Favorite Pre-Workout Noms

We all know that working out is only half the battle; nutrition is a vital component to not only reach and maintain our fitness goals, but to also fuel us for our active lifestyles!


With out the proper nutrition, we can try and try to live a healthy lifestyle, but ultimately it will crumble.

Now that it is not to say to completely exclude anything from our diets that is not considered "nutritious." Balance is key and moderation is a bliss. But to fuel our bodies correctly, and to make the most of our fitness goals, nutrient dense foods should always be a priority, especially around our workouts.

Now, breakfast is my faaavorite part of the day, and it also happens to be my "pre-workout" meal, as I prefer to workout in the mornings (and it fits my schedule best.)

So I put together a few of my absolute favorite pre-workout NOMS

1. Greek Yogurt, Berries, Honey and Granola

What is Carb Cycling?

Hitting a fat loss plateau is mega frustrating, and figuring out ways to combat a stall in progress can sometimes cause a mega headache. I am very proud of how far I have been able to come since incorporating more weight training and less cardio into my exercise regimen, as well as since following a macro-measuring lifestyle. But plateaus don’t discriminate, and they can come at any point when our bodies have become too comfortable with our routines.

Finding MY Balance

Balance.



For the past few months I have been trying my best to come to terms with what this word means to me. I have constantly struggled with what "balance" is and how to achieve it, and with this struggle has come many nights of unwarranted stress, anxiety, and misery that I really can't afford to have in such a short and unpredictable lifetime.

It is a story that has been told many times before, and yet it is a story that unfortunately stands true for me also. I have always endured a complicated relationship with food from a young age; yo-yoing between being overweight and underweight in a never ending cycle of deprivation and binging that I am not entirely proud of.

In my experimentation with dieting I have experienced food restriction, being vegan, begin gluten free, being dairy free and so on. All that has resulted for me out of such restrictions is an unhealthy and unnecessary relationship to what I consumed. And in consequence, I achieved the one thing I was trying to avoid with these restrictions: I was living an unhealthy life.

I will be completely frank; I have dismantled the "plant based pescatarian" label the kept me so confined. I was consumed with an obsession to live a healthy lifestyle and  I wasn't realizing that I wasn't providing myself with the proper nutrition my body needed.

Now, I'm not here to say that eating plant based or vegan is wrong, or not nutritiously rewarding to some. I believe it can be a noble diet, and I admire those who are strong enough and dedicated enough to defend and maintain their beliefs.

Again this is my personal experience. And like many others, it was not a lifestyle for me. And no, I don't think I am selfish for admitting that.

Because for the first time in my life since I was too young to worry about what I ate, (good times) I have found true happiness. Not the type of "happiness" that was forced in order to hide habits that  actually constituted overeating or not eating enough, but actual happiness where I no longer feel ashamed for what I eat, where my portions are what they are meant to be, and where I eat in moderation and not deprivation.

In fact "moderation not deprivation" has become my new motto with regards to food. I don't restrict, I eat to nourish my body, and I eat to live balanced. I have never been so healthy emotionally, physical, and psychologically, and it is all accredited to my decision to never deprive myself from foods that are not  "clean"  because it has dairy, gluten, or meat.

I consider myself an athlete who aspires everyday to push my body to be the strongest and the fittest it can be, and I have body composition goals that are met with the proper nutrition. Basically I eat for fuel and I eat to grow  stronger. I don't starve, I eat my needed protein, healthy fats, and yes carbs (and a lot of them) in order to meet those goals. I no longer exclude any food groups from my diet, and I never deprive. If I want to eat a piece of cake I do, and if I want a big ole' burger, then best believe I eat that too!

For the past few months I find that flexible dieting and counting my macros have lead me to find a  physical and emotional sucess that I had never been able to fully uncover before. It is amazing how much I have learned about nutrition and how our body uses what we put into it after broadening my mind.

I believe life is too short to constantly be worried about what I eat. It is too short to spend hours crying because of a horrible self image. Too short to worry about not eating out with my family or friends and enjoying life because my diet doesn't allow me to.

 I still eat for health, and I still strive to reach all the micro nutrients my body needs to survive and thrive. But I have walked away from the obsession of not eating certain foods, I have walked away from the restriction that caused me and those around me to suffer, and I have embraced a life free from labels.

If happiness to some means eating vegan or plant based, then by all means continue what works for you! If happiness to others means eating your servings of fruits and veggies but also enjoying a piece of chocolate cake, then by all means enjoy your life!

What is important is progress not perfection,  nourishment for a healthy body, mind, and soul, and moderation not deprivation. Life is too short to not live the life you want to live. What life do I want to live? I want to live a happy, healthy, and balanced life... and I shall as should you!


And with that I sign off,

XO,
Adri

I Am

"I am the girl who prefers to spend her Friday night curled up with her pillow, reading a good novel, and I am also the girl who likes to go out on a Saturday night and dance until the DJ plays his last song. I am the girl who wants to wear beat up converses and an oversized sweatshirt, and I am also the girl who who owns over sixty dresses and too many shoes to count. Why did it become okay to say one is better than the other? Because I am all of that."

Ming D. Liu, What is “better?”

Have you ever come across a quote that so perfectly describes your current life status at the moment? Almost as if it was meant for you and only you?

For me, it is almost daily that I find a quote that is somewhat relatable, and I'm sure anyone can make the same claim.  I seem to have come to a realization, however, that there has only been a few that really ,well, punch me in the gut.

Raw, Refreshed, and Coming Back

SO where have I been.


That is a good question, one that I myself am not sure where to begin to answer. I have been busy, preoccupied, maybe a little stressed.

I could sit here and say I have been all these things, and I wouldn't be lying. I have been busy, daily distractions are ant inevitable part of my reality, and the stress of school and life in general have been a little extra consuming in the past months.

But the real truth; the real reason behind my MIA status since December, boils down to the fact that I have changed.

Change is a part of life that we must all except. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason for it, poking into our lives with no warnings. And yet sometimes, it can be the best thing to happen to us.

I have changed a lot in the past few months. I grew up a little more, my mind opened, and my goals and aspirations shifted. I have new perspectives on food, on fitness, on what it means to live a 'healthy' lifestyle.

I took a step back from blogging because I was no longer convinced that I was portraying a life that mirrored reality. I wanted my blog to represent a healthy girl eating an optimal nutritious plant based diet, exercising regularly, and living a stress-free life that was vivid in color and light.

In reality, it was far from the rainbows and butterflies I was trying to make it out to be. I wasn't getting the proper nutrition my body needed, I was over exercising which was causing my body too much stress, and I was lost and confused.

In reality I was a freshman in college in a new city, living in a dorm, rushing and stressing around to keep my blogging life a secret to everyone that I met.  So I stepped away, and cleared myself of the worry to have to commit to something that I had reservations about.

Now I can say I am finding myself again. And my relationship with food, training, and overall health have changed tremendously. I am still learning everyday, but I am excited for this change, and in all honesty, it is something I wouldn't want any other way.

I want to re-begin this journey, of sharing my passion to living a healthy lifestyle. But I want it to be more real, and balanced, and genuine.

SO here is to another go....[ stay tuned ;) ]

XO, Adri