For my last blog post for my free inquiry I would like to recap my health and fitness journey. From the beginning of my journey, I set out to improve my health and fitness. I made this broad goal before knowing much about working out and what eating healthy was. I made a goal, to work out three times a week at Henderson Recreation Centre for an hour and a half each time. I also stated that I would focus my workouts on all parts of the body as I tried to strengthen my muscles and loose body fat. Over the past weeks and semester, I was able to stay true to my original goals and I made sure to go to the gym three times a week for the most part, except for one week, where I had a family emergency. However, to ensure I was sticking to my schedule the next week, I made it up by adding in more fitness. Throughout this journey, I did quite a bit of research, used a variety of resources and branched out of my comfort zone to accomplish my set fitness goal. I was able to learn a vast amount of different workout exercises, by researching different fitness influencers, by asking friends and by observing those around me, as I worked out. I also learned, that it does not matter how long you workout for, it is the quality of the workout that matters. If you are rushing your workouts to keep them under a certain amount of time, you are rushing your exercises and portraying quantity over quality. Ultimately, something I have discussed multiple times in my blog posts is breaking up workouts and dividing the part of your body, in which you are working out. Although this change was a bit difficult for me to make, I have learned and observed that I will further benefit from doing so. Ultimately, I can now happily say, that throughout this journey I have lost 8 pounds in body fat and I have turned some of my fat into muscles by strengthening them.

In regard to my goals to improve my health, I set out to change my diet and focus on eating healthy. As I stated in my first blog post of my free inquiry, I will begin my mornings by having a smoothie with a protein bar. Throughout my journey, I also stated that I will adapt and change how lunches and dinners into healthier options. At the beginning of my journey, I stated that I would like to eat healthy, however I never defined what healthy was. Here is a definition of what eating healthy means to me: Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good, and have energy. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals. Throughout my journey, I have stayed constant with starting my mornings off with having a smoothie and a protein bar. By changing my diet from starting my mornings off with having coffee to smoothies, I have really seen a change in my mood and attitude, not only in my health. Throughout my journey I have also adapted and changed my lunches from eating sandwiches to eating salads. By taking away a carbohydrate (bread) and adding in a protein (chicken breasts) has made a big difference. In regard to dinners, I cut out pasta from my diet again eliminating a carbohydrate also made a big difference. Ultimately, throughout my journey I did include a bit of research on different types of diets, however due to assumptions and biases I have decided to create a more achievable diet plan. However, I did use my research to accompany my changes.

Advice

• If someone was starting the same inquiry as me, my advice would be to use Trello consecutively, and updated it as soon as you finish/complete something. This type of inquiry can get a bit confusing, thus to be organized and on top of your workouts and diets and having a weekly plan will really help throughout the process.

Finally, as some of you have asked what I put in my smoothies. I have decided to include a video clip of what I put in my smoothies, therefore you may use the same recipe. Check out the link below!

Link: IMG_0448

This week, I worked out three different times/days and had a main focus for each of the workouts. For Wednesday’s workout, my main focus was booty (butt). For Saturday’s workout, my main focus was legs. For Sunday’s workout, my main focus was Arms. By separating my workouts and focusing on one specific area each, I was able to portray quality over quantity very well. With each separate workout, I was also able to do 20 minutes of cardio on the treadmill. Below is a description of what I did during each workout, focusing on the established area.

Wednesday’s workout: Booty (Butt)

• Kneeling leg pulses 3×10
• Hip thrusts 3×10
• Squat/leg raise 3×10
• Split squat 3×10
• Leg curl machine 3×10
• Kneel to squat 4×10
• Kickback pulses 3×10
• Glute raises 3×10

Saturday’s workout: Legs

• Side lunges 4×10 each leg
• Squat jumps 3×10
• Dumbbell front squats 3×10
• Reverse lunges 3×15
• Single leg squat variation 3×10 each leg
• Alternating platform jumps 3×10
• Squats 4×10
• Leg extension variation 4×10
• Static lunge 4×10

Sunday’s workout: Arms

• Diagonal pull down 3×10
• Standing overhead extensions 4×10
• Reverse grip pulls down 3×10
• Lateral raises 3×10
• Front raise/ upright row 3×10
• Bicep curl variation 4×10
• Triceps pull down 3×10

Alternatively, this week I continued on with smoothies and a protein bar for breakfast. For lunches, I stayed constant with salads and chick pea and chicken breasts for the protein. For dinner, I mixed up having rice with vegetables, stake with vegetables, mushroom salad and other pre-made salads. I tried to avoid drinking juice and I also avoided snacking as much as I would regularly, therefore I had fruit if I was hungry for a snack.

This week I will continue to discuss a variety of different types of diets. As this is a continued post from last week. I will further focus on the weight watchers diet and the Mediterranean diet only for this blog post. 

The Weight Watchers Diet:

Link: https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=64058

Weight Watchers is a diet plan first developed in the 1960s that encourage weight loss by making healthy food and lifestyle choices. The Weight Watchers plan is based upon the idea that dieting is only one part of a healthy lifestyle. The program stresses the importance of overall mental and physical health and well-being. Weight Watchers does not forbid specific foods or tell people what to eat. There are also no pre-prepared meals or foods to purchase. Instead, people are encouraged to make healthier eating choices and to increase physical activity. Weight Watchers sponsors group meetings in locations throughout the world where members can offer each other encouragement, support, and tips for making healthier lifestyle choices. Weight Watchers offers two diet plans:

• The Points Plan: In the points plan, foods are assigned a certain number of points based on the food’s calorie, total fat, and dietary fibercontent. Participants are allowed to eat any foods they choose and are allotted a certain number of points each day.

• The Core (no-counting) Plan: The core plan is based on the consumption of wholesome foods from all the food groups, including fruits and vegetables, grains and starches, lean meats and poultry, and eggs and dairy products.

The Mediterranean Diet:

Link:  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan

The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional foods that people used to eat in countries like Italy and Greece back in 1960. Researchers noted that these people were exceptionally healthy compared to Americans and had a low risk of many lifestyle diseases. Numerous studies have now shown that the Mediterranean diet can cause weight loss and help prevent heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes and premature death. There is no one right way to follow the Mediterranean diet, as there are many countries around the Mediterranean Sea and people in different areas may have eaten different foods.

• Eat: Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, potatoes, whole grains, breads, herbs, spices, fish, seafood and extra virgin olive oil.
• Eat in moderation: Poultry, eggs cheese and yogurt.
• Eat only rarely: Red meat
• Don’t eat: Sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars processed meat, refined grains, refined oils and other highly processed foods.

Avoid These Unhealthy Foods–You should avoid these unhealthy foods and ingredients:

• 
• Added sugar: Soda, candies, ice cream, table sugar and many others.
• Refined grains: White bread, pasta made with refined wheat, etc.
• Trans fats: Found in margarine and various processed foods.
• Refined oils: Soybean oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil and others.
• Processed meat: Processed sausages, hot dogs, etc.
• Highly processed foods: Anything labeled “low-fat” or “diet” or which looks like it was made in a factory.

This week I researched a variety of different types of diets. The South Beach diet, the vegan diet, the weight watchers diet and the Mediterranean diet are all different types of diets I have never tried but always wanted to give a shot. Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases. There are several benefits of eating healthy, which include weight loss, reduced cancer risk, diabetes management, heart health, strong teeth and bones and improved memory. Below is a description of each diet, and a few images of the types of foods that consist within these diets.

The South Beach Diet: 

Link: https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/south-beach-diet

On the South Beach Diet, there are good carbs and fats, and there are unhealthy carbs and fats. The key to weight loss is choosing the best of each. That means lots of no starchy vegetables, fish, eggs, full-fat dairy, protein like chicken and turkey, whole grains and nuts. South Beach is lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein and healthy fats than the typical American diet. South Beach doesn’t categorically eliminate all carbs.

How Does It Work? There are two phases within the South beach diet. Phase one is the weight-loss phase. You will stay in this phase until you reach your desired weight-loss goal or you want more flexibility in your food choices. In phase one, you will limit daily net carbs to 50 grams. You’ll include high-quality protein (such as fish, shellfish, chicken, turkey, lean beef and soy) and no starchy vegetables. You may include very small quantities of beans and legumes, and extremely small amounts of high-fiber fruits like berries and high-protein whole grains like quinoa. Phase two, the maintenance phase, is your lifelong healthy way to eat. You’ll begin to reintroduce more “good carbs,” such as whole grains, low-sugar fruits and starchy vegetables. You’ll also begin to increase your daily net carbs with a goal between 75 and 100 grams per day. You’ll keep up a high protein intake, representing at least 25% of your daily calories, to maintain muscle mass. Although no food is off-limits, some individuals – such as people who are insulin-resistant or postmenopausal women – may have more success by continuing to limit their carbs.

The Vegan Diet: 

Link: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-guide

A vegan diet contains only plants (such as vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits) and foods made from plants. Vegans do not eat foods that come from animals, including dairy products and eggs.The vegan diet has become very popular. Increasingly more people have decided to go vegan for ethical, environmental or health reasons. When done right, such a diet may result in various health benefits, including a trimmer waistline and improved blood sugar control. Nevertheless, a diet based exclusively on plant foods may, in some cases, increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies. Veganism is defined as a way of living that attempts to exclude all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty, whether for food, clothing or any other purpose. For these reasons, the vegan diet is devoid of all animal products, including meat, eggs and dairy. People choose to follow a vegan diet for various reasons. These usually range from ethics to environmental concerns, but they can also stem from a desire to improve health. There are different varieties of vegan diets. The most common include:

• Whole-food vegan diet: A diet based on a wide variety of whole plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
• Raw-food vegan diet: A vegan diet based on raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds or plant foods cooked at temperatures below 118°F (48°C) (1Trusted Source).
• 80/10/10: The 80/10/10 diet is a raw-food vegan diet that limits fat-rich plants such as nuts and avocados and relies mainly on raw fruits and soft greens instead. Also referred to as the low-fat, raw-food vegan diet or fruitarian diet.
• The starch solution: A low-fat, high-carb vegan diet similar to the 80/10/10 but that focuses on cooked starches like potatoes, rice and corn instead of fruit.
• Raw till 4: A low-fat vegan diet inspired by the 80/10/10 and starch solution. Raw foods are consumed until 4 p.m., with the option of a cooked plant-based meal for dinner.
• The thrive diet: The thrive diet is a raw-food vegan diet. Followers eat plant-based, whole foods that are raw or minimally cooked at low temperatures.
• Junk-food vegan diet: A vegan diet lacking in whole plant foods that relies heavily on mock meats and cheeses, fries, vegan desserts and other heavily processed vegan foods.

Although several variations of the vegan diet exist, most scientific research rarely differentiates between different types of vegan diets.

@ashleigh_jordan

I would like to begin this week’s blog post by talking about one of my biggest health and fitness inspirations: Ashleigh Jordan. Ashleigh’s social media Instagram page is filled with several different workout programs, which are very specific to different parts of the body. Something I found very unique about her that most fitness pages or people do not include in their workout programs are partner workouts. Therefore, if you are working out with a friend, there are several different things you can do, which are benefiting yourself and is considered a fun workout. Since recently discovering Ashleigh Jordan’s fitness page, I have been closely following her workouts and adapting my workouts with hers as we have similar goals.

This week, I kept a similar diet having protein bars, protein smoothies and salads with chicken breasts. To meal prep, I bought a big Caesar salad from save on foods, which lasted me seven whole days. I also marinated 5 chicken breasts in BBQ sauce and cooked them and chopped them up for my salads. I tried very hard to cut pasta out of my diet this week as well as rice as I found that it was too many carbohydrates for myself. Additionally, something new I incorporated into my diet was

This week, for my fitness journey I continued to work out Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays after work. Like I already mentioned I changed my routine and decided after much thought and consideration that I would break up my workouts into focusing on different parts of the body each day, for example: upper body, lower body and then mix cardio into their as well. As my beliefs are still the same, I always separate legs into its own day, because of the amount of exercises I have for legs. Some of Ashleigh Jordan’s work outs include; leg burner, partner workouts, under and upper booty, side booty, killer abs, home abs, delts, total thighs, abs, legs, oblique’s, full booty, upper blast, warm ups, shoulders, etc.

Instead of focusing on images from my own personal inquiry journey this week, I would like to show you all some images and videos of Ashleigh Jordan’s fitness journey as I believe she can and will inspire several others.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptDXT_kUSkM

 My Inspiration 

This past week, was reading break for all University of Victoria students as well as other British Columbia universities and colleges. With reading break, and without the comfort of staying within my own home, staying on track with a healthy diet was a bit difficult at times as well as maintaining a constant workout routine. Therefore, some alternative measures were taken to ensure I could still obtain my goal of eating healthy and staying fit per week. As per Friday afternoon, I travelled to Vancouver (home) to see my family and friends. Once I arrived, I immediately took my dog (Bron) for a 1.5 Kilometer walk. For dinner that evening I ate Sushi with vegetables, which was my only main meal for that particular day. Saturday morning, my family and I headed Downtown Vancouver, where we were saying a few nights. For breakfast, I ate a spinach, mushroom, and egg white wrap. As we arrived, we walked for approximately two hours exploring the great outdoors Vancouver has to offer. When arrived back to the hotel, I went to work out at the gym. Due to limited equipment, I ran for 30 minutes, biked for 15 minutes and lifted free weights for 20 minutes. For dinner that evening, I had pesto mushroom pasta from El Furniture Warehouse. Sunday morning, I ate breakfast at the hotel. My breakfast included: Egg whites, fruit parfait with granola, two pork sausages and one glass of orange juice. My exercise for the day consisted of walking for about 4.5 hours and doing a small workout in the gym. Once again, I ran for 30 minutes, biked for 15 minutes and lifted free weights for 20 minutes. Monday morning, I had egg whites, yogurt, red grapes and strawberries for breakfast. I walked around Granville Island and the market and ended up walking for a combined total of 2 hours. Monday evening, I had a pulled pork sandwich on a brioche bun. Tuesday, I only had a protein bar for breakfast and salad for dinner. Tuesday evening, I also went the gym to work out for an hour and a half. I focused on cardio and free weights, as it was very busy and most equipment had line-ups, therefore I had to improvise my workouts a bit. Wednesday, I intermittent fasted until 3:00pm and had Bourbon St. Grill for lunch, it consisted of chow mien noodles, honey mustard chicken and Louisiana chicken alongside mixed vegetables. For my fitness on Wednesday and Thursday, I ran around my neighborhood for 30 minutes both times. It was beautiful outside and therefore, I could not resist. Thursday, I got back into routine with my chosen diet, as I returned to Victoria on Wednesday evening. I started off my day with eating my protein special K bar with a fruit smoothie. For lunch, I had a chick pea salad with vegetables and rice and vegetables for dinner. All in all, this week I definitely focused more on other types of fitness, rather than just going to the gym and balanced my meals with more protein and vegetables as I cut out some sugar and fat.

Below are some images from this week’s health and fitness post:

This week, I was able to focus more on my fitness, than health. I was able to motivate myself to go the gym for longer periods of time and four times this week instead of three. I worked out on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I was able to focus on my same workout routine, affecting all parts of my body, however I was also able to use external resources to bring new exercises into my routine. On Sunday, my friend whom is a rugby player joined me for a workout along with my other friend who is a retired swimmer. I was able to observe that everyone does different workouts and for different reasons. I also observed that everyone does what they feel works best for them and is at their comfortable level. I did lots of critical thinking on Sunday, after my workout and decided to prolong my external research into researching other females my age who are looking to lose weight and gain muscle. Throughout my extensive research, I came across a woman who I went to high school with, and recognized she had an Instagram workout page, I noticed that our bodies are very familiar and our workouts are about the same, therefore I was able to gain some reassurance as well as several new exercises. On another note, my health was still improving. Although, all my craving of chips, candy and junk food in general were getting to me a bit. I stood my ground, and continued to focus on healthier meals. This week is very unique because I tried ordering my groceries for dinner prep only from “HelloFresh”, I had a coupon laying around the house, and I’ve always wanted to try it. Believe it or not, the meals turned out very tasty and it was all healthy. Because most of HelloFresh meals cook for two or four, I ordered the equivalent of 3 meals, and I had leftovers throughout the week, to balance the proportions of what I was in taking. For my breakfasts, I was remaining on track, having my homemade smoothies, as well as my protein bars. Typically, this kept me full until at least 1pm. From there, my lunches this week, changed a bit as I incorporated more vegetables, and tried to eliminate sugars from my diet.  I still continued with chicken breasts and a variety of salads and sandwiches.

What is HelloFresh? HelloFresh is the leading provider of fresh food at home, their goal is to “aim to provide each and every household in 12 markets with the opportunity to enjoy wholesome, home-made meals with no preparing, no shopping and no hassle.” “Everything required for delicious meals every day is carefully planned, carefully sourced and delivered to the front door of each subscriber at the time most convenient for them.”

Link: http://ir.hellofreshgroup.com/websites/hellofresh/English/100/about-hellofresh.html

The first two images represent what the HelloFresh boxes come with and look like. Whereas, once the meals are cooked, they will look like the two meals below. These are two meals that I have tried and have really enjoyed.

Below are more images of my smoothies, protein bars and two images from my workouts (as you may see, I focused heavily on legs this week.