Training Around Your Cycle

I’m sure all you ladies out there have experienced the premenstrual tank in energy levels. Mine personally hits a few days before my period starts and I literally feel drained. Then once it does start, I still don’t have a ton of energy for at least the first 3-4 days.

Guess what? This is totally NORMAL! It’s our bodies way of saying “Hey lady, I am doing some seriously hard work over here. Can you please give me a break?!” This is the perfect time to back off of the harder workouts and to honor our bodies with gentle movement. I’ve found that yoga, stretching, a more leisurely spin on the bike, or a long walk is just what my body is asking for - but again, that’s MY body. Maybe yours is saying do nothing. Maybe it’s asking for a short run instead of the 10 miles you normally do. It’s just up to us to listen and oblige!

Not only can training intensities/styles change around actual menstruation, but also throughout the month - or with each “phase” of the cycle. Now, let me preface this by saying I personally have a longer cycle, being an average of about 8 weeks. I know, it’s weird. But it’s MY personal “norm”. So, the phases last longer for me than someone with a normal 4 week cycle. Just wanted to throw that out there.

I’ve been learning a lot about this after listening to podcasts with Alisa Vitti, author of WomanCode and creator of the My Flo app. Once I started plugging in my own cycle “data” and symptoms into the app, I started to notice that my body was actually craving the change in workouts that she recommends.

For instance, during the first phase (Follicular, or when your body is trying to mature an egg), I enjoy mixing things up with something like a AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible circuit), fun workout I found on YouTube, or maybe a totally random class like Sculpthouse or Barry’s Bootcamp.

The next phase (Ovulation, or around the time your body actually releases said egg), I feel like I’ve got tons of energy, so I might add in some more HIIT workouts or sprints then.

The Luteal phase (when your hormones all peak right before dropping, which signals your period) is a lot like the Ovulation phase, where I still have a lot of energy and really enjoy pushing myself during my workouts. This usually lasts until a few days before my period begins (the Menstrual phase), which is when I feel that intense crash and taper back to more gently movement or active rest days.

Isn’t it crazy how our bodies work? I know this sounds a little woo-woo, but I promise that it can actually make a huge difference in how you feel throughout the month/your entire cycle! By taking it phase by phase and listening to our bodies, we can reduce inflammation, prevent injury, and keep our hormones more balanced. I urge you to give it the ole’ collage try and let me know what you think and how it works for you!

XO

3 Things You Can Do TODAY to Start Seeing Results

You might be one of those people who started on their fitness journey and then…COVID-19 and quarantine happened and threw everything off. Or maybe you’re one of those people who want to get started on your journey NOW since you’re home more and motivated to make a change.

Either way, hear me on this: YOU DON’T HAVE TO MAKE THINGS COMPLICATED TO STILL SEE RESULTS.

You heard me. Meal prepping, buying workout equipment, or even tracking macros isn’t necessary. You can implement these 3 simple strategies today to start seeing improvements and feeling better.

1. MOVE MORE. Studies show that the majority of your calories burned come from your “NEAT”, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis. In other words, all of the movements that you do throughout the day that aren’t actually exercise add up to burn some serious calories. Walking to and from your car, making dinner, putting up laundry, pacing while you’re on the phone, talking with your hands, etc. If you add in a few short, 10-minute walks throughout the day, that’ll add up even more! I personally have a goal of walking 10,000 steps a day. That may seem like a lot, but I actually walk a lot between playing with the kids, prepping content in the kitchen for social media, and standing to type out emails (and this blog post). When I added in taking either a 30-minute walk each day (or 3, 10-minute walks spread out during the day), I have had no problem hitting this goal. I’ve actually been averaging about 13,000 steps per day! My point is, the more we make a conscious effort to get up and just move, the more calories we burn and the closer we get to our goals.

2. PRIORITIZE PROTEIN. Yes, protein is a macro, and I said you don’t have to track macros - and you don’t! But if you focus on getting an adequate about of protein in with each meal, you do a few things. A) You stay more satiated (full longer), because protein is the most satiating food you can eat since it takes longer for the body to digest. This means less cravings, potentially less overall intake, and more results. B) You actually burn calories by eating more protein, since about it takes about 0.2 calories for each 1 calorie of protein consumed just to digest it. How awesome is that?! And C) you will preserve muscle mass and help to build more lean muscle, which in turn burns more fat. Now how much protein do you need? You don’t have to go crazy with this, but I would aim for 20-30g of protein per meal (depending on your size and how many meals you eat in a day). That’s 4oz of most meats/fish and generally 1 serving of protein (most vary between 15-25g/serving). Again, don’t make it complicated - just focus on getting a good amount of protein with each meal.

3. DON’T NEGLECT YOUR SLEEP. People fail to realize just how important sleep in to not just your fitness goals, but your overall health! Studies have shown that just one night of poor sleep (less than 7 hrs) can actually put you in a pre-diabetic the next day since the body is so stressed. No, thank you! Sleep effects our brain function, digestive system, and hormones - specifically cortisol levels, which can cause fat storage and water retention. That’s why it’s crucial that we put ourselves to bed at a decent time and try to minimize interruptions so we can get at least 7-8 hrs. Some of the tricks I like to use is drinking Natural Calm before bed (magnesium can help with our sleep cycles), taking a shower at night instead of the morning, keeping our room dark and cold, and turning off any blue lights (such as on my iPad when I’m reading).

That’s it, my friends. Like I said, starting to see results doesn’t have to be complicated. Try these 3 strategies out for yourself and let me know how they help you on your own journey!

XO

Meal Planning During the Corona Chaos

I know it’s been hard to plan meals/prep like we normally would right now, especially given the sad state most stores are in. (I mean, who needs 150 lbs of chicken and 120 rolls of toilet paper?!). But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible!

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. Here are some of my tips and tricks for making the most out of the “lemons” we have right now!

• This is a great time to clean out the ole’ freezer/deep freezer and use up whatever is in there (and still good)! I personally found some lean pork chops, turkey tenderloins, grassfed ground beef, and lots of pre-packaged smoothies (like Daily Harvest*). All of those items definitely helped with some meals!

• Look for different cuts of meat to use in stir-frys and crockpot meals. I snagged some beef strips and made them into sweet + sour beef and broccoli (using The Defined Dish’s sweet + sour chicken recipe), and also popped a pork shoulder into the crockpot (with some Primal Kitchen unsweetened BBQ sauce) for some sshredded pork. Both were not our usual go-to meals, but so yummy!

• Don’t forget about canned or dried food items. I used canned Blue Harbor jumbo lump salmon to make some bomb salmon cakes last week, and plan on swapping meat for dried lentils next week.

• Frozen produce is flying off the shelves lately, but fresh produce is very much stocked up (at least in my area)! You can prep a ton of roasted asparagus, potatoes, and/or broccoli (the recipes are all on my Instagram feed) in no time - and you might actually save some money in the process!

• Swap one meal a day for a big ole smoothie. I have actually been doing this since I did my Whole30 back in January, and it’s one habit that has just stuck with me! I usually have my smoothie for breakfast, since it’s easy to whip up and slurp down while I’m tending to the kids and morning activities. My go-to combo is Nuzest chocolate protein powder**, Ancient Nutrition chocolate multi-collagen, nut butter, acacia fiber, a handful of spinach, ice, and cacao nibs. You can find everything but the spinach and ice on Amazon or thru the company’s site (using the links I’ve provided - discounts below!), which saves you having to search for it in the stores. It’s nutritious, easy, cheap, and not to mention downright TASTY! Checks all the boxes, in my opinion.

What are some of your own tricks + tips for making meal prepping possible during this time? I’d love to hear them!

XO

*Daily Harvest code: FITNCLEAN for 10% off + 3 FREE smoothies

**Nuzest protein powder: http://www.nuzest-usa.com?p=HJ8JN8XEB (automatic discount applied to all orders)