50 awesome pre and post workout snacks!

You asked and I went searching for the best! This website has some of the easiest and healthiest ones! Go check it out :)

http://greatist.com/fitness/pre-post-workout-snacks/

Clean Eating 101

Many people have been asking me, "What does clean eating mean to me." So here it is.

Clean eating to ME is 90% lean meats, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and 10% indulgences. I do not drink alcohol and I do not eat fast food, ever. I do sometimes have ice cream, Starbucks, chocolate and go out for Chinese, Mexican or Italian with friends, family or co-workers but this is not a weekly occurrence. I usually try to go for different flavors in my protein drinks, protein bars that are chocolate, vanilla and other crazy kinds they have out there to stimulate my taste buds. I have slowly over time tried new vegetables. I learned how to bake my chicken, fish, turkey and beef in different ways so I do not get bored. NOTE: Have fun with SPICES! Most of them have little salt but lots of flavor so you do not get bored. Mrs. Dash is my go to lady because there are currently 8 different kinds that work well on all sorts of lean meats.

One of the biggest things I can tell you is watch your processed foods. Things with preservatives, things that come out of a box, things that come out of plastic packaging and have names on the nutrition label you cannot pronounce. Those are not normal and are not going to be easy for your body to digest.

I eat 5-6 meals a day. When I do cardio twice a day I eat 7 meals because I have a protein shake after every workout. To keep your metabolism moving you need to eat at least 5 meals a day. This does not mean you eat "more" than you would by eating 3 meals a day, you just spread out the three major macros - carbs, fats and protein throughout those 5/6 meals. I posted a previous blog that has my staple grocery list and you can find that here:  Staple Grocery List

Do you need to copy exactly what I eat? Absolutely not. I want this to be a starting point for you. Everyone is different and so the foods they like, how they prepare and what they consume will be different but in the end we are all still eating healthy foods. I don't like to give out exactly what I eat and at what times because it is what works for my body. I know researching can be exhausting and there is a lot of bad information out on the Internet BUT I want to be honest when I tell you knowledge is key! It helps to better understand why you are doing this and keeps you interested in it.

Choosing to eat better is a choice. In order to be different you must be willing to make a change. You can stay how you are or give it a chance and it might  just surprise you. I do not feel I gave up anything by choosing to eat healthy and cut out the processed, junk and fast food. I spend a whole lot less money at the grocery store (Despite what people lead you to believe), I can get many of my items straight out of the ground and from local farms AND my skin, hair, nails have never been so healthy. When you fuel your body with the correct things you sleep better, have more energy for family/friends and hobbies.

Again, do your research and give it a shot. It is worth it. Maybe you do 80/20 or even 70/30. Just hit up the gym a few times a week, cut out eating some of the fast food which most of the time is not what they lead you to believe it is anyway and make yourself a priority.

Have a great week everyone. Remember to pay it forward.

Shaun's Story + an OFFER!

A little about me...

I grew up the skinny tall kid. I joined the Navy at 19 and up until 2 years ago I never even touched a weight. But I decided there needed to be a change! I immediately started researching and changing my life. Countless hours and endless excel spread sheets later I was on the road to my future. By my hard work and determination and the right guidance I was ready to pick my first bodybuilding show. At the time I had 11 weeks until the show and I was sitting at 200lbs. In those 11 weeks I dropped down to 145lbs and i was shredded to the bone! I ended up placing 5th out of 12 people and even the judges told me they had never seen someone look that good at their first show. I had always been told I would never be good enough or never be big enough...I was told I didn't have the right "frame" for it...but I didn't let that get me down. The time had come to where I knew this would be my lifestyle...that's right NOT my hobby, my LIFESTYLE! Since then I've been helping people change their life one diet at a time.

At this time we will be offering our services. We have 6 spots left open for the next month as I will only be doing a certain number each month. I want to be able to personally push each and everyone of you to a better and healthier lifestyle! If you're interested in beginning the journey to a NEW YOU, then send us an email at Rfultonfitness@yahoo.com and we can get you started right away!

Thanks for all the support everyone!!

Shaun

My personal top 10 things to remember when getting started!

10 Starting points

Now these aren't in "order" but are just great things to consider when starting out!

1. Make a realist goal. Break it down into manageable smaller goals and set rewards for them. A new pair of running shoes, a outfit, a vacation, a Mani/pedi or something out of the ordinary for you! It keeps you motivated.

2. Make a motivational board. A picture of you when you were at goal size, quotes, photos or whatever you'd like. I printed off quotes and put them everywhere! Bathroom mirror, my dresser, in my car and desk at work. Just little reminders!

3. Get a workout partner or accountability partner. Someone to support you and kick your butt to hit the gym on days you don't want to go!

4. Clean out your pantry, fridge and freezer. If you don't have the temptations around it is so much easier not to cheat. It teaches you control and honestly I didn't want that ice cream or chocolate bar bad enough to get up, drive to the store and back just to have 5 seconds of happiness.

5. 6 meals a day is key! Think "this months diet is next months body"!

6. Fail to plan is a plan to fail. Period. Meal plan, prep your meals for a few days at a time, portion size in advance your snacks, vegetables and fruits. Leads you less to choose bad options and for those of you on the go? Life saver!

7. Never eat less than 1200 calories. Starving yourself will not get you the body you want. Maybe temporary but that is not a sustainable way to live. The weight will come back. Myfitnesspal and many other apps are available for you to track your foods, gives you daily calorie intakes and your carb, fat, protein, etc of what you are consuming. You can add in your workouts and it gives you more calories to eat. Please don't starve yourself. You will find yourself eating less BUT more often living this kind of healthy life but you will see its so much better for you!

8. It takes 21 days to make a habit. Don't give up. 21 days is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I promise you it does get easier!

9. Take before pictures AND measurements. It is most common for women to lose water weight quickly and then plateau on the scale. Don't believe it! The tape measure doesn't lie! You'll be converting fat to muscle, which ways more BUT takes up less space! So you're technically shrinking. Don't give up! It's worth it! Oh and do these both monthly!

10. Oh the cellulite and stretch marks question. I have one piece of advice- embrace them. Cellulite = layer of fat on your body. As you "firm and tone" with a balanced diet and "cardio/strength training regime" it will go away. Stretch marks- use lotion daily. I have them and plan to post a photo soon. But when I am tan they look fainter. They will never go away, it's damage to your skin BUT you can help it along. It's who you are and realize how far you've come!

And I'll sneak in a #11. Please please please please PLEASE Women don't be afraid of the weights. They are your FRIEND! And when done correctly and paired with healthy eating- you'll see a massive change in your body shape! I promise :)

Ok and one more. You didn't gain the weight in one day, one week or one month and you won't lose it in that amount of time. Make it a lifestyle change. Start slow and one thing at a time so it doesn't become so overwhelming NOR come back later. I'm here for support and so are thousands around you or I wouldn't have 5,000 likes in less than a week. We are here for you and want you to succeed! ONE DAY AT A TIME!

A Thank you to YOU

I just want to let all of you know who have seen my progress photos and liked my page and are motivated to change your lives a huge thank you. You have no idea what it meants to me to see how many lives I have touched in such a short amount of time. I have almost finished reading every single one of your messages and responded personally. I apologize it's taken so long to get back to all of you, I had no idea so many people would be interested! I have written a few blogs and set them up to automatically post one each of the next 5 days. I hope you enjoy them, that they answer the questions so many of you have had and continue to inspire and motivate you to make a change to healthy living. I can tell you it won't be easy but it will be the best thing you ever do for yourself. You all deserve a pat on the back for #1 acknowledging that a change needs to be made and if I can be the person who pushes you, it literally brings joy to my heart! I wish you all the best of luck and come stop by the page, shoot me a message or read some of the tips on this blog when you're having a bad day. We all get them! Trust me I had a bunch but when you continue every single day to be better than you were the day before, that is when champions are made!

Becky

My Heart Rate Monitor watch - the Polar FT7

For those of you asking about my Polar watch! It's the FT7. It's a Heart Rate monitor. You wear a strap around your chest and it measures your HR and based on your weight and height it gives you an accurate calorie burn. You can pick them up at a sporting goods store but I've heard it's cheaper on Amazon! They have tons of models so definitely do research which is best for you. Mine was a gift when I hit my goal weight but it is perfect for me now. Eventually I will upgrade! Hopefully that helps some of you out! :)

Daily supplements

Supplements - many of you have asked what I take and where I get it from. Hope this helps :)

On a daily basis I take
fish oil
biotin- helps your hair and nails growth
vitamin B complex
vitamin D -for energy because in the winter most people do not get enough
multi vitamin -  (the women's target brand)

I am going on fat burners again next week and I can recommend from my own experience a year ago; Oxy elite pro but they are not cheap, about $50. (Granted that was back in Feb of 2012) Entirely worth it, but you may just want to get your eating and exercise started first. (Because the KEY to the fat burners success is a good healthy diet and regular exercise. There is no "magic" pill. I had a none existent metabolism and it was what jumpstarted me. If you are going to make the complete change I say go for it and try them but talk to your dr first if you take any medications AND gauge how you feel.

They DO NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE.

Daily the protein I currently use is MP Combat and I use Mp Assault as a pre workout but during my initial journey I never used a pre workout. I buy my protein and pre workout from bodybuilding.com because it gets to me quickly. 1 scoop of protein into 8 oz of almond milk. Most people use water but I just... Can't handle that!

The rest of my vitamins I buy from Walgreens or Target depending on what coupons and sales I see when I'm running low. I have a week long pill box that I keep them in and take them first thing in the morning.

Everyone has different preferences and you may need to experiment. You know your body best and it my be best to speak with your doctor too.

Staple Grocery List

Shaun and I collaborated together to write this baby up. Granted this is not an every weekday grocery list. This is the staple to our clean/healthy living and many of the snacks and meals we consume. It's a starting point for some. You might be amazed but clean eating really does come down to the basics. Lean meats, fruits, vegetables and good healthy fats.

Enjoy!

Boneless skinless Chicken breast
Eggs
Ground Turkey
Lean Ground Beef
Tilapia
Salmon
Steak
Sweet Potatoes
Sugar on the raw
Oatmeal
Natural Peanut Butter
No salt rice cakes
Almonds –raw
Apples
 Oranges
Grapes
Strawberries
Bananas
Cucumbers
 Spinach
 Green beans
 Broccoli
Asparagus
Brown rice
Almond milk
Mustard – 0 calories
Mrs, Dash – try all the varieties at some point

My story. uncut

My  story. I wanted to get this up so you could all see a snip-it into my life. It's not perfect but hopefully it's a step in the direction that most of you are hoping for.

Being back at my parents house this past week and reflecting on how far I have come in the past 15 months has been crazy. I’m trying to think back to what it was that started it all. Yes it had to do with my divorce. People tell me over and over again that when I was with Brian, my ex husband, that I wasn’t the “Becky” that they knew. I wasn’t the positive, outgoing, fun loving girl. In no way do I regret the 5 years I spent with Brian and he is a great guy and we are to this day still friends but together as a couple and married we were not right for each other. I tried everything I could think of and unfortunately things did not work out for us. That being said I was 24 years old and knew I could still start over, so I did. I won’t spend time bashing my ex or go into detail about our marriage or what happened because it is our business. What is done is done. We both gained weight, we both were depressed and when I moved out I decided to change my life and I was successful.

I don’t remember if I saw a picture of myself, heard a comment from someone or what exactly it was that “clicked” for me. But I was offered the chance of a lifetime by a great personal trainer named Gary. He offered me 6 months free to get me to drop 50+ lbs if I would take pictures, tell my story and pass along his name. It took us 4-5 months (along that time were the holidays, the death of my Aunt and God mother and many other changes too) for us to figure out what worked best with MY body to see the results we wanted. We did crossfit, we did TRX, we did cardio drills, I ran AND ran AND ran. I lifted heavy, I lifted light, you name it, I tried it. He had patience and refused to give up on me. I still went on 4 week long vacations during my year of change. I ate things in moderation that were bad for me and still continued to lose weight. I started my journey on October 1^st, 2011 at 252 lbs. By April 17^th I was 220 after coming back from 5 days in Jamaica. My 6 months was up and I had to start paying him, and I did. By the time my one year came about I was 173 lbs. I went from a size 20 to a 10. XXL shirts to M shirts and am starting to see definition on my body. I am 5’8 and solid.

I saw him 5 days a week. I lifted for 45-60 minutes M, T, TH, F, S every single week and did an hour of cardio M,T,W,T,F after. I gave up alcohol, I slept 8-9 hours a night, I gave up fast food, I cut out junk, fruit, sugars and processed foods. I let myself cheat once a week, on Thursdays which were my days off from work. I usually had a Dr. Pepper or candy bar. Were there temptations, of course there was. Change is not easy. This is not a diet, there is no quick fix. It takes time, and if done the right way you will be successful and can keep it off. This is a lifestyle change. I still continue to work out 4-6 days a week depending on my school and work schedule and I do it because I LOVE IT. It takes 21 days to make a habit someone told me once and it is entirely true. If you want something bad enough you can achieve it. I told myself I’d give myself a year to get to where I wanted to be. Over the course of the past 15 months my goals have changed because I went even further than I had planned to go but that is ok I’m currently training for a half marathon and I lift heavy.

The advice I like to tell people is this- find a fitness routine that you like. Running, workout DVD’s, crossfit, zumba, spin, turbo, soccer, swimming, etc. there are so many options and unless you try something you never know if you will like it.  I am not certified yet so I don’t feel I am in any way qualified to write meal plans, workout plans or give you direct advice because everyone is different. Their body, health issues and what they are capable of doing physically. What I can tell you is don’t dread going to the gym and try to embrace the change. Look at it as a positive change versus a negative. I am a very positive person. Anyone in my life will tell you I hate looking at things in a bad light and always strive to have a smile on my face. It isn’t easy and we all have our bad days. This journey wasn’t without struggle. I gained weight some weeks and fought harder the next. I was determined though to live a better life. I want to have a family someday. I want to be around until I am old and grey and at this time 68% of this country is overweight or obese. I didn’t want to be a statistic anymore. Start out by weighing yourself, take measurements and in the first few weeks and months those measurements are going to be what keeps you going. I can promise you!

Yes I am 25 years old and I cannot tell you that your journey will be the same as me. I slowly and gradually lost this weight so I would not have loose skin. I did not have surgery of ANY kind, ever. I have stretch marks on my hips, boobs, stomach, butt and thighs. Since I’ve moved from Minnesota to Texas it is only because I am tan that they are not as noticeable now. I did put lotion on every night before bed and it did help them fade but I call them my tiger stripes. It reminds me where I came from and how I don’t want to go back to being that woman again. The only supplements I took were 2 rounds of Oxy Elite Pro for 4 weeks each (which is what the bottle advises you to do) because my metabolism was non-existent and it was the quickest way for us to restart it. Talk to a Dr before you start taking them, there could be side effects for you. I drank protein after my workouts. I take vitamins on a daily basis. I didn’t take pre-workout during the initial weight loss but I do now. (for those of you who have asked) I can’t advice you what to do because I am not a doctor. Trial and error worked for me but clean eating – lean meats, fruits and vegetables got me to where I am. You cannot out work bad eating habits. It is simple science. In order to lose weight you must burn more calories than you consume.

To be honest, this journey was hard. I had an amazing supportive family, friends and trainer who kept me going. They hit the gym with me; they prepared meals with me and encouraged me from all over the country. Try to find someone who can be your accountability partner but do it for you, not anyone else. It has to come from inside and you have to want it with all of your heart. It is worth it. It won’t happen in a week and it won’t happen in a month but it will if you continue to make better choices every single day.

THE most important things I can tell you is it is 80% about what you eat and 20% about how much time you spend in the gym. I know it is a hard concept to grasp but it is true. Attempt to start with your eating habits and add the exercise in after. If you are able to drop the junk food, fast food, processed food and watch what you eat you will be amazed how quickly it can change your life. You can still have those things, IN MODERATION. I eat cake, ice cream, chocolate and candy but just not everyday anymore. It is hard to change your eating habits and start exercising and for those of you who are able to do it I applaud you. For others it is not that easy. Food dependency is just like any other addiction, smoking, drinking, etc. So if you need to start with one or the other begin with your eating habits. Portion control, fat, carbs and protein amounts are going to be KEY to your success. Yes calories play a big part also but watch your intake of the previous mentioned things.

There is no magic pill and you will have to work for it. It won’t be easy but it is worth it. I wish I could help every single one of you personally. When I started my journey I never would have thought I would touch as many people’s lives as I have in such a short amount of time. I am honored and blessed to say the least. Along the way I have fallen in love with this life and hope to make it my mission to end the trend of obesity one person at a time.

It is one of my New Year’s resolutions to write in this blog at least once a week if not more. I want to give you recipes, share my workouts, share others stories and continue to inspire, motivate and help you all achieve your weight loss goals. Every day I strive to be better than I was the day before. Someday I want to make money doing this but for now this is not what my life is about. Now by the end of the year I hope to be NASM certified and hope to have the knowledge to help those on a more personal one-on-one basis but for now this is what I am able to do for you and still be honorable.

Make small goals and reward yourself when you get there. New shoes, a new outfit, some new tunes, or a trip somewhere! Whether big or small those rewards will keep you on track. Enjoy the process. Be proud of every accomplishment. Try to beat your previous mile time, try to go up in weight, reps or try a new exercise you never thought you would do. Hit a new trail, continue to make new goals and if you are able to inspire even one more person along the way, you are even more successful than you will ever know.

I know this is long and I may have left a ton out but if you are still reading this, thank you. I wish you the best of luck on your journey and I hope yours is just as successful as mine. No matter how long it takes.

A little truth to start out your Saturday

Pay attention to what you eat, let the exercise come after. If you don't pay attention to what goes into your mouth, no amount of exercise will get you to where you want to be.

Everyone wants to know my "secret"

I would love to say there was a "magic pill" but I just had to want it more than I ever have. It takes 21 days to make a habit. I cut out the junk, made myself get up every morning and hit the gym so it's how I started my day. No fast food, no junk, no alcohol, and no processed foods. It wasn't easy and I let myself have cheat days and meals. I set goals and worked towards them and rewarded myself along the way. I did go on fat burners for 1- 4 week cycle which jump started my metabolism but they only work when you hit the gym and eat really well. It is 80% what you eat and 20% time spent at the gym. If you want it bad enough, let me know and I'll do everything in my power to help you get to where you want to be.