This is 34

Another year older…another year wiser. This was a trying year for me but I did my best to push through all of the struggles…and come out stronger from it all.

I started a new career in a brand new field. It’s been quite the journey but I’ve never been happier going to work everyday. I finally understand what it means when people say it doesn’t feel like work. I may have had some financial struggles as a result, forcing some parts of my life to go backwards…but it’s all been worth it.

My shoulder finally gave out and I had no choice but to confront the issue that had been plaguing me for a long time. Being told you need surgery is tough on anyone but when you need your muscles to make a living…it’s that much worse. Combine that with the inability to properly workout…causing some weight gain and A LOT of muscle loss…and it can be mentally debilitating.

No one really tells you how hard it is mentally to get through injury recovery. Everyone talks about the physical element….but no one discussing how truly horrible it is to an otherwise healthy mindset. I’ve touched on this quite a bit on my Instagram and in past blog posts but it can’t be said enough. Despite my daily struggles and how I’ve seemingly gone backwards in how I view my own body…I’ve managed to make a pretty decent comeback. I am wrapping up a 6-week shred where I lost weight and regained my muscle & strength. I’m not at 100% but I’m damn close to where I left off a few years ago. I’ve also been working with a trainer/co-worker on corrective exercises. I’ll be writing a full blog post on this soon but suffice to say that if you are going through PT post-op, you should hire a personal trainer as soon as you are cleared. When you suffer an injury, you compensate for that pain and injury by using other muscles and seemingly doing exercises incorrectly. This will ultimately lead to even worse problems down the line. It’s well worth the time and money to invest in someone who can redirect you back to proper form & help get your strength back safely.

As I enter a new year of life, I’ve also come to some level of acceptance. For my entire life all I ever dreamed of was being married and having babies. While I still want those things, I’ve come to accept that when it’s meant to happen it will…and hopefully with the perfect person (for me). I may not be getting younger but I’m done making myself miserable over things I can’t control. I’m choosing to focus on something I can control – my own happiness. Other people can’t dictate that – only I can. That’s been my focus since New Year’s and will continue to be throughout this year. After all, eventually everything that’s meant to be falls into place.

So it goes, another year older & another year wiser. Here’s hoping this year is filled with lots of laughter, good health, and great memories.

Thanks for taking this journey with me!

xoxo

Gina

Summer Shred – Homestretch!

Hard to believe but week 5 is in the books! For those following along, I apologize for my crazy delay on updating you all. If you follow along on Instagram , you will see that I’ve been eating pretty much the same stuff and working out as much as possible. Life got pretty hectic over the last few weeks but I’ve managed to work in cardio wherever I can as well as my weight lifting days. While my diet has been mostly the same, I have stepped it up this week and gotten a little more strict. I cut WAY back on my carbs. Surprisingly, I haven’t been overly hungry or having weird sugar cravings. This has been my best “cut” yet. My workouts may not have been perfect and my schedule may have been chaotic…but I have seen some amazing results! I also had quite the non-scale victory…in Charlotte Russe of all places…while searching for a birthday outfit:

I didn’t buy that dress…but I did buy one even sexier and tighter.

I got to wear that dress confidently for my birthday celebration with friends last night. We had a very late dinner followed by drinks and dancing the night away. I decided that I’d keep it fairly healthy and safe for my stomach

I didn’t eat the lettuce, as it had some sort of weird dressing on it. However I ate the rest, along with a taste of the table appetizer and was more than satisfied. For drinks, I stuck to one liquor (tequila) all night. I didn’t mix it with more than a splash of club soda and a few limes.

I didn’t eat the dessert or bread that the restaurant provided either. I had a great time, didn’t get bloated or sick, and felt content. You don’t have to restrict your whole life to keep your diet in check. Allow yourself to enjoy the special moments in life and all of the food that comes with it. I may have had a pretty healthy night…but that’s what I wanted to have. I know ice cream cake along with Mexican and ballpark food await me this week…so for me it wasn’t worth it to pig out last night. Besides…there wasn’t room for much food in that dress 😉

As I enter the final week of this shred (and my birthday week), I have to say this really has been the most successful “cut” that I’ve ever done. I don’t feel like binging…and I got the results that I wanted. Could my abs show more? Yes. Could I weigh less? Probably. However, this was the healthiest, most realistic way to lean out that worked for ME. I will likely keep going beyond this week, so as to keep myself in check throughout the summer. I may not be AS strict but I will keep my diet as clean as possible and workout as hard as my body allows.

If you’ve been following this shred along with me…stay strong! We are in the homestretch! Keep up with my workouts & meals on Instagram and MyFitnessPal. We got this!

-Gina

Summer Shred – Push Yourself!

Tuesday. Despite it being my hell day…I kicked some serious ass on this second day of week 3!

It’s been a solid 3 weeks and while it hasn’t been perfect…I’m already seeing crazy results! This is my transformation from this past fall…a month or so after my surgery…versus yesterday morning:

Truly amazing how much my body has changed in such a short time! It’s definitely given me more motivation for the second leg of this shred.

My workout today was a short but intense leg day. The numbers next to the exercise indicate the weight I used. I didn’t have time for a long cardio session but I made sure to at least do a cool down.

Despite being so busy that I forgot to eat a normal breakfast (who does that?!), I managed to hit my macros & calories spot on! Here’s how the day looked:

Breakfast:

• Caramel latte protein coffee
• Rice cake, plain
• Iced quad with 2 pumps SF cinnamon dolce and splash of almond milk (starbucks)

Post-workout– Phormula1 chocolate shake

Lunch:

• 4 oz ground turkey
• 2 oz butternut squash
• 2 oz string beans

Snacks:

• Oh yeah! Chocolate chip cookie dough bar
• Chocolate RX bar
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries with crystal light

Dinner:

• Turkey burger with a sprinkle of cheese
• 2 tsp chopped mushrooms
• 2 oz string beans
• 5 brussel sprouts

Looking forward to a bad ass PT session tomorrow 😎 Have a good night everyone!

-Gina

Summer Shred – Week 3!

Today was definitely a Monday 🙄 Despite getting off to a very rocky start and being super swamped all day, I managed to kick some serious ass today!

Thanks to insane traffic, I missed out on my morning workout BUT I made sure to go after work. I wasn’t letting another week slip me by. I got in a decent upper body workout…which was my first on my own post-op! Felt good to lift again and not feel crazy pain 🙂

All of the exercises were done in 3 sets of 10 with varying weights. I finished with 20 minutes of sweaty cardio as I watched Monday Night Raw 🤘🏻

My diet and macros were spot on! Here’s how the day shaped up:

Breakfast: my stomach was still iffy when I woke up so I didn’t push it.

• 1 rice cake with a tsp of pb
• Caramel latte protein coffee (with almond milk)

Lunch:

• 4 oz ground turkey
• 1 oz quinoa
• 2 oz string beans
• 1 mushroom, cut

Snacks:

• Oh yeah! Chocolate chip cookie dough bar
• Dark roast iced coffee with almond milk (Dunkin’)
• RX chocolate bar (pre-workout)
• Phormula1 chocolate shake (post-workout)

Dinner: it got super late so I made it as light…and delicious…as possible

• Salad made with chopped romaine lettuce, tbsp of toasted chick peas, 1/4 small avocado, 1 chopped turkey burger, and a sprinkle of cheese. No dressing 🙂

Tomorrow is my hell day but I have plans for a solid (& heavy) leg day nonetheless. Not letting stress or long workdays get the best of me this week!

Have a good night everyone!

-Gina

Summer Shred – Fighting to be Fit….Through the Chaos

What a week! The second week of my Summer Shred definitely didn’t go as I intended…but it wasn’t all lost. I stuck to my meal plan and my macros were almost perfect everyday. I lost a pound despite not working out as hard as I wanted to and I’m noticing my waist get smaller and smaller everyday!

While a stressful, busy work week kept me away from my own workouts most days…my diet was great. Here’s how the last few days looked:

Breakfast:

• Wednesday, 4/26: 2 eggs with a sprinkle of cheese & caramel latte protein coffee
• Thursday, 4/27: rice cake with tsp of PB & caramel latte protein coffee
• Friday, 4/28: rice cake with tsp of PB & caramel latte protein coffee
• Saturday, 4/29: mini bagel with cream cheese, caramel latte protein coffee, large iced coffee with almond milk & 1 splenda
• Sunday, 4/30: (brunch at the diner) omelette with goat cheese, mushrooms, and tomatoes, caramel latte protein coffee, 3 iced coffees with a splash of milk & splenda

Lunch: 

• Wednesday, 4/26 – 4 oz of ground turkey with 1 oz of quinoa and mushrooms
• Thursday, 4/27 – 4 oz of ground turkey with 2 oz of sweet potato and mushrooms along with that had just lettuce and a sprinkle of cheese.
• Friday, 4/28 – I had run out of meal prepped food…so I had a salad with lettuce, mushrooms, and cheese along with the remaining 2 oz of sweet potato
• Saturday, 4/29 – I went to lunch with a co-worker after a very long but successful event for work. I had a HUGE Greek salad with grilled chicken and a few slices of grilled pita
• Sunday, 4/30 – No lunch, since my breakfast was brunch…at 1 pm

Snacks: Pretty much the same everyday – RX Bars, Oh Yeah bars, frozen blueberries with crystal light, carrots or rice cake with PB, and cottage cheese. I also had Phormula1 shakes or BCAAs in my water.

Dinner: I had cauliflower almost everyday….which has destroyed my stomach. Laying off that and all other super gassy veggies this week.

• Wednesday, 4/26 – 10 grilled calamari rings with cauliflower & string beans
• Thursday, 4/27 – Palm Beach salad from Chopt
• Friday, 4/28 – 2 turkey burgers with mushrooms and cauliflower
• Saturday, 4/29 – 2 turkey burgers with a salad and 1/2 small avocado
• Sunday, 4/30 – 1 turkey burger with mushrooms & 2 plain rice cakes

My macros were pretty good, all things considered. My fats were a little high the last two days but otherwise they were spot on:

Beginning tomorrow, I will be incorporating cardio into every workout…everyday. It’s gonna suck but I have to make up for lost time. Friday is Cinco de Mayo and anyone who knows me knows how much I die for Mexican food…& margaritas. I may allow myself a taco or two but I won’t go crazy. This girl has a goal and once I reach it, I can celebrate with as many margaritas and/or tequila shots my heart desires!

I plan on keeping my diet mostly the same but maybe incorporating other protein bars into the mix. Seems the coffee RX bars I love so much are discontinued and while I do enjoy other flavors, it’s just not the same. So I’ll mix it up a bit. My workouts will be as follows:

• Monday – upper body + cardio
• Tuesday – lower body + cardio
• Wednesday – upper body (PT)
• Thursday – lower body + cardio
• Friday – total body (PT)
• Saturday – cardio (1 hour)

Since Sunday is the annual fitness expo at MetLife, I doubt I’ll do a workout. I’ll make that an active rest day, as there will be plenty of walking and whatever else I can get myself into.

Here’s hoping for a less stressful and more active week 3!

-Gina

No Excuses: Summer Shred – Week 2, Day 2

Oh Tuesday 😩 This was such a long, crazy day…I legit thought it was a different day. With so many errands and so much work to do today, I only managed a 15 minute cardio session (on the stair master, of course). I could’ve done nothing and had plenty of excuses for it. But what good would that have done? I figured doing a little bit of something is always better than doing nothing at all. Besides, tomorrow is my PT session so I’ll surely make up for it then!

Despite the chaotic day, I kept my diet in check. Calories and macros were pretty much perfect! Here’s how the day looked:

Breakfast:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tsp PB
• Sprinkle of flax & cinnamon
• Caramel latte protein coffee (with almond milk)

Lunch:

• 4 oz solid white tuna
• 1 small avocado
• Salad with approx 1 cup of chopped romaine, sprinkle of cheese, 1 tsp balsamic dressing

Snacks:

• 2 phormula1 chocolate shakes (with water)
• RX blueberry bar (definitely not as good as the coffee…but not nearly as bad as the PB)
• Chili lime protein chips
• 100 calorie almonds
• Dark roast iced coffee with almond milk (Dunkin)

Dinner:

• 4 oz ground turkey
• 2 oz string beans & mushrooms
• 1 oz quinoa

Here’s hoping for a less crazy day tomorrow…along with a kickass workout 🤞🏻

Have a good night everyone!

-Gina

Summer Shred – Kicking Off Week 2

And so begins another week…and the 2nd week of my Summer Shred!

I haven’t been crazy hungry or having weird cravings this go around. I will say my sweet tooth has reared it’s ugly head…but I’ve found the “sour patch” blueberries really do the trick.

I sat in a ton of traffic…after spending more time than anticipated getting new car insurance 🙄 so I wasn’t able to get in a crazy workout. BUT I did manage to get in 25 minutes of good, sweaty cardio. 15 minutes on the arc trainer, 10 minutes on the old school stair master = 200 calories burned!

My diet was on point today…and my macros were just about perfect. Here’s what my day looked like:

Breakfast:

• RX Bar
• Caramel latte protein coffee (with almond milk)

Post-workout: phormula1 chocolate shake (with water)

Lunch:

• 4 oz ground turkey
• 1 oz quinoa
• 1 oz mushrooms
• 1 oz string beans

Snacks:

• Oh yeah! Chocolate chip cookie dough bar
• 9 baby carrots
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup blueberries with crystal light lemonade

Dinner:

• 4 oz rotisserie chicken
• Approx 2 cups of romaine lettuce chopped
• Sprinkle of cheese
• Baby carrots (1 oz)
• Mushrooms (1 oz)
• Cauliflower (2 oz)

*All mixed together with homemade balsamic vinegarette

Here’s to another awesome day tomorrow! Have a good night everyone 🙂

-Gina

Summer Shred – weekend recap

How is it already Sunday?? Where does the weekend go?! Well. At any rate…we’ve reached a full week!

My weekend was pretty hectic but I did my best to stick to the plan anyway. I carried my snacks and water around to avoid outside food. I did bend a little and have some sushi today. After all, I have been craving sushi for a long time. I’m not allowing myself much but I did have that today.

Overall, my carbs were higher than they should’ve been both days. As far as exercise, I did nothing yesterday. I was super sore and let my body rest. Today, I walked a mile at the beach. Wasn’t crazy but it was something. I’ll get back to it tomorrow.

Here’s how my meals & macros looked for the weekend:

Breakfast:

Saturday– PB oats with caramel latte protein coffee

Sunday – 3 egg whites with sprinkle of cheese & mushrooms with 1/2 small avocado & 1/2 cup sweet potatoes

Lunch:

Saturday – nothing

Sunday – sushi lunch at Haiku: 1 spicy tuna roll, 1 avocado roll (both made with brown rice) & a garden salad without dressing

Snacks:

Saturday – (throughout the day) 100 calorie almonds, rice cake with tsp of PB, BCAAs in water, RX bar, 1/2 cup blueberries with crystal light lemonade, dark roast iced coffee with almond milk (Dunkin’)

Sunday: RX bar, dark roast iced coffee with almond milk (Dunkin’), 1/2 cup blueberries with crystal light lemonade

Dinner:

Saturday – breakfast burrito: 2 egg whites + 1 whole egg, mushrooms, sprinkle of cheese, 1/2 small avocado, low carb wrap

Sunday – 5 oz tilapia, 2 oz chicken, 4 pieces of cauliflower, 1 oz string beans, salad with mushrooms mixed with homemade balsamic vinegarette.

Macros:

Saturday 

Sunday

Definitely not perfect but life happens and we have to make adjustments accordingly. Back on my grind tomorrow! Let’s start week 2 off strong!

Have a great night everyone!

-Gina

Summer Shred, Day 5 – FriYAY vibes

Happy FriYAY!! Day 5 wasn’t as amazing as I hoped. The PT session was definitely not as hardcore as it could’ve been…thanks to a nagging bicep issue. That issue has been plaguing me since my surgery and for whatever reason it picked today to act up. I got in a semi-decent workout nonetheless and was even able to get some ART/Massage work done to it afterward.

At least my diet…and macros…were on point. Here’s what that looked like:

Breakfast:

• 3 egg whites scrambled with a sprinkle of cheese, 4 pieces of asparagus, a handful of balsamic mushrooms
• Caramel latte protein coffee (with almond milk)

Post-Workout: Phormula1 chocolate shake (with water)

Lunch:

• 3 oz ground turkey
• 3 oz kale
• 1 oz mushrooms
• 4 pieces of asparagus

Snacks:

• 100 calorie almonds
• Iced coffee with almond milk & 1 Splenda
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries with crystal light lemonade (to kill my sugar craving)

Dinner:

• 3 oz tilapia
• 1 oz butternut squash
• 4 oz string beans
• 2 mushroom caps
• Salad with sprinkle of cheese, 1/2 cup chick peas, and homemade balsamic vinegarette

Tomorrow is going to be a hectic day but I’m going to try to get some extra cardio in…and keep my diet in check. Have good night everyone!

-Gina

Summer Shred – Day 4

And just like that we are almost done with week one! Day 4 was a little hectic for me but I stuck to my game plan! I didn’t think I was getting my cardio in…but it happened unexpectedly. While planning an upcoming event at work, I went on an impromptu 3.2 mile walk around my office building. Score!

My meals were on point. Here’s what the day looked like:

Breakfast:

• 1/2 cup oats mixed with 1 tsp peanut butter, a sprinkle of flax seeds, and a pinch of cinnamon
• Caramel latte protein coffee (made with 4 oz almond milk)

Lunch:

• 4 oz ground turkey
• 2 oz kale
• 1 oz quinoa

Snacks:

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 3 tsp frozen blueberries

• 100 calorie almonds

Dinner:

• 3 oz turkey cutlet
• 2 oz butternut squash
• 2 oz string beans
• 10 brussel sprouts
• Salad made with 1 oz toasted chick peas, a sprinkle of cheese, and homemade balsamic vinegarette
• Raspberry lime seltzer

Macros were almost perfect but my calories were pretty low. I did make sure to drink a ton of water again so while I’m a little hungry, I’m definitely not starving.

I’m excited for tomorrow. Not only is it going to be an ass-kicking PT day…it’s finally FriYAY! We made it! Have a great night everyone 🙂

-Gina