Yesterday's triumph and today's .... tragedy.

Well, I can say that I cannot make cookies on an empty stomach. They are much too appealing, and one doesn't do the trick. Especially this new recipe that I just made. I think I had like 5. YIKES.

What's worse is I didn't even get a run, jog, walk or body weight activity in today because I was cooped up stidying all day. (Terrible excuse that I will no longer use in the future.)

My mom did treat me to a wondeful haircut, tho, and it truly made my day. Plus, she liked hers as well, which is rare....she's phobic about her hair.

I did manage to do a great circut workout by the dunes yesterday, and I took a walk up and down Franklin St. and central ave to central beach. The air by lake michigan is so fresh and inviting. It's almost a sin not to take advantage of it.
This is what I did for resistance and strength building:

25 jumping jacks
10 burpees
10 squats (butt to the ground, weight on your heels!!)
10 side squats
50 situps, at intervals of 5, holding every 5th one for a long 6 second exhale)

Repeat 4 times.

I did my recovery magic drink ( 1 heaping teaspoon of L-glutamine and 4 oz of water, followed by vitamin c).

I also chugged 32 oz of water and then ate a great litttle tomatoe, mushroom and leek sautee. It was very good and even the baby chowed down.

So, my goal for tomorrow: run! It's been two days, and I think I'm ready for another shot. I have two chapters to read and take notes on, so a nice run in between will keep my head in the game.

Good night, yous!

...Amelia...

Soreness out the window with GLUTAMINE

Good morning!

So after my impromptu run and workout last night, I expected to be feeling completely sore and out of it today.

Surprisingly, I don't!! I'm excited for the workout that we will embark on after his first nap, and looking forward to the journey ahead.

The main thing that I am doing to promote healing, and to reduce soreness is GLUTAMINE. I have been told by a personal trainer that it is the number one thing that can promote faster healing, reduced down time, and better performance results.

He gave me a bottle, along with vitamin C with rose hips, and Inositol. He told me to do the Glutamine directly after my workout without anything else, and then about 15 minutes later, do the inositol and vitamin C. Also, to ensure that my body won't get sore later, KEEP DOING IT.

In short, here are some benefits of doing these three supplements:

Glutamine: Glutamine is the chief amino acid in the muscle tissue and it is stripped away during all exercise types, so it is essential to replace that. Your body can't function without it, and soreness occurs if there isn't enough present. It helps muscle building. Prevents muscles from breaking down and also encourages the amino acids to be shuttled to where they need to be. It's also a part of glutathione, which is an important molecule used in the immune system. Overall, there are only drawbacks if you aren't taking it!!









Vitamin C with Rose Hips: C is an essential vitamin that your body needs for repairing oxidative reactions that occur in your body. Whenever you are having a cold, you go to the Vitamin C, right? Well, it's needed EVERYDAY and if your body doesn't have enough, your immune system is going to be lowered. The rose hips is another excellent source of the vitamin C and because it breaks down more slowly, then it provides more to your body for a longer period of time. Any vitamin C supplement is great, so don't not take it because you can't find it with the rose hips.
*I would classify this as the NUMBER 1 supplement in my book*








Inositol: Inositol is considered an "unofficial" B vitamin that your body needs to function. It is great for fat loss, because it helps redistribute the lipids to places where it can be used as energy. It can act as a mild anti-anxiety supplement and increase optimal brain function by helping with neurotransmitter function. The benefits are outlined in the link above.

I did the G after my workout yesterday, followed by the C and Inositol. I felt tired and a bit hungry so I did a Vega drink and then went to bed at 10:20pm.

This morning I woke up at 6:30am and did another G on an empty stomach and now I'm enjoying a Vega/Coffee drink. So yum.

I feel no soreness what-so-ever. I don't know if this is a miracle supplement or what, but for how hard I pushed myself yesterday and to feel NO pain is utterly amazing to me!!!

Go out and get yourself a bottle. It's a powder form, but you can find it in pill form if that is easier for you. Vitamin C is essentially everywhere, and if you buy it with the rose hips, it stays circulating in your blood for longer periods of time, allowing more absorption. The inositol can also be powder or liquid, and it's another essential nutrient that your body needs to function. I even give small doses to the baby in his bottle, so that he can have a jump start on vitality.

Read the links, get knowledge, and make the decision to do something for yourself today. If soreness is a problem for after your run, then try this and let me know how it goes for you!

Bring it on!!

...Amelia...

LIFESTYLE: Vegan Mama lost 15lb in 50 days

I wanted to write a quick post on how adopting a gluten free vegan diet (plant based) change my mind, body and spirit.

This isn't done yet and it needs revision.

My interest in a vegan diet began when I started taking a Hinduism class in January 2012. I was advised that this course, if you could fit it into your schedule, was one of the best ones around. This course was taught by Prof. George, in the theology department. The Hindu culture, coming from little that I knew about it, was always intriguing to me because of their interesting lifestyle (music, dance, attire, and intellectual level) and so I decided to learn more. What I learned was that they practice a whole different lifestyle over in India, including diet and how they practice medicine (Ayurvedic) and because of this, they are often healthier.

One of the biggest things in life is remembering this key piece of advice: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

The more you know about anything in life actually makes you the wiser person. You know why? When you don't know something, you are unaware of all the intricacies about that specific thing. Being ignorant is not bliss. People get diseases because they do not know that things are harmful to them, such as inflammatory causing reagents (which can include but not be limited to: food, drugs, hormonal imbalances, and mineral/vitamin deficiencies).

I briefly will state what has helped me change my life from being ~147 pounds to a slim, but not YET sculpted, 132 pounds in ~1.75 months. That is 15lbs in 50 days. The best part is, I am just beginning to have time to work out like I want. Imagine when I have the summer to train fully, every day, and not slip up because of stressful moments. Anyways, I was talking on a rant to myself...motivation!

The things that helped me lose 15lb in 50 days:

Going Vegan.

Going Gluten Free.

I also started moving: dancing, singing, crawling on the floor, picking up sticks in the yard, doing laundry....etc. Something little every day. The summer is approaching and what a better way to enjoy the nice weather than with a little bit out sunshine and activity.

Don't laugh, but when I took Alexzander in his first bike ride on the back of mine, I had him wearing a pink helmet because that was all they had. I am returning it but he is a darn cutie not matter what color he wears!!!

Do it all, especially incorporating you FAMILY....Even babies. They love the food, love the activity

These are my tips, next moment that I take a break from studying or when I actually have time, I will post pics of my before pants and after pants, and you will be like shazam?!

**This next part is a revision**

I am now 8 months into my lifestyle change, and I can honestly say, I haven't been perfect, but I have made PROGRESS.

In the news I have heard of SO many celebrities switching to a plant based lifestyle, and I do not know if it is because more fitness/nutrition trainers are reading more about them, and passing along the info to their clients, or if the celebs are just reading more about it on their own, but either way, I am HAPPY for them!!! Way to go!! Some new Vegan's in the spotlight include: Arian Foster, Pink, Natalie Portman,...etc. It's awesome to see that they are adopting this lifestyle, and feeling miraculous because of it!! 

Courtesy of PETA

FITNESS: A beginner runner with one goal.

I am Amelia and I am a beginner runner. My goal is to become LEAN!!

 9 months ago, I had a baby, and I came out of the hospital weighing 174lbs, a sight I hope to never see again in my entire life. I was overjoyed with my son, yet dismayed how my body had handled the pregnancy (or rather, how I handled the pregnancy....oreos are not my friend anymore.)

Saggy boobs, stretch marks and 50lbs of extra fat made looking in the mirror a night mare and finding clothes to fit and make me feel good a chore. So, for the past 9 months I have been working my ass off (literally) to get back into my bangin' body that I had when I was 20. Honestly, it was about 3 months ago that I really honed in on my diet, physical fitness, and lifestyle, so I wasn't completely honest, but due to stress and other things in life, I couldn't devote my time to being healthy until now.

Currently, I weigh a nice and healthy 132-138lbs...I always get different answers on different scales, so I think I am going to stick with the heavier weight to make the weight loss that much more amazing! This pic was taken last weekend, and honestly, I feel HOTT, but now all I can think about is LEAN!!!

I started reading about running and how it has so many wonderful benefits, not to mention it's 100% free, which is nice cuz I'm a broke college kid. My mom always warned me that running kills your knees...blah blah blah, but it finally hit me that I have to try it out myself to see if I like it.

In my youth,  i hated running because I was bad at it and mostly because I never thought I could do it. I was overweight, teased by my gym teacher and made to look like a lazy fat kid. Now, as a 22yo getting ready to embark on an adult life, I want to embrace my body as a temple and never say "can't" again.

Bart Yasso is kinda like my go to running guru. He is the CEO of Runner's World Magazine and he tweets so often about how to improve your running skills, that I just couldn't not try it any longer!!

The thing that really kick started my training was a pic of my big brother, Paul and his friends and wife running in a 5k, without even training. Now, he did play soccer for his entire youth, but come on! No training at all??? My sister-in-law invited me to a health fair at their community village and one thing was a 5k, so I decided to commit to doing it and get motivated.

I found a plan to help train for a 5k in 1 month, even though I have about 5 weeks until the event, but it gave me an extra week to start even slower and see where I was on a fitness scale. Turns out I can run a mile under 11 minutes, which knocked my socks off, to be honest!!

So, here is my training schedule for this week:

pre week:
Monday: walk 3, run 7, walk 1 run 7 walk 3 @ a pace of 5 on the treadmill
Tuesday: fluidity bar work out  intermediate (cross training)
Wednesday: walk 3, run 10, walk 3 run 10 walk 3
Thursday: fluidity bar work out intermediate or swimming (cross training)
Friday: walk 3 run 10 walk 1 run 10 walk 3
Saturday: fluidity bar work out intermediate (cross train) or maybe a rest day
Sunday: rest day

I will do everything in my power to stick to this schedule, if not, i will come back and cross the things out I didn't do.

So, all of you out there who do not think you can start a running schedule....Shut up and just do it...

Oh, and go by yourself a pair of Nike free 2+. Seriously the best running shoe ever. EVER.

<3