1 Year Fitness Progress (Plant-Based/Vegan, BBG, & "The Pill")

February 2016 -> March 2017

Although I feel vulnerable posting these pictures of myself, I am proud of the work I have done and the progress that I've made choosing to live a healthier lifestyle. I will be talking about this past year, the first real year of taking my "fitness journey" seriously. When I say "fitness journey," I mean eating more fruits and vegetables, taking care of myself physically and mentally, and working out regularly. By no means am I training for a sport or striving to be an Instagram model, I just want to feel good, and I believe when you feel good and you take care of yourself, that reflects on the outside.

In the picture on the left, I had just started nursing school, I had just begun Kayla Itsine's BBG program (previous blog post on that here), and I was still not making the best choices in regards to my food.

In the picture on the right, I am more than halfway through nursing school, I am about 10 months in eating a plant-based diet, and about 10 pounds heavier.

When I look at the differences between the two pictures, the first thing I notice is my stomach. My tummy has always been a source of insecurity for me. I see that it is more defined, I have that "V" now, and my "muffin tops" are a bit smaller! The next things I notice are my legs & booty! My legs look thicker and stronger, and although you can't see my tush here, it is firmer, bigger, and more lifted. My boyfriend has noticed these changes the most and it wasn't until I looked at the difference between these two photos that my body really has changed.

So, what have I been doing differently?

1. I stopped the BBG program several months ago. It is a great program and I still do Kayla's workouts from time to time, but I was getting bored of it and I wanted to try something else. Now, I mostly walk, do kettlebell workouts and other workouts I find on Pinterest. I listen to my body and tailor my workout to that, while still trying to push myself. About 2 months ago, I also started going to yoga once a week. I. love. yoga. and it has helped so much with my balance, listening to my body, and my strength.
2.  I eat a plant-based/vegan diet. I also listen to my body and pay attention to how I feel after I eat certain foods. Within the past couple months, I have especially noticed how my body, particularly my gut, feels after eating carbs and sugar. They tend to make me feel bloated, weighed down, and fatigued so I have been trying to cut those out as well and replace them with vegetables and fruits. I also try not to eat when I'm bored and meal-prep as much as possible. Being a full-time college student and a part-time 3rd shift worker at a hospital, meal-prepping is the key to staying on track.
3. I went off of my birth control pill. I went off of the pill at the end of 2016. After I did this, it was like the fat, particularly on my abdomen, just peeled away without changing anything else. I went off of the pill for various reasons - but mostly I didn't want to be taking hormones anymore. I have been battling with (self-diagnosed) anxiety, depression, and moodiness for the longest time. I originally went on the pill in high school for my acne (this was before I was sexually active) and when I went on it, it was like I bloated up (I gained so much weight) and became a totally different, unhappy person. I felt like I was living in a fog. I finally decided it was time to stop taking it and it is like the fog has been lifted. No, I am not ready to have children just yet so my long-term partner and I have been using other birth control methods. I am so happy I decided to stop taking the pill, it is one of the best decisions I have made, particularly in regards to my mental health.
4. Lastly, I am kinder to myself and my body. I focus on how I feel instead of how I look. Yes, it is awesome to see progress, but it is more important to feel better. I feel myself getting stronger, being more confident, having more mental and physical energy, and being kinder to myself when I slip up (at work, in school, with my diet, anywhere). I try to focus on the long-term as opposed to short-term and that seems to help as well. I want to age gracefully and live not only a longer life but have a better quality of life, too. Age and other uncontrollable health risk factors aside, I believe the work you put into your body is the work you get out. Treat your body right and your body will be good to you, too.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to ask any questions or share your own opinions or experiences.

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Healthy eating bits & bobs

A couple of months ago I posted about two vegan recipes that I tried and really liked. I also briefly talked about my beginnings to becoming a more plant-based eater and a vegan. I resist saying that word (vegan) because of the stigmas that surround it. It's a personal choice and I will never give someone a hard time for what they decide to eat (except of course for urging my loved ones to *perhaps* eat a little healthier...I want them to be around for a while! :)

Since that post, I have very much enjoyed trying new foods and recipes. Below are a couple of my grocery 'hauls' from Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck because let's be honest, I spend way too much money on food sometimes!). I tend to spend most of my time in the produce department of Whole Foods and find some yummy fruits and veggies to eat throughout the week. Keep in mind these pictures below only include bits & bobs that I didn't already have stocked in the kitchen.

Also in this post are some recipes that i have tried (some multiple times) and have enjoyed throughout the past few weeks. I hope you enjoy this little look into my meals and find something that you might like to try yourself! :)

Yummmmmmm!

Mixed greens with blueberries and strawberries - I prepped these to take to work for 2 lunches, and I brought some balsamic vinaigrette as a dressing for when I was ready to eat these.

One of my new favorite things to make/eat - Thai green curry. Recipe here! I added zucchini to the recipe.

This is stuffed eggplant, I got the recipe from Kayla Itsines' BBG app on my phone (review/progress post here). Delish!

Apples with vegan butter sprinkled with cinnamon (microwaved for about 1 minute) - one of my favorite treats.
Portabella mushroom pizza - recipe here! I just made these for the first time today, they super good and definitely something i'd make again. They are super easy to make, and i like anything I can just toss all the extra veggies that are in the crisper drawer in my fridge into!

I recently bought a food processor and have put it to good use, especially for these "nice" creams. The one on top was made from 2 frozen bananas, oreos (I love that these are vegan), and peanut butter. The second one was made from 2 frozen bananas, dark cocoa powder, and peanut butter. Addicted to these!

My boyfriend surprised me with this water bottle after I had to throw out my Camelbak when going into a football stadium, and I actually love this more than my Camelbak. It is an infuser and I have tried putting lemons and also berries in here. So good!

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Reviewing this post over, I am so happy looking at how colorful all of these foods and meals are. I can genuinely tell a difference in my body when I eat healthily. My tummy is happy with me! I notice I have less energy crashes throughout the day and more stable mood swings/energy levels overall. I have been so happy with how i've been eating lately and i can tell my body is too! I am always updating my Instagram with what I'm eating so feel free to follow me there @lauraw0lf :)

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♥

Kayla Itsines BBG Review and Progress - Week 22

Hi all!

This will be a quick review of Kayla Itsine's Bikini Body Guide. I started this workout program back in February after hearing about it from Nikki Limo and seeing progress photos from girls all over Instagram. Before starting the program, I worked out doing mostly cardio (HIIT and running) without much weight training, and it was pretty inconsistent. I was in search of something that would give put me into a routine and give me some structure... I then downloaded the Sweat with Kayla app onto my phone! (You can also just purchase the guide without the app! All info available here).

I am currently on week 22 of the program and plan to continue on. I feel strong and fit, and people in my life have noticed the positive changes. My boyfriend, my family, and my co-workers have noticed a change in my overall happiness and energy levels. Some things I always try to keep in mind as a sort of fitness/health philosophy is this: Do the work, keep at it, don't focus on the numbers or scale, don't obsess over "progress selfies", and don't beat yourself up if you have an "off" day; but focus on how good your body feels, how strong you feel, how much energy you have, and how much you are able to push your body each week. Do the work and you will see a difference. The progress will come. Another thing I read a lot on Instagram is "Enjoy the fitness journey." This motto is awesome. Fitness is not something you can do for a week, or a few months, or even a year, but it is an ongoing thing. It's changing the small things you do every day to improve your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Enjoy the journey!

Personally, BBG helps me enjoy the "fitness journey" and for me, it is a sustainable, realistic workout program that I can see myself doing for months and months to come.

Here is my list of pros and cons of the program:

Pros:

-Combines both cardio (LISS or low interval sustained state) and resistance training (HIIT or high intensity interval training) to increase strength, burn fat, and tone muscles.

-The BBG community is inspiring and amazingly supportive. There is an entire community on Instagram (easily found using #BBG #SweatwithKayla) that consists of girls supporting and encouraging each other. Kayla Itsines also has an Instagram where she shares other girls journeys as well as inspiration posts. It is awesome to see so many girls supporting and uplifting each other no matter where they are in their fitness journeys.

-Provides me with the routine and structure I was looking for

-Simplistic style of the app

-Easy to follow workouts

-Costs about as much as a gym membership

-Each workout is only about 30 minutes each day. There are 3 HIIT/resistance workouts per week and 3-4 LISS/cardio workouts per week. This is awesome for people like me who have crazy busy schedules and find it hard to make time to workout.

Cons:

-Meal planning. I personally don't use this aspect of the program. It is nice that there are options for most types of diets (regular, vegan, vegetarian, etc.), but I stick to my own recipes that I find on Pinterest. I can see how this can be useful to other people using the program, but I am happy with my diet right now (plant-based/vegan).

-The workouts can become kind of boring after several weeks. It is true that the HIIT workouts can become somewhat monotonous after several weeks, but I really can't complain because they WORK. After I started to see the changes in my body, it was motivation to keep at it. The LISS workouts (long interval sustained state, aka cardio) I try to switch up (walking, running, hiking, other workout classes like Barre). So, this con can be improved by a change in mindset.

-Some of the moves can be hard on my back. I have some minor back problems (mild thoracic scoliosis, minor chronic pain from turning/lifting heavier patients at work) and some of the moves simply do not feel good for my back. The main one I have a problem with are snap jumps. Thankfully, Kayla has built in alternatives for almost every move that are similar but offer a variation.

-Cost. The program is about $20/month. On top of that, equipment is required for most of the moves. Space to do the workouts, as well as weights, medicine balls, dumbells, a bench etc. Thankfully, I have the space in my basement to do the workouts as well as most of the equipment I need. Otherwise, I try to make do with what I have. For instance, I don't have a bench but I have a chair that works instead. But I know this isn't everyone's case and some people might be required to get a gym membership so they have access to equipment, which is an even bigger cost per month.

Do I recommend the program? Yes! (See list of pros and cons). But first, try the free trial to see if it's something you'd like. It's not for everyone but I fully believe anyone who follows the program will see results.

I have to admit that I am REALLY bad at taking progress photos but here are a few.

Before BBG:

Week 22:

Have you guys tried Kayla Itsine's BBG? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, would you ever try it or what program do you use?

Thanks for listening, hope you're all having a great week!