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How Working Out Helped Me

When I first started working out, I was lost and didn’t know where to start. I’ve always been active since I was young. I’ve been playing basketball since I was seven years old and I played soccer for a couple of years. A while back, I reached my highest weight and decided that I needed to start going to the gym and losing weight. I had absolutely no clue where to start but I just went for it. I researched fitness, nutrition, and exercising to help me get started, but I still wasn’t sure if I was ready. I started going to the gym a couple times a week and as the weeks went by I started going every day. I kept researching things that I wasn’t familiar with. I watched YouTube videos to see how to do specific exercises. I also started asking people at the gym what I should do and how to do it. I had a complementary personal training session at my gym which helped as well. Now, the gym is my second home. I go to the gym six times a week for about an hour and a half each day. 

Working out has helped me in so many ways. Not only have I seen changes in my body physically, but I have seen so many other changes. I’m still nowhere near my goals but I’m still working towards them every day. I’m not going to lie, this journey has definitely been really tough. It has not been easy by any means, but I always think back to why I started in the first place and I just keep pushing myself. Every day when I’m on my way to the gym I get so excited. Working out just makes me so happy. All the energy that I gain from working out makes me walk out the door with a smile on my face. Whenever I’m having a tough day or I’m a bit stressed out, I go workout. Working out helps reduce stress. When I start working out, I get in a zone where I don’t think about anything but my goals and why I want this so bad. When I’m studying and I need a break, I go to the gym. Every time I do that, I’m able to regroup myself and focus much better. 

Working out has been a part of my life for a couple of years now and it will continue to be a part of my life. I will continue to work as hard as I can to achieve my goals and get to where I want to be. 

- Natalie Hamadeh 

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How to Make Motivation Stick

Sometimes motivation can come and go, but it’s important to remember why you started in the first place. You need to remember your long-term goals and make motivation stick. How can you make motivation stick when you don’t want to workout? Here are 5 tips to make motivation stick:

1. Find a reason why - Why are you going to the gym every day? Why are you working out? What is your motivation behind that? I workout every single day to bring joy to my life. Working out makes me so happy and it makes me have a better day. I feel good inside and out when I go to the gym. You also need to have a long-term goal. What do you want your life to be like when you’re older? My goal is to live a long, healthy, prosperous life. Short term goals are good too. They’re not bad by any means, however, long-term goals are more effective. Find a reason why and it will keep you motivated. 

2. Find your inspiration - Who motivates you to be better? live better? Who motivates you to go to the gym? Is it a friend? Do you workout with a friend? My inspiration is my grandma. She struggles with some health issues and has to take medication every day. She always tells me to stay fit and eat healthy so that I don’t go through what she’s going through. She inspires me to go to the gym and be healthy. Find your inspiration. Put your inspiration as your wallpaper on your phone because then you’ll see your motivation and inspiration every day. 

3. Create a plan - When I have a plan and schedule, I know that I’ll be able to stick to it and I’m much more likely to do it. It gives me something to look forward to. Create a workout schedule. Create a plan and stick to it. It will help motivate you to get you to the gym and it will help you want to go to the gym. 

4. Just do it - After a long day at work and sitting in traffic, all you want to do is stay home. You have classes all day and just want to rest. I know those exact feelings, but you have to just do it. Take the emotions out of it. Life can be hard sometimes and it can be a challenge. Sometimes by the end of the day you don’t want to workout but just do it. Throw all your emotions and negative feelings out the window and go to the gym. You will feel much better. 

5. Reward yourself - You’ve worked hard. You’ve killed it. You’ve lost weight. You’ve gained muscle. Go buy yourself a nice little gift or a cheat meal. Reward yourself for the amazing progress that you have made. 

- Natalie Hamadeh 

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My Current Workout Routine

When it comes to working out, some people have no idea where to start. They know nothing about what types of exercises to do or how to create a workout routine. Here is a brief overview of my current workout routine that could help you get started:

Before every workout, I like to do 40 minutes of cardio. I also like to end my workouts with some ab exercises. 

Monday - Bicep Day (Cardio = Basketball)

1. Barbell curls 21s, lower half to parallel (7), parallel to upper half (7), then full curl (7) (3 sets, 21 reps)

2. Single-arm bicep curl on cable (3 sets, 15 reps)

3. Parallel rope bicep curl, eye height (3 sets, 15 reps)

4. Pull ups or plank chin up on smith machine (4 sets, 10-12 reps)

Tuesday - Chest and Tricep Day (Cardio = Treadmill)

Chest - 1. Single-arm cable crossover (3 sets, 10 reps)

2. Decline bench press (4 sets, 8 reps)

3. Incline bench press (4 sets, 8 reps)

4. Bench press (4 sets, 8 reps)

Tricep - 1. Overhead cable tricep extension (4 sets, 12 reps)

2. Horizontal cable tricep extensions (4 sets, 10 reps)

3. Bent over tricep extensions (4 sets, 10 reps)

4. Tricep pull down with bar extension (4 sets, 12 reps)

Wednesday - Back Day (Cardio = Elliptical)

1. Behind the head lat pull-down (4 sets, 12 reps)

2. Underhand close-grip pull-down (4 sets, 12 reps)

3. Seated wide grip lat complex (3 sets, 8 reps)

4. Single cable side lat pull-down with attachment (3 sets, 10 reps)

5. Single cable front lat pull-down with attachment (3 sets, 10 reps)

Thursday - Leg Day (Cardio = stair master)

1. Leg kickbacks on smith machine (4 sets, 10 reps)

2. Smith machine curtsy lunges (3 sets, 10 reps)

3. Smith machine close stance squats (4 sets, 10 reps)

4. Sumo squats (4 sets, 8 reps)

5. Split squats (3 sets, 10 reps each leg)

6. Standing cable hamstring curls (3 sets, 10 reps)

Friday - Shoulder Day (Cardio = Basketball)

1. Leaning dumbbell lateral raise (4 sets, 10 reps)

2. Underhand front raise (4 sets, 10 reps)

3. Bent over cable rear delt pull (4 sets, 10 reps)

4. Side lateral raise to front, back to side and down (3 sets, 8 reps)

Saturday - Full Body Workout (Cardio = Treadmill)

1. 10 straight leg deadlift to sumo squat

2. 20 single-leg bench jumps

3. 10 cable bicep curls

4. 10 cable front raises 

5. 10 cable underhand row

6. 10 cable front lat pulldown

7. 15 bench in-n-out

8. 10 standing tricep dumbbell press

This workout routine fits my needs/goals, however, it might not fit yours. This is just an example of my current workout routine that you could use to help you get started. There are many resources out there that you could use to help you create your own workout routine. If you are not familiar with the names, you could always search them on the internet or watch instructional videos on YouTube :)

- Natalie Hamadeh  

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Meal Prep Ideas

In my previous blog posts, I’ve mentioned that I usually do my meal prep on Sunday for Monday through Wednesday. Then on Wednesday, I do my meal prep again for Thursday through Saturday. Some people have no idea where to start or what to cook for their meal prep, so here is a brief overview of my meal prep:

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday:

Breakfast - Egg Muffins (Egg white, mushroom, onion, spinach and some olive oil)

Snack - Baked Chickpeas (I get canned chickpeas. I drain them and add spices such paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder and then place them in the oven.)

Lunch - Edamame spaghetti with lean ground turkey meatballs (For the turkey meatballs, I add spices such as dried oregano, basil, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. For the sauce, I just use store-bought marinara sauce.)

Snack - Baked sweet potato chips (Cut sweet potato into thin slices, add whatever spices you like, add some olive oil and place them in the oven.)

Dinner - Honey mustard baked chicken with quinoa and boiled broccoli (For the chicken, I use Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, honey, salt, pepper, paprika, dash of lemon, and olive oil.)

Lastly, at the end of the day, I usually like to drink green tea before I head to bed.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday:

Breakfast - Protein pancakes (Chocolate protein powder, egg whites, and banana)

Snack - Rx Bar (My favorite protein bar at the moment. I love the coconut chocolate flavor.)

Lunch - Tuna salad (I like to keep it really simple. I add olive oil, lemon, onions, cumin, salt and pepper. On the side, I have one piece of toast.)

Snack - Halo Top Ice Cream (The best ice cream that actually has protein in it!! Favorite flavors are candy bar and cinnamon roll.)

Dinner - Boca vegan burgers (I replace the bread with lettuce. It’s a good substitute if you’re trying to lower your carbs. I usually keep it simple by adding tomatoes, onions, pickles and top it off with ketchup and mustard.)

I don’t like eating the same thing every week, so I try my best to make different meals and add variety to it so that I don’t get bored. Sometimes if I have no idea what to make or want to try something new, I go on YouTube and find “meal prep idea” videos or I just look up recipes on Pinterest. There are so many options that you could choose from! :) 

- Natalie Hamadeh 

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5 Steps for a Successful Meal Prep Day

With my busy schedule, I can’t find the time to cook anymore. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about meal prep, how easy it is, and how much time you save from having to cook every day. The first time I tried meal prepping, I thought, “Oh, this should be easy.” Well I was wrong. I was in the kitchen for like five hours. It’s not so easy when you don’t have everything planned out ahead of time. Here are five steps to having a successful meal prep day:

1. Plan your day ahead of time - Choose a day that you could use to meal prep. People usually meal prep all their meals on Sunday. Personally, I like to split it up because sometimes food goes bad. I meal prep on Sunday and then I meal prep again on Wednesday. 

2. Figure out your numbers ahead of time - You shouldn’t meal prep until you know exactly how many meals you’ll be having and what those meals are made of. Figure out how many meals you will be prepping for the week and then also outline your daily macros with specific meal guidelines to make sure that you are fulfilling your needs. 

3. Stick with easy food items - It’s great to include variety within your meals, however, it might keep you in the kitchen for hours. For a quick and easy meal prep, stick with basic food items. You want to focus on choosing easy-to-cook food. For example, a quick meal could consist of chicken breast, quinoa, and broccoli. There are so many options out there that you could choose from. 

4. Go grocery shopping - This is an obvious step. Once you have figured out how many meals you will be prepping and how much food you need, make a grocery list and head to the grocery store. It probably won’t be a good idea to use remnants in your fridge and pantry because you’ll most likely run out of food. 

5. Invest in a cooler - This is the best investment for meal prepping. You don’t want to be holding a hundred things in your hand while going to work because let’s face it you’ll probably end up dropping something. Buying a cooler was the best purchase I’ve ever made. When I have class or work, I just put everything in the cooler and I’m out the door. Their controlled temperature helps protect the food and it just makes everything easier. 

- Natalie Hamadeh 

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Beginners Guide to Getting Fit

1. Track your progress - It’s very important to be familiar with the current status of your physique. In order to track your progress, you could go to the gym and pay a personal trainer to tell you about your current physique or you could buy a body analyzer scale. To track my progress, I recently purchased a body fat scale off Amazon and so far, I love it! It gives you everything you need, such as your weight, body fat, water percentage, muscle mass, kcal, etc., to track your progress to achieve your goals. 

2. Take progress photos - Sometimes it might be painful to take pictures of yourself, but it’s a great idea to track your progress. Take a progress photo from the front, back, and side and then check it every four weeks. Take a new photo and compare it to the old photo. Then you’ll be able to see where progress is being made and maybe where it’s not. Personally, I take pictures just to see my progress and see what I can work on more. 

3. Set a goal - If you have a goal, you’ll more than likely work towards the goal. If you don’t, then you’ll be asking yourself why am I working out. I prefer small to medium sized goals. For instance, you might set a goal to increase muscle mass by burning fat or maybe to lose five pounds in one month. Set a goal and work towards that goal. Write it down somewhere or put it as a reminder on your phone. Don’t forget that goal and work towards your goal. 

4. Planning ahead - If you’re working all day or going to school and have a busy schedule, you’re not going to have time to cook. Instead you’ll probably go and eat something unhealthy. You could plan ahead by meal prepping. Meal prepping is great for me because I work and go to school full-time. Most of the time, I need something on-the-go. By planning ahead, you’ll not only save money but you will also be prepared and you’ll be eating clean. Planning ahead is an easy way to make sure you’re on track to your fitness goals. Just take one or two days a week to meal prep and you’ll be on your way to achieving your goals. 

5. Count your macronutrients - To go along with prepping your meals, you also need to be counting your macronutrients. Like I’ve mentioned in a previous post, macros are protein, carbs, and fat. That’s all the stuff in food that you’re taking in and you need to be calculating them because they are very important. To count my macros, I use an app called MyFitnessPal. 

6. Create a workout plan - There are so many resources on the internet that you could utilize. Sit down and make a workout plan. For instance, Monday do legs, Tuesday do shoulders, Wednesday do chest, etc. From there, you can go online and find workouts for all those muscle groups. When you create a plan, you will stick to that plan. Once you have a plan set up, schedule in your workout.  

- Natalie Hamadeh

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http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/12-meal-prep-ideas-arent-sad-chicken-and-rice

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Should I Meal Prep?

Sometimes I ask myself, is meal prep worth it? Should I meal prep? So many questions pop up in my head when it comes to meal prep, and I’m sure a lot of people ask these questions too. When I first started on my fitness journey, I never really thought about meal prepping. I would see a lot of fitness people do it but I never really put too much thought into it. I didn’t feel like taking the time to do all the stuff that goes into meal prepping, such as making a grocery list, figuring out how much food I need, and then taking a couple of hours to cook the food and place them in containers. Personally, I like to take the time during the day to cook up something fresh and eat it right away. I used to have the time to cook throughout the day, but now with school, work, and other things, it’s been hard to have the time to cook something healthy. When you have a busy schedule, all you want is something on the go; something quick and easy that doesn’t take much time. 

Meal prepping sounds and looks easy, but if you don’t know how to do it then it can be a little tough. I’ve actually tried it once before, but it didn’t really go well. I just gave up and never really tried doing meal prep again. Recently, with my busy schedule, I thought to myself why not give meal prepping another chance. I don’t have that much time on my plate anymore, and I need to make sure that I continue to eat healthy so that I can achieve my goal and continue to lose weight. In order to do that, I thought the best way was to start meal prepping again. This time, I decided to do a little research and watched a couple videos on YouTube to learn how to meal prep the right way. I tried it for the first time again and it wasn’t too bad. It took me quite some time but it was a learning process. After that, I started doing it more often and I got used to it. Now, it’s an easy process for me. I take a couple of hours on Sunday to do my meal prep for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Then, on Wednesday, I take a couple of hours to do my meal prep for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. 

So, is meal prep worth it? I say yes! Once you learn how to do it, it’s an easy process. It will save you time and you will be able to eat healthy all while continuing to achieve your goals. 

- Natalie Hamadeh 

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Macronutrients: Protein, Carbohydrats, and Fats

Protein is essential to our body because they are the building blocks of our cells and muscles. There are so many benefits of including protein in your diet. One of the benefits of eating protein is it will improve your metabolism. It also aids in fat burning and improving muscle recovery. Consuming protein also supports your body’s cells and tissues, healing wounds and cuts as well as builds and repairs muscle. Since I am trying to lose weight, I’ve done a lot of research regarding how much protein I should be consuming. Using MyFitnessPal, I have started counting my calories as well as track my macronutrients. I’ve learned a great deal on how essential protein is to our body and there are so many sources of protein out there. Some good sources or protein include chicken, ground beef, steak, salmon, tuna, tilapia, lean ground turkey, eggs, tofu, lentils, beans, nuts, Greek yogurt, edamame, quinoa, whey protein, peanut butter, and much more. 

Carbohydrates is essential to our body because it is needed to make glucose, which is our body’s main source of energy. Carbohydrates can be found in many foods such as fruits, vegetables, pasta, and bread. However, do not get mixed up between “good” and “bad” carbohydrates. The “good” carbohydrates come from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The “bad” or refined carbohydrates come from white bread, cookies, and cakes, all the processed carbohydrates. Some good sources of carbohydrates include sweet potato, chickpeas, brown rice, oatmeal or oats, whole wheat bread, quinoa, blueberries, banana, and broccoli. 

Fat is vital to our body because it is also a source of energy, which helps us function. Additionally, they are essential to support the functioning of our cells, growth development, and to absorb nutrients. Another reason why we need dietary fats is because our bodies need them so they can produce necessary hormones. Some people think that fat is not good for our body, however, just like carbohydrates, there is a difference between “good” or natural fats and “bad” fats. “Bad” fats, saturated and trans fat, come from foods like lard, palm oil, canola oil, butter, sour cream, ice cream, fried foods, baked goods, etc. “Good” fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, are the natural fats, which you should eat in moderation. Some good sources of fat include vegetable oils, avocado, dark chocolate, and nuts. 

Be careful what you put into your body. Do some research and figure out which foods are good and bad for you.

- Natalie Hamadeh 

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Nutrition or Exercise: Which is more important?

Here’s the thing, some people think that if they exercise and eat poorly, they’ll lose weight and/or stay healthy. However, that is not the case, eating poorly and going to the gym five to six times a week will not help you lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle. In order to live a healthy lifestyle, you need to follow a healthy eating habit and a consistent exercise routine. You need to think about what you are putting into your body because quite frankly it is very vital to your health. Losing weight or wanting to live a healthy lifestyle does not only include exercising, it also includes eating healthy. Nutrition should be your number one priority and exercise should be your second. As they say, and I’ve heard this about a million times by now, weight loss is usually 75 percent diet and 25 percent exercise. Whether you train really hard or have the perfect training routine, it’s all useless if you are not putting the right nutrition into your body. You have to fill your body with macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat); your body needs a lot of them. Macronutrients provide your body with energy, and they are very important to take into consideration when starting to adapt to a healthy eating lifestyle. Although eating healthy or dieting without exercise will help you lose weight, adding exercise will also aid in helping you lose weight, maybe at a slower pace, but it will also increase health benefits such as reducing stress, lowering your cholesterol and risk of diseases as well as improving the quality of your sleep. Like I mentioned above, dieting alone without exercising will help you lose weight but only a portion of your weight loss will be from fat; you will be stripping away muscle. However, if you add exercise to your diet, you will be burning mostly fat. Lastly, to answer the question of whether nutrition or exercise is more important, my answer is nutrition and exercise are both equally important. You need to balance eating healthy and exercising to achieve the best results when trying to lose weight or wanting to live a healthier lifestyle. What you eat is crucial to your well-being and it matters more than how you burn it off, but fitness is also essential to get past your plateaus as well as help you achieve your ultimate goals. 

- Natalie Hamadeh 

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