I’ll touch on the eating part first, because I’ve just been really struggling with my IBS lately so I’m seeing a specialist this month to talk about what kinds of foods might help me (I’m thinking less dairy and gluten, but not 100% sure.)
Right now a typical meal say for me might look something like this:
- Breakfast
- oatmeal (I like apple cinnamon or maple sugar)
- toast or Kashi crackers with peanut butter
- fruit- bananas, strawberries, grapes, etc…
- 2 cups of green tea
- Lunch
- sandwich (turkey and cheese)
- pita bread with tuna
- soup (I get tomato or chicken noodle)
- veggies with hummus (as part of my overall lunch)
- 1 cup of green tea
- Snacks
- babybell cheese or string cheese
- almonds (LOVE them)
- crackers with peanut butter
- cereal
- Kashi cereal bar
- Dinner
- shrimp and veggies
- shrimp with pasta
- beef kabobs
- spaghetti
- turkey chilli
- 1 cup of decaf mint tea
I usually do 45 minute or 1 hour sessions that are a mix of strength training and intense cardio. From resistance bands to bosu balls to stability balls and kettle bells—I do it all and we also do a lot of workouts that use your own body weight, like the dreaded “plank.” We focus a lot on the butt and thighs because I love the look of toned legs. I workout my entire body though, including muscles I’ve never worked out before (when I used to go to the gym on my own.)
Although it’s tough, I think the intense bursts of cardio we do during each session really help burn fat and increase the intensity of the workout overall.
We do everything from crunches and tons of different squats— to moves I don’t even know how to describe. It’s amazing how much more of a burn I feel when I’m really pushing myself under the supervision of my trainer. I almost feel like I’d never workout that hard on my own.
What are your 2011 fitness goals? Let me know in the comments below!
xoxo,
Veronika.
This is very inspirational! I am a college student and this semester I have all morning classes so I have decided to go to class in my workout clothes and I'm not allowed to come home until after the gym!
I think I will have a mug of green tea before bed because of you!
Hmm. Not sure how I feel about Kate Beckinsale as a blonde. Her body looks fab though!
Just a suggestion…you should try steel cut oats rather than the flavored kind. The flavors are absolutely LOADED with sugar. The steel cut is so much tastier than rolled oats, too. You can even prepare them ahead of time (they take longer to cook), portion them out into indivual size bowls, and microwave in the morning. A little honey and cinnamon, and they are hands down FAR better tasting (and MUCH better for you).
Kate Beckinsale is so beautiful! I'm a terrible eater when it comes to chocolate and junk food – I just don't know how to say no. I do like fruits and veggies though and really need to work on eating healthier. You've motivated me to start making changes to my diet!
Yay! Thanks for a Motivation Monday post! I agree… I also need to cut back on the sweets and up my fruit and veggie intake. I also need to get back into the gym routine… thanks for the great post!
Why is Kate blonde? I prefer her as a brunette! LOVE the bikini though :))
Sounds weird but I'd love to hear what your IBS specialist says. I think the very beginnings of it as well. But ever since working with my nutritionist it's been better. I think my birth control aggravates it. Sorry if TMI!
-Nat
My husband and I are both on diets since the birth of baby #2…I have 25 lbs to lose…he has about 40 to lose…but I find I NEED things like constant motivation to keep me going. I've even pasted motivational pictures up in my office to keep me going. Thanks for posts like this!
I love turkey chili, so filling and yet so much healthier. I don't even want beef chili these days.
I second the oatmeal suggestion only because I'm a convert now that I've had "real" oatmeal that I doctor up with dried fruit or brown sugar or pumpkin spice!(Starbucks converted me with their "Perfect Oatmeal" campaign, lol)
If you want to do a test run with steel cut oats to make sure you like them, Jamba Juice has them and they're wonderful.
I think she looks fantastic!
I also suggest steele cut oats. I put them in the crockpot at night, with some apples, almond milk, a little bit of brown sugar and raisins. When I wake up, it's ready and makes the house smell wonderful.
My goals are to continue eating only whole foods, nothing processed. We started this about a year ago and my husband and I have reached our goals. We also incorporated a lot of raw foods into our diet- which include salads and green smoothies.
My goals for 2011 is to do more weight training. It's been going good so far. It's probably in my head, but I swear I can already see a difference.
One of my best friends struggled with IBS and was tested for Celiac. Her results were inconclusive but she went gluten-free and has been doing REALLY well. She said she just feels better all-around, but hasn't had the IBS problems at all as long as she is careful about the gluten. So that's definitely worth looking into!
yeah the blonde hair throws me off, but kate's bod is ridiculous. i'm a mom of 3 and have been dreaming of getting a body like that. i tried to do the p90x workout routine, but only lasted 4 weeks. i tried doing this during the holidays, not smart. but i'm going to start it back up- i'm not a quitter!!
I am cutting back on sugar- it is so freaking hard but I'm definately addicted to it. A friend of mine told me that she cut back and after a few weeks the cravings went away, I'm hoping that happens to me soon!
I'm also taking a six week class about clean eating- basically it encourages cutting out processed foods, making sure you eat an equal selection of protein, whole grains, and fruits/veggies, and a limited about of sugar, oil, and dairy calories 3-4 meals a day. The lady who designed the plan suffered from IBS and she said once she started eating clean her body recovered from the IBS and doesn't have problems with it anymore.
Very healthy choices. I have a suggestion. I don't know if your eating oatmeal from the canister or the packages but I hear the canitser has less preservatives and stuff. Try the canister if you haven't and add brown sugar or fresh fruit. I eat the old fashioned oats, there are also the quick oats. Old fashioned oats are slower burning carbs to make you feel fuller longer 🙂 Also, I bought tha Tazo tea this weekend and plan to try it with a little honey 🙂
I have IBS too. sigh. What you'll need to do is cut out the dairy, no carbonated drinks, no caffeine, no fried foods, no red meat until you stabilize. A great book/website for this is eatingforibs.com. Believe me, I feel your pain!
Oh and another thing, watch out for salads and raw vegetables. Those can really hurt! You would need to eat something like bread or rice as a soluble fiber buffer. I can't handle salads at all because of my IBS. Just some suggestions because I know what it's like. GL!
I waaant that bikini! Love those ruffles. Do you eat anything else besides a sammy at lunch? I think because I go home I want to eat more than a sammy and I know I have pretzel flats and hummus within close reach to munch on.
I don't really have any fitness goals anymore…about 5yrs ago I worked out with a trainer for 8mos and HATED IT. I worked hard and he kicked my ass, but it (and my gut) never got any less flabby. Very disappointing.
I redirected those funds into shapewear and more wine, and found happiness again.
My goal is pretty short term. I'd love to lose 30 lbs by May..I need to get cracking. I'll be perfectly okay if I don't hit it that day but I at least want to be well on my way and have some great habits under my belt.
My hard thing is giving up food. I love it and I was recently reading and watching some informaton from Dr. Oz about food addiction(which I think is a little harsh but it's definitely an interesting theory if you're interested).
Great post and great motivation there with Kate Beckinsale. She's 37 and looks absolutely fantastic!
@amy— i can't believe you never got results! were you eating right when you worked out?
@beach belle—right now i'm eating soup for lunch! I'll have sandwiches or pitas with various toppings or tuna salad…
@wendy—thanks for the awesome website. I don't drink anything carbonated but I do drink a lot of green tea (cant quite give that up). I'm going to see a nutritionist I think to see how I can help myself.
I was on Weight Watchers during that time, and for the most part I did eat according to plan; a lot of grilled chicken/fish and steamed veggies. Even when I went out with my friends for Mexican and margaritas, I ordered something grilled instead of cheese smothered and a sangria (margaritas are VERY caloric).
I felt very sad and deprived – I had to work out at the torture chamber with a trainer who was ex-military AND skip the chips and queso with margaritas! It was a low point in my life for sure.
@AMY—that's just crazy! i can't believe you didn't notice results with eating well and hardcore training. Especially in 8 months! I would have asked for my money back (my trainer, on that note, does have a guarantee.)
do you still work out at all now? I'd hate to think one expereince with a not so great trainer made you quit it all!
Just a reminder that when you start taking prenatal vitamins and folic acid, you need to cut the green tea. Green tea lessens the bodies ability to absorb folic acid, which is so necessary for a developing baby. I know you aren't quite at that point yet, but if you love it you may find it very difficult to cut it out. Thanks for all the inspiration!
@ anon—i was completely unaware of that. I am still on the pill and you're right, giving up green tea will be near impossible for me 🙁
I have worked out sporadically since then; I think I jogged 1/8 of a mile in March. 🙂 I have a few yoga and pilates DVDs that I don't hate, but I never do them. And I had an elliptical machine but gave it to my brother b/c I hadn't used it in 3yrs.
I always read and heard about people getting the endorphin rush, feeling sore in a good way that makes them feel alive, and getting better sleep due to regular exercise. I don't understand why those things didn't happen to me. If I was doing something wrong, I never figured out what it was.
great motivation pics and tips! I really trying to get on my healthy and fitness this year! I'v been slacking!!
Amber's Notebook
Kate looks amazing!
My goals are to get back to my pre baby weight by my birthday in October : ) 5 months should be plenty of time, right? ; )
I was sick for 9 years and though it was IBS. Turns out it was anxiety and depression, which I never thought of myself having. A short time on meds and a great therapist and I'm not sick anymore. It's crazy how stress can manifest itself.
@anon—thanks for mentioning that. I've actually had medical testing done to confirm that I have IBS but i definitely also have anxiety that I treat with exercise and therapy.
If you're looking for a sweet treat replacement, you should try the mini rice cakes. They are really tasty, and much better for you than candy and junk. I love the chocolate ones, and the vanilla creme brulee ones are awesome!
We've been eating healthier at our house, and these definitely satisfy my sweet tooth, and my H's, and his is way worse than mine! :))
Kate looks gorgeous but I definitely prefer her as a brunette.
Also wanted to add – do you eat anything with artificial sweetener? If so be sure to cut it out. I did and a lot of my GI problems lessened greatly!
@mshark—i cut out all sweeteners over 6 months ago because they were causing me huge problems—i have an entire post about how much I hate truvia!
Wow, you're right … Kate Beckinsale looks amazing, and def something I'd love to strive for!!
Read the book "Skinny Bitch" it is a New York Bestseller, and hilarious, but with a TON of great information!!!!
@on mexican time—i read a few chapters at the book store but i can't follow the book because it has a vegan agenda and I have no interest in being vegan—however, having said that, I do think the book has some good tips especially cutting out the fake sugars!