How to Track and Keep Up With Your Macros (Part 3)

I have spoken a LOT on what macros are, why to count them, and HOW to go about counting them. Now, here is the third and final part to the whole IIFYM (If-It-Fits-Your-Macros) process.

I won't lie to you-tracking macros is hard. It will take you a while to figure out what to eat in order to get your numbers perfect, but practicing with each new day will get you there!

But, first, if you are new, you may want to rewind and read these two posts firsts:

Part One

Part Two

Tired of not seeing results or changes in your body even though you are eating the right amount of calories AND exercising everyday? The problem may lie in your macronutrient ratios. If things are out of proportion, it can do your body more harm than good, pushing you away from your diet and fitness goals.

As stated in part one,"a macronutrient is any of the nutritional components of the diet that are required in relatively large amounts: protein, carbohydrate, fat, and minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and phosphorous."

The Recommended Daily Allowances for Macros are as follows:
Carbohydrates: 45%-65%
Proteins: 10-35%
Fats: 20-35%

This is just a general guideline, as you can see the percentages vary quite a good bit. People who workout regularly need different amounts of macros than someone who is sedentary or has a desk job. You might be amazed at the number of carbs needed, but CARBS ARE YOUR FRIEND. They are supposed to be your HIGHEST macro because that is what you use for energy! Don't ever totally elimate a macro because this could do your body a lot of harm. 

The best ratio I've found to be effective for regular exercisers is 40% Carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat. This builds lean muscle, sparks fat loss, and fuels your body with safe macronutrient ranges. This is a popular and recognized percentage range.

So, after you have completed part one and two of figuring our what macros are best for you, it is time to move onto the third and final step: TRACKING THEM!

The best way to do so is through a free and easy app (and website) called MyFitnessPal. You will also want to invest in a food scale to weigh your proportions. This may sound like a bit much, but you really want to give it your all when tracking your macros-plus, this is something you will be doing daily, so why NOT invest a little? The first step is going to your goals and inputting your macros. I will warn you-this won't be perfect, but try your best to get the right percentages of macros inputted!

Here is what your diet "dashboard" will look like. MyFitnessPal is so awesome that it will let you know how many calories you have left! But don't worry too much about the Summary view and stick to the Daily view as this will track your macros in detail DAILY. Also, you will be adding foods and snacks to your Diary, which you can see on the right. This breaks your meals down into great detail, thus helping you track calories and macros even more.

When you hear of IIFYM, you hear about people being able to eat poptarts, donuts, ice cream, and pizza-everyday. This is so dumb because you STILL want to make sure you are fueling your body with the best and leanest foods out there. Stick to complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and lean proteins. Also, try to keep your sugar intake DOWN (less than 30 grams per day).

A couple of key points on tracking your macros accurately while using MFP:

Know your frequent foods. When you input a food, it will show up in your “recent” or “frequent” tab everyday. If you know what foods you will be eating regularly for the week, such as if you were meal prepping and have your meals pre-made, then go ahead and input those foods so that it will make the following days easy to track. This also helps keep you on track so no "surprise" foods pop up ;)

Try to hit the right number. The goal for tracking your macros is to make sure that you eat the set amount-no more than your goal and no less than your goal. This is not very easy to do, but with time, you can do it all! As a general rule of thumb, you want to try to stay within 5 grams of your protein and fat goals such as being over your goal by 5 grams or below your goal by 5 grams-never more or less. For carbs, try to stick within +/-2 grams. MyFitnessPal will track your macros to show you what is under/over daily. Then, you may adjust accordinly and maybe have that little cheat snack after all!

Get SUPER specific. When searching for a food, don't just search for "whole grain toast." There are probably hundreds of brands of "whole grain toasts" out there with different calories and macros in them. Search for the specific brand and product name. There's even a feature now that will help you get to most accurate foods by scanning the package with your smartphone! However, this will be a rare issue you might come across since there are THOUSANDS of brand names and foods already logged into MyFitnessPal's database!

The most important thing to remember when tracking your macros-however you decide to do it- is being accurate and accountable. If you do not use accuracy and track them everyday until you get the hang of it, your weight won't budge and your body will not change. 

It is a pain in the ass at first, but you will get to a point where a scale is no longer needed because you will be able to visually look at your food and say, "Oh! That is 20 grams of protein right there!" It just takes time.

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7 Healthy Detox Water Recipes

I am a HUGE fan of detox/infused fruit waters. I rarely can drink water with anything in it these days! Some detox waters help cleanse your liver and internal organs while some speed up your metabolism to boost weightloss. Then there are some that just simply taste good!

I personally eat all of the fruit out of mine because I do not want anything going to waste. Plus, it makes a nice little snack when you are done with your water. I use distilled or purified water, not tap, for these and I always refrigerate them overnight to let them infuse. You may mash the fruit or squeeze them or leave them whole.

Here are my 7 healthy detox water recipes that I swear by!

1. Blueberry/Orange Water aka "Smart Water"

Blueberries are a widely known antioxidant and is also known to help improve memory and cognitive functioning. They are also high in Vitamin K-the vitamin that helps with blood clotting.

Oranges are notable for being high in Vitamin C and contains various phytonutrients and antioxidants, helping to reverse free radical damage.

2. Apple/Cinnamon Water aka "Skinny Water"

This water also contains 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar. The cinnamon amount is 1 tsp.

Cinnamon is known as an antimicrobial food. It also helps to regulate blood sugar while speeding up your metabolism, thus boosting weightloss.

Apples have phytonutrients that help control blood sugar as well and helps to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates.

Apple Cider Vinegar is high in acetic acid, lowering blood sugar levels, and can increase feelings of fullness.

3. Strawberry/Cucumber Water aka "Anti-Inflammation Water"

Strawberries are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants. They are also known to have anti-inflammatory and heart-health benefits.

Cucumbers also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.

4. Watermelon/Lime Water aka "Body Wellness Water"

Watermelon is high in lycopene, like tomatoes. Lycopene is a carotenoid phytonutrient that's especially important for our cardiovascular health, and an increasing number of scientists now believe that lycopene is important for bone health as well. This fruit also contains a high level of Citrulline. Citrulline is an amino acid that is commonly converted by our kidneys and other organ systems into arginine (another amino acid). 

Limes are filled with Vitamin C and antioxidants and protects against arthritis.

5. Strawberry/Peach Water aka "Heart Water"

Strawberries are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants. They are also known to have anti-inflammatory and heart-health benefits.

Peaches improves cardiovascular health and helps to lower blood pressure.

6. Grapefruit/Lemon/Lime Water aka "Cold Fighter Water"

Lemon & limes are both filled with Vitamin C and antioxidants.

Grapefruit is packed with antioxidants as well, not to mention lycopene as well.

7, Cucumber/Lemon/Lime Water aka "Spa Water"

Lemon & limes are both filled with Vitamin C and antioxidants.

Cucumbers also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. However, the cucumber is known for it's hydrating properties towards the skin.

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3 Easy Love Handle Workouts

Hi ladies!

How many of you HATE crunches? I would totally be raising my hand at this question, going "ME!" Lying exercises in general tend to be so boring to me. 

Though some lying ab moves are totally essential, I am glad to let you know that there are a few standing moves that are PERFECT for blasting ab AND love handle fat!

Complete 3 sets of 20 reps per move of the following:

1. Standing Oblique Crunch

1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, with your weight on your right leg and a 3- to 5-pound dumbbell in your left hand. Stretch your left hand up and overhead to the right so you feel a stretch in your left side waist (aka your oblique).
2. Crunch your torso to the left, bringing your left knee up and left elbow down toward each other as if trying to crack a nut between your ribs. Return to previous position. Do 12–15 reps, then switch sides and repeat.

2. Dumbbell Side Bend

• Grasp dumbbell with arm straight to side.
• Bend waist to opposite side of dumbbell until slight stretch is felt. Lower to opposite side, same distance and repeat. Continue with opposite side.

3. Torso Rotations

• Stand upright grasping a dumbbell with both hands.
• Rotate your torso to one side. Now, rotate back to the opposite direction. Repeat for 10-20 repetitions.

Here is a video demonstrating each move for you! 

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My 3 Go-To Moves for a Nice and Toned Booty

It seems like almost daily that I get asked what exercises are best for the glutes. 

I have not always had great glutes-in fact, my butt and thighs have always been my "trouble areas." 

During pregnancy, I had a great bubble butt, but as soon as I had my son, breastfeeding totally robbed me of that great behind. I was left with a flat butt and had to restart all over again at the very bottom

With time, and weights, I built strong, shapely glutes! But, I realize not everyone is interested in using weights. 

So here are 3 easy moves that you can do at home to give you a nice booty-no gym needed!

1. Basic Bodyweight Squats

1. Stand tall with your feet hip width apart and your arms down by your side
2. Start to lower your body back as far as you can by pushing your hips back and bending your knees and pushing your body weight into your heels
3. As you are lowering into the squat your arms will start to raise out in front of you for balance
4. Keep a neutral spine at all times and never let your knees go over your toes
5. The lower body should be parallel with the floor and your chest should be lifted at all times not rounded.
6. Pause then lift back up in a controlled movement to the starting position

2. Lunge Kicks

1. Stand with your feet together.
2. Take a long stride forward with one foot, pointing your foot and knee in the same direction.
3. Bend your rear leg until your knee almost touches the ground.
4. Push off your rear foot and bring that leg forward with your knee in a cocked position.
5. Kick at an imaginary target, then cock your knee again.
6. Continue the same movement with your other leg.

3. Glute Bridges

1. Lie on your back on an exercise mat or the floor in a bent-knee position with your feet flat on the floor. 
2. Gently exhale. Keep the abdominals engaged and lift your hips up off the floor. Press your heels into the floor for added stability.
3. Inhale and slowly lower yourself back to your starting position.

All 3 of these moves are featured in my Booty & Thigh Blaster 4 Week Home Workout Program!

My snazzy outfit looks familiar, doesn't it? 

Last month, I blogged my newest workout outfits from Dick's Sporting Goods that were just too cute to NOT share. I love having workout gear that is not only cute to workout in, but also comfortable enough to move around in. I was amazed that Dick's carried Nike, Reebok, and even Under Armour! Their clearance rack also had some pretty nice deals!

If you need new workout gear to build that booty in, I highly recommend stopping by your local Dick's Sporting Goods store.

Disclaimer: I was compensated by DICK's Sporting Goods through Vocalpoint for this post. All opinions stated in this post are my very own.

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Inside UFC Fighter Ronda Rousey's Diet & Workout

Whether or not you saw Ronda Rousey win the UFC fight Saturday night, one thing is for certain: she can totally kick some ass. This chick is fit, fierce, and strong. 

We got a peek inside Ronda's strict diet and fitness regimine to show you just how to train like a UFC champion fighter (or just look like one)!

DIET

Rousey's a strict fan of The Dolce Diet, a "lean and green" way of eating that a lot of pro athletes have used to get themselves into fighting shape. 

When Ronda spoke to ESPN about her diet and here's what she had to say:

"Like last night, I got the fried calamari and I took all the bread off before dipping it, and that was my treat. And I had one little rip of the cotton candy because I thought maybe gourmet cotton candy would be different. It wasn't. And I ate all the raspberries off the desserts. Everyone else had dessert. I ate the raspberries. And I wouldn't even do that during camp. Let me show you what my training diet looks like. 

Here we go. 
8 a.m.: Two teaspoons oat bran, two teaspoons chia seeds, two teaspoons hemp seeds, almond butter
10 a.m.: Train
11:45: Post-exercise smoothie: Spinach, kale, chard, celery, carrots, beets
12 p.m.: Farmer's scramble: one whole egg, plus two egg whites, two sides of turkey bacon
4 p.m.: Skinny Sumo Stir-Fry: Grilled steak, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms
6 p.m.: Train. Post-exercise smoothie: Spinach, kale, chard, celery, carrots, beets
Before bed: Chamomile tea. Everything's got an hour, an amount, everything."

Workout
While she isn't preparing for a fight, Ronda likes mixing MMA, Judo, wrestling, and strength training mixed with a bit of Pilates. And according to her, the training also involves running sand dunes! 

However, for a more realistic workout that you can do to mimic Ronda's plan, here are a few of her favorite exercises to keeping her body in tip-top fighting shape:

1. Medicine Ball Plyo Push Up

Start in a push-up position on the floor with a medicine ball positioned between your hands. Bend your arms to lower your body towards the floor. Forcefully extend your arms, allowing your palms to leave the ground, and land with both hands on top of the ball. Replace each hand to either side of the ball before repeating. Aim for eight to 10 reps in total. 

2. Stability Ball "Fall"

Position your stomach on the top of a stability ball, place your hands on the floor and lift your feet. Keep your eyes on the floor and your shoulders level with the ground as you rotate your left hip towards the ceiling, then your right. (Don't allow your feet to touch the ground throughout the entire set!) Repeat 10 to 15 times on each side. 

3. BOSU Ball Squat & Press

Stand on the dome of a BOSU ball with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Squat down, then extend your legs and raise your hands to shoulder level. Press the weights above your head, then lower your arms back to the start. Repeat 10 to 15 times. 

When asked about her body image struggles, she says:

"Listen, there's nothing wrong with your discipline or you just because you ate whatever. But if the best thing about your day is what you eat, there's something wrong with your f------ day. What changed for me is I was always thinking I wanted to make my body look a certain way so I would be happy. But when I made myself happy first, then the body came after. It was a journey of self-discovery and trial and error."

That's what I am talking about!! Go get em, girl!

Images via Oxygen

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The Lemon Diet Craze

The Lemon Diet, also known as the master cleanse, is a diet resulting in rapid weight loss over a period of several days to about a week. Lemons being rich in antioxidants and vitamins, helps to detox the body. Thus, it is very important to introduce citrus fruits like lemon, grapefruit, oranges and kiwi in your daily diet.

The lemon detox diet was popularized by singer Beyonce Knowles who announced at the Oprah Winfrey Show that she lived on a lemon diet with cayenne pepper and maple syrup for 15 days and lost 20 pounds (9 kgs) in two weeks.

Nevertheless, the lemonade diet has been around for 50 years. Originally developed by Stanley Burroughs, this is designed to cleanse your body of toxins, the major benefit being rapid weight loss. The main reason for this weight loss is that this diet limits your caloric intake by a tremendous amount. This dramatic cut in calories results in a loss of considerable amount of weight in a very short period of time. This diet can be resorted to by someone who has to attend a social function in a couple of weeks and need to lose a lot of weight to look their best for the event.

Things needed:

• Spring water
• Grade B maple syrup
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Cayenne pepper sea salt

Instructions:

1. Lemon diet should be followed on a clear schedule. This diet is not suitable for a vacation or during a hectic period. Thus it should be undertaken in a relaxed manner, preferably at home or close to home.

2. Mix 12-14 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper and 12-14 tablespoons of maple syrup in 2 litres of water. This mixture is enough to last for the whole day.

3. Keep sipping small amounts of this mixture during the day whenever you feel hunger pangs. The mixture can be followed with plain water, if necessary.. 

4. Make a salt water flush by mixing 1 tablespoon sea salt in 1 litre of water and drink it all at once. It might seem difficult but it yields better results. The major reason for following this diet at home is because within an hour of drinking the salt water flush, one will experience a bowel movement lasting for about 30 to 60 minutes. It is more preferable to prepare the salt water flush in the evening.

5. This diet should be followed for 3 to10 days by drinking the same amount of lemon mixture and salt water flush each day.

Food Combination with the Lemon Diet

While following this diet, no solid food is allowed. It calls for 6 or more servings of the specialized lemonade mixture everyday. In addition to this, the salt water flush helps to cleanse the body. Different people incorporate this diet for varying amounts of time, mostly lasting for 2 days. Combining food throughout the entire process would, therefore, defeat its main purpose. However, food can be combined in the beginning and at the end of  the lemon diet to ease your body into and off the diet.

Things needed:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Orange juice
• Grade B syrup,
• Lemon juice
• Cayenne pepper
• Unrefined sea salt
• Non processed foods

Instructions:

1. Only fruits and vegetables should be consumed on the first day of the diet to ease your body into what it will be going through during the course of diet. The fruits and vegetables should, preferably, be raw.

2. Drink 3 litres of orange juice with 2 tablespoons of grade B maple syrup in it during the second day. Decide the period of detox. Most people detox for 2 days during which they can only consume 2 litres of lemonade per day when they feel hunger pains.

3. Drink a mixture of 3 litres of orange juice and 2 tablespoons of grade B maple syrup during the first day after you have finished detoxing.

4. Fruits and vegetables (preferably raw) should be consumed on the second day after completion of detox.

5. Fruits, vegetables and non- processed foods can be eaten during the third day after stopping of detox. This should be followed by grains such as brown rice and oats to ease you back into your regular diet.

  Points to be kept in mind

• Lemon diet is basically a detoxification diet, not a weight loss plan. Therefore, one is likely to regain at least half of the weight lost in the course of diet once the diet is over.
• It is absolutely essential to wean yourself off of caffeine before beginning the diet to avoid unpleasant withdrawal effects.
• This diet should not be followed for a period of more than 2 weeks (10 days being the maximum). In case of health issues, consult the doctor before following the diet.

Benefits Of Lemonade Diet:

1. The benefit of this diet is often explained in the form of rapid weight loss. To put it in a better way, this program enables the body to regain its balance of elements and maintain its optimum weight. Those who are not over weight lose between 2-3 kgs and those who are underweight re-establish the balance of the body’s metabolism. The process would have taken much longer if the body had to burn off all the excess fat.

2. The loss of weight is only a secondary effect, the principal effect being detoxification of the organs of the body. Moreover, the body gets rid of fat deposits. It is in the course of this purification that the skin and hair get embellished.

3. Detoxification will allegedly rid the body of warts, arthritis, asthma, stomach troubles etc. Besides, lemon juice and cayenne pepper will flush out excess fat from your body leading to rapid weight loss during the diet and cleanse the lymphatic system, of toxins. The maple syrup contains all the nutrients your body needs to function during this time.

Side effects of Lemon Diet:

As it is a master cleanse, the lemon diet will release toxins into your  body causing symptoms like headaches, dizziness, nausea or a general feeling of being tired and possibly other symptoms. The magnitude and occurrence of these symptoms depend on how many toxins you have in your body.

To conclude, just like any other diet, in case of a lemon diet also, it is appropriate to consult your physician before starting it.

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My Meal Prep This Week + Meal Prep GIVEAWAY!

I get asked a lot about meal prepping and how I do it. I have written tons and tons of blogs on this topic and I have been doing lots of meal prepping lately, but I wanted to share with you my top 3 favorite meals from the past week. 

First of all, I got my meal prepping containers from Meal Preppies. They are the BEST containers around for the best price. It isn't that meal prep containers are hard to find, it's that they are usually soooo expensive. And if you know me, I like more bang for my buck.

I have been loving my new Meal Prep Containers and have been putting them to good use this week. It is so hard to find meal prep containers that hold enough food and don't cost an arm and a leg. This BPA-free 10 piece set even comes with a reusable smoothie cup with a lid and straw-all for just $25.00.

My first meal that I prepped was my dad's grilled salmon. I had a ton left over and so I decided to prep two containers-one for me and one for my husband. I paired it with fresh avocado (1/2) and 1 cup of brown rice. It was the perfect meal!

Lastly, I finished off prepping my last meal for the week. I baked chicken tenderloins and paired them with green beans and brown rice. Noooo, I do not always eat brown rice at every meal. I sometimes sub rice for sweet potatoes or quinoa, but this week I had actually bought an extra box of brown rice so I decided to put it to some good use. 

One cool thing about the containers is that you can freeze them, microwave them, and throw them in the dishwasher without having to worry about hurting them since they are super durable.

Meal Preppies gives you a few recipes to try out on their blog as well as making sure each set of containers comes with this helpful card below, listing the top 5 meal prep entrees!

Now, here is your chance to win your very own ten piece meal prepping container set! All you have to do is enter to win via the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Go like Meal Preppies on Facebook!

Disclaimer: I was given a Meal Preppies container set to test, at no cost. All opinions are my own.

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