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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Naked By New Year: Exercise

What's this talk about being naked... well, let me explain! I have taken on a challenge, one that will test me both mentally and physically.  It is a 90 Day Challenge, meaning I will finish up right around the New Year.  What's the challenge you ask; getting in the best shape of my life! What is it that you'd desire to achieve if you were to give yourself 90 days of complete discipline?  For me, I want.... no, I will have a tight and toned body.  This requires fitness and nutrition, but I am going to talk exercise for now.

Usually we wait until Dec. 31st to give ourselves New Year resolutions, but I ask, why wait?  Why not start now if it is something you truly say you're going to do.  Did you know that over 85% of people who purchase gym memberships for the new year stop going before the month of February has ended?  That is less than 8 weeks, which leads me to believe we only make these resolutions because they sound good, not because we truly believe them or plan to accomplish them.  So how  will I get to my goal and how I can help you break some barriers to get you to yours? To understand this let me share something that will resonate with most of you, my past journey.

First, my mental challenge, mindset.  For years, I never had to obsess about fad diets or serious workout regimens. I'm referring to my high school and college years.  A lot of my ability to maintain my "look" has been a blessing (genetics) and a bit of clean eating, but definitely nothing I had to work for.  Whenever I'd see myself picking up a little weight, I'd do a quick juice fast for a couple days or my version of "killing it" in the gym for a week and viola, I was better.. keyword: better, but not my BEST! My mindset would allow me to believe it was hard to consistently workout.  I believed it to be a task to pull out my workout gear, lace up my sneakers, and head to the gym or at least that was my excuse. But here's the thing, if we want to be our best, we have to start with our beliefs.  What I learned was that I can have anything I want and desire.  A kick-ass body is merely effort combined with consitency and who better to whip herself into shape than the girl (me) that preaches this mindset to anyone who will listen?!

My physical challenges, on the other hand, started at home.  Laziness.  Once I'd get up the courage and energy to get to the gym, walk into the gym, and find a machine to burn calories on, I'd feel a huge sense of accomplishment... and it is.  Getting to the gym is a great hurdle to get over for a lot of us, but that is only the beginning.  I'm not sure I realized that before.  I believe that I allowed myself to exert minimal effort.  Why?  Because "I came to the gym right?!  And that trickle of sweat that just rolled over my eye has validated me, I can go home now!  I got it in!" Wrong!  Please don't think like this because much like me, you will get nowhere fast. If you make the effort to go, make the effort to grind.  

Remember, it starts in your mind, so believe you can do it and absolutely, you will!

So why am I sharing this?  Well, I want to be held accountable to more than myself this time around, something I have never done before.  But, I am also sharing this because I challenge you to join me.  Start now and give yourself 90 days! Let's be #NakedbyNewYear

P.S. If you are in the Los Angeles area and want to workout with me, shoot me a message through Facebook, Heather Graves! <-- click="" i="" there="">

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Lose 2 Inches in 2 Weeks with 2 Steps

You heard me right, 2 inches in 2 weeks!  I am always looking for ways to trim down in a healthy and natural way.  Yo-yo diets will never work, but I do believe in little tips and tricks that can advance and help with the process of getting to a more fit you.  After hitting the beach a month ago, I realized I wanted to take a few inches off my mid-section, but unlike my previous post DIY Body Sculpting (see here), I wanted a pure organic way to achieve the same results.

Step 1:  Water
I know that seems simple and almost too easy, but water will get the toxins in your body moving and help eliminate them.  There are a few things you should know about water and the most effective times to drink it.

My first recommendation would be to drink 1-litre of water upon rising in the morning.  I usually brush my teeth first and then chug 1-litre of water before doing anything else.  I promise you that "things" will get moving really fast (if you know what I mean).  This is beneficial on every level and imagine starting your day lighter and more energized, plus you're flushing toxins and allowing yourself to absorb nutrients you may take in throughout your day.

Secondly, always carry a water bottle with you.  You should be drinking at least half of you body weight in ounces, ex. you weigh 140 lbs., you should be consuming 70 ozs.  of water.  I usually top mine off with either chlorophyll or apple cider vinegar, but those are my personal preferences.  I like that chlorophyll serves as a natural internal deodorizer and ACV helps boost energy.  Again, these are my personal choices, but the water is the most important part.

Lastly, make sure you are using a quality water.  I prefer alkaline water (pH higher that 7) or distilled water.  This way you know your body is absorbing the bulk of the water and helping eradicate the junk in our system. 

Step 2: Cardio
Cardio doesn't have to be a super strenuous process, but you must make sure it counts.  Get at least 30 minutes of good cardio each day.  You can do this on your lunch break, have a brisk walk.  Also try jumping rope or jumping jacks during times when you find yourself being idle, ex. while watching television).

As long as you stay consistent and above all, think and be positive, you will get results.  Let me know how your 2 weeks turns out.  Do you have and healthy tips to add?

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