The Top 10 Tips for Weight Loss

Losing weight in a healthy way is a common topic among men and women, alike. What should you eat? Do you need to exercise? These are common questions in regards to weight loss. The thing that many people tend to forget is that being 'healthy' is not just something that you should do for four weeks.  Actually being in good health is something that needs to be taken on as your way of life.

In order to be successful with weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight, you should try to follow these ten "rules."

1. It's a lifestyle, not a diet.
• If you think of eating healthy foods as something short-term, then you are ultimately setting yourself up for failure. This is not just a short-term fix, it needs to be a way of life.
2. Organization is key.
• Like most things in life, organization and structure are the keys to success. Having a schedule and a structure for your life will give you a schedule and structure for your eating.
3. Limit your portions.
• Check out the serving sizes on the foods that you are eating. You may be surprised to discover that you are actually eating several portions when you thought you were just eating one. Portion control is necessary for loosing weight.
4. You don't have to clean your plate.
• Don't be a compulsive eater. Just stop eating when you're full- it's that easy.
5. Don't deprive yourself.
• If you're hungry, eat. If you feel like you've already had a lot of calories, try filling yourself up with veggies. They are low calorie and nutrient dense. Snacking throughout the day on things like trail mix and veggies and drinking plenty of water will help your metabolism in check but also keep you feeling satisfied and suppress your need to binge.
6. Eat slowly.
• Eating more slowly will allow you to appreciate the food more and actually feel full sooner.
7. Enjoy your food.
• Just because you're eating healthy doesn't mean that you can't enjoy your food. Think about the foods that you love and then try to incorporate them into your healthy lifestyle. Love buffalo wings? Try baking or grilling them at home instead of buying the fried and greasy ones out somewhere.
8. Move your body!
• Exercise and diet go hand-in-hand. You can lose weight with just a strict diet, but you'll feel great if you're working out, too!
9. Rest and recover.
• Have a regular sleeping pattern and get your required 6-9 hours of sleep per night. This will help regulate your metabolism! Also, listen to your body. If you've worked out two days in a row and feel like you've been hit by a mac truck, then day three should be your rest day.
10. Love yourself.
• Figure out what inspires you to be the best version of yourself and do it- 110%! Love yourself enough to take care of yourself, inside and out.

I hope these tips helped! Do you have anything that you would add or take away from this list?

Week 4: Eating Right During Football Season

Sticking to your goals and eating right during Football Season is just as hard as sticking to your goals during the Holidays. Realizing that the two events are essentially one-in-the-same (Football lasts through February), can be enough to make you want to give up. So all that you can do to survive the winter is to PLAN! That's right, you'll actually have to think about what you're going to eat and shop BEFORE. Because you know that if you don't have anything 'healthy' to eat and your friends come by and want to order pizza and wings that you are more than likely just going to go with the flow. By preparing you can save yourself a lot of regret... and calories!

First off, let me start by saying that I LOVE to eat. I am in a relationship with an Italian and his family likes that about me - LOL. But when I say that I LOVE to eat, what I'm getting at is that I'm not a 'salad for dinner' kind of girl. I won't say that I've never done it, but I try to avoid that wholeheartedly and leave the salads for lunchtime. When I started thinking of football-friendly food, I just thought about what I actually like and then tried to think of healthier alternatives to those traditional carb-battered, cheese-stuffed, fried and buttery foods.

This is what I came up with:

•  Buffalo Wings - Baked 
• These are great, however they ended up having the consistency of a rotisserie chicken. Not what I was craving but still delicious. Mike and I decided that in order to get these how we envisioned that we would need to grill them.
• Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
• I have made these before & they are divine, as well as super easy!
• Sweet Potato Fries
• Sometimes it’s best to cook them longer if you like a little crisp; just be sure to monitor them.
• Shrimp Cocktail
• Does this need an explanation?
• Chips, Salsa & Guacamole or Veggies and Dip
• If you like to stick to regular tortilla chips, I recommend either making your own or going for organic and low sodium options at the super market. However, I am currently stuck on Trader Joes' plantain chips. The only ingredients are plantains, sunflower oil and sea salt. Must try!!!
• Make your own guacamole and salsa. It's not that hard and will be oh-so-worth it!
• I dip my veggies in guacamole instead of typical vegetable dip (ranch). It's tasty and much better for you (good fats and no dairy).
• Chili
• Chili doesn’t have to be Paleo to be healthy. But since I’m on the LuRong Challenge, this is what I’m making. And I love it because it's great for leftovers!

Photo Cred- http://www.supergluemom.com/

 Now for my weekly WOD update from the LuRong Living Paleo Challenge.

WOD #5
Ascending and Descending Ladder – 15 min. time cap
Level II – #65 Snatch, Unassisted Pull-ups, 16 in. Box and #35 Kettle Bell

·        Power Snatch

·        Pull-ups

·        Box Jumps

·        Kettle Bell Swings

·        Box Jumps

·        Pull-ups

·        Power Snatch

Completed: 13:31

This was the first LuRong WOD that I had to do level II for. I was so irritated about the 16 in. box and I hated that I couldn’t lift an #80 snatch from ground to overhead. My Box worked out shoulders the day before we did this WOD, and I think that wasn’t our smartest move. I was okay with my time, overall, and now I know that my weaknesses are currently stringing together pull-ups and anything over #65 for snatches. Always room to grow!

Have a great week and happy Monday, y'all!

Week 2: Healthy Doesn't Have to be Complicated

This picture was taken September 8, 2013 at Bend the Bar Hampton Roads 

during Workout #1- 65 lb. snatches and burpee box jumps. 

 I thought it looked pretty neat (:

Week two is coming to a close and this week wasn't any easier than the last. This week was my baby sister's birthday and I ate out several times, so I was really tested! I did cheat, again, on one meal this week and that was at my sister's birthday party. Now I need to focus on NOT cheating for a couple of weeks... I CAN DO THIS!

My gym completed WOD #1 on Monday and WOD #3 on Friday, which I will be making up Sunday morning since I was attending my sister's birthday party that night.

Lurong Challenge WOD #1

21-18-15-12-9-6-3 Reps of: 14 lb. Wall Balls, 75 lb. Deadlifts, 20 in. Box Jumps; 18 minute time cap 

• Completed in 15:03
• Level III

Favorite recipe of the week: Beef Tenderloin with Brussel Sprouts, Avocado & Salsa

Ingredients:

• Fresh Brussel Sprouts
• 1 - 1.5 pound Beef Tenderloin
• Organic Salsa or Pico de Gallo
• 1 Avocado 
• Coconut Oil
• Marinade-
• Olive Oil
• Red Wine
• Black Pepper
• Sea Salt
• Minced Garlic
• Paprika
• Cayenne 

Season meat as desired and let marinade for at least 4 hours. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Wash and then chop Brussel Sprouts in quarters. Place Brussels in a hot skillet with 1 tbsp. of coconut oil on medium-medium high and cover (these will take as long as the meat will, stir occasionally to avoid burning).  Place the Tenderloin into a baking dish that has been coated with coconut oil and place in oven to bake, uncovered for 35-45 minutes, depending on size and desired 'done-ness' (Rare-Well done).

When the Beef and Brussel Sprouts are cooked to how you desire, place the meat on top of a bed of Brussel Sprouts, cut Avocado to put on top and finish with a tablespoon of Salsa- Ta-da! 

This meal was delicious and yet so easy to make. Just remember that with Paleo, meat with a side of veggies is all you really need- You don't have to get fancy if you don't want to!

Well I am off to attend the Old Dominion University football game, my alma-mater. Go Monarchs!!!

xoxo Jessica

2013 LuRong Paleo Challenge Preparation

"Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it. And then don't let anything get you off track."

So, it's the night before the 2013 LuRong Paleo Challenge and I am starting to round up everything that I am going to need for the eight weeks to come. That being said, if you want to join in the ''fun'' and haven't signed up already- GET TO IT! You have until midnight tonight... We're changing our lives ova' here (said in a Boston Accent)!

• https://www.lurongliving.com/challenge2013/register

A lot of people shy away from eating "Paleo" because it is too expensive or because they can't seem to quit the carbs. I have read several books about the Paleo Diet (Rob Wolf's books and Wheat Belly, among others) and education and preparation are key in being successful with the Paleo Diet.

First off, the whole "It's too expensive to eat that way" excuse. 

• Personally, I prefer Trader Joes for inexpensive, organic food items- they have it all! I was able to get a ton of groceries there, that adhere to the Lurong Challenge rules, for under $100 (okay, $2 under $100, but still not bad!). I also really enjoy their Malbec Red Wine that they sell and is under $5! Can't beat those prices ANYWHERE. 

Next, the whole "I have to eat carbs" excuse. 

• I love pasta and bread as much as the next person, however I also have done enough reading to know that it is not the best choice for us. Check out "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, Md.  The author advocates a wheat-free diet and shows scientific evidence of the benefits that his patients have experienced. The positive results from cutting grains from their diet were especially prominent in Diabetes patients. Our insulin levels spike the same way from eating a candy bar as it does eating something "whole grain." During the Lurong Paleo challenge, no wheat or dairy products are allowed. However, after the challenge is over, I will go back to using quoina, instead of rice and whole grain pasta every now and then. Shoot, I'm dating an Italian! Everything in moderation; that's my motto. 

Here's a list of what I've got so far:

• Coconut Oil, Milk (Unsweetened) and flakes (Unsweetened, organic)
• Olive Oil (Light and Extra Virgin)
• Flaxseed oil/meal/seeds
• Almond Flour/Milk (Unsweetened Vanilla)
• Smoked Salmon
• Wild Caught Salmon Fillets
• Precooked Chicken Breasts
• Frozen Chick Breasts
• Frozen Jumbo Shrimp
• Avocado
• Plums
• Bacon
• Turkey Sausage
• Eggs (Straight from my Parent's Farm- doesn't get much fresher!)
• Trail Mix (Almond, Pistachios & Cranberries)
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Spinach
• Bell Peppers
• Brussel Sprouts
• Pork Chops
• Chuck Roast
• Tomatoes
• Salmon Jerky- I'll let you know how it is!
• Olives
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Edamame
• Frozen Fruit
• Red Wine!
• Green Tea bags

I am beyond excited to get started with this challenge and see how it changes my body and my mindset.  My goals for the duration of this challenge are to limit the temptations and keep a strict regimen so that I can lose a couple of pounds and tone up. Abs are made in the kitchen, so I hear, and I want to be able to have some more defined abs by next summer- but sooner wouldn't hurt (; Throughout this Challenge I want to push my body to it's limits and make it the best that it can be. I'm not getting any younger and I sure as hell won't get any healthier unless I bust my butt, which I fully plan on doing.

Tomorrow I will weigh in, get my measurements and workout. I will be keeping track of what I eat, my weight/measurements and what I am doing to work out (WOD's, run, bike, etc.) over the course of the next two months. I have never done 100% Paleo, 24/7, let along for 8 weeks. I am a little nervous but also extremely excited to see how I change and improve.

Stay tuned for more on my Journey!!

xoxo Jessica

P.S. I feel kind of crappy because I have spent the past few days eating things that I can't eat for the next two month (i.e. beer, pancakes, sushi, pasta...). Time to detox!

Are you being the best version of yourself?

Everyone agrees that fitness is good. It boosts your health, brightens your soul, calms your mind and allows you to do more with your life.  But how do we incorporate this into our everyday lives, realistically? That is the question that I asked myself for 4 years.

I danced, competitively, for most of my life and never really had to think about “working out.” Once I started college I didn’t have an iota of knowledge of what I should do in terms of personal fitness, so I just didn’t.  Do anything, that is. I started college with hardly any body fat, was 115 lbs. and 5 ft. 6 in- Basically a walking twig. After freshman year, I gained 5 lbs and probably lost a ton of muscle. By the time I graduated, I weighed in at 145 lbs. and I did not look fabulous in a bikini. Once I started wanting to buy cover-ups for the beach, I realized that I needed to make a change.

I joined a gym and tried doing my own thing, with little progress. I did Insanity (completed 1.5 months of the program) and lost a whopping 10 lbs! That is what really kicked off my new ideals and motivation. Soon afterwards, my mom and I tried Jazzercise for a couple of months. Having a dance background, it was fun but definitely not a challenge. I would sweat during the hour-long session, but I never really felt like I saw results. Now enters- CrossFit.

My mom and I were introduced to the CrossFit program by hearing about a free workout (WOD) on a Saturday morning at a local gym (box). Let me just add that we had NO IDEA what we were getting ourselves in to. We completed the workout. However, we were last and I thought I was going to die. It was the most intense thing that I had ever done, and that’s when I knew that I needed to sign up. I was looking for something that was unlike anything that I had ever done and that was extreme enough for me to see results. I welcomed the challenge.

We started doing CrossFit in October of 2012 and have been going 3 days a week, on average. I am just now starting to RX some of the workouts (definitely not all of them) and my friends and family are noticing the changes in my body. I feel great!

So, now my box (CrossFit Great Bridge- Chesapeake, VA) is going to be involved in the 2013 LuRong Living Paleo Challenge (http://www.lurongliving.com/challenge2013/). I have incorporated the Paleo diet into my life; however I am by no means “strict Paleo.” I still enjoy sushi, margaritas, IPA’s and chips and salsa (among other things). But, when presented with a Challenge, I could not pass it up.

I plan on using this blogging platform as a way to take you through my experiences of the LuRong Living Paleo Challenge- start to finish. I will be posting my workouts, meals (and recipes), progress and some tips and advice on how to incorporate this into your daily life. Also, being that this challenge lasts 2 months, I will be sharing my downfalls and struggles (should I have any). 

***This program/challenge starts 9/16/2013, so stay tuned!

Now, are YOU being the best version of yourself?! If not, what are you waiting for?!

CrossFit Term Definitions [from this post]:

WOD- Workout of the Day

Box- CrossFit gym

RX- as prescribed. You do the workout with the weight that it says, exactly as it says.

Paleo- A diet program that is based upon eating wholesome, contemporary foods from the food groups our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have thrived on during the Paleolithic era, the time period from about 2.6 million years ago to the beginning of the agricultural revolution, about 10,000 years ago. These foods include fresh meats (preferably grass-produced or free-ranging beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and game meat, if you can get it), fish, seafood, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and healthful oils (olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut and flaxseed). Dairy products, cereal grains, legumes, refined sugars and processed foods were not part of our ancestral menu. (Source: thepaleodiet.com)

xoxo Jessica