Adventures In Bodybuilding & Weightlifting Intro!

My husband started in this in late fall. There is so much more to this than you would think. Life is hectic enough as it is & he throws this in the mix. So I have searched for blog detailing life in this area. I have found nothing. He goes to the trainer 2x a week (who by the way is a cool guy & I hope awesomeness comes there way this year! Big Things Happening!) then he has to do his cardio too. Nutrition is ANOTHER job. You dont realize how unhealthy you cook & what you eat is until you have to scrutinize it.

Let's just say grocery shopping has completely changed & it is more expensive to cook this way too, but it is healthier. I think this is more beneficial for my kids in the long run. I am committed to trying to give my kids healthy eating habits. I don't care if they have sweets, drink sodas, or "eat like a kid" from time to time. You have to prepare your kids in so many different ways & I think that this is a great place to start!

Here are a few tips for eating/cooking healthier to start out.(I am still learning & will share information as I learn too!)

1. Nothing fried-AT ALL
2. Fruits a few servings a day & a great way to get your requirements is through smoothies(I will post a recipe for this)
3. Veggies-Buy local & frozen if possible. Boil or lightly steam. Try not to have any "sauces" on it. A little salt/pepper or Mrs. Dash is ok.
4. Dairy-reduced fat (lite or dark blue top) watch your intake here, especially if you use milk in your smoothies. String cheese, yogurt, or cottage cheese are a good snack.
5. Carbs- Are really tricky! I try to do potato's 1x a day of some kind. (Baked, sweet, or whole) Research your carbs bc everybody is different.
6. Pasta-Whole wheat, add veggies to your sauce, lean meat is a good protein source(turkey or the leanest hamburger meat, chicken too) Stay away from white sauces, I know they taste better but you can reduce your calorie intake & fill up with a red sauce.
7. Protein-Chicken, steak, or turkey-leanest cuts grilled, baked or broiled. Pork is very fattening so watch it!
8. Drinks-Water if you can always, carbonated drinks(Sprite or ginger ale), teas (green, hot, sweet w/real sugar no substitutes)
9. Bread-Whole wheat, Hawaiian rolls in moderation, no white bread of any kind!
10. Snacks- This is hard because your snacks have to hold you over until meal time but not have a ton of calories & fuel your muscles. I like string cheese, handful of nuts, homemade salsa, fruit of choice, a protein shake, popcorn, or veggies in a fat free dip.
11. Desserts- I think everything in moderation.  Once a week I make my husband sugar cookies or brownies. That's it. He gets no other sweets period. Holidays are an exception. The kids can have as many cookies as they want. At this point I do not have ice cream or any frozen desserts on period.

I hope this helps you if you need a place to start for getting heatlhier & losing weight or gaining muscle. I will have blogs to follow on this one because it is a learning experience.

If you are local I would like to encourage you to visit Olympus Gym, they have personal trainers on hand for you to USE! Tanning beds, sauna, childcare, group exercise & less than $15 a month with 2 locations in the Boro!