Thoughts for Thursday: my take on fitness and health

I have always been interested in fitness and health. I have worked out and played sports my whole life so when I got to college, it was an easy decision when I chose to major in Exercise and Sport Science. However, when I started PA school, exercise and healthy eating were the last things on my list of priorities. I usually woke up around 5am to study a few hours before class, sat in class from 8-5, then went straight home to study until bed around 11pm. Literally not a single minute to spend at the gym. For 1.5 years the stress of PA school completely took over my life. I felt unhealthy, I gained weight, lost energy, was tired all the time, and never exercised.

This past January I started clinicals, so I am no longer having to study every waking moment of the day. It's more like an 8-5 job with a big exam at the end of each month. While I still have to study, I now have time to get back into my routine of exercising and eating healthy. For the past 3 months I have been able to go to the gym almost every day. My husband meets me at the gym and is my "personal trainer" aka he tells me what to do and I [mostly] listen ;)

I suck at cooking and don't really enjoy it either but thankfully my husband enjoys it, and is a great cook too! He cooks every single one of our meals. Yes, I am lucky! Being that he is a health nut, our dinners are always super healthy. He keeps me on track with eating because if it were up to me, I'd probably have a pb&j or microwavable pizza for dinner every night [pure laziness]. 

Some of the common myths that we hear as women:

1. Plain salads are the healthiest thing for me… FALSE [you need a protein always!] The hardest thing for me is trying to incorporate protein into every meal. I could honestly be a vegetarian. My husband craves grilled chicken. Me, notsomuch. However, protein is essential to build lean muscle and lose fat. If you like salads, just throw some turkey or chicken on top for an added boost of protein!
2. Skipping breakfast= less calories consumed= more weight lost… FALSE. The most important meal is breakfast!!! It is essential to start your day with protein, such as eggs. This boosts your metabolism and will give you energy to start the day. When you starve yourself, your body eats your MUSCLE to compensate. This is not good!!
3. Lifting weights is going to make me big and bulky… FALSE. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard women say they only do cardio and don't lift weights because they don't want to get "bulky". News flash: you won't get big by lifting weights. Lifting weights improves bone health, decreases the risk of developing osteoporosis, and has SO many other health benefits. Low weight, high repetition weight training will tone your muscles and have you looking lean and fit!
4. The less you eat, the more weight you will lose… FALSE. See #2 :)

Here are some of our meals from this week:

Spinach salad with strawberries, blueberries, feta cheese, almond slivers, and grilled chicken topped with a little bit of strawberry vinaigrette dressing

"Rice bowls" except the rice is actually pureed cauliflower [no carbs!]. It's SO easy to make! Put whole cauliflower in a blender then warm in a pan. Mix with peppers, onions, grilled chicken, salsa, avocado, and any other yummy goodness to create your own Chipotle rice bowl!

Grilled salmon over zoodles with a spinach salad. We cooked our zoodles with fresh garlic and some red pepper flakes and it was so yummy!

Homemade lettuce wraps… they were just as good as PF Changs!

Eating healthy and working out consistently is a constant battle but it's so worth it! In the past 3 months I have started feeling so much better about myself which improves my marriage, my attitude, and my overall well-being. Please contact me if you have any questions or want advice regarding meals or exercising! I would love to help!

Linking up with Annie!