Taking Applications, Sunday Chicken Scampi, and My Why's

Happy Sunday Y'all. I am officially taking applications for Utahn's looking to fill the positions of my sisters who have now both left me. Yesterday, my sister Linds and her family left Utah for their big move to Texas. So sad...I hate to see them go. I am really going to miss them! Lindsay Cotter...I'm hoping everyone there is as great as you are!!

My sister Nichole left with her posse today, and I'm going to miss them too! I just love having all the people that I adore close to me, and I HATE when they leave! So...like I said, I'm currently taking in-state sister applications. You must love to work out with me, go shopping, make trips to sonic for DDP, eat frozen yogurt, and lay by the pool. Pretty intense, I know.

It is a good thing I still have my mom in town for one more week, or I'd be even MORE sad! I am also glad that she and my dad decided to make me an AMAZING dinner tonight. We had one of our favorite healthy recipes Chicken Scampi.

My dad did an awesome job of grilling the chicken on the bbq, which always makes it taste great. We had a side of grilled veggies and fresh fruit and dip. All of of my favorites!

 

This recipe goes especially well with fresh tomatoes from the garden. Very fresh and healthy. I LOVE it.

I mentioned last week that I am changing up my normal workout and eating routines. Some of you have been curious about my new work out routine, and the reasoning is behind the way I am formatting my workouts and my meals.

My main goals are: 

1. Lift three times a week. Heavy weight, high quality lifting.
2. Cardio 3 times a week on my off days of lifting... 25-30 mins of intervals. 

3. Increase the fat content in my diet.
4. Stop looking at exact calories. Look at quality of food and the way it increases my blood sugar, and cravings instead.

The reason I have these goals is because I want to increase my metabolism by increasing my lean muscle mass, which I am hoping will lead to helping to drop my body fat percentage. I have been doing cardio very intensely and eating very lean for so long, that I feel like my body has suffered some hormonal imbalances. The reasoning behind each of my goals...

1. Lifting three times a week. Heavy weight, high quality lifting. 

I have intensified my lifting by duration and intensity. I'm doing full body three times a week with a high amount of weight. I want to be sure to burn the max amount of calories in my lifting and fatigue each muscle group. I am allowing 48 hours between each lifting session to allow my muscles to recover fully. 

2. Cardio three times a week for 25-30 mins at a very high intensity. 

I will be doing intervals here, trying to really maximize calorie burn in a short amount of time. I hope to help my body get some more recovery time here by cutting down my cardio. I was doing 60-90 mins a day previously, so mentally this is very hard for me. I think it will be a good revamp time for my body. I just need to remember that!

3. Increase the fat content in my diet. 

I have cut out almost all fat as of now, so to add in the good fats has been something I have had to really plan and be conscious of. Fat is essential in helping your body obtain the vitamins and nutrients Fat is a key in the structural components of hormones, which could explain hormonal imbalances due to a lack of fat. Fat is also a great energy source for the body.

4. Stop looking at exact calories. 

This is really hard for me. I mentally keep a caloric score of what I am eating, but I am still trying to work on focusing on the good foods I am eating and not to caloric values. My diet will be comprised mainly of lean proteins, good fats (nuts, olive oil, peanut/almond butter, avocados, etc.), fruits and veggies, and a few servings of whole grains.

Hopefully this gives a little more background on why I am doing what i am doing! I will continue to keep you updated on the progress, and the effectiveness of the process. 

Are you applying any of these practices in your life right now? If so, how are they benefiting you (or not)? Any takers on my application quest?? ;) I hope you are having an awesome weekend!