Burn More Calories

A question I am frequently asked is this:

"How can I make sure I am burning as many calories as possible when I'm at the gym?"

Enhancing your caloric expenditure during exercise is a science and can especially help when trying to lose weight. These are things that I did to help me lean down while I was preparing for my NPC competition last year.

1. Supplement Your Workout Beforehand

Supplements such as pre-workouts or fat burners are not just great for energy, but they give your metabolism a slight boost as well. This is because you have the energy to be more physically active and the stamina to push through a physically challenging workout, naturally burning more calories. 

2. Get Better Sleep

Yes, your quality of sleep affects your body's ability to metabolize energy sources throughout the day! When you don't get good sleep, all of your body's processes are less efficient, and your metabolism is included. You will also have more energy to go harder at the gym.

3. Short Resting Periods

This is an extremely effective way to burn more calories at the gym. In fact, if you shorten your resting periods while lifting weights, it affects your body in a similar way to cardiorespiratory exercise. Keeping your resting periods between 1-2 minutes between sets will keep your heart rate high, requiring your body to push further and burn more calories. 

4. Do Cardio Last

Studies have shown that weightlifting before doing cardiorespiratory exercise increases your metabolic capabilities during cardio. So, instead of starting your gym session with a 30 minute run before lifting weights, reverse it. 

5. Eat Breakfast

Eating a healthy and decent sized breakfast "kick starts" your metabolism for the day and helps you to burn more calories even while you are sitting at your desk job. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast are more likely to lose unhealthy weight faster and keep it off easier. 

Remember to never neglect your general health -- burning a ton of calories is not more important than being safe and healthy! Going to extremes will only damage your metabolism and cause more problems for your body.

Why Won't My Abs Show?

I hear it all the time -- "I have been working out my abs for so long now. Why have I hardly seen 

any improvements?"

The truth is that there is not just one answer to this question. There are a lot of factors that go into

 abdominal muscle development and visibility.

I'm going to outline the most common reasons why active people feel like they just can't get any 

definition in their abs. Hopefully if you are struggling with this challenge, this will help you to 

understand what may be going on and how to possibly overcome it.

1. Your diet sucks

You have probably heard this before, but that's because this is the #1 reason why people can spend 

hours at the gym and still never see their abs. Even if you are eating a clean diet, if you are eating 

more calories than your body burns every day, those excess calories will turn into fat. If your diet 

does not match your efforts in the gym, fix that. Eat at a maintenance level or slightly decrease your

 caloric intake for a few weeks to lean down. You just might have awesome abs underneath it all. 

Please note that it is not healthy for the average woman to have shredded abs all year long, as 

that often means that her body fat percentage is too low for healthy function. I don't shoot for 

shredded abs year-round, I just like to have a toned core.

2. You aren't working out your core properly

If you're spending most of your time working out your upper abs, you probably aren't going to see 

much change. Your abdominal muscles are just like every other muscle group in your body: You 

need to hit them from as many angles as possible to actually see development. Great exercises to 

engage your entire core are leg raises, planks, and side bridges. Make sure that your core exercise 

routine targets your abs from multiple angles.

3. Genetics

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but genetics play a huge part in your core development. Many 

people have lopsided or staggered abdominal muscles. Others may have more separation between the 

abdominal muscles, which makes it look like their abs are more toned even when they rarely do 

isolated abdominal exercises.

Staggered

On the other hand, some people may have less of a gap between each abdominal muscle, which 

means that those lines that make up a six pack are not as visible, no matter how strong and dense 

your abs are. This is less common, but I have seen it before on more than one occasion. People with 

abdominal muscles like this have flat, toned stomachs, but can never seem to get that chiseled six-pack.

Another common genetic reason to not see your abs is that you carry most of your fat in your 

abdomen. If you are a moderately low body fat percentage, work out your core from every angle on a 

regular basis, and eat a healthy diet without an excess of calories, you still may be carrying a bit of 

fat right across those ab muscles if that's where your body likes to carry it. Unfortunately, there's not 

much you can do in this situation, but continuing to build and tone your abs may help to keep your 

core looking as toned as possible.

This is a tricky one because everyone's body metabolizes and holds fat differently, so you need to use 

your own intuition and knowledge about your own body to decipher whether or not this is your issue.

4. You aren't working hard enough

Sometimes I see people at the gym who lay down a mat, do 10 reps of 3 different ab exercises, and 

leave. You wouldn't go to the gym just to run for five minutes on the treadmill and then leave. Why? 

Because it would be a waste of time and you wouldn't get anything out of it. So why do we do this 

with our ab workouts? I work my abs out twice a week, performing at least 3 different exercises for 

3-5 sets of 10-15 reps (depending on the exercise). This is my minimum amount of training for my 

core.

5. You aren't doing compound exercises

Especially if you are a beginner at the gym, you may not know that half of your abdominal exercise 

has nothing to do with crunches, planks, etc. There are these beautiful things called compound 

exercises, and they recruit multiple muscle groups in your body, including your abs. These are some 

of the best exercises you could do for your body to build strength and tone up. Some examples of 

these include barbell squats, deadlifts, lunges, pull-ups, and bench presses. 

Example: Here are the muscles that are used during a barbell squat. (via ke-fitness.com)

The commonality among all of these exercises is that the core needs to be engaged -- in other words, 

your abs need to be flexed to stabilize your body. This is why I never do ab isolation exercises on leg 

days because my leg days are full of compound exercises where my abs are being worked out 

already. If you are doing a lot of isolation ab exercises but aren't working out the rest of your body 

using compound movements, perhaps you need to add them into your workout regimen. They are 

good for your whole body, anyway.

How I Passed the NASM Exam

Today, I passed the National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Training Certification exam! I haven't felt so elated in a long time because I put a lot of effort and time into it. One of the most helpful things was researching other people's tips online who had confidently passed and tested well. Since it is still fresh in my mind, I wanted to jot down the things that helped me the most to pass the exam.

First of all, as I am sure you may have already seen, there is a thread on bodybuilding.com where NASM personal trainers compiled some of their best tips. When I first read this, I was extremely overwhelmed and it almost made me feel worse. I purchased the self-study package with study guides, the textbook, the practice test and flashcards, and I was still overwhelmed with all of the information that was shoved into my lap that I was supposed to memorize.

Even so, I advise you to read the thread linked above. I didn't do absolutely everything mentioned (especially because the thread is a bit outdated so page numbers and test questions are different), but I did get some very helpful tips, such as grouping muscle functions instead of memorizing individual muscle functions (which is HARD).

Anyway, other than reading that thread, here are my personal tips for passing the NASM.

Smartphone Apps

One of the most useful studying strategies was to pull out my phone and fiddle around with anatomy apps to help me learn muscles. 

Speed Anatomy // I purchased the full one, which was a waste. The free one is great help and fun to use. It doesn't teach you every little muscle, but is a great place to start and learn the bigger, more "mainstream" muscles and bones. This made learning the rest of the muscles less overwhelming and more understandable. 

iMuscle 2 // Worth the money! This was the best resource ever).

NASM CPT // I didn't purchase the full version, and sometimes I wish I had, but it was $10 and I just didn't feel right spending that much on an iPhone app. It was useful to whip out when work or class got boring and drill through a few practice test questions, which was the only feature I used on this app. 

Concepts

• Learning muscle groups and their function helped me with the majority of the questions. Don't just memorize to spew out information, but actually practice using that muscle and feel the function yourself. That way, if a question pops up about muscle usage that you don't have memorized, all you have to do is apply it to yourself to figure it out. 
• Example: I would try doing a single-leg squat and let my knee cave inward. I would then make a mental note of which muscles felt like they were contracting and which felt under-active. I would then straighten out so that I could feel what muscles were supposed to contract with the proper form. So, without even studying, I could tell you that one of the muscles that is under-active when the knee caves in during a single leg squat is the gluteus medius. I tested every single movement on myself as I studied it so that I would know what it felt like to do it correctly or incorrectly.
• Practice assessments on someone else. I practiced every single assessment on my brother, my husband, or myself. This helped me to understand assessments on a whole new level because I had actually done them. I also found out by doing this that I have an anterior tilted pelvis and pronation distortion syndrome, so that was cool, I guess. Knowledge of fitness assessments is very important to do well on the test.
• Know how muscles work in detail, from their structure to their chemical makeup to things like reciprocal inhibition. This helps to reason through a great deal of the questions.
• Know acute variables intimately. These are things like repetition range, tempo, number of sets, etc. in many different training scenarios. It's mapped out nicely in Chapter 14 of the 4th edition textbook. This was possibly one of the most useful chapters for the exam. It's a lot of information, but it wasn't a difficult chapter to understand and retain, especially if you have a lot of experience working out.

Study Strategies

• Make your own flash cards. I flipped through about 10 flash cards that NASM provided and never looked at them again. Instead, I read the book chapter-by-chapter and created my own flash cards full of everything that I thought was important. I would carry those around with me in my backpack and review them throughout the day. 
• Take the practice test, but don't study it. What I mean by this is that some people will write down all of the questions and answers of the practice test and memorize them. If you do this, you will not learn much, because the NASM test questions are only similar to the practice test in concept. Instead, every practice test question that I didn't get right, I would write down the concept of the question and study that.
• Example: There may be a question on the practice test asking how you should instruct your client to warm up in Phase 1 of the OPT model. That's great if you memorize that, but on the test, it might ask what warm-ups you should to for a client in Phase 2 who has knee pain (FYI, that's not an official test question, just an example). If you conceptually understand how warming up works and why you should or should not do certain things in each phase, this test question is easy, but if you just memorized the practice test question, you might not completely understand the concept.
• Study diligently about 30-45 minutes every weeknight. Give yourself a break on weekends and this way you will not overwhelm yourself. I did this for about 3 months. The longest study session I had was a 4 hour comprehensive review yesterday right before the exam to make sure I could tie all the concepts together, but I never studied even close to that long on other days. 
• Listen to audio recordings in the car. I would listen to the videos that were provided by NASM in their study guide over my car's speakers as I would drive around throughout the week. This would help to drill concepts, definitions, and processes into my head, sometimes without me even realizing it until I took the practice test and was surprised at how well I knew some things. Repetition, people. It works. I didn't even have to try. I just drove.

I hope this helps someone out there to feel more ready for the NASM exam. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but I'm sure it's because I was so well prepared, because I realized at the end of the test that I never would have been able to come close to passing it before my three months of dedicated studying. Good luck!

Gymwear Essentials Under $75

Fall is in the air and that also means that some of my favorite athletic outfitters are releasing fresh new Fall 2016 pieces that I can't wait to get my hands on. You know me, though -- I don't like spending a boatload of cash on clothes. I like to invest my money wisely, so I always buy clothes that will last me forever, are a classic style, and won't cost a fortune. I also have done a lot of the work for you by finding the cute new things out there for reasonable prices and putting them together in one blog post. So, without further ado...

Chelsi's picks under $75:

Source: Caliastudio.com

CALIA Cutout Long Sleeve Shirt: $45

I saw this beautiful oatmeal-colored shirt at Dick's Sporting Goods the other day and I fell in love. It's too bad I had just bought a million college textbooks and will have to wait to go back and grab it (boo, adult responsibilities). It is a semi-fitted silhouette that is very breathable. The front has a v-neckline, and the world knows I love v-necks. They are universally flattering and elongating. Also, I love Carrie Underwood and I'm all about supporting her company.

Source: Gap.com

GapFit Breathe barre wrap top: $31.96

I just think this shirt is absolutely beautiful. I love that I could throw on some high waist jeans with this top and wear it to class as well. The various angles and slight gathering at the waist are very flattering to most body types and accentuate an hourglass figure. It also comes in maroon, true indigo and charcoal grey. But because I am obsessed with this shade always and forever, I love the light heather grey pictured above. The maroon one comes in as a close second. 

Source: Lululemon.com

Lululemon Essential Tank: $58

A beautiful, lightweight, soft, and high-quality tank is always a must. I love the cross back that Lululemon has completely mastered. It adds an interesting detail to the classic racerback yoga tank. This tank comes in 5 different colors and every single one would look fantastic with black or grey leggings. 

Source: Fabletics.com

Fabletics Lisette High Waist Legging: $44.95 (w/ VIP Discount)

Since this is made with a poly-spandex blend, it's going to fit snug and soft. The main thing that I LOVE about these leggings is how flattering they are. Any leggings that have stitching that trails up the side of your leg and rounds out at the top in a way that frames your behind is going to be flattering. Add the high waist and you cannot go wrong with these. If you are new to Fabletics, you can also get these discounted even further for $22.47! 

Source: Adidas.com

Adidas Extaball Shoes: $70

To be honest, I am in complete disbelief that these shoes are only $70. I have concluded that if I don't order them myself tonight I will regret it. I mean, look at that perfection. The color, the style, the silhouette... Heck, I would probably wear these every other day, gym or no gym.

Source: Forever21.com

Forever 21 Active Mesh Hoodie: $19.90

Of course, I can't have a Fitness Fashion Friday without mentioning Forever 21's active line. This hoodie is an edgy spin on a simple classic-black hoodie with its fishnet cuffs with thumbholes. It is lightweight enough for the gym and can go from gym to street easily. It's got that slouchy, effortless, cool-girl style that says "I'm too lazy to dress up today, but I look fabulous anyway." 

Source: Forever21.com

Forever 21 Active Tie-Back Yoga Pants: $19.90

I'm in love. These are simply adorable. I love everything about these from the classic black to the lace-up calves. I have a few Forever 21 leggings in my wardrobe and they never disappoint. They always fit well and surprisingly last a long time (considering the price). 

Nike Pro Warm Graphic Training Tights: $55

I love the combination of heather grey with a bright color, and teal just so happens to be one of my favorites, so of course I have to recommend these newly released tights. And also, it's Nike. It's hard to go wrong with Nike. These also come in black and white, turquoise and jade, and obsidian and light blue. Every single combination looks on point. 

How to Love Yourself

I work with victims of domestic violence. Once a week, I meet with our clients who live at our Women's Shelter and I teach them how to pick their lives back up so that they can someday find love again. I'm not always talking about love of a partner -- I have a whole lesson that I often teach which completely focuses on learning to truly, deeply love themselves. I have been teaching this curriculum for two years and every time I teach it, I learn more about it.

I sit with my girls around a table when I teach to keep it feeling comfortable, like we are friends chatting around breakfast. This helps them to open up, and I have the privilege to have deep conversations with them that they may never have with anyone else. I have also worked similarly with young teenage and adult victims of abuse and sexual assault.

While I am not going to go into detail about this part of my job, I have deep conversations with people every day who feel that they have reached rock-bottom. Oftentimes, their self-love is nonexistent. Other times, they love themselves so much that they feel deserving of happiness and something more than what they have previously experienced. I learn everything that I know from these amazing people, from my own experience, and from my extensive training in my social work position.

Here is a condensed version of my How to Love Yourself steps. This is my challenge to you: Pick one and work on it for two weeks diligently. Write it on your mirror, set it as your phone wallpaper, set reminders on your phone throughout the day so that you keep thinking about it... whatever works for you. After two weeks of working on this every day, pick another and work on it for two weeks. Do this over and over and I promise you that your self-love will not be perfect, but it will improve and so will your happiness.

The beautiful thing about this is that you do not have to be perfect to love yourself. In fact, these steps give you the grace to make mistakes and to be imperfect while still seeing the unconditional value in yourself. They are not silly, cliche tips, but deeper, science-based methods to changing your mindset. Whatever your struggles are -- Body image, addiction, a breakup, or just a day-to-day struggle to feel good in your own skin, this can heal a great lot of your pain if you commit to it.

1) Stop criticizing yourself.

Every thought you have, action you take, and thing you say, you are changing. You are changing for the better or for the worse every second of the day and you are never stagnant. It is not what happens to you that makes you change, it is your decisions. When you criticize yourself, you are changing for the worse. Stop. There is no point. Stop wasting your time with self-criticism.

2) Stop being afraid of failure.

We are naturally afraid of failure. But when you learn to face the possibility of failure with bravery, things change all around you. You take risks, and sometimes, you actually succeed. You live more fully and you become a stronger person overall.

3) Love your mind.

When we hate ourselves, we are actually only hating the thoughts in our heads. Even if you hate yourself because of your actions, every action begins with a thought. You can change your thoughts, however difficult it may be. Simply put, when you let negative thoughts wander through your mind often, your brain creates a roadway for those neurons, and those negative thoughts become habitual, easily traveling down those roadways over and over. But this is not permanent. With persistence, when you try hard to think positive thoughts consistently instead of negative thoughts, it will gradually get easier with time as the unused roadways for negative thoughts collapse and new roadways for positive thoughts are built. This is an actual biological occurrence.

4) Be loving to your negatives.

This is not a "love the things you hate about yourself" step. I actually don't completely agree with loving the negative things about yourself. Some of your negative things should change, such as being rude to others or carrying unhealthy habits. Rather, I want you to think of something that you hate about yourself that can be changed (a habit, a behavior, a defense mechanism, etc.). Now trace that in your memory back to where that negative thing began. I guarantee that, in most cases, it started for a reason (perhaps to cope with something difficult). Now, it is not needed and it is hindering you. That's why it is a negative thing in your life. You don't need it anymore, so lovingly let that part of you go. That is what it means to be loving to your negatives.

5) Support yourself and be independent. 

This could mean something different for everybody. To support yourself is to do whatever you need to do to be independent and to have a good, close relationship with yourself. You should not need anybody in your life except for yourself and God. This means that any person you keep in your life is there because you want them to be, not because you feel unsteady without them. This is a very powerful step in life. Once people realize that they need to treat you well to stay in your life because you don't need them, your relationships become healthier. People realize they cannot walk all over you and you learn a new level of self-respect. When I reached the point in my life where I could go to the movies alone on a Friday night and feel perfectly happy, I felt a newfound close relationship with myself and God.

6) Take care of your body.

I don't just say this because I am a health nut. There is a science behind the correlation between treating your body with respect and loving yourself. Learn about nutrition. Exercise regularly. You get one body in life, and your body is your home until the moment you die. Treat it well. Raise it with love. Respect what it is capable of. Challenge it. The human body is such a beautiful thing because of what it can do. Learn that for yourself.

7) Nourish your spirit.

This is another thing that may be different for each person. If you believe in God, learn about Him. Develop a close relationship with God and learn about your own divine nature. Pray daily and study your faith diligently. If you do not believe in God, do yoga, spend time in nature, or write in a journal daily. Spiritual health is just as important as physical and mental health, but it is one of the most neglected. Even if your mental and physical health are good, if your spiritual health is suffering, you may feel that something is missing but you will not quite be able to put your finger on it. In fact, if your spiritual health is good, your mental and physical health often naturally follow. Your mental processes become healthier, leading to healthier habits physically.

________

I hope this helps you to begin your journey to self-love. Like anything, these steps take practice. Though I teach these, I am not perfect at them, either. Some days you will be great at it and some days you will fail miserably. What matters is that you keep trying until you get it, like riding a bicycle.

My Jumpsuit Obsession

The title says it all. I have recently developed an obsession with jumpsuits and I am so glad they are in style. With the comfort of a maxi dress, the freedom of sweat pants, the diversity of style, and the petite-friendly lengthening effect of jumpsuits, they just may be the perfect wardrobe item. I had a big meeting in Salt Lake City today with the Utah Department of Health that would last all day, so I wanted to look professional, yet be comfortable. I was sifting through my closet and as my fingers brushed across my J-Lo jumpsuit, I knew that it was fate.

I completed the look with a black belt around my waist that I have had for a million years and taupe pumps. The small leopard print of the jumpsuit is perfect for petites (tip for small ladies like me: Stick with small patterns, as large printed patterns tend to overwhelm you). I added some pearl earrings and kept my jewelry minimal to keep it classy because it's easy to quickly look gaudy while wearing animal prints. I also have a hard time finding jumpsuits with a slim leg design and a waist band high enough for me, so this was a nice find (actually, my dear momma found it for me) at Kohl's. 

 Jumpsuit: Kohl's size 0 - Sold Out (similar here) // Heels: Guess size 5.5 

Handbag: "It Girl" by Nine West in Nude

I can wear this all day and, I must say, I'm not near as comfortable when I change into my pajamas at night. I'm tempted to just wear this to bed.

High-End Gym Fashion Tips

Being a newlywed undergrad college student, money is something that is on my mind a lot. I'm constantly trying to live a balance between being budget-smart while not letting it rule my life and dictate whether or not I do things I love. One of those things I love is fashion, which even applies while I am sweaty and gross in the gym. Some say, "If I'm going to be sweaty and gross, why would I buy nice clothes to wear at the gym?" I say, "I may be sweaty and gross, but at least my outfit is on point!"

I can be a bit of a brand nut. I love Nike, UnderArmour and Adidas; however, I hate spending $60 on a pair of leggings or a yoga shirt. My closet is full of adorable name brand clothing, about 90% of which I didn't pay more than $30 for. I also have a lot of fitness clothing that is not from these athletic clothing giants, but is of excellent quality (and sometimes is even cuter). I'm someone who always loves to be fashion-forward, whether I am in sweats, a dress, or on a run. So, here's how I make it happen while working part time and studying as a full-time college student.

Top: Adidas (Past Season -- similar) // Leggings: Marika (Past Season -- similar) // Shoes: Nike Zoom

Forever 21

Shopping at Forever 21 for workout clothes is one of my favorite things. They provide pieces with a Lululemon-esque design for a fraction of the price. I have purchased a few pairs of leggings and tanks there and I always get compliments. I have seen their workout line range from $8-$30 a piece. 

I must say, however, some of their pieces are hit-and-miss. For petite-curvy girls like me, their clothes can sometimes fit a little funny. I have never had a problem with their leggings, but their shorts and some tank tops are sometimes not too flattering for me, and many of their tank tops are translucent. 

Because of this, I ALWAYS try on F21 pieces before I buy them to make sure they fit me properly. Be sure to search through their seemingly random racks of clothing for gems that may be less obvious at first sight, as that is how I find all of my favorite pieces there.

Old Navy

If you're like me, you have a lot of memories of going to Old Navy with your mom for back-to-school shopping and you don't really look at Old Navy for the cutest, latest fashion styles anymore. Oftentimes, I have had trouble with shirts becoming misshapen after washing or patterns fading fast. While Old Navy everyday fashion is hit-and-miss, I have always been very happy with their athletic line. 

I have seen pieces at Old Navy range from $5-$35 a piece, depending on whether or not they are on sale. They tend to have excellent sales prices and there's always something on sale in their athletic department. They have cute leggings and very comfortable tops that are often fashion-forward and keep up with the latest trends in fashion. I have had no trouble with my Old Navy athletic wear becoming misshapen after washing. They fit well and are of good quality.

TJ Maxx  / Ross

I always lump TJ Maxx and Ross together because they are very similar stores and I buy an equal amount of clothes from both of them. Most of my name brand pieces I found here. I have never paid more than $30 for a single item of clothing at TJ Maxx or Ross. While not all of their items are latest season, I tend not to care about this, because most fitness clothing items are timeless, and fitness fashion trends tend to stick around for much longer than streetwear or dress wear. 

I have obtained some of my favorite sports bras from Ross and adorable leggings from TJ Maxx. Before hitting up F21 or Old Navy, I always check TJM or Ross first. On occasion, I have spotted some adorable athletic shoes at both stores, too. 

Target

Oh, Target... every 21+ woman's favorite store. They carry the athletic line Champion, which I used to stay away from because it wasn't a big name brand that you can find in Sports Authority or Dick's Sporting Goods. Then, I grew up and realized that Champion has some fantastic pieces that seem to be just as high quality as Nike, UA or Adidas. I love their athletic bras and, most of all, their outerwear. Most of my athletic jackets are Champion brand. I see Champion products ranging from $15-$50. Keep a look out for a good sale between seasons. 

Secondhand Stores

Gasp! Yes, I said it. Secondhand stores can be your best friend if you do it right. I'm not talking about thrift stores, but the stores that buy lightly used recently-bought clothing and sell them to the public at crazy reduced prices. In northern Utah, my favorite secondhand store is called Plato's Closet. I have bought name brand athletic clothing in near-perfect condition for $5-$20 a piece. In fact, the white Adidas shirt pictured above was bought at a secondhand store for $7 and it has virtually no sign that it was ever worn. 

I hope this helped you budget-savvy ladies who love fitness or are beginning your fitness journey!

             

Bikini Competitor Diet

I haven't mentioned this much before, but I am an NPC bikini competitor. For those of you who are not familiar with the fitness competition industry, it simply means that I am a body builder who focuses on having a strong and lean, yet feminine figure. Though I have immense respect for female figure competitors (the women who get fantastically ripped and could probably beat up most of the men I know), that is not where my passion lies.

HUGE DISCLAIMER: Do NOT aim to look like a stage-ready bikini competitor in your every day life. Newsflash: Even bikini competitors don't look like bikini competitors unless they are a week or two out from their competition. In my off-season, however, I still manage to stay fairly lean with a healthy amount of fat on my bones (because, Newsflash #2, healthy women are supposed to have some fat).

+ + + + +

I'm going to clue you in on a normal day of meals for me during my offseason, after I have competed but before I've started eating more to put on some muscle. This diet keeps me lean and healthy while consuming all of my nutrients and satisfying some of those foods I love, too. I don't eat the same thing every day, so I'm going to list the different meals that I alternate between, depending on what I feel like eating.

I also happen to be a newlywed college student, making my food budget tight. It's disheartening when people tell me they want to lose weight or eat healthier but "it's just too expensive." I can feed myself for around $40 a week eating my very healthy diet. The key is to get simple ingredients in bulk and get creative with them, not to go out and get a ton of LeanCuisine meals and fancy amped-up "healthy" and "low calorie" versions of foods. All you need is some whole grains (quick oats, whole wheat spaghetti, or brown rice, for example), lean meats (chicken, fish, or turkey), eggs, fruit, vegetables (get them frozen so you can buy in bulk and they won't go bad), a few low fat/low sugar sauces to keep you sane, and whatever extras you may want. Bam! You have a healthy fridge that can feed you all week long for any meal and you didn't break the bank.

Breakfast meals:

2/3 cup of egg whites

1 packet of maple and brown sugar oatmeal (reduced sugar)

2 slices of turkey bacon

-----

1 serving of Kodiak Power Cakes (I have only found these at Super Target and Costco)

2 slices of turkey bacon

-----

2 large egg whites

One whole egg

1/2 avocado

Shredded sweet potatoes

Lunch Meals: 

4oz of a lean meat (usually chicken or fish)

1 cup of steamed vegetables

Brown rice

(Mix it all up with some salsa or hot sauce)

-----

1 can of tuna

1/2 cup of fat free cottage cheese

(Mixed together with some salt and pepper)

-----

Protein fruit smoothie

(1 scoop vanilla whey protein and some frozen fruit)

Dinner:

4oz of a lean meat (usually chicken or fish)

1 cup of steamed vegetables

Brown rice

(Mix it all up with some salsa or hot sauce)

-----

Tilapia cilantro avocado tacos

(Use corn tortillas to keep it healthy)

Snacks:

One gala apple cut into slices and dipped into natural peanut butter

One serving of any fruit

Rice cake with natural peanut butter or almond butter

Wheat toast with fat free cream cheese and low sugar jam (reminds me of cheesecake)

Pretzel sticks (because I love salty things)

Also, if I'm craving something, I'll eat a little bit of it. I don't deprive myself of the foods I love, I just use self-control and don't go crazy. For example, I could live off of fudge brownies. But instead of having one huge brownie from the bakery, I will split it with a friend or eat half now and save the other half for when I have another brownie craving in a couple of days. 

When you completely deprive yourself of the foods you love is when you will snap one day and binge, making it harder for you to stick to eating healthy. You can't live life like that! What are you going to do, just never eat your favorite treats ever again for the rest of your life? Let yourself enjoy the little things that you love. The key is to not let the craving or the food control you. Stay in charge of your body and your mind.

              

Flowy Summer Florals

Dress: Forever 21 size S // Shoes: Michael Kors (past season - similar)

It was 93 degrees in dry, dry Utah today. And it's only getting hotter from here. I don't know how you Arizonians do it because this 90-ish degree weather has me sweating like a sinner in church.

My favorite way to stay modest and ladylike in the heat of July is to wrap myself in a flowy dress, and I love florals so much that half of my closet is cascading with floral prints.

This Kimono-ish wrap dress is beautiful, light, and opaque! This is a big deal because it's from Forever 21 where it is hard to find modest clothing that is opaque enough to not need an undershirt. This dress can be dressed up or down. I wore it to work with my wedges and threw on some white tennis shoes for the evening, which looked adorable. As a petite person, it's hard for me to find a flowy dress that doesn't seem to swallow me up.

This dress is the perfect length for petite frames. If you are 5'3" and above, the skirt will end further up your thigh.

How to Love Running

Top: Forever 21 (old) // Leggings: Forever 21 in XS // Shoes: Nike (youth size 3) // Sports Bra: Cotton On

Running came naturally to me as a teenager. I was a sprinter on the school track team for a split second and loved every millisecond of it. Unfortunately, I developed hip problems and I had to quit dancing, running, and basically everything else that involves anything more intense than walking. After a couple of surgeries and a long healing process, I was able to run again, but I had completely lost my zest for running. I was grateful that I could run again, but every time I tried, I hated it. 

I tried restoring my running obsession, but about a mile into my run, everything hurt. I just wanted to terminate my run only ten minutes after it began. My ankle constantly felt like it needed to pop. My head pounded with each slap of my foot on the sidewalk. I sold myself the idea that I had some type of running-induced asthma, but veritably, I was just out of shape and couldn't catch my breath. I assumed that the other runners on the trail judged me as I sloppily transitioned from a jog to a walk. Everybody else, even friends who claimed they hated to run, seemed to run a faster mile. I figured I should just go back to the gym and stick to the stupid elliptical. 

But then, as I approached my apartment's lawn, I collapsed onto the ground and kissed the soil (not really, but I did collapse as dramatically as I possibly could). I laid there and gazed at the cloudy sky, and though I ran two miles in 25 minutes, I somehow began to feel triumphant -- not because I ran oh-so-fast, but because I finished what I started. That is how I became hooked again.

How to Fall in Love with Running

1. Fall in love with simply completing your run. Don't compete or compare. Don't put unreasonable amounts of pressure on yourself to be fast. Just run and finish what you started.
2. Disconnect your head and your body. This is possibly one of the best things you can do while running. Don't pay attention to how your body is feeling. Just let your body go into auto pilot and let your mind wander. For this reason, a good running playlist is priceless. Running has become my meditation time.
3. Pace yourself. I doubt this is the first time you have ever heard this one, but don't ever forget it. Don't blow off all of your energy in the first mile or two. Start with a moderate jog and stick with that speed for the majority of the time. This, I have found, is the easiest way to feel that runner's high.
4. Run outdoors -- preferably a scenic route. If I am stuck on a treadmill like a hamster in a wheel, I am gazing at the numbers on the screen and counting down the seconds as I see sweaty gym goers in my peripherals and a ton of synthetic human-made stuff. It's no wonder two miles feels like four. When I am outside, there's a slightly new view with every step. Fresh air is spilling into my lungs, Vitamin D is soaking into my skin, and new trails can be explored. It's more stimulating and less monotonous, and it elevates my mood exponentially. 
5. Take a break and explore. If you are not training for a marathon or something of the sort, there is no shame in stopping half way through your run to explore or to sit, rest, and appreciate the day. I love to run into the canyon, pause to enjoy the mountains for 20 minutes, drink water, lay in the grass, and then run back home feeling refreshed. I value the time that I take at this point in my run to reconnect with nature, God, and myself -- to be away from the world as my blood is pumping and endorphins are coursing through my body. There is nothing quite like this moment for me. I find myself looking forward to my mid-run pit stop every day. 

Running has developed a bad rap for some people, and I genuinely believe it's because we feel that we are "supposed to" run a certain way. As long as your heart rate is in an exercise zone and you are staying safe, you run however you gosh darn want to.