Alcohol and its effects...

So I have been cutting out alcohol for a long time, not that I have ever been a big drinker, but now I am really cutting it. Yes I will have a drink, but it will be few and far between and for special occasions. If you are trying to lose weight or trying to get in the best shape of your life and still drinking alcohol, then you might be really killing your chances of getting the results you want. Why?

First of all, alcohol has a lot of carbs and calories. So what about those skinny drinks everyone gets? The ones people think are so much better? Well they aren't. No matter what alcoholic drink you get, skinny or not, it's killing you.

Alcohol is poison to your body. It's a fact. When you drink alcohol all your body wants to do is get it out. So in a nut shell, your body stops metabolizing all the food in your body and stores it as fat. Evennnn that salad you ate, it is now storing as fat. The reason it stores the food is because it is now metabolizing the alcohol. The more alcohol you drink the longer it takes. It literally takes you fat burning to a grinding halt.

So that if your going to drink, don't expect weight loss. The less you drink the better your weight loss will be. Don't think the skinny drinks, vodka and club soda or just plain shots is that much better because it isn't. Your still doomed.

Yes I am sure ill have a drink here an there but to me alcohol isn't worth setting back my hard work. It's up to you where alcohol and weight loss stands for you.

Paleo banana pancakes

So these took a little bit to tweak the recipe just right but I think I got it

2 medium bananas
3 eggs
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Dash vanilla abstract
Pinch of salt
Pinch of nutmeg

Blend all ingredients for at least 2 mins until completely smooth

Fire up the pan and heat up coconut oil in it

Cook away on medium heat (you will want your pancakes a little darker then normal so they will hold together)

10 steps for a better future

People are always asking, "how did you do it?" Well here are some of the steps I took to cutting my body fat percentage in half. "Was it hard?" Yes at times it is, especially when I'm surrounded by things I can't eat. I'm seriously a fat kid at heart. I have the worst self control and the biggest sweet tooth. If chocolate is involved, well then, the eating healthy flies straight out the window. I'm a sucker for chocolate. Here are a couple things that will help you, whether you are just trying to be healthier or lose weight
1) throw out the junk food or simple carbs!!!! You will NEVER succeed with temptations surrounding you. JUST DO IT!!! It's the hardest step but one of the best to succeed
2) don't drink your calories, carbs and sugars!!! Which means only drink WATER (shoot for a gallon a day)!!! I drink coffee too but I try to avoid the Starbucks fufu drinks, as my dad calls them. I mix coffee with my protein shake
3) DON'T STARVE YOURSELF!!! I made this mistake starting off. Not that I was purposely starving myself but for my metabolism I cut my calories a little too low. If you are able to, find out your metabolism so you know exactly how much your body needs. If you can't then stop eating when you are SATISFIED and eat when your HUNGRY.
4) eat 5-6 meals a day. Meal 1- eat like a king, meal 6- eat like the poor. Your first meal should be filled with protein, fats and veggies. This will keep you full throughout the day, keep the cravings off and give you your energy.
5) avoid sugars and carbs your last one or two meals before you go to bed because your body likes to store those more then proteins at night
6) give yourself cheat meals. Obviously not every day. No more then once a week. But if you never treat yourself, one day your going to freak out and eat everything greasy and fatty in sight. I promise you won't gain 10lbs because of it and DON'T PUNISH yourself the next day for doing it. Simply go back to clean eating
7) DRINK WATER- oh did I already say that? Well it's important
8) don't completely cut your carbs!!! Yes you can cut out simple carbs but keep the quinoa and all the other good carbs in there. Unless you are planning on doing fitness competitions, you need to keep them. This doesn't mean go crazy, you still want to keep them because carbohydrates is what will give you energy. I always know if I didn't eat enough carbs because I get sluggish and by the end of the day I am out for the count, which doesn't happen as bad if I eat enough of them.
9) get sleep!!! Your body needs it. I am religious about it. I calculate every night to make sure I get AT LEAST 7, but always strive for 8.
10) lift weights!!! DO NOT do just cardio. You might get skinny but will also be flabby. Weight training will help you lose, tone and firm. You also burn calories AFTER you are done lifting. I promise you won't be bulky and I PROMISE you, you will see the best results. So go out there and lift some iron and don't forget to help your muscles by eating protein after!!!

Good luck everyone. Summer is 8 months away!!!

Cold, rainy day

Today was amazing. I finally got a cold rainy day at home. I woke up at 6:30am (even though my alarm was set for 8am) made my coffee with protein powder in it, turned on the fire and country music and sat down and looked through pinterest. I love these mornings. They are quiet and perfect. I love having that time in the morning to just relax. I go, go, go all day but I make sure I get these kind of mornings once in a while. I will even wake up 30 minutes earlier just to get them. This is my time.

Then it was time for church. We were even having a church picnic in the rain :) It actually only rained for a little bit then it was not too bad for the rest of the time. Mitchell of course came and this was the first time people (outside of our church friends) came up and talked to him. I did not know who they were and he told me with a big smile that they were his RCIA friends. This, along with him knowing an answer that the priest asked in church made me so proud. I have always worried that he was doing it only for me, but this showed me that he really was into it himself.
I also had my nephew today. I adore him to no end but man does it make me realize I am not ready for kids yet. I was exhausted. I am still at that point where after 3 hours I am ready to give them back haha. But he sure is cute

After I came home, put the baby down for a nap and got some homework done. After the baby left I got my food ready for the day tomorrow. I am super excited for tomorrow to eat it. I love when that happens. Here are two of my meals tomorrow

Asian Stir Fry

Paleo Coconut Shrimp

Now its time for a little more homework then snuggle in bed and possibly put on a movie, even though I know I will fall asleep 15 minutes into it. Im ready for my week. I have my days all planned out and its going to be a great workout week. I do hope it goes by fast because I have a great weekend in store for me. :) I hope everyone has had an amazing weekend!!!!

Want to succeed??? Food prep

If you are trying to lose weight or just flat out be healthy then have a food prep day once a week!!! Having food you can quickly grab on your way out the door is huge. It will prevent you from having to stop at one of those fast food chains... You know the ones with the fake meat? Take two hours out of your weekend to plan and make your food for the upcoming week. Cook, WEIGH and separate your chicken, turkey or whatever other protein you want. Separate your veggies into little bags. Boil your eggs and fill Tupperware with greens for salads. This way you can grab the things you need and be out the door. I suggest 4-5oz of protein every meal and unlimited veggies. Make sure you are getting your fats in there also. I even separate almonds into little baggies. I also suggest buying a cute cooler to always have snacks with you. Here is a look at a prep day for me. I freeze a lot of it. It is much easier to have the final product just defrost then to cook every day

My chicken cooked (I flavored them differently)

Paleo blueberry muffins (I had blueberries about to go bad)

Beginning of the process

For the love, passion, and obsession

Do you have that one thing in your life that you feel you can't live without? For some people it's their cell phones or coffee or for high schoolers, it's their boyfriend or girlfriend that they have been dating for three days, others its running, well mine is surfing. I just went surfing with my dad today and it was awesome, well it always is. Surfing brings this calm over me, almost puts me in a zen type state. Surfing keeps me happy. When I am out there I think a lot, about everything, sometimes (when no one is around) I even talk to myself. I forget about everything that stresses me out or anything bad that is happening. It is me and the ocean, as one. It's really hard to put in words. When someone says, "well you don't have to go surfing" or something along those lines when I state I don't have time for something else, I always reply with "yes I do." Because in fact I do. My first year in college I had depression. A lot happened that year, I moved out for the first time, with roommates that I didn't care for, my surf coach died, my grandfather dies right before my birthday, basically my whole world flipped upside down. I think surfing and the depression went hand in hand. I was depressed so I stopped surfing, and I got deeper into the depression because I wasn't surfing so I was unable to clear my mind and just sit and be one with the ocean. I didn't realize at the time how much surfing keeps me healthy. Now I do. If I don't surf I get restless, cranky, upset and my stresses stay bundled. I have to surf. The more I surf, the happier I am. Yes most people don't get it when I put other things aside to surf. They don't get that I need the salt water in my brain, the sun on my skin and that perfect wave to remember that night in my dreams. It's an addiction. We go out there in search of that perfect wave. The ocean is our home, our safe haven. We belong out there. I am so lucky that I share this passion with my father and now fiancé and hope my kids will also find the same stoke that has plagued me. I feel that the ocean is the reason for the strong bond between me and my dad. I also feel that it has helped us survive some of the worst times in our lives. I truly think it has saved me in more ways then one. I wish everyone can have this kind of passion.

Monday funday

Ok so because I was a bad girl yesterday my plan was to do weights, spin, swim and eat extremely clean. I normally don't do that much cardio because I don't feel like I need to loose any weight but if I eat really bad then I will cardio hard to sweat the toxins out of my poor body. Sooo I got up early before work to hit the gym hard and was ready to go only to find my keys locked in the car... I blame it on my fiancé ;) long story short I got it all figured out but not in time to hit my beloved weights. So I go to this spin class once in a while where I work. This is the spin class that I have to get a pass at least 30 mins before the it starts and claim a bike fifteen before. Why you ask? Because Omarrrr teaches it. Oh la la Omar. Uh ya. Like Ill admit he isn't bad to look at but still. This class is filled with hot middle aged women drooling over this sweaty man in front. Anyways, so I'm getting my bike ready and this 5 foot nothing, size 0, double D boobs lady starts to get her bike ready. Right before she climbs on her bike she puts on her lipstick. Whatttt??? The whole time I'm thinking whyyyy??? You know those kinds? The women that are all done up and usually already stick thin (probably because they can afford plastic surgery and is there just to pick up a big strapping man). If I wore makeup to the gym my face would look like I have chicken pox (as a little neighbor once referred my acne to). Here I am in a baggy shirt, mismatching shorts, rainbow socks, no makeup and non hair brush and the lady next to me looks like she stepped out of a fitness magazine. I wonder which guys really like?

Wedding wedding wedding andddd cake :/

So I got engaged May 25, 2012, and now it's the fun part, planning the wedding, which is fun... Sure. No, it is if you take away the planning, haha. No it has been fun. Today my mom and I went to a wedding expo at the Hyatt in Mission Bay, and of course it had cake and desserts and more cake and of course I tried it all. I just keep grabbing, and I just tell myself, "I'll only be a bride once" and it works... Kinda. Now laying in bed, the guilt sets in, but tomorrow is a new day and I have a lot of salads packed. One thing I have learned through this journey, is one day isn't going to make me gain 10 pounds. I let that one day go and keep on going with my clean eating and working out regemine. No time to dwell, I have a wedding to plannnnn.