elizabethannfit

Currently, there is a lot going on this world. Things that we can not control. Ontop of that, there are a lot of personal hardships you may experience such as; break-ups, losing your job, losing a loved one, dealing with depression and anxiety.

It becomes a challenge during these hard times to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I have struggled vastly over the last few months. My life has had several changes but I have tried to put my best foot forward to avoid being set back from my personal goals.

I find that making healthy desicions such as what to what goes on your plate and how mcuh you exercise, can be the one thing that keeps you sane.

We have very little control over the world around us, but the one thing you can control is yourself.

My best advice?

Stay active every day. Whether its doing a workout you found on YouTube, going for a walk/run or creating your own program, get MOVING.

As for your diet, this is typically the most difficult thing. You do not want to restrict yourself to the point where you binge, but you also do not want to go overboard and end up feeling poorly about yourself.

I listen to my body. I still track all my food as much as possible, as this allows me to control something in my life. I will enjoy myself here and there but I DO NOT just eat to eat. Eat with purpose. This way you can actually enjoy yourself. You also have to get creative. I buy a TON of frozen veggies to add to all my meals so I am getting the proper micronutrients but also because its cheap and adds volume to my food.

Remember everyone has a unique journey. Do not compare what you are doing to anyone else. You need to put your needs and goals first, nobody elses.

Hello✨

I know recently there has been a huge wave of interest in the ketogenic diet. Now you can find keto recipes everywhere you turn.

I wanted to explain my personal experience with the diet and give you some background information on what the diet really is. I will also explain in my opinion, If I think it’s effective.

What is the ketogenic diet?

• There are all kinds of Keto diets out there. Some people follow more of a strict Keto diet where others are more flexible. A moderate Keto diet is considered 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrates.

How does the ketogenic diet work?

• The aim of the Keto diet is to get your body into the state of Ketosis. Our bodies burn carbohydrates for energy however when on the Keto diet, since you’re restricting the amount of carbs you’re taking in, the body breaks down stored fat. This creates ketones which are used as fuel.

My Experience

I followed a moderate ketogenic diet for 9 weeks about a 1.5 years ago. This was around the time the Keto diet was becoming more popular, but there wasn’t a whole lot of recipes and information about it. Prior to the diet, I was eating fairly high carb and moderate fats. So in other words, it would be quite an adjument.

Once I began the diet, I didn’t notice any immediate changes. It was a struggle for me to eat because I’m not a meat eater and I prefer non-diary, which both are high fat foods. I found myself eating less (caloric deficit) ultimately leading to me losing weight. That is something I think most people don’t grasp. Fat has 9 calories per gram, so it’s more calorie dense compared to your carbs and protein (4 calories per gram). I was getting fuller faster because of how majority of my diet consisted of fats. I was strictly losing weight because of a deficit, not because of the ketogenic diet.

I found that I wasn’t craving carbs as much as I use to, however it was a daily struggle to find food and different things to eat. If you are a picky eater sometimes (like me) you’re going to find this diet difficult. It’s was not worth having to go out and not being able to have a glass of wine or bread or enjoy pizza night with my boyfriend.

Ultimately, I think the ketogenic diet is not worth it. Why? Because it’s not maintainable. I lost 10lbs…WOOOHOO! But jk not that exciting because I gained it all back after returning to my normal diet. In order to maintain a ketogenic diet you have to plan ahead 24/7, track everything you eat, not drink, order everything “special” and if you want a “cheat day” which is not even a healthy mentality to have, you have to avoid binging and feeling sick.

So in conclusion…

If you’re looking to lose weight. Eat in a calorie deficit. Make healthy choices but enjoy your food!!!! And exercise!!!! BE HEALTHY AND HAPPY!!!! ❤️✨

Hope this helps y’all understand the ketogenic diet and if you’re going to give it a try, good luck!

Elizabeth Ann

Background of Counting Macronutrients 

Macronutrients are what makes up the calorie content in food. The three kinds of macronutrients are fats, protein, and carbohydrates. The reason why counting your macronutrients are important is because it displays the total amount of calories you consume in a day, and shows you where your calories are coming from. If you are looking to lose or gain weight, tracking your macronutrients will help you reach your goal. As you all are busy individuals, this concept will help you manage both your time and weight.

In order to begin tracking your macronutrients, you first need to know the calorie breakdown of the macronutrients:

• CARBS: 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
• FAT: 1 gram of fat = 9 calories
• PROTEIN: 1 gram of protein = 4 calories

So, to further explain the numbers above, a food item with 24 grams of carbs, 8 g of fat and 8 g of protein, would have approximately 208 calories. The equation to determine that will appear like the following:

• CARBS: 24 g x 4 calories = 104 calories
• FAT: 8 g x 9 calories = 72 calories
• PROTEIN: 8 g x 4 calories = 32 calories

          104 + 72 + 32 = 208 total calories 

Tools to Track your Macronutrients

Several tools are available to help track your daily calories, including your macronutrients. One of the most popular tools is MyFitnessPal. This application allows you to scan in foods or search them, in order to determine the calorie breakdown. In addition, this application provides you with percentages to your daily macronutrients. If your goal is to maintain accurate tracking, I highly recommend this application.

Why Should I Track My Macronutrients?

There are several ways you can benefit from tracking your macronutrients. If any of these benefits seem to be an appropriate fit for you, then maybe you should consider tracking your macronutrients. 

 Help with Maintenance: One of the first benefits is tracking your macronutrients will help you adhere to your diet. Tracking your macronutrients will allow you to still enjoy yourself without over-restricting. If you’re going out for dinner you can go for that slice of pizza or a few pieces of chocolate without ruining your nutrition for the day.

Become More Educated: Tracking your macronutrients will provide you with more education on nutrition. You will become aware of how many calories you are consuming, what your macronutrients consist of, and what the calorie breakdown is of most foods. It can be a struggle to determine what a healthier choice is but after comfortably tracking your macronutrients, you will no longer find yourself struggling. 

Save Your Money $$$: After starting to track your macronutrients, you will never consider trying a fad diet or diet product again. Tracking your macronutrients fits perfectly into your lifestyle and is free! Fad diets and products can become very expensive and typically do not show results. By tracking your macronutrients you will see results fast and you will be doing it without hopping onto some expensive diet. 

I encourage you to give tracking your macronutrients a try. You will be able to enjoy your life without restricting yourself. I look forward to hearing your results and on how this blog post helped you!

Get Tracking!

Elizabeth 

Hello ✨

I created this blog to help inspire others to lead a healthy lifestyle & to share my story.

I did not always make the healthiest choices. In fact at one point, I would have considered myself very unhealthy. It was not just about what I was putting in my body, but it was about my relationship with what I was eating. I would shame myself for eating a piece of pizza, or a chocalate chip cookie. I would be so shameful about it that it would lead me to making me feel I had to restrict myself for the rest of the day. Then to top it off, I would feel like I had to associate the amount of calories, I ate with how many I need to burn. So if I ate that slice of pizza for dinner that was 250 calories, I would need to hit the elliptical after to burn that many calories off.

Looking back, my mindset was completely wrong. I was living in fear and I wasn’t eating for enjoyment, instead I was eating with no purpose, leading to a vicious cycle of binge eating and shaming myself.

My education and experiences have shaped me to become a better person today. After 4 years of vigorous courses, I have learned all about the body and exercise and even nutrition. I now do not eat in fear. I do not regret what I eat. I eat with purpose & I exercise because I enjoy it. I do not make it a chore and force myself to burn off my dinner.

The more you enjoy your food and exercise with purpose, the easier time you will have to maintain a healthier lifestyle. So, I am challenging you to stop putting yourself down and making yourself feel guilty. I encourage yourself to improve your relationship with food!

Elizabeth Ann