Real Women- Meet Brandi

As a quest to find out how all woman conduct their life- I've set out to interview all different women. I know whats works for me- and what doesnt. But as I've said so many times- we're all truly different and need to find out what works for us as an individual. So, lets see whats worked for others- or what hasnt- and what other woman have to say about weight, food, fitness, and their attitude towards it all.

I'd like to introduce my dear friend Brandi. Brandi is 32 years old and the mom of 3 young children. She's a stay at home mom- which she describes as truly one of the hardest jobs out there. She is 5"1"- and weighs 118 lbs. Let's learn a bit about her..

 

What time does your day start?
7 am


What's for breakfast?
First thing in the morning is a latte. After my workout its usually egg whites with salsa in the form of a burrito or with cottage cheese and ezekial toast.


Do you exercise? If yes what and how often?
Yes, if time permits usually 6 days a week. I mix it up with weight lifting/ light cardio or dance class (jazzercise- don't make fun) ***(me: Why would I make fun I love the carwash dance!!)

What are you snacks, lunch and dinner? 
Since my breakfast is large I do not usually eat a big lunch. I will usually substitute it with a protein shake of 1/2 cup of milk, 1 tsp of natural peanut butter, 1 tsp. of cocoa powder, 1 banana, scoop of vanilla protein and ice.. Yum!

Dinner is different every night- favorites are sushi (yes with the rice), chicken and pasta, salmon.. Whatever my tastebuds are craving that night. I do not diet. I never could! And honestly, I don't want to. I eat what I like in moderation and I work out hard so that I can maintain my choices.

What motivates you to eat healthy and exercise?

I love to exercise so it's motivation in itself. I love the way I feel after a good sweaty workout..I try to eat health to be a good example for my kids.. With all the junk food that is available for our kids these days I feel it's important to show them how to make good choices..

What about bad days?

I don't beat myself up at all over it. If I miss a workout I dont worry about it or if I eat everyones dessert or the kids pizza I font worry about it either. I enjoy my life. Lifes too short to miss it's great indulgences:)
 

Whats your guilty pleasure?

You mean what isn't! My worst time of eating guilty food is at night when the kids are in bed and I'm in bed in front of the TV. Nothing is off limits- unless it's not sweet! I must admit I must have something sweet EVERY night before bed- ice-cream, Fro yo, cereal, bananas with chocolate sauce and nuts, if I have left over shabbat cake in the house. 

Thanks Brandi!


**I love Brandi's spirit and attitude about life. She always has a smile on her face, and is always up for a good time. She truly enjoys life- and lives each moment to the fullest. 

Coming Up...

I've been working on a project that I've been getting some great feedback on. We all love to hear what other woman eat, especially woman that live similar lifestyles as we do. We like to hear how they balance family, life, religion, etc and still find time to exercise and eat properly. SOO I'm on a quest. I'll be interviewing all different types of woman with all different lifestyles. Singles. Moms. Business Woman. Stay at home moms. Fitness Competitors. Personal Trainers. College students. All different types. I want to hear about what they eat, what they do for fitness, how often they do it, what they weigh, what motivates them, tips that they have and share it all for people to learn from. Those that wish their name to be anonnomous will be. Soo hang in there- first feature will appear in the next few days..

Food- Pleasure of Fuel?

WHY NOT BOTH?!

We constantly have this battle. Should I eat this? But I really want that? Why do I feel like I need to sacrifice good taste for a trimmer slimmer healthier body? Does it have to be either or? Ummm- how many lives do you live? Last I checked we all have one- so lets live a little bit and enjoy the foods we're eating!
Now- that doesnt mean pizza and fries all day long- nor does it mean chicken breast and celery for breakfast, lunch, and dinner..we must find a balance. It takes learning about the foods that are healthy yet tasty- learn how to prepare them- when to eat them- how much of it to eat- and how to efficiently burn the calories needed in order to maintain your optimal physique. Theres a lot of great information out there, and a lot of tools to help you reach your health and fitness goals- but if you want it- you gotta come and get it.

I've never done this before- first time ever- may be the last. It's absolutely free- and could be costly for you if you dont attend :)

I'll be speaking on Jan 19th at 8:00 pm at Chabad of the Conejo- 30345 Canwood St. This will not be a textbook course where you come and take notes like I did all through high school and did not enjoy- this is simply, practical, relatable easy to follow information that I use in my day to day life. The course is for both men and women.

As an extra perk, I will be raffling off a **free personal training session** to all those that pre-register online. You must pre-register to attend the course. It's a 2 part course- I'll be doing the second one.

Here's the link to register
http://www.jewishacademy.com/2011winter/courses.asp?Section=25&ID=572

Back to Basics..

Heres the results of THE FAT FLUSH. I loved it. While on it, I never felt better. Increased energy, level headed, felt lighter, healthier- my skin felt more clear. I wasnt moody, I had no cravings- it truly resulted in everything it preached about..and in the end I lost 7 lbs in 2 weeks. Now, after a few days off of it- heres "the after thoughts". 2 lbs have come back on, so I'm assuming its really 5 legitimate lbs.

It's expensive. No doubt the foods she wants you eating is more expensive than what you usually spend on foods. The cranberry juice is an extra expense- plus if flax seeds and flax oil are not part of your usual diet- you'll be coughing up a few more for that. Then adding in the vitamins and supplements- the all natural apple cider vinegar- the fresh herbs instead of usual spices- and you're talking an extra hundred on just supplies. But still- the foods are very good and very good for you- so its not an expense for nothing- I've become a huge fan of flax and dont think I would have ever tried if not for this cleanse.

Its very very hard to keep to when eating out. If you enjoy every once in a while going out to eat whether it be a quick lunch or nice dinner- its almost impossible to fully stick with this cleanse. Unless you're at the LifeStyle Eating part of the cleanse (the later part after a few weeks) theres nothing really you can eat out. I traveled a few days while doing this cleanse and it was near impossible- I had to pack my own proteins, steamed veggies- and the only thing you can really pick up on the go are fruits and raw veggies- I even brought along flax dressing. So- easier to stick with when you're at home and have time to prep- hard when you're on the go and need to eat out.

 Other than those biggies- a liver cleanse is a very smart yet challenging idea to be doing every once in a while. Some people may just have fatty livers and clearing out toxins and allowing your liver to function properly is always a good thing. However- use that same logic- cut back on fatty starchy foods- increase your veggies- clean out the junk in your system- and you're bound to cleanse you system. Its not rocket science- its applying what you know and sticking with it. Know the basics- you must. I wrote a blog for a friend's website- all about Your Post Baby Body but it really can be used for anyone- male and female- with kids or without. It has a lot of good info- so read through it fully.

LadyMama: 10 Tips For Your Post-Baby Bod: "By Rachel Laber Rachel's experience after gaining and losing weight from her first pregnancy encouraged her to become a certified Perso..."