Tag Archives: challenges

Oct 04 2012
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workouts

New Gym, New Training

Well, well, well.  After all my bitching about my tiny closet for a gym in Madrid, I have finally hit the mother load.  I joined the snazziest gym I could find when I moved back to Atlanta and I am absolutely LUH-VING IT.
Of course, as I embark on the Ritz-Carlton of gyms, I decide to cut my training schedule down to the basics.  Go figure.  Anyways, I figure some of you all might be interested in this so I thought I would post.

Day 1 (Monday)

  • 5-min walk for warm-up.
  • Deadlift – 3 sets of 5-8 reps
  • Rest 5 mins.
  • Leg extensions – 3 sets of 6-8 reps
  • Rest 5 mins.
  • Chins – 3 sets of 5-8 rep

Day 3 (Wednesday)

  • 5-min walk for warm-up.
  • Bench press 3-4 sets of 5-7 reps
  • Rest 5 mins
  • Inclinde Dumbbell Press 3-4 sets of 5-7 reps
  • Pull-ups 2-3 sets with body weight.
  • Rest 5 mins
  • Weighted Dips (if you feel up to it) 2 sets of 5-7

Day 5 (Friday)

  • Squats 3 sets of 5-7 reps
  • Rest 5 mins
  • Walking lunges 3 sets of 10 reps (per leg)
  • Rest 5 mins
  • Stiff-Legged Deadlifts – 3 sets of 5-7 reps
  • Rest 5 mins
  • Overhead Press 3 sets of 5-7 reps

You’ll notice that I am not really doing that many sets or reps in my sessions.  Not only does it cut my time in the gym practically in half, but it also forces me to load up on some serious weight.  I am not playing around when I walk in that weight room, ladies.  I am puffing and grunting right along with the men (which I’m sure their dirty minds don’t oppose) and getting stronger with each session.

I am doing these sets in a format commonly referred to as Pyramid Style. The strength training pyramid means starting with a lighter weight and higher reps, then as you increase weight you decrease reps.   Pack on the weight people!!!  Remember, the most reps you are doing in one set is about 8 reps.

I am also doing practically NO cardio.  I love a good sprint session at the track, so I still manage to incorporate that on the weekends, but I am basically limiting my cardio to a light walk in the afternoon.  (The treadmill queens are cringing right now, I can feel it)

This is still a new routine for me so I will keep you updated on my progress, but I can already tell the strength gains I am getting from this.  Give it a shot if you are trying to make some muscle gains, whether you are a man or a woman, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

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Jul 09 2012
1 Comment
friends and fun, life, oh my thank you

Life Changes

Pretty much every single day I look around and think to myself

You have an amazing life.  Look at all that you have accomplished!  You achieved one of your biggest goals by moving to Europe.  This is so freaking cool!

Literally that has gone through my head at some point every single day for the past year.  And it usually happens during something completely mundane and normal – like going to the grocery store or on a run, for example.  Those small, unimportant moments remind me that I am doing those small, unimportant moments where people can only dream of living!  It is a humbling moment that reminds me how cool my life is.

gorgeous spain

But I would be lying if I told you I was able to move to Spain on my own hard work and dedication.  Yeah, there was hard work and dedication involved, but that alone would have never found itself in Spain.  It might have made it as far as the Spanish Consulate.  What really pushed me and helped me to achieve this goal were my friends and family back home.  And trust me, there is no fun in achieving your goals when you don’t have people to share it with!

As amazing as my friends back in Atlanta were to me, and despite how cool my life is, I also often catch myself feeling really guilty and selfish for taking on this challenge.  In the year that I have lived abroad, I have missed some really important moments in the lives of my friends – weddings, babies, promotions, …. more weddings (I’m almost 25 and from the South, don’t forget!).

Every time another major event takes place in the lives of those that helped me to get where I am today, I feel so bad for not being a part of their experience like they were for mine.  Granted, I might have the best excuse in the book, it doesn’t make it any less crappy.

Let’s be honest, I’m just mad I missed out on some killer cakes…

So I wanted to make a special thank you and apology to all of those that supported me in my journey.  Your friendship and motivation allowed me to achieve a goal I never would have been able to do on my own.  Furthermore, I want to sincerely apologize for missing your special day…or days, if that’s the case!  I wish I could have been there to celebrate with you and be the support you were for me.  While I can’t change this as it is now in the past, I want you to know that I solemnly promise to be a part of all of the big moments of your future.

‘How can you do that from Spain?’ you might be asking yourself.  Well I can’t.

But I promise to be a part of all your special days in the future because I won’t be living in Spain anymore.

That’s right friends, Life With a Fork, or Sarah as most of you know me, will be moving back to the good ol’ U S of A at the end of July and I couldn’t be more excited!  I love Spain and it will always have a special place in my heart, but it is time to come back to the people who allowed me to achieve my dream.  It’s my turn to help them achieve theirs!

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Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all my friends and family for all of your help, encouragement, well wishes, love, and support.  I would have never been able to achieve this without you!

– This is just a small glimpse of the things I’ve missed while I have been away. –

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May 16 2012
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basics, challenge yourself, life, Uncategorized

Your Best Body: Part 3 – Support

I have a really great group of friends here in Madrid.  We took to each other like family within days of meeting one another and now, as some of them are preparing to return to the states, I can’t imagine my life without them.  They are some of the most intelligent, creative, hilarious, and unique people I have ever met.

One of our favorite activities to do here is to lounge in the park and botellón.  Botellón for Spain is like pre-gaming for the States with the only differences being the lack of any actual game.  Basically it’s just a bunch of people, lounging in a park or open area, listening to music and drinking alcohol.  Generally this is a night-time activity, but my friends don’t discriminate against the earlier hours of the day.  We will botellón anytime, anywhere.

Recently, during one of our many afternoons in the parl, I noticed something that probably no one else in my group of friends would have ever picked up on.  After a round of drinks had been poured and dispersed, the group raised their glasses and said their cheers to one another.  In my normal fashion, I was without drink.  I raised my empty hand, mimicking a drink, and said my cheers right there with them as my friends pretended to clink their glass with mine. To us, our friendship, and to this amazing life we are living together!

What was so memorable about that second in time was that no one even questioned me when I raised my empty hand.  There was no ‘Where is your drink?’ or ‘How come you aren’t drinking?‘  My friends just know.  They know about my healthy lifestyle and that I choose to not drink alcohol for the most part.  They know that my workout is a top priority in my day even if that means joining them in public with my gym clothes on.  They know that I don’t eat certain foods purely by choice.  And you know what?  They are ok with it.  In fact, they are some of the most supportive people I’ve ever met.  To be honest, I don’t know how they can manage to be seen with me when I show up wearing spandex and my hair looks like I’ve been electrocuted.  Not to mention I smell.  Good friends, I tell you.

When I originally switched my eating habits, I was faced with a lot of challenges socially.  A lot of my friends didn’t understand why I didn’t want to eat certain foods.  Many of them would even try to make an argument about it.  If you have at all changed the way you eat, surely you have heard at least one person say, ‘C’mon! It’s just one bite’ or ‘It’s not going to kill you.’ And for the most part, they are right.  One bite is not a big deal.  One meal will not kill you.  It won’t even undo all of the progress you’ve made.

But that’s not the point.  That person, just by even trying to convince you of something, is not being 100% supportive of your goals.  And that is something that can definitely make this process toward a healthier life extremely difficult and grueling when it really shouldn’t be.

Now don’t get crazy and go ditch all your friends.  That’s a bad idea.  They won’t like it.  You won’t like it.  And you definitely won’t like it when you have reached all of your goals but you are sitting at home on a Saturday night, all alone with no one to show off your hot body to.  (Because that’s our ultimate goal, right?  Showing off our hot bod to as many people as possible …..or is that just me….?)

As you are changing your lifestyle and prioritizing health and wellness, TELL EVERYONE!  Tell your mom, your dad, your boyfriend, your lover, your boss, your annoying neighbor that you hate, and even your children.  Tell everyone.

Not everyone will be 100% on board, and that’s OK.  Your kids will probably tell you that they hate you and that you are the worst parent everrrrrrr for making them eat broccoli.  Some friends might get a bit jealous when you are starting to look super hot and want you to order the mozzarella sticks with them.  Colleagues will want you eat that piece of cake for so-and-so’s office birthday party.  You will face judgement and adversity.  But I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have a support group around you pushing you to be the best of yourself.  These people will be vital in your long-term success.  Find that group of people, big or small, that won’t question your habits or pour you a gin and tonic at your next botellón against your wishes.  You want to surround yourself with the people who will clink glasses and cheers to you even if you aren’t holding a drink in your hand.  To us, our friendship, and to this amazing life we are living together!

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My support group extends much further than Madrid.  I am lucky enough to have support sent to me from all over the world.  A special thank you to everyone who continues to push me to be the best version of myself! Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish any of my goals.

Stay tuned for Part 4 of the Your Best Body series!

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May 13 2012
3 Comments
basics, challenge yourself, life

Your Best Body: Part 2 – Motivation

I mentioned in Part 1 of this series that the first step to reaching your health and fitness goals is to accept your body the way it’s built.  That is probably the hardest, yet most important factor impacting your success.

The next aspect of reaching your goals is your motivation.  What motivates you?  Why are you trying to reach this particular goal?  What inspires you to get in control of your health?  Why are you trying to lose weight?

I like to think that there are two types of motivation for achieving your goals:
short-term and long-term

Short-term motivation is easy.  I mean, how many times have you told yourself, “I’ll start tomorrow”?  Well if you were to ask me that question, I would tell you to count the number of days I have been alive since about the age of 14 and you will have your answer.  You are extremely motivated in that moment when you tell yourself that ‘tomorrow is a new day’ – I know you are.  I’ve been there.  Hell, I’m still there. Even when I was at my best physique, I always told myself that the next day would be better.  There were always changes to be made.

Tell me if y’all feel the same way, but I am really good at finding short-term motivation.  I can pop on the internet, look at some pictures of really fit girls, and be extremely motivated.  A simple Google search can send me in a tailspin to thinking there is more I can do here to improve my diet and my body.  We are surrounded by short-term motivation in the form of magazines, internet, television, movies, and so forth.

But for me, this motivation only lasts for about 8 hours.

I might spend the majority of my day being motivated and even following through with my goals, but then the evening hits after a long day and I am feeling super lazy and begin to rationalize eating crappy food.  Where did my motivation from this morning go?  I must have left it on the metro somewhere.  Or knowing Madrid, someone pick-pocketed it!  Hey, give that back!!!

So I will ask you again.  What motivates you?  Why are you trying to reach this particular goal?

The hard part about motivation is seeing it from a long-term perspective – finding the answer to those questions that will push you through the simple distractions.  Your brain is a funny thing.  It can really trick you sometimes and you need to learn how to be in control of it.  I can’t begin to tell you how many times my brain told me that it was acceptable to eat that ice cream or skip out on my workout.  And with a damn good argument to boot!  After all, I believed him didn’t I?  But to really pinpoint your long-term motivation, you have to look within yourself.  Be honest.  Only you will have the answer to those questions – no one else.

Find your real motivation.  For me, the motivation to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle is so that I can avoid getting sick in the future.  I saw my beautiful grandmother suffer from not one, but many strokes and the affect it had on her life and the lives of those around her.  Frankly, I don’t know if her diet contributed to that or not.  I wasn’t around enough years to know.  All I know is that I want to do everything humanly possible to avoid it for myself and if that means choosing all natural foods over processed crap, then so be it.

Your motivation might be to finally look in the mirror without bullying yourself and filling your mind with self-hate.  It might be that you want to join a certain sports team or alleviate symptoms from an auto-immune condition.  Hell, I don’t care, we can be a bit more shallow with this as well if you want.  Your motivation can be to fit into that super cute bikini and turn some damn heads.  I got you on that one, girl!  Or men, maybe it’s to be able to play sports with your kids.  Or just to take your shirt off at the pool and not be embarrassed.  I don’t care what it is!  JUST FIND IT!

Your long-term motivation is what will push you in the tough times when you feel like the work you are doing isn’t showing any results.  It’s the thing that will comfort you when you feel like you can’t do it.  It’s the thing that will pick you up after you fall and remind you that mistakes are human.  And it’s the thing that will tell that sneaky son of a bitch in between your ears, “Nice try buddy, but I am not going to eat that ice cream or skip out on my workout because it is not helping me to reach my goal!”

So, what is it?  What is your motivation?  Why are you doing this?  Whatever it is, don’t ever lose site of it.  Write it down and hang it on the wall if you have to.  We all need a constant reminder of our aspirations.

Stick around for Part 3 of Your Best Body!

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May 09 2012
3 Comments
basics, challenge yourself, life, weight loss

Your Best Body: Part 1 – Acceptance

Disclaimer:  I am not a nutritionist/personal trainer/health coach/cave woman/chef/morning-person/camel…it doesn’t matter what I write here because I lost all credibility within the first five words.  If you haven’t left yet and made it to this part of the disclaimer, remember to speak with a professional for your personal dietary or fitness recommendations.

I get asked quite frequently, “Sarah, how can I lose weight?  Apparently the Muffin-Top was never in style…”

First of all, you’re right.  The Muffin-Top was never in style.  You know what is always in style though?  Being healthy.

Let me set something straight first before I give you my non-medical, unapproved advice on how to trim down that tire around your six-pack.  This might be some of the best advice I will ever give you and yet I know most people will choose to ignore it.  For those of you who really want help being healthy, I suggest you pay close attention to the information in this particular post.  But only for those of you who are serious about being healthy.

Here it is: The body you have is the only one you’ve got.  No one else has your body.  Something that works for one person might not work for you.  There will never be a one-size-fits-all approach to health and fitness.  I know, I know, that’s really fucking annoying!  I totally understand.  I wish there were a rule book on how to be ripped and all we needed to do was just follow it step by step.  I mean, people try.  They’re called “diet books”.  Your local book store probably has a few shelves full of them.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t – it just depends on the person, right?  Right.  That’s because everyone is different.

For some reason, people seem to push that piece of information to the side like it’s not important.  I still find myself doing it sometimes.  I’ll spend hours looking at blogs and websites trying to find the perfect meal plan to trim down.  But there you go!  There’s a reason why I spend hours looking.  Because there isn’t just one way of doing things!  Everyone has their opinion.  Listen, I would love to be able to eat whatever I want and not gain weight.  We all know people like that – people who can eat a cheeseburger, milkshake, and fries and not gain an ounce.  And we hate those people so stop being friends with them.  Just kidding (sort of).  But my body is not built like them.  If I order a milkshake, I gain weight before it even arrives at the table.  And I just have to accept it.  That being said, my first and most important piece of advice for losing weight is to embrace the body you have.

Now, there is a big distinction between accepting the body you have and accepting the condition your body is in.  Don’t go out there telling yourself, “Oh, I am overweight and I will always be overweight so I’m just going to continue eating like shit.” No.  The condition your body is in is a result of your habits.  Bad habits = bad body.  Good habits = good body.  Accepting your body type is a completely different thing.

I’ve told you before that my mom is a smart lady.  She is the reason I am even slightly concerned about my health.  She’s not just healthy for her age, she is healthier than many of my 25 year old friends.  She also has these massive weapons attached to her body that she worked really hard to attain.  Here is a candid shot of them.  I can only imagine what they’d look like flexed.

So naturally, people (especially women) would always comment on her arms whenever she allowed those pythons to show.  They would always ask her how to lose weight or get in shape, and she would always have the same response.

“I just realized that I will never be one of those skinny girls so I just decided to start lifting weights and work with what I had.”

I never really paid much attention to this growing up (among other things), but I realize now how relevant that statement is when I look at the overall health of a person.  As I’ve gotten older, and because I am the spawn of this beast, I’ve recognized that my body is very similar.  I will never be one of those naturally skinny girls.  I have muscle (a lot of it).  I am definitely heavier than I look and I will always weigh more than most girls.  I have a big ass and I love it.  I will never be smaller than a size 4/6.  I will always have to watch what I eat if I want to stay trim.  I gain weight really easily.  There will never be a gap between my thighs, but I will always have strong legs.  Bread.and.sugar.make.me.fat.

I could go on for days comparing myself to other people.  The main thing I want you to work on before we move to part 2 of this series is accepting your body.  Recognize the things you will never be able to change and just get over it.  Hell, make a list if you have to.  Write down every single thing that you can’t change and post that sucker up on the wall.  Then get over it!  Accept your body for what it is.  Only until you have done this will you be able to find a lifetime’s worth of success in being healthy.

Stay tuned for the next part of this series toward your best body!

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Mar 09 2012
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blogs i'm loving, challenge yourself, paleo

Girl Crush

I have a girl crush.

You probably already know it by now because I talk about her all the time.

She is just so cool and I want to be like her and hang out with her and cook food together and just be friends.  BFFs if you will.

If you don’t already know who my girl crush is by now then you clearly need to stop everything you are doing and start reading all my posts prior to this one.  No, seriously.  Get a move on.

For those of you who have read all of my posts (thanks, mom), you will already know that I adore Diane Sanfilippo from Balanced Bites.

Anyways, since I always love testing the waters and conducting an experiment, I have been doing a lot of research on figure competitions.  I’ll be honest:  It has always been a dream of mine to compete in a figure competition.  Some people have aspirations to run a marathon … and some people want to get completely shredded, slather on a fake tan, primp, wax, and flex their way to 1st place.  I happen to prefer the latter.  No big deal (minus the walking-on-stage-in-barely-there-bikini thing).  From the hours upon hours of research I had been doing, I couldn’t find any information on competing while following a Paleo approach.  All of the sample meal plans included things like oatmeal, rice cakes, protein shakes, and many other stereotypical diet foods that we all hate.  If you haven’t noticed, bacon is usually the deal-maker to get people to try Paleo (just sayin’) so rice cakes never stood a chance.

“Where is this post going, Sarah?” Stick with me here.  There is a method to my madness.

Anyways, Diane and her friend Liz (Cavegirl Eats) have this really cool podcast where they answer questions people submit on their websites.  Usually lasting about an hour, these podcasts are amazing for when you are going on walks, sitting in traffic, or just listening to on your iPod while you go about your normal day.  So obviously I decided to submit a question about competition diets to the podcast in hopes that mayyyyybe it would get answered.

And it did!

You can listen to Diane’s response by visiting the podcast episode here.  You can also read the exact question I submitted among others from the podcast.  She gave some great feedback and it was very helpful information!  Even though she repeatedly advised against it, I will be honest and say that I am still researching the possibilities of competing in the future.  It is not as realistic right now living here in Madrid, but I am still very curious about the approach to nutrition.  I might even test out a version of this competition style diet more tailored to my body and the Paleo lifestyle.  There will be more on that later once I have done enough research to make a decision for myself.

As for my girl crush, it’s still going strong.

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Feb 29 2012
1 Comment
challenge yourself, food

Right on Schedule

If you didn’t already notice from my 21-Day Sugar Detox, I love making schedules.

I love calendars.
I love planning out my day.
I love making meal plans.
I love order.
I love structure.
I love lists.

As a matter of fact, I might be a perfect candidate for the military.  I could really thrive in a setting where my entire existence is planned out for me.  If only I had a better shot….

Anyways, as I normally do, I love to keep track of dates.  So for those of you who have been paying attention to every detail of my life, you would know that today is the 4th day since my little revelation.  The thing about “starting over” is that no matter how familiar the process may be, you still feel a bit out of your own skin.  I have been living and breathing healthy eating for over a year now, but returning back to it 100% after a small stint of sugar-laden-craziness has been a bit strange.

It’s like I forgot everything I know about eating healthy.  I mean, I didn’t.  The knowledge is there.  I am using it.  But it feels weird.

So as I normally do, planning out my meals has been especially helpful to get through these first few days of relieving my body from the toxins I loaded it with recently.  As always, you all will be updated with any progress or life-changing ideas (which I seem to have quite frequently)!

What are some ways you manage to get back on track after a slip-up (or two. or three. or ten.)?

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Feb 08 2012
2 Comments
challenge yourself, workouts

this is love.

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Feb 01 2012
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challenge yourself, life, paleo

Happy Lifeday

As a kid…or even as an adolescent…my birthday would be a month-long celebration.  Luckily, 5 out of the 7 members of my family celebrate their birthdays in the winter so there would be no distractions to my summer holiday.  Yes, it was a holiday.  July was a celebration of life.  My life.

That holiday was quietly removed from the calendar around the age of 22.  From that point forward, turning another year older was not only unexciting, but a bit depressing.  Welcome to the real world.  You can not act like a fool anymore.  You are an adult.  BLAH BLAH BLAH!

Anyways, I have a few months until my quarter-life crisis commences, but today is a birthday of different sorts.  Today is a celebration of Life.  Today is the day, one year ago, that I randomly decided to ditch the grains.  If you have read My Story, then you know that there was no rhyme or reason to this move (and if you haven’t read it, you should).  It wasn’t until I started doing a little research that I discovered a fancy name for the way I was eating: Paleo.

And unlike my birthday, this day

  • only gets better with time
  • makes me look younger than my age
  • will give me more birthdays, even if they are unwanted
  • will not give me wrinkles

So for this, we celebrate (without cake).  Happy Lifeday to me!

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Jan 31 2012
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challenge yourself, paleo in madrid, workouts

Eat Clean, Train Mean

I saw this picture the other day.

I mean, that is a back if I’ve ever seen one….

< still staring >

ANYWAYS.

Since I had so much success with my note card calendar for the 21 Day Sugar Detox, I wanted to do another sort of challenge to myself.  In all honesty, it will essentially be a continuation of my detox this past month but I will be putting more focus on my training in the gym.  During the 21DSD, my training just naturally took a turn for the better, but it was never anything I really planned for.  This next month, I want to really put effort into strategically planning my workouts.  With that being said, more focus needs to be placed on macronutrient timing as well.  Basically, I am going to take everything up a notch!

This month has been inspired by that amazing picture posted above.  However, I love a good rhyme so I have renamed my challenge to The Eat Clean, Train Mean 4-Week Challenge.  This  challenge will focus on continuing my limitation of sugar as well as paying more attention to macronutrients in my meals.  Generally, I just throw some meat and veggies on a plate and go to town.  This month I want to put the extra effort into how I disperse macronutrients in my day according to my workouts.  Also, I will be planning my workouts more, most likely leaning toward a 2-day split schedule: lower body on one day, upper body on the other.  My cardio sessions will be short, but intense.  I will be doing about 20 minutes of interval cardio a day.

Clearly, I haven’t put too much thought into this.  But I love a plan.  And I apparently love little note card calendars.  So here we are, starting a new challenge.  This challenge will become more structured in the next few days, but I wanted to hold myself accountable and post about it.  I also wanted you to see that gorgeous back side. You’re welcome ;)

The Eat Clean, Train Mean challenge can be altered however you want!  It’s all about taking yourself to the next level, whatever level you are at.  We are already approaching February, my friends.  Move it or lose it on those resolutions!!  I would love to know how you are going to take on this challenge!

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