The Secret to Staying Skinny!

well, if you are reading this due to the title, i apologize.
why? it's because there is no secret to staying skinny! everyone one knows the keys to maintaining weight and losing weight. that, i am a firm believer of. many might disagree, but in my experience, most people are pretty smart and have at least a little common sense.
everyone knows to eat healthy, exercise regularly, don't eat late at night, get enough sleep, and manage stress levels. the current problem with our society is that we are lazy. no one wants to take the time to figure out how many calories they are consuming or make their own dinner instead of going through a drive thru. no one wants to have to wake up an hour earlier just to go to the gym. it's such a hassle. believe me, I know. And everyone knows that it is so much more fun to stay up late watching netflix and munching on whatever we can get our hands on than going to bed at a decent hour. not to mention the morning gut bomb after a night like that is the best! (please tell me you can taste the sarcasm in my voice...) NO! those things aren't the best! those mentalities don't make us happy! temporarily happy, maybe, but not for the long run. so, if some of you are feeling lazy, or don't quite know where to start, i will give you a list of some of the things that I try to do every day to help me maintain my weight.

- i am almost always asleep before 11pm. generally, its before then. last night i was asleep before 10pm. it was glorious.

- i drink A LOT of water. yes this can be a bit of a hassle when i have to use the restroom in the middle of class, but i do it. i try to drink a large glass right when I wake up and right before bed. another helpful tip is to drink a large glass of water right before a meal - you will eat less.

- i do my best to not eat after 7-8pm. i'm not perfect at it, but i do make a conscious effort.

- i generally exercise 5 days a week. even if I am just on an elliptical for 20 min --- i am moving and sweating.

i have discovered that for me personally, getting enough sleep and drinking enough water have the biggest influence on my body and with my weight management. it has taken me a lot of trial and error to come to this finding --- but it was worth it!
we need to tune into our bodies more, and work hard to figure out what works best for us, personally. health and fitness is not a "one-size-fits-all" sort of program. it is personalized for everyone individually. so, listen to your body, and start working hard to figure out what is best for you.
and remember --- there is no secret! it's up to you!

xo,
lil kate ♥ 

Celebrating Small Victories

hey all!
happy February! i hope you are all having a fabulous week - or at least trying to! i know i am.

so today, i just want to write a short little post that will hopefully motivate at least one of you.

yesterday, i had a small victory in my life. and when i say small, i mean it. yesterday i ran my longest consecutive distance in over 5 months. 1 mile. yep, that's it! just one mile. the best part? i ran it in 8 min 48 sec. yes, it was SLOW but i ran the entire time and it felt amazing.
now, let me give you a little background to this story. i have been having IT band problems (at least that's what i think it is) since my freshman year in college. the side of my knee cramps up and running is like trying to pull on a very stiff rubber band. it is very uncomfortable and often times if i try to run on it in the morning, it is stiff the rest of the day. it used to be more of a seasonal problem, meaning it would bother me in the colder months and not so much in the warmer months. however, this past year it never really went away. it has continuously bothered me since last winter. some days i can run longer than others, but generally a mile or less is my limit. i am sure that you are all wondering, "if it has bothered you for that long, why haven't you seen a physical therapist about it?" let me tell you why. it only bothers me when i run. so, i don't run, at least not more that 200-400m at once. if i don't run, it doesn't hurt. terrible i know. but, i have just chosen other ways to get my cardio in and my HR up. elliptical, biking, burpees, rowing, etc. so, running an entire mile pain free was a victory for me.

sometimes in the fitness world, it seems as if only the large victories matter. large victories like losing 20lbs, running a marathon, or completing an ironman. that can be hard to keep up with! i know i can't do it! heck, its a good day if i get to the gym AND eat healthy!
i'm not perfect, not by far. but, i started this blog with the intention to better myself, and maybe inspire someone along the way. with that being said, i want to be real with my readers. i don't always eat healthy, and there are weeks were i only get to the gym once or twice. but do i try? absolutely. i don't want you to feel as if you need to be a perfect eater, or a perfect exerciser to be noticed and to improve yourself. just get up and move! go for a walk, play a game of tennis, do some jumping jacks while you are waiting for your food to heat up in the microwave, for heavens sake! maybe choose grilled chicken instead of crispy chicken when you go out to eat, and ask for your dressing on the side. it is small things like those, that bring on the bigger victories.

what i am trying to get at with this post is simple. be proud of yourself for the small victories. be proud of those 1 mile runs! love who you are, and continuously strive to better yourself and those around you. sometimes we fall, but those of us with true strength are the ones who pick ourselves up and move forward, stronger people.

xoxo,
lil kate ♥

How much is your health and fitness ACTUALLY helping you?

It’s the end of the year, and for many of us the motivation to lose weight, get healthy, or become more fit from our “2013 New Year’s Resolution” has been dwindling for the past 12 months. However, its time to re-gain that motivation and find ourselves again. Find new goals for the upcoming year, and discover again why we do what we do.

Have you ever wondered how much your health and fitness ACTUALLY helps you in the long run? Everyone knows the basics when it comes to the benefits of staying physically active -- something along the lines of a healthier heart, stronger muscles/bones, and a good source of stress relief. But, have you have thought about it more in depth? At a more physiological level? Our bodies are amazing and react extremely well to exercise. Just exercising 20-30 minutes a day can increase your health dramatically. In ways that you might not be aware of yet.

The leading cause of death in the U.S. is cardiovascular disease (CVD). There are multiple risk factors that can cause CVD. Some are out of our control, while others are not. It’s the changeable risk factors that I want to discuss. There are four leading risk factors that we have control of - High Blood Pressure (Hypertension), High Cholesterol, Smoking, and Physical inactivity. The number of Americans that are at risk for CVD because of these changeable risk factors are alarming.

10% of Americans are at risk for CVD because of high blood pressure.

10% are at risk because of high cholesterol.

18% are at risk because of smoking.

A whopping 58% of Americans are at risk because of physical inactivity.

Over half of our population are putting themselves at risk simply because sitting at home is easier than getting out and being active! However, by being physically active, you are not only eliminating that off of the changeable risk factors list, but you are essentially eliminating all four risk factors. Exercise reduces high blood pressure, it decreases your cholesterol, and helps individuals quit smoking.

Some other factors that you are preventing by simply being physically active are as follows:

reducing stress, reducing risk/ helping with osteoarthritis, helping increase your metabolism, reducing your risk of osteoporosis, helping maintain insulin/glucose levels, and helping with hormone regulation. Those are only a few of the many positive things that being physically active does for you. Not everyone exercises for the same reason, but I am sure that within this list at least some of you, if not most of you, can find a reason that drives you to walk into the gym every day.

Back To School!

well, hey.... I'm back AGAIN.
long time no write! its been a crazy little while for me, but i am excited to update the blog a bit :)

i have officially begun my junior year at Utah state! looking back at it now it doesn't seem like a very long journey, but when i am in the moment....it feels like ages. i am super excited for this semester though, because my classes are BOMB. i am taking exercise physiology, human physiology, mental aspects of sports performance, family finance and advanced jazz technique (dance). they are all so awesome, and are going to be so helpful to me and my future career.  i used to think that i could get by being a good trainer without having a degree...well now my view has changed. i am not saying that trainers that don't have degrees aren't great at what they do, i am simply saying that i myself am such a better trainer with the schooling that i already have under my belt. i think differently as a trainer and i assess people differently. i know that by having this degree i will be able to better help my future clients. it is a great feeling ☺

for the first time ever, i think i might like school!



here are a few of the interesting books that i have for my classes! time to buckle down!

 

 

also since moving back to logan i have been SO lazy with my eating! i have been eating fairly well (minus the double stuff oreos...) haha but i just haven't really been in the mood to cook. however.... i was in the mood, ONCE. and this i what i made!

 

 

it was a fairly simple dish, and extremely filling!

here is what it is...if you cant already tell ;)

- 1 sautéed zucchini topped with salt and pepper (to taste)

- one cob of corn (is that how you would say it?? haha) with a little bit of butter, salt and pepper.

- one piece of grilled chicken with a little BBQ sauce.

 

 

like i said, i haven't been in the mood to cook but i have been doing my best to eat healthy! on the first day of school the roommates wanted to go out to breakfast together to start the day off right. we decided on a cute little diner called "Herms". its pretty popular in logan and it is known for its super large pancakes! however, since this was going to be my pre workout fuel - i didn't think a pancake would be the best idea. so instead, i just ordered two sides.

 

 

 

as you can see, i ordered a side of cottage cheese and a side of fruit! the fruit was super fresh, and the cottage cheese was really filling. it was the perfect way to fuel me through my GPP workout and for the first day of classes.



 

now finally, my workouts! i have been diligently following the daily workouts at GPP. i have said this a million times before, and i will say it a million times again. GPP LOOKS GOOD ON! GPP works! it is the best programming out there, and it works. i will swear by it time and time again.

 

 

here is my proof. without GPP there is no way i would look the way i do today. thank you GPP!

 

i do wish i could be storming the workouts back in Centerville with my GPPeeps, but the field house and Gold's gym will just have to do for now!

 

i apologize for the random post, but i hope you enjoyed!

push yourself to work harder in the gym this week and fight off those food temptations!

 

xoxo,

lil kate ❤



Fit Missionaries

wow, let me tell you something! the last day and a half has been a pretty exciting time for me. thanks to my good friend Rachel Hudson i got quite a few emails from people wanting my workout book! people from all over the country! i am so excited to be able to share my knowledge with missionaries everywhere!

this is such an exciting time for missionaries and i am so glad that i can be apart of it, even though i, myself am not going on a mission. amazing things are about to happen with this book, and my editor should be getting back to me this week with the book - ready to be sent out to a list of publishers. i get giddy just thinking about it!

i am so grateful and excited to be able to provide these one of a kind workout books for people other than just my wardies. ;) however, since i am currently making them by myself it might take me a little longer to get out to people. so, if you are interested in a book just be patient with me. i am getting them made as quickly as i am able and will also ship them as quickly as i am able.

also, i have created a separate email account specifically for people wanting my book. if you decide you have to have one (which you do :)) you can reach me through this email: fitmissionaries@gmail.com

thank you to everyone for the support!

xoxo,
lil kate 

My Pride and Joy

yeah, yeah, yeah --- i know i haven't blogged in like, hmmm 2 months? but, i am not going to apologize for it! i have been busy and truly not in the mood to blog. but, today i sat down at the computer and was ready to blog again. so, i hope you are all ready to read again!

this summer has gone by wayyy too fast so far. i am loving both of my jobs so much! i am currently working at the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement for the second year, and i am now on the bike team there. it is so great! i basically just get to bike around salt lake city all day, everyday! jealous yet? i am also still working at GPP (my love, and my life) as a trainer and at the front desk. i am truly so happy!

this is a typical day at the mosquito abatement. top left picture is a route, top middle my badge, and bottom left is my bike.

i get a little alone time at the gym every once in awhile in between jobs. nothing like a little workout before training other people. seriously love my job!

i have also been doing lots of hiking this summer! last weekend i got to go to moab with my bike team friends and my bestie, whitty kitty. :) we had so much fun! 

this is me and whitty kitty at the top of our hike in moab. it was so much fun!

andrew and i have also been hiking and exploring this summer. this is at the top of the mountain above our houses. it was such an incredible view!

now, for the real excitement of my summer! not that any of the things that i have blogged about already wasn't exciting, but this next thing has truly been my pride and joy this summer.

it all started when my best friend Ali, left on her mission. she requested that i make her a small workout book to take with her on her mission. trainer kate immediately came out and i was up for the challenge!

 this is ali and i on her last night. so sad to see her leave, but so proud of her at the same time!

anyways, i put together a small book for her. it had about 31 workouts in it and i knew she would be religious with her daily workouts.

this is what the first draft of the book looked like, and it is also the one that i gave ali.

well, after i put this picture on facebook and instagram i got multiple requests from other people, also wanting the missionary workouts. i was shocked at how many people wanted it! so, inspired by my boss, ali and her mom anne i decided that i was going to attempt to get it published through deseret book!

many hours of improved programming, picture taking, and putting together an improved version of the book i sent it off last week to get edited before being sent into the publishers!

this was during the editing process. lots and lots of work! but, with fitness being my passion, it was work that i was more that happy to take part in. i also decided to put small quotes/scriptures about health and fitness at the bottom of every page to try and help motivate the missionaries to workout every day.

after being sent to an editor, a few ladies in my home ward wanted a copy to send to their girls on their missions. i was a little flustered at the idea, simply because i am not tech savvy in the least bit. which is a large reason as to why i want to get it published-- so that i don't have to do the pictures or layout of the book. but, anyways -- i put together a book and gave it to them. it isn't perfect, but it is a start. :)

and well, here it is! i decided to rename it "without strength, you have none to give" because i think it is so catchy! it is a quote that my inspiring boss Neil Anderson came up with. (wish i could take the credit with that one, but i can't!)

the quote is just so self explanatory and seemed to fit the purpose of my workout book completely. i am so excited for what is to come with this book. i hope that one day soon, missionaries across the world will be more motivated to use their 30min of workout time to obtain optimal health and fitness, and be able to maximize their time as missionaries.

what have you been up to this summer?

xoxo, 

lil kate <3 

Healthy Sells

hey all! sorry its been so long since i last wrote. it has been a crazy couple of weeks getting ready for finals. the library has literally owned me. haha

anyways, for my english 2010 class we had to write a persuasive paper for our final paper. my paper seemed to be applicable towards the blog, so i have decided that for this post i would share my paper. :)

i hope you all enjoy - be warned, it is a little long!

Healthy Sells

Audience: Federal Government

            The modeling industry has grown significantly throughout the years, with more fashion companies and magazines making their marks on the world. However, that isn’t the case with their models.  Over the past twenty years models have been shrinking - not in height, but in weight. Models are still the tall and very desirous women that they have always been, but they no longer look “normal”. They look thinner than ever, and modeling companies are lustful for even skinnier models. Twenty years ago, models only weighed eight percent less than the average woman, but now they weigh twenty-three percent less than the average woman (Media Influence). The modeling standard has been raised significantly over the years, and it is not only affecting the models. The extremely skinny model aura is unhealthy for the models, women nationwide, and has exhibited many misconceptions to the public, because of the excessive amount of photo shop that is being added to the pictures to make the models look even skinnier than they actually are.   

            I believe it is clear that there is a problem with the models of our society being too skinny.  Our models have to strive to live up to a standard that is completely unreasonable and very unhealthy.  For example, model Kim Noorda, was just fifteen years old when she began modeling. When it was time for her first catwalk show she weighed only 110 pounds at a height of 5’10” (Odell). It is obvious to anyone that at that height and weight Kim was suffering from extreme anorexia. However, it was something that she deemed necessary in order to fit in the tiny sized dresses that were provided backstage. Kim Noorda shares her story herself:

“I was fifteen when I started, and by the time I was eighteen I did my first catwalk shows. I struggled to prevent gaining weight, whereas already I was considered to be a “heavy” model compared with the others. My agent told me I was beautiful as I was, but I had to make sure that I would not gain more. She encouraged me to lose at least some of my weight. I was ashamed that I had to diet. At home I was thinner than everybody else, but compared with other models, I was heavier” (Odell).

It is a very sad story when beautiful and skinny girls are being told that they need to lose weight.  It is causing them not only physical damage, but emotional damage as well.   Once Kim was able to get help with her anorexia, her nutritionist suggested that she gain one pound a week.  Kim didn’t like this idea at all.  Her nutritionist ensured her that no one would even be able to tell that she had gained weight, and Kim replied with, “People in the fashion industry see every gram of fat” (Odell).  The immense amount of pressure that was put on Kim by her agent and her company is sad.  We don’t want our women to believe that they aren’t beautiful exactly how they are.

            The fashion industry’s models are affecting girls as young as ten or eleven years old.  Many girls firmly believe that society is telling them that they need to be super skinny and very sexy. Studies have shown that only eighteen percent of grade-school aged girls reject that “model body image.” It is interesting to note, that girls in this percentage had much higher self esteem than the girls that did accept and strive for the so called model body image. Over 70% of young girls think they need to strive for an image that they will never truly be happy with. Many girls even refuse to participate in any sports because they are afraid that they will bulk up and that it isn’t “girly girl” enough (Hellmich).  They go to extreme measures such as skipping multiple meals to try to unnecessarily lose a few pounds.  Why is this phenomenon hitting younger girls so badly? It is because modeling companies often hire girls as young as ten years old to strut the runways in their high fashioned line of clothing. Modeling companies prefer younger girls because they have yet to develop their womanly curves, which makes them seem even thinner.  Kelly Cutrone, owner of People’s Revolution states that, "Clothes look better on thin people. The fabric hangs better" (Hellmich). Is this something that we as a country want to promote? Do we want young girls to think that it is necessary to be anorexic in order to model? No. We want to teach them to love themselves and how to love their bodies.  We want them to understand what healthy looks like and how to become the healthiest person that they can be. I believe that movie star actress Jennifer Lawrence says it best, “I knew that if I was going to be naked in front of the world [in 'X-Men: First Class'], I wanted to look like a woman and not a prepubescent 13-year-old boy. I'm so sick of people thinking that's what [women are] supposed to look like” (Peiffer).

Modeling companies such as Vogue have recognized this problem and are setting up certain guidelines to help end anorexic modeling in the industry.  They are not only trying to end anorexia, but they have agreed also that they will not hire models under the age of sixteen. They have admitted to unknowingly hiring girls as young as fourteen years old, and they are putting an end to it by requiring their models to have their I.D.’s checked before photo shoots. Sara Ziff, head of The Model Alliance states that the age restriction is important for other reasons too. "The use of under aged models is linked to financial exploitation, eating disorders, interrupted schooling, and contributes to models' overall lack of empowerment in the workplace," she said. "We simply believe that fourteen is too young to be working in this very grown-up industry, and we're glad that Condé Nast International is making this commitment. In addition to agreeing not knowingly work with models under sixteen or with eating disorders, the Vogue pact says the magazines will help "structure mentoring programs" for younger models and raise awareness of the problem of model health. The magazines said they would encourage healthy working conditions backstage and encourage designers "to consider the consequences of unrealistically small sample sizes of their clothing, which limits the range of women who can be photographed in their clothes, and encourages the use of extremely thin models" (USAToday).  Since Vogue has such an influence in the fashion industry, I believe they are acting as a frontrunner for these much needed changes. I believe that because Vogue has acknowledged these issues and have shown an effort to fix these issues within their company, other modeling companies will strive for the same goals.

In our world of constant media bombardment, women of all ages are being influenced by the images they see in the magazines. Whether it is purchasing a magazine at the airport while waiting for a flight or standing in line at the grocery store, women of all ages are exposed to the work of modeling companies across the country.  When older women see these skinny and even anorexic models they think, “I will never look like that.” “Does my husband want me to look like that?” The teenage girls think, “I want that to be me.” “I want to look like that.”  Women at all ages of the spectrum have a moment of worthlessness, a moment of not being good enough, not being skinny enough, and not being pretty enough. Sadly, I have been subject to this mentality as well.  I don’t believe that any woman is immune to this feeling.  I even sometimes feel the need to go on a diet simply because I don’t look like the girls in the magazines. "The promotion of the thin, sexy ideal in our culture has created a situation where the majority of girls and women don't like their bodies," says body-image researcher Sarah Murnen, professor of psychology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. "And body dissatisfaction can lead girls to participate in very unhealthy behaviors to try to control weight” (Hellmich). Is this the standard that we want to set for our society?  Do we want women to feel as if they need to be anorexic in order to be skinny?  Women are striving for a figure that isn’t healthy or realistic. This being said, I believe that it is important that we as a country strive to promote a different ideal to the fashion and modeling industry.  I am very aware of the fact that “skinny sells”, but I believe that so does healthy.  I don’t think that we need to promote anorexic models for the magazines or the clothing within the magazines to sell.

The saddest part about all of this is that although many of the models are already anorexic, the modeling companies think that they need to use excessive amounts of photo shop to make these women look even smaller than they are currently. I find this to be outrageous. Companies are already using skeletal women in their magazines; I find no need for them to further photo shop any about these models.  This is creating a false sense of body image to everyone who sees these photos.  Models begin to compare themselves with other models. Teenage girls begin to compare themselves with other teenage girls as well as models.  The list can go on and on. Women are comparing themselves to an image that is unattainable.  They are becoming unhealthy and unhappy because of an unreachable and unrealistic image that has been set for them to strive for.  It is an issue that has gone on far too long without being addressed.  There needs to be a plan to fix this problem.  We need to band together to not only help protect our models, but to protect the general public as well. As Americans we need to strive to set up our citizens for a healthy and happy life.

I believe that the only way to fix having anorexic models is to set a law that all modeling agencies must follow. The law will state that there must be a dietician on hands at every agency. I believe that the dieticians will need to check up on the models frequently and to set a minimal weight that each individual model can be, depending on their height and body build. Before each shoot, the models would need to be weighed and measured to ensure that they haven’t gotten below their baseline requirements.  If they have fallen below their requirements, then they are out of a photo shoot.  I am aware that this may seem rather harsh, but I firmly believe that unless the consequences are extreme, the problem will not be fixed. I believe that a law is necessary for this to be enforced within all the modeling companies across the nation.  Without a law, certain modeling companies will think that they are the exception and will not ensure that all of their models are healthy and promoting a healthy lifestyle to millions across the country. This law will not only benefit the models but women nationwide.  By stopping the problem where it is originating (within the modeling agencies) it will only be a matter of time until the unhealthy model image is being rejected on college campuses, in high schools, junior high schools, and even elementary schools.  I am not saying that it will stop anorexia completely, or that women will never be self conscious about their body images ever again.  I am saying that this will help.  I am also saying that by having the government establish laws that promote healthy models, they will be encouraging the rest of society to be healthy as well. Show Americans that you care. Yes, skinny does sell, but so does healthy. 

have an amazing day and i will post again once i am done with finals!

xoxo, 

lil kate ♥