Up your Protein and Fill Up on Veggies

Having a good balance of protein, complex carbs, and lots and lots of veggies will do your body a world of good.  Also, don't forget the healthy fats too.  So many benefits come with high quality protein, like chicken, turkey, and low-fat/fat free PLAIN Greek yogurt: it contains amino acids, which help muscles recover after workouts.  That is also why it is great to increase your protein when you are working out to help those torn muscles recover faster.  I also am a huge fan of getting a serving of protein through protein shakes.  I love sneaking in spinach and avocados to them!  My favorite tasting protein powder out there is by Cellucor.  They have many different flavors and they are also great to cook with.  Upping you protein will keep you more satisfied, less hungry and help you lose weight.  Your body doesn't store protein like it does fat.   

Vegetables…..I don't think we ever eat enough of them.  Filling up on vegetables is a great way to reach fullness and they contain so little calories.  They are filled with nutrients, water and fiber.  If you fill half of your plate with veggies, you'll get fuller faster and cut down on your calories without feeling deprived.  Use herbs and spices to your veggies instead of butter and/or salt to flavor them.  My favorite spices are Mrs. Dash.  They are salt free and come in 10+ different yummy flavors!

Be Prepared for Lapses!

A lapse is when you temporarily "fall of the wagon."  This is a normal part of the process.  A vacation happens, birthday that turns into a birthday week of celebrating, weekend holidays or you just get burnt out!  It happens to all of us.  No one is perfect.  It is important for you to understand and recognize you got sidetracked, but don't use it as an excuse to throw in the towel and quit!  Just look at how far you have come up to that point and how silly it would be to just give up.  Fitness is a journey of learning and self improvement.  Set some new goals and get after it.  Every day is a new chance to start over.  Monday's are always good too :)

Don't Skip Meals

Especially don't skip Breakfast!  I'm sure you have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  IT IS!!!!  Eat a big healthy breakfast as early as possible.  It will give you more energy, lead you to make healthier choices during the day, and keep you feeling full so you eat less later on.

Eat frequently throughout the day.  Eat every 2-3 hours.  I aim for at least 5x.  That means 3 meals and 2 snacks.  This helps give you steady energy, avoids hunger pangs and keeps our blood sugar level stable so we don't crash and become tired and also keeps us happy.

Skipping meals does not mean you will lose calories.  It will only trigger cravings and lead to you over indulging in something later on.  Skipping meals only puts our body in starvation mode leading it to think it is never going to get fed again.  Be careful with this because it will only cause your body to hang on to food the next time it is fed and store it away.  Skipping meals also forces your body to slow down your metabolism which means slow weight loss.  Who would have thought you need to eat and eat a lot to lose weight?!?  Eat all the right healthy foods and trust the process!

Make Exercise Part of Your Daily Routine

Exercise should be a regular part of your day, not something you just throw in where it happens to work out right then and there.  It should be something you make time for like- meals, sleep, kids, work, school......set aside a set time for exercise!

Pencil it in on your calendar just like you would any other important appointment.  You will find that exercising at the same time and on the same days each week will help you stay on track.  It will become easier and it just becomes apart of your life.  Consider scheduling your exercise like an appointment.  EX: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 6AM you have an appointment at the gym.  Usually we are not late to appointments, you don't miss them, and you don't schedule things in its place.  

For myself, I find early morning 6AM workouts to be the best fit for me and my family.  I am usually home before the kids wake up and my husband then goes to work.  This way my workout is over and done and I don't have it lingering in the back of mind all day.  I don't have to worry about sitters, daycare, husband running late, I get to avoid the evening gym crowd and it just sets a positive vibe for the remainder of my day.    

New Years Fitness Tips

Choose goals that are attainable.  Don't say I'm going to lose 20 pounds in 3 months.  Although that can  be done but it's not a very healthy route to take.  1-2 pounds per week is ideal, which would be about 10 pounds lost in 3 months.  If you have not been working out- Don't go to the gym and over do it on day one.  You will be left sore and miserable.  Ease into fitness.  If your new, plan to exercise for 30 minutes 2-3 days a week, and gradually increase as the weeks go by.  Set goals for the week or month. Not too far out there that it seems impossible.

When trying to eat healthier, make small changes.  Aim for glasses of water per day, prepare one new healthy recipe each week for the month of January, replace one can of Diet Coke with water somewhere in your day, eat a piece of fruit per day, add veggies with 1-2 meals in your day.  Increase these changes as they become part of your daily routine and make them a habit.

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE XMAS FULL BODY WORKOUT

Use heavy weights and move quickly from one exercise to the next and you will not need added cardio at the end of this workout. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

XOXO

All I Want For Christmas.....

And some Cellucor BCAAs in every flavor, Cellucor Whey Protein Powder in every flavor, and some Brooks Ghost 6 Running Shoes!!!  This is seriously what my Xmas list looks like...... #FITNESSADDICT

Biceps and Triceps

BICEPS & TRICEPS

Tips to grow a BOOTY!

I see a lot of pins on Pinterest from women regarding exercises to build a butt.....

How To Firm Your Butt-

Sculpt Your Glutes-

How To Make a Bubble Butt-

Help My Pancake Butt-

Booty Blaster-

Ultimate Butt Workout-

Tighten Up Your Glutes-

I know you have all seen them.  It must be one area that we all wish we could tighten up.  Ever since I have gotten into weight training and seen the changes some exercises really can do for our glutes, I really can say they work.  I use to love to run and run for long distances.  I still love to run but I just don't make it my main source of exercise like I used to.  I noticed when I did run a lot that I lost my butt and it was flat.  When I started to do moves that really engage your lower body is when I noticed my butt get fuller and lift.  Lifting for lower body also made cellulite on my butt and legs appear less!  Yep, cellulite....I have it.  

First of all we must understand that our quads, glutes, lower back, etc., when combined are a very strong group of muscles even if you have never trained them before in your life.  They support the weight of your body every single day, all day long.

The BEST exercises for your butt are:

SQUATS- OF ALL KINDS
 DEADLIFTS AND STRAIGHT LEG DEADLIFTS

WALKING LUNGES W/ WEIGHT

STEP UPS W/ WEIGHT

GLUTE BRIDGES W/ WEIGHT

There are several other exercises you can do but doing just these exercises I listed at least 2 times a week will give you AMAZING results!  Your lower body can handle a lot.  So 2 times a week is not too much.  You WILL get results by living out of your comfort zone and getting in that squat rack 2x a week.

HOW YOU POSITION YOUR FEET:
When you squat, pointing your toes at certain angles will target different areas of your lower body.  Squatting with your feet shoulder width or slightly wider and your toes are pointing at 10 and 2 will focus more on the glutes.  Squatting with feet shoulder width and toes straight ahead will focus more on the outer part of your quads.

You can do all the body weight squats, kickbacks,  donkey kicks until you turn into a donkey!!! Without using weights, you will not stimulate your glutes enough to make them change/grow.  Your lower body already gets weightless work all day.  Walking, picking stuff up, getting in and out of your car, walking up stairs, standing etc....You have to add weights/resistance to cause stress on your muscles if you want them to change.  Stop waisting your time doing 25+ reps using no weights.  You are doing great endurance training with weightless exercises but trust me, weightless exercises are not changing your shape.  Add some weight when you do these exercises and I promise you will see a change!

Turkey Backon WRAPPED in Pancakes

Pancakes and Bacon just go together right?!  So I decided to literally make them "go together" This is just an original Protein Pancake Recipe.  Pour the batter like a strip over the cooked bacon.  That's it!  Pour over how many strips of bacon you want and use the left over batter to make mini pancakes with!

FAQ- I don't know how to use the weights

I get emails from followers that ask me questions for tips/advice etc., so I thought I would answer some questions on my blog and Instagram that I get asked more than once because maybe they are questions you have or are curious about as well.  First of all, if you are someone who has asked me a question and I end up posting about it, DO NOT feel stupid.  I will never reveal names.  Instead of feeling stupid you should feel awesome because I am pretty positive that you are helping people out! I really enjoy and appreciate all the questions that I get.

FAQ- 

"I don't know how to use the weights!" 

Guess what?! Neither did I.  But I didn't let that become my excuse to never try it out.  Just like being a kid in school and learning how to read.  Or learning to ride a bike.  We didn't just automatically know how to do these tasks.  Did we just say, "Well I have no idea how to read so I'm not even going to try or I'm just never going to go to school since I don't know how to read!"  No, we didn't.  Same goes with the gym.  

I'm pretty sure no one was born with amazing sculpted bodies and/or just walked right into the gym knowing exactly how to use each machine and how to do correct form on every exercise.  All it takes is going to the gym and trying or observing.

I do believe 100% that women who have never tried to weight train don't because of lack of knowledge about the benefits and results that come with it.  I can not stress enough the rush and that feeling you get after a great weight training session.  It is a great feeling of accomplishment!  If every woman was shown how to weight train effectively, they'll NEVER rely on only doing cardio again for a great workout.  I promise! 

So if you don't know how to use the weights you need to make an effort and reach out to learn.  You just need to go to the gym and go with it.  Watch others, read the instructions on the machines.  You can read up on it.  Write down a workout and search the exercises on Google.  Many images and videos will pop up like crazy to help you understand.  The easiest way is to hire a personal trainer or ask a friend you know that weight trains if you can tag along with them.  You will grasp the hang of things and will learn what works for you and what does not.

If you are a total beginner, it is great to shoot for at least 2 days of full body workouts.  Always warm up before your weight training session. Choose 1-2 exercises for each muscle in the body.
Pick light to medium weight until you feel comfortable to add more.  Shoot for reps of 12.  When you feel you got the hang of those moves say in 2-3 weeks, challenge yourself with a little more weight and lower the reps if you have to.  If you are able to do 12+ reps with ease then you aren't really adding muscle or strength at that point, only endurance.  Always allow yourself enough time to recover between your workouts!

You want to challenge yourself, not kill yourself.  For the first few weeks it is about learning the correct form of each exercise.  It is not about how much weight you can lift or how many exercises you are doing.  You will get amazing results that weight training can bring!

Below is a list of muscle groups and sample exercises you can do for those muscles.  If you are a total beginner, choose 1-2 exercises for each muscle group for upper body and 3-4 exercises for the lower body:

SHOULDERS- overhead press, lateral raise, front raise

TRICEPS- overhead tricep extensions, dips, tricep kickbacks, cable tricep pull downs

BICEPS- bicep curls, hammer curls, barbell close/wide grip curls, preacher curls

CHEST- dumbbell flys, dumbbell chest press, push ups

BACK- seated row, bent over barbell rows, lat pulldowns, pull ups

LEGS/GLUTES-  squats, lunges, deadlifts, legpress, bench step ups, plie squats, bulgarian split squats

ABS- crunches, bicycle crunch, heel touch, reverse crunch, exercise ball crunch, planks

20 Minute Interval Run

This is a great little treadmill run.  I like to put my incline at 0.5%-1.0% and just go.  For the last minute, 19-20- give it all you got! Go all out as fast as you can....I try for a 10.0 speed! 

Need A Christmas Gift Idea?

If you are local to me (Utah County) and need a gift idea for your spouse, mother, sister, aunt, friend etc.,  From now until Christmas you can purchase 2 sessions get one free training with me.  Let me teach you 1:1 how to train with weights.  I will email you over this little "Gift Card" that you can present for your gift.  Then let them email me to set up their workouts whenever they are ready.  

If you are interested in this, please email me:

HALEYFITHAPPENS@GMAIL.COM

-You are stronger than you think!

FAQ- "Weight training doesn't feel as intense as my usual cardio"

I get emails from followers that ask me questions for tips/advice etc., so I thought I would answer some questions on my blog and Instagram that I get asked more than once because maybe they are questions you have or are curious about as well.  First of all, if you are someone who has asked me a question and I end up posting about it, DO NOT feel stupid.  I will never reveal names.  Instead of feeling stupid you should feel awesome because I am pretty positive that you are helping people out! I really enjoy and appreciate all the questions that I get.

FAQ-

"Weight training doesn't feel as intense as my usual cardio"

When the person that mentioned this to me in an email I responded by asking how much weight are you lifting on a bicep curl?  She replied and told me she does 3 sets of 15 reps using dumbbells between 5-8lbs.  Then I asked her is she finishing all three sets without a struggle for the last 10-15 reps?  She said she feels a "burn" but she is able to complete all 3 sets of 15 reps.  I replied and said that is your problem right there.  

If you want your weight training to feel intense like your cardio then you need to pick a weight that causes you to reach fatigue or failure.  Feeling a "burn" is not fatigue.  Struggling to get those last few reps in is failure/fatigue.  That is intense!!  When I am on my last set of squats I honestly get nervous when I go down for my last rep that I might not make it back up.  There is no point in doing a lot of reps of any exercise if you don't feel resistance.  The whole idea behind weight training is to challenge your muscles and make them change the shape of your body.  Women get this idea that if they push their muscles to work hard with weights that they will get "bulky."  If you keep eating clean while lifting it will never happen.

Women do not naturally have a lot of muscle like men do.  When you create muscle it will take the place of existing body fat.  And since muscle is much smaller, denser tissue than fat, it will cause a women's body to appear smaller, tighter, and more shapely. When weight training is done right, it can feel just as intense as any cardio workout.  You can get your heart pumping and you can sweat doing weight training.

In the end it all comes down to diet which will help you lose weight and then resistance training will change your shape.  Doing long cardio sessions (45-60 mins+) does help with fat loss but you are breaking down your existing tissue.....leaving you with a soft skinny fat look.  Weight training gives you confidence that cardio alone will not.  Get your diet under control and lift weights to create lean muscles.  Always remember, that after your hour long steady cardio session the calorie burning stops when you stop.  Lift some weights and tear some muscles to get your body burning calories for 48 hours after you stop.  Your body has to work hard to repair those muscles.   

10 INSTANT improvements to your body when you eat right and exercise

1- Endorphins......MOOD! any kind of exercise that gets your heart rate up will have you experiencing that "runner's high."  A "runner's high" is a real thing.  It releases feel good endorphins that make you feel awesome!  The more intense your workout, the more HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY you will feel.  It's true what they say, "you are one workout away from a good mood."

2- Circulation- Eating the right foods will help blood flow throughout your entire body.  Clogging our system with unhealthy, greasy, fatty foods makes it hard for oxygen rich blood to flow to areas that get deprived.  Healthy food and exercise will help your organs function better, your heart will get stronger, and your brain will even function at a higher level.

3- Skin- Why wouldn't healthy foods and lots of green veggies make our skin glow?  Cutting sugar and processed foods will clear your skin and make you look younger.  When you feed your body proper nutrients it helps to generate skin cells which will improve the overall appearance of your skin.

4- Sleep- When you live a healthier lifestyle that includes exercise your sleep pattern will improve.  You will find yourself falling asleep easier and staying asleep.  Exercise is good for our body because it will cause it to tire out as night comes which helps us to settle down, unwind, and fall asleep.

5- Self Confidence- When you make healthier choices you feel good about yourself.  When you accomplish a long run or lift a heavy weight you never have before, these are all awesome confidence boosters.  Even choosing a glass of water over your favorite soda will make you feel in charge and confident.  Healthy eating and exercise also gives us great looking bodies.  Which of course will have you feeling confident in anything you choose to wear.

6- Bloating- When we eat more veggies and other clean whole foods, exercising, and drinking lots of water, your body will shed excess water right away.  This will change the number on the scale quickly but also your clothes will fit better and you will feel less bloated.  Processed foods and high in sodium will cause your body to hold onto water, leaving you feeling puffy.

7- Immunity- Healthy foods really can fight off infections and disease.  Healthy foods and veggies really can boost our immunity.  A good ol' green smoothie daily can act as your flu shot, seriously! You would be surprised at many foods that are natural anti-bacterial and even foods like broccoli that activate your body's own cancer fighting enzymes.  And those who exercise moderately are helping themselves to decrease the amount of viruses that you could catch throughout the year.

8- Sex Drive- Obviously when you feel better about yourself you will feel more sexy.  Exercise can play a major role in your self confidence which will improve your sex drive because you will feel more comfortable in your skin.  Eating healthy, nutrient rich foods also can also improve our libido by increasing certain hormones we need to feel sexual.

9- Stress/Depression- Cortisol is the stress hormone.  When you exercise you reduce these levels of cortisol and you increase the levels of serotonin which are our feel good hormones.  I'm sure we have all exercised when we feel stressed and I'm almost positive that after you feel less stressed.  Even if it's only for a few hours.  But you definitely can feel those levels of cortisol drop as your levels of serotonin increase.  When we don't feel great about ourselves it can lead us to feel depressed.   Exercising and healthy eating are sure ways to make us feel better about ourselves and change our moods.

10- Energy- You know that when you are working out you will have more energy for your day and you can sustain your day better if we are in shape.  When we eat healthy foods that keep our blood sugar levels stable, this will help avoid those 3pm crashes of feeling sluggish that we all seem to hit from happening.  Eating healthy foods throughout the day will help us keep energized.

Lean Body Workout

For this workout, do the exercise listed for reps of 12-15 then rest for 45-60 seconds.  Repeat the same exercise 2 more times.  Then move onto the next exercise, doing it for reps of 12-15 for of total of 3 times.  This is a good full body workout.  Challenge yourself on the weights and don't just go through the motions.