Gaining Mass, Cutting the Weight

Well folks, looks like I have lost some weight since I weighed in on Monday. At first I thought, "How?!?! How the $#%@ did I lose weight?!" But, after some careful evaluation which was pretty much looking at myself in the mirror... I realized, thanks to the help of my roommate, that I have discovered a nice side effect of eating healthy! Long story short, I have cut down on my fat percentage of my body weight. Gained more muscle mass over this week, but lost more fat weight! So, you can all note that I am back below 140 at a weight of 138.9 lbs. Almost right where I started before this blog.

Now, what is my plan? Work out harder and gain more muscle! Just because I had a set back and lost "weight" doesn't mean I need to change anything in my diet or how I operate. My body is adjusting and changing for the better, which is all I can ask. A natural change is much better than a forced change. Always remember that.

Weight: 138.9 lbs

Meat, lots of meat.

We all like meat, to some degree or fashion, right? I'm going to assume that even if you are vegan you have some nagging for meat and I will just continue this post talking about what meats I eat and why. So, without further ado, lets jump right in!

1. Beef - Protein, vitamin B12, heme iron, zinc, creatine, carnosine and even omega-3. These are the benefits that come from eating a red meat. It is also very versatile in the sense that you can add it to almost anything you cook. Options are always nice! Add it to a pizza, in a pasta, make a meat loaf, etc. So many wonderful recipes to explore!

2. Tilapia - Tilapia is another versatile meat that can be cooked many different ways. Since it also a fish it has oil that our bodies naturally need for healing after a workout. Tilapia is also a very good source of lean meat which can help watch out for unwanted body weight gaining.

3. Salmon - High protein and omega-3. What more could you ask for! Salmon is also known for its post-workout abilities in healing our muscles. I find salmon harder to cook than most ingredients, but try adding it to a pasta to gain some points on the carb side of things.

4. Chicken - Lean, meaty, healthy... Pretty much sums up why I eat chicken and have it on my list. Plus, I can cook amazing dishes with chicken.

5. Eggs - More protein per gram than beef, vitamins A/E/D, and just darn tasty no matter which way you have them. I will usually, and when I say usually I mean every day, have two boiled eggs for breakfast. This is easy because I can get them started and finish getting ready for my day. Once they are finish just add salt, pepper, and paprika and you are good to go!

Hope this helps out you guys deciding on what ingredients to put on your 25 item list!

Delayed Report/My Diet

Slightly delayed, but that is what I get for having a Monday off from work!

So, good news is that I have gained another pound, which I personally thought was going to be impossible. Looks like my healthy habits are really working and working out almost every day is paying off! Just goes to show that we have to start somewhere and keep up the momentum. Also, this picture isn't the best picture, but I promised I would post one every week... even if nothing has changed from last week.

Weight: 141.2 lbs

This post is two part, I also plan to introduce what I eat since more and more people are starting to ask, "What exactly is your diet?". Well, lets talk about the basics and build up... I decided when I started this healthy living that I was going to stick to only 25 ingredients (not including spices, etc) while I was cooking at the house. What does this mean exactly? It means when I go out to a friends or out to eat, that I really don't care what I eat. The reason for this being is that eating healthy all the time actually will slow your metabolism  Guys, this is bad for those of us that are trying to consume massive amounts of protein. Here is my challenge to you, make up a list of 25 ingredients that you will stick to buying when you go out to the grocery store. Break down this list into meats, veggies, fruit, grains, and other. Soon I will post my list, but I also want to see yours! Feel free to comment below on what 25 items you plan to buy, if you feel like this plan is good for you.

Have fun! I will post later on in more details what I eat and when I eat them. So, keep reading and sharing with friends!

Keep it Simple

Dieting, eating healthy, healthy living, healthy lifestyle... All of these are words, buzzwords, most people have used at one point or another and then stopped for no reason. Why? Because a habit wasn't formed that allow the person to live in a healthy way. A habit will keep you healthy and keep you eating right. How do we form a healthy lifestyle habit? Simple, start simple. Don't over complicate what you are trying to do. Just don't go from eating burgers, hot dogs, chicken all the time/every day to vegan over night. Before I started cutting back on different foods, I decided that I was going to limit what I drank. So, I decided to only drink water, milk, juice, coffee, and the occasional sprite if I was really craving it. I started this back in November and I haven't broken this habit. I can't stand the taste of most sodas now because I am so use to having water all the time.

What is your goal? What is a way you can break up your goal into stepping stones? Answer these questions and work your way up to your goal. Start Simple.

Here are some starting goals that might help you start a healthy lifestyle at an easier pace...

1. No Soda
2. No Pork
3. Eat carrots every day for lunch
4. Drink a glass of milk with breakfast

There are others you can do, so pick the one that fits best for your life!

Big Pains, Smaller Gains

So, like I mentioned last Monday, I figured my weight would plateau at 140 for a little before I gained some more. All though, I was sick for a day this past week, which screwed me over just a little. Hopefully next week can be a little better! Also, I am training, slowly, for a 5k. Just wanted to let my faithful followers, *cough* *cough* (you can follow me by clicking the follow button on the side of the blog!), know that my 2 mile time was a solid 16:40. Granted, this is far off from when I did cross country and could run 5 miles in 30 minutes, but like I have mentioned before, everyone has to start somewhere!

Weight: 140.2 lbs

And for all you who are into social media feel free to follow me on Instagram/Twitter: @JTyAutry or look for #IWillEatMyCookie.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.

 ~Helen Keller~