If y'all didn't already know, I'm getting married on July 21st in Kauai! I couldn't be more excited and the pending beach vacation has given me the motivation I needed to kick my butt into high gear! In about August of last year I decided to go back to purely aesthetic workouts as opposed to performance focused. I just had a heart to heart with myself and looking good in my wedding dress was more important to me than increasing my back squat. So with the support of my Personal Trainer, we switched me over to bodybuilding style workouts. It took a lot for me to admit I wanted to steer away from performance driven workouts. Focusing purely on looks had been a slippery slope for me in the past. I feel like I've grown a lot the last couple years and now understand that happiness does not come from a certain weight or look. I'm not trying to achieve happiness through my body so I gave myself permission to focus once again on my aesthetic and I have been loving it! Bodybuilding style workouts are how I started my fitness journey and it's been so fun to revisit this style of training. Within 6 weeks I noticed a difference in the mirror. I had been struggling to lose weight and all of a sudden it was falling off! You can never be 100% sure as to why but my gut says that it's for a couple of reasons.

Before: October 2016-132 Pounds

First off, sometimes switching your routine is all you need to do! If you do the same style of workout over and over and over without any changes you can hit a plateau. This may have been the case with me. More likely it's due to the fact that I was working out too hard. As amazing as high intensity workouts are sometimes it can create a state of stress in your body. When cortisol levels rise that will cause you to hold onto weight. Slowing down and not doing as much could help you shed the pounds. I believe this was the case for me. I started working out less and seeing better results! I went from doing heart pounding AMRAPS to moderate paced lifting with free weights and my body has thanked me. Olympic lifting also tends to make me look square and blocky(just my body type) so moving away from the barbell and picking up dumbbells has helped me whittle my waist.

Now(April 2017): 124 Pounds

With only 3 months to go until my Big Day(YAY!) I've been focusing on sticking to my meal plan. Up until recently I've been a little more lax, enjoying brunch with friends and a glass or two of champagne on the weekend. This is the first time I've even been able to eat and drink in moderation and still lose fat! What an amazing feeling it was to live a balanced lifestyle and still see results. The last couple of weeks I decided to buckle down and hit my macros and results are happening even faster! Below is my meal plan but PLEASE know this is just what works for me-this may not be the right macros/calorie intake for everyone. If you need assistance calculating your Macros, please let me know. I offer custom meal planning assistance and it's my favorite thing to do!
Macros: 
Calories: 1250-1350
Carbs:15% (46G)
Protein:40% (146G)
Fat:45% (57G)

It takes time...but it's worth it!

As I countdown to my Wedding I will be sure to share all my other tips and tricks to get lean and sexy!  I've been compiling all the workouts I did to get lean and am going to be releasing them soon in an E-Book called Bride Tribe Bootcamp! This online program just for Brides is launching SOON so stay tuned!

XO,
Kristin

If you’re trying to lose that extra flab then this is a must read! The first thing I do with all my new clients is have them journal their food intake. This gives me a great snapshot into their daily nutrition which to my surprise if usually not enough food! But I’ll save that topic for another day. Today I want to talk about the most common foods people eat that can hold you back from losing fat. They are foods that are often seen as “healthy” but should be avoided if you are focusing on losing fat. Here are the Top 5...

1. Flavored Yogurt- Take a look at the label. Most yogurts, especially the flavored versions, are packed with sugar! Sugar is the #1 thing you are want to avoid to lose fat. I recommend opting for Fage Greek Yogurt because it has no added ingredients and it’s super high in protein.
2. Granola-Yogurts best friend...and a food that is seen as healthy that really isn’t. Granola taste delicious because it’s usually bound together with some sort of sugar, honey or sweetener. Add ground flaxseed to your yogurt instead for a healthy dose of fat.
3. Smoothies-They have a reputation as a healthy food but if you are looking to lose that belly bulge smoothies should be avoided! They are delicious because they are usually made with nature’s candy...aka...fruit! Fruit has beneficial nutrients but when trying to lose fat the blood sugar spike caused by smoothies is the opposite of what you want.  Opt for an all green juice or greens only version instead.
4. Fruit+Dried Fruit-A delicious little snack that is sweet, amazing and also has as much sugar as a candy bar. In moderation it's not the worst treat but it's hard to keep portions small, especially with dried fruit. Opt for a handful of nuts as instead as an on the go snack.
5. Energy Bars-They are marketed as a quick, healthy snacks but most of them are the opposite. I’ve only come across 3 energy bars that I would recommend to clients. The rest of them are packed with sugar and carbs. A Lara bar for example has 23 grams of sugar. I admit that there are far worse foods you could eat but if you are serious about losing fat, say no to all bars. My only exceptions would be Quest Bars, FitJoy Bars and PowerCrunch Bars.

Kristin