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Toning VS Muscle Building!

“I want to tone up! I don’t want to get bulky and put on muscle.” I hear women say this all the time. A few months back I actually ran a challenge group on the difference between toning up vs building muscle. The women in my group learned the truth of the matter and educated themselves on how to get the look they want while dispelling common myths so I decide to do a blog post on the topic because I am a true meat head at heart and women are selling themselves short when it comes to training.

When you say- “I want to tone up” I think what you mean is: I want to look fit and lean. I want some muscle definition, but don’t want to look like the Hulk. Let’s clear something up!

Tone- Look lean and fit. Cut fat.

Build muscle- Look lean and fit.

The truth is- you can’t looked toned without building muscle and hence some fat at first. However, without eating A LOT of food, spending hours a day lifting weights, AND taking anabolic steroids you won’t be looking extremely Hulky. Don’t get me wrong. Your jeans may get tight in the butt and your tops may not fit as loose, but you will develop a leaner and healthier body by lifting heavy and not skimping out on calories.

When I was 130 pounds a year ago, I was at 19-20% body fat. I lifted HEAVY, I ate clean and when I was hungry, and I did not do excessive cardio. My jeans were big in the waist and fit good in my thighs (just not on leg days), and I loved wearing sleeveless tops because I had great definition in my arms.

​​SMLXL

 

Presently, and still recovering from Adrenal Fatigue, I am 130 pounds with 22-23% body fat. My jeans are tight in the waist, I do yoga about 2-3 days a week and an ab workout for 10 minutes following yoga. Although, I weigh the same as I did a year ago and I even eat cleaner, I don’t lift heavy and therefore, I don’t see the same results.

Obtaining the look of “being toned” which as you learned is the same as building muscle is a process and takes time.  Here are some tips that will help you develop a lean fit body:

First, you must eat clean food. This is a MUST. Nutrition is the shit. If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t be so passionate and my career would be something other than teaching nutrition. You need to eat the right amount of protein, fat, and carbs, but most importantly you need to listen to your body. Don’t set a low calorie limit (anything under 1500) and go hungry otherwise you won’t have gains.

Secondly, lift heavy! This can be a huge step out of your comfort zone and I highly suggest you hire a trainer or work with a friend who has experience in body building if you don’t.

If you are a beginner to weight training you want a solid 3-4 weeks of making sure you have proper form and lift in the 12-15 rep range. You want to build a good base and adjust your body. Next, you can drop your rep ranges down to 8-10 after a warm-up set. When you get to 8 or 10 reps it should be hard. You should barely be able to complete the last rep. You will work for it- this is where the magic happens. By doing low reps and lifting to failure, your muscles get micro tears and then your body rebuilds it. This is where key nutrition comes into play!

Lastly, and this option depending on the person is cardio. Personally, as I shared above, I seldom did cardio because I had enough muscle to keep me lean. However, some people like it and others have to do it to lean out. If you must do cardio (which can help or hinder your results depending on your nutrition and metabolism) I highly suggest doing it after you lift and doing High interval intensity training (HIIT). When I do this I warm up on an elliptical, treadmill, or stair climber for five minutes. At five minutes, I sprint or go as hard as I can for 30 seconds. I then return to a steady pace for a full minute to a minute and 30 seconds, and then sprint, repeating this cycling until I reach a total of 20 or 25 minutes followed by a five-minute cool down.

Learning how to step out of a comfort zone is scary, but most times it will get you results.  When I pushed outside of my comfort zone I started seeing major changes in my body. This is how I developed a lean physique without crash dieting, starving myself, or spending hours a day at the gym. It was amazing and a huge confidence booster!

My No-Bulls*it stance on the Health & Fitness industry & why it's making people sick.

It has been a year now since being diagnosed with adrenal fatigue by my holistic practitioner. About six months into treatment my life had started to come back to me. I was able to do day to day things without being in constant muscle pain. I was also able to do some weight training! By the spring my body began to flare again and I had to stop all exercise. Currently, I can't exercise because of the aches and pains it brings on. My body can't tolerate it nor will it recover. I feel like I am missing out and I want the old meathead me back. Another part of me is starting to accept this situation as I allow my body to heal. I am generating new thoughts of realistic expectations on how I need to be gentle with myself. I didn't get adrenal fatigue over-night. I'm sure it has a lot to do with me having one kidney, a blood disorder, having an eating disorder for ten years, being a teen mom, having four kids, being in abusive relationships, finishing college while raising my kids while working part-time and running a business. When I graduated college and landed my first full-time job I finally had a  chance to "relax" and that's when it all hit me. It was like a rug had been pulled right from under me as I
 lay there helplessly without being able to move asking-" why me?"

So now I feel obligated to call out the health and fitness industry and social media who is always posting pictures of flawless women with six packs, without cellulite, and perfect perky boobs to represent health. We congratulate women and are in awe over their flawless bodies- even after kids, but we forget that all women are beautiful no matter their size. Health is what matters, not making women and young girls feel like shit about their bodies because they don't look like that.

******

As a health coach I think- how can I be a coach if I can't exercise?!

Then I think about how many mothers and women push themselves daily and eventually find themselves unwell, just as I have, from over-doing it to look like those fitness models and what social media portrays as sexy, healthy and fit. My guess would be 99.9 percent of the female population.

It is crucial for women to be well and not to exhaust themselves during their health and fitness journey. As a  health coach I don't expect unrealistic expectations from my clients. I work with them and for them.  I will support them and open up to them in a no-bullshit type of way- I have clients who will vouch for me! :) We make changes together to become the healthiest they can be in healthy realistic ways.

If you want to lose weight, feel better about yourself, and don't want to find yourself sick and exhausted down the road here are the top things you should have in order to help you feel your best:

1) Nutrition.

I have stressed so much lately that the number one thing that you have control over is what you put in your mouth. No excuses. I've been on food stamps. I understand the cost of food. Eating healthy is do-able! When you plan, are proactive, and have your shit together you have control over this. Get my free PDF guide today and make your list and plan out your week of meals. This will save you time, sanity, and money.

I want to also stress the importance of eating whole foods and eating when you are hungry. DO NOT EVER STARVE YOURSELF to lose weight. It will come back and bite you in the ass. Please reach out to me if you need help with this.

2) Sleep.

Secondly, the next most important thing is sleep!! I can't stress this enough. Sleep is what rejuvenates you. You build new cells and repair your body. Don't deprive yourself. Get 6-10 hours a night. Find the magic number that works for you. I have heard this and I am guilty of is as well, "I am so exhausted today and had four hours of sleep last night, but I'm working out anyway." If you do this from time to time it shouldn't hurt you, but don't make a habit out of it. If you work nights change your shift. We were not made to be nocturnal. Not following normal and regular sleep patterns long term will mess you up.

3) Exercise.

It's the sexy new trend...

Nike- Just do it.
Under Armor- Protect this house.
Victoria Secret.

Exercise is great! It releases endorphins, gives us energy, keeps our weight in check, and prevents disease. I don't want to down play how good exercise is for us, but when you take someone who doesn't eat properly and isn't sleeping well who exercises to an extreme anyway you are "waiting for a bomb to explode"- eventually. (Me for the past 10 years of my life).

Also, without getting into too much detail, our hormones help to regulate our weight. If we don't eat right and we aren't sleeping no amount of exercise with get you to your goal and keep you there.

So that brings me to this:

The athletes and fitness models who promote exercise and fitness dedicate their lives to it. They do this for a living. They don't go work 40 hours a week and then proceed to workout 5-6 days a week, raise a family, and run a household for ten years while maintaining six pack abs. It doesn't happen. They have off-seasons also. they prep for a shoot or a show, then look normal again.

This next point is tough for me to say because I have many friends in the industry. Calling this one out may even mean I will have a smaller friends list, but the truth must come out. As a former "coach" related to a specific company in the fitness industry, I can't justify working out intensely six days a week. It's just not realistic and I no longer believe it's healthy. Our bodies need rest and more than one day. When we exercise our muscle tissue breaks down and tears. We need to eat well, sleep enough, and rest to repair it.

4) Stressors- Good & Bad.

 Family, work, life changing events, the furnace that just broke, the toilet flooded, we just had a baby, or got a new kitten- we all have something that causes stress.  While all stress is not bad, it can still take a toll on us physically and emotionally. What can help is keeping a journal and writing them down. On another note, it's ok to cry, say no to things, and just spend a day in your pjs while binge watching Netflix. Emotional well-being is important.


As I finish up this blog post I want you to know that you need to do what is right for you. Fast food is obviously not going to help you to be healthy, but when someone tells you a mango is bad- run. If a trainer is working you out til you puke-run. If you don't feel refreshed on five hours of sleep every night and continue to train for a marathon- don't run. Listen to your body. Tune into it.

As always, I am here for you! Please reach out because it is my love and passion to help you to feel well!

Thanks for reading!

XOXO Stephanie


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Food Ingredients to Avoid

Today's foods are coated in chemicals. It can be challenging to find quality foods at the grocery store. Many foods that are advertised as "healthy" may not be, after reading the ingredients list. Here are some common food ingredients you want to avoid:


MSG

TBHQ

Corn Syrup AKA High Fructose Corn Syrup

Sodium benzoate
Potassium benzoate

BHA

Blue, Green, Red & Yellow Dyes

Canola Oil

Artificial Sweeteners

These are just a few so when in doubt Google!

XO

Steph

My Homebirth Story

After three hospital births that were far from pleasent experiences, my heart was set on having my fourth baby out of the hospital. This decision is not a light one. I had put in a lot of thought, research, prayers, and intuition into this HUGE decison and ultimately I followed what my hear told me. My fourth daughter was born in my home and I love looking back on her birth story. To this day I have no regrets. This may not be the best choice for everyone, but it was for us at the time. As a mother I encourage you to follow your instincts and your heart and always do what they tell you. Here is Vanessa's birth story: 

 It was Wednesday April 4^th 201* and I had been starting to get contractions every hour to two, nothing major. I didn’t want to go into labor just yet because my midwife was out of town until Saturday. I do believe your body knows because that afternoon after meeting her "back-up" midwife I felt better and more relaxed that if I went into labor I was in good hands. Thursday I woke up to more contractions not stronger but more frequent. They were about 45 minutes to one hour a part. That day I went for a half hour walk, ate a big lunch and relaxed. I got the other three kids off the bus at 4 pm. I was in no mood to make dinner so we ordered pizza. I ate dinner and went about my normal evening routine. At 7:30 pm I was becoming annoyed not knowing if I was actually in labor or if everything would just stop. I did have three other children, but a natural vs an induced labor are complete opposites.  The contractions now were about 20 minutes or so a part but still didn’t really hurt while made me in denial that I was actually in labor. At 11pm I decided to get some sleep which was hard to do with contractions that kept waking me up. At 1 am I pulled out the computer and searched the internet out of boredom. I noticed as contractions came I had to stop what I was doing and breathe through it. I could still talk through them though so I still wasn’t so sure today was the day. At 2am I woke up V's dad & asked him to run a bath for me. I figured this would relax me and help me to go back to sleep. He had no idea what was going on so he attempted to go back to bed, but I asked him to sit with me in the bathroom. I was pretty pissed he was trying to go back to sleep! The room was dark, I had one candle lit.  After 10 minutes he asked if we should call the midwife. I said I wasn’t sure yet so we decided we would time them first. After 10 min of contractions, two min a part I got out of the tub to go to the bathroom which made them a lot stronger.  I then sat on the floor in front of the tub Indian style and called my midwife. She was on her way and so was her assistant. 

"M" put our dog in his crate and made a few calls to my sister and sister-in-law so that they could sit with the other three girls had they woken up. He came back into the bathroom and I started getting the shakes really bad. My whole body trembled. I knew I was in transition and I prayed as I gripped the sides of the tub through each contrx someone would be there soon. "M" asked if I was cold and got me a blanket. It helped, but I explained to him it wouldn’t be long before the baby was here. Shannon arrived and sat with the girls who were still a sleep. "M" came in to check on me and I did not want him to touch me. It was 3:35 am and the assistant Amanda arrived. "M" left the room to let her in.  She put her stuff down and sat next to me. I could no longer talk at this point. After the contraction she took my blood pressure which was good. I asked her to check the baby's heart rate as she was already about to. She explained if the baby was already very low we wouldn’t hear it.  As she tried to search for it I had another contraction and felt the baby move down. I told her I would need to push soon. The midwife was still on her way so Amanda called her and told her and the midwife told her it was ok if I needed to push and that she was only 2 minutes away.  With the next contraction my body took over and pushed. I was still sitting on the floor and Amanda asked if I could get my bottom up right more so she could see the baby. I raised my hips and "M" tried to hold my upper body upright off the floor. The baby’s head started to crown and it hurt! Looking with a flash light she told me the head was right there and I thought it was out. I looked down and I was wrong! She was just crowning. The pain quickly escalated with the next contraction and I started screaming at the top of my lungs in pain. I woke up my other kids, but they stayed in the other room for now. I just wanted her head out!  I pushed again while screaming and her head came out. The ‘’ring of fire’’ was finally gone! The cord was wrapped twice around her neck. Amanda removed the cord and asked if I could push again. I tried but I just couldn’t.  When I felt a little urge I bared down really hard and pushed. Out she came at 3:53am. She was immediately placed on my chest and she cried. She was soo tiny! I couldn’t believe how fast everything had just happened. As the cord pulsated and I lay on the bathroom floor with our daughter we called the other girls in to see that I was ok and to see their new baby sister.  They came in and took a peek. Then our midwife arrived! The placenta was then delivered and the cord was cut by daddy. It stayed attached for about 10 minutes or so.  I was then asked if I wanted to stay where I was, if I wanted to be cleaned off, or taken to bed. I asked to be wiped off a bit. I had blood on my arms and chest from her when she came out. Finally, I walked to my bed as my midwife and her assistant explained if I felt dizzy just to tell them right away. I got into bed and started to nurse our baby girl. While she was nursing which was about 45 min. they cleaned the bathroom up and started soaking the bloody towels. I had a birth kit with plastics but we didn’t have time for any of that, as she was born on the bathroom throw rug, a bambi blanket, and a few towels. While I nursed her I ate some ambrosia salad and drank water. My blood pressure taken and was told to try and pee. I got up to go pee and had no problems going. I was sore but felt no cuts or anything real bad. I did feel a bit dizzy from moving around.  The team did not leave my side though and made sure I was ok. Fanning me to make sure I didn’t pass out. I made my way back to bed. They started the baby’s exam. Explaining what they were looking for and why. She had Apgar scores of 10. She had a vitamin K shot and eye ointment then we had gotten her dressed.  They took my placenta and inspected it. They also told me what they were looking for and wanted to make sure nothing was left inside me. Our baby had two layers of water bags! The placenta looked really good she said and she could tell I was a healthy eater. We then took it and put it in a bag to put in the freezer so that it could be encapsulated later. My mw felt my uterus and gave us instructions on my bleeding and how to massage my uterus. She explained some other things to us and said she would be back the next day to check on us. My midwife and her assistant left at about 7am and told us to call if we needed anything. Everything  went by quickly, but was very calm and not stressful at all.  I can’t believe I made it to transition in almost no pain at all. I would choose home birth over hospital birth any day.  I was explained everything every step of the way and was not forced to shower or walk around right after. My body was exhausted and my midwife knew it needed to rest. I felt like I controlled my own birth which gave me a sense of calm. I was comfortable and did what I needed to do and when. I put it all in God's hands and he was there with us that day. 

Thank you for reading V's birth story! 

XO Stephanie 

Seven tips to eat healthy while you travel.

Traveling is fun and exciting. We get away from reality, visit new places, immerse ourselves in different cultures, and build memories with family and friends.

However, once we get back home it can leave us tired, run-down, and in need of a vacation from our vacation. Have you ever felt this way?

I have good news for you!  You can still take a vacation and not come home feeling run down. By eating healthy foods (most of the time), making sure you get plenty of sleep and rest, and by listening to your body you won't need a vaca from your vaca.

Here are some simple tips to help you stay on track with your health and fitness goals, while still being able to enjoy food while traveling.

1) Scope out local grocery stores before you go so that you can shop when you get there and make a list of the things you will need to buy.

2) Plan your meals ahead of time. How often do you plan eating out? Work around that to make your list. Are you eating dinner at a restaurant three out of seven days? What are you going to have the other four evenings? Plan it and add it to your list.

3) Eat regularly and snack during the day. I get it! You are leaving at 10 am for a hike and don't plan on being back till 3 pm?  Don't skip lunch- pack it. Bring the snacks! Graze all day, which brings me to my next point:

4)  Bring snacks for in between meals (don't forget to pack a lunch tote, ice packs, sandwich bags, and utensils as needed).

Snack ideas:

• Tuna pouches
• Trail mix
• Fresh Fruit
• Protein powder
• Cheese sticks
• Yogurt
• Homemade "Lara" balls (see recipe in recipe section of my blog)
• Popcorn
• Fresh veggies with hummus
• Peanut butter
• Honey (raw, local- electrolytes and energy) for your water

5) If you are going to indulge do so wisely. Get the burger, but skip the bun or only eat half. Have salads and load up on veggies when eating out!

6) Alcohol. If you are drinking alcohol alternate every drink with water. Calories from alcohol add up quick! Try not to drink the trip away. This goes for other beverages as well. 

7) Don't eat until you want to throw up. Sometimes I think- I'm on vacation, I'm going to throw all of my guidelines out the window and eat everything and anything. Then reality hits! Just because I am on vacation doesn't mean I need to eat every meal like it's my last.

There you have it! Seven amazing tips on how to eat healthy and on track with your fitness goals while you travel.

XO

Stephanie

Twenty Things you don't know about me!

So.... I thought I'd get a little crazier than I already am and tell you 20 things you don't know about me! Enjoy!

1) I only having one working kidney.

2) I have thalassemia minor- a blood disorder that results in chronically low hemoglobin.

3) With my 4th child I had a home birth- on purpose- with a midwife.

4) At 16 years old I had my oldest daughter.

5) I have my cosmetology license and practiced for 10 years.

6) I graduated a full year early from high school with a Regents diploma.

7) Bugs don't scare me.

8) I started smoking cigarettes when I was 14 years old, but quit when I was 18- YUCK!

9) I was married once and divorced. Engaged one other time.

10) I don't have a favorite color.

11) Out of high school I went to college to be a paralegal. Hated it and after a year, quit.

12) I re-started college at 25 (while I was pregnant), received my associates, then went right for my Bachelor's while raising my kids alone. I had a 3.8 GPA.

13) I love my bearded dragon.

14) I am an over-thinker.

15) I am a caring and compassionate person. I don't judge.

16) In October 2015, I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue.

17) In 2010, I was prepping to compete in a Figure Competition.

18) I am a meat-head, but a smart one!

19) I am very intuitive.

20) I saw an Angel once.

21) For 10 years I struggled with anorexia and binge eating.

What to know more?! Follow me on Instagram and Facebook :)

XO

Stephanie

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