Easy Food Swaps

Eating Healthy Isn't Hard....But Learning How Can Be!

This morning as I was getting my meals together, I was thinking about the food and ingredient swaps I've made for healthier choices. So I decided to share some with all of you!

Swap This for That

Ground Beef to Lean Ground Turkey
Sour Cream to 0% Greek Yogurt
Milk to Unsweetened Almond Milk
Sugar to Stevia
Butter to Coconut oil or Olive oil
Cheese to 2% Cheese or Low-Fat Cheese
French fries to oven baked sweet potato fries
Juice to water (juice is just empty calories!)
Potato chips to veggie chips/veggies straws
Jams/Jelly to 100% Fruit Spread or preserves
White rice to brown rice
Brown rice to Quinoa
Regular Pasta to Quinoa pasta


What are some of your favorite healthy food swaps!? Share them with me and I'll add them to this blog post!

I've also become very custom to reading food labels. For example in sauces, read the ingredients label! You'd be surprised how LONG some ingredients lists are for a tomato sauce... You want your food labels to be short and sweet.

Organic Pasta Sauce by Wild Oats vs Bertolli Food Label



8g of sugar difference in these sauces! That's a lot when it comes to sugar. No, you don't have to cut out sugar completely if you don't want to but it's always better to read labels and make your decision wisely. The ingredients on these two products are pretty similar, except the 'organic' brand has organic ingredients (well, duh Sarah)

ALWAYS Read the labels! A quick glance at a few products and you can make an education choice. If you need help reading labels or have any questions, let me know! It's okay to buy packaged foods, I get it, it's easier than making your own sauces and jams and yadda-yadda. But you CAN make smarter choices! Also, follow the serving sizes, makes a WHOLE world of difference. Measure EVERYTHING accurately every time and you'll lose unnecessary weight easy-peasy.

I hope you all have a GREAT Thursday and PLEASE comment or e-mail me your FAVORITE food swaps!


xoxo
Sarah 

My Blog Got a Face Lift

Happy Monday!

I decided to change up my lame-ass blog template to something a little more... 'Sarah'

My favorite color is pink.

I think you can tell by this wallpaper alone.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and stayed (somewhat) on track with your diet and exercise. Much too often when I say 'diet' people assume I'm talking about some crazy calorie deficit fad that has been on Dr Oz or Facebook. Nope, I'm just talking about the actual definition of diet:

diet1

[dahy-it] 

noun

1.

food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and it's effects on health.

That's it. Plain and simple. Don't get caught up in some fake success story or what you see on social media. See what works for you. That could mean clean eating or flexible dieting. Either way you'll still be getting a generous amount of nutrients that your body needs to function.

I've seen 'eat for your blood type' 'low-carb' blah blah blah blah. What happened to eating food and being happy? Stop trying to confuse yourself and just learn to read the back of food labels and buy fresh as much as possible. Meal prep, and ENJOY.

I swear it's easier than you think. Sundays are my dedicated days for meal prep and they hold me over for breakfasts/lunch and sometimes even third meal for the entire week. Sure, I'll have a cheat snack or meal, and make something different for dinner. But having that food available to eat makes me less likely to binge or buy food. Simple meal prep can go a long way, don't try to follow some crazy diet. Just eat.

- xoxo

Sarah 

Undereating

SOOOO many people 'undereat', in my opinion.

I'm not talking eating disorder level of under-eating, but eating less than your body needs to work properly level of under-eating. So many friends/clients/coworkers tell me that they had a piece of toast for breakfast and a piece of chicken for lunch.

WHAT. That's like 200 calories!

That is NOT enough for your body or brain to function properly. I'm not necessarily saying everyone should eat 2,000+ calories a day, but less than 1,500 a day is doing more harm than good. Instead of feeding your body nourishing foods to use a fuel, you're barely feeding your body enough to stay awake and get by. That is why fat is being stored in your body over time. Eating less and not losing weight does not surprise me AT ALL.

Sure, you need some sort of caloric deficit to lose weight, but not a 1,000 calorie deficit.Your body needs nutrient dense foods. Lean meats, whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, etc. Not a piece of bread. That is doing jack-shit for your body and your metabolism.

Your body is a MACHINE, you need to fuel it PROPERLY. Less booze, more protein. Less sugar, more fiber and minerals. Quit drinking BS shakes, detox juices, and powders and start eating wholesome FOOD. FOOD FOOD FOOD. If someone was writing a blog and telling me to eat more, I would, that's for sure.

Too many people buy into fad diets that aren't even that great for you. Best detox? Drink a gallon of water every damn day. Cut out the booze, eat lean meats paired with veggies, eat eggs and egg whites, cut out the sugar from your morning coffee, and BOOM, detoxed.

I give all my clients a sample grocery list with a shit ton of options for their proteins, fats, and carbs. Sure, I allow them a cheat meal here and there, but not every day! I want my clients to become educated on what they're eating, to read a food label, and to realize that a lot of packaged foods have so much crap in them that is unnecessary to consume.

I'm not perfect, I still enjoy wine, cupcakes, and my occasional donut. I know that now that it is pumpkin season, I'm screwed because I love myself a nice PSL. I also love apple cider donuts, BUT I use them as a treat and know that I'll still keep eating clean 80/20.

Enjoy yourself, but balance is key. 

And for Heaven's sakes, eat some damn food and stop depriving your body of the nutrients it very well needs.

- xoxo

Sarah

HUMP Day!

It's HUMP DAY!

SO I'm going to try something new, each week I will post 2 glute focused exercises for you to try. If you're interested in a complete glute program, email me!

Glute Bridges on Leg Extension Machine

3 sets of 10

Single-Leg Sit Squats

3 sets of 10

Try those out your next leg or glute day and let me know what you think! Both of those exercises focus on your gluteus medius (the middle of yo' ass)

It's important to work all the muscles in your glutes, and that means not just doing endless amounts of squats. #EducateYoself

I actually train legs twice a week, with a specific glute day because there are way too many muscles in your legs and booty to hit in one day. What does your current leg routine look like? Ready for a change up? Let me help you!

Lately, I've seen a lot of people who want to get started but don't know where the hell to start. Honestly, getting started and into the routine is probably the hardest part. Most people start and are OK for about a week or two, maybe even a month. After that, they fall off the face of the earth and don't go to the gym or workout ever again. THAT is where the motivation falls off the face of the earth. What fixes this?! Having a PLAN. Fail to plan, plan to fail. It's as simple as that.

To obtain a plan you need to be properly educated. A personal trainer or online coach can help you. Personal training and online coaching isn't all about the money. If you find the RIGHT trainer or coach, they will be more motivated to help you by your goals and own motivation than the money!

Speaking for myself, I can say that I love helping people get into the gym and get fit more than anything. I don't charge crazy rates for my programs and coaching and I provide help whenever my clients need it. But I hold my clients accountable too, they need to make sure they're checking in and staying on track. It's a two-way street and to make it work, both sides have to be committed and dedicated. I want to help you, I want to help you succeed. I want you to learn and become educated about yourself and your body. I want you to reach your goals and go beyond.

PLEASE feel free to email me with any questions or concerns. I can give you ideas of what I can do for you and pricing that would work to fit your budget!

- sarahpinks@yahoo.com -

- xoxo Sarah 

FRI-YAY

It's FRI-YAY!

My wild and crazy Friday includes catching up on emails and writing programs and maybe a movie on the couch later before my 9:00pm bedtime. #Grandma

So I'm going to leave you with some weekend tips so you don't ruin all of your week's hard work on a weekend, which is SOOOO easy to do.

1. Limit your cheats. This doesn't mean: DON'T HAVE ANY FUN. It means, control yourself. If you want to have a couple cocktails, make sure you're very well hydrated before, during, and after, Also, don't go crazy on the carbs, have a big juicy burger without the bun or have some gluten free pizza with sugar free sauce. BE SMART, you won't regret it.

2. Hydrate. Don't neglect your gallon because it's the weekend! DRINK UP.

3. SLEEP. Let your body recover but do not be a lazy bum.

4. GO TO THE GYM. Or go outside and walk/run/skip/hop whatever works for you.

5. Seize the day. Life is short. Don't waste it being lazy.

I've recently lost a friend of mine and unfortunately it reminds me to make sure I live every day to it's fullest. Never waste time on worries, but to live in the moment and love with everything I've got. Make sure you do the same. Don't settle with yourself. Be the best possible version of you.

You have ONE life. Make it the best one you could ever imagine. Give your body the exercise and nutrients it needs to run properly. Health and fitness is the key to life. With a healthy mind and body, you can live an active life and live with a new-found purpose.

Sorry to be preachy, I just want to share my current thoughts.

TGIF. Go give your loved ones a huge hug and tell them how much you love them!


xoxo
- Sarah

Back2School Training Programs!

Back to School, Back in Shape Training Programs

EXCLUSIVE for the month of August, I’m offering custom 8 or 12 week fitness programs for college students, graduate students, recent grads, or anyone who wants to get a jump start on their fitness 

These programs with be CUSTOM for your fitness level, beginner, intermediate, or expert just looking for more of a challenge. This way, ANYONE can sign up for a program.

Summer is coming to an end, and there is NO better time than NOW to get yourself back in shape and back on a regular schedule. School can be consuming so I want you to be able to let out any negative energy at the gym either before or after class AND get AWESOME results.

I’ve been in your position, college is hard to find balance. However, the sooner you find balance, the better you’ll be in the long run. Schedule and hour of your day out for the gym, come on, anyone can do that! Are you ready?!

8 week programs: 2 parts, each 4 weeks long = $60

12 week programs: 3 parts, each 4 weeks long = $80

ADDITIONAL BOOTY BUILDING SERIES = $25

The way this works, is that if you are interested, contact me via email: sarahpinks@yahoo.com I will then discuss your goals with you, help you find the best options, and send you a survey to determine your skill level and equipment available.

If you have any additional questions, PLEASE contact me at sarahpinks@yahoo.com with the subject line: BACK2SCHOOL FIT

xoxo - Sarah 

NASHVILLE

Hey everyone!

Quick update on me!

So not too much has been going on, even though August will be a busy month for me. Work is taking off and I've been pretty busy with that. So far I've been slacking on getting PT certified which I need to get on that ASAP. I'm applying for Grad school and trying to make some moves education wise!

Lately, I've been making sure my diet is clean and wholesome. I'm still training 5-6 days a week but nearly as intense as I used to, BUT I am totally okay with that. I've gotten to a point where I am happy maintaining and meeting small goals. My ULTIMATE goal is to be 4-weeks out from 'show ready' at any given time, so in order to that it is finding balance and maintenance with everything.

I don't have any shows in mind and I've been quite 'put-off' from the whole bikini competition thing lately. I just feel that there is more to life than shows and I want to be more well-rounded. But that's just me. It's also turning into a really trendy thing and I consider myself a fitness hipster. LOL.

But for reals. 

Now to the title of this post, I'm going to NASHVILLE in just over 2 weeks! So excited, it is Ryan's birthday present to me and I'm so thankful and excited to visit Nashville with him. He's never been, so he's totally in for it. I love live music and booze so it's a great fit. Also, the atmosphere down there is just so warm and welcoming, I LOVE IT. If you have any recommendations on places to go, things to see, where to eat and shop, LET ME KNOW PLEASE!!!!

My birthday is August 12th, in case ANY of you are wondering ;)

So that is my life in a nutshell, what's going on with you?! I'd love to know and get to know you all a little better.

If you ever have any questions/concerns/comments, PLEASE let me know!

Comment below or email me at sarahpinks@yahoo.com


- xoxo

Sarah