1200 Calories are Not Enough!

"What I do know is that 1200 is the general number of calories health professionals say women cannot drop below without suffering negative health consequences.

Interesting, isn’t it? 1200 calories. The line between health and what they call “starvation mode”. 1200 calories. The dangerous tightrope that many women are trying to walk, because they think this is how thinness is achieved."

I'm reposting this great blog post below. If you are on your fitness journey and it seems like your not losing weight and just maintaining. Don't give up. The link has some GREAT info!

It's a great read!

IF you have the chance visit a nutritionist to find out how many calories you should be consuming based on your Resting Metabolic Rate.

I found out today that based on my fitness activity I should be consuming 1716 calories a day!

crazy when I was steadily limiting myself to ONLY 1200 or less. smh If your on a Military base visit your Wellness Center, the testing is FREE!

Oh and I definitely encourage my female friends to begin weight training! Those inches are coming off bay-bee! :)

http://sophieologie.me/2013/09/26/1200-calories/

22 Days Vegan: RESULTS

Results are in!!! Now I'm not disappointed because I have incorporated weight training & where there was fat there is now muscle :)

Now for weight loss, the #ladyinRed has creeped in so well see in a couple weeks what happens.

So am I going to continue my vegan journey?? I think so. When? I'll keep u posted.

But tonight I might just consume a Burger for old times lol ...maybe maybe not :)

#progressnotperfection #nonscalevictory

IM GOING VEGAN: day 22 ... JOURNEY COMPLETED

Today felt normal. No anticipation that it was the last day. I don't feel different.


TMI MOMENT!!

Except for the Lady in Red trying to creep upon my person. UGH

I'm confident that I lost inches, definitely in my belly. BUT weight... with lifting, I know I'm adding muscle & like I just said the Lady in Red is coming, so its going to fluctuate.

---

So over graduate school.

Meals:
banana, gluten free Oats & Honey granola

vegan bean soup, raw spinach, bean burger,

raw spinach/grape salad:
------sauteed brussels sprouts, onions, fried tofu, vegan chickn strips,- w/ olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
honey roasted peanuts
.5 miso soup packet

Water: 60 oz -- try to hit 90

No Workout. booooo. I know.




Will post my measurements/weight results tomorrow. I actually don't have a scale so I won't be able to weigh myself until I go to the gym.... so I might try for a true weigh-in later this weekend. I really need to update my VeganVlogs. lol eek

Homemade VEGAN bean burgers recipe

So how do you get your protein?

For vegans or vegetarians this is a common question. My favorite protein thus far has been beans. Now of course it can leave you feeling bloated because it FILLS you up but its better than ridiculous snacking. IMO.

There are a ton of recipes, which I glanced at for a general idea but this was an original idea for me.

I bought a ton of dried (bagged) beans -pinto, black eyed, lima, kidney, black beans, etc-- I have a container and mixed them all together. So I truly don't know what beans I used, just that it was an assortment.

Official Recipe:

• let beans soak overnight
• next day boil the beans in your choice broth--I boiled the beans in chicken broth (gasp) but for a vegan lifestyle, you should definitely boil them in vegetable broth-- on a low-medium temperature. 
• The goal is soften up the beans. 
• Seasonings: i poured olive & sesame oil into the boil, added in curry/pepper/salt/garlic powder/onion powder/cumin into the boil 
• let the beans simmer. mine simmered for 2-3 hours. i just kept adding in more water
• Test the beans occasionally, you want them to start feeling softER
• Turn the burner off, leave the beans in the broth, and place in the fridge till the next day 

So this is where it gets complicated.......................... TRIAL & ERROR

Now remember I'm a practicing vegan so while I could have used EGG I had to use a substitute.


Flax Seed is an interesting concept. I highly encourage you to READ the instructions.

Don't follow my folly.

I have various batches of the beans.

1 batch included garri  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garri & flax seed
1 batch included yellow corn meal & flax seed
1 batch included garri, yellow corn meal, & flax seed

They all tasted fine you just have to understand the flax seed consistency ....

• In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork/spoon/ -- i didn't smash all the beans nor did I worry about them being flat
• Mix in (garri/corn meal) bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. 
• Stir the Flax seed mixture
• Divide mixture into patties.

Now again it gets a bit ...... weird

So remember I had issue with the flax seed consistency. So the cooking portion was trial & error.

watch the video on my instagram

• Heat the olive oil or cooking spray in a large skillet.
• If your flax seed mixture is correct, the patties should hold together ... 
• One option is to bake your patties at 350 in the oven, let them sit for about 10 minutes, than transfer them to the large skillet to make them crispiER

Now don't worry if your patties fall apart, they are STILL edible and you can use them later for a salad, frittata, burrito, etc. 

PLEASE NOTE:

I didn't add any additional seasonings to the patties. YOU can but I didn't. It wasn't needed. Especially since I added condiments for my burger. 

Burger Toppings:
raw collard greens, onions, tomato, soy cheese
srirracha sauce, bbq sauce, 
wheat bread (perhaps gluten free if you want to get adventurous)

Sides: 

Initially I wanted potatoes, but c'mon thats a lot of carbs. So some steamed green beans with garlic & salt did the trick!

NOMNOM. 

Hope my directions weren't too confusing. 

Let me know how it turns out :)

I'M GOING VEGAN: day 13

Today I have something to say and I'm kinda pissed. I'm trying not to be. Maybe I just woke up snappy. Catching shade where there is none. Oversensitive. Or just plain over it.

As well all know when attempting to loose weight or become healthy, its a journey and won't happen in a few weeks. It takes patience, understanding, research, and understanding of progress not perfection. To me this is a "duh".

Sure I post #beyoncebody or #teamthighgap or #teamnogut .. what's wrong with it? Does it mean I love myself any less... or worse that I don't know my selfworth?

Nonsense.

Yes, I have a goal of loosing 45lbs by August. I realize that inches will be my most prominent non-scale victories.

So today, I posted in a Facebook fitness group "My main focus is to achieve a thigh gap. So what will tone/slim down my thunder thighs?"... some of the responses were helpful like

• Make sure you are eating enough calories or you will shut down the metabolism. If you are burning 600 cals a day through exercise then a healthier and more sustainable number would be 1600-1800 calories a day.
  
• Keep an eye on calcium, iron, and your b vitamins. Lots of dark leafy greens, citrus fruits, legumes, starchy fruits, and whole grains. Enriched non dairy milks like almond, rice, or coconut so avoid overdoing it on the soy. Use olive, grapeseed, and eat nuts and avocado for EFA's.
  
• you can't spot train fat loss. You can spot train muscle build/tone but not fat loss.
  
• "Thigh gap" or the "hip bridge" is not something every woman, in fact most women, can attain. That is actually genetic. If you aren't genetically predisposed to them then you have to have a very low body fat %. Our bodies are designed to store fat there for pregnancy & breast feeding.
• The stair master actually builds up legs so you will gain the muscle mass in your legs which can and will tone your legs. But as far as not needing the storage you can't really stop where your body stores body fat. And you can't stop your body from storing. Especially if you are calorie deficient for your activity level. Then your body holds on to everything it can and starts to feed off of muscle and organs.
  
• around a 45lb weight loss with an august goal (that is maintainable) is doable it would just require a lot of determination and commitment.
  
• once someone is able to achieve a very "fit and healthy physique" with lower bf (body fat) levels (not dangerously low), then things like muscle definition in that area will be more noticeable
  
• If you want to tighten up the inner thigh look into some hip Adduction exercises.
  
  But I wasn't here for this:  "Why not just be as healthy as you can be because you are worth it?" ... or the motivational stories about why a thigh gap isn't that important vs being healthy/fit. 

I just wasn't here for it! Like re-reading everyones comments a few hours later I can see their points. But in that moment all I saw was red, when it was implied about self-worth.

Like sooooo over it! My mindset was that, I naturally HAD a thigh gap, however my NEW thighs overlap/rub... for ME that's not what I like. So I'm making a change.

YET, that wasn't even the point of my post. I just wanted information on weight training I could use during leg days as the majority of my weight (IMO) are in my thunder thighs.

It was suggested that I utilize the (female)  trainers in the group for assistance. But, I really am over the motivational/encouraging speeches about progress not perfection. Love your self.. blah blah. I do love myself. Too much sometimes! lol

I just need simplicity. The facts. I appreciate that these women wanted to share their personal stories, it shed light BUT maybe only 2 people truly answered my question....

One suggestion I took action on was making an appointment with the Wellness Center, to learn more about my body fat % and metabolism to make sure I'm consuming the right amount of calories,  so on Feb 7th, I got an appointment for setting up a bod pod (for body fat) and metabolic testing.

I'm excited. I'm also thinking about enlisting a personal trainer (probably male) to teach me proper weight training.

Anyhoo, that's my rant for today. I increased my calorie intake to 1500 and right now I'm at 700, so I'll need to eat some more before the day is over (healthy of course).

ps. I might be a tad oversensitive and a bit confrontational lol

pss. something important that has stuck with me. Gluten-free cookies are STILL cookies. :) lol I only had 2 today.

Workout:
2.5 miles on treadmill --Beyonce keeps me going! I was jamming to Yonce)
hip abbduction/adduction machine (weights 80-90), 3 sets of 15
Pull over weight machine (Weight 50 -did 1 set lol- changed to 40) 3 sets of 15
Free weights 2 sets of 15 (weight 10) -- I use 8's at home so it was a struggle.
Rowing machine 2 sets of 500 meters

Meals:
pb & j on wheat, no crusts
2 gluten free cookies
Soy Chicken Parmesean (2 soy chicken patties, 1 slice soy cheese, spaghetti noodles, spaghetti sauce, green/yellow pepper, onions, curry/garlic powder/salt/pepper/ginger seasoning)

Water: 90 oz. I'ma hit 128oz  today ya'll

If I consume More I'll update below
****

For motivation check out Fat Girl Meets Fit World -- check out her amazing "thigh gap" it may not have been her goal but I'm a fan. If I can achieve something similar with clean eating and training dirty I will be just as happy. :)


Please comment below with your thoughts and any suggestions. Don't worry I'm not feeling snappish now lol :)
xoxo

I'M GOING VEGAN: Day 5

Today was my best today by FAR since I've started this challenge. It's becoming a lot easier to modify my meals and supplement my snacks. Eating clean, can be quite filling.

Before I discuss my day. I just want to reflect on what I learned while eating abroad. I mean it is ThrowBackThursday hehe

Breakfast can be WHATEVER you want it to be. The first week in Korea, for breakfast my roommate served me rice, kimchi, and seaweed (nori). I was like "wheres the bacon" and she said we can have samgupsyal later tonight. LOL In Korea basically anything goes for Breakfast, soups, rice, kimchi, noodles, ramen, etc. I truly appreciate that I wasn't "restricted" to a particular food image when I woke in the morning.

As such since Day 2 of the challenge, I've been drinking soup every morning. Not a bowl but a small jar of soup, I preheat the water and pour the soup mixture in the jar, and I'm ready for the day.

It's refreshing and I'm not starved. Nor do I have to rush around to try and select a particular "American breakfast item"... because let's be real our breakfast typically involves breads, meats, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt, butter, etc. I don't have time for that and I don't even like yogurt.

__

Meals:Instant Tofu Miso Soup Soybean Paste
Steamed White Rice, Homemade Potato Soup w/ 1 potato dumpling,and beefless tips
1 TBSP peanut butter
Veggie Crumbles, soy cheese, pico de gallo, tomato, black beans, steamed rice, fresh collard greens, and tortilla chips

Water: 64oz  -- working to hit 96 oz before I go to sleep

No Workout.

Finally, if you're looking for meat substitutes, this is what I have bought so far. 

IM GOING VEGAN: Day 2

Today was rough. I didn't get much sleep last night, running a low grade fever. Tossing/Turning. Blahhh

Woke up and rushed out the door to run errands.

Around 1pm I realized I was strongly hungry.

Ran into Walmart - for some Vegan snacks -- popcorn kernels, honey roasted peanuts, roasted almonds, bananas, and a bottle of water.

I chowed down before continuing on with my errands.

Got home around 3 and was soooo tired.... but not to tired to scarf down Sundays leftovers of Tofu Tortilla Soup w/Tortila Chips& rice. Ummmmm when I say scarfed I don't even remember what it tasted like. Which is super bad. I was such a glutton and now its around 8pm and I'm still stuffed. I already know I didn't meet my 1200 calories NOR did I meet my Water Goal.

Gotta do better tomorrow. My meals are "planned" out just need to insert snacks at appropriate times.

I really might benefit from eating on a schedule and eating smaller portions.... I'll try it tomorrow and let you know.

Workout: Focus T25 Ab Intervals

Meals:
1 apple, 1 banana, 1.5 cup honey roasted peanuts
1.5 bowl of Tofu Tortilla Soup w/ rice & tortilla chips
1 roasted brussels sprout

Water: 72oz In progress ... hoping to reach 104 oz after I finish this bottle

Tomorrows goals -- update the youtube channel with my daily vlogs. I have footage but that darn Windows Movie Maker kept crashing ugh.

... is it odd that I'm excited for my lunch of Roasted Brussels Sprouts tomorrow? hehe

Oh and its not too late to join in on the Challenge----

To stay updated on my progress SUBSCRIBE to my Blog &
Follow me on Instagram @87pages  #22daysvegan #eats87pages

IM GOING VEGAN: Day 1

Ahhhhh

Today was the first day and it was going good until it wasnt. I woke up today determined so see it through. And I did don't get me wrong. It just became a tiny struggle.

So how did I hear about this challenge?? Well Beyonce of couse. Bey posted the #22dayvegan challenge to her IG and of course the girls went wild. I've been wanting to do a revamp on my clean eating ESPECIALLY after these holidays. This challenge is all about cutting out meats-poultry-seafood-dairy products. Yesterday while grocery shopping I was eyeballing all the ingridents. If it had milk/cheese/egg whites I tossed it from my cart.

Do you know how many foods have eggs in it?! yeesh. I even had to toss back "vegeitarian/vegan" products (Morning Star/Boca Burger). My grocery store run was about 70$ -- mostly veggies. I even bought brussels sprouts... o_0 ... If I buy Okra than you'll know I'm desperate lol

I am also working on building my core -- I'm not following any regiment or workout program. I'm just going to do what feels natural ... however I am going to implement Treadmill Running & Yoga at least once a week.

I have a daily water goal of 128oz.

Day 1:

Workout:
Focus T25 -- Dynamic Core & Stretch

Meals:
Rice, Kimchi, Seaweed
Apple
Tofu Tortilla Soup, Rice, Tortilla Chips

Water:
96oz (in progress)

To stay updated on my progress SUBSCRIBE to my Blog & Follow me on Instagram @87pages

Death.

Happy 2014.... sorta.

These past few weeks have been a haze and I became that girl. That girl who tries to hide in the background during pictures. No one truly commented, just a look here and there with a shrug.

This isn't a "new me" type of post.... just a new awareness.

I'm done with hashtags that advertise false accomplishment.

Back to the drawing board.

Daily Accountability.

-45 by July.