1.11.2012

New Year, New You: {My Routine}


I've gotten several comments and emails regarding my personal eating and fitness routine, so I wanted to share a bit of what I do on a weekly basis*

*Now I'll preface this by saying, I'm NOT an expert and NOT a certified personal trainer. The hubs is certified and he trains people as a hobby/side job. He's the one who usually helps me craft challenging gym sets and gives nutritional advice when I ask for it. But most of what I do in the gym comes from my own personal experience throughout the years. I was on the pom squad in college and was a competitive dancer for most of my life.

My Exercise Routine

My workout routine consists of about 60% weight training and 40% cardio. Lean muscle, the base of a toned body, comes from doing weigh bearing exercises. Cardio, especially interval training, works with the weights to burn fat.

This post tells about some of the exercises that I do each week to tone arms.

This post explains my leg workout.


I also credit APY60- From the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Yoga Instructor , for helping me to achieve a flat tummy. It's not an abdominal workout, but rather a total body workout.

I don't do ab exercises really very often at all. (Really couldn't tell you the last time I did a crunch, no lie.) Getting a flat stomach will happen entirely on its own through working your other body parts, so don't waste your time.


Treadmill and Track
When it comes to cardio, I do intervals of sprinting, jogging and power walking on the treadmill or the indoor track for 25-30 minutes, 3-4 times per week. I also like to throw in sets of jumping jacks, push-ups and walking lunges in between running sets. I like to mix in incline work on the treadmill also - just to challenge my leg muscles!

Elliptical
Not a fan. I don't personally get much out of the elliptical, since it's easy to plateau on those - so I don't use it. (However, lots of other people DO like the elliptical, so do whatever feels best for YOU.)


My Diet (or lack thereof)

As far as diet goes, I'm definitely not super strict. I have pretty cooperative metabolism naturally and don't gain weight super easily (also why I have small, ahem, assets...le sigh). I do keep a food journal Monday-Friday, just to get a feel for the number of calories I'm taking in. I try not to go above 1500-1600 calories per day. That's my target number, which takes into account my work out routine, current weight and height, as well as my age.

Target calories for each woman is DIFFERENT. So what works for someone else may not work for you. Those diet apps for smartphones scare the mess out of me because it basically gives everyone 1200 calories per day, regardless of fitness level or age. They are good for food tracking, though! No two women are alike, nor should their calories be. Your best bet is to visit a website like this one and see how many calories to shoot for.

What I Eat

I love Greek yogurt w/honey for breakfast or oatmeal with blueberries. I also drink at least a cup of coffee each morning with real half 'n half, which studies have shown is good for your metabolism. I just like the taste of java, though : )

For lunch, it's never the same. I may eat a Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken salad or have a turkey sandwich at home. I rarely opt for burgers and fries though, even on vacation. I've just never been a big cheeseburger fan.

I don't snack a lot, opting instead for a mid-afternoon, 2% milk latte. If I'm just starving that day though, I'll eat a stick of string cheese or some mixed nuts.

For dinner, again, it varies every night. We like to bake salmon, grill flank steak or throw a pork roast in the crock pot. We always have a green veggie, too. Asparagus, broccoli (without the cheese) or green beans are great sources of fiber. . We hardly ever do bread with dinner either, just because we'd rather get our carbs from more complex sources, like sweet potatoes or butternut squash.


On the weekends, it's fair game. But if I have a donut, I eat one and walk away. If I have a piece of cake, I'll eat only half. If we eat pizza, we get thin crust with more sauce than cheese. It's really just all about balance, even when you indulge.

Also, I DO NOT DRINK DIET SODA. Diet sodas are the devil. Multiple doctors will tell you that they lead to nothing but a spare tire around your midsection. If you're going to drink a soda, have a real one! I enjoy at least one real coke most days out of the week!

So that's about it. Again, I probably don't do the same workout two times in a month (for real), so it's really about just changing it up and confusing your muscles!

Until next week...

Be blessed, lovelies-

21 comments:

  1. Your work out sounds a lot like mine. I never stick to the same routine ! & love those cheese sticks. I swear they are amazing!

    XO. Britt
    The Magnolia Pair

    :)

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  2. Great advice Leslie! My boyfriend is also a certified personal trainer and has given me an almost identical workout routine with more strength training than cardio, and intervals on the treadmill for cardio. I adore my workouts - they almost feel too easy but I've lost 15 pounds in 2 years and my body is finally at its natural weight & is toned!

    It's all about being properly educated... which is why I love that you're doing this series. Keep up the awesome motivational posts! xo

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  3. I was a gymnast for most of my life and I will never be in greater shape than when I was doing that but I feel your pain on the small asset department. Thanks for sharing this, I want to work on toning some more and these look like some very doable exercises!

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  4. So helpful!!! I love the motivation to focus more on weights, because I tend to think cardio is the only way to get lean. Thanks for the challenge and for this series... it is seriously so helpful to those of us who struggle! :)

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  5. I work out with my hubby 5-6 times a week, doing mostly weights, too. Good to hear if I keep it up I might have a body as flattering as yours! We go through Costco amounts of Greek yogurt too but have never tried the one w. Honey. Will most def be getting some the next time I'm at the store.

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  6. I need to snap out of feeling so down this 2012 (what's up with that... I think the January blues... I'm almost over it though!) and get my booty to the gym! I know I will feel 100% better.
    Your workout sounds like something I could totally do... I'm going to have to give it a go!

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  7. Thanks for sharing these tips chica! :) xoxo

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  8. Thanks for sharing your tips! Love some good inspiration for the New Year!

    Now I know I need to quit my diet coke habit!

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  9. Thanks for all the great advice and motivation.

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  10. Thanks for sharing! I'm with you, I don't drink diet sodas! I don't see how people can drink them ALL the time! Although, if I didn't discipline myself, I'd drink sweet tea all day!

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  11. Amen to the 'no diet soda'! I'd far rather have a normal soda once or twice a week and deal with the calories than put that stuff into my system!

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  12. I completely agree with the diet soda. I'm a nutritionist and tell my patients never to drink it - if you're drinking soda, it means you're not drinking water and water is a big part of the weight loss equation. Thanks for sharing!

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  13. This is a great post. I am so guilty of turning to a Diet Soda mid-afternoon.

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  14. I stopped drinking any kind of pop for two years and started drinking diet coke again about a month ago....and am now seeing bloating around my midsection. I am seriously tossing my just opened bottle of diet coke in the trash as I read this post. Great Post!!

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  15. As a long time cardio queen, I love reading about your strength training tips. It's a goal of mine to incorporate more of it into my fitness routine. Thanks for the great tips!

    XO, Dana

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  16. You mix it up and that is exactly what I need to do. I can eat the same food every day and do the same work out every day! Creature of habit I guess. I too used to be a gymnast. That was the best shape of my life!! I will never get back there but I can still be fit. I'm thinking of trying out the APY60 Yoga at some point. I just got a bunch of new exercise DVD's that I'm going to try to mix in first.

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  17. HOLD THE PHONE!!! Pom Squad!! I knew I like you girl! I was captain of my Pom Squad in HS and miss it SO much! It's all connected!

    Great advice and explaining on the different parts of your diet - I've started to grade my carbs on a "worth it" scale. It seems much more beneficial to me to have a sweet potato vs. a bit of roll/white bread etc. With a meal. So I try to stop, and think before shoveling things in my mouth lately. How will I feel after eating this, will I feel better or worse, does it add positively to my goal of feeling good and weight loss etc.

    I love that you're doing all this for your readers keep up the great work! ox

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  18. I am 40 years old, I have 4 children, and I weigh about 10 lbs. more than I did in high school. My life rules are: I run 3 miles a day, don't eat meat, don't drink alcohol and I don't drink any type of soft drinks. I do not diet, because I'm all about portion control. I only eat what is worth the calories and I stop when I am satisfied. My vices are coffee and dark chocolate (a girl has to live a little). I cook most nights for my big family, I just don't eat all of it (the meat and bread. We always have bread, I have 3 sons!) I believe it's all about a healthy lifestyle, one I'm trying to model for my kids.

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  19. These tips are great! I love hearing about other people's workout routine, it pushes me to change things up!
    Also, i love the plan white tee from the second picture, do you know where its from?

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  20. Thank you thank you thank you for saying what you did about diet soda. I've blogged MULTIPLE times about how bad it is and some girls just REFUSE to believe me when I've told them that I've had a colonic done and a doctor said NO MORE!!!

    I log everything I eat on an app on my phone. My current calorie plan consumption is around yours (like you said it depends on your height and weight)

    Great post Leslie my dear!

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