fitness. motherhood. life & style.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Merry Christmas!! Made a new recipe this year, sweet potato casserole! Found this one on Pinterest here.
Ingredients:
  • 2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows
Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350
  • Boil water in a large pot and peel and chop up your potatoes in small cubes
  • Boil sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a fork
  • Once the potatoes are ready, drain the water out and mash them up
  • Mix everything together except the marshmallows in a large bowl
  • Use cooking spray and spray a 9x13 baking dish
  • Fill the dish evenly with potato mixture
  • Top evenly (not too heavy) with marshmallows
  • Cook on 350 for 30 minutes or until the marshmallows are lightly brown on top :)
Enjoy this wonderful holiday recipe!!
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Beating the Holiday Lbs!

Most of the time the holidays become an excuse for weight gain and overeating. However, this leads to guilt for all of us come New Years Eve when we're trying to squeeze into that LBD. The holidays don't have to be that way! I follow a few tips in order to still stay on track during the holidays but also enjoy them :)
  1. If you don't want it, don't eat it. A lot of times we find ourselves just eating what ever is offered at Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. but I would rather use my calories on something I really want to eat. Enjoy the things you have been craving instead!
  2. Get back on track ASAP. I took the day off on Thanksgiving, enjoyed myself without over doing it and was right back in the gym the next morning. I still enjoyed left overs the next day but in moderation. Always make sure you do something you enjoy when working out too!
  3. Put the extra calories to good use. I always like to work out fasted the day after a holiday meal because I feel like it helps me to burn fat. I'll have a tsp of coconut oil before I workout so that I can burn through that for energy. I also like to have a heavy leg day (or any hard hitting workout) when I consume extra calories because you'll burn more calories and can work on those gains.
  4. Use the sauna to help ward off water weight. A lot of times post meal weight gain is water weight. Using the sauna even for just 10 minutes helps me to sweat off some water weight, bloating, and toxins.
  5. Get back to your regular meals. Enjoy the holidays but still be conscious of what you're eating. Don't have holiday meals and treats everyday just because it's the holidays.
  6. ENJOY YOURSELF. This is the first year in a long time that holiday foods haven't given me major anxiety. It's because I'm concerning myself more with family and friends than avoiding food. The holidays are about spending time with the ones you love, so enjoy them. Don't stress over gatherings and holiday treats and drinks. Because I give myself the option to enjoy the holidays, I don't feel the need to stress over them. I'm happy, healthy, enjoying things in moderation, and staying on track :)
Happy late Thanksgiving to all my readers!!

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Quick and Easy Lunches

Lately, I barely have time to make dinner so a fully meal prepped lunch isn't happening. However, I still prefer to pack a healthy lunch so I've been coming up with some quick lunch ideas. Today I had green chile salsa chicken tacos!
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Heat up two corn tortillas for about 10 seconds, heat up some pre-made southwest style chicken for about 30 seconds, add lettuce, guacamole (I like the 100 calorie cups if you can't make it fresh), and green chile salsa! Quick, easy, and flavorful!
I also like to make easy sandwiches with gluten free bread, avocado instead of cheese or spread, tomatoes, lettuce, and natural (be careful of the crap that is put in deli meat) sliced turkey.
I've also been enjoying a small cup of tomato or squash soup with a grilled chicken side salad and oil and vinegar instead of dressing. You can also add a little bit of fruit, nuts, or avocado to your salad and the soup serves as your carb.
It's good to have a fully balanced lunch (veggies, carb, healthy fat, and protein) to get you through your day. Being short on time doesn't mean letting your meals go to crap and you also don't have to spend a crazy amount of time meal prepping :) Enjoy!
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If you related to my first post...

...then I have a good article for you. A long time friend of mine recently sent me this article and it is something I HAVE to share. You can check it out here.
Orthorexia was one of the first terms I heard that made me finally understand what type of struggles I was going through. Seeing that someone had put a name and an understanding to how I was feeling meant that I wasn't alone in this struggle. It all relates back to the media, social media, and the false idea that all healthy/beautiful women look that way because they eat "clean" 100% of the time and workout all the time.
Like I said before, on my path to health and weight loss I somehow became obsessed with it. I noted in my first post that I was only eating what I saw on social media listed as "clean" foods. I had no idea how to start a strict healthy lifestyle so I turned to fitness accounts online. This just led me down a bad path because most of those fitness accounts are NOT reality.
When I was at my lowest point I decided to unfollow a lot of fitness accounts to try and not have my life so centered around fitness and health. When I finally saw the term Orthorexia and I saw REAL women going through it I started to feel better and that's when I reached out to a few people for help. Ladyfit (Instagram name) was one of the first women that I reached out to because I saw that she had faced some type of similar struggle. She had some wonderful advice for me and that was the first time I started to feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. Finding someone you can relate to can help in a big way.
Fast forward to present day and I'm extremely busy! -Hence the lack of posts recently, sorry :) I have a new position at work, I'm working on my Master's degree, and somehow keeping a social and family life. Since my life has become so busy in the last few weeks I have missed a few days at the gym and I haven't meal prepped as much as I usually do but what's nice about that is I'm not worried about it! If this had all happened a year ago I would have beat myself up over missing a day at the gym or having to eat food that I didn't prepare. Now, those harsh thoughts don't even cross my mind. I know when things slow down I'll be right back to my normal schedule.
I hope that if you're reading this article and you can relate to it, it brings you peace. I know that understanding Orthorexia was my first step to get to where I am now. Knowing you're not alone is a powerful force and I hope this article helps you!
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Simple Stir-Fry

Happy Tuesday! Today was a really long day for me so I needed a quick and easy dinner! I put together a delicious Stir-Fry using the following ingredients:
  • 1 cup of frozen stir-fry veggies (make sure the ingredients are only the veggies)
  • 10 small frozen shrimp
  • Braggs Liquid Aminos (I buy the spray bottle version and thoroughly spray while cooking)
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tsp Albukirky green chile rub (can purchase here) I just like to add this for spice
  • 1-2 drops of Black Pepper essential oil (found here) 1 tsp ground black pepper works well too :)
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
Directions:
  • Heat your frying pan on medium heat.
  • In a large frying pan add coconut oil first and wait until it melts then add in frozen shrimp and veggies. Let the frozen items slightly thaw.
  • Thoroughly spray your shrimp and veggies with the liquid aminos then add ginger, salt, chile rub, and black pepper.
  • Mix everything together and then spray your veggies and shrimp with aminos again halfway through cooking. You may need to pour out some excess water from the frozen items but make sure to be careful not to burn yourself or lose your food!!
  • Cook until shrimp is a lighter shade of pink, about 10-15 minutes
  • Enjoy!!
Currently, I am skipping carbs at night but you can also add some brown rice for a yummy addition!! Trader Joe's brown rice is my absolute favorite. Eating healthy doesn't have to be complicated :)

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Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash

As promised, I will be posting healthy fall recipes all season long! This is one of my favorites, Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash. I actually found this on Pinterest here so it is not one of my own. Super easy to make and stores well so you can enjoy leftovers.
Ingredients:
  • 1 butternut squash cut into cubes
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 1 Tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tsp salt
  • 1 Tsp pepper
Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees and make sure the top rack is on the upper/middle section
  • Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up
  • First, I use a potato peeler and peal off the outer skin. Next, cut the ends off of your squash and cut it in half then scrape out the seeds. Last, cube your squash. Sometimes the squash can be tough so I will place it under hot water for a few minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix all of your remaining ingredients and throw the squash cubes in last and mix well.
  • Place your seasoned squash on the baking sheet (you may need two sheets depending on squash size) and make sure they aren’t over crowding each other.
  • Roast the squash for about 40 minutes and rotate the pan midway through. I would check your squash about 30-35 minutes in to make sure it’s not overcooked. Squash should have browned edges and the cubes should be tender enough to easily poke with a fork but not mushy.
  • Enjoy!! I would say this easily serves 4-5 people.
xo,
katie lynn
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Eating Out, the Smart Way


Hi everyone!! I've been so busy with school, work, and training that I've barely had time to sleep! So, sorry for the delayed post :) Today, I wanted to touch on smart choices when eating out.

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McAlister's
I use to avoid eating out like the plague! I would even avoid social situations because I thought any restaurant food was going to make me fat. It does not have to be like that! There is also a common myth that if you eat a salad when you go out, you are eating healthy. However, most restaurant salads have the same amount of calories as a cheese burger! Over the years I've found a few go-to places with healthy items and I've also followed a few rules when it comes to eating out.

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Whole Foods Soft Tacos
My go-to places:
Subway has good salad options and their 6" Italian bread isn't loaded with carbs! Beware of the sauces or cheese you add on because they can pack on the calories. At Pei-Wei you can order the meat "stock velveted" aka not fried and you can get the sauce on the side to avoid all the added sugars. Panda Express has re-done their menu to show calories and they have options that aren't fried. I always get a grilled option (no sauce on the Teriyaki chicken) with half brown rice and half steamed veggies. The chow mein and fried rice are fat/carb/calorie packed. Whole Foods and Sprouts always have lots of good, healthy options. I love Whole Foods salad bar if you're looking for the organic approach. I'm usually not a fan of Chipotle but lately it's been sounding good. I really like that they have food with integrity (check out what I'm talking about here), they try to use local produce, and avoid hormones/pesticides in their food. The salad is the best way to go. I load mine with veggies, chicken, salsa, a little bit of guacamole (you'll have to scoop some off, they give you a lot), and rice on the side without dressing. So good! Chick-Fil-A also has really good options and good quality grilled chicken! Their grilled chicken nuggets are the best. If you have more time and you're looking for sit down restaurants with good options I suggest Chili's, Applebee's, BJ's, and Genghis Grill. These four places have awesome healthy options. However, most places now have healthy, low-cal menu options and a lot of them have nutrient facts online.

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Panda Express
My eating out tips:
  1. Ask for veggies and rice to be steamed, meats to be grilled, and ask to not have anything cooked in butter. These are a few simple cooking tips that you can request at most restaurants to avoid added calories and bad fats.
  2. Beware of fat sources. A lot of meals have multiple sources of fats that really pack on the calories. For example, a cobb salad traditionally has lettuce, turkey, bacon, boiled eggs, avocado, cheese, and balsamic. Bacon is a fatty meat, the yolk in an egg is a fat, cheese has some bad fat, avocado is a fat, and most balsamic dressings also carry a lot of fat. I typically skip the bacon and cheese because they contain more unhealthy fats. I keep the egg for protein, the avocado for good fat, and I'll switch to olive oil and vinegar for dressing because it's also a good fat! Sometimes I keep the cheese in my salads because who doesn't like cheese :) I'll just pick some of it out so it's not so overloaded.
  3. Avoid hidden sugars. Sugar can cause you so many health problems and it is hidden everywhere. I always avoid dried fruits and candied nuts in my salads because they are packed with sugar. I also prefer to skip normal salad dressings and instead use oil and vinegar because vinegar doesn't have calories and olive oil is a good fat. Also beware of sauces and try to get them on the side so you can control your intake.
  4. Pick a good quality carb. The quality of the carbs you're eating, matters. When it comes to salads, I prefer fruits as my carbs instead of croutons or wonton strips.  I like having soft corn tacos for lunch, red potatoes and sweet potatoes are a good choice, steamed rice, or some of the lower carb breads at Subway.
  5. Watch your portions! American restaurants really load up your plate when you go out to eat so be mindful of when you're full. I try to skip the chips and bread at the beginning of the meal because they always fill me up and then I don't enjoy my actual main course!
  6. Enjoy yourself. If you go out to eat and you want a burger, have a burger and enjoy it! Everything in moderation. I don't believe in set "cheat meals" (I'll have a post on that later on) but I do believe that every once in awhile if you really want something, have it. That's healthy for you too.
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Chipotle
I hope this helps! As always, feel free to contact me with any questions because I'm always happy to answer them :)

xo,
katie lynn
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Train Smarter, Not Harder

Hi again! I can't believe it's been about a month since I've had my blog already! The past few weeks I've been working with my nutritionist on learning about ways to "train smarter, not harder". I can't tell you how badly I wish I would have known some of these things back when I started this journey!! I'm going to share my top tips to make your fitness journey so much easier!
  1. Say no to fad diets. This is my number one tip. I've literally tried a whole bunch of different diets including super "clean eating" (basically veggies, protein, rice and nothing else) and while they may work, they ARE NOT maintainable for most people. If you are training in any type of way, you need to fuel your body with the proper foods. If you starve yourself, all you're doing is slowing down your metabolism (trust me, it means more problems later on). Just make healthy choices to fuel your body, always eat breakfast, eat lots of veggies, eat fruits you love, eat carbs for strength, and eat when you're hungry. However, if you want an Oreo, eat an Oreo!! A healthy lifestyle is just that, a LIFESTYLE. Find a happy median that you can maintain and avoid fad diets that just lead you to rebound with weight gain.
  2. Find an exercise routine you enjoy. Like I've shared before, when I first really tried to focus on my fitness in college (I was active in high school but college was more about being active in beer pong) I thought I just needed to run for miles, hours, days, whatever, in order to lose weight. However, I HATE DISTANCE RUNNING. So, I was miserable the entire time I was trying to lose weight. When I found weight lifting, I knew that was what I enjoyed and going to the gym was easier than ever because I enjoyed it. I ran track my freshmen year of high school, I loved to sprint, and I was actually pretty good at it so I started incorporating that into my workouts as well. If you don't like the exercise you are doing, you won't stick to it. Find what you like to do and make it a hobby, not a chore!
  3. HIIT cardio is more effective than hours of cardio. If you enjoy distance cardio then have at it! For myself, I have found that my body responds much better to High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and I enjoy it. My goal is to build muscle and lose fat but I found out that I was doing too much cardio and I was burning through my muscle as well. I started HIIT cardio and I dropped 3% body fat in two weeks!! Currently, I'm completing 8 rounds of 30 second sprints (as fast as you can sprint) with about a 1 minute walk in between and a five minute warm up and cool down and I'll do this 2-3 times a week. If you're curious about how HIIT works I've linked a good article here. You can also complete a HIIT session in many different forms of training.
  4. Longer training sessions<short training sessions. Once upon a time, I spent HOURS in the gym, like 2-3 hours. I didn't really have the time for it, I didn't really enjoy it, and part of that time I was talking or taking too long of a break because I was tired after being there for two hours. Now, I get a lift in for about 45-60 minutes and stretch and sauna in under 30 minutes. However, I'm also only taking about a 30 second rest time between sets and I super set as much as I can (ex: alternating biceps curls and tricep dips for my first super set, two new workouts are the next super set). Now, I'm working out in a more efficient manner and I go really early when no one wants to talk :) My nutritionist told me that if I'm lifting for two hours, I'm most likely starting to burn through my muscle and that defeats the entire purpose of lifting. Lift heavy sometimes and lift lighter weight sometimes so you don't get stuck in a rut. Be efficient, throw some plyometric work in there, and get a good solid workout in, in a shorter amount of time.
  5. Good fats are GOOD. I use to avoid anything fatty because I thought that any type of fat would make me fat. However, I've found that if I include good fats with almost every meal, they give me energy and help for me to lose fat. Some examples of good fats are: coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, natural PEANUT BUTTER :), nuts, and any natural nut butter. I work out really early in the morning usually before breakfast so instead of a pre-workout, I eat a tsp of coconut oil and that gives me plenty of energy.
  6. Don't stress over unplanned meals. So, you didn't meal prep 500 things of tupperware for your week ahead? Don't panic. What I want to know is how these famous social media fitness people get their tupperware veggies to last for seven days. My organic veggies barely last four days so I like to make sure I have healthy options in the house and I typically pack snacks and lunch for work. However, sometimes life gets in the way and I don't pack my lunch. Oh, well!! This use to stress me out but not anymore. There are plenty of places where you can order some healthy options and not mess up your eating plans (I'll go into more detail about this in another post). Have a good meal with veggies, good carbs like brown rice, a lean protein, and a healthy fat. Avoid fried things, dried fruit (lots of sugar), heavy dressings, etc. Just don't stress!
  7. Occasional "bad food" is good for you. I use to have a calendar and I would mark the days that I ate "bad" aka I had one donut. I use to stress over the red X's that marked my "bad" days even though there were only about 5 per month. All that did was lead me to a binge/misery session at some point in that month. Sometimes it's good to have a donut and be a normal person so you don't feel restricted and you don't feel the need to binge and ruin your hard work. If you want a treat, have it, enjoy it, and keep it moving. Don't avoid foods, that's not a way of life and don't go overboard.
  8. There is no magic supplement. I've tried lots of supplements thinking they would help (fat burners, diet pills, detox crap, etc.) and really they just harmed my body. If you eat right, train right, and take the right VITAMINS (not diet pills) you are headed in the right direction. Research your vitamins to make sure you are getting a pure vitamin and remember that they will help your body but there is no miracle pill. Vitamin Shoppe, doTERRA, and Wholefoods have a very good selection of vitamins. Some vitamins at Walmart and Walgreens are actually not as strictly regulated as they should be, and may not contain what you need.
I hope these tips help you to go in the right direction so that you don't have to go through trial and error like I did! Email me with any questions, I would love to answer them!

xo,
katie lynn
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Vacation Eating Tips

Hi everyone! So I'm pretty excited my blog has been viewed almost 500 times in 6 countries!!!!!! Thank you to everyone for reading :) I was sitting in the Phoenix airport when I started writing this and dwelling over the fact that my body didn't feel 100%  after a few days off of my typical meals. I was in AZ for my ASU MBA orientation which included provided meals like salad but also a few meals that included burgers and pizza. A few months ago, I would't have touched these meals and I would have been stressing over what to do because I was hungry or I would have over ate and stressed over what to do because I felt awful. Now, I am not concerned about these meals and I'm not going to go hungry because I'm stressed about eating pizza (how silly does that sound when you really think about it, but at the time it was a reality for me). I'm also not going to pass up these free catered meals :)

In the past few days I've also had a few people ask me about cheat meals/traveling/etc. I love to travel but for awhile I dreaded it because vacation means cheat meals and at that time for me, it also meant guilt. A lot of people go on vacation and it's an endless buffet for them just because of the word "vacation". For some that is okay but for others trying to still keep their fitness goals in line, that is a disaster waiting to happen. I would be ridiculous to say that people don't want to enjoy themselves on vacation but I would also be ridiculous to say that you can't. Yes, I believe there is a happy balance even when it comes to vacation.
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First of all, go out on vacation and enjoy yourself! That is the whole point of a vacation. Enjoy the new foods and drinks but in moderation. If you are use to a healthy diet you may feel somewhat crappy coming home but that's typically just bloating and water retention unless you eat everything in sight. This is how I'm currently feeling but I know I didn't go overboard and I'll work out tomorrow and be fine.
Second, pack some healthy snacks. I use to try and pack meals on vacation but that did not work for me as it may for others. Typically, I would pack meals and they would be disgusting by the time I landed and went to consume them. Packing meals just made me resentful that I couldn’t enjoy a vacation like everyone else and, once again, it caused me to become more obsessive with food. Your best choice is to pack a few healthy snacks that will give you some good options if you don’t want to eat something that is provided.
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Something else to keep in mind while traveling is moderation. Think about items that you really want to indulge on and skip the ones you can live without. If you practice moderation, you won't feel so full but you will also get to enjoy the things you really want. Denying a craving on vacation, in my opinion, is the means to a bad vacation. Life is too short not to enjoy little things. Also eat slowly and keep in mind when your body is telling you it is full. Portion control is one of the best things to practice when living a healthy lifestyle and stuffing yourself only leaves you feeling crappy.
The last thing to keep in mind is DON'T FEEL GUILTY! You're only human and humans like to indulge, just be smart about it and enjoy yourself. Guilt is what brought on a lot of my past misery and I refuse to let those feelings sink in again. As soon as they do, I remind myself that I will be back on a normal routine when I'm home. Once I'm home, I typically like to use the sauna for a few days and use my essential oil, DigestZen, to help aid my body in getting rid of any water weight I'm holding on to. The DigestZen (you can search for this through the link) is a new find of mine and it's really helpful when I'm feeling not 100% after vacation. I just rub a little on my stomach and add some to my morning coffee and it seems to get my digestive system right back on track.

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Hopefully this helps anyone on vacation! Happy travels!

xo,
katie lynn
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Essential Oil Shaving Cream

Happy Monday! This weekend I was exploring Pinterest and playing with my oils and came across this awesome shaving cream idea! Due to our dry climate, I've always dealt with having dry skin and I also have sensitive skin. Most shave creams really irritate me and I had yet to find one that didn't bother my skin. After using this one, my skin felt awesome and it wasn't irritated at all!! Win!


To make this shave cream you will need:
-2/3 cup pure Shea butter, 2/3 cup organic coconut oil, 1/4 cup organic olive oil, 10 drops of lavender essential oil and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil (these two oils I also added to my lotion and it helps to soothe my skin, good for eczema as well), and 2 tbsp of baking soda.
I melted the Shea butter and coconut oil then took them off the heat. I then added the olive oil and essential oils. Once everything was mixed, I set the mixture in the fridge to harden. After it was mostly hard, I took it out of the fridge, added the baking soda, and mixed everything together with an electric mixer (can also use a whisk). The mixture should be fluffy and it'll keep for a month! It works perfectly and it's free of all the crap in other shave creams. I found this recipe here.
Enjoy :)

xo,
katie
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Six Day Detox

Hi everyone! Thank you for sharing my blog and my first post :) I'm really excited about this blog and all the responses meant a lot to me! This week I completed a six day detox that was prescribed by my holistic doctor (her name is Elizabeth, check out her website). So I wanted to touch on detoxing, essential oils, and supplements.


After incorrectly dieting for what felt like forever, my body was really off balance so I started seeing a nutritionist and then a holistic doctor. For those of you that don't know what the holistic practice is, you can learn about it here. I may have found somewhat of a balance between life and fitness but my body has some recovering to do. My nutritionist (Deanna, contact me for her info) had me take a blood test to see just what my body was doing. My blood test showed that I had a lot of hormone issues, some digestive issues, and I was actually lacking a lot of nutrients. I found out that a lot of the vitamins I was taking from places like Walgreens and Walmart either had bad ingredients or lacked what I really needed. If you are going to invest in supplements, make sure you research them! There is no such thing as a "skinny pill" so don't believe any gimmicks. Supplements are meant to benefit your body but they can't be relied on solely to lose weight, etc. Organic supplements are the best and make sure you read the labels. If you have access to a professional, ask for their recommendations.

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Some of my staple supplements are a good multi vitamin, vitamin C to strengthen my immune system, a probiotic for healthy digestion, amino's for my muscle recovery/development, iron since I don't eat a lot of red meat, and omega 3 for cardiovascular and joint health. I also added Holy Basil and Maca powder for awhile to regulate some hormone levels like testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol (the stress hormone that makes it hard to lose weight and holy basil can lower it). Vitamin Shoppe has a good selection of organic vitamins to chose from. My nutritionist came up with some natural supplements to try and get my body back on track. She's also been extremely helpful in teaching me how to eat/train smarter instead of harder (that topic will be another post in itself). I then began seeing Elizabeth so that she would be able to read my body and help me find total body balance. By using holistic practices she was able to find out what my body needed in order to recover. If you don't believe in holistic practices let me tell you she was able to read my body and give me the same results that my blood test had given me. She recently had me complete a six day detox to clear my digestive system so that I would have a healthier digestive system and be able to absorb nutrients again. No point in buying all these supplements if I can't benefit from them!

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I believe that you have to go through a professional to have access to this detox, but that really is the safest way to detox. When detoxing, you have to be very careful with what you use. I used to use dieter's tea on a regular basis and that has Senna in it which really causes more harm to your digestive system than it does benefit. I also tried a few detox's I found at a local health foods stores and they caused me a lot of stomach pain, nausea, etc. A lot of the "skinny teas" you see online are really a gimmick and can cause a lot of harm to your body. Make sure you look into the ingredients of a detox and make sure it is something that will be gentle on your body. Juicing is a good way to detox because it doesn't make you sick and it's using natures fruits and veggies.

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The first three days of my six day detox consisted of eating only grains, fruits, and veggies. The reason for this is to take some strain off of my digestive system. Sometimes the best part about a detox is giving your digestive system a break! It is a very hard working part of your body. The last three days of my detox, I was able to resume my normal healthy diet but I kept out any heavy food, red meat, etc. Over time, there are things that your body can't digest and they end up just sitting in your body (lots of red meats, nuts, some beans and dairy, etc.) This detox essentially reset my digestive system. I also used essential oils throughout these six days in order to help the process. I added lemon essential oil to my daily gallon of water because it helps in body purification. It's way stronger than just squeezing a lemon in your water because it takes 3000 lemons to make a kilo of this oil! I also used oregano oil to flavor my veggies because it's antibacterial/anti-fungal/antiviral and it helps with digestion and metabolic balance. The third oil I used in my water is called Slim & Sassy and it helped to keep my metabolism going while curbing any cravings I had (it's hard to eat vegan for three days!!) After the detox and the oils, my body is already feeling better (no bloating!). Link to these oils is on my contact info page and here.
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My dieting, binging, etc. left my digestive system very overworked and my nutritionist believed I had a little bit of leaky gut syndrome also from consuming a lot of whey protein (I have cut this protein out of my diet because it is so heavy on your stomach). It caused me to have a lack in nutrients because you typically absorb nutrients through your digestive system. Having these digestive problems is just another reason to avoid unhealthy dieting and eating habits. Now that I completed my detox, I should be able to absorb all of the nutrients from my supplements and they will benefit my body to the fullest extent. I'm one step closer to having a healthier body! I strongly recommend a healthy detox to anyone. It's good to detox your life and your body and rid yourself of all of the toxins that gather up over time. I also recommend taking supplements as long as you have researched them and you believe you will benefit from them.

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Hopefully this helps some of you who are a little lost when it comes to all the supplements, detox's, etc. on the market. If you every have any questions, feel free to contact me :)

xo,
katie lynn
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Hello World, This is My Journey to Self Love

Hi everyone! So excited to start blogging! I figured I would start out by talking a little bit about my own fitness journey and how I became so passionate about fitness, health, and self love.



Like any college student, I liked to party. College parties all week long also came with hangovers, late night eating, barely working out, and weight gain! Woo! I'm pretty sure most of us can relate. However, at one point I realized how unhappy I was with myself and February 2013 (after I took that picture below) is when I made the decision to strive for a healthier lifestyle.

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I started working out (which really just consisted of cardio) and eating what I thought was healthy (what I saw on social media as "clean food".) I stopped drinking so much as well, lol. The weight started falling off and this worked for me, however, I wasn't always happy. First off, I hate cardio and I hate cardio equipment. If you're a distance runner, we are of a different breed :) Working out was miserable and my first clean recipes tasted awful because I had cut so much out of my diet (even olive oil). I became obsessed with losing weight, punished myself for eating something "bad", avoided social gatherings because of the food and alcohol, and I weighed myself daily while punishing myself for not seeing the scale numbers change. I even recorded my weight on my mirror (picture below) and while this may be motivation for some, it made me obsessive. This lifestyle would never be maintainable but I was determined.

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I finally started seeing a trainer (Marisa Hausenfleck) so that I could learn how to lift weights and get some strength back like I had in my cheerleading days. She also taught me how much consistency paid off and I was able to reach my original weight while working with her. I then decided that I wanted to train for a fitness show in order to show off my year long hard work. My friend Jenny (jenny_chuchu on insta) helped to train me and teach me the ins and outs of competing because she was a successful competitor. In March 2014, I successfully competed in a local OCB show and I was the skinniest I had ever been. I was proud of how I looked and how dedicated I was and it was a HUGE accomplishment, but I still wasn't happy.

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I felt like I had lost some friendships because I avoided social situations so much. I was so dedicated I even went to Vegas and packed all of my healthy food. Eat some grilled chicken while watching your friends eat In and Out and tell me how you like that, lol. After my show I wanted to build muscle and strength but I couldn't find any kind of balance in my life. it's hard to explain just how miserable I was at this point and it's something a lot of competitors may be able to relate to. I couldn't find motivation to work out, I wanted to eat healthy but hated it at the same time, I lost all portion control (binge and restrict pattern), I would eat badly then just try to get it out of my body, my strict dieting had messed up my hormones and I gained weight much quicker than I ever had, I wanted to go out and have a social life again but I would feel guilty for eating or drinking with everyone else. Being so strict and hard on myself for over a year was what brought me to this point. The only good thing about my struggles, were that I knew I wanted this healthy lifestyle and I wasn't going to give up on it.
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Looking back I also realize that my self image was completely distorted. I remember taking the picture above and thinking I was fat. It all was a vicious cycle but I was determined to get out of it and come out on top. I started working with Berenice Salazar (ladyfit is her instagram) because she had gone through this same type of what I would consider an eating disorder. She told me something that changed a lot for me. She told me to focus on my health and not on just what I looked like. I realized this whole time I was working on my "health journey" I really was just trying to look good and I wasn't in it for the right reasons. This includes mental health. Being miserable wasn't worth being really skinny.
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I started doing what I loved like hanging out with friends, weight lifting/sprints, and cooking healthy but tasty meals with healthy food I enjoyed (I used to not even eat bananas because they had too much sugar and that is ridiculous!) I wrote recipes for the blog Sparkling from the Inside Out. I kept traveling and enjoying life. I started seeing a nutritionist and holistic doctor to try and find out what I needed to get past this mentally and how to get my hormones regulated from the damage I had caused myself. Instead of being hard on myself I started focusing on self love. It took me up until a few weeks ago to finally feel like I had balance in my life. I'm strong, I enjoy weight lifting (you have to find a workout you enjoy) and coming up with new healthy recipes, I eat lots of good whole foods and enjoy some "unhealthy" foods every now and then (but in the right portions and without guilt). I don't feel guilty and I'm completely happy with myself and being strong not stick thin. My hormones have finally regulated and I was able to lose some of the fat I had gained while being stuck in my vicious cycle.
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I remember a few months ago feeling like there was no light at the end of this tunnel. That I would forever be unhappy and I would never be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Now, feeling much better these last few weeks I decided to create this blog. I know there are girls out there struggling with some kind of body issues due to the media in our society and I see you. There is light at the end of this tunnel. You can be healthy and happy. Never give up on what you want! My "health journey" wasn't always glamorous but it taught me a lot and brought me to the point where I can live a balanced lifestyle and love how I look and how I feel. :)

xo,
katie lynn
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