My Fitness Journey

I've really enjoyed Chloe Ting's workouts. Check her out if you're looking for a friendly, well planned out workout for beginner or advanced workouts. She has so many free workout Programs to meet your needs. She talks you through the moves and has a bell to let you know what's coming up next to keep you moving.  https://www.chloeting.com/program/

As mentioned before, I started my fitness portion of my journey a couple weeks after cleaning up my diet. Below is a summary so far.

7/17/20: Started ☆2 Weeks Shred Challenge 2019: 14 days☆

https://www.chloeting.com/program/2019/two-weeks-shred-challenge.html

7/31/20: Completed ☆2 Weeks Shred Challenge 2019: 14 days☆

7/31/20: Started 25,000+ steps a day Challenge (8 days) Completed. Continue to walk every day, but rest when needed. Shoot for 1-4 hours total. Stay in fat burning zone, keep heart rate between 90-120. Don't exceed to Cardio and avoid burnout or injury while walking in a fasting state.

8/8/20: Started ☆21 Day Get Fit Challenge 2020☆

https://www.chloeting.com/program/2020/get-fit-challenge.html

9/2/20: Started #28 DAY Fat Loss Challenge / Upper Body At Home Workout, No Equipment- Halie Harasyn The Know To Grow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab50cFVtnI4&list=PLNM4FHsc4e9SzpN5MxXNP2ReghkeJDAfr

9/5/20: Started ☆30 Day Chloe Ting’s Lean Thigh Challenge 2019☆

https://www.chloeting.com/program/2019/lean-thigh-challenge.html

This is my current workout program, and so far it's going great:) There are so many amazing fitness instructors sharing free at-home workout programs, and as much as I'd like to try so many of them I'm sticking with Chloe's challenges first, and thoroughly enjoying them.  

 

My starting weight on 7/6/2020 was 130 lbs

My current weight as of 9/9/2020 is 115.2 lbs

That's a total loss of about 15 lbs in two weeks, so roughly 2 lbs a week. 

 *Note I chose to take the accelerated path to weight loss because that's just part of my personality, to go all in, but consider taking a slower pace if that's what feels best for you!

Some of the key tips I can give on a health and wellness journey is Listen to your body! Some days were designated as rest days on my workout challenges but I felt so energized that I still was very active. Other days had intense workouts for the day but I felt exhausted and let myself totally rest and recoup. I always had twice as much energy the next day when I did this and could tell that listening to my body first and foremost was most beneficial to me. 

Another tip is Love the foods you eat. At first it may be a drastic change from what you're already eating if you choose to switch to a whole foods, low salt and sugar, vegan diet. However your taste buds and microbiom change drastically and you start to crave the healthier foods in no time! 

Do something every single day that makes you happy! I listen to upbeat music and inspirational audiobooks while I take my walks out door. I quiet my mind and meditate while in the sauna, and I spent plenty of time snuggling my adorable puppy! I appreciate nature while walking outside and stay present in the moment that fills my mind with wonder like I'm experiencing grasshoppers hop by for the very first time. Taking care of your mind is as important if not more important that taking care of your physical body.  

 

Full day of eating

 For an idea of what my meals for the day look like in depth and detail, here are my Cronometer stats and images of my meals. 

I always start my day off with what I call my gross sludge...I'm the kind of person who wants to ingest all those super healthy ingredients without having to taste them! So I put all the powders and such together in my morning Turmeric shot! I then wash it down with a sip of coconut Bai. This never changes, and pulls me through my morning 2hr walk with plenty of energy to spare!

I then take my vitamins with the Nettle leaf tea that I make the night before and let it steep in the fridge until the morning, mixed with a tablespoon of the Beet Crystals.

 

When I return from my morning walk I crave my smoothie bowl Weetabix! I used to have the blueberry as a smoothie, but the Weetabix takes it to the next level and I consume it at a slower pace and get those healthy carbs in too.  Now that it's getting chilly, I still can't give it up! So I heat up a home made corn bag, bundle up and snuggle with a blanket with my puppy on my lap and enjoy my chilly desert-like first meal ^_^ 

In my cronometer I combine this smoothie bowl and my oats together even though i eat them 1-2 hours apart, so the calories and nutritional info is for both dishes combined.

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After about an hour or two of chores or doing something productive I settle down for my warm meal of the morning, my beloved cracked oats with chia & banana!

 The smoothie and oats combine have: 593.3 calories, 23.5g Protein, 89g Net carbs, and 13.2g fat

Then after a workout, usually a Chloe Ting challenge workout, I will have my Meal 2, which is technically my third meal of the day, which gives me the protein I need right after my workout. It's truly my favorite meal of the day, it's like chocolate ice-cream only very healthy!

 376.2 calories, 12.2g of protein, 22g Net carbs, 12.1g Fat

I love my dinner salad! It's always massive but ends up being less calories than any other family member's meal for the night. I added in some mung bean sprouts and alfalfa last minute, not listed in the ingredients. I love chickpeas, so I've been leaving them out and picking them off first, then I enjoy my sweet potato, then the mixed salad:) There is a benefit for adding some fat with your greens for absorption, but I didn't do that today. Added hemp seeds would have been ideal.

 I added sprouts & had some steamed Swish chard, so this is the total tally for my meal: 496 calories, 25.9 Protein, 75.8g Net Carbs, 4.6g fat 

 There's nothing like a delicious, chocolaty, peanutbuttery hot cocoa as a night cap to end the day:) The sleepy tea and warmth is the perfect combination to get me all prepped for sleep.

107.9 Calories, 5.7g Protein, 3.5g Net Carbs. 5.1g fat

 

 With my full day of 100% plant based meals I get all the nutrients I need as seen below:) I make sure that I'm eating over 1,500 calories while still managing to stay in roughly 1,000 calorie deficit for weight loss. This has worked perfectly for me as I've lost 15 lbs in just 2 months! That's roughly 2 lbs a week as is predicted with a 1,000 deficit. I make sure to stay active to be able to eat the amount of calories I do in a day:)

 I shoot to get roughly 50-60 grams of protein a day, but may increase that when I start to eat at a surplus to build muscle after my weight loss phase is done. Eating a fully vegan diet, I could reach this number of protein with foods such as beans, as you can see my dinner salad meal packs the most protein, and although I do include plenty I do love my vegan protein shakes as part of my more dessert meals, but in a whole day I only have a total of 3/4 of a serving of protein powder, so I'm getting most of my protein through foods. I will share my body transformation stats tomorrow and surprisingly my protein measured in my body has only risen since going fully vegan again!

I make sure to get plenty of healthy carbs and fiber in my day! It's very important to get lots of fiber.

I also keep my fats very low, avoiding all fat sources such as oils and choosing healthy fats such as whole nuts and seeds. I eat 1/2 a Brazil nut daily to get my recommended Selenium requirement, walnuts and flax every single day. Along with chia daily for both fats, proteins and omega-3s.  

If you track all your meals you know that it's usually hard to get the nutrients to balance below, but with my favorite meals eaten today I'm perfectly balanced!