Guide to Working Out & Enjoying Food You Love
Every year health is a yearly goal for me. About 10 years ago I gave up both beef and pork for a healthier lifestyle. I have not looked back, nor do I miss it. Eating is a HUGE part of your weight-loss goals. In addition, consistency is key. We can hold each other accountable. Health should be a year-round effort and not just preparing for summer. Since I am not the expert in health I brought a professional in to give us some guidance.
Breana Turner is a 23 year old health and fitness enthusiast. Five years ago she made one lifestyle chance in her diet. Her passion is cooking healthy delicious foods (vegan) and physical fitness. As a personal trainer and nutrition coach she loves to help others see the value of investing in their mind, body, and soul. Through living a healthy lifestyle Breana has became a National Qualified Bikini Competitor in the NPC, receiving two overall champion titles. She is excited to share any tips and tricks to help others create the best versions of themselves both physically and mentally. Her Instagram page is @Bre.Faith.Fit.
While there is no magic pill that will keep you in tip top shape while allowing you to eat just about anything, fortunately, there are habits that can be adopted to keep you on the right track. Physical health is a combination of working out and eating well. It might be a little challenging in the beginning to get accustom to a cleaner diet and more physical activity but hang in there it gets better! Healthy is a lifestyle and that takes time. Below is her guide on how to work out and enjoying food you love:
Working Out
Don’t “find” time, make time.
From time to time we find ourselves wishing there was more hours in the day. Due to work, school, and various life events it can be easy to put off a daily workout or a few minutes to just focus on yourself. I tell people that make conditioning your mind and body a habit like brushing your teeth or combing your hair, surely you wouldn’t “find time” to brush your teeth but you’d MAKE time to. 15-30 minutes is all you need for quick and effective workout. “You have to make time for what’s important to you”
Embrace the “one more” mentality. Where your mind goes your body follows.
Sometimes the hard part of working out is completing the workout and giving it all you have. Each workout should be pushing you further and challenging you so it’s important to have the “one more” mentality. That last squat that seems impossible, think to yourself “I got this, just one more! ” Working out is about progress whether big or small you should always be getting better, faster, and stronger. “You’re limitless. Multiple small steps equal BIG progress.”
Create consistency in your daily activity as much as possible.
Structure and order yields success in working out and in life. Most of the time a person’s lifestyle is depicted through their health and body. If your daily life has no balance, structure, or consistency it’s more challenging for you to be productive in working out. Create a schedule to include working out, whether that means waking up earlier or staying up later. Consistency produces habitual behavior which is needed to reach your goals. “Persistence is how you get it; consistence is how you keep it.”
Have a game plan.
No building is built without a blue print. No battle is won without a plan of action. Jumping into working out without a plan will hinder your overall success. Have a strategy or idea of how you plan to achieve you goals and stick with it. Follow your favorite fitness person on IG or Facebook and bookmark the workouts you’ll complete on a given day. To be most productive and successful with working out you absolutely have to have a plan.
“Failure to plan, is planning to fail.”
Check out the sample workout I created below:
Be patient with the process.
Often times we expect immediate results but that is not the case with working out. The average time to see a minimal change in your body is around two weeks, that’s if you’ve been extremely consistent. Creating a healthier lifestyle and building the habit of working out is a journey so stick with it because you’ll thank yourself months from now. Be patient and stay focused on your goals. “Nothing worth having comes easily.”
Enjoying delicious food and staying fit
Everything in Moderation
I know you’ve heard it many times but moderation truly is the key. Too much of anything is bad for you. Keeping portions to a moderate size will help keep balance in your nutrition. Eating in moderation is the most important part to maintaining your desired physique. Try eating bigger portions over veggies and fruits while minimizing breads and sugars. Remember you can’t out exercise a bad diet.
Healthy alternatives to the things you love
There is more than one way to enjoy the foods you love. Some of our favorite dishes aren’t necessarily the most “healthy” but there are healthy alternatives. By substituting normal ingredients with healthier ingredient the taste and enjoyment can be better for you. A great example is my favorite, lasagna. Instead of using starchy noodles I replace them with lightly sauteed sliced zucchini and other yummy veggies like spinach and olives. This is just one of many examples of how you can transform something less healthy into something healthier and still enjoy tasty food and look good.
Gain control over your eating habits
Self-control is important for eating food and staying in shape. So many people skip breakfast which leads to extreme hunger by lunch time which then causes you to eat too much. Forming good eating habits will keep you from overeating and reduce hunger pains. Planning ahead and organizing how often and how many times you will eat can help you gain control.
Pick the best possible option when you don’t have control over the food available.
Enjoying a meal outside of your norm is definitely okay every 10-12 days. However, make sure when you get invited to that dinner party or over to grandma’s for Sunday dinner you pick the best possible option. Many times when life events (birthday parties, Christmas dinner, etc. ) occur we neglect being mindful of what we eat. I’m not saying don’t enjoy yourself but make sure you take into consideration what you consume in order to stay on track with your fitness goals.
If you must enjoy something unhealthy, only eat a portion.
It happens! We all have cravings especially when you’ve been eating clean for a while. If you must indulge in that candy bar or slice of cake try to only eat a portion perhaps only half or one third. That’s probably the hardest thing ever right? Well, it is because sweets and craving usually are your trigger foods; food that draws you in to the point where you overeat and cause a disruption in your eating habits. Avoid your trigger foods as much as possible.
For more information on healthy recipes or workouts follow me on IG: @Bre.Faith.Fit or email me at Breana94turner@yahoo.com
Bre’s Sample Workout Schedule
Monday
Tuesday
Legs
3x10 jump squats
3x12 walking lunges (w/dumbbells)
3x12 Squats on Smith Machine
3 x10 Bulgarian split squats
Back/Biceps
3x12 Lat pull downs (wide)
3x10 Machine assist pull ups
3x10 Bicep curls
3x 10 Hammer curls
Wednesday
Thursday
Cardio and abs
25 min Treadmill incline walk (Atleast 6 incline)
2x 30 sec mountain climbers
3x12 Bicycle crunches
3x 12 single leg toe taps
3x12 Reverse crunches
Shoulders
3x12Arnold press
-3X12 Lateral side raises
3x12 Military Press
3x12 Dumbbell front raises
Friday
Saturday
Cardio & Chest/triceps
15 minutes on stair stepper (at least speed of 9-13)
1 mile treadmill
3x12 Incline Chest flies
3x10 Incline bench push ups
3x12 triceps dips
3x12 Overhead triceps press
Glutes/ Calves
3x15 Walking lunges w/ kick back
3x15 Sumo squats
3x20 Fire hydrates
3x10 standing calf raises(feet inward, straight, and outward
Sundays = rest days
Breana has given us a lot of information on how to be the best versions of ourselves! I am excited about this information. If you are unsure of what or how to do the specific exercise search for a video on YouTube or google how to do it. The summer is almost over but we can still work on our health! I hope this is helpful and useful information for you ladies!
