Eat Like a Fitness Expert to Achieve YOUR Best Body

I recently posted this motivation on my Stay Healthy Instagram and Facebook:

My Goal is to be my BEST ME, Fit Over 50

" I do take the time to read your feedback and comments left on motivation that I post and excited that you are striving to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Showing images of those who are dedicated to fitness to include myself are to encourage and inspire. I have also read feedback of a negative vain and I want to address that. I am going to get very personal with you and you can read more about me in my Blog if you choose. I am over 50, a fitness professional and freelance writer that works extremely long hours. My day does not end when I step out of my studio. I look the way I do because of the lifestyle I walk daily. I do not spend hours in the gym and in fact limit my workouts to one hour 5 days a week. I indulge on treats on occasion and eat incredible tasting healthy food. I am a woman of God and my faith helps me with inner strength and getting through each day. I am passionate about helping people get healthy and would love to hug everyone making this choice. I believe life is a gift and I am not here to be anyone else or look like anyone else. I am also not here to shame others for not looking like a fitness model. My goal is always to be my best me each day and in that I may fail but pick up and keep trying. My image is to show that it is not too late, no circumstance too hard, and even injury so severe to not be able to do something. You are working on being your best you and to use articles and images as inspiration or motivation. Getting angry and discouraged because you are not personally making the choices to change your body does nothing but fuel resentment and may even cause you to walk away from trying. I pray that your thoughts and feelings would be changed for the positive and your focus to become a better you starts with today. Fitness is a journey and we are all works in progress reaching for our best and never perfection. Embrace the now, love who you are now and start working on better tomorrow's. But today is what we have and narrowing that down more, this moment is the concern. What you are thinking, doing and how you are acting right now...is it creating a better, healthier you? Have a blessed Sunday and Stay Healthy!"

The responses to this post were incredible, touching, inspiring and some definitely put a knot in my throat. I am a woman of my word and answering the call to several requests of what I eat on a weekly basis and my workout routine. I will be begin with nutrition because I have found this to be the biggest struggle for people throughout my years of teaching health and fitness. 

I like to teach nutrition simply and focus on health.  There is nothing secret or costly about how to eat to obtain a fit body and too much complication has been placed on this topic.  It really is frustrating that so many suffer with food fears due to untruths floating around the media, in commercials and even TV shows. Getting back to the basics, taking a deep breathe, and releasing the stress surrounding food is the first item of business.  Once food is looked upon as our friend and not the enemy and cause of making us fat, can we embrace all the good things that food does for our body.

I am glad that I motivate and inspire you, but please understand that in this share, you are learning how to eat for your best body.  We are all works in progress, and I am far from perfect, but what I do is apply the best principles of healthy nutrition and fitness each day. That does not mean I am free from indulgence once in awhile.  If any fitness professional tells you indulgence never occurs that is a bold face lie and I will answer to that statement.  I have been in the fitness industry over 30 years and have had my share of burgers, fries, pizza and brownies.  I live a life of moderation and use a 90/10 percent eating strategy and sometimes 80/20 depending on the situation.  Eating healthy is also about balance and allowing for the occasional treat meal.

Moving on to what I eat typically during my work week.  I am a walk the talk trainer and adhere to what I teach my clients.  Results come when consistent healthy food intake and exercise are happening.  I eat a wide variety of healthy food from good carbohydrates, lean proteins, healthy fats and lots of water.  I can be a creature of habit and find myself eating the same meals everyday, except for dinner which is typically changed each night.  I believe in cooking at home being in control of what I put in my face and body.  I eat simply, never count calories, and if I am hungry I have gone too long without eating.  I space my meals every 2 1/2 to 3 hours and that works for me.  I use my palm as a guide for portion size and keep measuring cups handy for wet ingredients.

My typical daily nutritional intake looks like this:

Meal 1: Ozery Bakery Morning round with Coffee 

Meal 1: Option 2, Powered Up Oats with Coffee

1/2 cup steel cut oats
1/4 sliced banana
handful blueberries
handful walnuts









Meal 2: Open face peppered turkey and hummus

I enjoy this with a green smoothie
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
large handful of power greens
(chard, kale, spinach), blend in water

Alpine Valley Organic Bread toasted
smear with organic hummus
top with peppered turkey











Meal 3: Sliced fruit with flax meal and yogurt

1 large nectarine or fruit of choice
I also like to use 1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup ground flax meal
1/2 cup Fage plain Greek yogurt
I like to top with a handful of raw unsalted mixed nuts
Stir and eat




Meal 3: Option 2, boiled eggs with sweet potatoes

1 full organic egg, 1 egg white mixed with mustard, sprinkle with paprika if desired
1/2 large sweet potato, cooked and cut in wedges

I like to dip my sweet potato in organic ketchup ... call me weird, but I have always been a ketchup kinda girl 





Meal 4: Grilled salmon and roasted veggies

Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and red bell peppers drizzled in olive oil, and tossed with basil pesto and minced garlic. Roast in open pan at 450 for 30 to 35 minutes

season and grill salmon outdoors for 25 minutes






Other Meal 4 Options I enjoy:

Roasted Veggies and Egg

Healthy Grilled Pizza

Brussels and Baked Stuffed Pork

I enjoy a small snack before bed and that really varies between my mood.  I enjoy hummus or peanut butter on toast or if I have baked a healthy treat, I will have that.

For more meal ideas from my kitchen, visit my recipe page and also see my Sports Nutrition site on the About.com network.  I hope this information is helpful and provides a great foundation to simple and healthy meal ideas.

Enjoy my latest article on the About network ,"Natural Body Building: Eating for Goals" and guest written by Frank Gigante, Natural Competitive Bodybuilder and Lifestyle Coach.



Thanks for stopping by my Blog and I look forward to your comments. Subscribe below to never miss a free update!

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Darla Leal, Fit Over 50!

Stay Healthy!

Darla

LOSE 12 POUNDS IN 6 WEEKS

Losing 12 pounds is not only a realistic goal, but can be done before summer begins.  I am not talking about anything “fad” or unhealthy, but straight up implementation of consistent healthy eating, exercise, water, limited alcohol intake, and plenty of rest.  Application of a healthy lifestyle in all aspects will allow for approximately 1 ½ pounds on the lower end and up to 3 pounds on the higher end of weight loss per week.  Working successfully with clients who are implementing the healthy eating guidelines that are supplied with their workout routines are losing in the middle range of 2 pounds per week. 

Think about what this means in terms of time and the realization that this is only six weeks of sticking to a consistent fitness program that promotes no diet but eating lots of fabulous healthy food, exercising that body at least four to five times per week for a minimum of thirty minutes, eliminating the sodas and keeping alcohol to not more than two nights per week and two drinks maximum, preferably red wine, and lots of water.  Sometimes it just takes the motivation of bikini or board short season to motivate a person to make it happen.  A consistent program will guarantee fat loss, lean mass gain and the beginning of a lifestyle of health. 

This sounds not only doable but exciting and realistic.  This can almost fit into the have it now plan that everyone seems to be looking for, except doing it the healthy way provides knowledge of what and how to eat, how to exercise, and how to live this lifestyle happily for life.  It becomes a habit and natural way to live each day and maintains all the positive results gained within the six weeks of consistent application.  It is time that we stop over-complicating weight loss and start implementing the simplicity of eating healthy and exercise.  We make things harder than they are, want all the results, but do not want to give up a current unhealthy lifestyle.  Now therein lays the issue.  If we want to see the changes, we need to make the changes and giving something 100% effort for at least six weeks should provide the personal feedback needed to continue to make the right decisions.

I will give an example of what I may eat in a day to maintain me as a 5’6”, 125lb female at 50 years young:

1 cup coffee with natural vanilla creamer

Meal 1: Organic morning round with 1tbsp peanut butter

Meal 2: Green shake: 1 cutie, ½-cup chopped pineapple and lots of power greens, water and blend until combined. 1 slice organic seeded toast topped with soft cooked organic egg, or slice of organic sharp cheddar cheese

Meal 3: ¼ cup fresh blueberries, ½ cup Fage yogurt, ¼ cup organic ground flax meal, handful raw mixed nuts (stir it up and eat)

Meal 4: Grilled Salmon or Chicken with large side roasted vegetable like Brussel sprouts and cauliflower (drizzle olive oil on veggies, and large tbsp. basil pesto, mix well, roast)

Meal 5: Kind bar, or 1oz square of dark chocolate with 1tbsp peanut butter

I exercise five times per week and for 30 to no more than 60 minutes total.  I am a believer of being focused and getting my workout done in that amount of time.  I also listen to my body and if I require more rest, I may only exercise in a structured fashion four times in that week.  I am an active person, so on other days I am enjoying the outdoors at the dog park with my husband, going on long walks, hikes or swimming. 

Losing one to three pounds per week studies have shown provides healthy, long term sustainable weight loss, unlike the “fad” counterpart diets that may shed weight quickly but it appears plus more once the program is over.  Summer is around the corner and now is the right time to implement a six-week fitness challenge makeover and begin with the short-term goal of shedding 12 pounds.  Start right where you are, begin a fitness journal and track your food intake and exercise, do your best, and have fun with the journey. I would love to hear from you sharing your start and finish stories so that we can encourage and support each other along the way.  

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list, or if you want to receive my free updates, use the button below to select your feed preference. I look forward to responding to your comments and appreciate your shares. 

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FITNESS NEWS FLASH … WORK REQUIRED AND NEVER OPTIONAL

Life does not promise easy, fair, fun, happiness, or even health.  In fact, life is hard and guess what, work is required and never an option.  It is up to each one of us to create the lifestyle that we live and this is not going to be found in a jar, pill, powder, or shake.  If popping a “fit pill” was the answer to all things magical and provided the body of our dreams inside and out, then I definitely would not need to write this blog.  The facts are in and they have been for decades that the way to obtain a fit physique is through consistent healthy food intake, regular exercise, plenty of rest, water, and balance of life. 

The “want it now” society tries every side-step method to achieve what can only be done through sweat producing work.  There is not a pill or shake that is going to teach a person how to shop and select healthy foods for life and they will surely not sprout legs and exercise so that we consume the activity benefits.  What usually does occur with quick fix programs is possibly some weight loss due to very low calorie diets and bodies that are running on empty experiencing negative side effects like dizziness, blood sugar and pressure issues, and nutrient deficiencies just to name a few.  Frustration and discouragement typically follow as the program just does not feel good and studies have shown that any weight lost is put back on plus more. 

Work goes with life, supplying our needs and wants.  We want things so we work for them, and the same is true of our health.  Health comes at the price of time, energy, and simply eating healthy food.  The work is challenging and that is a great thing because it does change us, makes us stronger and better able to enjoy our body and life overall.   We can no longer think that tricking health through gimmicks and potions is acceptable.  That would be comparable to owning the golden goose and not having to put in our eight to five for a living.  We are no strangers to what work feels like and it can be rewarding and provide an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.  The results of hard work are being able to achieve and have what we want and desire in life, and is never optional.  If having a healthy fit body is the desire, put in the work and see what happens.   

Darla Leal, Fit at 50

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list, or if you want to receive my free updates, use the button below to select your feed preference. I look forward to responding to your comments and appreciate your shares.

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