grocery shopping!!

sorry for the long delay in posts, but it's been a crazy couple of weeks, and it's only going to get crazier. not sure when i'll be able to post this upcoming week, so i'm doing it now.

so today i was able to go grocery shopping at a super walmart (my first time in one!! i'm totally amazed!!) and i was able to pick up some pretty decent things at awesome prices. here's a peek into what's in my shopping cart:

1) eggs: i picked the medium sized eggs; just hardboil some these bad boys and they're a perfect snack to pack into my purse. just a dash of salt and i get an awesome protein fix quick. very nutritious and tasty.

2) apples: can't go wrong with fuji apples. fruit spoils too quickly for me to eat all of it, so i buy very small amounts--2 or 3 of each kind. i already have bananas at work, so none for me this time around. fruits are an awesome way to satisfy my sweet tooth, plus apples pack about 3 grams of fiber to keep you nice and regular :)

3) nectarines: a summertime favorite of mine--sweet, tasty, full of fiber, potassium, vitamin c and other goodies.

4) frozen veggies: good as fresh--and they last so much longer too!! i like to buy big bags of frozen veggies and ration them out in my lunch box. also another awesome snack by itself. just heat up a cup for a couple of minutes, add some seasoned salt and you're good to go :)

5) dairy: i like dairy products in the morning--milk, yogurt, cottage cheese--i just feel weird if i don't have some kind of dairy product for breakfast. as a kid, i grew up on whole milk, but now i've switched to skim. i like to mix my milk with a scoop of whey protein and drink it either before or after my workouts. i also picked out some low carb yogurt here (be careful when buying yogurt--if it's not plain then chances are it's packed with unnecessary sugar) and some lowfat cottage cheese for quick, yummy snack. if you need some sugar, try some natural sweeteners (a dash of honey) or some splenda.

6) chicken: an awesome lean source of protein. i'm not big on white chicken, so i got some thighs here instead, because i do prefer dark meat over white meat. yes i know dark meat is not as lean or as healthy as white meat, and if you can eat or prefer white meat, go for it, but i can't. i like to take these and rub them down with spices and throw them on the grill--dinner is ready in minutes.

7) fish/seafood: i normally don't buy much seafood, i actually prefer to eat it in restaurants, but they were having a huge sale at walmart--$5 a bag, and each bag has about 4-6 servings. eating healthy doesn't mean you have to eat expensive, there's always ways to get around it :) so i bought some shrimp (who doesn't love shrimp?), but i like to ration it out, since shrimp can be high in cholesterol. catfish is my fish of choice; i love the tender, flaky texture, but this time around i bought salmon and tilapia. i recently started eating salmon (last year, in december) and i love it (oh and tuna as well). but i can only do fresh salmon or tuna, the canned stuff makes me gag. if you can stomach the prepacked fish, then stock up on those as well too. but i love herb grilled salmon for dinner; it's amazing and filling. tilapia also has a wonderful texture--juicy and flaky (i don't think i can tell the difference between catfish and tilapia in a blind taste test), and of course it packs the heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids we don't get enough of. quick tip: try not to eat fish too often (3 meals a week or less) to avoid mercury poisoning :(

8) lemons: i love adding lemon to my water and drizzling it all over my fish. all fish really needs is some olive oil, herbs and lemon and it's a perfect dish :)

some other things i bought but didn't make it into the picture:

9) cereal: as much as i try to avoid processed foods, sometimes i do need a tiny amount of cereal in my life. i pretty much lived on it during college, so i get cravings every now and then. nowadays i only purchase the kashi go lean cereal, as it packs an excellent amount of protein and fiber for a cereal. and, as always, beware of cereal--they're sugar bombs packed in pretty boxes.

10) lemonade: i'm such a sucker for lemonade. definitely my favorite drink of all time. i could drink it with anything. in this case i buy the minute maid light lemonade (i get my fix and don't feel bad about consuming a ton of sugar--15 calories a serving) and during the summer, all i want to do is drink lemonade.

now, don't get me wrong, i'm far from a perfect eater, but rather i take it one day at a time and try to correct my habits as i progress. i won't lie, saturday i had apple pie for breakfast and sesame chicken for dinner, and sunday i had oatmeal and scrambled eggs for breakfast, curry chicken with white rice for dinner, and a toffee coffee frosty for dessert, but i tell myself i'll pay for it when i go though my workouts this week. it's fine to cheat on the weekends, but as long as it's in moderation and in controlled portions (i only ate a third of my frosty today--the sugar was too much to handle), enough to curb the cravings. it's all about fine tunes and tweaks here and there, until you are able to handle a clean, healthy, sustainable diet. remember, it's all about you and how far you want to go :)

enjoy what's left of the weekend and sweet dreams :)

what's in your desk??

so i really want to know..what do you snack on during the day? because your snacks are a reflection of you, or who you want to be..so i'll let you have a peek into my cookie jar..

on your left, i have some propel packets (much cheaper and convenient, i take these little packets in my purse, and they're perfect if i want to switch up between water and something sweet), a bag of nuts (whole, natural, unsalted), where i rotate between almonds, walnuts and pecans, some myoplex bars (the low carb kind..be careful when choosing protein bars -- lots of them are packed with unnecessary sugar) and of course, my trusty water bottle, giver of life :)

so a breakdown on my daily munchies, and why i chose them:

1) propel packets: i've actually had this box for awhile now, water suffices me 95% of the time. i'm a creature of habit, and once in awhile, i like to live on the wild side and add some sweetness to my drink. for a drink mix, it's not too bad: it's got a decent amount of vitamins C, B6, niacin and other goodies, and it's low calorie (10 calories/serving). Remember, if you're going to use up your daily caloric intake, take advantage of each and every calorie.

2) nuts: they have have HAVE to be unsalted and natural. as unprocessed as possible. if you have to buy the shelled kinds to avoid processing, then so be it. no oil, no salt, nothing. just nut. the reason is nuts are jam packed with protein and fat (the good kind, poly and mono-unsaturated fats) that actually help control cholesterol (low density lipoproteins, for my science nerds out there), and more and more studies are coming out about their wonderful health benefits. it's also a great protein snack (especially for women, who tend to have less of a protein intake than our male counterparts). so don't skimp on the nuts.

3) protein bars: you may see a recurring motif here--i try to include protein in all the snacks i eat. the reason is that protein is less likely to be converted into fat as sugar is. in my desk i have some myoplex low carb bars (cookies and cream if you're wondering the flavor)--and honestly, it tastes like cardboard crap. but it does its job, if i'm running around and i can only fit a bite or two in, i nibble on my bar, grab some nuts, and that holds me over until mealtime. just be careful with the bars you pick--read labels, check ingredients, glean the fine print--just because it's a protein bar or it sounds healthy doesn't mean it is (future post on picking the right bar coming up). these protein bars are also super convenient; i buy in bulk, by the box, so i can stuff one into my purse when i need to chew down on one right after a workout, especially if i'm not eating anytime soon (protein is necessary within 45 minutes after a workout for tissue repair).

4) water: our beloved, dihydrogen monoxide (i'm a science geek at heart, sorry). my job has a water cooler in the break room, so i recycled an old water bottle and keep it handy. i try to drink about two bottles a day (half a gallon roughly), but the recommended intake is a gallon a day. so why not water? what's there not to love about it? it keeps you hydrated, is great for your skin, keeps you in order, and maintains a healthy metabolism. for all my soda drinkers out there: switch to diet, and drink more water. don't waste calories on beverages. liquids are nowhere near as satiating as solid food, so try to make the switch to water (or flavored water, my favorite).

often i pack with me fruit and vegetables to nibble on--an apple, a banana, carrot sticks, boiled broccoli--to make sure i get the fiber i need and to spice things up. i tried a switch up in my diet to raw vegetables (i tried raw broccoli--it's definitely an acquired taste, i'm sticking to steamed), so any recommended veggies i should try are definitely welcome. so far i've done broccoli, carrots and cucumbers, obviously the broccoli was a bust, but i am open minded. boiled eggs are another awesome snack, just throw on some salt and pepper and you have an awesome 6-8 grams of protein in less than 80 calories. pound for pound one of my favorite snacks.

so just a quick recap--your snack box should contain:

1) protein

2) water

3) fruits

4) vegetables of your preference

so let me know, what's in your desk??

smile my lovely :)

let's get started

well it's a lovely friday afternoon (not raining, thank goodness) and the weekend is barely starting..and its about time to go workout..so now i ask, what's your goal/desire/dream? for me personally, i have a few goals in mind:

1) less than 15% body fat (i'm at about 20%)

2) squat 150lbs or greater

3) bench sets of 100lbs

4) and of course, be lean and healthy. and STRONG.

no matter what your goals are, the best way to start is to keep something in mind, have a plan, and place a deadline on it. within the next 4-5 months, i hope to knock all of these out. just to give you an idea where i'm starting, there's a picture of my awesome abs (yeah, right). But that'll be fixed in the next few months, no worries. That pinch I'm holding will be gone by September.

So where do we start?

Going back to the gym is always the hardest. And some people with full time jobs just want to get home and veg out for a bit. But you have to overcome everything and just do it. So let's get to it :)

1) For starters, find the perfect time block. Pick a time that's convenient for you and stick to it. I usually workout after work, but I'm going to try and switch my routines up to the mornings and see how that goes.

2) Ease into your workouts. It's never a good idea to start with hardcore workouts if you've been out of it or trying something new; the last thing we would want is an injury. So go slow. 15 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the bike, stair stepper, elliptical, 10 pound free weight exercises, something moderate. We don't want you completely immobilized after your workout, but a little soreness never hurt anyone :)

3) Stretch stretch stretch!! I should take my own advice, as I don't stretch enough, but stretching before and after workouts is a surefire way to keep your muscles long and limber and to prevent any muscle injuries that could happen.

4) Gotta clean the fridge. I'll make a separate post on what should be in your fridge, but yes, in order for your body to be lean, the fridge has to be clean. So we're going to cut down on processed food, junk food (notice i didn't say cut out, but it will be moderated) and we're going to focus on meat and veggies and unprocessed foods. It's true, your body is a temple, and the last thing we want to do is trash it.

5) Keep a log or journal. I'll use my blog as my personal workout log to give you guys a hint of what I do. But do take note of what you eat, what exercises you do, and all that jazz. Recording your workouts and consumption will make you more aware of what you eat, what you do, plus it's a great way to keep you on track to your goals.

So what's the plan for today? I'll start my routine with some cardio (30+ minutes), stretch for a couple of minutes, then follow it up with some abwork and weights. I'll add more details once I get back, as at the moment I'm making stuff off the top of my head.

Smile, you're beautiful :)

well hello there..

ahh yes..my first post..let's see here..well i'll try to focus this blog on health and fitness (haha just in time for summer) and we'll see where it goes..keep your eyes peeled..

for ling..thank you for your kindness and inspiration.