Workout of the Week: 3- Minutes to Flabless Arms

I don't know about you, but I am so tired of the flab on and under my arms! How unattractive! I want to feel beautiful and comfortable in my tank tops.... So heres my solution.... A quick arm workout to do every other day!

Do each exercise for 30 seconds :)

• Arm Circles (keep them small)
• Push-ups (beginners can modify this by using their knees)
• Overhead Press (start with small weights, use heavier ones with experience)
• Floor Tricep dips
• Push-ups 
• Bicep Curls (weights depending on personal strength)

Recipe of the Week: Chicken Burgers and Zucchini Fries

When I miss burgers and fries these are my go to recipes!

Chicken Burgers- Adjust Ingredients to amount of people eating (normally I make this for myself)
Ingredients:

• Frozen Grilled Chicken Burgers or homemade grilled chicken burgers (keep it simple and just use ground chicken)
• Flour Tortillas 
• Lettuce
• Tomato 
• Onions 
• Mushrooms 
• Sriracha 

Directions:

Grill burgers until cooked fully through. Sautee mushrooms and onions in a skillet. Once Burgers are done place them in the middle of a tortilla, add sautéed mushrooms and onions, lettuce, tomato, and a little bit of Sriracha. Fold the tortilla so you cannot see the burger and cut it in half. Enjoy!

Zucchini Fries- Side made for two people

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchinis
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan 
• Oregano

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the ends off the zucchini and cut the zucchinis in half, and in half again, and once more, creating 8 zucchini wedges for one zucchini (16 wedges together). In a bowl mix two tablespoons of olive oil, a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup), and a few dashes of oregano (at this point, add more oil if the mix is too chunky). Place the zucchini wedges on a sheet of aluminum foil in a pan. Drizzle the oil mixture over the zucchini. Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. 

10 Ways to Avoid the Freshman 15

10 Ways to Avoid the Freshman 15:

1.     Use the gym- Every university has one and whether it is free or not, use it. If you have to pay to use your school’s gym I promise it is worth it. I also suggest investing in fitness classes (I’m a biased instructor of course), because they prove that working out can be fun! Spend at least 4 days in the gym, I personally go for all 7 days, but I’m kind of a fitness-aholic.  Also find some gym partners, people that will push you to go even when you want to sleep in.

2.     Avoid eating out of boredom- This is not just a college problem, this occurs everywhere, however, I started to notice I was eating more and more when I was bored at school. If you’re bored find something to do. You may be surprised to find out that places are always open at school and there is always something going on! Get out and keep moving so you don't have to deal with that voice in your head telling you to eat the whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Try asking yourself if you are really hungry before you start snacking for no reason.

3.     Keep food out of reach- Keeping food in your desk drawer or underneath your bed is extremely dangerous. Keep any food you have as far as possible. This will reduce the urge to eat late at night and when you’re not even hungry.

4.     The dining hall doesn't always have to be a buffet- I’m going to go into detail on dining halls in a later article, but here’s a preface. There will always be another meal, just because the chicken and the salmon look good tonight, that doesn't mean you need to indulge in both, I promise they will have it again. Don't get too excited by all of the choices within the first week, the food will repeat over and over again and you’ll always have an opportunity to try things, don't do it all in one sitting!

5.     Don't eat after 9.- This is a personal rule of mine. Late night snacking can become serious in college. My guess is that half of the weight I gained was just from late night snacking. To reduce this I stop eating 3 hours before I go to bed, so I usually stop eating past 8 or 9, depending on the day. People are going to tempt you to order delivery pizza in college at midnight and it may seem really cool and all that you can just order pizza late at night, but it’s not that cool.  Don't eat the pizza.

6.     Drinking- Water is your new best friend. Please avoid the soda fountains and the juice and the milkshakes. And as for alcohol... it’s inevitable that you’ re going to drink it, I can't stop you, however, don't over indulge. You don’t need to drink everyday, once a week is enough, if that. I am not a huge partier or drinker so this did not have a huge effect on me but it is a big part of the freshman 15 problem in general. Something to keep in mind here is moderation. You can drink, because I know you’re going to, but do it in moderation, not only to reduce weight gain but for your safety. It’s not cute or in any way attractive to be that girl that drinks 12 beers and is falling all over the place. They call it a “beer belly” for a reason… Don’t drink beer. If you’re going to drink have some red wine with your friends or a club soda and vodka with a lime at the tailgate. Remember: stay classy not trashy J 

7.     Get involved.- My biggest regret from freshman year is not getting involved at school. Getting involved keeps you busy and moving, which will reduce boredom. If you’re worried about being overworked or too busy, don't be. You can make it work. You don't have to get super involved first semester, but definitely second semester. College is amazing because you have so many opportunities to find people just like you and a place where you belong, so join a club or get involved with Greek life, find your niche!

8.     Surround yourself with a support system.- Everyone needs a great group of friends and college is the place you will find one! Find people who will lift you up everyday and support all of your endeavors. Find people that accept you for you. Find friends that won’t pressure you into doing anything and that won’t question your rational decisions when it comes to food and life in general. I was so lucky to have met my best friends Morgan, Taylor, and Hannah this year. They never fail to make me smile and they support all of my endeavors.

9.     Explore the community.- Believe it or not, you don't have to stay on campus. Take the weekends and free time to explore the community outside of campus. You will be surprised to find hidden walking trails, beaches, and maybe even a trampoline park. Getting off campus on the weekends will open you up to many opportunities for fun workouts!

10. Be happy.- Not an easy task at all but try to be happy! If you find that you are not happy, seek help. It’s important that you stay happy and stress free in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle!

Recipe of the Week: Quick Dorm Snack Fixes

Here are some simple things that you can make in your dorm to fill you up for a little while :)

Rice Cake Snacks:
Take one plain or lightly salted rice cake and spread a thin layer of almond butter and top with half of a banana sliced. If you want a sweeter rice cake spread on a thin layer of Justin's Hazelnut butter (Nutella is not a good alternative) and top with a sliced strawberry.

Microwaved Egg Whites:
Pour Egg Beaters egg whites into a coffee mug filling the mug about half way, cook in the microwave for a minute and a half. I add in leftover food from the dining hall salad bar, like spinach and a little bit of cheese. Top with cracked pepper for added taste!

Apples and Cinnamon Oatmeal:
Microwave a packet of plain organic oatmeal (follow directions on the packaging). Cut up about 1/4 of a red apple and add the finely chopped apple (cut the rest of the apple up to snack on later) to the oats and sprinkle cinnamon on top. If you prefer a sweeter oatmeal add a teaspoon of agave. (P.S.- I am aware I always talk about oatmeal, but it is my not so secret weight loss weapon... I suggest everyone eats it!!)

Green Strawberry and Banana Smoothie:
Blender required. Blend 6 oz of water,  a cup of frozen spinach, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries, and 1/3 of a banana (not frozen). You can substitute strawberries with other berries or make a mixed berry green smoothie by using 1/2 a cup of frozen mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries).

Note on frozen fruit: I have started to freeze my own fruit because some bags of frozen fruit have way too many preservatives, no need to add anything, the freezer does everything! I cut my strawberries and throw them in a freezer bag with blueberries and blackberries.

 Lacey Approved Packaged Dorm Snacks: 

• Skinny Pop Popcorn (they make individual bags!)
• Blue Diamond Raw Almonds 
• Wonderful Pistachios (no salt)
• Suzie's Thin Cakes (thin rice cakes made with brown rice and quinoa)
• Quaker Organic Instant Oatmeal 
• Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips
• Organic Garlic Hummus 

Workout of the Week: 12-Minute Dorm Workout

How to cure boredom in your dorm: WORKOUT!!

Here's four exercises you should do three times to take away 12 minutes of boredom!!

• 1 minute jumping jacks 
• 1 minute mountain climbers
• 1 minute burpees
• 1 minute crunches 

Repeat 2 times for a sweaty and easy 12-minute workout fix in the comfort of your dorm :)

Happiness: What was once lost and is now found...

Happiness. Something I am constantly trying to explain to people. I think people are constantly questioning whether I'm actually happy or not because for some people losing weight can be miserable, but not for me. Honestly I have never been happier than I am now and this process has opened my mind and my world to happiness. This is not to say that I have not been happy before, but it is to say, the place I am now, is a place I have never been before. The happiness I feel now, is different, it's lasting.

If you would have talked to me six months ago, you would have been talking to someone who was absolutely miserable, however, when talking to this girl you may not have realized the sadness she felt and misery she went through everyday, because it was all hidden behind a smile.

The truth is I was depressed. I didn't realize I was, in fact I thought not wanting to wake up everyday was a normal thing. I thought that the anxiety I felt was normal for a college student, and sometimes it was, but not when I found myself breaking down in Target (more about that in a second), or feeling absolutely suffocated when walking into a dining hall or just being around more than three people. I had many internal emotional issues, but just like anyone else, I put a smile on and acted happy.

I can't pinpoint when I started to feel sad and overwhelmed but I want to say it started sometime in November, however, I never saw it as a problem until January and February.

And of course there was a breaking point that made me realize something was wrong....

My best friend Morgan and I absolutely love Target, it may sound crazy but we would spend hours in there, like every Tuesday, just browsing. One day was different. I had bad days and on those bad days I would just wake up feeling some sort of weird way, my anxiety levels were high immediately and I woke up feeling like I was suffocating. Those were the days I didn't want to leave my dorm, this day was one of those. So Morgan and I started our morning at Michael's. Morgan is super crafty and needed her crafty stuff to make her cute crafts, so Michael's was exactly where we needed to go that morning. I had started to get frustrated with her there because I was impatient and tired of hearing about her dog that she continued to talk about (on any other day this conversation would have been perfectly fine, but this was a bad day). My impatience continued as we switched locations to Target and I got frustrated with her for yelling at someone for their bad driving. So when we eventually got into Target I continued to be rude and cold towards her and she finally asked me why I was acting the way I was acting, and I immediately burst into tears. Right there, in Target, in tears, people staring from all directions. She dragged me to the side and asked me what was wrong and I tried to explain that I wasn't happy. I wasn't happy at CNU or anywhere, I just wasn't happy. I could tell this frustrated her, especially when she said, "I thought I made you happy."

Morgan, my dear Morgan, I want to take this moment to say, thank you. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have gotten help, I may not have stayed in school, I wouldn't have gotten up everyday, I wouldn't be where I am today, and most importantly, I wouldn't be happy. Thank you.

It's hard to explain but basically Morgan makes you realize exactly what's wrong in your life. She's blunt but helpful, she doesn't overanalyze things, she sees things as they are. If you want to know what's wrong with your life, go to Morgan.

Morgan basically told me I needed help, and she was right. So because of Morgan, I sought help and found it and when that help only taught me how to breath, I sought more help; self-help.

I got to a point where I realized that the only person that was responsible for my happiness was me. So I took it upon myself to help me become happy. Cue diet and exercise. I changed what I ate and how I lived and completely turned my life around. And this isn't about the weight loss, its about my mind. When I opened my life to change, my whole attitude became positive and brighter. My confidence quickly sky rocketed and I started to look at life as something that was exciting and new. I started to wake up happy and ready to take on anything.

Now I feel like I am on top of the world. Since this journey everything in my life has fallen into place, in some crazy weird way. Good things keep coming and the negative past is quickly fading away. The smile I have on everyday is real and the tears I cry are full of joy and pure happiness.

I want everyone to feel how I am feeling and that's what this post is all about. It's not about losing weight, it's about finding the change you need. A drug or a doctor aren't going to make your life any better, and frankly your friends and family can't be responsible for your happiness either, only you can change your life. You are in charge of your body and your future.

If you were to die today, this week, or even just this year, would you have ever seen true happiness?

Daily Meal Plan with Options

So last week a co-worker asked me to make her a sort of meal plan, one similar to mine when I started to lose weight. When people ask me for food and exercise advice it is a huge compliment to me. I still find it hard to believe that people look to me as a role model in this process, but I’m so happy I can help people to change their lives!

I hope this 5 meal a day plan helps you!

Breakfast:

Choose One:

• ·      Quaker quick oats stove top oatmeal with ¼ cup of blueberries, a tablespoon of flax seed, a teaspoon of agave, and a dash of cinnamon (most filling option)
• ·      Egg White Omelet- cook about three tablespoons of egg whites, add in veggies (I use spinach, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes), fold and enjoy (lowest calorie option)
• ·      3 slices of Canadian bacon with ½ a cup of strawberries and ¼ cup of blueberries
• ·      2 of Reilly’s Protein Waffles (Find recipe on blog)

Snack 1:

Choose One:

• ·      Gala apple
• ·      1 serving of almonds
• ·      1 cara cara or orange

Lunch:

Choose one main course:	Choose one side:
Grilled Chicken	Spring mix salad with veggies
Grilled Turkey Breast	Steamed or sautéed zucchini and squash
Black beans (low sodium)	Raw carrots, celery, and bell peppers (sliced)
½ of an avocado
Grilled salmon or tuna

Snack 2:

Choose One:

• ·      1 serving of pistachios
• ·      1 serving of almonds
• ·      1 serving skinny pop
• ·      1 serving organic hummus with one serving carrots

Dinner:

Choose one:	Choose one:
Grilled or baked chicken (no breading)	Steamed broccoli
Grilled turkey or ground turkey	Steamed asparagus
Grilled or sautéed portabello mushroom cap	Spring mix salad with fresh veggies
Grilled or baked salmon	Sautéed bell peppers
Steamed shrimp	Baked sweet potato
Seared tuna	Sautéed spinach
Grilled pork chop	Sautéed zucchini, squash, and onions