Grocery Haul

Hello, my beautiful people! Happy Tuesday.. Pretty sure today is the Monday-est Tuesday ever lol, but hey- that’s okay! We are still being productive and getting ish done.

I asked everyone on my IG — @ohh_kelly –go follow me you don’t already.. #shamelessplug haha – what they wanted to see today… either a grocery haul or a full day of eating.

Welp, I decided to do BOTH. Since the FDOE is currently taking place on my Instagram story, I figured I would put this grocery haul on my blog. It’s the best of both worlds.

When it comes to grocery shopping, this girl is a creature of habit. I go to the grocery store every single Monday without fail.

First stop, coffee — so I can mental handle the chaos that is Walmart lol.

But, as a creature of habit, I pretty much buy the same staples from week to week because i eat the same things on a pretty consistent basis. I like what I like, so it’s hard for me to switch it up sometimes.

So, first i’ll share with you some staples that I eat on a regular basis that i already had on hand at home, and then share with you what I picked up at the grocery store this week.

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Here we go…

What I already had at home:

• oatmeal
• Kodiak buttermilk pancake mix
• cereal– the NutterButter and Pumpkin Spice frosted flakes are both LIT
• refried beans
• strawberries
• bananas
• blueberries
• onions
• peanut butter
• Bolthouse Farms salad dressings
• coffee mate almond milk coffee creamer- caramel
• salsa
• canned pumpkin
• PEScience snickerdoodle protein

Fat sources: 

• eggs
• avocado
• shredded cheese
• laughing cow asiago cheese
• hummus
• guacamole

Carb sources (non veggie):

• rice cakes– tomato basil, caramel, chocolate, and popcorn flavored are my GO TO
• sweet potatoes
• red potatoes
• Birdseye vegetable pasta– I like the alfredo, cheddar cheese, and marinara
• Green Giant broccoli and cheese veggie tots– I cook mine in the air fryer and guys… these are AMAZING. 10/10 recommend.
• Pepperidge Farm rye and pumpernickel swirl bread — I am currently OBSESSED

Carb sources (veggies):

• frozen cauliflower rice
• frozen broccoli rice
• frozen brussel sprouts– OBSESSED
• frozen broccoli cuts/florets
• frozen peppers/onion blend
• frozen sugar snap pea stir fry
• canned green beans
• corn
• shredded lettuce
• tomatos
• sugar snap peas
• bell peppers- I love red, orange, and yellow
• zucchini
• asparagus
• cucumber
• mushrooms
• spinach

Protein sources:

• egg whites
• deli meat
• chicken breast
• lean ground turkey
• shrimp
• Dannon light & fit greek yogurt — so many flavors are good. I love the banana cream, pumpkin pie, caramel apple pie.. a super quick and easy snack.
• FitCrunch chocolate peanut butter protein bars

Misc:

• almond milk (unsweetened vanilla)
• drink flavor packets– makes drinking water ALOT more exciting
• fizzy beverages
• powerade zeros— blue/purple/orange/pink are the best
• kernel popcorn seasoning- garlic parmesan flavor
• taco seasoning
• sugar free syrup
• bbq sauce– i like Stubbs sf hickory bbq
• ketchup– no sugar added heinz

I think that pretty much covers it… These are the majority of the foods that I eat on a weekly basis. Eating “healthy” doesn’t have to be boring or bland- I enjoy everything I put into my body.

So if I can get one point across to y’all, it’s this… if you are trying to make “healthier” food choices, choose foods that you ENJOY. You don’t have to eat broccoli if you hate it. You don’t have to eat plain, boring chicken every single day. Experiment. Try different foods. Find what you like, because honestly, if you’re eating foods you enjoy, it makes living a healthy lifestyle a lot easier. Why? Because you like it, and it doesn’t feel like such a chore.

What are some of your favorite foods? What do you eat on a daily basis and what do I need to buy/try, the next time I go to the grocery store?? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog. I’m super excited to be back to writing more for you guys and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next few months. Please hit that “like” button, and be sure you subscribe if you aren’t already. Thanks!

Talk soon,

Should You Cut Out Gluten?

Hello, friends! Happy Monday! I hope you all are starting out this week on a positive and productive note.

Lately i haven’t posted too many nutrition, evidence based posts so today we are going to change that. We are going to talk about gluten and gluten free diets. 

What has sparked my interest in this topic is the fact that the past few days, while i have been home doing whatever, Keeping Up With The Kardashians has been playing on my television. Yes, i am ashamed to admit this. Anyway, Kourtney Kardashian has been promoting this “gluten free diet” as a way to be healthy and lose weight. EYE ROLL. (Important side note* As far as i am aware,  Kourtney Kardashian does not have Celiac’s Disease). 

What is Celiac’s Disease? Celiacs disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the digestion of gluten… (Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and/or barley)… Eating gluten, even in tiny, trace amounts, can lead to the body producing an inflammatory response and cause damage to the small intestine. Aka..NOT GOOD. Celiac’s disease is often genetic and can lead to other medical conditions if left untreated.

Some foods that are commonly found containing gluten would be foods like bread, cereal, pasta, beer, soups, sauces, to name a few….

The current treatment for individuals with Celiac’s Disease IS a gluten-free diet.

But what if you DO NOT have Celiac’s Disease?

Putting this in caps for emphasis… IF YOU DO NOT HAVE CELIAC’S DISEASE, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO BE ON A GLUTEN FREE DIET. *CLAP CLAP* 

You may here someone say, “well when i cut out gluten, i lost weight.” This often comes from the individual “cleaning up” their diet and cutting out foods that are typically more processed and higher in fats/sugar. Obviously, if you cut out the cookies (containing gluten) and opt for fruits and veggies, chances are you will lose weight because these foods are typically lower in calories.

Another downside to going gluten free for weight loss, is you may be missing out on necessary vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are typically found in whole grains. Gluten free foods can contain higher amounts of sugar and fat than their gluten containing counter part, are more processed and stripped over nutrients, AND can even cost you a pretty penny as they are more expensive.

Bottom line? Don’t listen to Kourtney Kardashian! 

Cutting out gluten is 100% not necessary unless you have Celiac’s disease. If you want to cut back on processed foods, thats one thing. However, you do not have to cut out gluten to lose weight or reach your weight loss goals.

What other nutrition myths have you heard lately and want to learn more about? Leave a comment below and let me know so we debunk and learn more about the latest diet trends. 

Thanks so much for reading my blog and as always, keep checking back for more.

XO,

 

 

Current Physique Goals/Progress Update

Hello friends!! Happy Thursday! It’s been about a month since i have last blogged… typical Lauren right there. Just been busy with work; studying, all the usual adult responsibilities.

But… i figured now would be a good time to actually let you guys know what’s been going on with me, what my goals are, and how things have been progressin’ with ya know, my current body goals.

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At first, i was hesitant to even write a post about this because honestly, i didn’t know exactly what my goals were going to be. Was i going to prep for another bodybuilding competition after taking a lot of time off?… was i not?… i didn’t know. If i WAS going to prep, i didn’t want to announce it to everyone right away, i kinda just wanted to work hard in silence…. Eventually, i did decide that i was not going to start a “prep” but i was going to start a cutting phase again with my previous coach, Eric Martinez of @dynamicduotraining.

I reached out to him a little bit before New Years (cliche i know ha) about starting to work together again. I told him i wanted to start a dieting phase but not necessarily a prep. I said as of right then, i did not want to prep BUT i reserved the right to change my mind later on (lol). As of right now, about 14 weeks later… i have stuck to that.

Starting January 2nd, i started working with him again. I started hitting my macros, following a more specific training program, and implementing cardio on a more consistent basis. Granted, we did hit a temporary “pause button” in February for the Mardi Gras Festivities that would ensue … That’s New Orleans livin’ for ya haha.

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Progress has by no means been linear or instantaneous for that matter, since starting my cut. For about the first 5 or so weeks, i didn’t lose any weight… L O L @ my body. I upped my cardio, decreased macros and was literally gaining weight. COOL. But… i didn’t let that derail me or discourage me… i still stuck to the plan and eventually… the scale starting cooperating.

3/28/18

I am not going to tell you how much I’m eating or how much cardio i am doing bc it is specific to me and my goals. Everyone is different. I also do not want to tell you how much i weigh. This is for a lot of reasons. But ultimately i don’t want other people to see how much i weigh and think that that is how much they should weigh too. Or that they should have the same “goal weight” as i do. We are all different. 150 lbs on one person, WILL look completely different on someone else. So i am just leaving my weight out of this completely. However, what i will tell you about my prep is that:

• I am doing cardio 4x a week… 3 MISS days and 1 HIIT day.
• I strength train 4x a week.
• I take 1 rest day off completely from the gym.
• I have 1 refeed day (I.E. higher carb day) a week where my carbs are about 100g higher than the rest of the week.

I also have been focusing on hitting a certain number of steps on a daily basis. I got a Fitbit in February so i have been using that to keep track of my NEAT (Nonexercise Energy Activity Thermogenesis). In February, my goal was 10,000 steps a day and in March i would say, we have upped that to 12,000.

I have had TWO macro cuts and TWO increases to my cardio since starting in January. I am definitely in a caloric deficit (burning more calories than i am taking in) and on most days, yes, i am hungry. But at fourteen weeks in, i do not feel “burnt out” or like I’m dieting super hard.

4/2/18

Granted, after 12 weeks of dieting, Coach did give me a diet break. This means decreasing cardio and eating more calories (fats and carbs). This was to give myself and my body a little bit of a break, recover, and just feel better overall. At first i was like “Ehhhh, idk if i need one”. Yo… your girl snapped out of that idea REAL quick haha. Why would i say no to more food???? So i ate more, did less cardio… AND I LOST WEIGHT!!! Hell yes to my metabolism haha. Because of that, i am now on Week 2 of a diet break and we plan to get back onto my dieting macros starting next Tuesday, March 10th… And as of now, my weekly progress says i am down almost another pound. Yay!! Take note y’all… more is not always better. I REPEAT… MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER.

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So, how have i been measuring my progress? Well, i weigh myself every day. I also take weekly progress pics and take weekly measurements.

Here are the progress pics. If you are offended by underwear pics, then kindly exit stage left. My swimsuit covers way less than this (so did my competition bikini) and these pics are strictly for progress pictures anyway. So if you are offended … BYE. Here they are in 3…

2…

*Also, please excuse my terrible morning face and i know the lighting is a little bit different, but you get the idea lol*

1….

Photos on the LEFT: 1/2/2018 // Photos on the RIGHT: 4/2/2018

After about 14 weeks of dieting, i have lost about 7 lbs. i have lost about 2.5 inches on my waist and about 4 inches on my hips.

Honestly, considering i lost NO weight the first few weeks, I’m totally happy with that. I haven’t been “perfect on my macros” but i will say i am accurate 98% of the time. Consistency is key and i am the type of person where if i am paying for coaching and someone is giving me a plan, I’m going to stick to it. And that works for me. As i said, this is not a “bodybuilding prep diet” just a “lifestyle diet” … so i do still have alcohol on occasion, i have a lot more flexibility with my food choices and if i go over or don’t hit my macros perfectly… it is not a big deal.

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So what is my END GOAL for this cut? Great question haha. This cut is different than what I’m used to because there is no goal of “stage” at the end of this cut. I want a leaner physique and i want more definition in my abs. Obviously, i cannot just magically lose fat from my abs so those abs are just going to pop with more dieting, good nutrition, and consistency.  I do not know what my “goal weight” is and I do not know when I am going to be satisfied.

Going to Pensacola Beach in June!

Going to be rocking this tiny thing in 9 weeks. So cute!

I bought myself a littttttle bikini for a beach vacation with @mbkellyy, (Go follow her on IG if you don’t already… girl is making hella progress and she’s so inspiring. I’m so proud, gah! Go follow her) and all i know is I’m going to be rocking that on the beach in June. It is also HOT AF in New Orleans, during the summer, so i just want to make sure that i am looking and feeling my best. So how many more lbs does that mean i want to lose? Um… maybe 5? Ish. Give or take… we shall see.

And there you have it! There is a very rambly recap of my current physique goals and the process i have made the past 14 weeks. Progress has by no means been linear but i feel like I’m making progress and I’m excited to see where i end up. I guess if you take away anything from this blog, just know that whatever goal you set for yourself- work hard, be consistent, don’t quit when things don’t go your way, and you can achieve anything you set your mind to!

If you wanna share your current fitness goals, leave a comment and we can encourage each other! Also, if you have any blog topics that you would like to see for future posts, i would love to know!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog. Please hit that “subscribe” button if you aren’t already and keep checking back for more.

Talk soon,