Sugar Detox Day One! and Increase Sex-Drive with Diet!

Today it begins...

My NO SUGAR detox...

 

All I am doing is cutting out all artificial sugars and sweeteners. Because of course you can't get rid of sugars that come naturally in allot of our foods I will not be attempting to get rid of these kinds of sugars. Plus you do need sugar for your daily functioning. Although many people believe that organic sugars can replace refined sugar it is still a good idea to watch your organic sugars as well (Organic Sugar vs White Sugar).

 

 

So, today is only the first day but I can already feel a change. Normally I would start my day off with a glass of juice and throughout the day have some candy, maybe a Popsicle or even an iced coffee. But today I have only had water, and egg with ham and toast, and pasta with meatballs (homemade by muah!). So no sugar...and I have a HEADACHE! what is this! I was really not expecting it to have an impact on the first day.

I did not think my body had become that accustomed to sugars in my body! Lets see how the rest of the week goes. I will be going to by some fruit tomorrow for some sweet tastes!

 

 

 

I also read some interesting article today about apples and had to share.

 

Ever wonder why your sex drive has gotten kinda low all of a sudden? Man I know I have wondered that before!!

 

This is a simple version of the news article I read but it says that eating better can be an aid in boosting your sex drive!!!

SheKnows.com: Eating for Better Sex!

 

If you are having trouble getting in the "mood" you may need to increase your lean protein intake. Not so much eating more steaks and things but more like nuts or natural peanut butters. If you are having trouble getting aroused you may need to increase your choline levels. Legumes, Eggs and whole grains are good helpers in increasing Legumes. If you are just anxious about sex or can't complete and orgasm maybe you need to increase your GABA. GABA is a brain chemical that helps calm you down. Eating whole grains and high fiber foods can increase your GABA levels and help you maintain every day brain chemicals!

 

 

Other "Sex-Boosting" foods include:

Apples

Nuts

Avocados

and

FISH!

Who knew just changing or adding certain foods to your diet can help you increase sex drive!

All of these tips can help you maintain a better life style anyways. By maintaining the chemical balances in your brain you can avoid anxieties, depressions and other mental illness that may inhibit your daily life.

 

 

NO MORE SUGAR!

Dieting.....

No one likes to do it...No one wants to do it...

Is there alternatives!? Well not really...

Which honestly is extremely upsetting. Very very upsetting actually. If there was a way you could lose weight and not have stop eating pizza and hamburgers I would do it in an instant! But unfortunately it cant happen.

Now my biggest issue is SUGAR!!! I have the worlds biggest sweet tooth. Some may even say that I am addicted a sugar. I don't like saying that, but I will admit I do struggle with avoiding it.... =(

Most of the men in my family have Diabetes and that shocked me in to fear of getting it myself. As I have seemed to inherit every issue from my mom and my dad I was especially worried about this one.

I love my sugar and so it would be horrible to suffer from a problem relating to my sugar intake! 
 
So starting this weekend!! I am going to try everything to avoid artificial sugars....Like:
Candy,
Coffee,
Soda,
Energy Drinks,
and any other snack or treat that has a high volume of sugar in it.


Like today I bought all fruit juice Popsicles. Yes, that is what I said Popsicles. Now I know I am 22 years old but I absolutely love Popsicles. I am so much a child at heart, thus the sugar addiction! 

Also more fruit!!! Fruit FRUIT FRUIT! Seriously!! That is the best way for me to avoid fake sugars and bad sugars!! Especially through smoothies or even frozen! Yes I eat frozen fruits! if you freeze blue berries or raspberries they make really good cool snacks for the summer. (especially when you live in a hot place like I do!)

 

So here is my goal:

• NO SUGAR FOR 3 WEEKS!
• Fresh Fruit is allowed and
• ONE Cheat per week!!
• Keep up the working out!

Then! I found a website with a list of healthy sweets!!! I didn't have a clue that some of these where healthy!!

I am not always a chocolate person but when I am...I do dark. I love some of these ideas like the frozen fruits and yogurts, and dark chocolate treats! Take a look you might find something you may enjoy or endulge in!

Here is a few great websites with a list of tips on how to weed out sugar from you diet!! I am using tips from all of these websites in order to keep my mind going!! I will be keeping you all up to date as well here on a journal style blog.

SkinnyMS: NO Sugar Challenge

Refinery29: Sugar Detox

The Fit Housewife

 

Nike Training Club Review 1!

Okay, My final verdict is

[Disclaimer: This was my only attempt, more to come]

 

 

 

I loved the App, I really did. It did a great job explaining all the work outs and encouraging. As far as results go. I didn't see any. I was able to increase my running amount and speed but I didn't really see a difference anywhere else.

 

 

I will be doing another program again this week. But I was very disappointed with my own personal results. I did not lose any wieght and did not see a difference that is why I haven't posted any before and after photos, so sad. But I will be trying the get lean program starting tommorrow!

 

 

 

 

So therefore this workout program is not yet approved for my body type! Might be better for some of you out there =)

 

Overall a great App.



NTC...Am I done yet?!

      Today I began week 3 of 4 of my Nike training club program. Let me tell ya!... It's been a rough three weeks!! As I mentioned in my previous post I created an intermediate, get toned, with running work out program. This has been some intense training. They start you off running 5 miles and just goes up from there. So if you can't run farther than 3 miles or longer than 45 min I would not recommend adding the running until you get the that point.

      This week I just figured out how to modify a work out. Due to my carpal tunnel I struggle with push-ups and froggers etc. So when you review a workout you can "edit" it. I place "edit" in quotations because you really only can edit one or two individual workouts per workout.

Although I am having a rough time with this work out it is definitely worth it. It may not look like you are working hard but man do you sweat! You cannot skip runs or workouts or it will yell at you!
You can also set the app to remind you to do a specific workout on a specific day.

 

Now... I woke up this morning with a cyst on my wrist making it even harder to do the 45 Min advanced yoga workout. So I have been modifying the times and it makes it way harder! So if you have problems with wrists I wouldn't recommend this program to you.

Overall one of the best Apps I have used to date.

Nike Training Club

          On Sunday I, Andrea, will be completing week 2 of the Nike Training Club. A free app that allows you to create and customize a workout plan. I have chosen to do an intermediate, toning work out plan that also implements running. So far I have done some really intense yoga, some crazy HIIT workouts and have ran 5 miles! Next week we're going 6! The Nike Training Club app is fantastic. As you work out you earn your Nike+ fit points, if you follow those like me! (yet still don't quite get what their all about yet). 

         Nike Training Club features all women but is ideal for men as well! There is no Gender specifics to this app! BELIEVE ME! 

          The only thing I am struggling with on this app is that some of the customization moves are almost the same. For example: I have carpal tunnel syndrome that causes me to struggle with plank like workouts and anything that puts lots of strain on my wrists. Alot of the workouts have these kinds of work outs that I struggle with. I personally push through them but I am constantly trying to find a good hard modified movement for the workout. 

& 

           If you don't have a consistent week that doesn't allow you to run 5 miles or to have a 45 min workout every few days you may have difficulty. My training plan changes every week and can range from 15 min yoga videos to 45 min HIIT training. So prepare your week accordingly. 

          What I love about this program is that you can set alarms and reminders to get you to work out! You also earn other workouts and there is a huge library of great workouts with different time frames! 

Definitely a good runner up after Befit 90! 

I will keep you all up to date on how its going in a few days! 

BeFit90 Day Challenge

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I just completed the Befit 90 Day challenge! 

         This challenge was probably one of the best challenges I have done, ever. It consisted FREE YouTube video playlist, one for every day, for 90 days. Each video playlist consisted of 4 videos; a warm up (5 min), 2 workouts (10 min each) and a cool down/stretch (10 min). 

         Each month consists of about 4 or 5 different workouts and 2 different cool down/stretches. The first month starts you out with great strength and cardio workouts, including MMA and yoga. Month 2 begins more cardio advanced yoga and MMA. The third month gets even crazier. 

         The third month is all plyos! Which is amazing. That is when all the magic happened.
        The Befit90 Challenged really pushed me. Usually I struggle with finding a video that truly pushes me past my wall and wants me to meet a goal. The Befit trainers are awesome encouraging and fun to watch. They are true people and you can actually tell they are working, which I find very entertaining. Sometimes they even fall!! *giggle*. 
        The Befit90 Program allows you two rest days a week in which a training tip is included on those rest days. Tips include water choices, when to exercise and how to exercise help you stay motivated and keep you going towards your goal. 

By making sure I was eating better and keeping on track with this workout I really began to see and feel the results. I'll admit I didn't eat as well as I had hoped. But I began drinking smoothies in the morning with some spinach or kale for added greens in my diet, eating carrots and celery for snacks and adding in more healthy proteins. By doing so I helped my body reach milestones. May not have been major milestones but you gotta celebrate ever little step you take when working towards weight loss and toning. 


I totally forgot to measure at the beginning of this workout but I did some pictures and to me a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Beginning of challenge: 178 lb                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                End of challenge: 168 lb

I definitely feel a major major difference in my strength and body. You may not be able to tell from my pictures but I know I have changed. There is less muffin top, less gut and no creases. I am finally beginning to love my body more than ever. My pants are even loosening up! I love it. 

If you have any questions about Befit please feel free to comment below or follow me on facebook or twitter to ask questions! 

Next challenge! Nike Training Club (NTC). 

Remember, love your body and stay motivated through the bloating and the groaning! Make every min count! 

Update/Late Mothers Day Post

Oh My goodness its been a while. 
Surprisingly I have been able to keep up my hard work while maintaining a busy busy schedule that includes, school, work and football. I think I even went on vacation since the last time I posted! 

On my vacation I was able to keep my motivation going and working out because of my Amazing Mother. My mom moved to Arizona around the same time I moved to the Tri-Cities. So we've been apart for about a year. In that year my mom has been able to achieve her goal of running 10 miles almost every day. She is hoping to run a half marathon here sometime this summer. Not only is she reaching health goals but she is very close to graduating with her doctorate degree in education. I am so proud of her! She is my true inspiration to keep on going no matter what it is. On our trip we were still able to work out almost every day. Including, climbing this lovely rock in the picture to the right. She taught me some great things about staying motivated and calm. I often find myself worrying if I can't get a work out in or if I can't get my work done. She helped me understand how to control it and to be calm. She also taught me some healthy eating tips, like smoothie ideas and dinner replacements. I will be sharing those with you as we go. 
Thanks mom for EVERYTHING you have EVER done for me my WHOLE life. I LOVE YOU! 

If you wanna see and read abut my adventures in Arizona please see my photography blog at andreabphoto.blogspot.com. 


Since I've been gone I have reached level three of my 90 day BeFit challenge! This last month is full of Dynamic growth and Plyo-metric workouts. This Befit challenge is amazing! I would seriously recommend it! I feel great and definitely feel more toned and healthy! The trainer tips on your rest days are truly helpful as well. So if you do it, make sure to watch them! Just in this last month so far I've lost 3 pounds! 
Which puts me at 168 lb. I have officially lost 10 pounds since I began working out every day. 

Next workout challenge will be the Nike trainer workouts! 

Here is a little daily Motivation for you: 

I love and adore anything Dr. Seuss. I grew up on him, thanks to my beautiful mother. This morning when doing my daily motivational quote I found this one. I love the rhyme but also love the message.