My Leaner Stronger Secrets
Disclaimer: (Covering my now sexy booty):
I am not a qualified fitness or health instructor. My knowledge and achievements stem purely from various mediums of independent research and personal trial and error. I do not accept responsibility if any harm should come to you from following my example. There are times when I subjected my body to shocking calorie restrictions in order to speed up my fat loss goals which I can imagine is not healthy by any standard. I did not consult a doctor on my regime specifically and would advise you to do so.
Overview:
Initially I wanted to turn this into an e-book and still may do so but I realise the urgency of information and want to share my journey for anyone interested. In light of the following I will try make this as basic and to the point as I can. Below I have included a summary of my journey, what worked and what didn’t work for me as well as my grocery list and my work out routines.
Let’s get started!
Resources:
New year’s resolution time, weighing 62kg at the time I set my self the goal to reach 51kg in no specific time period but it would be good to note here that setting realistic goals along the way is ideal. When I started losing weight and noticing how I achieved the best results I would aim for month end goals. My resources included a wide range and transformed into different mediums. I started with a food/ exercise journal- noting my caloric intake. This evolved to a separate calendar of jotting down my exercise and using the My Fitness App to log my calories. (Note here that it is not always accurate but has amazingly handy tools like the macro balance section and a basic nutritional info break down).
Other resources included Pinterest believe it or not, there are so many endless articles about which fruits help boost your metabolism, target exercise routines and HIT workouts as well as info about ketosis and the Paleo diet. Along my journey I became quite obsessed with what food does what to your body in terms of optimum benefits- super foods- which was all inspired by Pinterest.
I owe a great deal to youtube! Not only did most of my workout routines come from youtube but it all started with watching motivation stories of others on the same journey. In terms of general wellbeing and motivation I also started watching personal growth vids and researched a lot more along the lines of meditation.
Later I will include a detailed blog about Pinterest links but for now here is a summary of the above info that I gathered to my advantage:
Pinterest:
2 table spoons of apple cider vinegar twice a day (Or before meals) In the morning I would also include a table spoon of fresh crushed ginger (Great immune booster and cleanser), sprinkle of cinnamon, and table spoon of lemon.
HIT work out: 50jumping jacks, 50crunches, 45jumping jacks, 45squats, 40jumping jacks, 40 jump lunges, 35jumping jacks, 35push ups, 30jumping jacks, 30 burpees, 25jumping jacks, 25 crunches, 20jumping jacks, 20 squats, 15jumping jacks, 15 jump squats, 10jumping jacks, 10 push ups, 5jumping jacks, 5 burpees.
Super foods that I included in my diet because of their nutritional benefits: Cacao, Chia seeds, Kelp, Flax seeds, Aronia berries, green tea, coconut oil, Goji berries, sesame seeds, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and later Quinoa.
‘Fat burning foods’: Grape fruit, Avocado, almonds, tomatoes, apples, kimchi, olive oil, eggs, chicken breasts, full fat Greek yogurt, broccoli, 85% and up dark chocolate, spinach and zucchini.
Youtube:
Actualised.com: Look up actualised on youtube, not only does the founder- Leo have he’s own weight loss story and list of tips but he also has a great collection of motivational and personal growth vids. My best bit of info I got from him is to take a magnesium supplement because when you’re on a calorie deficit your metabolism slows way down but magnesium and vit B complex supplements counter this reaction.
The health Nerd: Put down whatever you’re doing and turn this guy on! I started by watching these vids, I got a lot out of it, when to exercise, what to eat, what boosts fat loss and metabolism etc. as well as what’s healthy, how to count calories how to not and other great nutritional and healthy information. Supposedly it’s all backed by scientific research too and added bonus it’s funnyJ
Sarah’s day: Ok yes probably the least likely reason I would go on youtube to stalk someone else’s life but in the background it was entertaining, she’s super fit and her exercise and ‘what I eat in a day’ vids were also very inspiring as well as informative. (Or if anything my let’s say slight jealousy of her yummy food and sexy abs motivated meJ)
Work out vids: There were three specific ones I rotated these included a Pilates adaptation; (45-Minute Cardio and Toning Workout From Jennifer Lawrence's Trainer | Class FitSugar), a kick boxing vid; (45-Minute Epic Cardio Boxing Workout | Class FitSugar) and a yoga for weight loss vid; (Yoga For Weight Loss - 40 Minute Fat Burning Yoga Workout!). Now I also incl. other 15min HIT workouts and target areas from youtube channels: Pop sugar, StayFitandTravel and XHIT Daily.
General tips:
All food in moderation or when on a diet in relation to your macro balance and caloric intake- (Remember fruit is high in carbs)
Gut check: One of my biggest struggles was finding what worked for my tummy. The supplements I included in my daily regime really made a difference here- Vitamin b complex (For strong hair and nails as well as helps with digestion), My vitamin b included vitamin c so an extra immune booster along with my ginger morning tea really has kept me so healthy this year. As mentioned above magnesium has made me clockwork regular and has other added benefits including bossing mood. I also included omega 3 and a probiotic for a while for obvious health benefits and I will get back to them however it started working out really expensive buying it here in Korea. In place of the probiotic I eat regular helpings of Greek yogurt and kimchi (South Korean equivalent to sour kraut).
Whatever you do, do it with a conscious posture- if you are aware of your straight back posture it engages and therefor works your core more which results in sexy abs and more calorie burn. Make sure you’re doing it properly though I used to arch my back and think I was standing straight when in actual fact it’s quite the opposite- ‘tuck your shoulders into your back pocket and focus on keeping your bum in (hips forward).
In my weight loss stage I found exercising in the morning on a fasted tummy the best, also it is a great way to wake up and start your day on a positive note and I’ve read studies that say it helps you sleep better at night which is also important for weight loss and body recovery. I now sometimes do my weights in the evening as I found I have more power after my mealJ
Whatever you do- get back on that horse, the millions of times I lost sight of my goals and binged out on snickers bars forgetting to exercise made me jump squat myself back on that horse harder every time! And don’t put yourself down in those moments- rather stick to your plan 90% of the time than nothing at all. All throughout my life I thought I was pretty good at sport and didn’t understand why I never saw result- the problem was I was putting in minimal effort and not being at all consistent- consistence is key. You got this!
The dreaded Diet plan:
I started out cutting calories down to +- 600cal a day for 5days and then 2 days normal calorie intake. This method I used purely for fast weight loss reasons and would do max two week stints. It was hard and when I tried to sustain it I developed a dangerous habit of binge eating which lead to lots of other negativities like self-loathing afterwards and of course a negative reaction from my body and the scale. I have more information on this if you need please let me know. A link I used to work out my BMI, BMR and calorie intake requirements for my weight and height is: http://www.calculator.net/fitness-and-health-calculator.html
After I had built a substantial amount of muscle and I noticed my body fat ratio was lower I had to up my calorie restriction as I was not making it by 600cal, I needed minimum 900cal to keep myself from slipping into the dreaded binging habit as well as to keep my energy levels up.
No processed foods! That 28days a habit thing really does work. I stopped eating sweats and anything that came packaged. I tried my best for whole foods and limiting eating out as you never know what they put in a meal these days. I say these things loosely- there were days when I had cake! Who can say no to cake lols!
As low as you can go carb wise: In general my body is not a fan of gluten so I always tried to limit this but on this journey I replaced sweet things with fruit which half way there I realised should be limited as well as Fruit is very high in carbs and although I’m no expert on ketosis- I noticed that my healthiest, fastest weight loss came from when I kept my carb intake between 20-40grams a day and replaced it with high healthy fat consumption.
Macro balance: As much protein as possible, followed by healthy fat and then as little carbs as possible.
Intermittent fasting: In general for the past 3 years I have messed around with intermittent fasting. Especially for the calorie cutting I found this method helpful as eating a meal once a day makes it easier to stay within your limits. This does not work for everyone but if you are interested look it up as there are tons of studies that show results of it increasing longevity as well as because of its cell replacing benefits helps you stay younger longer. Here though in all honesty I found that after I gained muscle I needed to eat more frequently to keep my energy levils up. So now I ‘snack’ if I am hungry- usually once in the morning and once in the later afternoon- always high fat snacks like Almonds, dark chocolate or high protein like yogurt and some fruit. Every now and again I throw in some oats or gluten free granola but for those that know me- know I cannot stop at one bowl so I try avoid itJ Then I have my larger meal between 16h00-18h00.
Drink water- a lot (I know every blog says this but it’s for reals). I am not a fan of water in general so I would always have either green tea or apple cider vinegar. Also I tried 10gl a day and found my kidneys started feeling uncomfortable so I stopped and adapted the listen to your body approach- now It seems happy with about 6 a day max. Everyone’s different.
My grocery list- What’s cooking good looking: (Living in Asia meant I was very limited as products like meat and dairy are lank expensive or not available which means my meal options were stunted and if I had the choice I would have had more variety- but the simplicity also helped me notice what worked and what didn’t. Also very much what is included here was for the purpose of weight loss and lean muscle building. What I would definitely include if it was available is fresh baked fish.
Typical meals:
Chicken dish:
2 Chicken breasts seasoned and pan fried in olive oil and garlic
Table spoon cream cheese
1 boiled egg
Half avocado
5 cherry tomatoes
Head of broccoli steamed
Tuna dish:
Canned Tuna
Half Zucchini
Half cup kimchi (Or sour kraut seasoned with tomatoes and chili ingredients)
2 table spoons apple cider vinegar
1 table spoon pumpkin seeds
8 cherry tomatoes
1 egg
Few blocks feta cheese
Pork belly:
Baked pork belly with mustard and honey
1 boiled egg
Head of steamed Broccoli
Dessert:
Half scoop whey protein
Half cup almond milk
2 table spoons full fat Greek yogurt
10 almonds
Hand full of dry or fresh berries or banana
Sprinkle of cinnamon
1 egg
A typical day on my diet:
Breakfast: ginger, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, lemon tea
Lunch/ dinner (around 16h00): 2 chicken breasts, head of broccoli, 1 egg and a protein shake (seasoned and prepared anyway you like as long as it stayed between 500-600 cal)
Throughout the day: Green tea and water
A typical day on weight maintenance:
Breakfast: 2 blocks of 85% dark chocolate and +- 10 almonds
Snacks: Almonds, more chocolate, slice of cheese, biltong, grape fruit juice (fresh squeezed)
Dinner: one of the meals above or a variation incl. the ingredients listed above.
Dessert: I started making my own frozen yogurt (Amazing in summer time) also incl. the above mentioned ingredients.
Throughout the day: Green tea and water
Work outs:
As mentioned above I rotate a serious of HIT work outs and yoga. Also very crucial is weight training as well as I included a lot of walking or rather hiking in my regime.
A typical week for me would look like this:
Sunday: Yoga for weight loss min(40min), followed by a 40min hike. If you can walk up hill or do the step machine at gym for 40 minutes I would assume it would count as the same. Go for speed to get your heart rate up.
Monday: 12min xhit legg work out, followed by the 45min kick boxing pop sugar work out
Tuesday: 45 minute weight training: (Important to note here that this is where I am now, so starting out I would half everything- reps and weights and then work up from there).
40 reps each of 20kg barbell squats, barbell lunges, barbell slight bend in knee dead lift
40 reps each of 5kg: dumbbell lunges, sumo dumbbell squat, dumbbell luggage lift, dumbbell side lunge, dumbbell squat thrust
20 each side kettlebell one leg extension
13 negative pull ups
13 sitting 25kg weighted pull downs on machine
13 bent over 5kg rows
* repeat the above three in order
14 double leg lift while fully extending holding onto the pull up bar
14 one leg lift while fully extending holding onto the pull up bar
50 reps thigh raise (Bridge) being mindful of your glutes
4 minute ab workout- lying down start with 20 leg raises and then fluctuate between flutter kicks and leg cross overs at different heights- just remember to always be conscious of your back and it being flat on the ground.
Lying on your side, do 30 side leg raises (repeat on other side)
Lying on your side, so 30 inner thigh leg raises.
If there’s time plank, plank and more Plank (To the side, on your elbows and straight arm) and do mountain climbers.
I like to end my session by practicing head stands or hand stands.
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 10 minute abs from xhit followed by 45min Pilates cardio by pop sugar
Friday: 45 minute weight training and 1 to 3 hour hike- depending on how I feel.
Saturday: Rest
Rule of thumb!
If your body really doesn’t feel like it- don’t do it! Food wise and exercise wise just remember to make good food choices and learn to differentiate between your body being lazy and your body needing a rest.
Misconceptions:
Protein powder is bad! I always thought whey protein powder was the evil stuff naughty athletes used to cheat win and it was filled with dodge steroids etc. But it really isn’t- do your research though. The one I am using is a bit pricey and I’ll probably drop down to a more affordable one but what I like about it is its all organic and has absolutely no sugar and no carbs. It is also 100% naturally sweetened and tastes freaking amazing with almond milk (Throw in a banana, some cinnamon and an egg and you got euphoria). The name is Legion Whey (chocolate version of course). Other ones I have been researching incl. Gold optimum and ISO100 dymatize Whey. Here I suggest doing your own research as I am still learning what amino acids do and what BCAAs and Leucine mean.
Weight lifting will turn you into a female version of Arnold Schwarzenegger: Promise it won’t. I only do weights 2-3 times a week and rely on my hit exercises and yoga for the rest of my strength training. Don’t overdo it, every one’s body is different and responds differently and I would definitely recommend easing into it because doing too much too fast could result in bulking up as fat loss should come first or at least be the priority in the beginning. Also a great thing about weight lifting is it plays another great part in keeping your metabolism regular! And big note here is that the more muscle you have the more calories you burn as your body needs energy to sustain these muscles- for more information on this look up information on your BMR.
Mistakes and solutions:
Running! It did nothing for me. Going from someone who could barely run 2km once a week to someone who was then running 10- 15km 2-3 times a week then having absolutely no results- This was so demotivating. So I stopped running and instead took long walks which then changed to regular hikes. In general I found hiking so freeing and a great space to brainstorm ideas and plans.
Counting calories: In the beginning I started counting calories but eating crap which not only does nothing for your muscle body composition but also leaves you unsatisfied and craving. Just think a typical chocolate bar lies around the 250 calorie mark compared to 2 chicken breasts or a gabillion grams of broccoli (not quite but more than enough to fill you) for the same calorie count. The more protein and fat you eat the fuller you will feel and more satisfied you will be and for your general well-being the more energy you will have and for the nutrition the more your body will thank you. This also applies to body composition, my goal was to build lean muscle and there are certain foods that help you do this like chicken breasts. I am not an expert on the macro balance but I like eating mostly protein, secondly fat and then trying to get my carbs as low as possible. This has had so many benefit for me incl. energy, minimum effort for muscle building and toning and in general it stops me craving and binging.
Scale. For those of you who know me- know I am stubborn! I set myself the 51 goal without thinking it may be too far- around the 55 goal I started weight training so while I was losing fat I was adding muscle. For anyone for who has done even a little research- you know muscle weighs more than fat. I acknowledge in my pursuit for a thigh gap (lols) I may have gone a bit far as my top half lost a lot of fat so quickly and my bottom half got leaner but was not what I thought it would look like. In terms of my body composition I’ve learnt to accept and love my ‘curvaceous’ legs. I still continued with and hit my goal because as I said I am stubborn but now plan to put on a bit more at least muscle so my top half can look healthier again. So what I mean in terms of mistakes is it really is just a number on the scale- what may be more accurate is a body fat/muscle/bone scale if you have access to one or taking measurements.
Calorie restricting: I mentioned this before but want to place a little more emphasis on it. In times when I was frustrated I tried the restricting and took it too far! This lead to uncontrollable binge eating to the point that I realised I had a problem. The fact that I over did it on the calorie intake eating probably a whole years’ worth in one day wasn’t even the problem or the fact that the scale the next day would then be rude. The problem was what it did to me mentally- eating so much and then putting myself down and then trying to limit myself even more over the next few days out of punishment- biggest mistake ever!!! Because then it would just turn into a vicious cycle. Funny thing I noticed- when I started being kinder to myself and not limiting myself as much as I did but including especially healthy fats in my diet- Problem eradicated and solved! Again I am stubborn and believed that I was strong enough to push through- however I forgot that as humans we are essentially still animals and when you subject body and mind to a harsh challenge for too long your wild animalistic self will reveal it’s self in order to preserve its self in its immediate state. There’s no going against that!
Not enough sleep, sleep as much as you can (7-8 hours a night), it makes a big difference in terms of stress and lets your body reboot, the less stressed your body is the less likely it is to hold onto unnecessary fat. This tied into moving away from the drinking scene- I stopped drinking for a good while when I was in the thick of my diet. Now however I do have the occasional drink.
Final notes:
Love your body and listen to it in everything. Let it rest when it needs rest, if you’re tired or stressed, try figure out why and then do everything you can to remedy it- whether it be yoga, binge watching game of thrones, writing lists (like me), hiking (like me) or meditation (future goals). Learn to differentiate between being hungry and being bored as well as what your body really needs compared to what you think it needs (A snickers bar or an 85% dark chocolate yogurt berry smoothie). This whole stronger leaner plan started as a result of not being challenged in my current life situation and it manifested from a “I want to be skinny” point of view- however along the way it transformed into trying my best to optimise my body from a nutritional and strong perspective. I love where it is now because not only does it feel good to have more energy, I am also hoping that my new life style adjustment will benefit my health and ability in the long run.
I hope this has been helpful and informative, It really means so much to me to have all the support of everyone that has been interested and I hope that whatever your journey is that it is aimed at your well being. Please mail me if you have any questions. Wishing you much love, success and strength!
