Fitness Friday: Overcoming Holiday Weight Gain

Everyone hates the weight gain that the holidays typically bring. It's almost inevitable - there are so many gingerbread men and candy canes, and you just have to try one of every flavor...right?

This year, let's overcome holiday weight gain together. Below are five tips that I think will really help you keep off those extra pounds this holiday season!

1. Plan Your Workouts

....and STICK TO IT. 

I know, it's hard. But you can do it. If you put together your fitness schedule at the beginning of the week, you are more likely to actually get your butt off the couch and into the gym because it's now a part of your schedule. If you just say, "Well, I'll go when I feel like it"....trust me, you will NEVER feel like it. So do yourself a favor and plan ahead. 

2. Bake Vegan

Eating vegan is naturally a lot healthier for you, since that means no eggs or dairy will be in your cookies. That doesn't mean you can still eat five cookies, but it will definitely help keep your weight in check. Plus, if you've never baked vegan before, this gives you a chance to experiment! 

3. Use Alternative Sweeteners

Just make sure you use NATURAL sweeteners, like Stevia or Monk Fruit. Both are zero calories and are much better alternatives to sugar or Splenda! I also like to carry around a little squirt bottle of liquid Stevia in my purse. It's handy, and if you want zero calorie sweetened coffee, it does the trick.

4. Set A Limit

Decide how many cookies or scoops of macaroni and cheese you will allow yourself BEFORE you get to the party. That way, you already know your limit and will be less likely to overload on the crappy {yet delicious} food. Then, load up on the healthier options available - like fruit!

5. Plan Your Meals

Decide what you will eat when you aren't at a Christmas party, and then go grocery shopping so you have your supplies. The more prepared you are, the less likely you will be to stray from your plans. Make sure you plan healthy and light meals (like salads, or seared tuna steaks!) so you aren't already weighed down when you get to the party.

Hopefully those tips will help you fight the urge to overeat this holiday season!

What tips do you have?

What fitness printables would you like me to design?

Giveaway Winners & Good News!

Time to announce the winners for the last two giveaways! 

Winner of two FREE product coupons for Coconut Bliss Ice Cream: GRETCHEN

Winner of a six pack of Mary Jane's brownies: FITFUNKYLIFE (by the way, I totally agree - pb&j/smores brownies would be delish!)

Congrats! Please email me with your contact info ASAP so I can get your prizes out to you!

I weighed myself on Tuesday, a day over halfway through my 30 days to 130lbs. challenge. The result? I lost 5.2 pounds! I weigh 144.4lbs. now - before weighing 149.6lbs. Pretty good for a week, right? I hope to continue down this path and plan on sticking to my 1,200 calorie diet with daily exercise. I continue to focus on my shoulders and arms when doing weights. I can't wait to weigh myself on Monday and see where I am at! 

The best part of this whole thing? Seeing results. Seeing the cuts in my thighs, the sculpting in my shoulders and biceps, the lines on my abs becoming more visible. I love that I always feel light when I eat lean, clean, and green! Even with 1,200 calories a day, I always feel full at the end of the day. I really don't need any more food than that. 

I also made my vision board! A vision board is basically an inspiration board - something that keeps you working out and eating healthfully when you start to slack off. I framed it and I can't wait to hang it up. I'm going to make another similar one and fill it with different workouts from Pinterest instead, so I can get some quick new workout ideas when I need it. 

I also enjoy reading on my Kindle when at the gym. I finished a book today! It's crazy how much I can read in one workout and how fast time flies by. 

Question: What are your favorite songs to work out to? 

Much love, 

GIVEAWAY: Mary Jane's Brownies

Have you entered to win two FREE product coupons from Coconut Bliss? Enter before 11:59 PM EST tonight!

And while you're at it, join the Things I'm Lovin' link up!

Today, I want to talk brownies. 

But before I talk brownies, a little update on my weight loss journey. Today was supposed to be my halfway weigh in, but because I spent the night at my boyfriend's last night, I didn't have a scale. So the weigh in will have to wait until tomorrow morning :(

On the bright side, I have been feeling a lot lighter. A lot happier. Healthier, too. And I definitely think I have lost weight! How much, I'm not sure, but I feel good about it. I have been trying really hard to avoid sweet things, for the most part - I tossed my entire chocolate and sweet stash, which has helped a lot. As my Tone It Up community would say, I have been trying really hard to eat lean, clean, and green! 

It's also been nice noticing my weight training progress. I've been doing weights with Jillian Michaels DVDs for a while, but now I'm starting to see some sculpting in my arms. One of my new focuses is to tone and build muscle in my shoulders - I think muscular shoulders look so awesome! I can also see lines on my abs, and I'm starting to get those... what are they called? These: 

My lines look nothing like those, by the way. But if I continue to lose fat and build muscle, I think I'm on the way to getting more defined oblique lines. Yay!

Since joining LA Fitness on Wednesday, a gym near my house, I've been able to get a lot more cardio in than normal. The cardio in Jillian Michaels DVDs only do so much. I run/walk around my neighborhood sometimes, but I like the treadmill at the gym because I can track my progress. My typical gym routine has been 20 min. on the treadmill, 30 min. on the elliptical, and 10 min. on the bike. Recently, I started exploring the arm machines, where I found the "delta fly" machine and fell in love with it. It works my shoulders in the exact area I want to work them! Love. 

My question for you today: What are your favorite shoulder and tricep workouts?

Overall, I feel good about where I am at the halfway point in my 30 days to 130 lbs. I guess we'll see tomorrow how much progress I've really made!

Now, on to my second topic: brownies. Obviously, not a diet food, but delicious nonetheless. 

Who doesn't love brownies? Only people who don't love chocolate. I can only think of two people I know who do not like chocolate, and they are crazy. (Just kidding!)

A week or two ago, I met a lovely woman named Renee. She came to Clifton, where my internship is, to drop off some of her delicious brownies for me to review. Her company, the Mary Jane Brownie Company, is still very new. The idea for the company was conceived around five years ago, but the company itself is newly launched. The company was named after her mother. They are based out of Cincinnati, OH - gotta love the locals!

Each brownie is individually wrapped in a certified biodegradable, compostable wrap. They will stay fresh for up to 5 days without refrigeration. Crazy, right?

They currently offer six flavors: Pure Cocoa, Twisted Peanut Butter, Super Funk Chocolate Chunk, Wowie Coconut Almond Crunch, Urban Bourbon Caramel Pecan, and Caramel Sea Salt Gold. Lucky me - I got to try them all!

Of course, they were all delicious. Mary Jane knows how to make an extremely fudgey and rich brownie - I love them! I was told that the Caramel Sea Salt Gold was the most popular, and for good reason. The caramel was smooth and yummy, a perfect compliment to the rich chocolate. Personal favorites were the Wowie Coconut Almond Crunch - it reminded me of an almond joy bar or girl scout's samoas cookies - and the Twisted Peanut Butter, which tasted like peanut butter fudge with chocolate. The Urban Bourbon Caramel Pecan screamed bourbon when it hit your tastebuds - in a good way! 

Is your mouth watering yet? Do you want to try these delicious brownies? Just leave a comment below telling me what your dream brownie flavor would be. Leave a separate comment for each extra entry: 

1. Follow me on Blogger or GFC. 

2. Tweet about this giveaway and tag @cityxlights13. Also include a link to the giveaway.

One lucky winner will win a box of brownies, mailed right to their house! US residents only, please. No P.O. boxes. GIVEAWAY ENDS WEDNESDAY 7/25 AT 11:59 PM EST.

Good luck! 

Much love, 

Weight Loss Tips

Hello friends! :)

First, I would like to thank Blogger for adding a "reply" button to all of your comments! Now I can directly reply to each of your comments - wonderful! And I will try my best to do just that!

Today, I'm going to give you all some tips on losing weight. I am currently attempting to do this myself, and reading the book Reshaping It All by Candace Cameron Bure has been helping me a lot.

Remember her? She was DJ Tanner on Full House!

I love this book because she is so down to earth and I am able to connect with what she is talking about. She gives helpful tips for changing your mindset and remaining strong so that you can just say no to that piece of chocolate cake that is staring you in the face. You don't need it!

I have also been working on building up my relationship with God. He and I seem to go back and forth between really close and just sort of acquaintances, and I know that I need to change that. This book has been helping guide me spiritually as well. Even if you aren't spiritual or religious, this book is still great for helping with weight loss.

So, here we go. I'm going to share with you some things I have learned with the help of this book! Not everything comes from this book, but a lot does, so enjoy my tips and then purchase the book for yourself!

1. Are YOU Satisfied?
I have a huge problem for mindless eating, or eating in general. I have realized that I live to eat, when it should be the other way around. I need to eat to live. Because I am in such a love relationship with food, I tend to eat whatever is put in front of me, and ALL of it. I can't resist. I can't say no!

Candace suggests asking yourself the question "Am I satisfied?" before eating anything. Not full, just satisfied. If you are eating just because you can, don't eat any more. If you are truly hungry, then go ahead and eat, but if you have had just enough to satisfy your belly then save the rest of your  meal for later. Try eating only half of your meal at a time, and asking yourself this question when you reach that halfway point. If the answer is yes, get that to-go box and box up your leftovers. Don't keep eating once the food is in the take out box! I have a huge tendency for doing that. Asking myself this question has really been helping me to eat significantly less these past few days.

2. Establish a specific goal
Sure, anyone can have the goal "I want to lose weight." That's great. But how much weight do you want to lose? And in what time frame? What will you specifically be doing to achieve this goal? How often will you work out and at what times? What lifestyle changes do you need to make? Answer these questions for yourself in a journal.

Be very specific about what your goal is. The more specific, the better. Without being specific, you will not be motivated and you will not reach your goal. It is that simple. Knowing exactly what you need to do to get to where you're going is key. And don't be afraid to take your time! Candace uses this example: Think of losing 52 pounds in a year. That might seem like a lot, but it's really only one pound a week! That's it! If you break your main goal down into smaller goals, it will not seem quite as daunting and you will be more likely to stick with it. 


"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14


For spiritual guidance, I recommend checking on Philippians 3. That entire chapter is about denying the flesh, which just happens to be my next tip!


3. Deny your flesh
Your spirit is where your strength lies. If we listen to our body/flesh, we will always lose the battle. For example, today I really wanted a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. However, I knew a few things: 1) I would regret eating that bagel with cream cheese 2) That contains a lot of calories 3) I would overdo it and put too much cream cheese on my bagel 4) It's not healthy for me to eat and 5) I already ate an apple and was not hungry. 


Therefore, I knew I did not need this. I fought my flesh, told myself that I would not be stopping at the cafeteria to get that bagel, and kept walking back to my dorm room. I denied my flesh and did not cave in to my cravings. And you know what? I feel great about it! I feel much happier knowing I'm pressing on towards  my goal! 


4. Stick to your plan
Sounds easy, right? But we all know it's not! How often have you set out, with a goal of losing weight or eating more healthfully, and then given in because you just had to have that piece of cheesecake or just had to taste one of every cookie your mom made? 

The point is, we will all be faced with obstacles. Our goal is to defeat those obstacles and stay on track. If you fall of the bandwagon, just hop right back on. None of this "Oh, I gave in, I guess I'm not gonna try to lose weight anymore. I'll just sit here and stuff my face with Doritos." No. None of that. If you stick with your plan, you will be rewarded! It just takes patience and lot of willpower. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it!


"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:11


5. Watch skinny people
You heard me! You are probably wondering what the heck I am talking about. If you want to learn something about portion control, you should watch skinny people eat. What you'll find is that most of them eat only just enough to sustain them. They don't overeat. They don't go back for seconds. They don't pile food onto their plate. They are skinny because they don't over indulge. In fact, they probably ask themselves, "Am I satisfied?"


I highly recommend just people watching for a while when you eat with friends. I actually had started doing this before I read Reshaping It All, and it couldn't be more true! Honestly. I have noticed most of my thin friends will usually not eat everything on their plate, and they tend to eat pretty healthfully. I'm not saying that they starve themselves or are anorexic; that's not the case. They eat what they need to satisfied and nothing more. Honestly, it has made me extremely self-conscious about my eating habits, because I'll look at the amount of food on their plate and compare it to mine (especially when I go back for seconds!). This has been helping me to cut back on the amount of food I eat. 


6. Develop your self-discipline
You need 3 things to develop a good sense of self-discipline: Focus, Repetition, and Action. Without these 3 things, you probably will not stay on track with your fitness and diet plan! 


You gotta focus on what your ultimate goal is and following through on your plan. Then, you must repeat your choices. Consistently choose to pass on that bag of chips or choose a salad instead of a burger. Consistently keep up with your workout plan. Even though it may be tough, it will all be worth the results in the end. You won't get a toned belly if you don't repeat the ab exercises, right? 


Finally, you must consistently choose to take action on your goal. You won't get there by just sitting around and wishing you were thin. Do something about it. 


Well, that's all for right now! As I mentioned earlier, not all of that is from the book, but it's a good glimpse into what I've been reading lately. I highly recommend purchasing this book for yourself! You'll be inspired. 

What do you do to accomplish a goal?
Much love,

Veganism for Weight Loss

I have just discovered the website Vegan Mainstream, and after reading this article on Vegan Uncensored, I feel the need to comment. Mostly because I completely agree.

My senior year in high school I was a vegetarian for 9 months, with the goal to lose weight (which didn't really happen, because I ate crappy foods). After nine months, I ate some lamb at P.F. Changs and decided to go back to eating meat.

The summer before my sophomore year in college, I decided to return to being vegetarian. After three months, I started out on my vegan journey with the goal to lose weight, which is really why I started reading the book Skinny Bitch. Initially all was well, and I did lose a few pounds, but I also dropped vegan/vegetarian entirely after a month. It wasn't until I really started to absorb what I had read that I decided to convert to being vegan for good.

After that month, I went back to being vegan, where I have been now for about 5 months. I love it! I feel so much healthier, even though I do still eat a lot of sweets and carbohydrates, which I am now working on getting under control. I have recently discovered raw foods; the idea is still new and a little weird to me, so I plan to explore it and see how it goes. I would love to eventually be 80% raw and 20% cooked all the time...but with my passion for sweets, the cooked aspect might be a tad higher :)

Either way, the reason I've now stayed a vegan is because I have discovered all the horrible ways animals are treated in slaughterhouses, the transportation to slaugherhouses, on dairy farms, and in many other places. It is really sad. And really, you need to ask yourself: would you eat your cat or dog? Why is eating a cow any different? They are also sweet animals who are caring... and you can tell that just by visiting a farm. Go visit some farm animals and you'll see what I mean.

Still, my primary reasons are now health, animal rights, environment, and THEN losing weight.  The vegan diet is not just about looking good, even though, that will naturally happen when you eat more fruits and vegetables (clearer skin, ladies!). You start noticing how fried foods and junk food effect your body, which allows you to naturally eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Vegan is a great thing, and don't let anyone try to tell you otherwise or bring you down.