To be continued......maybe

Since starting this blog, I've learned quite a few things. 

I learned blogging is liberating and a great way to get your ideas out into the world. Having your own blog gives you the freedom to write about anything you want, which I thought was really cool. This was my first blog, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed the flexibly. 

I learned you have to keep things interesting: pictures, videos, and quotes make a blog a lot more enjoyable to read. 

Blogging is something anyone can pick up on. You can write about anything and you can pick what style of writing you want to showcase. 

Before this class my writing was strictly essay formatted: thesis, introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and so on were all I knew. But after taking this class I was introduced to a whole new world of writing. Feature writing is something outside my comfort zone, but I learned to really like it. I enjoyed the short paragraphs and the deep descriptive writing. 

I want to keep my blog up but I'm not sure I will. At the moment I am really busy with school and work, but hopefully during the summertime i'll have more time to start it back up again. Maybe I'll do a weekly blog of my summer adventures. 

I hope everyone has a great spring break and good luck next quarter!  

Motivation. Patience. Commitment

Sticking to a meal plan or fitness routine can be difficult. It takes hard work, motivation, and commitment. Here are some ways I stay motivated and committed.

Motivational notes/reminders around your living area and work area. When we are feeling down or feeling unmotivated it's always great to see little reminders around your living space to remind you why you started in the first place. 

A calorie/distance tracker helps keep track of your progress. If you are having a lousy or off day, it's always a great idea to look at your daily progress to motivate you to keep going. 

Stay away from junk food and alcohol.  Once you start eating junk food it tends to be a slippery slope from there. After the first bite it's really hard to stop. Alcohol tends to gives us all a "carless" attitude, which can result in throwing our diet out the window. Who doesn't love wings and beer? 

Meal Prepping!

Meal prepping is a great way to stay on track when starting your fitness journey.

Sticking to your meal prep meals is a full-on commitment.

It took me a couple tries before I was finally able to commit to meal prepping. 

Meal prepping is really convenient. If you have a busy schedule and usually don't have time to cook a healthy meal during your hectic week, meal prepping is the way to go!

I meal prep because I want to watch my calorie intake, and I want to receive the highest amount of nutrients after my workout. 

My meal preps consist of protein, carbs, and vegetables. 

Protein= chicken, tilapia

Carbs= brown rice, sweet potatoes 

Vegetables= broccoli, carrots

Ice Cream

Ice cream and bread are without a doubt my weakness. I legit have no self-control when ice cream and sweet bread are around. Thank god for ARCTIC ZERO ice cream. Arctic zero ice cream is delicious AND surprisingly healthy. 

FAT FREE

GMO FREE

GLUTEN-FREE

LACTOSE FREE

&

LOW GLYCEMIC

My favorite flavor: cookie shake!

Going to the gym during the weekend is such a drag/struggle! 

Another way I love staying active on the weekends without stepping into a gym is going on hikes.

Without a doubt my favorite place to go hiking is Point Lobos. 

It's also a great place to take your valentine on Valentine's Day♥

Big Sur, California ♥

Fast. Healthy. Snacks.

Low Fat Greek Yogurt

Low fat greek yogurt is a great source of protein and calcium. Pair it with a handful of fruit for some flavor. 

Apples and Peanut Butter

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! A green apple paired with a spoonful of peanut butter is always a great alternative. 

Edamame 

Nothing fills me up faster than a serving of edamame! It's so fast and easy to put together and a great source of protein and fiber.

myfitnesspal? more like myfitnessbestfriend!

I've briefly mentioned the app/website myfitnesspal before; well today I'm here to elaborate on it. Myfitnesspal is an app I literally use every single day!

The best part about it (besides the fact that it's free) is you get to keep count of your calorie intake and your movement/exercise. The exercise/movement tracker is not always 100% accurate, but it is pretty darn close!

Your food log will be divided into 5 sections:

1.Breakfast

2.Lunch

3.Dinner 

4.Snacks

5.Excercise

Before you start tracking your food intake you will set a goal. Myfitnesspal will always let you know where you stand. If your calorie intake is too low or too high the app will notify you. It is pretty much a food journal with really cool features that help you stay on track and reach your ultimate goal. 

Baby Steps!

Being a full-time college student and working a full-time/part-time job are two responsibilities that can become really difficult to balance at times, therefore when you try adding eating clean and staying active to your plate things can get complicated.
Going to the gym is not always an option because lets face it, sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day!
For myself, I know going to the gym is always hard after I finish up an 8 hour shift and homework is waiting for me when I get home. That is why I always try to eat as healthy as possible.
We don't need to go to the gym to survive necessarily, but we do need to eat!
 Meal prepping is great, but not everyone has the time or simply the motivation to eat the same meal everyday.
That is why my number one thing is to always surround myself with healthy quick options.
When taking a trip to the grocery store one must always remember to shop for healthy snacks and stay away from temptation. Eating clean and staying away from junk food is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but its all about baby steps!
First thing on my agenda was staying away from temptation (junk food) I refused to put any food that I would later regret eating into my shopping cart and that really helped me!
Lets face it when you get the late night munchies you will feel so much better after eating that granola bar, instead of the powered donuts you daydreamed about in the fourth aisle while grocery shopping.
Taking realistic/attainable baby steps towards your ultimate goal is a major key to success.
* (Dj Khaled voice)

Introduction

My name is Lizbeth Galvan and I started this blog for my Journalism 21b class at De Anza College. I choose to do my blog on eating clean and staying active because it has become a huge part of my everyday life. I started my fitness journey about 4 months ago and have been working towards it ever since. In September of 2015 I started going to the gym three times a week, and gradually increased the days and time as the weeks went by. After going to the gym for about 4 months I realized serious results are never going to appear until I seriously clean up my diet. The last week of December I decided I was finally going to start meal prepping. I'm on my fourth week of meal prepping and eating clean, and I'm really eager to see my results.  These last 4 months have taught me so much, and have made me see first hand what eating clean and staying active can do to my body.

One huge and important tool I've been using and has really helped me out is the app/website myfitnesspal.com. With this app I can track my calorie intake and pretty much everything that goes into my mouth, and the best part is it's free!!
https://www.myfitnesspal.com