cap. So much fun but I'm definitely exhausted. Can't wait til next weekend to get here! And I've gotten a little confused but I think I'm down another 2 pounds...I can't remember but I am down 10 pounds altogether. I think I've hit a plateau so I'm gonna have to start working a little harder but I'm up for the challenge. Thanks for all of your support--its really keeping me going. Love you guys!

whole wheat pizza crust

We decided that we are going to have "theme dinner nights." Since I live at home and I'm not working I always try to at least start dinner every night to help my parents out because they are at work all day. But I am always talking with my mom asking what should we have for dinner and the answer is usually "I don't know..." So to fix this problem we decided to assign a different type of food for each day of the week and Friday became pizza night.

I'm trying to eat better and trying to make my mom and dad eat better as well and pizza really isn't the healthiest thing. However, we bought Rocco Dispirto's two cook books and he has a recipe for whole wheat thin rust pizza so I thought I would give that a shot. I had never made pizza dough before, I've actually never used yeast before, so I didn't really know what to expect but it was so EASY! It only had a few ingredients and with the Kitchen-aid mixer (I really want my own) it came together in no time. I didn't get a picture of the finished product but here it is after it had risen the first time. I love the fact that it was so thin and crispy and it tasted delicious and is so much healthier than regular pizza crust. You should try it!

After dinner I started my workout. I wanted to try this new one I found on Pinterest to see if I could get through it. It definitely kicked my butt but it was worth it. I finished in about half an hour and the hardest part was the run. I had to stop and power walk a couple of times because of my asthma but I didn't lose anytime coming home. I'm hoping to be sore in the morning.

So at the end of this week I have lost zero pounds. I'm a little bummed but my clothes are fitting looser and my muscles are toning up so I'm not too upset about it. I'm hoping I'm just building muscle and that's why the scale is staying the same. But I have decided to switch my "weigh ins" to Monday instead of Friday. It makes more sense to me. Wish me luck this week!

check in

Well its has been another week and I swore I was going to check in every Friday so I am determined to continue doing that. It has been three weeks and the night before every "weigh in" I seem to have anxiety dreams. So when I wake up, I am really nervous to jump on that scale haha.

So last week I lost 4 pounds which is not what I was expecting but I will definitely take it. When I began this whole process I decided that I wanted to loose about 2 pounds a week. Well week one I lost one pound, week two I lost four and week three I lost...one pound. I got on the scale this morning and I'm just glad it didn't go up. One pound is great and if I average those 6 pounds over the three weeks that is 2 pounds a week so I am right on track.

Even though I didn't lose as much as I was hoping this week, I can definitely see a difference in my muscles. I have been strength training 4 days a week and it is for sure doing something to my body. Everything is looking just a little leaner now. I'm sure other people probably wouldn't be able to see a difference yet but I sure can so that is keeping me motivated a little bit more. I'm also thinking that't the reason I didn't really hit my goal this week...I'm building more muscle.

Well I have to work tonight so I am on my way to workout now. And seriously, any kind words to keep me motivated are very much welcomed ;)

(Pictures don't hurt either lol)

no pain, no gain

Yes, another update but I swear this is helping to keep me on track. This morning I had a dream that I had to "weigh in" and I gained 3 pounds. So I was really nervous when I woke up and got on the scale this morning but guess what!! I lost 4 pounds this week! If you remember from my last post my goal was 2. That's double!!! I couldn't be more happy.

I definitely kicked up my workout routine this week. I have been doing 45 minutes of cardio everyday and have decided to add some weight lifting 4 times a week for 45 minutes. It's definitely been hard but I always feel so great after I have finished a really good workout. And I have always LOVED being sore because it feels like I actually accomplished something.

So I wanted to share something I found this week. I was with my mom at Target in the cereal bar aisle and we found these Life cereal bars. These are banana nut bread but they also come in cinnamon roll with icing. They are only about 140 calories per bar and are packed with fiber and protein so they are incredible filling. They are also soft baked which is a nice change from traditional granola bars. Check them out. Both flavors are delicious!

fitness friday

I have decided that it is finally time I get serious about getting in shape. I have said this time and time again and never really stuck to it but I mean it this time! I decided that in order for this to work I need to be held accountable so every Friday I am going to "weigh-in" and give an update of my progress. I am not brave enough to write down my weight and share it with the entire world so I figured I can just write down how much weight I loose (or maybe gain...) a week. That will also force me to get on the scale on a regular basis which I hate. I will also share things that I have been doing to eat healthy and new recipes I find that are yummy. So wish me luck. I can use all the support and encouragement I can get!

Just a little motivation