Chats with my Trainer

Becca Hassell is a nursing major at the University of Southern Mississippi, a (my) personal trainer at the Payne Center and one of my best friends. 

I think it’s important to give you body image advice from a credible source. Becca works with women and men of all different shapes and sizes with different goals and health conditions. 

Becca deals with negative body image daily. She is active in fighting against the negative and promotes positive body image. 

Listen to my interview with this kind soul about why you shouldn’t be anything but healthy and yourself! 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO.

Make Up, Lemonade, and Messy Bun

Because words cannot explain the process of make up application, I have decided to share with you a make up tutorial with a little back ground jams from Queen B, herself. 

This video is how I start my day, in a tshirt (usually, sometimes Nana’s night gown) and my hair on top of my head- nothin’ fancy y’all. 

Before you watch the video, here are a few things you need to know. 

1. I’m not a painter. 

Make up should accent your natural beauty. I understand that intense contouring is an art, but you will not see that here. I use primers, foundation (maybe), concealer and bronzer for my contour. 

2. Over the counter is your friend. 

Spending a lot of money on one product doesn’t make it the best. Most products I will be using in the video, with the exception of a few, were bought at Walgreens. 

3. Practice makes perfect. 

I have always been the friend who does everyone’s hair and make up. I know it is frustrating to find a look on Pinterest, try it on your own, and fail. Make up application is a skill set. It’s not impossible. The more you try, the better it will be. 

WARNING: Fake eyelashes are used (of course) in the making of this film.  

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO.

Hope & Purpose

To my followers, I hope you have enjoyed learning more about fitness from a southern woman’s perspective. I have accomplished many things through my own fitness journey. First, I gained confidence and learned what self love truly means. Secondly, I lost 15 pounds. It’s hard to imagine myself a bigger size than I am now, but three months ago my round face and hips certainly showed it. Lastly, I am so glad to reach out to other women like myself who need to act beautiful because they are beautiful.

Ladies, we aren’t exercising and eating right for anyone except ourselves. When you love yourself, others will love you, too. The only way for any person to appreciate and respect you, is if you appreciate and respect yourself. Motivation and dedication is all it takes.

I hope I have impacted you as much as this journey has impacted me. Please stay tuned for my next blog which will be coming soon.

Until next time,

heidicav

 

 

1,000 calorie burn

It’s the busy time of the year where there is very little time to make it to the gym, so at 10 p.m. one night I decided to try this workout that burns 1,000 calories in my living room.  According to my fit bit, it actually burns 1,127 calories.

• 100 jumping jacks
• 100 crunches
• 100 squats
• 25 push ups

Rest for one minute than repeat it again.

This workout focuses on your core, your legs and bottom, your shoulders, and also your back and arms. This may seem simple, but you have to motivate yourself to get off the couch and actually exercise. Love yourself. You deserve greatness. Do not settle for less than your worth.

You can find more similar work outs on this website: www.womenshealthmag.com

Until next time,

heidicav

 

PROTEIN Queen

One way to have the best overall diet and see results to the fullest potential when working out is to increase your protein intake. Protein at it’s highest quality such as chicken, turkey  and low fat Greek yogurt contain amino acids, which help muscles recover after a workout. Immediate amino acids after a work out will help your conditioning and recovery even more. This is why any athletes drink protein shakes.

The main effects of protein are it provides building blocks for increased muscle growth, and protein releases anabolic hormones, such as insulin, that stimulate muscle growth.

I was very hesitant before I started drinking protein. Now that I do, I see muscle tone and I see inches falling off of my body. Protein does not make you big; McDonald’s makes you big.

Until next time,

heidicav

Five Meals a Day Keeps the Pounds Away

Many overweight people often say, “I really don’t eat that much.” Typical habits of overweight people include eating two large quantity meals per day. This is not the case for everyone, but it is frequently stated.

There are MANY problems with this eating pattern.

1. Within the first thirty minutes of your feet touching the ground in the morning, you need to start your metabolism and eat breakfast. It would be better for you to eat a piece of cake than skip breakfast.
2. Have a piece of fruit before lunch and before dinner.
3. Eat small portions for your meals.

It’s important to keep in mind that you are not eating too much. Your body uses food as fuel. You need your five small meals a day to keep the metabolism moving quickly, and this eating pattern prevents you from overeating.

 

Until next time,

heidicav

Lose the Scale. Get Measuring Tape.

I am a crossfitter, which basically means I build muscle just as much as I burn fat. When I first began my journey, weight came off, but not quickly enough. I was so confused because my clothes were bigger but the scale stayed the same.

I discussed my concerns to my trainer, Nick Everhart, and he explained to me that muscle weighs more than fat. I need to measure my BMI, body mass index, to truly understand how much muscle and fat I actually have. I recommend this for anyone, but if you are like me and do not own a BMI calculator and want to see results now, get a measuring tape  to measure around your waist, arms, legs and bottom. I enjoy seeing the results this way because losing inches is much better than a number on a scale.

Until next time,

heidicav

Alcohol- the thing we don’t count as calories

If you use my fitness pal , or any other calorie counter, you probly noticed that alcohol has a considerable amount of calories. On average, one budlight has around 15o calories. If I have my usual three, that is 450 calories. Yikes! That is so much.

It would be easier to ignore the fact that I drank almost half of my calorie intake for the entire day, but it would not be beneficial to me. In order for you to have an accurate calorie count, you must include your alcohol intake.

I suggest, if you are going to drink, plan your meals out accordingly so you are able to balance fun and a well balanced diet. It is very difficult to drink an access of alcohol and lose weight. If you count your alcohol in your calorie counter, you will be able to continue to lose weight, or at least maintain your current weight.

Until next time,

heidicav

Booty Work

Whether you want your bottom bigger, smaller or more perky, everyone has one exercise  in common to really do the trick-squats. Squats targets all the muscles in the lower half of body. If you choose to stop your squat with your legs at a 90 degree angle, your bottom and the top front thigh will get the most work. If you want to get rid of the fatty tissue surrounding the tops of the back of your legs, make your bottom go as low as it can. Complete the movement for as long as possible, and be consistent of your workout regime to get the best results.

This is a movement that does not take very long. On my busier days, I made a commitment to myself to do ten squats each time I went to the restroom and before I went to bed. I noticed that making self commitments help hold myself accountable for my actions.

Until next time,

heidicav

 

Sweet Pea, Get Rid of the Sweet Tea

In one cup of sweet tea, there are over 200 calories in a 16 oz cup. WHAT?! The most common household drink in the southeastern region of the United States in sweet tea. Nothing tastes better with Grandma’s roast, rice and gravy than a big ole glass of sweet tea.

Unfortunately, sweet tea is basically sugar or syrup water. If you are eating healthy foods, and carefully planning out your meals, you are counteracting your efforts with sweet tea. Some people drink up to 5 glasses of sweet tea a day.

Sweet pea, it’s time to substitute the cup of sugar water for unsweetened tea. This may seem heart breaking, but hear me out. One cup of unsweetened tea has around ten calories. Add a packet of the zero calorie all natural sweetener, stevia, to your tea. This is a much healthier option, and from one southern gal to another, I promise it’s worth it.

Until next time,

heidicav