What it means to be “Skinny-Fat”

What It Means to be Skinny-Fat

If you follow fitness accounts on Instagram, chances are you’ve heard the term “Skinny-fat”.

This is a term that I had no IDEA what it meant when I first heard it, but now that I have an understanding of it, I couldn’t relate to it more.

I have never been technically overweight in my life. I don’t come from an overweight family, I have always been participating in sports, however I have indulged in an unhealthy relationship with food.

I have spent a lot of my life drinking soda, eating icecream, drinking alcohol. Still, I never saw myself reach overweight. I have, however, been “skinny-fat”.

Skinny-fat refers to being out of shape. Usually it refers to someone with a small body frame. They may lack muscle tone and have a muffin top, or cellulite, or bit of a tummy. Usually their limbs are on the skinny side but nothing looks firm or toned.

Here are two examples of me when I am skinny-fat. I feel horrible in my own skin here. I am killing myself with cardio on a daily basis. I am drinking alcohol, eating large meals very spread apart with little to no nutritional value.

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Then there is me when I’m at my most ideal, yet unrealistic to maintain, stage weight. This is the result of weight training, extremely clean eating, and manipulating my water.

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So what does it look like when I eat relatively clean, drink plenty of water, lift weights, and do no cardio?

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This is balance. This is a cheat meal every 3 days. No cardio.

So you choose. Weights or cardio?

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Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water

Lemon-Water-detox

During competition prep, I drink 15 water bottles a day with lemon juice!

Never at any other time in my life did I have such clear, glowing skin. I swore my creases in my face were less visible, I had more energy, and felt cleansed.

Drinking lemon water has endless benefits:

clear skin, boosted immune system, natural energy, detoxes unwanted waste, cures throat infections, helps relieve respiratory problems, promotes weight loss, reduces fever

Being hydrated and drinking water in general is one of the best things you can do for your body. One tip for drinking more water: write down a schedule. One bottle with breakfast. One bottle before shower. One bottle before, after, and during workout. One bottle with each meal. One bottle before bed. One bottle every time you leave the house. These are just a few examples to make yourself more aware of when your drinking water!

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Best Advice I can give

DSCN0071Last spring, I set out with the biggest goal of my life. It sounds kind of cheesy but my biggest life goal or dream was to compete in a fitness competition. I could not imagine my body ever looking like that, and I was so passionate about fitness. After achieving this goal, I set bigger goals. 1. Compete in and WIN a bikini competition. 2. Become a certified personal trainer. 3. GO PRO!

I don’t know if I will ever reach my biggest goals, however it is extremely empowering to achieve a goal you set.

The one piece of advice I would offer to anyone in any position of their life is to believe in yourself. YES I KNOW. Cheesy. But it is so incredibly true. Trust the process of hard work. Set a goal and believe that you will reach it. The mind is a powerful tool. I cannot give any better advice than this.

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Why to Do Cardio and What are the Best Forms of Cardio

DSCN0048While I focus a lot of my blog posts on the benefits of strength training, cardio workouts definitely have their place in any healthy and fit person’s life.

Cardiovascular exercise is not only proven to improve your mood by releasing endorphins, it also reduces your appetite, strengthens your heart, lowers your blood pressure, and promotes weight loss.

So what kind of cardio do I recommend and how much should you do?

Well, how much you should do varies depending on your goal. If you are trying to build muscle mass you should not do hours of cardio on end.

I usually recommend 30-75 minutes of vigorous cardio to an athletic person.

What is vigorous cardio?

Stair-master, running FAST, playing basketball ball intensely, swimming laps, HIIT workouts (see previous post), boxing, or cycle classes.

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For moderate cardio you can do around two hours.

What do I consider moderate?

walking, jogging, elliptical, stationary bike, etc.

The important thing is to sweat and move! Always consult a doctor before beginning a new cardio routine.

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My Favorite Nutritional Smoothies

cakebatterblueberry shaake

Cake Batter Blue Berry Oatmeal Shake- Very filling and delicious. A Perfect breakfast option for leg day. Recipe: 1 scoop of Cellucor Cake Batter Whey Protein, a handful of blueberries, 1/3 cup oatmeal, almond milk & ice.

strawberry banana shake

Strawberry Banana Shake- Recipe- Banana, Almond milk, and strawberries with ice.

spinach smoothie

Paige Hathaway Inspired Veggie Smoothie- Recipe- Celery, Kale, Cucumber, Ginger, Lemon, (Apple) optional.

berry smoothie

Berry Spinach Smoothie- Black berries, Blueberries, Strawberries, Spinach, Water, & Ice.

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My Favorite Packaged Products

My Favorite Packaged Products

  coldpressedjuice

My usual advice for anyone trying to eat healthy is: to avoid anything packaged such as store bought snacks and protein bars and instead eat natural foods like vegetables, nuts, and fruits as snacks.

However, sometimes these snacks are boring and it is easier to buy things when we are busy and on the run. While many of these items are off limits during competition prep, they can serve as healthy alternatives during the off-season while trying to stay very healthy.

Here is a short list of a few of my favorite health products:

  • Trader Joe’s Cold-Pressed Juice (Green)- For someone who has trouble getting enough vegetables, this is a good alternative. Each bottle is only 100 calories with seventeen kale leaves and a whole pound of spinach. The only sugar is all natural and just 11 grams.
  • Walden Farms Pancake Syrup- The perfect topping for delicious protein pancakes or oat pancakes. This syrup alternative has no calories, gluten, fat, carbs, or sugars of any kind.
  • Walden Farms Ketchup- A great tasting ketchup alternative with no calories, gluten, fat, carbs, or sugars of any kind.
  • Quest Bars- My favorite flavors are cookies & cream and cookie dough. These bars have 21 grams of protein, lots of fiber, and no added sugar.
  • Lenny & Larry’s All Natural Complete Cookie- A delicious clean cheat. These cookies are vegan, gluten free, and taste better than any other item on this list. These cookies have 16 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. While the sugar is higher at 15g a serving, there are no added sugar alcohols or preservatives.

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