Little Changes = Big Differences.. and a Progress Photo as of Sun 8/4/13

2 weeks and some days later, i have to say the change in my diet has made a big difference in my energy and sleeping habits...!!!

Here's an updated shot, taken earlier this morning. :)

This is without me flexing -- as you can see, i've lost a significant amount of water weight, which i like to call "fluff" haha .. it's basically all the weight that seems to retain when i eat like shit .. You know, high sodium, high sugar type foods that don't process fast enough so they hang out and add extra weight (or cause you to gain weight faster).

I weigh in at about 172 now, give or take. That's at least 5 lbs in significant weight loss -- which can be a struggle for some people! 5 lbs in 2 weeks ain't bad at all if you ask me. Especially since i haven't worked out all that often, haha. WOMP WOMP. 

That being said, these are the changes i've made so far .. the baby steps i've taken to get back into the groove. :)

• Portion Control --> i limit my portions more than i used to. for the past 1-2 years, i haven't scarfed my face; i learned my lesson on that. I did eat less and limited myself because almost 2 years ago, that was my biggest problem: gluttony. within the past year, it's more like WHAT i ate that made me gain weight. i stopped eating healthier and had too high of a sugar intake with my daily coffee as well as just eating out a lot. I cook at home a lot but most of it was for my mom and when i'm not at home (which was pretty often for a few months) i ate like shit since i was always on the go. I never made time to meal prep or take food with me to work and it caused me to just kind of eat either whatever was around or order lunch at the nearby restaurants/fast food places. Speaking of ...
• Cooking at home more --> i went back to this! I remembered that cooking at home allowed me to control myself and what i eat. Since i have my mom on a pretty strict diet, i decided to make it even stricter and avoid cheat days, limiting both of us to 1 cheat day a week, which usually falls on a weekend day. My dad eats like shit most of the time and wasn't completely on board with the whole healthy-eating kick. Things were much easier when he was on a 90-day detox because he was all for eating healthy. Then he went back to fried foods and heavy filipino food, which doesn't help me OR my mom. FYI: my Mom's diet is a diabetic/CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) diet, so she has to stay away from A LOT of things that technically i can eat too. This makes her diet super hard to deal with, but it makes my life easier when i cook. I limit both of us to easier meals now, nothing extravagant. I've been able to make healthier versions of her favorite things that she can't have anymore, so that helps all 3 of us out in the house. My dad doesn't have a choice but to eat what i cook now, or he'll have to fend for himself, haha. Sorry, Dad! ;)
• "Good" snacking --> in conjunction with cooking at home and controlling what i eat, it also helped me make sure that the snacks in my house were GOOD snacks. i.e.: PB & Fruit, Almonds, Hummus & Veggie Tortilla Chips, etc. I no longer keep things like French Onion dip in the house, haha. Or my favorite Cheddar chips from Ruffles or Lay's -- wah. I have a deep, undying love for CHIPS in general, so i stick to healthier versions now: Pita, Veggie or Tortilla only allowed. Anything else, i stay away from. No one in my house eats chips that much except me and if they do, they'll eat what's there or none at all. hah. easy peasy.
• 1200 calorie intake daily --> if any of you know about that MyFitnessPal app, it's amazeballs. I used to use it last year and somehow just stopped. i dunno, i got tired of recording my meals, haha. and a lot of what i ate wasn't on there anyway. I now see that as a bad thing. haha. So now i record everything i eat -- the past 2 weeks i've seen that a lot of my sugar intake came from the White Mocha in my coffee -- son of a beez. They make SugarFree MOCHA but not White Mocha. WAH!! I'll get to that later ... A lot of my fatty intake came from snacking, hence the choice to keep good snacks in the house. And a lot of my higher calorie intake came from eating bigger Lunches or Dinners because i failed to eat breakfast and got super hungry or just didn't eat properly throughout the day and ate more later in the day. So that being said ..
• 3 solid, portioned and small meals a day - healthy snacking in between. --> I eat breakfast now, even if it's something small. My hours at work change all the time so if i work later in the day, i make it a point to have a protein-filled breakfast that will give me energy. If i work early and have zero time in the morning, i have made it a point to have something quick to eat in the morning on my way to work (i.e.: Mini Egg Frittatas or Natural PB on Wheat Bread) so that i don't starve to death at work before lunchtime. I have also made it a point to have good snacks in between meals to help with my hypoglycemia. My sugar intake in my coffee generally has kept me going in the morning and i failed to notice that even tho it kept my blood sugar up, it also added extra unwanted sugar into my diet, leading to that little stomach pudge in addition to a sodium-filled diet when i ate out so much. bad bad combination, lol. I'll get more into depth on this stuff later ...
• NO MORE SODA. -- My man looooove soda. like, he drinks at least 2 cans a meal every day and a few in between if he's thirsty enough. It's practically all he drinks, especially if he can't find some kind of juice. So when i'm with him and we're at my house, i make it a point for him to drink more water because not only do i need to drink more water also, but i've avoided keeping soda in the house other than Pepsi for my Dad on days when he craves it. I either drink coffee, water or some kind of iced tea or low-sugared juice. Other than that, i've limited myself on any carbonated drinks unless it's Ginger Ale. Let me tell you what a HUGE difference it made for me!!! I don't feel bloated anymore and i actually feel lighter. And i pee more because of all the water and tea intake, so i feel more ... cleansed..? :) lol.
• Stairs and Walking -- i run around a lot at work so personally, i feel like i get a good amount of exercise at work that equals at least 60 minutes of walking at a leisurely pace. I also take the stairs again at work now -- i got lazy at some point and started taking the elevator from the 5th floor employee parking lot. Now i force myself to take the stairs both going down and going up at the end of the day. So be it. My legs will thank me for it later. ;) Plus it kind of wakes me up a bit and gives me a quick jolt of energy after a long and tiring day. :)
• Zumba! -- i have Zumba on my Wii and i forgot how much i love it. I've made it a point to do Zumba at least 2x a week when my puppies are having their morning playtime and given that i don't have work too early in the morning. 20-30 mins of Zumba has actually increased my feel-good factor! with a lifestyle like mine, i need a quick way to workout on work days when i can't go for a good run in the park with my puppies. Zumba is my key to staying active so i don't get lazy again ...

These little changes have made a huge difference for me. Now that my puppy has officially gotten all of his shots, i can take him and Keilani (my 5 year old Rotti) out for a run and not have to worry about him getting sick from anything. I've been waiting on that!! ;)

Stay Thick!
xoxo, Thick Chick

UPDATE :: July 2013 + future plans

Well well .. it's been more than a year since i posted anything up on here ... a lot has happened .. if any of you are loyal to my YouTube channel (LoveBLENDnBeauty), you know that i've been through a whirlwind of sh*t since last May 2012. As far as my personal health goes, it fluctuated on and off. I lost weight, gained weight, maintained weight, you name it. I was more focused on taking care of my mom more than anything after she was hospitalized in December 2012.

In June 2012, i got into a new relationship (still with him! hehe) -- we all know that people gain "happy weight" and i'm not even going to deny it, haha. I sure did gain a happy weight of at least 10-15 lbs -- which came and went over the past year. I think as of right now, I can definitely say that i've just maintaining where i've been, although i personally feel that i gained most of the weight back in my arms, slightly through my hips and that little lower pudge on my tummy. Hate it, hate it, hate it. You'll be hearing from me within the next week on what i'm gonna do about it because i'm feeling all kinds of sluggish these days.

I find myself being a little bit more lazy, out of sorts sometimes and just overall careless with my diet. After my mom was hospitalized 7 months ago and again in January 2012 a month after her first time, i just needed to take more control over things. I basically eat what she eats, but i have more than just one day of cheating now. ALL BAD. I still kept up with portion control, but it's what i'm eating that's effin me up.

Here's a current picture, taken today, just to be as updated as possible for you guys.

I'm embarrassed to show this, but this comes with the territory and of course, i have to be honest with you guys, lol.

As you can see, i have a significant amount of back fat, a slight pudge building around my lower abdomen. BLEGH.

This is what my stomach area looks like when it's flexing -- which is actually a good thing .. it means there's a good amount of muscle there, just a ton of pudge hanging around it. LOL. And in my experience and with knowing my body and how it reacts -- that pudge will be gone in less than 1-2 months of exercise and proper dieting again.

So here's where i'm at weight wise. Last time i weighed myself was June 27, 2013. I don't weigh myself often, but i weighed in at 177 and currently, I'm between a size 11-13. Last year, at my lowest weight, i was 165 and almost a size 9. I was super happy to be in single digits and no lie, it didn't take me much to get there. If you remember my last few blogs, all i did was a moderate work out 4-5x a week. These "workouts" consisted of 30 min cardio at the gym, followed with a Crunches circuit and light weights. For diet, i just switched out bad stuff for healthier alternatives and focused on portion control because my problem at the time was eating too much and i couldn't let go of fried food and snacks.

As of February-March 2012, i got super busy at work and workouts were less frequent -- mostly consisting of a run with my dog at the park and less time at the gym to focus on circuit training or weight lifting. As of April/May 2012, i was around 165 lbs, 20 lbs down from where i started in December 2011, where i was about 185 or so. I was almost a size 9 and that made me happy. And i could fit Mediums again! For a few months, all i did was play the maintain game. But late Summer to early Fall and then Holiday hit and my diet was screwed, haha.

So here we are -- gained almost 10+ lbs back. Most of it shows in my arms and my belly - hence the belly pictures. I think i'll show my arm pictures because you'll see a dramatic difference in both areas because that's where i gain most of it, aside from my thighs. Overall, I'm okay, but i just feel sluggish again. As for my diet .. it's so-so. It definitely needs to change again. I need more fresh veggies back in my diet, i need to start eating breakfast so i don't overdo it during lunch or dinner. I need to work out again because honestly, i just don't anymore. LOL. My workout consists of running around at work and taking the 5 flights of stairs back up to my car.

So here's my plan .. gonna work out at least 3x a week, even if it's a jog around the neighborhood with my dogs. I also have Zumba on my Wii, so anytime i can't make it out of the house or have work earlier in the day and i just need a quick workout, that's what i'll be doing.

As for diet, i'm gonna go back to eating fresher ingredients again. I was doing good not eating any fast food so i'm gonna cut that out again because Animal Style Fries just happen to get the best of me once in awhile. I realized that i need to drink more water. I also realized that i skip breakfast way too often and end up eating more at lunch and dinner because i'm starvin' Marvin by midday. I also need to stop with the chips. Goddamn chips. If there was one snack i couldn't get rid of, it was chips. I can still eat them .. i'll just need a healthier alternative. So i'm gonna have to revamp my snack stash again. Snacks are totally fine for you, in fact, i encourage them to keep your metabolism up. It's just matter of choosing the right ones. Gonna have to switch out that French Onion Dip for Hummus. :) lmao.

I'm gonna have to start off slow again .. small changes .. gotta get back into the groove. My main goal is just to get my energy up again because i'm feeling sluggish lately. As for "weight loss", i just need to tone back up and shave off some fat here and there and i'll be happy. My weight goal is to be back at 165, possibly even shave off more if i could. Knowing my body, the weight will do it's own work. I'm more concerned with how i actually feel and in turn, that goes with how i feel when i look at myself.

I hope all of you have been doing great and for those of you on any kind of fitness journey, i hope it's going well!

Stay Thick!
xoxo, Thick Chick

Mini Egg Frittata Muffins -- a healthier version!

So i finally decided to post something!! haha .. I know a lot of you were asking for an update on this blog -- it's been what, like a year?! Good lawd.

Anyway, i come bearing gifts. :) Some of you asked me for a recipe for this a long time ago and i never got a chance to post it! It's for these wonderful little egg muffins that are great for those of you on-the-go and for those of you who are looking for healthier recipes for your weight loss journey. These were lifesavers for me at some point .. and still are, i just haven't made them as often as i should, haha. Nevertheless, they're great and so easy to "customize" to your taste buds .. you can definitely get fancy here! I made one with tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese and it was amazeballs ... so don't be afraid to get creative here! This recipe is super basic, you can change any of the "filling" and do whatever you like, so long as you cook them properly and you have your egg base.

Mini Egg Frittata Muffins

What You'll Need:

• Vegetable(s) of your choice
• Meat of your choice
• Garlic, finely minced
• Onions, finely chopped
• EVOO
• Seasonings of your choice
• Cooking Spray
• Liquid Egg Substitute (i.e.: Egg Beaters)
• shredded cheese (optional)

Side Note(s):

• Vegetables and meat are totally up to you. i love using some kind of turkey sausage or kielbasa, personally. It adds a lot of great flavor from the natural juices in the spices that leak out when you're sauteing it. Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, or any kind of green veggie or bell peppers would be great combos to Ham, Bacon, Pancetta or Sausage. This specific recipe's combo is Zucchini and Crumbled Italian Turkey Sausage.
• As for seasonings, this is where you can get creative. Personally, my powerhouse is Salt & Pepper, Garlic Salt, Crushed Red Pepper (if i'm feeling fancy) and Paprika. But because this is supposed to be a healthier no-salt version (for my Mom's Diabetic and CKD diet), i used Ms. Dash's Garlic & Herb seasoning. Throw in some fresh herbs like parsley, basil, thyme, whatever you want, just to spruce it up!
• You are more than welcome to use Egg White substitute, it comes out just as great! Just add about maybe 3-5 mins of additional cooking time and don't expect them to be too fluffy ;) You can also use real eggs, just add 5 extra mins to the cooking time. :)

What To Do:

• Spray your muffin pan with your cooking spray and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
• Heat up a saute pan with about 1 tbsp EVOO on Medium High heat. Saute your Onions and Garlic first until soft and/or aromatic.
• Add in your meat of choice just to warm it through. If you're using raw meat, wait until it's cooked at least halfway through before adding in your veggies.
• Add your veggies of choice, saute for at least 5-7 minutes. If you're using a veggie that requires a lot of cooking time, cook them al dente because they'll have an extra few mins in the oven to get softer. That way they don't get overcooked.

•  Add about 1/4 cup of your mixture to each "hole" :)

• Add your egg substitute to each cup until 3/4 of the way full, or a little more .. if you want extra fluffy muffins. :) Sprinkle some cheese if you'd like .. i used Soy Cheddar Cheese (it melts great and tastes great).

• Pop your muffins in the oven for 8-10 mins or until they puff up like so .. 

And voila!!

I like to store them in a tupperware after they've cooled down and i would say the serving size would be 2 muffins. These are prefect for a quick breakfast with some tea or coffee if you're always on the go, like me.

Love these little things ..

ENJOY!!

Stay Thick!
xoxo, Thick Chick

BODY PROGRESSION: 2 weeks ago, now and my goals

Well dannnnng, it's been a koo minute, huh?!

I apologize for the delay in blog posting, I just saw that my last post was in March?!?! Holy moly. My apologies ladies. Just haven't had the time to seriously sit down and write, you know? I've been super caught up in life, so that's my bad.

Anyway! I've been posting on Instagram about my progress and have gotten a ton of responses back and a bunch of questions. My next post will be about my workout regimen, diet plan, etc etc. But honestly, i'm not doing that much AT ALL, i promise. I promise it's nothing strenuous, haha. It's literally just CONSISTENCY.

That being said, I just wanted to share my progression since I started working out back in January! I've lost about 20 or so lbs so far, give or take a few depending on my cheat days! ;) haha.

This was me in December/January:

 

I don't know how much you guys can really see because i'm wearing black, but i'm pretty damn thiiiick. I still had some shape to me, but i was gettin' dough-like if you know what i'm sayin! lol ... Holidays do that to you, never fails. HAHA. So this was me on Christmas/New Years. I made that New Years resolution just like everyone else to get back on my grind and "lose weight," but i knew i was being unrealistic.

As you can tell from the picture, my face is very ... puffy. haha. At 27, i've grown to be very clear on what my body is like. I've been as small as a size 4, averaging at a size 8 the majority of my life as a Teenager and Young Adult. Once i hit double digits, i got a little worried. Truthfully, my happy weight is like a size 8. I'm even happy at a 10/11. For me, it's not about numbers, it's about how i feel. Knowing i could even fit in a 4 still boggles my mind, but i mean, what are the odds of my 16-year-old body coming back, right?! haha. Freshman 15 started it all! It's all your fault, Freshman 15!! ;) Anyway, i hit a size 10 .. then a 12 and even a 13 -- not okay for me. I was just lookin real plushy and i wasn't feelin it anymore. I was really tired all the time, hella lazy, always eating like a pig, no remorse. I never worked out anymore, i laid around a lot, etc. It was killing me how inactive i was. 

First week of January, the first thing i did was get myself a gym membership! I always had one, but never used it, so in October i cancelled it -- should have just kept that shit, lol. If you can tell from my past blogs, i worked out at least 4-5x a week, mostly cardio. My goal at the time was to just literally shed the fluffiness off and gain my energy back before i did anything else. I mostly did at least 30 min of cardio a day, a short leg circuit and basic crunches. Within the first month, i already lost about 8 lbs. Diet-wise, i cut out a lotta the bad stuff and replaced it with good stuff. You can see from a past blog post what my "diet" was like. I didn't go hardcore like some people do, i started myself off slow. Ate brown rice instead of white, chose wheat over white, etc. Things like that. Those little things made a HUGE difference, believe it or not. Like I said, i was trying to be realistic with myself -- I know i love food and the best thing for me to do was portion control and healthier options.

Now -- i just want to let you know that from Mid-February to about the end of March, i hardly did SHIT. I worked out like 4x, it was disgraceful. I was workin out like once a week. I fell off the wagon BIG TIME. I started my new job at the end of March, so i got super busy and realized how much energy i DIDN'T have. I was eating like shit (forgetting meals, forgetting vitamins, drinking hella coffee more than eating, etc). So for those 2 weeks, i literally regretted slowing down for those good almost 5 or 6 weeks. I was eating the same as i had been since January, with the exception of that last week in March when i got my new job. *smh* NO BUENO. I had to make a change!!!

That being said, the past 3 weeks or so have literally changed my life. Since the first week of April, i went back to eating much healthier, drinking less coffee and being more active. I'll get more into details about my workout in a future post, but for now, here's my progression.

This was me as of April 22, 2012:

 

Overall, i was down about 20 lbs (consider the 5-6 wk break) in a span of about 2-3 months or so. I'd say that's pretty damn good. I'm not gonna front, it's been awhile since i've seen my stomach this flat!

April 22 marked the progress i'd made from working out hardcore for about 1.5 months, to just eating a lil lighter the next 1.5 months to being more active within the past 3 weeks. It's a combination of a lot of things, but right now, i'd say whatever it is i'm doing now is definitely working! lol...

Here is me NOW, as of the 1st week of May (literally like, 5 days ago haha):

I've lost a couple more lbs, but not enough for me to say there's been a significant difference. Again, like i said, for me, it's not about numbers, it's about how i feel. And i gotta tell ya, i feel effin AMAZING. I dropped from a Size 13 to a Size 9!! I knew my body was really changing when i realized i could fit into my size 9 jeans from college. HAHA, WHAAAAT?!?!! .. DAYUM! I don't never wear jeans anymore! lmao. And guess who can fit MEDIUMS now?! hayyyyy!! *raises hand* haha .. I know that sounds crazy that i'm sitting here worrying about my size -- i firmly believe every woman should be happy in her own skin and if she's not, she's gonna have to do something about it. I did something about it!! My body is firmer, my muscles are tighter and i don't feel sluggish anymore.

I'm bringing sexy back ya'll!!

Now don't get it twisted, I have always been fairly happy with my body -- my motto is that if you feel amazing, fukk what everyone else says! I was happy when i was thicker, but it got to a point where it was getting outta hand. I'm sitting there stuffing my face for no reason, only to see more rolls the next day. NOT OK! lol. I just wasn't feelin good anymore so i made a change for myself. A lot of health conditions run in my family and when my mom got sick this winter, it really changed the game for me. I realized i had to make a change before i'm 30 or regret it for the rest of my life! lol. So glad i got my ass up and did something because i seriously couldn't be happier.

Stay Thick!
xoxo, Thick Chick

LOVIN' IT :: Almond Milk

Milk is really not all that bad for you to be completely honest, but I was looking for a healthier alternative because i actually really love WHOLE or 2% Milk and that has more fat than Skim Milk -- which i honestly HATE. LOL I love Soy Milk because it's much sweeter and just tastes better with a lot of the "healthier" cereal on the market these days. Soy Milk can unfortunately pack some unwanted calories, but it's still great for you. The flavored ones are the ones with more calories and unfortunately i happen to love both Vanilla and Chocolate flavored Soy Milk. I'm at a loss at this point if you can't tell, LOL.

If you flip back to my last grocery shopping trip, i picked up some Light Silk Vanilla Soy Milk. Which was GREAT, i really loved it, it was 90cal per serving and it was more versatile than i expected. Then i considered trying some Vegan things in my diet, just to get my feet wet. A friend of mine recommended Almond Milk. I always heard about it, but i guess i was perfectly happy with my Vanilla Soy Milk, even if it was LIGHT and not the regular one.

I decided to give it a go -- i had a coupon for it so it was cheaper than usual and i find it the cheapest at Target. If you know anything about me, you know that Target is like, one of my most favorite stores EVER. ;) lol.

 

I couldn't venture out completely, haha. I chose Silk and Vanilla flavor since that's what i'm used to, LOL! I suppose it's not a huge change, but still! ;) Almond anything is good for you -- it's heart healthy, lowers cholesterol (which is more for my Mom, not me, so that's another reason i bought it). Comparing it to my Light Silk Vanilla Soy Milk, it's much thicker and sweeter. I love them both, i can't pick which one i like more! They taste amazing with my Chai Tea though. Flavor-wise, i'd choose the Almond Milk, but they're both really great and are the same calorie count per serving, so you're really just basing your decision on which one you think tastes better? lol. I suppose it depends what you're using it for. I like the Soy Milk for cereal, but i like this Almond Milk business simply just to drink it, whether it be in Tea, Coffee or by itself.

I'd give it a go.. you may like it. :)

Stay Thick!

xoxo, Thick Chick

Give your pantry a HEALTHY MAKEOVER!

I found this article in AllYou and thought i'd share because I'm all about trading guilty pleasures for healthier alternatives. Some people take advantage of the "easy" foods out there because they're faster and easier, but what they're forgetting is that it's just all part of the lazy conspiracy America has going on with its consumers, LOL. Hopefully you guys find this info as helpful as I did. :)



"Give your pantry a HEALTHY MAKEOVER!"
AllYou Magazine
(not the complete article, just the important parts and vital info!)


LOSE THE ... Canned Albacore Tuna -- Instead, STOCK ... Canned Chunk Light Tuna

Both types of tuna are good sources of lean protein and work great in salads, sandwiches and casseroles. Chunk Light comes from smaller fish, giving it about a third of the amount of mercury. It's also cheaper!


LOSE THE ... Flavored Instant Oatmeal -- Instead, STOCK ... Quick-cooking Oats

Oatmeal packets, although convenient and fast, are more expensive and less versatile. You can use the oats for muffins, cookies, fruit crisps, even meatloaf. You can also flavor them yourself with fresh fruits and honey.


LOSE THE ... Pre-packaged onion dip -- Instead, STOCK ... Jarred Salsa

They cost the same, but salsa has less calories per serving. We're talking 20 calories vs. 120 calories. There are also additives in packaged onion dip, whereas Salsa is much more fresh.


LOSE THE ... Bottled Salad Dressing -- Instead, STOCK ... Olive, Vinegar, Spices

It's quicker and more inexpensive to make your own vinaigrette and you have the option to flavor it as you wish with different spices. Bottled dressings often have preservatives and other "undesirable" ingredients.


LOSE THE ... Reduced-fat Peanut Butter -- Instead, STOCK ... Natural Peanut Butter

Reduced fat doesn't mean it's healthier. Taking fat out means the manufacturers replace it with additives, which usually means they're adding sugar. A serving of natural peanut butter has more fat, but it's heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, aka GOOD FAT! ;) Additives are basically empty calories, so they're useless. Plus, reduced-fat costs the same as natural. :)


LOSE THE ... Boxed-rice Side Dishes -- Instead, STOCK ... Brown Rice, Spices

Packaged rice makes one dish and are more expensive per box. Since Brown Rice can be bland and not flavorful for some people, it's super easy to flavor. Just throwing in some spices, fresh herbs and some fresh veggies can turn it into something packed with flavor, but still healthy for you. :)


LOSE THE ... Microwaved Popcorn -- Instead, STOCK ... Unpopped Popcorn Kernels

Microwave popcorn varies in calories and fat depending on the brand, but even the good ones contain palm oil, which is high in saturated fat. It's also more pricey.


LOSE THE ... Artificial Sweeteners -- Instead, STOCK .. Honey

Both are cheap, but honey has minerals, amino acids, vitamins and is free of any of the chemicals that are used to make artificial sweeteners. Honey is so strong that a little goes a long way, so it will probably last you longer also. It will also lower your cholesterol and improve your memory. ;) Hayyyy!



Stay Thick!
xoxo, Thick Chick

T is for Training :)

Found this on my girl's tumblr and thought i'd share :)

"Tips for Training" :) via T-is-for-Training (via tumblr)

1. Catch the running bug. You’ll continue to burn fat after your jog: People who run for at least four hours a week melt more calories than non-runners, even when they’re not running, a Yale University School of Medicine study reports.

2. Crank it up early. Working out harder during the first half of your workout and taking it easier during the second burns up to 23 percent more fat than doing the opposite, according to a study from The College of New Jersey.

3 & 4. Go hard — and make it quick. Staying at 80 percent of your max heart rate for 40 minutes can amp your metabolism for 19 hours afterward, research published in Obesity notes. And doing a shorter workout at 75 percent of your max aerobic capacity will give you a greater metabolic boost than sweating longer at 50 percent, a Colorado State University reveals.

5 to 7. Lift dumbbells … slowly. More muscle equals mega metabolism boost. Strength training can help you trim major fat, research reveals — and doing super-slow (versus normal speed) reps increases strength by 50 percent.

Plus, using dumbbells activates more muscle fibers than using machines, explains Gregory Haff, Ph.D., an associate professor in the exercise physiology department at West Virginia University.

8. Speed up, slow down. Alternating bouts of high-intensity and low-intensity cardio has been shown to torch pounds.

9. Put on weight (literally). Wearing a weighted vest (about 10 percent of your body weight) while walking can boost your calorie burn by 8 percent.

10. Download Rihanna, not Brahms. Listening to up-tempo songs actually makes you run faster and harder than listening to slower-paced music, British scientists say.

11. Let kettlebells ring. Not only does working out with kettlebells build muscle, but doing it for 20 minutes burns as many calories as running at a 6-minute-mile pace for the same amount of time.

12. Keep it up. As few as 80 minutes a week of aerobic or weight training helps keep you from regaining belly fat after losing weight, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

13. Add poles. Use Nordic poles while you walk, and you’ll burn 20 percent more calories, says research from The Cooper Institute in Dallas.

14 & 15. Lift first, nix the rest. Doing strength training before cardio can torch more fat than cardio alone. And if you do one move after another without pausing, “you’ll see more gains in strength and muscle mass,” says Dr. Pierre Manfroy, M.D., consultant for the book “100 Ways to Supercharge Your Metabolism.”

16. Add pounds. Lift heavier weights for fewer reps to make your workout more intense — and burn more fat — Manfroy says.

17. Try aromatherapy. Exercisers who inhaled strawberry and buttered-popcorn scents torched more calories than those who sniffed neutral odors, according to research from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.

18. Box yourself in. Wii boxing knocks out nearly twice as many calories as some other games, like Wii golf.

19. Kick it. Playing soccer not only torches more fat and builds more muscle than jogging, but it feels less tiring, Danish research reveals.

20. Stay in shape. Fit people have more fat-burning metabolites in their blood than couch potatoes do, scientists say.

IN THE KITCHEN

22. Get more protein. Eating a protein-packed breakfast and lunch helps you burn more post-meal fat than if you eat lower-protein meals, according to Australian research.

23 & 24. Guzzle green tea — or coffee. Downing five 5-ounce cups of green tea a day boosts metabolism, says Lyssie Lakatos, R.D., author of “Fire Up Your Metabolism.” Two cups of coffee will also do the trick, one study shows.

25. Have an omelet. Eating two eggs for breakfast while dieting will help you trim more weight and body fat than if you ate the same amount of calories noshing on a bagel, scientists say.

26. Stay above 1,200 calories… ”The average person’s body goes into starvation mode if she eats fewer than 1,200 calories a day,” says Eric Berg, author of “The 7 Principles of Fat Burning.” “That’s stress, and stress creates more belly fat.”

27. … and cut calories gradually. If you diet, don’t trim more than 250 calories a day. Cutting calories too quickly slows your metabolism down, Dr. Manfroy says.

28 to 33. Munch on these. Almonds, cherries, yogurt, grapefruit, whole grains, and spicy foods have all been shown to torch fat.

34. Fuel up right. Eating a low-glycemic-index breakfast (such as muesli and peaches) will help you burn more fat during a subsequent workout than eating a high-glycemic-index meal (like waffles), researchers from the University of Nottingham reveal.

35. Think before you drink. Sipping as few as 90 calories’ worth of vodka can slow your metabolism by 73 percent, one study shows.

36. Graze. Women who go without eating for long periods are more likely to have higher body-fat percentages than women who nosh more regularly, one study notes.

37. Dine like a Greek. Eating a diet rich in monounsaturated fat (think olive oil, avocados) can help trim both weight and fat, research published in the British Journal of Nutrition shows.

38. Stop gorging. Your body can only handle so much food at a time, so stick to 600 calories or less per meal to maximize fat-burning, says Leslie Cooper, co-author of “Flip the Switch: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism and Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day.”

39. Skip juice. Reaching for an apple instead of apple juice is not only better calorie-wise, but it’ll also do a better job of boosting your metabolism, Dr. Manfroy explains.

IN YOUR LIFE

41 & 42. Get C and D. Vitamin C can help you burn more fat, and D may help you lose fat, research notes. Aim for 400 to 500 mg of C and 800 mg of D a day.

43 & 44. Walk more (in denim). Researchers found that fitness-friendly offices (think treadmill desks, mobile headsets) helped people trim pounds and fat, as did wearing jeans to work, since dressing casual encourages you to move more. Wear comfy clothes when you can, pace while on the phone, and stand while chatting with co-workers.

45. Add fish oil (And work out). Taking 6 grams of fish oil per day and hitting the gym three times a week can help nix body fat, an Australian study reveals.

46. Work the day shift. Keeping nontraditional hours lowers levels of hormones that trigger satiety, increases blood glucose and insulin levels, and raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol (which can drive you to eat more), scientists say.

47. Nix the boob tube. Cut your TV time in half, and you’ll burn more calories each day, research from the University of Vermont suggests.

48. Go mental. People who visualized themselves training a specific muscle boosted the strength in that muscle group, researchers found.

49. Eat a smaller dinner. Your body may not digest food — and burn fat — as efficiently if you down a huge meal right before bedtime, especially because your metabolism is slower while you sleep, Dr. Manfroy says.

50. Jump-start your morning. Wake up your metabolism — and get fat-burning started — by doing some sort of exercise within the first few hours of being awake, Cooper suggests.

51. Get your snooze on. Sleep for a solid 81D 2 hours instead of 51D 2, according to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, and you’ll lose more fat. Sweet dreams!
GUIDE.


Stay Thick!
xoxo, Thick Chick