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Showing posts with label challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label challenge. Show all posts

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Tips to get through 75 Hard

 Tips to get through 75 Hard 

Although I haven't completed the program yet, there are few tips and tricks I've learned thus far to help me get through the daily tasks of the #75Hard challenge. 

In case you don't know the rules of #75Hard, I'll share them below. You can also check out my previous blog post for more information.  



Okay so now you know the rules, lets discuss some ways that will make your life a little easier while doing the challenge. 

1. As SOON as you get out of bed, take your progress photo. 
This may sound silly, but if you've done any research on this challenge, you know that this task is the one almost everyone overlooks.  It sounds easy, so you put it off and before you know it the day slips away from you and you forget.  Don't let that be you! 

2. Start drinking your water as early as possible. 
Needless to say, you don't want to be up all night peeing.  The earlier you start, the better off you'll be.

 I would also highly recommend drinking room temperature water.  It's extremely difficult to chug ice cold water! Not only that, but when I was training for Miss USA, my trainer recommended that I start drinking room temperature water because ice cold water shocks your system (think of when you jump into an ice cold pool.. thats how your body feels) and it slows your metabolism down. 

3.  Attend a workout class for one of your 45 minute workouts. 
I know workout classes aren't for everyone, but in today's world there is such a wide array of classes you can choose from.  Whether it's yoga, spin, aerobics, crossfit, etc... pick anything you think you might be interested in and book a class.  The reason I recommend doing a class as one of your 45 min workouts is because once you book a class, you'll be even more obligated to go.  It's scheduled and your paying for it.  No backing out now! 

4.  Download the 75 Hard App and place it on your home screen. 
You can find the 75 Hard app in the app store! It does cost money... I want to say its $4.99 or somewhere around there, but it's SO worth it.  It's a GREAT accountability tool, you're able to track your progress, and if you place the app on your home screen it's a great daily reminder. 

5.  Develop a mantra. 
There are going be days that are tough.  Write down a few mantras that you can always come back to during the difficult moments.  

A few of mine are: 
Take it day by day. 
Wake up. Kick Ass. Be kind.
I'm doing this for me. 

6. Plan ahead. 
Meal prep whenever you can.  You never want to be in a situation where you can't stick to your diet.  This also goes for your workouts.  I travel for a living so planning out when and where I'll be able to workout is vital to my success.  I would recommend scheduling your workouts in your calendar or planner.  You might not always stick to your schedule exactly but at least you'll have an idea of what your day NEEDS to look like.  

7.  When your body feels tired, take the intensity out of your workouts. 
Some days your body is going to be tired.  I mean 75 days of two a days will do somethin' to ya.  When you feel tired, just go for a light walk or do yoga.  

8.  Purchase a gallon sized water bottle. 
I have one and I've been pouring my water from that water bottle into other glasses throughout the day.  It's much easier to keep track when you're pouring from one bottle rather than trying to add up how many glasses and ounces you've had.  

9.  Do your research. 
I read a lot of blogs, listened to the Real AF podcast, and did a lot of research before starting the challenge.  I wanted to be as prepared as possible.  You can learn so much from other peoples experiences!  For me personally, I think doing so set me up for success right away.  I knew the challenges other people faced, so I was able to plan and prepare accordingly.  

10.  Remember your WHY. 
There are going to days that tough.  You are going to be exhausted.  You might even want to give up, but in those moments you have to remember why you started.  Maybe you needed a change, wanted to lose some weight, wanted to become a better leader, or excel in your career.  You must always hold your why close to your heart!


Best of luck to anyone starting this journey! Hope this helped! 

Xoxo
Ashley 







 


Sunday, May 24, 2015

Last Minute Summer Slim Down Secrets

With June right around the corner (7 days to be exact!) you may looking for an emergency weight loss plan.  Well, look no further! Here are a few of my all time favorite & simple slim down secrets. 


7 Day Challenge 

1.  Start your morning off with 1 cup of warm lemon water.
Lemon water helps reduce inflammation, aids digestion, cleanses your system, and helps with weight loss. 

2.  Drink a green juice for breakfast.  (Make with JUICER)


2 cups of Spinach 
2 cups of Kale 
1 loose cup of Parsley 
2 Pears (or 3 Medium pears)  
1 Lemon 
Each night our bodies detox naturally.  By starting our morning off with lemon water, followed by a detox juice, we are prolonging that process.  It's important to continually detox rather than playing red light, green light with our bodies.  

3. Throughout the day sip on dandelion root tea.  It helps remove bloat.

4. Drink a glass of watermelon juice for morning snack. 
Not only are watermelons in season, but they are full of antioxidants, a great source of potassium, low in calories and high in nutrients.  The best part about watermelon juice is that it's loaded with amino acid citrulline which breaks down fat cells. Watermelons have a high water content so you will be able to make a lot of juice! 

5. Enjoy a refreshing salad for lunch.  
Fall in love with creating the perfect crunchy, yet healthy lunch! Keep it light and try to stay away from dairy and croutons (or any bread toppings) The last thing you want to do is have a four course meal with a side of lettuce.  My go to salad recipe is: 
Organic Lettuce 
Shredded Carrots 
Shredded Purple Cabbage 
Cherry Tomatoes 
Sunflower Seeds 
Kalamata Olives 
Olive Oil Balsamic Dressing 

6. Mid Afternoon Snack Choices: 
Laura Bar (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Organic)
Kale Chips (My favorite brand is Alive & Radiant) 
or 1 Slice of Ezekiel Bread 

7.  Have a green smoothie for dinner.
This may be hard for some.  I know the concept of not eating but drinking dinner is frightening, but remember that this challenge is only 8 days.  There 357 other nights to enjoy a sit down meal :) I recommend finishing your day with a green smoothie for a few reasons.  The first being that in order to get results- it's important start and end our day with foods that hold high detoxing properties. The second reason is that the fiber from the smoothie will not only keep you full, but the fiber will also help push/flush out the system.  This last step is vital in order to shed excess weight and drop any bloat. 




Green Smoothie:
1 cup of water 
2 Cups of spinach 
2 Cups of romain lettuce 
1/2 Banana 
1 Green Apple or 1 Pear 
1 Lemon 

After just one day of following this plan you should start to feel more energized and lighter.  Like I said earlier, this challenge is only 7 days!  You can do absolutely anything for 7 days! Kick off your summer feeling your best!

I was asked the other day what supplements I take and what I products I use.  After I started juicing over two years ago, I stopped using any kind of supplement or artificial products simply because when I started eating fresh, clean foods.. the weight started melting off my body.  Before, I was drinking protein shakes regularly and taking all kinds of different and harmful things- AND I wasn't getting the results I wanted.  However, when I started juicing regularly and feeding my body natural foods, I started losing weight.  Everyone is different- finding what works for YOU is always going to be a learning process, but juicing and eating naturally is what worked for me.   


A few natural products I love: 
Dandelion root tea: natural diuretic 
Probiotic: Keeps your gut healthy; improves digestive system  
Digestive Enzymes: Facilitates the breakdown of food  
Magnesium: Mineral that helps digest proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
Smooth Move Tea:  Herbal tea that promotes digestion 

All of these can purchased at health food stores such as Whole Foods & Sprouts.  I highly recommend taking and using these during the 7 day challenge! I am going to be starting the challenge tomorrow... Send me a message and let me know if you will me joining me! 

Instagram: RealAshleyMora 
Twitter: RealAshleyMora 

Xoxo 
Ashley Mora 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Fit In Feb Challenge



 
With spring break less than a month away and summer just around the corner, earlier this month I decided to sit down and write out a plan for myself that incorporated juicing and clean eating.  It’s a lot easier for me to stick to a plan when I have it written out and I’m not guessing what to eat next.  I printed this plan out and I have a copy of it hanging everywhere… my fridge, my office, and my car.  Having that constant reminder of my goals and my plan is what keeps me on track. 

This plan is something I wrote and designed for myself.  I didn’t have it approved by a dietitian or anything… I just combined personal experience with what I have learned from my personal trainers over the past 5 or so years. 

It’s challenging but it works :) I have no issues when it comes to replacing meals with juice.  I don’t feel deprived or feel like I am low on energy… I actually feel the complete opposite! I feel full, satisfied, and energized!


Fit In Feb CHALLENGE
·      No Dairy
·      No (processed) Sugar
·      No Wheat or White Flour Products
·      Juice 80% of everyday
·      Only have one cheat meal a week
·      Always cleanse on Monday
·      Stick to Meal Plan
·      Workout at least 5 hours a week
·      No Cokes (including Diet)
·      No artificially flavored drinks
·      No Processed Foods
·      No creamer with coffee
·      1 piece of gum a day
·      No Energy Drinks


MONDAYS
6:30                Drink a glass of Lemon Water.
7:45                Drink First Juice.
9:00                Drink a cup of Green Tea.
10:00             Drink a 16oz Juice.
11:00              Drink a glass of water with Lemon or other fruit.
12:00              Drink a 16oz Juice.
1:00                Drink a cup of Green Tea.
2:00                Drink a glass of 16oz Juice.
3:00                Drink a glass of water.
4:00                Drink a glass of 16oz Juice.
5:00                Drink a glass of water.
6:00                Drink a glass of 16oz Juice.
7:00                Drink a glass of water
8:00                Drink a glass of 8oz Juice (If needed) 

TUESDAYS
7:45                Drink a glass of Lemon Water.           
9:00                Breakfast Burrito with Ezekiel tort. 2 Eggs.  Green Chili.  (Feta Cheese Optional) Coffee with Almond Milk and natural sweetener              
10:00              Drink glass of water          
11:00              Water or Tea if needed       
12:00              Drink 16oz Juice    
1:00                Cup of Green Tea     
2:00                Drink 8oz Juice         
3:00                Drink glass of lemon water
4:00                Drink 8oz juice Juice with Nuts  
5:00                Cup of Green Tea       
6:00                Drink 16oz  
7:00                Water                                      
8:00                8oz Juice if needed
 
WEDNESDAYS
6:30                Drink a glass of Lemon Water.          
7:45                Drink First Juice    
9:00                Water with Lemon (or other fruit)              
10:00              Drink 16oz Juice    
11:00              Cup of Green Tea     
12:00              Salad with Chicken, Tomatoes, avocado, and feta cheese.    
1:00                Glass of Water          
2:00                8oz Juice        
3:00                Cup of Green tea      
4:00                8oz Juice with all Natural Bar  (brand-ALT Laura Bar.  I like these because they have minimal, all natural ingredients. They are Vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and non-GMO.)       
5:00                Glass of Water            
6:00                16oz Juice    
7:00                Water              
8:00                8oz Juice if needed

THURSDAYS
6:30                Drink a glass of Lemon Water.          
7:45                Drink First Juice   
9:00                Cup of Green Tea       
10:00              8oz Juice with nuts            
11:00              Glass of Water          
12:00              Sandwich on Ezekiel Break with either lunchmeat or tuna.  No cheese.   Mustard only.  Tomato or avocado ok. 
1:00                Water or Green Tea
2:00                8oz Juice      
3:00                Water            
4:00                8oz Juice with all natural bar                              
5:00                Cup of Tea                                                      
6:00                16oz Juice    
7:00                Water              
8:00                8oz Juice if needed.  

FRIDAYS
6:30                Drink a glass of Lemon Water.          
7:45                Drink First Juice    
9:00                Coffee with Almond Milk and natural sweetener                          
10:00              8oz Juice with All Natural Bar    
11:00              Water            
12:00              16oz Juice    
1:00                Cup of Green Tea     
2:00                8oz Juice with all natural popcorn          
3:00                Water            
4:00                16oz juice    
5:00                Water              
6:00                Baked Chicken with Almond Meal and Salad   
7:00                Water              
8:00                8oz Juice if needed

SATURDAYS
8:00                Drink First Juice                   
9:00                Water              
10:00              16oz Juice with Nuts         
11:00              Water            
12:00              16oz Juice with Bar           
1:00                Cup of Green tea      
2:00                16oz Juice      
3:00                Water            
4:00                8oz Juice      
5:00                Cheat Meal                              

SUNDAYS
6:30                Drink a glass of Lemon Water.          
7:45                Drink First Juice    
9:00                Cup of Green Tea       
10:00              16oz Juice    
11:00              Water            
12:00              16oz Juice with Nuts         
1:00                Water            
2:00                16oz Juice      
3:00                Cup of Green tea      
4:00                Healthy Family Dinner i.e. Chicken and Salad 
5:00                Water              
6:00                8oz Juice if needed
7:00                Water              
8:00                8oz Juice if needed



Here are a few examples of the clean recipes I have posted... for more food items to incorporate into this diet, check out my non-juicing blog.

Breakfast Burrito
 Bake or microwave spaghetti squash.  Make sure you cut or poke holes in it before heating it up!
 After scraping out the seeds, scrape out the squash and throw it on a hot pan with olive oil or non-stick spray.  Cook until crispy like hash browns. (So yummy)
 Heat up your tortilla and add your ingredients!
Wrap it up and it's ready to go! 
 I dipped mine in red chili :)


If you want to get real fancy you can add feta cheese and turkey bacon!



 These are my favorite nuts to snack on!


These bars are the BEST bars out there in my opinion! It's all about minimal ingredients and all natural foods.  These babies have such few ingredients, it's AMAZING! Most protein bars are loaded with chemicals... just compare labels next time you are at the store.  If there are more than 10 ingredients.. it's probably not great for you.  ALT is the best brand!



*** JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER***

If you fall off your diet, don't give up! 90% is still an A! Don't turn a moment of weakness into a cheat day or a cheat week... just enjoy that piece of chocolate and get right back on track with your day :)




If you have any questions please leave me a comment or shoot me a message on FB.

XOXO, 
Ashley 

For Daily Tips and Recipes follow me on: 

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Twitter: MissAshleyMoora