Naked by New Year: The Journey

As promised, I wanted to take the time to document my journey through Naked by New Year, my 90-day challenge to my friends, family, and followers, which challenged those who took the journey with me to whip their bodies into shape before 2015 instead of waiting to make a typical, result-less resolution after the new year has begun. As a result, not only did I get a great jump start on an improved version of myself, but I started seeing other women (mostly) transform before my eyes as we all posted to Instagram and Facebook with hashtag #nakedbynewyear.  This journey was about more than being physically fit, it was about discipline, mindset, and overall growth.  So here are some of my results:

I lost a little over 8 lbs.  I started at 132.6 lbs. and ended at 124.2 lbs.  My starting goal was to lean out and drop some of the excess fat on my body.  Those 8 pounds have made all the difference in the way I feel and look.  My arms have slimmed down by and 1.5" and my stomach is flatter than it has ever been.  I still have some cellulite to shed, but that will happen in the next phase of detoxification.

Here is what I did on my journey:  When I began, I went extreme in the gym. I went every single day for the first 21 days and I was weight training, in addition to cardio workouts.  The reason this was important to my program is that I had to give myself something to look forward to, some results.  Sometimes it is hard for us to be consistent in improving ourselves when we see no reward, so I made it a point to give myself something to look forward to.  Within 7 days, I was already seeing some weight loss and I was getting stronger.  By week two, I was doing 25 modified push-ups with no problem and the third week I was onto regular push-ups.  Progress.

Also, I modified my meals.  I was drinking anywhere from 3 litres to 1 gallon of water daily.  This is the single most convenient and easy way to help flush your body of toxins.  As some of you may have seen in my previous post, Choose Herbalife, I started consuming Herbalife shakes too.  I took those consistently once or twice a day for the first 2 months and then switched to a low carb breakfast (2 boiled eggs, tomatoes, and avocado) during my third month, December 2014.  FYI,  I started back on Herbalife shakes for January and will most likely alternate the shakes and a low carb breakfast each month from here on out. 

Lastly, I have been staying more active in daily activities.  For example, I will walk a couple laps through my neighborhood when I go out to check the mail.  I also walk to a lot more places like the post office or grocery store.  Anything that will get my heart rate up.

The regimen definitely means putting in work so don't think I am saying it is easy, but the fornula is simple.  Just stay with it!

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Naked by New Year: Nutrition

 
When we think about getting shape, we usually turn to our workout regimen and think that the lack of physical activity is the culprit.  While this is a contributing factor, exercise alone accounts for about 20% of your desired outcome, be it bulking up, losing weight, or toning.  The other 80% is nutrition.  Let me walk you through a day of my meals so that you can get a better grasp of the types of means you should be eating to lean out and build muscle.

When I wake up in the morning, I start my day with a Herbalife Shake.  I choose the shakes because I am a person that never prepared breakfast in the morning and skipped having a meal of any sort until lunchtime.  I can probably attribute it to being lazy and not feeling like preparing a meal before I start my day.  Instead I'd grab coffee and off I went.  However, now that I consume the shakes as my breakfast, it is fast and convenient and gives me all the vital nutrients I need in terms of proteins and proper caloric intake.

Approximately 2-3 hours after I have breakfast, I will typically prepare two boiled eggs or I will make a simple spinach and eggs scramble.  To make this meal, scramble your eggs as usual and add spinach.  You can add as much or as little as you like and you can use fresh or frozen spinach (I personally prefer the fresh spinach, but either is fine).  If you are feeling extra fancy, chop some onions and bell peppers to stir into the eggs.  It is all up to you and how fast and easy you want it to be.

A couple hours after that, I will have another shake, followed by a small snack like almonds.  Greek yogurt, a KIND bar, edamame, hummus are all good snacks too and packed with protein.

For dinner, I enjoy quinoa with most meals.  It is high in protien and easy to make.  About 50% of my plate are covered in green veggies, like spinach, kale, or brocolli.  The other 50% is split between the quinoa and chicken, fish or beef.  Now this may sound boring, but this is when getting creative with herbs and spices come into play. If you check out my Facebook post, you can see how I use a cilantro marinade to smother my chicken and fish dishes.  Onions and bell peppers are also great to add some color and flavor.  I recommend trying some varied options and see what is easiest and tastiest for your palate.

Continue to follow me on Facebook and Instagram @askheatherg for more motivation and tips.  Post your progress with the hashtag #nakedbynewyear

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