Birthday Recap

Hey there. ;)

Can you believe half the year has gone by already?! I simply cannot. My life needs to slooow down just a tad bit. 2012 is going by just too darn fast! Can anyone relate?

Anyways, Friday was my sweet sixteen. Thank you to everyone who tweeted me, texted me, e-mailed me or Facebooked me. I truly appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. I had a very low key day which is exactly what I wanted. And I am sure you all are just dying to know what I did, so I'll save you the trouble of wondering.

It started off in the morning with this lovely plate in front of me.

Bacon, Ezekiel toast, a runny egg, strawberries, and my free blonde roast coffee!

Can I just express my undying love for bacon?! It's so good! I wanted to save the grease for a salad dressing but it dried too quickly. Oh well, maybe next time, considering we bought two whole packs from Costco.

After that, I was out on the roads practicing my driving skills, as I was a few hours away from the road test... dun dun dun. 

I wasn't nervous at first. But as we approached the DMV my heart was beating a mile a minute. I could hear the thump through my ears. Typically, the DMV is packed with people, but we literally walked right in. Waiting time was merely two minutes. Birthday luck!

I almost had a heart attack when we were missing a document. But all we had to do was fill out a form instead and I felt a lot better. Talk about birthday luck! I was so flipping nervous when we pulled around back and the driving instructor entered the car. The test was literally 15 minutes. That was it. I won't bore you with the details, but the verdict?

I PASSED!!!

Of course I did though because Type A Brittany wouldn't allow herself to fail. Type A Brittany doesn't like failing.

I feel so official now that I have my license. It's awesome!

After that, we went out for some dinner to fill my grumbling tummy up. Now I should warn you, I have a stomach made of pure steel. It's bottomless. So if you think this is a lot of food, a) calories don't count on your birthday, duh and b) I need this food to put some weight on me! (Those two points kind of contradict themselves, don't they? Oh well.) And the best part? It was delicious.

First, I started out with a ginger salad and some soup, but I devoured that before I took any pictures... oops.

Then, I nibbled on some edamame.

Of course, I HAD to get sashimi, so here's my tuna that was AMAZING. I LOVE the way they cut that apple. So exquisite!

After that was demolished by the hunger monster, I moved on to the best vegetables EVER. The chef, who cooks the food in front of you, made sure to do some cool tricks for my birthday. The vegetables included onions, zucchini, broccoli and carrots mixed with soy sauce, sesame seeds, salt and pepper. Served with some teryaki sauce and ginger sauce.

Apologies for demolishing the vegetables before taking a good picture!

Here's a cool little video of him lighting the grill!

So epic, right?! 

The best part: the fried rice. My absolute favorite. In the mix was white rice, carrots, onions, fried eggs (the best part) and salt and pepper. Friends, this is honestly the best fried rice I have hands down ever had. I demolished that whole bowl. Talk about a carb load.

After that the best teryaki chicken was made. It (obviously) included teryaki sauce, sesame seeds, salt and pepper. The chicken was good but it was HOT HOT HOT.

And that was only about half of my portion. :)

I cleaned my plate and as we were waiting for the bill, the chefs came out banging pots and pans to sing me a happy birthday. They sang it to me in Japanese, and it was so cute, but everyone turned around to look at me. Hey, no shame. Be jealous! They took a picture of my mom, dad, brother, my brother's girlfriend, and I to put up on their wall of fame. My cousins have tons of pictures up there because they are frequent visitors (and I am sure you are reading this, Kait!) They brought me out a complimentary scoop of rainbow sherbert ice cream but I gave it to my dad as I had plans for something bigger...

This.

That is two scoops of the creamiest, yummiest frozen yogurt. It consisted of mint chocolate chip on the bottom and cotton candy on the top. NOM. So delicious.

All in all, I had a fantastic day. I drove around a lot and hung out with my family, which was awesome. Today is my brother's seventeenth birthday (happy birthday bro!) and I am so happy to be a licensed driver!

Thanks again for all the love. On a side note, I joked around that I should marry someone with the last name Aki. Why? Because then I can add a hyphen to my name and it'd be Brittary Terry-Aki. Hehe! I'm such a jokester. ;)

Questions: What's your ideal birthday? When is your birthday? Favorite flavor of frozen yogurt or ice cream?

16 Facts About Me

Tomorrow's my 16th birthday.

Yes, why yes it is. I am excited, thrilled and I can feel the freedom yet at the same time I feel nostalgic and somewhat sad that my kiddie years are pretty much entirely over. I miss the days where my dad could lift me over his head fly me around like a plane, or the days when I would beg my mom for an Oreo McFlurry at McDonald's. Those things were GOOD.

In honor of my sweet sixteen, I shall divulge sixteen random facts about me:

1. Donuts are synonymous with pure abhorrence.

I HATE donuts, and not because they are 'unhealthy.' They are dry, tasteless, and frankly disgusting. I cringe at the sight of donuts in bake shops. It makes my stomach growl, almost like a guard dog growling at an intruder. Every time I ate a donut when I was little, I would feel extremely sick. Nope. Won't do it. 

This is precisely my reaction. Facial expression and everything.

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2. I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T, do you know what that mean?!

Does anyone remember that ridiculous song? I remember thinking I was so 'hood' when I sang that with my friends in 6th grade. Anyways, if I could choose one word to describe me, I feel this is the home run hit. I love to try to do everything by myself and I enjoy my alone time. My own worst enemy is ME, so I am always trying to prove to myself that I can do this or that. Sometimes though, you really do need help from others, but never lose sight of who YOU are and don't let another person define you.

3. My grandfather is an immigrant from Ireland.

Yup. I remember as a kid I would boast this tidbit of information to EVERYONE, thinking I was so cool. My 'papa' came here on a boat from Ireland with a measly $50 in his pocket, spending $2 every night here in Chicago to pay for a bed in a hostel. He worked his BUTT off to make it here. He met my grandma, who came from a rich family, and the rest is history. But even though my grandma's dad was rich, my grandparents never used a single cent of their wealth to take care of my mom and her four siblings. They worked for their own money. Talk about hard work!

4. My brother and I are Irish twins.

Irish twins are two siblings who were born within a year of each other. My birthday is tomorrow, however my brother turns 17 on Saturday, so yes, his birthday is a day after mine. We were a day away from not being Irish twins! Speaking of close birthdays, my family is notorious for that. My parents were born within five days of each other, my mom's brother and sister were born on the same day, I have twin cousins (obviously born on the same day), my mom's other brother, my grandma and my papa were all born within three days of each other, and two of my cousins who are brothers were born within three days of each other. The funny thing is, they are super Irish and one of them was born on St. Patrick's Day!

5. Christmastime is my time.

I always hear everyone yearning for summer--to relax on the beach, drink summery fruity drinks, and just 'kick it.' Not me. I yearn for Christmas. I love everything about it: the music, the shopping, the jolly attitudes, the presents. When the Christmas music starts playing on the radio in November, my mom and I freak out. We love shopping, we love the snow on Christmas (if there is any) and we love wrapping gifts. I am a PRO at that. My heart and mind feels completely at peace at this time. Six more months.

Christmas '04. See that Bratz doll with the Mini Coupe? Yeah, I was THAT cool.

6. I love to try new foods, no matter how gross they are.

What's that one term... YOLO? Oh right. But seriously, you only live once so try new things! I love to try new foods. I've never had eggplant and I saw some on sale at my local market. I immediately grabbed it and said "Let's try it!" (P.S. thanks to my friend Liz who told me how to cook it!) It was awesome. I'm not afraid to try gross foods too, not just new-to-me fruits and vegetables. My brother, on the other hand, refuses to try new things, bless his heart. A few years ago when we went to Chili's on my birthday (for my chocolate molten cake, duh) we had to bribe him with $20 just to eat a little tiny (and when I say tiny, I MEAN tiny) piece of jalapeno. And it took him like ten minutes. Oh gosh, I love my brother.

7. I rarely wear something other than athletic clothes.

Only on very special occasions. A trip to the grocery store is not a special occasion. I love my track jackets, yoga pants, athletic shorts, gym shoes, T-shirts, etc. I just bought two adorable skirts (one blue denim and the other white) and they are super cute. I just need an excuse to wear them! I'd rather a gift card from Lululemon than a gift card from Nordstrom's. Truth.

8. I am so Type A, it's scary.

Fact: We took a personality test in my health class. A number above 120 meant that you were extremely Type A. I scored a 134. I am so about doing things at certain times, I am extremely IMPATIENT, I bite off way more than I can chew, and other notable traits of a Type A personality. I never used to be that way but as I grew up, that exactly what I became. When I met my trainer, within five minutes of knowing each other, she said "You know, you're very Type A." Hmm. So I've been told.

9. I have a soft spot for dogs.

I am a dog person. I am not a cat person, especially because a) my brother is allergic to them and b) when we had two cats when my brother and I were little tots, we annoyed them so much that they came in to my brother's bedroom and attacked him. Needless to say, we don't like cats. Every time I see a dog my heart melts. I could honestly not care what type of dog it is. Lab, chihuahua, rottweiler. They are all the same to me. Even if I am on the trails going past a dog and they try to attack me, I would STILL love dogs. But dogs don't attack me, because dogs love me. ;) I used to have a German shepherd and he was the prettiest dog. I miss him. Right now I have this black lab, named Rocky, who is such a dork, but I love him to death. I mean who could resist this?!

I have like 1,000 pictures of him. He HATES taking pictures. Diva.

10. I am a city girl, sorry dad!

I say sorry dad because my dad originates from a tiny town in the middle of nowhere in Arkansas. He is a country boy at heart. However, I am a city girl. I love going up to Chicago and walking around the city. It makes me feel so ALIVE! Hehe, as you can tell, I looove the city. Especially during, you guessed it, Christmastime! I really want to go to New York City and Los Angeles, as well as other famous cities around the world. It's where I will live one day but somehow I have to combine my passion for dogs and an apartment in the city... hmm... that's not going to be easy.

11. I still play Spyro. And yes, I play Call of Duty. Get at me.

And yes, you read that right. Spyro: Year of the Dragon will eternally be my favorite video game. I get so nostalgic playing this game as it brings me back to when I was a kid. I remember playing this in 8th grade again after a long hiatus and I ate a whole pack of feta cheese along with a McDonald's caramel frappe. Interesting combination...? If you have played Spyro but can't recall the game, it is the one where Spyro must find all the baby dragon eggs. I also like the original Spyro the Dragon where you have to unlock all of the green dragon statues. I also play Call of Duty. I freakin' love the Call of Duty games. I love sniping, and I LOVE zombies. I also really like Halo... and any Super Mario game. Okay, now I just sound like a dork, but then again I don't mind!

12. When I was little, I thought people lived in black and white.

I didn't understand that they just couldn't produce color for film. I honestly thought they lived their day-to-day lives in black and white. Then I saw a picture that had color and I flipped. How did they have color?! That is when I registered that color has always existed. Wow.

13. I am the vice president of the anti-bullying club at my school.

I highly dislike bullies. I accept everyone. If someone is a giant jerk, then I let them live their life that way and don't give them a second thought. If I see someone bullying anyone, I WILL step in, regardless of how the bully may now perceive me and may turn on me. I don't care. Being 'popular' and well liked is not on my list of priorities.

14. I salt my fruit.

I mentioned recently that I have a salt tooth on my Twitter. I loveee sea salt. So crisp, so yummy. It gives perfect flavor to dishes. I try not to get too much sodium in my diet but if I go overboard with the salt, I up my water intake to at least try to balance things out. Fruit is good, but add salt and it's awesome. My favorite fruits with salt are watermelon and cantaloupe. 

15. I am an amazing speller.

In 3rd and 4th grade, people called me the speller. Seriously. You could give me a very hard word to spell in which I have never seen before and I could spell it. I have never received anything less than a 100% on a spelling test. I just visualize the word in my head and I can spell it.

16. I'm the odd one out in my family in terms of appearance.

Why? I am the only one in my ENTIRE family (extended included) with blonde hair, besides my cousin who has very dirty blonde hair. By blonde, though, I mean nearly platinum blonde. Blondes are notorious for having blue eyes, but I have brown eyes. It's not everyday that you see a natural blonde with brown eyes, so if that fits your description, consider yourself awesome! My mom had slight blonde hair as a child, but not for long. It's amazing how genes work!

Smart blonde. Don't get that confused.

Well, there you have it! Now you know more about me, aren't you special?! Here's to hoping I will have an awesome birthday! My plans for the day are getting my license (finally), eating fro yo, going out for sushi, and chillaxing with the family. 

Have a great day everyone! If you're in the Chicagoland area, it will be about 110 degrees (!!!) today so DRINK LOTS OF WATER, try not to spend too much time outside, and try to do cardio indoors!

Question: Are you surprised by any of these things about me? What is something random about you that I should know? Can you relate to any of these?

First Time Doing CrossFit

It's Wednesday, A.K.A. hump day, A.K.A. two more days until the weekend, and even better... my BIRTHDAY!

I MUST share what I did last Saturday. I usually do leg workouts on Saturday, and I don't train with Mary (my trainer) on the weekends so I am usually on my own. Lately, I have not been feeling energized to work on my legs. They are my lagging body part and I am so hard on myself when I don't feel like I am getting in what I consider a 'good' workout. I am tall and my legs are so skinny; I literally cannot look at myself in the mirror when I walk by in shorts because it makes me sad. I am working on getting better with this, as I know they eventually will grow, but I am so impatient.

Legs used to be my favorite body part to work, but now they have started to become somewhat of a drag, so on Saturday I decided I was going to leave the legs to be destroyed by Mary and do something else. I wasn't really feeling doing a typical lifting workout nor did I feel like doing cardio (do I ever?) so I was racking my brain on what to do. I didn't want to do yoga or pilates. But wait, I've been dying to do CrossFit. My gym doesn't offer classes so I took the bull by the horns and researched a few "WODs" until I found one that looked appealing. What is appealing to me? One that doesn't require me to do a 100 Pull-Ups but will still challenge me. Yeah, it took me awhile to find one hehe! But I did.

Here is what I did:

15 Box Jumps
15 Burpees
10 Kettlebell Snatches (each arm)

15 Weighted Sit-Ups

*repeat 5 times for time

What a rush! It looked pretty simple but let me tell you, looks can be so deceiving! It was very tough! I used a medicine ball for the sit-ups and I also used the second highest box for the box jumps. The kettlebell was a smaller one as I have never done snatches before, so I started out slowly. The burpees nearly killed me not to mention the fact that I chomped down on my lip super hard and blood was present! But it was SO WORTH IT.

If you have never tried any type of CrossFit workout, I highly recommend that you venture out of your comfort zone and give it a try! I am definitely going back for more, that's for sure!

I also did a glute workout that look something like this:

15 Reverse Hyperextensions on Bench (hold the last rep for 5 seconds)

15 Weighted Glute Bridges
15 Weighted Hip Extensions

*repeat 3 times

I used a 25 lb. plate for the bridges and I put a 5 lb. dumbbell behind my legs for the hip extensions. Give it a try and hear your booty scream!

PROOF!

Have a great Wednesday :)

Question: Have you ever tried CrossFit? If so, what do you like the most about it? What do you like the least? If you haven't, would you like to? And finally, do you like working the glutes?

Strength Training For Recovery

Happy Marvelous In My Monday!

Let's start the week off right! Today, I share my opinion on something very prevalent in society...

There's really no question that the pressure to be skinny is quite clearly evident in our society. All we see these days are statuesque models who are so svelte, or extremely shredded people on billboards supporting this new fad diet.

I recently saw this on Pinterest and it just boggles my mind:

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This is not an ad promoting how to look like the girl on the left. It is promoting looking like the right. Back in the day, the 'curvy' look was all the hype. Women deemed too skinny didn't really get the jobs (or the men, for that matter) as much as their curvier counterparts. A round booty and a 'thicker' look in general was favored. Marilyn Monroe, a curvy and gorgeous women, was the epitome of beauty back in the day. Fun fact: she did strength training. 

The proof is in the picture:

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Fast forward 50 years and now all we see is skinny women. My heart breaks when I hear about another supermodel or person in general die of anorexia or any other type of disorder simply for the sake of being skinny.

And I should mention how disgusting and repulsive I think the work "skinny" is. It's just my opinion, but I think it is better to be fit than "skinny." 

In my own personal history, I would've died to be "skinny" about a year and a half to two years ago. My thought process was that if I was "skinny" I would be accepted and boys would like me more. I would have more friends and be popular. I did hours upon hours on the elliptical because I thought cardio was the only way to be "skinny."

This is not abnormal thinking for a pre-teen, unfortunately. It is truly my belief that girls suffering from eating disorders or poor self esteem in general should use weight training to recover.

What?

Hear me out. When I went through my phase of desire to be skinny, I would look at women who had the slightest bit of muscle disturbing. I would never see a single woman step into my gym's weight room and that empowered me to do more cardio. If other women aren't doing it, why should I? The only women I saw back there were my trainer and her friend, and at the time I thought they looked way too muscular.

I didn't want to eat much and exercised all the time. When I realized I was just heading down the wrong path, I decided to do my research. I looked all over the web for numerous studies on what was the best way to work out. What I came across shocked me. With informative websites, a big one being bodybuilding.com, I read hundreds of studies and articles promoting lifting weights. It built lean muscle that torched calories all day. That intrigued me.

I decided to add some weights to my crazy cardio routine. Yes, that's right, I was still doing the cardio. I still believed it would help me on my adventure to fitness. I could barely shoulder press 10 lbs. in each hand or curl 7.5 lb. dumbbells. I would lift weights for about 45 minutes, and then do another hour of cardio on the elliptical. I was basically in the gym for an hour and 45 minutes each day. 

When I realized my body was not functioning properly, I decided to take action. I contacted my trainer, Mary, and before long I was lifting weights with her. She told me no more than 2-3 days of cardio a week. I was shocked. That little cardio? But doesn't cardio make you fit? That's when I learned that there are different components of fitness, and cardiovascular exercise was just one piece of the puzzle. I had to do strength training, and I had to do it right.

Ever since then, I am learning something new about strength training each and every single day that empowers me to keep lifting, build muscle, and stay happy. I have been so much more happy doing more strength training. I'm not saying not to do cardio, because it is still important, but my outlook on cardio has definitely changed.

For this reason, I think girls (and boys) diagnosed with any self esteem problems or eating disorders need to be put on a strength training plan. It seems ridiculous as it is really hard to change the mindset of people suffering from this. But if they learn what it's made up of, they will change. They will learn that food is FUEL and to eat the right amount. They will learn the importance of muscle and why people should have it, instead of letting the muscle waste away. They will learn how the endorphins of weight training cannot compare to anything, instead of being miserable on some ridiculous cardio machine. They will learn that their body is their temple, and when they put good in, they get good out (both mentally and physically). They will learn so much that will completely alter their views. 

I plan on speaking to a big group of girls and boys about this. Stop mentally and physically killing yourself. Start learning the facts.

It has helped me, and I know it can help others. Who's with me? :)

Question: If you started weight training after suffering from self esteem issues or an eating disorder, did it help you? If you love lifting weights, why do you love it? And if you don't strength train, what is your reasoning not to?

I'd love to hear some opinions!

***DISCLAIMER: I am not saying that unless you put someone struggling with these issues on a strength training plan, they will never recover. There is no magic recovery process. One suffering ALWAYS has to find what works for them.***

FitFluential Fitness Bucket List

Hello out there :) I decided to do a random Saturday post about my FitFluential Fitness Bucket List as I was seeing many of my fellow Ambassadors posting theirs. In fact, Brittany (not me, another AWESOME Brittany) posted hers yesterday and it's excellent, so go check it out here. :)

I am super ambitious and extremely Type A, so expect me to accomplish these. Because I will. No ifs or buts about it.

Ready? Well here it anyways.

1. Compete in a figure competition

This is huge for me! I have been wanting to do this FOREVER. Why figure? Well the girls in bikini, physique, fitness, and bodybuilding all work super diligently, there's not doubt about that, but figure just called my name from the start. The muscular look coupled with the lean 'figure' (hehe get it) astounds me. I can't wait to turn 18, that is all I am going to say. :)


2. Do CrossFit

High intensity? Check. Rock hard body? Check. Dedication? Check. All are incorporated into CrossFit. I love high intensity workouts so this obviously fits me. I don't think I'll become a hardcore CrossFit junkie that only does CrossFit, but I do like to switch up my routines every now and then I know I will definitely be making time for this in the future.








3. Become a certified personal trainer

I have my college plans already planned out, and I'm not even there yet. Do you see why they call me ambitious? When I turn 18 I plan on getting certified. I want to train people and teach people to live a healthy lifestyle. I want to be a psychologist and a trainer on the side. Tack on competing and call me a busy girl!


4. Practice yoga

I just started yoga and I am hooked. It stretches out my tight muscles from the gym and it relaxes me like no other. Ask my family: I am ALWAYS anxious about something. I cannot sit still. But put on some soothing tunes, give me a mat, and it's like someone tranquilized me. I really want to try all types of yoga to see what suits me, but I'm leaning towards hot yoga and restorative yoga.










5. Do boxing

Heck YES. I am a little nervous to try it (what me, NERVOUS?!) but I am going to. Just look at those boxers (including the females) and see the determination and fierceness in their eyes. They are IN it to WIN it. It looks really tough, both mentally and physically, so naturally, I want to do it.











6. Do box jumps on the highest box

I can do box jumps easily on the second highest box, but I am so afraid of doing the tallest. Erin Stern can do it with no problem, but me? I may need some work. I did trip one time doing box jumps and I still have a gnarly bruise on my ankle as proof. But I just have to suck it up and do it! When I do, you all will be the first to know :)







7. Bench my body weight

Yeah. Enough said. I am almost there. I will get there. Patience + perserverance = Brittany bench pressing her own body weight. Boo yahhh.









8. Compete in a triathlon

My lovely trainer and my dearest friend does triathlons like they're nothing. Seriously, she is always going at it and I wish I could do just about anything like her! I really want to try one because I LOVE swimming (I was like a fish as a child) and biking. Running, eh I'm not that fond of long distance running but I would do it and be  very proud of myself! My trainer always tells me when I say that I can't be a long distance runner that if I set my mind to it, I can. We'll see. ;)




9. Do a planche push-up

One of these days. Maybe. No I take that maybe back.

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I will probably be adding more as time goes on. I have so many goals but I don't want to overwhelm myself. Heck, I need to focus on my short term goals too, such as turning my clothes inside out so it's easier to do the laundry, right mom? ;) 

Follow me on Pinterest if I ever add more here. Have a great weekend friends!

Question: What's on your fitness bucket list? 

Fitness Friday

It's.... Fitness Friday!

Happy Friday everyone! You have made it to the weekend! How are you all feeling?!

I've had a great week of workouts and I am feeling quite content! Here's what this week's workouts looked like:

Saturday: Legs
Sunday: Shoulders
Monday: Biceps & Abs
Tuesday: 10 mile bike ride
Wednesday: Chest & Hip Abductors/Adductors & Abs
Thursday: Back & Triceps
Friday: OFF! :)

I probably could've gone without the bike ride on Tuesday, as that is a day where I rest but I am an energizer bunny so I was feeling a little antsy and ambitious (<-- that last one: *shocker*) It was like 95 degrees on the trails and I didn't push to hard; it felt like a leisurely bike ride. I am not doing too much cardio so I did refuel x2 after this bike ride to get the calories in me. I didn't feel like I was sweating at all. But when I walked into the air conditioning...

It turns out I was sweating buckets. Gnarly.

I'm feeling sore from yesterday's workouts so today I am taking it easy with my family! I'm probably going to go on a walk with my dad. Sounds good and not too strenuous. I am usually full of energy but since yesterday I have been feeling super tired! I fell asleep twice on my yoga mat. My guess is it is the combination of the heat, a lot of carbs (which tend to make me tired hehe), and my body finally catching up to all these workouts! I'm always so active. It's no wonder why I can't hold my weight! I need to take more rest but it's not something I am good at.

It is time for me to listen to my body and take a break! I plan on doing some restorative (not hot, which I eventually will do) yoga later. I just started yoga and it has helped my tight muscles and stressed mind out immensely. I highly recommend it! I can be the first one to admit that I rarely stretch after a workout and now I am paying for it. I felt so sore all the time so I said what the heck and tried out yoga. WHERE HAS IT BEEN ALL MY LIFE??? The only thing I need to work on is my patience and breathing. I am the most impatient person on the planet, I swear to you, so staying in a pose for a few breaths is like asking a kid who is horrible at math to do an advanced calculus problem. I will work on it!

Maybe one day I can do this:

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One day. You watch. Type A Brittany doesn't give up.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend. I'll be around! Make sure you check out my guest post for Meg tomorrow on balance! 

Have a fantastic, funky, fabulous, fascinating, festive, fancy, fearless Friday! (I ran out of adjectives that start with 'f')

Question: How was your week of workouts? Are you staying consistent and training hard? Are you a yogi? What's your favorite type of yoga? What are you doing this weekend?

I'm Getting Healthier (Not Bulking!)

There are certain fitness terms that I just can't for the life of me seem to like, simply because they sound a little to 'broscience-y' to me.

Examples? Cutting. 'Cheat' meals. Macros. Bulking.

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That last one? Definitely not my favorite, considering I'm sorta kinda doing something very similar to it right now.

I'm a tall, lanky teenage girl who really wants to put on muscle so I have a headstart when I become a figure competitor one day (and trust me, it'll happen!). Not only that, but I need to put on weight in general, just for health purposes. 

Lovin' those thin pins! They've gotten bigger :)

I have, in fact, already gained 10 lbs. in the last five months. Now that may seem like nothing to many of you, but it means the world to me. I can't seem to hold onto much weight because I live such an active lifestyle, so any pounds that stay on me are welcome to do just that, stay. 

I know that when I return to school in August, people will be surprised. They might think "Wow, I thought that girl was a fitness nut, but she seemed to gain a few pounds. I guess she's not what she thinks she is." This goes along with the assumption that to be truly 'fit,' you have to lose weight. I'd love to prove that wrong. If I come back a little heavier than previously, but with much needed muscle and yes, fat (we DO need some fat to be healthy), than people can think what they choose to think. But I know inside myself that what I am doing to my body is for the best. 

Eating more quantities of food is not the easiest thing, believe it or not. I know that sounds kind of stupid, I mean no one should complain about eating all the time. It sounds like paradise, right? Well, not exactly, and here's why. First of all, it's very easy to have disordered thoughts. They go along the lines of "Well, I don't really need this extra bit of food. It's way too much and I don't want to get fat." It's so mentally challenging pushing those negative thoughts out and it calls for much more effort than someone who doesn't understand could ever imagine. Second, if you can drop weight easily, like me, any time you go for long periods of time without eating or get SICK (this is my downfall, unfortunately) you basically negate a lot of the hard work and just lose the weight again, so it can be an uphill and downhill battle from the start.

I have been pretty good with it but I am actually going to kick it up a notch. I'll be eating more, and at more frequent times. I am not even worried about numbers. I'm not 'cutting', so the numbers are not that important to me. I don't like telling myself that I am 'bulking' though. I'm not. I am simply getting healthier! 

I am not putting on the weight by eating crap either. Sure, it's easy to just eat nasty, unhealthy foods and gain weight but if I want to be as healthy as possible, I am going to do it the right way by fueling myself with healthy, clean foods. It may be 'harder' but I feel like it is definitely worth it. I'm eating mostly (in larger quantities) lean protein, like chicken and lean steak, complex carbs, like sweet potatoes (TONS of these) and brown rice, healthy fats (my personal fave) like natural peanut butter and avocadoes, and tons of fruit. 

These babies + peanut butter = pure heaven.

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My tip for people going through the same thing as me is to just keep pushing through it. I'm sure if you work out a lot, you push through those workouts with little to no difficulty. Now do it with this. You may not want to eat because you're still full. Your mind may be telling you that you are getting 'fat' but don't let it. It's wrong. You are getting healthy. Dump all those negative thoughts to the side and stay strong. Another thing I recommend is NOT over-obsessing with the scale. The scale does not account for the ratio of muscle, fat and bones that you possess. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if the number goes up, don't jump to conclusions. And if you're trying to gain weight, don't let a few dwindling numbers prevent you from pushing harder. You can do it. I weigh myself maybe once every two or three weeks because that's just about how frequently I should be checking for the sole purpose of monitoring my progress. And lastly, find a few people who will support you. Make sure they ask you how your progressing, reminding you to get your calories in, and to put you in a positive mindset. I have my family, my trainer, and a few buddies at the gym who have done this wonderfully, so a big thank you to them.

As always, I am here to talk or listen to anybody that needs help with this. I have ears and a voice and I am ready to use them. Please let me know if anyone needs help with this difficult topic.

Questions: Are you 'bulking' or as I like to call it, getting healthier? What's the hardest and easiest part to you? Do you ever have negative thoughts?

For me, the hardest part is not letting my mind do the talking, but allowing my body to. The easiest part is obviously the endless consumption of sweet potatoes and extra tablespoons of nut butter, but I'm sure you all knew that. ;) Happy Wednesday!

P.S. I hear it's someone's birthday today... ehmm Meg... HAPPY BIRTHDAY! <3

My Father's Day & A Yummy Snack

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone had a fantastic Father's Day, or just a relaxing Sunday! Not only was it Father's Day for us over here, but it was also my mom and dad's 23rd wedding anniversary! Wowza!

We all went out to Hackney's, a burger joint, and chowed down on some yummy food. Take a look:

I got a French dip sandwich with fries and a cup of fruit! French dips are sooo good. All in moderation, of course!

Today for Marvellous Monday I thought I'd share one of my go-to snacks when the tummy is calling for some grub! I post this as my pre-workout fuel for PowerCakes' June PowerMeal-A-Day Challenge.

It's super simple to throw together and delicious!

I take two plain rice cakes, then I spread a tablespoon each of hummus (whatever flavor floats your boat) over the rice cake. I wash a can of tuna and then split it for each rice cake, and spread it over the hummus. Then I top it with some Italian seasoning and it's the perfect savory snack that's filling with a good mix of healthy fats, lean protein and complex carbs! You can use any herbs or seasonings to top it, too! 

Make sure to use the cans of tuna in water if you don't want the nasty, oily tuna. I wash mine simply because I think the unwashed tuna is extremely salty and I just want to make sure it's clean for me to eat!

I hope everyone rocks their Monday and I will be back Wednesday!

Dear Dad...

Dear Dad,

I guess since mom got one, it's only fair if you got a letter too, right? :) Just kidding, I would make you one anyways of course!

Every moment of my life, you have been there to experience with me. We have so many similarities; it's quite scary! Whether it's fishing together, jamming out to the classics, watching a good horror movie, or reading a good book, I am a lot ike you in those aspects.

We've been through many rollercoasters and still come out alive. 

You make me laugh when sometimes I just want to cry. Your sense of humor has always been one of the best things about you. Your ability to turn a tense situation into a uplifting one truly amazes me.

Like every parent and child, we don't always get along but the thing about us is we get over it easily. It's just not worth it.

I know you're always here for me and I know when I bring boys home you'll be polishing the shotgun. 

LOVE YOU DADDY :) I will always be daddy's little girl. Your shoulders are always the highest point on the earth.

Love,

Britt<3

FitFluential Ambassador!

So I'm a new FitFluential ambassador...

WHAT?!

YES! Got the e-mail from Danielle last night! I had a TOTALLY different post set up for today but obviously with this great news I had to write about this instead!

True story: So I had just gotten home from seeing a friend who moved to Nevada last year. I haven't seen this crazy kid (his name is Andy) for over a year! I get home, ready to hit the hay, but before I do I check my e-mail. Low and behold I got that glorious e-mail and I have been bouncing off the walls with excitement since! AWESOME DAY. Period.

If you can see on your right, I have added the awesome badge.

As a new ambassador, I truly hope to srpead my love for optimal health and fitness to teenagers and everyone else out there. You can start a healthy life young and make it a lifestyle. I plan to live a very healthy life for the remainder of my years, and I am so excited to share part of my life through FitFluential. 

A big thanks to Kelly Olexa and Danielle Liss. I could hug them right now. They have made me so happy! 

I can't wait for the opportunities to come my way! Have a GREAT Saturday!

Confessions

...of a teenage drama queen.

Just kidding.

Never liked that movie anyways.

How is everyone?! It's FRIDAY around these parts so I'm sure everyone is pumped up. As for me, I get to go to Six Flags with my cousins today. I am a thrillseeker, so naturally I love me some rollercoasters. I can hear them calling my name.

On Wednesday, I got this amazingly spectacular oh-so-incredible birthday gift from my awesome aunt and uncle:

Six jars of Peanut Butter & Co. Crunch Time Peanut Butter & four jars of The Peanut Shop's 100% Natural Smooth Peanut Butter.

Buy me nut butter, get ultimate respect. But of course I respect them anyways, because well, I love them! (And miss them dearly)

I think I am good on nut butter for a good year or two, considering I have seven other jars and like forty remaining packets from Artisana. Yeesh.

Moving on...

RANDOM CONFESSION TIME!

1. When I was little, as my dad was driving, I opened the car door because I wanted to 'fly.' I was a hardcore little girl.


2. I used to think people in the 1950's and years before actually LIVED in black and white, until I realized they just hadn't developed color for FILMING. Fail.

Source
Wait, so she didn't actually live this way?

3. I have spelled the word 'especially' wrong until freshman year, but I never got points off of my work for the misspelling. I guess I'm not the only one?


4. The only reason I liked pink in pre-school is because another girl liked pink a lot, but I wanted to be the supreme pink liker so her and I always argued over who liked pink more. The funny thing is, I hated pink.


5. Sometimes I walk out of my house with my hair in a messy bun, not a drop of make-up, some raggedy old T-shirt, and call myself 'presentable.' No shame.
6. I used to hate bacon. WHAT.


7. I wear either yoga pants or athletic shorts and some type of T-shirt pretty much everyday. Wearing anything but gets classified as 'fancy wear.'


8. I wish Jenna Marbles was my sister. Furrrrreal.


9. I once told my mom that I didn't look in the giant bag full of Christmas goodies hiding in the car, when I secretly did. (Sorry mom!)


10. I don't always like the way I look. I have negative thoughts about my body sometimes. I am not perfect. *shocker* 

Question: Anything YOU want to confess to? Hmm? Hmm? HMM?

Love for Oxygen & Misleading Info

Here's a fun fact: I love to ride my bike to the library to read my favorite books and magazines. In fact, I went there two days ago and yesterday to read my favorite magazine: Oxygen.

I loooove Oxygen. It's cut-to-the-chase, real information (in my opinion) about what it means to be healthy and fit.

As much as I love this magazine, it can get a little pricey. Until I get a subscription (which I probably will be getting hopefully soon), I figure I could save many by reading it at the library in the big fluffy chairs. (Bonus points for the chair.)

I was dying to read the July 2012 issue because of the tribute to Robert Kennedy. This man will forever live in the hearts of money because of his persistance in getting people healthy and the vitality he presented the world with.

Source

It took me around two hours to completely digest this whole issue. I read it from top to bottom. I have to say, the way they honored Mr. Kennedy was amazing, and I cried. Yes, I got looks but I didn't care! It was so touching and so very heartfelt. My favorite part? The love letters he wrote to Tosca Reno. I hope I have a man like that some day.

After I finished that, I went on to read a women's health magazine. No, not the ones like Oxygen, Muscle & Fitness Hers, or FitnessRx that support heavy weight training, but the ones that support the lifting of 4 lb. dumbbells and eating processed foods simply because there is 'less fat.' Hmm.

Here's what I saw:

Now not trying to be overly critical or anything, I just DON'T think this is sending out the right message. If you can read that, it's basically telling women that they can eat whatever macronutrient they want, even if it exceeds the others, as long as they are in a caloric deficit and losing weight.

Don't get me wrong. They are right in the fact that as long as you are in a deficit, you will lose weight. But there is a significant difference between weight loss and fat loss. The latter is obviously the better choice. It shouldn't be about the number on the scale. If you have more muscle, you will weigh more but you will be lean and a calorie burning machine.

Would you rather have a skinny body with a high body fat percentage and a low number on the scale or a tall, muscular, LEAN figure that looks good naked, has a low body fat percentage and a slightly higher number on the scale? I would rather the latter, please. 

FAT LOSS > weight loss. It took me some time to understand this, believe me.

This magazine (not going to name any names; if you know the magazine that's great but I'm not trying to completely dismiss them) in my personal opinion should be promoting a diet full of a good mix of ALL the macronutrients, for each and every one of them presents a need to our bodies. I don't think I would eat pasta all day just as long as I was in a 'deficit.' Where's the protein? Where's the fat? Where's the healthy, balanced attitude towards food?

I'm sorry, these things just tend to get to me, especially knowing that a gullible teenage girl could read this and think they're healthy not getting a good balance of essential macronutrients. I was this last year. Imagine if I had read this last year.

Rant over. Happy Thursday!

Guest Post by Liz!

I have a special guest on the blog here. I am so excited for this!

Her name is Liz and she is a tough chick with a no excuses approach to fitness, which of course I love! Please go check her blog over at bodybyliz.blogspot.com. I read every.single.one of her blog posts because they're so real! Go check it out, seriously.

Hey everyone! I use the term "everyone" to reach out to Britt's loyal readers, my loyal readers, or people just checking out Miss Fit Britt's blog for the first time! 

My name is Liz, and I started blogging In January at www.bodybyliz.blogspot.com. I am almost 20 years old, and am currently a student (on summer break now thank God) living and breathing fitness and health in NYC. 

I'm going to use this post as a way to encourage more people to understand why it is important to do EVERYTHING with 110%...especially when it comes to smashing your goals head-on. If you want something, you must convince yourself to NEED it. Do NOT be another one of those people sitting on the couch thinking, "Hmm, I wanna lose 20 pounds. Starting tomorrow, juice cleanse." Then reach back into the value sized bag of tortilla chips.

NO!!!! There are so so so many things wrong with that approach. Guess why? You might lose 20 pounds, but will you have GAINED anything? Gained strength? Gained a better awareness of how your body responds to different foods or methods of dieting? Will you have gained a LOVE for healthy foods and exercising? Will you gain a better awareness of how to spread health and fitness and change the way you live the rest of your life? 

Not necessarily...

So, my opinion of the PROPER way to assess this scenario would be to COMMIT to changing both your lifestyle and outlook on the way you use your body. Instead of sitting on the couch after a long day with tortilla chips instead of dinner, make small changes--have some avocado, natural salsa, and  brown rice or a whole grain tortilla with added chicken or eggs whites. Changing the way you eat is the first step. Instead of frozen yogurt on the daily, COMMIT to putting your plain Greek yogurt in the freezer, and adding sweetener and some dark chocolate or fresh fruit...hey, maybe even protein powder and chia seeds! WHOA!! 

In terms of exercise, no more "Let me force myself to get on the elliptical and stay on until the machine says 1,000 calories burned. Then I can eat whatever I want and not get fat." Listen. The machines are wrong. They overestimate a TON, unless you are a 175 pound MAN, the calorie count is overestimating by 30-50%. Instead, approach workouts with INTENT. Aim to strengthen your muscles, sweat, and bust through strength plateaus---this will get you through fat loss plateaus.  Seeing new muscles and veins pop out is far more rewarding than the elliptical telling you 1,000 calories were burned...even though you don't even need to change your shirt from sweat. Even if you have 30 minutes to spare, you can kick your butt, and contribute to your strength and weight loss goals significantly. 

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Losing 20 pounds isn't the focus here. Or at least, it shouldn't be. Becoming a better YOU is the focus. Commit to doing more positive and healthy things for yourself. Learning to enjoy the gym, or runs with a friend, or hot yoga with complete strangers. Learning to look forward to waking up to oats for breakfast, or making a healthy meal to eat at work. Appreciating your health, and making an impact on those around you. COMMIT to THOSE things. THAT is what is truly important. The weight loss, the improved appearance, smaller jeans...that will ALL come. Everything falls into place when your mindset is clear and driven by good intentions.

Fun Fact: In the past 2 years, I've lost about 20 pounds. Gone from wearing a size 8-10 to wearing 2s and 4s (0s in some stuff!). But NEVER did I say "Okay. I'm done. No more being thick. Time to lose weight." I thought like that ALL through high school...and guess what? It never EVER worked! Pace yourself, and COMMIT. The body and physique can always be a work in progress. Never be discouraged, but never settle for mediocracy. Commit to everything you do, and you WILL reach your goals.

Thank you for reading!! 

And THANKS a MILLION to Britt for letting me write this monster post! 

XOXOX 

---

I could not agree more with everything Liz said. It takes work, people! She said everything to perfection. Now, go check out her blog! Have a great Tuesday!

Green Banana Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes

I have a yummy recipe that if you ask me, tastes more like dessert than anything else. I had this post-workout so it's a bit dense if you catch my drift. ;) Rework the recipe as desired! This is a *marvellous* recipe for Marvelous In My Monday hosted by none other than Katie!

Green Banana Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes (what a name...)

***I apologize that I CANNOT flip a pancake to save my life! I promise to practice my food photography/making skills***

Ingredients:

Batter
- 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 2 tbsp. coconut flour (can sub whole wheat flour, oat flour, quinoa flour or omit completely and use 1 full scoop protein powder)
- 6 tbsp. liquid egg whites (or about 2 egg whites)
-  1 handful spinach
-  1/8 tsp. baking powder
- A few drops or packet of Stevia (can omit)
- Dash of cinnamon
- Dash of nutmeg

Frosting

- 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2-1 tbsp. natural peanut butter (if you would like to use a different nut butter, like almond butter, go for it)
- A few drops or packet of Stevia or other sweetener (can omit)
- 1/2 or 1 whole sliced banana

Directions:

1. In a blender, mix all of the batter ingredients together. Mix until thoroughly blended.

2. Spray a nonstick pan with nonstick cooking spray (for extra measure) and put on low-medium heat. Pour the batter from the blender onto the heated pan.

3. Cook the pancake (I do one big pancake, but if you want to do multiple smaller pancakes, that's fine too) on each side for about 2 minutes or until fully cooked through and able to be flipped.

4. Place the finished pancake on a plate (it will be green because of the spinach). In a medium-sized bowl, mix the frosting ingredients together until mixed together well. Spread over the pancake.

5. Slice half of a ripe banana and place slices on top of pancake(s). Top with more cinnamon and nutmeg, like I did, or eat as is.

This was so yummy and I can't wait to eat it again! The picture doesn't do the recipe justice. Trust me though and try it. You get your veggies from the spinach, a superfood FULL of nutrients, and I PROMISE you can't even taste it! From the spinach to the banana, you'll definitely meet your potassium needs. Hehe!

I hope you all enjoy! 


Question: What do you put in your protein pancakes?