Category Archives: Living the Fit Lifestyle

Hello from Offseason!

September 22, 2015Contest Prep, General Fitness, Living the Fit LifestyleBodybuilding, Clean Eating, Competition Prep, Contest Prep, Diet, Fit Life, Fitness, Lifestyle, Meal Prep, NPC, NPC Figure, Nutrition, WeightlossMeredith Lynch

I’ve been so focused on sharing my fitness and healthy eating tips and tricks, that some of y’all probably forgot about how things are going for me as a Figure Competitor!

Oh man. I AM SO READY TO GET BACK ON THAT STAGE!!! Especially after watching the Olympia this weekend!! That’s the Super Bowl of this sport, and all of the Figure competitors looked amazing! As you know, my last (and only) show was six month ago in March. I did great in that show, and was originally planning to compete again in November. For me to be show-ready in November, I would have started prepping again in AUGUST. Honestly, both me and my coach felt like that just wasn’t enough time for me to GROW! All great competitors take significant time between shows to really focus on growing muscles and changing their physiques. That’s the only way to improve! You cannot grow muscle and stay stage lean year round. Our bodies cannot do both at the same time. End of story. Theoretically speaking it takes about 3 months (12 weeks) to prep for a Contest, and 2-3 months (6-10) weeks for your body to get back to normal after being that lean after a show.

So what have I been up to since our last update? EATING and LIFTING!!!!! I love the freedom and strength I have in the gym. I’ve set some amazing PRs, and have really able to focus more on training and having fun with my workouts! You can always have fun with your training (hell, it SHOULD be fun!) but as you progress through a contest prep you definitely lose your strength and energy, and eventually just use what energy you have to just get through the workout! My coach is very pleased with my progress—I’ve added CONSIDERABLE muscle mass, particularly in my back and shoulders. My quads have grown as well! It took me a few weeks to adjust to the weight gain I had from rebounding so badly after the show (classic rookie mistake!), but I’m feeling more confident in my body now. I’m hovering around 142-143 pounds these days (I’m 5’4) and was roughly 115 on show day. If you do the math, that’s about a 30 pound difference! Things don’t fit like they did a few months ago, and I’m still a little “fluffier” than I’d like to be, but it’s all part of the process. Just like in prep, I take this one day, one meal, one workout at a time. This is a lifestyle! I don’t feel deprived with food thanks to my weekly cheat meals. You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I begged my coach to take some of my carbs away because I was never hungry!! We’ll see how long that lasts!!!

I’ve also been focusing a lot on taking care of my body with preventative/ recovery measures to keep from getting injured and enable my muscles to get the most out of their training. I’m now getting monthly sports massages in addition to my monthly chiropractic adjustments. Massage is important because it helps your muscles grow and aids in the recovery of your muscle tissue. Sports massages aren’t exactly relaxing, but they hurt so good! My chiropractor helps me feel balanced and with neck and back pain I have from a car accident several years ago. I will also be incorporating cryotherapy into my routine as well. My training has remained mostly the same, but I am able to go HEAVY and push myself in every workout. Legs are definitely the area I want to grow the most, and even after all this work and time, I’m still dissatisfied with how slowly they are progressing. I’ve noticed how I’ve always sort of had “issues” with my legs, and my coach and I noticed that one of my hamstrings (my left) is definitely more developed than my right. I was also beginning to experience stiffness and soreness in my left hip, especially after sprints or leg day. He suggested I visit an MAT (muscle activation techniques) specialist in our gym to help facilitate better activation and utilization of my leg and hip muscles. Believe it or not, after only a few muscle tests on my first visit, the MAT therapist said I was maybe getting 50% of my full potential out of my legs. ONLY FIFTY PERCENT!!!!! No wonder I’m not seeing the growth I want to. That was also the reason for the lopsided hammies and hip pain. My lack of muscle activation in my legs is caused by a combination of factors—muscle range of motion, genetics, strength, etc. , but the good news is that it can be fixed! Muscle activation techniques focus on restoring BALANCE between muscles, and retraining your muscles to activate or “fire” the correct way so that they are getting the most out of training. A lot of professional athletes get MAT training right before a game so that they can perform at their best. Think of it like a chiropractor for your muscles. My MAT therapist restructured my leg day workout so that I start with calves, move to hip abductor and adductor exercises, seated leg curl, and then glutes before doing any compound movements like squats, deadlifts, or leg presses. This way my leg muscles are 100% activated and can fully “absorb” the training. So interesting! I’ve just started MAT, and have only had two sessions. After both sessions, I immediately trained legs, and WOAH does it make a huge difference. Performing certain exercises feels totally different after the MAT therapy. It’s hard to explain, but I can already see a difference in my legs in just three weeks. My MAT therapist also prescribed a series of hip flexor exercises and stretches to do every day that will help as well.

I have three more months of growing season, which seems like a lot; but it’s really not! I have just 15 weeks before prep starts again. That’s only 15 workouts per muscle group. See, not a lot—right?! I’m itching to pick a show date (dates haven’t been released for 2016 yet due to some changes with NPC Texas), anxious to start the countdown again, go to posing classes, have discipline and structure, pick out a suit, and get ready to shine! Every time I throw on my heels for check-ins with my coach, it makes me miss the anticipation of getting ready for a show! I’m confident, though, that all of my hard work is going to pay off when I hit that stage in the spring. I can’t wait to show off a totally different version of myself. The best part of bodybuilding is that you are really competing against yourself. It’s a constant, evolving process. Just like life.

Till Next Time,

-Mere

Eat This, Not That—a Fit Girl’s Guide to Eating Out!

September 11, 2015General Fitness, Living the Fit Lifestyle, Nutrition/ Diet, WeightlossClean Eating, Diet, Fit Life, Fitness, Lifestyle, Meal Prep, Nutrition, WeightlossMeredith Lynch

I’m excited about this post, and I think a lot of you will be too! Let’s face it, as much as we try to meal prep and plan our meals, sometimes we are in a pinch and need to eat a meal on the road or away from home. Maybe you have a job that has a lot of dinners and lunches with clients that you wine and dine, or travel a lot, and that requires a lot of eating out. I thought I’d share some of my favorite tips and tricks for making healthy choices when eating out.

I’ll preface this by saying that when you are really trying to be mindful with your nutrition, lose weight, build muscle, etc., you should avoid eating out as much as you can. Not all restaurant meals are unhealthy, but when you eat out you cannot really control what and how much you are eating as well as you can when you prepare and cook your own meals. With that said, we all like to get out of the house and enjoy a meal out with our friends and loved ones. Live a little!!

Here are the parameters I try to follow when I am out (NOT ON CHEAT MEAL NIGHT!) and looking at what to order:

Stay away from fried anything— fried chicken is certainly delicious, but it’s not healthy!
Salads are a good option, but leave off the croutons and cheese if you can. They are nothing but empty calories. Stick with vinaigrette dressings and always order dressings on the side.
Stick with grilled lean proteins—fish, chicken, etc.
Avoid creamy sauces, cheese, and butter sauces. These usually add hundreds of calories.
Avoid pasta and rice dishes. They are chock full of of added butter and SALT and have way more carbs that you probably need.
Send the chips and bread back.
Look at menus and nutrition facts ahead of time so you are prepared and will be less tempted to order something off your “plan”.
You can always ask for your food to be prepared without butter or ask to have things grilled.
I will almost ALWAYS order a side salad instead of the rice/fries/potato option

I also thought I’d share some of our go-to meals we’ll order when we need to eat on the run:

Chipotle—

Order the burrito bowl with chicken, ½ as much brown rice, or no rice at all. No beans, no cheese, no sour cream. Pico, hot sauce, a tiny bit of corn, and lots of lettuce! Guac on the side.

Chick-Fila—

Grilled nuggets with a side salad. Vinaigrette dressing on the side. Their market salad is a good option too but doesn’t have a lot of protein.

PeiWei—

Did you know you can get ANY of their bowls steamed with the sauce on the side?! I love this option, and will get it with the spicy sauce on the side and use just a tiny bit to dip my veggies in. Watch how much of the rice you eat, though, and order brown or white rice, but not fried rice.

Ghengis Grill—

I can almost eyeball my protein amount and can get a ton of veggies!!! The healthier sauces are usually spicy, but try to avoid the sweeter ones to save calories.

Jason’s Deli—

The Turkey Wrap is your best option outside of the salad bar. The soups are pretty much salt licks, and don’t even look at the nutrition facts for the sandwiches. To save even more calories, order the wrap with no ranch dressing or on the side.

Rock Fish/ Seafood places—

Stick with grilled white fish (no butter) and grilled or steamed veggies with no butter. You can also do boiled shrimp or crab! YUM!!!

Breakfast / Brunch—

Go with egg-white and veggie omelets or scrambles, and plain oatmeal. You can add Splenda and cinnamon to your oatmeal! Avoid biscuits, pancakes, pastries, waffles, bacon, sausage. and pretty much all the good stuff. L Brunch is another one of my favorite cheat meals!!

Mi Cocina/ Mexican Restaurants—

We love the Mico Rico salad from Mi Cocina! Again, leave off the cheese and bacon but otherwise you’re pretty set. Chicken fajitas and chicken fajita salads are probably your best choice if you can’t find grilled options on the menu. Just watch the rice/beans/chips.

Sushi / Asian Restaurants—

Sushi is usually a pretty clean meal, especially if you’re not ordering rolls with sauces or tempura batter. Sashimi is a great option as well. Asian restaurants will usually give you the option to get your entrée steamed, so try that as well.

Pizza—

Seriously, just save this for a cheat meal. Anything else will be disappointing! If y’all have ideas on how to make restaurant pizza a clean meal, let me know, I’m all ears!!

American / Bar Restaurants—

A grilled chicken salad can be found almost anywhere, but again look at the toppings and dressing choices. For example, most of Chili’s salads have a RIDICULOUS number of calories, but appear to be “healthy”. I will sometimes do a grilled fish, or turkey burger as options too.

DRINKS—

Sidenote: Alcohol is almost entirely void of any nutritional value. You want to lose weight quickly? Cut out alcohol for two weeks and see what happens. That said, I love the occasional cocktail, so here are my favorite “skinny” options:

Skinny Margarita
Vodka soda (NOT TONIC) with extra lime
Wine
A light beer
Diet Coke with vodka or Malibu and lime
Avoid frozen drinks, craft cocktails (those are my favorite), sweeter cocktails, and blended drinks

Stick to your guns! It’s not easy to start or stick to a lifestyle of clean eating. If it were, everyone would do it. However, I can promise you that every healthy choice you make will give you more confidence and motivation to keep making more of them. Your body will thank you and you won’t feel guilty for sabotaging all of your hard work in the gym. Keep working hard! Remember, I’m always listening and willing to help, so feel free to email me at Lipglossandlifting@gmail.com. I just started a Facebook page, too, so give it a like (search for Lipgloss and Lifting)!

Till next time,

-Mere

I’m hungry…I need a snack.

July 30, 2015Living the Fit Lifestyle, Nutrition/ Diet, WeightlossClean Eating, Diet, Fit Life, Fitness, Lifestyle, Meal Prep, Nutrition, WeightlossMeredith Lynch

We’ve all been there. Those 10:30am stomach gurgles when you’re starving and just can’t wait till lunch. Or worse, 3:30 or so in the afternoon when fatigue or the munchies set in and you head straight to the office vending machine. What do you need? A SNACK!

Believe it or not, snacks are just as important as your 3 square meals a day. Our bodies need fuel, and eating just three times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner just isn’t enough. This is particularly true if you are working out or maintaining a high activity level. Your metabolism will burn through your food supply, and you need to keep eating every 2-3 hours to keeping fueling it. More importantly, however, eating in between meals keeps your blood sugar steady, and gives you the energy you need to get through your day. I hoped in today’s post to give a brief overview of what I feel to be some downfalls for snacking habits, and provide you with a few nutritious options. Who doesn’t love a yummy snack?!

Cellucor Red Velvet Whey, literally the best tasting protein that you can buy!

I read an article yesterday (and actually shared it on Facebook) from Bodyrock.tv that talked about 12 so called “healthy” foods that in actuality weren’t healthy or nutritious at all. It fascinates me how food propaganda and marketing screams “healthy” “low calorie” “low fat”, etc. everywhere you look. It should be easy to find “healthy” snacks, but if you read a label closely, these “healthy” foods are leaden with salt, chemicals, and SUGAR. A few usual culprits—granola bars, trail mixes, prepackaged snacks, flavored yogurts, and even PROTEIN DRINKS. Have you checked the label lately on a Kind bar or a Lara bar? Told you, all sugar. Even those Special K protein drinks are loaded with it! What’s a girl to do?!

If you choose wisely, there are lots of healthy snack options.

You all have heard me talk time and time again about the importance of clean eating; eating whole foods that have as few ingredients as possible. When it comes to snacking, you should ideally aim to have one snack mid morning (in between breakfast and lunch, duh) and a second snack mid afternoon (between lunch and dinner). I also typically do a casein protein shake or egg whites as my 6th meal an hour or so before bed. Portion control is HUGE here. A snack should not be the same caloric intake as your meals. Avoid temptation to graze (or eat mindlessly) by portioning out your serving, rather than eating the food directly out of the box or container. Additionally, you should definitely incorporate protein into your snack. Some of my favorite snacks are plain Greek yogurt (flavored with crystal light drops or stevia), whey protein shakes, tuna, and ground turkey lettuce wraps. Try to avoid prepackaged snacks like chips, candy, snack mixes, cookies, etc. Essentially anything on what you’d find on what I call the “lunchbox aisle” of the grocery store. I love goldfish crackers, but they aren’t a very healthy snack choice unless you’re looking to eat a bunch of processed crap and still want to be hungry in 15 minutes. An apple or fruit is a good option, but keep in mind that it still translates as sugar to your body. A protein and fat should keep you satiated and hold you over until your next meal. Good combos include—tuna and avocado, turkey and avocado, yogurt (UNFLAVORED—there’s that darn sugar again) and almonds, you get the idea. Veggies and hummus are another great option. You could also make a dip with greek yogurt and your spices of choice for crudités. And I LOVE Quest Bars. Or hard boiled eggs! Refer back to my earlier posts about protein and fat sources if you need more ideas.

Honestly, just try to avoid foods that have more than 3 ingredients. Really. It’s that simple. If it wasn’t around when your great grandmother was, then it’s probably not real food! Remember to prepare ahead of time and bring snacks/food with you to work, school, or on the road so that you don’t have to rely on a less healthy option in a pinch. I don’t buy junk food at the grocery store so that it’s not in our home to tempt us. I don’t even crave junk food now, but in the beginning of my journey I found it was much easier to avoid it if it wasn’t in the house altogether. If I didn’t have access to plate of brownies on the counter or chips in the pantry, I wasn’t going to eat it, plain and simple.

Quest Bars are amazing. Buy them now. You won't regret it! — Quest Bars are amazing. Buy them now. You won’t regret it!

I should also mention that it is equally important to not skip snacking! If you find yourself starving between meals, you likely aren’t eating enough calories to fuel your body for your respective activity level. Also, if you’re famished come meal time, you are likely to give into cravings or over eat. We all know that can cause some serious damage. I touched earlier on how important it is to watch for added sugar in the foods that you eat. I cannot stress this enough—if you look at one thing on a label, make it the sugar content! I promise you will be surprised. If you have to eat packaged food, aim for those with a sugar content of 5g or less per serving, a low carb, and high fiber content. As you become more accustomed to eating clean foods, you will rely less and less on prepackaged items. Just remember, take it one day, one meal, one workout at a time.

Greek yogurt is a great source of protein.

I hope you all are enjoying the summer! I LOVE answering questions, so feel free to email me at lipglossandlifting@gmail.com.

Till next time,
-Mere

Good Things are Worth the Wait

July 11, 2015Contest Prep, Living the Fit LifestyleBodybuilding, Clean Eating, Competition Prep, Contest Prep, Diet, Fit Life, Fitness, Lifestyle, Meal Prep, NPC, NPC Figure, Nutrition, WeightlossMeredith Lynch

Hey gang! Y’all are probably wondering where I went! Between a crazy hiring season at work, a move to Fort Worth, and a spontaneous trip to Vegas for the hub’s birthday, I have been one BUSY girl!

We’re getting settled into our new neighborhood—it’s so nice to be closer to family and for Shane to not have an hour and a half commute! We found a great gym here in Fort Worth and have been busy getting our workouts in and exploring our new city. Getting away to Vegas for the 4^th of July weekend was awesome! I had so much fun gallivanting with my favorite person. Even after being together for 10 years, we still have so much fun spending time together! Although this was our sixth trip there together, it was the first one we’ve taken to Vegas by ourselves—every other one we’d been with friends or family. It was a quick 2 and a half days but we managed to see all of the beautiful hotels, had a couple of great meals, took a ride on the new High Roller, and caught the most AMAZING Cirque Du Soleil show, “O”! If you haven’t seen O yet, you MUST! It’s one of their older shows, and it’s at the Bellagio. I’ve seen several Cirque shows, and this one blew them all out of the water—literally! My jaw was on the floor for most of the show.

Since it’s been a little bit since my last post, I thought I’d just give you all a general update about how offseason is progressing. My last couple of check-in meetings with my coach have been great! We’re both pleased I’ve finally “stabilized” with my weight for a while, and have put on quite a bit of muscle mass in the 3 months post show. I’m having a blast training hard and heavy, and enjoying my weekly cheat meal! That said, I’ve known for the last few weeks that if I really wanted to do the show in November, then I would go back into Contest Prep in August. Man that got here FAST! A little too fast actually. 3 months just flew by, and I just now feel sort of settled into my post-show body. After much deliberation, I decided I really want to take the rest of the year to really grow and have a true “off season”, and I couldn’t be happier with my choice. My coach and I both feel like this will give me a GREAT change in my physique since it will roughly be a year between shows. I will now start prep January 1 for a show in early/mid April, likely Better Bodies here in Dallas. If I had done the show in November, I would have just gone right back into off season, and would have to put my body through another prep quickly to do an early show next season. This can be dangerous and wreak havoc on your metabolism, and we don’t want to risk that. By finishing out this year in off season, it will set me up to do more shows if I need or want to next season. Additionally, I already know what it’s like to be in “prep mode” for January, February, and March, which is when I’d be doing it for the April show. To me, that means a lot. I was already questioning how I’d get through an August, September, October prep when it’s football season and pumpkin EVERYTHING for Fall!! You’d best believe I’ll be catching me some TCU football games this season since we’re back in Horned Frog country over here, and the pumpkin everything— gosh that would be hard to avoid!

Anyway, I’m excited to have a few more months to get some work in and make more changes! I know 5 months sounds like a long time, but if you do the math it’s only 25 weeks, which is essentially 25 more workouts per muscle group the way my split is set up. Not long at all! But, with the 3 months I’ve already put in, it makes me really optimistic about what’s going to happen. I can already see so much more muscle in my legs, and my strength now is awesome too! I’m doing lat pulldowns at 115lbs. When I started training over a year ago, I could barely do 70-80lbs! I’m really enjoying lifting to lift and grow, and the clean eating part, well, it’s just how I eat so I’m used to it. This is a lifestyle, and I’m really remembering what it felt like to workout because you really are doing it solely out of choice, because it’s part of your lifestyle and you really want to, not necessarily because you really have to with a show goal you’re working towards, even though most of the time I really wanted to workout then too. Waiting a little longer to get back on stage will be worth it when I bring a much better package as a competitor, and I’m sure by then I’ll be SOOOOOO ready to lean out and get back out there to smile, sparkle, and strut!

Coach is going to put together a “mini project” for us to focus on through the rest of this year, so I’m looking forward to finding out what that is. Rest assured, you’ll be along for the ride! Hope you all are doing well!

Till next time,

-Mere

Offseason Got Me Like….

June 10, 2015Contest Prep, Living the Fit LifestyleBodybuilding, Clean Eating, Competition Prep, Contest Prep, Diet, Fit Life, Fitness, Lifestyle, Meal Prep, NPC, NPC Figure, Nutrition, WeightlossMeredith Lynch

If you saw my IG post I put up the other day, then you know where I’m going with this. Let me first start by saying that I still believe that deciding to compete is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I love the discipline, structure, and drive it fires up in me, and I know that the longer I continue to train and live this healthy lifestyle the more my physique will continue to develop and muscles will continue to grow. Bodybuilding is a process. A continual process. Every opportunity I have to push myself makes me love this sport more. And I’m still only just beginning. Competing is just as much you competing against yourself as it is you competing against others.

You all should know by know that I tend to be pretty honest here about my fitness journey. That said, I haven’t been fully transparent with you guys about post-show life. Everyone’s body is different, and what we’ve learned about mine is that it apparently is taking me a while to “balance out” after the show. Prep is really hard on your body physically, particularly with hormones and your metabolism. Your body gets used to surviving on a very low caloric intake, and carbohydrate intake, and as you know, your diet is extremely restricted and super clean. No alcohol, no sugar, etc. My downfall was really those first two weeks after my show when I was travelling and not really sticking to my structured diet and eating on plan. Lesson learned. DO NOT GO TO NEW ORLEANS or ANYWHERE on vacation right after a show!!! Your body needs to be able to acclimate back to a normal diet, and it is much easier to do that when you have time and a routine. I won’t lie. I was still getting my workouts in those first two weeks, but I was pretty wheels off with my nutrition. After those first two weeks though, I was totally back on the bandwagon and have stayed on since then. I haven’t binged, haven’t skipped a workout, haven’t skipped cardio, haven’t skipped meals. I’ve stuck to the plan. 2 months and 20 pounds later here we are. Not going to lie, it has taken me 2 months to adjust to the “softer” look I have. I go back and forth between feeling like the Michelin Man, and feeling like a damn linebacker because my shoulders feel so much bigger! My clothes fit differently, and the scale and I have a mutual hate-hate relationship.

The good part? I’m strong as hell in the gym. I’m pushing myself to add weight on exercises, have had fun changing up my workouts, and am having a blast when I train. If there’s one thing I want to make sure I stick to, it’s my love of lifting and how much fun I have working out. I freaking love it. I’m enjoying my weekly cheat meals with Shane, and the occasional cocktail. This is a lifestyle, and it works for me.

Here’s the not so good part. Any competitor will tell you though that it’s a total Mind F&%k watching your body morph into something totally different post-show. In short, I spent the first probably 5 weeks after my show feeling like a fatass and a part of me felt angry at my body for turning on me. You were so cooperative during Prep! What the eff is going on?!? Why do I keep gaining weight?!?! I wouldn’t be as mad if I had been frequenting drive-thrus, eating copious amounts of peanut butter, or wolfing donuts and cupcakes on every whim, because then I would have had myself to blame. But again, I wasn’t. What the eff was going on?!?! I’m so glad I have such an awesome coach, and great friends and teammates that understand and can mentor me as I enter this “offseason” phase. Offseason is when a competitor is consuming more food (still on a “clean” diet), and focuses on building more muscle (gains) so that they ultimately will have a better physique at their next competition. Weight gain is an automatic after a show, but in a true offseason it’s pretty much your focus. Good weight gain though. Muscle. There’s as fine line to balance between fat weight gain and muscle growth. After my show, my coach and I set a goal to hopefully do my second show in the Fall, giving me an 18 week offseason before I started another prep. If I do the show we’re planning on in November, I would theoretically start Prep again in August, but honestly we’re in a watching and waiting mode right now. Luckily I have check-ins with my coach every two weeks, where he can monitor my progress and see how my body is changing with my diet and training. I’m still doing cardio several times a week, and this week we decided to start carb cycling again at dinner a few days a week so that I can keep my body fat under control while my metabolism sort of resets. I’m not going to go quite as crazy with cheat meals for the next two weeks just to see how things go, because honestly, I really don’t want to get any bigger than what I am right now (body fat wise) and my coach doesn’t want me to either. It’s a learning process for both of us. As frustrated as I’ve been with my body, I’m happy to say that I feel like I’ve really turned a page this week. I’ve learned that being frustrated and pissed off at myself won’t make me any leaner. Sticking to my diet and kicking ass in the gym and focusing on that and the other positives in this process (like the growth of my legs and my strength building!) will make accepting my new “look” easier. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could all walk around all shredded all the time? Sure! But honestly, yeah right. That’s totally unrealistic. You have to have balance, and being that LEAN for an extended amount of time isn’t healthy! Nicole Wilkins (the Figure dynasty and one of my biggest role models) looks totally different in her offseason than she does on the Olympia stage. Why I am I holding myself to an unrealistic standard?

I have this image in my mind of what I want to look like at my next show, and I’m not stopping till I get there. In order to change and grow your physique, you have to EAT more to TRAIN harder and build more muscle. This is all part of the process. If it were easy, everyone would do it, and many competitors can’t deal with this part of competing, so that’s why they quit. As for me, I’m sticking to my diet, sticking to training, and trusting the process. This is me embracing my fluff, embracing this part of my journey, and embracing what’s ahead.

Till next time,

-Mere

The Most Important Meal of the Day

May 31, 2015General Fitness, Living the Fit Lifestyle, Nutrition/ Diet, WeightlossClean Eating, Diet, Fit Life, Fitness, Lifestyle, Meal Prep, Nutrition, WeightlossMeredith Lynch

How many times have you heard the old saying, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? Well friends, I’m here to tell you that it is definitely true!!! Eating a healthy, nutritious breakfast will not only help power you through your day, but it will also help boost your metabolism and keep hunger at bay throughout your day as well.

Let’s start with why NOT eating breakfast is really bad for you. It’s called BREAKFAST because you are breaking the fast that your body endured while you were sleeping. Your brain and body need food to function. On an empty stomach, you’ll be battling your blood sugar, and won’t have the energy to get you through your day. Coffee alone isn’t enough! I used to think that a (flavored) Yoplait yogurt, or a packet of Quaker flavored oatmeal was enough for breakfast. And now I know that I was eating no where near enough protein for that first meal of the day. I’m also a big believer that starting your day with a healthy, nutrient packed meal will help you make healthy choices the rest of the day.

Heres a typical breakfast for me: Oats with strawberries, eggs, egg whites and coffee!

Many people eat breakfast, but I would venture to say that most aren’t eating the right foods for breakfast. Who doesn’t love a giant stack of pancakes, a waffle, or a fluffy omelet? Or BISCUITS!!! Can you tell I love carbs? And don’t even get me started on Shane’s undying love for bacon… I’m no stranger to big breakfast—I even asked my coach if I could do Sunday Brunch as my cheat meal instead of dinner Saturday night! LOL! As awesome as these all sound, a great breakfast should have both protein and complex carbs, and a small bit of healthy fat to keep you fueled.

Here are some of our favorite breakfast staples:

Oatmeal
Egg whites
Whole Eggs (be careful your fat content with yolks)
Protein pancakes
Cheerios
Berries or some banana in with my oats
Egg white and veggie scramble or omelet
Sweet potato hash
Ezekiel bread and turkey sausage/ turkey bacon are healthy options too

And of course, no morning for me is complete without COFFEE!! I take mine with a splash of half & half or fat free / sugar free creamer (but, during prep I take it with a splash of almond milk or black).

This list is in no way all inclusive, but here’s my list of foods to AVOID for breakfast:

Starbucks drinks that are full syrup / calorie—these can average 400 calories plus (some Frappuccinos even hit 1,000 calories!) and are full of sugar and fat
Breakfast sandwiches and burritos from anywhere with a drive thru
Bagels with cream cheese (simple carbs will spike your blood sugar, and the cream cheese will pack on a TON of calories and fat with little nutritional value)
As much as I love them, pancakes and waffles shouldn’t be an everyday thing
Believe it or not fruit juice is a terrible choice; it’s loaded with sugar, carbs, and calories.
Most cereals are completely laden with sugar and chemicals; you should avoid them.
Pop-tarts, toaster strudels, and all of their boxed friends are horrible for you. Pretty much anything like that will keep you full for about 5 minutes.
Muffins, danishes, cinnamon rolls, donuts, etc. Try to avoid white breads and pastries at breakfast too. They won’t stick with you and are almost completely void of any nutritional value. Remember complex carbs are your friend, that means oats, rice, sweet potatoes

Here are two of my favorite recipes for a quick and easy breakfast. Give ‘em a whirl—they’ll make your morning!

Easy Microwave Egg White Oats (I eat these probably 3 times a week!)

Ingredients:

1 cup of egg whites
½ a cup of oats
1 tsp cinnamon
About half of a banana mashed (or a handful of berries)
A few drops of liquid stevia
1T natural peanut butter or chopped walnuts

Directions: Mix everything but the peanut butter together in a larger microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute 15 seconds. Stir. Microwave again for 2 minutes stirring every thirty seconds. Then mix in the peanut butter after it’s cooked. Delish!

Veggie Egg White Scramble

Ingredients:

About a cup of egg whites
A large handful of spinach
Veggies—use whatever you like. We usually go for chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, jalapeños, or onions
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Sauté the veggies on medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the egg whites and spinach and cook for about 5 minutes until everything is cooked together.

Hopefully you all are excited to get a head start on your day with a great breakfast tomorrow morning. I know I am! Thanks again for reading!

Till next time,

-Mere

A Beginner’s Guide to Meal Prepping!

May 25, 2015General Fitness, Living the Fit Lifestyle, Nutrition/ Diet, WeightlossClean Eating, Diet, Fit Life, Fitness, Lifestyle, Meal Prep, Nutrition, WeightlossMeredith Lynch

Hi everyone! Hope this finds you well! Wow—I just checked, and it looks like I haven’t done a post in 2 weeks! Y’all probably wondered where I went!! I’ve been busy throwing weights around I suppose! Feels good to sit down and write!!

I frequently get asked A LOT about nutrition and what I recommend people eat. I thought I’d give a brief overview of how Shane and I plan our weekly meals, and then later over the next couple of weeks take things meal by meal to go further in detail.

“Meal Prepping” in my opinion can best be defined as pre-planning your meals, pre-cooking the meals you have planned, and then adhering to eating those meals that you have planned and cooked.

A beautiful sight, a week's worth of prepped meals! — A beautiful sight, a week’s worth of prepped meals!

I’m sure that many of you can relate to how things used to be in our household. Let me give you a little back story on how our meals have evolved over our 10 year relationship. When we were first married, I really took it upon myself as a newlywed to cook dinner for us every night. Growing up, my family had always traditionally had dinner together and I really enjoyed cooking (and, I still do)! Shane and I would think ahead of time of what we wanted for dinner that week, I would grocery shop (*note—I LOVE to grocery shop!!), and then cook dinner when I got home from work. We typically ate things a lot of American families do—spaghetti, tacos, stir frys, those frozen meals in bags (a.k.a. salt licks in a bag—they are full of sodium!), and every now and then I’d try out recipes I’d seen online, in a magazine, or on the Food network. But this got to be exhausting. I got tired of constantly cooking and cleaning after working a 10-12 hour day. I wasn’t working out at the time, but who has time to cook a gourmet freaking dinner every night?! We never fight, but there were oh so many nights where one of us didn’t want the “planned” dinner that night, or we got home too late to care and went out to dinner instead. Food was often wasted, and pounds kept creeping up. Sometimes I would take leftovers for lunch the next day, but we’d usually throw a lot out because I’d cook too much food for two people, oh and Shane never ate leftovers back then. Honestly, we probably ate out or ordered in 4-5 nights a week easy. Shane would never eat breakfast, never took snacks to work, and ate out for lunch every single day.

This is how we used to eat. Chicken Spaghetti. One of our old favorites and very, very unhealthy.

Another old favorite: chicken stuffed with cheese. We don't really miss meals like this anymore. Stick with clean eating and it gets easier! — Another old favorite: chicken stuffed with cheese. We don’t really miss meals like this anymore. Stick with clean eating and it gets easier!

Fast forward a few years. When I joined Texas Fit Chicks boot camp, the trainers put a lot of emphasis on clean eating. This opened up my eyes a lot! I had always tried to be pretty healthy eater. Since High School really, I would often choose healthier food options over burgers, pizza, etc., but the clean eating concept really clarified it a lot for me. I would take snacks to work, but realize now that I was probably not eating enough food. I would often skip breakfast, or have just a yogurt or pack of oatmeal, and maybe have a few almonds or a granola bar if I got hungry during the day at the office. In my last job I often had to take clients out to lunch, which meant eating out almost every single day. And the pounds just kept creeping on. I still “cooked” dinner every night, but focused on healthier, cleaner options. A lot of our dinner recipes from about 2012 – 2013 came from a website called skinnytaste.com. It’s fabulous if you’re looking for simple, easy to make healthy dishes. I still use them from time to time!

Last year when we finally made the decision to really make fitness and nutrition part of our lifestyle, things totally changed. I really began researching nutrition and the concept of macros, and what I should be eating in order to fuel my body, not just lose weight. Instead of planning my weekly grocery list around recipes, I began planning it around protein, carb, and fat sources. Things totally changed for us. It wasn’t easy at first, but we figured out that having pre-cooked chicken, and simpler meals geared around hitting our macros really worked for our lifestyle and was SO much easier than freaking cooking every night. Both of us eat 6 meals a day (3 meals, 3 “snacks”) and have one weekly cheat meal (Saturday nights! Hooray!) where we go out to dinner. It has saved us so much stress and money (that now gets put right into supplements, protein powders, and cute workout gear! HA), but the best part is not having the “what’s for dinner” debate every night. Well that, and how freaking awesome you look and feel when you’re healthier! I really don’t miss the stress of cooking a fancy schmancy meal every day. Are our meals boring? Sure, some would say that, but we eat a lot of the same foods day after day and we’re okay with that. This is a lifestyle. It doesn’t work for everyone but it works for us. Like I’ve said so many times before, nutrition is the BIGGEST component to getting results. You can just eat clean, whole foods, really put a limit on eating out, cut back (or cut out!) alcohol, and NOT EVEN WORK OUT and see results. On the other hand, however, you could bust your ass in the gym every day of the week, and if you’re eating crap you’ll never see results. Interesting, huh?

We eat LOTS of sweet potatoes. This won't last a week! — We eat LOTS of sweet potatoes. This won’t last a week!

You don’t have to be super “hard core” with this. Maybe just start by thinking okay, I’m going to cook dinner these nights, and go out to dinner these nights, and here’s what I’m going to have for dinner when I cook. I’m going to pack a lunch every day for work instead of eating out, and I’m going to have xy and z for breakfast and snacks. The tricky part, though, is being consistent with it, meal after meal, day after day. It WILL get easier!

It might not look it, but this is a very healthy meal. Tuna steak with rice and veggies. We used almost no salt and just some soy sauce on the tuna.

Here are my biggest tips for meal prepping and how it works for us:

ALWAYS have cooked chicken in the fridge. I change up our seasonings, and cook about 2 pounds of chicken twice a week. We weigh it out when we eat or pack our meals. Chicken will stay good for 4-5 days at a time. Shane does the same thing with lean ground beef since that’s mostly what he eats during the day.
Cut up fresh veggies or buy frozen ones. You can microwave just about any vegetable in 2 minutes! Season them with whatever flavorings you like and it will change up the taste.
DON’T BUY JUNK and you won’t be tempted to eat it! If it’s not in your house it’s not there to entice you.
I grocery shop once a week (every Sunday!) and buy everything we’ll need for that week. God knows how many hours I spent stopping by the grocery store on the way home from work after a long day just to wander around the aisles before I figured out what to make. Going to the store once a week is so much easier! I love a clean house and a well stocked fridge on a Sunday afternoon! By Saturday night the following weekend, our pickin’s are slim and the fridge looks empty!
Have healthy food options at home and you won’t be tempted to eat out as much. Yes, this means grocery shopping, buying healthy options to eat for the week, and thinking ahead of time.
Bake sweet potatoes ahead of time! I bake about 8 at a time (350 for an hour and half and they’re perfect!) and they stay good for 4-5 days in the fridge.
Have quest bars, rice cakes (watch the sugar!!) and almonds on hand for healthy snacks and fats.
Shane weighs out most of his meals and puts them in Tupperware for the week so he can just grab and go when he’s headed out the door. I work from home most of the time, so I don’t have to do this, but I’ll admit it’s much easier and I do it a lot when we’re out and about on the weekends and such.
Every Sunday, I “baggie up” my supplements for the week—pre / intra / post workout, and my vitamins for the week as well. This saves A LOT of time and ensures I won’t miss something if I need to rush to get out the door.

Hopefully my tips and tricks were beneficial to you. If this is a new concept for you, I would encourage you to try having your “meals planned” this week and see how things go. I’m always HAPPY to answer questions and would LOVE to hear from you. Feel free to email me at lipglossandlifting@gmail.com.

Till next time!

-Mere

Mindset is Everything

May 10, 2015General Fitness, Living the Fit Lifestyle, Makeup, Random Thoughts, and Other ThingsClean Eating, Diet, Fit Life, Fitness, Lifestyle, Meal Prep, Nutrition, WeightlossMeredith Lynch

Hello everyone! Hope you all are having an awesome week. Tonight I thought I’d talk a bit about a topic that is near and dear to my heart, and one that goes beyond just working out, or being fit, or what happens in the gym.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve believed that attitude can make or break you. Your mindset, emotions, and attitude, will either propel you through life or drag you down. Sure we all have rough patches and bad days, myself included, but it’s how you CHOOSE to learn and grow from those experiences that transforms you and carries you through that situation. Choosing to see the good side, staying optimistic, and focusing on the positives of any situation will ALWAYS make it more bearable, and easier, regardless of how difficult it is.

We all know “those” people. The ones who constantly complain and have a shitty attitude. They’re nice, but something is always bad, or could be better. The negative Nancys. No offense to any Nancys out there. They tend to just be a drag! Seriously, whenever I talk to these people I just want to give them a hug. Or a cookie. Or maybe a tequila shot!

Mindset and attitude are paramount when it comes to fitness, nutrition, and weight loss. Before every work out, and every meal, you make the DECISION about choosing to do something positive for your body, be it through your activity or the foods you are choosing to eat. The journey starts in your head with the decision to make yourself better. I’d be lying if I told you that I didn’t struggle to get to the gym sometimes, or to eat as I know I should eat to be in line with my goals. But, at the end of the day, I will usually make the decision to do it anyway. The best part? Those workouts that I have to drag my ass in to the gym for are usually the best ones. As far as eating goes, I’m really not that tempted anymore by cheat meals, and I know those delicious eats and sweets will always be there when I want them. In fact, I’m finding it’s more fun to come up with creative ways to eat clean and feel like I’m “breaking all the rules” even though I’m right on plan.

Results will come when you make the decision day after day to be consistent with your actions and nutrition. Focusing on the positive will help you do this! Think of what a blessing it is to getup each day and be healthy and have the opportunity to go put your health to work in the gym, and how fortunate you are to have nutritious, healthy meal options. Don’t think about what else you could be doing, or eating. Focus on feeling stronger when you workout, taking it one rep a time. I have yet to see someone regret a workout. Those endorphins just won’t let you!

To give you an example, I was doing Tabatas in my living room last weekend to get my cardio in while watching the Derby. I didn’t want to be doing 80 bazillion jumping jacks and mountain climbers. What I really wanted was to be watching the Derby on a patio with a cocktail! But, I got through it and knew I’d be having dinner with friends later that night to watch the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight. Compromise, right?

Everyone’s fitness journey (mine included) is long, and winding, and full of ups and downs. It’s not easy. Even if you have no plans to compete, this still takes dedication, time, resources, and we ALL struggle. The important part is that you keep going. Like I always tell you guys—you have to take it one workout, one meal, one day at a time. Be proud of every step you take, because it’s taking you one step closer to your goal. Remember, attitude is everything. Keep up the great work guys!

Till next time,

-Mere

What am I Supposed to do With Supplements?

April 29, 2015General Fitness, Living the Fit Lifestyle, Nutrition/ DietClean Eating, Diet, Fit Life, Fitness, Gym, Lifestyle, Meal Prep, Nutrition, Supplements, Weightloss, WorkoutMeredith Lynch

Hey gang! Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted—I’ve been busy having awesome workouts and eating LOTS of healthy food! I LOVE offseason!!! We’re still on track for another show in the Fall. Bring on the gainz!!!

Tonight I thought I’d talk briefly about supplements. This is a subject area that most people don’t know a lot about. When taken correctly, supplements can really help you get the most benefit out of your training, help your muscles recover, and keep your energy levels up to keep pushing hard in the gym. The point of supplements are to “supplement” your nutrition to provide your body with the right nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Supplements can include pre and post workouts, BCAAs, proteins, and vitamins, just to name a few. There are a million different types of supplements, from a million different brands, and it can all be really overwhelming! I know I was overwhelmed when I first started looking into them. Where’s a girl to start?! In true Lipglossandlifting form, I thought I’d break them down for beginners, and what I would suggest you incorporate as basics. Be forewarned, however, this stuff is expensive. Be sure to do your research with brands and go with QUALITY. Supplements are usually cheaper when you buy bigger quantities as well. We usually buy ours on www.Amazon.com, www.lockoutsupplements.com, or www.bodybuildlng.com.

Multi-Vitamins

I highly suggest a good quality multivitamin to take everyday. WE don’t get all of the vitamins we need from the food we eat, and a good multi will help keep your immune system up and help with your skin, nails, etc. I personally use Optiwomen by Optimum Nutrition. Two a day—easy! Recently I also incorporated a calcium supplement and Vitamin D supplement as well, since they’re beneficial for women in particular. Fish Oil or EFA (essential fatty acids) pills are good to take too since they help your body repair, particularly in regard to reducing inflammation and promoting heart health.

Pre-Workouts

Every true gym lover needs a pre-workout! They are designed to give you an energy boost, improve muscle strength and stamina, therefore helping you get the most benefit out of your weightlifting. They help you power through like a beast! Some have caffeine, or stimulants, others don’t. Creatine is a muscle-building ingredient that many preworkouts have as well, but I would research it before deciding whether or not taking a “pre” with creatine in it is for you. If you’ve never tried one or are sensitive to caffeine, I would start with BSN’s N.O. explode. It’s pretty mild, but will definitely help you focus and give you more of a pump after your training. Some of my favorite pre-workouts are Formulation 1’s, N.O. Explode, and Optimum Nutrition’s Pre-Workout. These typically run you between $20 and $30.

Post-Workout

Every workout you have is taxing on your body. It’s super important to give your body the nutrients and protein it needs right after you workout so that your muscles can begin to recover and grow. The “anabolic window” that you may have heard of is really the 30 minute timeframe after you workout in which is the ideal time to do this. Branch Chain Amino Acids or BCAAS and protein are the two biggest things your body needs after working out. BSN has a great product called AminoX that I love! Optimum Nutrition and Formulation 1 also make great BCAA products. AminoX Fruit Punch flavor is the absolute best—Shane and I use it EVERY SINGLE workout! I use it as an intra-workout supplement, and then follow with a protein shake afterwards. Ideally you need to consume an equal ratio of grams of protein to grams of carbohydrates within your anabolic window too, but I would suggest starting with BCAAs. There’s another product called Aftershock I used for a long time as a post workout that was pretty good.

Whey Protein

Whey protein is a really easy way to incorporate more protein into your diet. Most people don’t know this, but to build muscle you really need to be consuming 1- 1 ½ grams of protein per pound of bodyweight a day. To give you an idea of how much that is, 4oz of chicken has about 25 grams of protein. See what I meant by eating 5-6 times a day and incorporating protein into each meal?? Protein is the main building block of muscle. Remember that muscle burns fat, so if you’re really wanting to lose body fat, start eating more protein, lift heavy, and build that muscle! Whey protein comes in a powder form most often, and you can mix it with either water or almond milk to make it into a shake. It can be blended or baked too, and you can really get creative with how you incorporate it into your diet. I usually use Whey protein as a snack, and as my post workout shake with a carbohydrate supplement as well. Keep in mind that protein also keeps you feeling fuller longer. Most whey proteins have about 120 calories and 25 grams of protein per serving, and are sugar free with low carbs as well. My favorites would be Cellucor’s Red Velvet Cake Batter (it tastes like a Sprinkles cupcake!), Optimum Nutrition’s Caramel Toffee Fudge and Birthday Cake, and Dymatize’s Mint Chocolate. They are all DELICIOUS! I would never steer you wrong with flavors!! Whey protein is expensive, so it pays to buy larger quantities. It stays good a long time, and 5lb container will run you $50-$60, but will have 75 servings or so.

Here's my haul from a recent supplement shopping trip! — Here’s my haul from a recent supplement shopping trip!

Here’s my current “stack” of supplements. Most people don’t need all of these, but this I thought I’d share mine in case you were curious.

Optimum Nutrition Optiwomen Multi
Calcium supplement
Vitamin D3 supplement
MRM Smartblend EFA capsules
Hydroxycut Hardcore Elite Fatburner
Optimum Nutrition Pre-Workout (Green Apple tastes like a jolly rancher!)
BSN AminoX taken while I workout (the Fruit Punch flavor is just fabulous)
Post-workout shake with Whey Protein and Glycoject carbohydrate supplement
Creatine 2x a day
L-Glutamine mixed with pre and post workout supplements
I also use whey protein as a snack from time to time

This is part of my daily supplement stack. Lots to take!

If any of you have questions or other product recommendations you love I’d love to hear about them! Feel free to email me at lipglossandlifting@gmail.com. Happy lifting!

Till next time,

-Mere

So What is this “Clean Eating” Anyway?

April 21, 2015Living the Fit Lifestyle, Nutrition/ Diet, WeightlossClean Eating, Diet, Fit Life, Fitness, Lifestyle, Meal Prep, Nutrition, WeightlossMeredith Lynch

When I first started working out and making healthier eating choices back in 2012, I kept hearing the term “eat clean” thrown around and I had no clue what it meant. Did it mean eat organic? Going vegan? So, in true Mere form, I researched it. That was over 3 years ago, and let me tell you, it takes some getting used to, but sticking to eating clean will make a tremendous difference in your life and is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Plus, it will help you drop pounds fast! It did for Shane and me, and countless others we know, and it will for you too when you are consistent with it. I want to remind everyone that I am not a nutritionist, and I am not a trainer (yet). However, I hope that I can use my L&L platform to share with all of you what clean eating means to me and how it has helped me on my journey. This is a topic I am very passionate about, and I’m sorry in advance if I offend anyone, but my mission here is to promote health and fitness, and making healthy food choices is a fundamental part of that.

No matter how long you spend at the gym, you won't get results unless you eat clean. — No matter how long you spend at the gym, you won’t get results unless you eat clean.

We as a society are absolutely BOMBARDED with food propaganda. Everywhere you look, you’ll see the latest and greatest drive-thru dollar menu special, restaurant deals and steals, or on the flip side the “healthy”, “low calorie” foods begging you to give them a try. I saw this first hand when literally every freaking commercial I saw on TV while I was slaving away to cardio involved something with food. It was nuts! Our obesity rate as a country is higher than it’s ever been, and that doesn’t even include Americans who are overweight. Nearly 1 out of 3 kids are obese. It’s a problem that’s getting worse and worse, and is predicted to continue to skyrocket unless we as a society change how we eat.

A brief history lesson for you: fifty plus years ago, the food landscape in America was a totally different than it is today. Grocery stores carried staples—produce, meat, dairy and bread; basically the things that you’d see in the 4 food groups. Then came the arrival of the “fast food concept” and things totally changed. People wanted to get food faster, started eating out more, and wanted “convenient foods”. The business boomed, and here we are in 2015 with an obesity epidemic that is out of control because of how much JUNK is available for people to eat.

“Clean Eating” is essentially the concept of getting back to whole, natural foods. It means consuming a diet PRIMARILY of plant based foods, protein, and carbohydrates coming from complex carbohydrate and whole grain sources. Fats come from nuts, nut butters, olive oils, and avocados. A “clean eater” typically abstains from simple carbohydrates (i.e. the “white carbs”—pasta, bread, chips, corn and flour based foods), sugars, alcohol, and keeps dairy and butter / vegetable oils to a minimum. It means avoiding “packaged” foods like chips, cookies, packaged meats, frozen dinners, and anything processed or artificial. Clean Eating also means eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day to keep your metabolism burning and hunger at bay.

I’m not here to judge you and I am not perfect. I’m human, and I’ll be the first to tell you that I love me some Double Stuff Oreos and that once in a blue moon I’ll go through a drive-thru (Chick-Fil-A for the win!). However, clean eating is a lifestyle. I promise you, once you get past the first few weeks, the cravings will subside and you will begin to feel a lot healthier and have much more energy! Your body will thank you, and you will keep getting healthier and healthier!

Here are some good resources that helped me learn more about the clean eating lifestyle. Tosca Reno is like the “mother” of clean eating. All of her books are awesome, but I fell in love with the “Eat Clean Diet”. The movie “Food Inc.” will make you rethink how and where your food comes from. HBO’s documentary “Weight of the Nation” is incredibly thought provoking.

I’d like to share some of our staples that we eat on a daily basis with you — my shopping list if you will. This is list is not the be-all end-all, but it will give you a good starting point for your clean eating journey.

Here's my haul on a typical trip to the grocery store. — Here’s my haul on a typical trip to the grocery store.

Produce—this makes up about 30% of my cart

SALAD, greens, spinach
Tomatoes
Avocados
A mix of fibrous veggies—asparagus, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, green beans, broccoli are our go-tos.
Bananas
Berries
Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes

Meat—this makes up another 30% or so

Lean proteins—think white meats. Chicken, ground turkey, white fish (tilapia, mahi mahi, cod). Try to buy organic or natural if at all possible
Lean ground beef (for Shane – he gets a bit more fat than I do and needs more calories)

Grains / Nuts

Rice cakes (we get organic brown rice cakes and you can also find flavored rice cakes with low sugar)
Brown and white rice
Almonds! Emerald has awesome vanilla roasted and cinnamon roasted almonds that I’m absolutely obsessed with.
Oats
Quinoa
Nut butters (be very careful of added sugar – buy the natural versions)

Dairy

Nonfat Greek yogurt (plain is best, but you can get flavored as well – if you by flavored yogurt, be cognizant of the sugar content)
Eggs (try to go organic here too, or cage free at the very least)
Egg whites (cage free or organic)
Almond milk

Here are the “rules” I typically recommend for beginners. I’m not an expert, and this is just a general overview of clean eating, so you’ll need to do additional research.

Stick to NATURAL, nutrient dense foods. If it has a long ingredient list, comes in a box, or could be found on the center aisles of the grocery store (and isn’t listed above) it’s probably not very “clean”. If it wasn’t around in 1945, it’s probably not real food or “clean”. I need to make one important caveat – there are certain processed foods like Quest bars and protein powders that serve an important purpose for athletes. However, if you don’t work out a lot or you aren’t trying to add muscle mass, then you probably don’t need those types of food.
Shop the perimeter of the store—here’s where you’ll find the produce, meats, and dairy.
Avoid alcohol and consuming empty calories in sodas, juices, etc.
Avoid baked goods and packaged goods. Also avoid breads, pastas, and chips, etc.
Cook at home more!!!
Aim to eat 5-6 small meals a day.

Lastly, be careful of foods that are supposed to be “healthy” i.e. low fat cookies, or baked chips, or low-cal yogurts and ice creams, etc. They are often laden with added sugar, salt and chemicals, and they don’t provide much nutrition for their caloric values. You’ll find that when you eat “packaged” foods, you’re hungrier more often because the carbohydrates are “simple” and digest quickly, and cause spikes in blood sugar leading to more cravings and hunger. Also, there’s virtually no protein in them (protein also keeps your hunger at bay and is the main nutrient needed for building muscles).

Eating clean doesn't mean bad food. Tell me this breakfast doesn't look awesome! — Eating clean doesn’t mean bad food. Tell me this breakfast doesn’t look awesome!

My email address is lipglossandlifting@gmail.com. I am SO HAPPY to answer questions and help you get started on the “clean eating” path. Once you have been eating clean for about a month (the cravings will go away, I promise!), you’ll wonder how you ever ate any differently and your body will thank you for fueling it properly! You can still enjoy eating out and “cheat” foods in moderation, and you will find that you crave them less and appreciate them more. Plus, clean eating is a requirement to get big and strong muscles!

Till next time,

-Mere